[Insidious]

J U N I P E R P A W

When Nightstep approached to engage in conversation with his former mentor, Juniperpaw looked toward the pair briefly, jealousy flashing through her eyes only to vanish in the next instant. She was not so possessive as to wish Nightstep out of Whiteshade’s life completely, though she did often find herself envying their easy relationship. She worked so hard, always walking on her toes, as to not risk disappointing her mentor. What did Nightstep have that she lacked? Why did it seem that his company was so acceptable to the albino, when she was nothing more than a pesky fly?

She heard her name usher forth from the warrior’s black lips, the pair discussing how they anticipated her results. A warm smile spread across her orange-and-gray mouth when Nightstep’s golden eyes were cast in her direction, though his sights didn’t linger upon her long enough to indicate that he awaited a response on her behalf. Of course. They were speaking about her, not to her.

A part of her had been thankful for the distraction, growing uncomfortable sitting in Whiteshade’s shadow. She had cast her sights upon the tuxedo apprentice almost too eagerly as he approached, a genuine grin cracking the half-scowl that had threatened to spill over the entirety of her face. Rarely was she so bitter. She didn’t like it one bit. What happened to the little kitten that couldn’t wait to be assigned a mentor? To make friends? Whiteshade was near impossible to impress, and she feared that if she pushed herself any harder, than she’d very well die before she got the chance to be a warrior due to the overdose of stress. She had wanted to make friends, and before her stood a perfectly apt candidate.

“I’m Juniperpaw,” she mewed pleasantly, “it’s really nice to meet you, Ospreypaw.” Taking a moment to account for the tomcat’s rather handsome exterior, she felt a sudden flutter in her chest that she didn’t care to explain. She had never considered herself as being someone so easily swept off of her paws. He’d need to do more than introduce himself with that smile he had on his face. He’d need to do more than unknowingly save her from the burden of listening to Whiteshade and Nightstep discuss how she’d do tonight, with a bond she could never dream of replicating.

… What had she been saying, again?

It didn’t matter. The infatuated look that she had in her eyes didn’t last very long, and it was soon replaced by her usual confidence and charm. She could easily collect herself, even if in the presence of someone she found a little nicer to look at than most. “I’m really excited!” She tried to match his enthusiasm, and she liked to think that she did a decent job of making it believable. Under any other circumstance (or rather with any other mentor) she would have been ecstatic at the idea of the Apprentice Games, but now all it was to her was another hoop she had to jump through - and jump through perfectly, mind - to satisfy the ever-calculating, red eyes of Whiteshade.

Maybe the hoop could even be on fire. The possibilities were endless, were they not?

“I haven’t met any cats from the other Clans, either - you actually might be the first. StoneClan, is it?” She could tell as much from his scent. “Well, I wish you luck against whoever you end up facing today! I’ll be sure to cheer for you.” Another smile, followed closely by the pretty flutter of her eyes. She wasn’t flirting, and she most certainly wasn’t trying to impress him! She liked to get to know somebody first. She had standards.

And he just so happened to be surpassing all of them.

[Fate Admin]

Pinkpaw of TreeClan

Pinkpaw was simply enjoying the shade and the light, friendly atmosphere of the gathering, watching cats from all the different Clans mingle together peacefully, greeting each other excitedly. So many different cats… so many different scents. She was reminded of the Wildflower Clearing, of all the colors and shapes and scents, and the words her father had told her so long ago. We are all more beautiful because we are all different. She purred softly, her father had been right. She laid her head on her paws, missing the big black tom, wishing he could be here to enjoy the gathering with her and see everyone so happy together. Everyone but her! Her ears flicked back guiltily at the thought. He could imagine her father’s gentle scolding for dwelling on such depressing matters while everyone else was so festive.

