[Phoenix]

Whiteshade
my secret side i keep
hid under
lock and key

- - -

It was out of boredom that he found himself wandering back toward the TreeClan border. The last time his paws had trod this path, he had met up with a patrol so dysfunctional that he had wondered whether Lionstar or Daringheart had been thinking straight when they assigned that particular trio of cats, two of whom appeared to have disagreements quite frequently, to walk along the border of a hostile clan, an area that required silence and stealth for a successful mission. Not that he had particularly minded this lapse in judgment, for the chance meeting had been rather amusing. Joined by Ivysting on his side, who later confronted him about his interactions with the other she-cat, he had had the pleasure of subtly attempting to goad the most volatile of the TreeClan warriors into a fight while simultaneously tossing out compliments to the she-cat of the neighboring clan.

Time had caused him to forget her name, but he remembered the promising way she had responded to his charms. She seemed to lack the self-preservation instinct that seemed to rear its ugly head in all others the instant they saw his crimson eyes, otherworldly against his alabaster features, for though his sister would have taken offense at the reaction - or in the past, she would have, for he had yet to completely figure out where this new Cherrypool stood on such matters - he had always considered those who trembled and fled somewhat more intelligent than their peers. They were right to fear him, even if they simply attributed their fear to his scarlet eyes and a ghostly appearance. The way she seemed drawn toward his unique looks had him severely doubting her intelligence. That wasn't to say he had no appreciated her presence, for it was all too amusing for him to toss out false compliments and watch her eat them up without a moment's hesitation. She seemed oblivious to the way he could so easily manipulate her, the way all of it was nothing more than a game to him.

A game he planned on continuing simply for the sake of it. He had little else with which he could entertain himself, for he was now lacking in an apprentice - his previous one having earned his warrior name and not mysteriously disappeared for unknown reasons, which would have been rather unfortunate, of course, despite multiple instances where it would have been very easy to do so. His clan mates, save for those select few, were far from the intellectual felines whose presence he truly appreciated, though if it were intelligent conversation he were after, then he most certainly was walking along the wrong border. Instead, boredom had driven him to frequenting the TreeClan border with faint hopes of meeting up with that flirtatious TreeClan she-cat; even if her intelligence was lower than most felines, she could at least provide him with some amusement.

Playing the charming and charismatic tom, he had even deigned to bring her a gift, a rather sentimental notion that caused him to shudder whenever he truly thought of it. But if he were to play the game correctly, then it was only expected, and that was the sole reason he carried the flower, of a pink hue faintly reminiscent to the sky at dawn, delicately in powerful jaws that could kill, would kill, and had killed in a single bite. It was near the area where he had last met the patrol that he lingered, standing unassuming in the shadow of a tree and appearing for all the world a lonely tom. All for the sake of a game.

- - -

Fawn

i feel it deep within
it’s just beneath the skin
i must confess that i feel like a monster

[Fawn]

APPLESHADE

25 Moons | TreeClan | She-Cat | Warrior

Islands, diamonds, trips around the world,

Hunting with sibling Sprucefur always put her in a rare state of annoyance - the tom's reticence was frustrating enough, but the way he deliberately staved off conversation with his short burst remarks was enough to make her want to pluck out all her fur. Well maybe not her fur, considering that would be a travesty of the greatest magnitude, but furious enough to do something she would possibly regret later. They had not been assigned a patrol by Daringheart - Appleshade was quite confident that her closest friend wouldn't put her with someone who got on her nerves so easily - but rather, it was Sprucefur's own doing, the tom claiming that it was necessary to stay in touch and keep in each other's lives so they don't have a falling out. Funny how you suggest we spend quality time together and yet you're silent the entire time! The handsome muted tom was ignorant to her grumblings, however, and seemed intent upon the sparrow he had set his sights upon. Appleshade, who had a habit of getting distracted from her duties (when really it was just negligence on her part, she had the kind of flighty 'oh I'm ever so bored' personality that didn't allow her to enjoy anything resembling a schedule or the need to do something at a specific point in time), wasn't making too great an effort to see that the Clan was fed. The Clan was always fed, and besides, she'd hunt later. The prey wasn't going anywhere, despite it being early leaf-fall, and if anything the constant scurrying of the squirrels was enough of an indication that they were out and about, making themselves easy targets as they collected food for their winter stores. So why bother? While Appleshade was locked in a battle of duty versus laziness, her dense-coated brother, Sprucefur had found himself along the edge of TreeClan's territory, the sparrow clutched between pale hued jaws in search of a spot to start up a cache. What he saw almost made him jump out of his own fur. There's an albino holding a flower at the border. Sprucefur closed his eyes, counting the heartbeats, before they were opened and the phantom of nightmare was still very much present, the TreeClanner's ears folding back in a sign of obviously being unsettled. Wait a minute... "Appleshade," he called over his shoulder, voice muffled by the sparrow he wasn't planning on dropping. It took her moments to appear, her cross features giving off the impression that he may've disturbed her actual attempts at hunting, duty having won over sloth. "Yes, what is it?" Sprucefur thrust his chin once in the direction of the white devil lurking at the border. "Unless it's a peace offering, I think it's for you." In an instant her tail was up high and curled at the tip, beautiful sorrel-silver plume waving like a banner as Sprucefur, hunting for the Clan and any concept of quality family time was driven right out of her head, scrubbed clear thanks to the tall, red-eyed dose of bleach waiting for her at the border. She smiled, feeling warmth spread to her toes as she left her kin behind, calling out with soft, charming vocals; "That can't possibly be for me, can it?"