She nearly leapt out of her fur at the sudden voice beside her, having been too lost in her thoughts to even notice the fellow apprentice approach. She turned wide pink eyes toward the dark brown tom as he stumbled awkwardly through his introduction and it actually… put her at ease. She couldn’t help the quiet giggle that twitched her whiskers, “H-hello Mudpaw… I’m Pinkpaw….” She ducked her head shyly, turning her pale gaze away nervously, as she often did when first meeting a cat, only to catch the crimson gaze of another feline trained her way. Her breath caught in her throat in disbelief and she blinked a few times as if to assure herself she wasn’t imagining things. His fur was as white as hers, unnaturally so, and his eyes were red… like blood.

Instead of being put off as was the usual response to such a chilling sight, Pinkpaw’s ears perked forward with intense interest and she couldn’t help by stare. He was… like her? But there he was out in the sunlight. Her ears twitched, curiosity gnawing at her. Then she remember the tom beside her and glanced his way, “M… Mudpaw? Do you… know who that is?” She asked in her usual quiet tone, looking back toward Whiteshade. She couldn’t pick out his scent, there were too many all mingled together, or she might have been more confident asking Mudpaw about him, knowing they were from the same Clan. Her heart was pounding in her chest, excitement, relief… that she wasn’t the only one like this, she wasn’t the only one with something so fundamentally wrong with her that it showed itself so obviously in her very appearance.

Rushwhisker of RainClan

Rushwhisker’s tail twitched behind him as he looked around. He had yet to spot Bluepaw, but she had to be here right? He hoped she hadn’t gotten sick or hurt-. A nudge ended that train of thought as he turned to see the very cat he had been searching for and a soft purr rumbled in his throat, quite unexpectedly. “You, actually.” His whiskers twitched in amusement, “I guess you’re just destined to find me first.” He noticed that Bluepaw appeared a bit distracted after a moment and followed her gaze toward the base of the Great Rock where a fantastically white apprentice crouched beside a much darker brown tom. From where Rushwhisker stood he could make out the surprising pink of the she-cat’s eyes and put two and two together.

Looking back down at Bluepaw he noticed her frown and returned her nudge from earlier, “What’s wrong? That’s your sister, right? Did you want to check on her?” he glanced back at the white she-cat, speaking softly, trying to be reassuring, “She looks fine to me. I’m sure no one will do anything to her here. This is a place of peace.” He flicked his tail against her flank playfully. He was surprised how easy it was to let all those dark thoughts that followed him like his own personal storm cloud fall away with Bluepaw. He hoped to some degree he could return the favor to her, for he understood on some level what she felt and the responsibility she was taking upon her young shoulders in watching over a disabled sibling. “I wanted to wish you and your sister luck in the games today.”

Cricketleap of StoneClan

Cricketleap couldn’t stand still, there was just too much excitement! She shifted on her paws constantly as she listened to Russethawk and briefly glanced in the directions he pointed, toward the apprentices he said he would be rooting for. She nodded animatedly as he asked about her siblings, “That’s them!” She turned herself, then, pointing them out, “Over there is Ospreypaw, he’s my brother, and my sister Skunkpaw is… there!” Her tail waved excitedly behind her as she continued bouncing from paw to paw. “I can hardly wait for the games to begin! I wish I could play,” she purred, clearly not all that upset about being too old for the games, “But at least we got our fun in when we were apprentices, huh?” She reached out with one paw to tap his shoulder playfully. Her ears flicked forward as she noticed another young warrior lingering near them, “Hello! I’m Cricketleap, who are you?” She gazed over at Gorsetail with interest.

[Fawn]

Mudpaw of LightningClan
7 Moons. Tom.

It was the first time Mudpaw had ever looked at Whiteshade without truly seeing him. Pinkpaw. It was a fitting name for her, and for a few silly heartbeats, he considered it the most beautiful name in the whole forest. Get a hold of yourself, Mudpaw, He wasn't this sort of cat, not the type who found himself mooning over a pretty she-cat from another Clan. It just wasn't done. And if Blazepaw knew... Mudpaw shuddered to think what his boisterous, obnoxious older sibling would do with this knowledge, but it certainly wouldn't be anything good. Before his own common sense could burst the pleasant, meadow-sweet bubble he'd somehow placed himself in, her soft voice tickled his ears and caught his attention, Mudpaw turning his normally sullen golden gaze upon the albino, tuning in.

Who was who? It took the young fumbling tom only a few moments to grasp onto who she would mean - and he swallowed down a few somber seeds of jealousy that had begun planting themselves in his heart, having momentarily feared she meant Blazepaw or Gustpaw - and he answered honestly. "That's Whiteshade, he's.... Like you." Well any cat with eyes could see that, though his thoughts had been quickly tumbled over themselves as he'd briefly contemplated whether or not Pinkpaw was albino. What if she was just a beautiful cat with beautiful eyes who preferred shady places to sunny places?

Mudpaw stole a shy glance her way, curious about her life in TreeClan; rather than ask about that, however, Mudpaw chose to stay on the topic she'd started (or rather, Whiteshade had started with little more than a glance their way), suddenly taking in the signs all around him. She really couldn't be anything but an albino, could she? The way she had huddled here in the cool, dry shadows of the Great Rock; was life hard for her, in her Clan and against the elements? Against his better judgement (which seemed to be happening a lot lately) the stocky brown tom felt a deep pang of worry for her, and the hope that she had a better time of things than Cherrypool, the second albino of LightningClan, had endured both in the past and as of late.

Russethawk of RainClan
24 Moons || Tom || Warrior

A small grimace crossed over Russethawk's features. Oh how he wished he could participate in these games! The ruddy tom glancing in the direction of Razorstar, he vainly hoped his old mentor would sit up straight and speak out on behalf of RainClan's young warriors that they should be allowed to have their own battle royale - but none such announcement came. There was just no getting around the sad fact that these games had been thought up and put into play after he had become a warrior, and when it all came down to it, he wouldn't willingly reverse this noble achievement he had been given -- not even for a chance to test his mettle against the other apprentices of the Clans.

His first apprentice, Rushwhisker, seemed to have just missed the cut-off. Maybe next Newleaf I'll have another apprentice who can give it a try? And then he could vicariously live through his student. Smiling at the thought, his attention was brought back to Cricketleap as she directed hers at a tom he almost hadn't noticed show up. "Hey, I'm Russethawk. Enjoying the Gathering?" Always amicable, and allowing the distinctly fishy smell of himself and his Clan to let the TreeClanner figure out which leader he'd arrived with, Russethawk gazed at Gorsetail with some interest. He had never seen the other cat before, had he? They looked to be of a similar age, though Gorsetail must have been... younger?

He couldn't know for sure - not that it mattered. A cat was never too old or to young to be considered a friend.

[Insidious]

B L U E P A W

She would never think so lowly of this event as to assume that an attender could harbour ill intentions, preying upon someone like her sister, weakened as she was by the effects of the sun. She appreciated that he was attempting to ease her panic, trying to lessen her frown and instead offer him a smile to make as much clear to him. He knew just what to say to make her feel better. Unlike so many others, he understood what it felt like to care so deeply and so unconditionally about somebody else. He was among the first that didn’t look at her and call it a bad thing, or label it as being a setback in her training. He knew that she was only trying to make Pinkpaw’s life easier, simpler, and better. Looking at the she-cat in question now, she realized that Rushwhisker was correct: she did seem to be okay. Sure, there so happened to be a tomcat too close for the older sibling’s comfort, but he seemed to be about as harmful as a newborn kitten.

When he wished her good luck in the hunting competition, a warmth spread through her body that she had no power whatsoever to stop. “Thank you, that’s very kind.” Though, it hadn’t just been her that he wished good luck to, and she had no intention of hogging his kindness all to herself. With a soft purr, she got to her paws and gestured for him to follow. “As for my sister, why don’t you wish her good luck yourself?” She was surprised by how eager she was for the two of them to finally meet. Normally, she liked to keep Pinkpaw all to herself, but it almost felt natural to be introducing them to one another. They were both extremely important to her, after all.