don’t mean a thing if I ain’t your girl~

[Phoenix]

Whiteshade
my secret side i keep
hid under
lock and key

- - -

Amusement shone, barely visible, in the depths of those nightmare eyes at the tom's obvious discomfort with his presence. Remaining still, he simply watched as various emotions transformed within the TreeClanner, idly understanding the shock that seemed to have originally overwhelmed him and fairly interested in the way it morphed into nothing but resignation. Perhaps it was simply luck that the she-cat's companion disregarded the rather suspicious scene of a LightningClan tom presenting a flower to a TreeClan she-cat; the longer he considered it, however, he mused that the resignation was probably a result of one who was used to such an occurrence and knew that anything he said would not change the situation. Regardless, it was very considerate of the tom to remind him of the she-cat's name. Appleshade. If she proved herself to be interesting enough, perhaps he would even remember on his own. That, however, was doubtful.

He was hardly surprised at the ease with which she left her clan mate to stride over to the border, and he adopted the expression of one pleasantly surprised. Delight replaced the brief entertainment that shone in blood red eyes, and he softened his expression ever so slightly, hiding the killer intent beneath layers of charm and courtesy. A charismatic smile graced his lips as he strode forward, abandoning the shade of the tree for the brilliance of the sunlight. "I don't know," He answered, voice equally winsome as he spoke around the flower. "I brought it for a very special she-cat; could you be her? This flower reminded me of her." With a playful glint in his eye, he took on the air of a slightly flustered, slightly shy tom who was very much in love. His tail twitched by his paws, and his gaze became beseeching, as if willing her to understand. All in all, it was a pathetically emotional display, but he could hardly let her know that. "You see, I saw its beautiful color, and I couldn't help but to think of her. And then I couldn't stop thinking of her, and I knew I had to go find her and give her this flower."

In a smooth motion, he lowered his head and placed the plant beside paws of a similar shade, dropping the playful charade as he did so. Injecting what he hoped would sound like genuine emotion into his voice, he finished with a grin, "It's just as beautiful as she is. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find this lovely she-cat, do you?" His eyes held not a trace of the monster lurking beneath alabaster fur and a charming smile, and he hardly seemed like the tom who would slaughter his own species and would not even bat an eye. He was the wolf in sheep's clothing.

- - -

i feel it deep within
it’s just beneath the skin
i must confess that i feel like a monster

[Fawn]