Bluepaw stood at Pinkpaw’s side, a smile on her face, brushing the fur along her shoulder against the she-cat’s own. “Pinkpaw, this is Rushwhisker.” Next, she turned to look at Rushwhisker, her eyes lighting up just a tad. “And Rushwhisker, this is my sister, Pinkpaw.” She moved away, then, claiming a position on Pinkpaw’s other side to be in a closer range of Mudpaw - she wanted to talk to him, though to anyone that asked, she’d claim she was giving Rushwhisker and Pinkpaw a chance to talk to each other. “Hello,” her voice was pleasant, but Mudpaw would clearly be able to see that if he wanted her to step aside, he’d have to prove himself worthy of her sister’s company absent of her interference. “May I ask your name?”

[Deleted]

Redsplash
Eat Your Heart out
I've got bad blood
I've done bad things
How can I control myself
If I enjoy these nasty habits

---

The exotic looking she-cat remained away from any other cat as she stayed on the edge of the clearing, keeping to herself as she let her pinkish-red eyes roam over each pelt and set of eyes. She hated these cats, even the one from other clans, because they all looked at her differently, even her own clan. She didn't know why she was here, or why she had accepted Razorstar's invitation to come along. Maybe she was just bored with Rainclan's territory. After all, she had only been out of it once, when Sandstar had invited her to come to a gathering, after all her moons of living.

 Her odd colored eyes latched onto a small she-cat that took the older one by surprise. An apprentice, by her size, but white in fur and pink in eyes. An odd little she-cat all by her lonesome like she was... until another apprentice stumbled over and awkwardly tried to make friends. She felt her fur start to bristle along her back as her blood ran black with envy. How could this little apprentice have cats falling over themselves to make friends with her? And yet, Redsplash had been stuck with the clanmates that tried to kill her, or run her out. Even her own father.

 Her ears laid back against her head for a moment as she watched Mudpaw and Pinkpaw interact before she turned her head away, feelings piling up inside her stomach as she tried to hold them back from surfacing. Though she was hateful towards the little albino, she hoped that Pinkpaw should live a better life than Redsplash was ever given. She couldn't understand it, the affection towards the little one, when all she got were stares that could be enough to kill if given the chance.

However, as Redsplash had turned to look away from Pinkpaw, her eyes fell upon another. A large white furred tom, surrounded by cats who were speaking to him. Just one turn of his head, and he held the same red eyes as her. Another one! Once again, she felt her blood boil, the cats around him were so accepting of him, why couldn't she have that. It's not like she wanted to be accepted, no she was past that point, but she wanted at least one cat to let her know that she wasn't this monster that everyone made her out to be. The monster they had turned her into.

 The Rainclan demon stood, letting her plume tail waver around her before she trotted down the slope towards this new white tomcat. She stopped when a silver tabby paused in-front of her amber eyes glaring into red as Redsplash snorted and pushed past Silverfish, ignoring the hiss of contempt from the smaller she-cat. Though the abalaster she-cat still loathed Silverfish, she had done her damage to that family when she took Minnowleap from them, and later Goldenroot.

 The siren in Redsplash swam to the surface as she fought her envious feelings down into drowning. Her mane of fur around her neck was groomed accordingly, and her redish eyes bright as she padded forwards, letting her plume tail wisp over her flank "I do not think I have seen you before." Redsplash spoke, a cool tone in her voice as she padded forwards, letting red meet with red. She had caught onto his scent earlier, Lightningclan, she wondered what his clanmates thought of him, though from the looks of it, the two cats around him felt rather fond of him perhaps.

Once more, she had to fight down her self-loathing and envy as she thought about other albinos such as her, being treated ten times better than she ever was. She hated that she cared so much, but she couldn't help it. She was born with feeling after all, and even through all the abuse and torture, she still had those feelings, hidden deep down under her anger and dangerous qualities. "I am Redsplash." She said, letting her siren give out a soft purr, attempting to be somewhat sociable.

---

I am most disturbed
I deserve to be interred
Don't you dare turn your back on me
I'll attack without a warning sign
Terror lurks in the night

[Deleted]

do your duty in all things
never wish to do less
========

Slatenose followed Ravenstar into StarClan's Claws, watching her leader hop onto the Great Rock with her own special way. She settled under the Rock, sitting quietly at its base, content in silence. Eyes sharp, she watched her Clan flood into the clearing and felt content. NightClan was strong. Then, green eyes settled on a black apprentice and she sobered, feeling the scab on her heart tear open again as she remembered her deputy ceremony. The whole thing was a fiasco, she felt, remembering how betrayed Cedarbranch and Juncopaw looked when Ravenstar called her name. And, walking behind her leader on the way to the Claws, she realized just how large she really was and felt even more awkward. How did Ravenstar feel about a deputy that was nearly twice her size? She knew that NightClan tried to be first to the Gatherings simply so Ravenstar didn't need to show how difficult it was to climb the Great Rock, but still...

Things were changing in the valley, she knew. Changes that could be good or bad. She wasn't sure which.

========

slatenose ║ warrior ║ nightclan
tags ║ apprentice games
# words ║ 180
anyone is welcome to chat her. for the prey bonus ║ notes
robert e. lee ║ quote

but all the stars that separate
disappear now when i'm dreaming of your face

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Rippletail walked with her Clan mindlessly, following the flood of cats until they spilled into StarClan's Claws. Gatherings were always fun, and this one she hoped would be no different. Gullpaw would be participating in the hunting competition, and she wished him the best. As a mentor, she hoped that he would do well, but as her own hunting skills left something to be desired, she wasn't too sure how anything would turn out. On the bright side, she could use his results in the competition to augment his training and fix anything that seemed off.

A small part of her was hoping to see a certain TreeClan tom again. Surely he would be among the cats there tonight. She mewed a small encouragement to Gullpaw before slithering off among the cats, seeking someone in particular. Finding him in the corner of her vision, Rippletail planted herself in the peripherals of Sunstride's gaze. She wouldn't dare go up to him herself, but maybe the tom would come say hi to her. She hoped so.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

rippletail;; warrior ;; rainclan

sunstride: ghostie ;; tag
175 ;; wordcount
time for some awkward talking~ ;; notes
3 Doors Down - Here Without You [edited] ;; lyrics

Thornstrike and Honeypaw entered with the TreeClan cats, Rippedear following with StoneClan. Thornstrike saw his dear friend enter and padded over to him, butting heads and talking. Honeypaw sat awkwardly alone, hoping maybe Snowheart or one of the other medicine cat apprentices would come over and say hi. This was her first Gathering with the other Clans, and she like a squirrel without a tree.

[Phoenix]

OSPREYPAW

It was lucky, he realized belatedly, that the apprentice was not as cold-hearted as the monster she called her mentor, for his plan, which had slowly condensed and solidified as he became more confident that it could actually work, would have been far harder to carry out had she immediately turned away from his greeting. His tail flicked lightly as she responded to him in turn, equally excited though perhaps for far less manipulative reasons than he. As he watched, a flash of something flickered across her eyes, which were a far more interesting combination of blue and gray than they had any right to be, but it disappeared before he had the chance to try to figure out what it was. Decisively, he brushed it aside to focus on the more important facts; whether or not his plan would work depended him on knowing things like Juniperpaw’s name, not attempting to identify the streak of something that had caught his attention.

He grinned and surprised himself with how little work it took to contort his features into something believable. ”Yes! I’m in StoneClan. You’re LightningClan, right?” Your clan chased us out all those moons ago. There was some uncertainty in his voice, though he knew all too well the answer of his question. Why else might he have approached her? He had no interest in befriending those outside his clan – or even some of those within it – if the friendship would not serve some kind of purpose. There was no point in nurturing a relationship that would shatter the moment their clans turned against each other. It was bad enough being chased out by an enemy; while he would never admit it, he did not think he would be able to handle being chased out by a friend.