APPLESHADE

25 Moons | TreeClan | She-Cat | Warrior

Islands, diamonds, trips around the world,

Though flattery had more than likely been his aim - and it was well received, if Appleshade's high held tail was any indication of her mood - but there was something admittedly disappointing in his behavior as well. As uncanny as it may seem, there was a similarity between them that went beyond their lighter hues and matching suffixes; it was this ability of theirs to play and please a crowd. They both had a more than basic understanding of the way society worked, of the flow of a conversation and the inner workings of crowd mentality; they were able to manipulate the system based on their intentions. Though hers were usually to flatter and persuade toms of all Clans that they were attractive and worthy of her time, his was of a far darker purpose in being to keep the Clans frozen in ignorance over the demon that lurked just underneath, a seemingly thin wall of white fur and caution over the consequences all that stood between them. Appleshade was admittedly a little disappointed with how easily her LightningClan visitor seemed to be quite so taken with her; she had not gone to enormous lengths to worm her way into his thoughts and ultimately into his heart, she had not shown every trick or pulled out every stop. And I thought you'd propose a little more of a challenge. "I think I have an idea of where she might be," her smile infectious, she gazed into those red eyes with a sense of warm humor, as though she appreciated his words but not necessarily hearing them quite so soon. It was the toms that gave her a bit of a strain on her reputation as a femme fatale that really got her heart-rate going; Whiteshade wasn't at all without merit, of course. He had succeeded in being on the forefront of her thoughts lately, if that had been his intention at their first encounter a pawful of days ago. The silvery sorrel she-cat's voice came out a soft purr, the sound a lot quieter than one would expect of a she-cat so used to making her presence known in every situation; "I'll make sure she gets such a beautiful present, I'm sure she's going to give high marks to the tom who brought it." Appleshade had done her research. She had listened to the whispers and the rumors circulating around the alabaster devil of LightningClan; she had come to learn of her sister, and the fear that surrounded them both - though his face was met with a lot more politeness than that of the other albino - intrigued now more-so by his reputation then his current behavior. It appeared as though the white tiger of LightningClan was only a tiger on the battlefield, and could become quite the bashful gentlebeast in front of a select few ladies. She had always considered him handsome, in a very unnatural sort of way, the looks he was given frightened glances for inspiring a completely different kind in her. "I'm surprised to see you here, Whiteshade," she finally mewed, at last feeling it safe to voice her thoughts. "You didn't look like the sort of tom so easily swayed by a pretty voice and a winsome smile, but I suppose that's what I get for assumptions based on appearances." Awaiting whatever silk-tongued retort he was likely to give, the she-cat smiled. Despite some initial disappointment, this meeting wasn't at all without it's entertainment purposes. She hadn't had this much fun in a while, even if the real fun would start when her Clan began interrogating her over the nature of her relationship with Whiteshade.

don’t mean a thing if I ain’t your girl~

[Phoenix]

Whiteshade
my secret side i keep
hid under
lock and key

- - -

With a slight inclination of his head and a quick smile flashing across his lips, he acknowledged her murmured promise to deliver the flower to the she-cat. ”Thank you.” The alabaster devil voiced his appreciation smoothly, voice low as he dropped the issue of the flower. A genuine tone had laced those two simple words, though he was more grateful at ridding himself of the pathetically emotional plant than her accepting the flower that would whither up and die within a matter of days anyway. Even though he had discovered the usefulness of presenting them, gifts of this sort generally fell into the category he labeled as being a waste of time, a way to gain the trust or appreciation of a cat and nothing more. If lowering himself to the level where he would indulge the she-cat and present her with a flower would mean continuing the one-sided game, then he would simply have to grit his teeth – not too literally, for she would surely notice – and do it, and that he had.

Ears flicked at her following words, and a tom such as himself, fairly experienced in reading the moods and tones of those around him, caught the hint of disappointment lacing her voice with minimal difficulty. That caught his attention, though not because he had endeavored to please her every whim, but rather because it was fairly unexpected. He had thought she would be one of those she-cats who simply fell victim to the charming tom who brought her a pretty gift, though perhaps it had been the challenge of winning him over that attracted her more than him simply becoming another suitor. Interesting. Perhaps that, too, was what he got for assumptions based on appearances.

It was too late to turn back, however, without seeming exceedingly odd, but this only made the game slightly harder. He would have soon found himself bored if it were simply that easy.

”I apologize for failing to live up to expectations, Appleshade,” He responded, tail twitching as he once again silently thanked the tom for providing the she-cat’s name. The irony of the situation did not fail to escape him. So easily swayed was he that he could keep a cool head whilst pretending to play the suitor, that he could hide the inner workings of his bloodthirsty mind in clear eyes of such a crimson, bloody color. ”If you would prefer, I could take the flower back and attempt to not be so easily swayed by your charm and beauty.” Smoothly spoken, the offer came as an afterthought accompanied shortly after by a slight quirk of the lips. ”Before that, however, I must ask how you are doing today. Well, I hope.”

- - -

i feel it deep within
it’s just beneath the skin
i must confess that i feel like a monster