Hind legs folding beneath him, he sat down beside the she-cat, yellow eyes fixed solely on her as he desperately resisted the urge to cast a glance around for the red-eyed devil who trained Juniperpaw. It would not do for her to see him distracted by his ulterior motive before the game had even begun, and the tom who prowled his thoughts would undoubtedly show himself sooner or later. With a distinct appearance like that, it was hard to remain anonymous and inconspicuous for too long. ”Thanks.” He spoke the word with just the right amount of modesty and shyness, using the opportunity presented to him to flick his gaze away – making it seem as though the cause was embarrassment at the thought of having a pretty (he paused: pretty? Where did that come from?) she-cat cheering for him – and give into his urge. Whiteshade was nowhere nearby, and that was all that mattered. ”I’ll cheer for you, too! You must be a great fighter, right?” His grin grew playful as he teased her lightly. ”You could take down some of those other apprentices with no problem. You look fast.” There was a slight pause.

”And I’ve never met a cat from another clan before either,” Ospreypaw mused brightly, tail flicking. His grin faded slightly, and his expression became earnest. ”All of the warriors always seem on guard against other clans, but do you think we could maybe be friends?”

GORSETAIL

At first, he was not entirely sure that he was the one they were addressing. More often invisible and ignored than not, he had become accustomed watching others simply walk by without comment, so he had assumed that the fresh attempts at conversation they had made were directed to some other cat around them. An ear had flicked as he tilted his head slightly, but it was only when the silence drew on and they were still looking at him that he finally cast a glance over his shoulder, realized that no one else was there, and turned back with embarrassment written across his face. Evidently, they were talking to him.

Rising to his paws, he closed the gap between them, padding over so they would not have to worry about a cat literally walking through whatever conversation may occur. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were talking to me,” He explained, tail flicking and grin still sheepish. Green eyes flicked from Cricketleap to Russethawk as their owner worked to cement the names with the faces. “I’m Gorsetail, and I am enjoying the Gathering, thanks. It’s a nice event. How about yourselves?” There was a pause, and then: “Do you have any apprentices competing?”

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:000000]Nightstep[/smear:6f6f6f]

~~~~~~~~~

The lean tuxedo tom gave a bob of his head as Whiteshade spoke. He took a seat for the brief conversation, ears intent of the words that left the white devil. Nightstep couldn't think of anyone in LightningClan who's skill matched Whiteshade's when it came to battle. Nightstep had seen Whiteshade's killing tactic before, when he'd actually let the monster behind those red eyes out, the one he kept relatively at bay for the most part. Though it had been gruesome, it had also been strangely beautiful. Beautiful in a sense that it took so little thought. That Whiteshade just knew how to kill.

Black tail flicked slightly as Whiteshade finished speaking, bringing up Nightstep's apprentice, Blazepaw. "Blazepaw's performance will be interesting, I'm sure. As you expertly said, the theory is different than the application. It will be good to spot what Blazepaw excels at, as well as what he needs to work on. Advantageous regardless of the results, I'm certain. I would assume the same of Juniperpaw's performance. I especially look forwards to Juniperpaw's battles." It was right about here that they were interrupted by the approach of a RainClan she-cat. The smell of fish rolled over his nostrils, causing his tail tip to twitch slightly.

Sharp yellow eyes narrowed but the tuxedo tom said nothing, giving her a dip of his head if she bothered to look his way. But she seemed far too wrapped up in Whiteshade to be bothered with him. His voice slightly lower than it should have been, Nightstep excused himself. "I hope to speak to you about performance and expectations at a later date, Whiteshade. For now, I'll leave you and..." His critical gaze lingered on the she-cat, not at all thrown by her appearance, but more so by her direct approach and apparent disregard for manners. "Redsplash."

No venom was present in his voice. In fact, he sounded rather pleasant, something he'd learnt from his mentor. The same white demon who's behaviour had allowed Nightstep to control what was present in his eyes. Though it roiled in his stomach, so much so that he had to concentrate on not grinding his teeth, no resentment or scolding nature reared its ugly head in those piercing eyes. And with that, he turned and walked away, scanning to see if he couldn't find Blazepaw among the throng of cats. It wouldn't hurt to remind the younger tom of a few things before the competitions started, after all.

[Phoenix]

WHITESHADE

”Indeed.” Perhaps some might object to the way he compared her against the tuxedo tom before him, claiming that both were two very different cats. Naturally he would find himself feeling more generous – however slight that margin might be – toward Nightstep, who’s temperament appealed to him far more than the innocent softness of his current apprentice. But, as he had learned early on, life was anything but fair. Although it was clear that his first apprentice was an aberration, different from his peers in both intelligence and willingness to harness the beast that lurked within most of them, the alabaster devil had discovered the possibility of what could be. When placed against the bright success that was his training with Nightstep, nearly everyone else seemed utterly dull in comparison. Juniperpaw, perhaps had the potential to be more than the average warrior – he would hardly settle for his apprentice to come out of training a little more than mediocre, regardless of his personal opinion of them, as he did have a reputation to uphold – but the sheer amount of innate gentleness in her told him that she would hardly take after himself.

But then, he had hardly seen her in battle, and if he knew one thing, it was that battle changed cats Perhaps it would change her for the better.

His musings were cut short by the approach of another pink-eyed she-cat. Both TreeClan and RainClan were guilty of hiding those like him and his sister, and he idly wondered if Cherrypool had noticed. Regardless, it was all very curious, the way this event seemed to have brought all of the monsters crawling out of their dank holes and into the light for the first time in moons. Even as she levelled him with a look, crimson glanced across her features politely as he tried to match a name to a face; though they were lighter than his own, her nearly-pink eyes set her apart from the rest enough that he would at least remember meeting her. Her words only confirmed what he had suspected. Inclining his head slightly, he spoke with a voice as smooth as silk, ”Nor I you.”

Nightstep had him drawing his gaze away from the she-cat to pin the tuxedo tom once again. With expertly hidden distaste that perhaps, due to the amount of time they had spent in each other’s presence, only he would be able to detect – presumably directed toward the she-cat – his former apprentice took his leave with all the poise of the devil beside him, and the alabaster head nodded in agreement. ”We will undoubtedly continue our conversation at a later date.” He watched Nightstep depart into the sea of cats, each one oblivious to the deadly monster lurking just beneath the fancy dress.

His attention returned to the she-cat after a moment, and he flashed her a semi-apologetic smile. ”My former apprentice, Nightstep,” He explained briefly. ”But no matter.” His tail curled through the air lightly behind him as he easily slipped deeper into the pleasant and charismatic skin that charmed his clan mates and hid the bloodlust running through his veins. Scarlet eyes studied her briefly, and something – his gut, instinct, the monster within – hinted to him that he might have found another cat so very much like himself. It was in the predatory glint in her eyes and the way she stood, a peculiar mix of angry and defensive but altogether powerful. ”Whiteshade, and the pleasure is mine.” There was a dangerous beast lurking beneath her beauty, and he suddenly wanted to invite it out to play.

Making small talk, he glanced toward Great Rock, where the absence of a sandy colored tabby had not missed his observation. ”I extend my condolences; Sandstar, I am sure, was a wonderful leader, and he will be missed by many, though I am confident that Razorfa – excuse me, Razorstar – will prove to be just as invaluable.” His sober expression cleared after a moment, brightening as he allowed a small smile to cross his lips. ”Enough of that. Now, I hope that this historical Gathering finds you well, Redsplash?” He could hardly forget his manners, after all.

[Insidious]

J U N I P E R P A W
- - - - - -

She gave a dip of her head when Ospreypaw sought confirmation about the fact that she was of LightningClan, completely oblivious to how hateful he was of her Clan in particular for what they had done to StoneClan. Although she had been alive and well when LightningClan and RainClan had done what they had done to StoneClan, she had not been so old as to have any say in whether or not it was right or wrong. It had been quite easy for her to put that entire dilemma behind her, though she wouldn’t go so far as to claim that StoneClan was wrong for still being angry. She had never thought that it had been right of LightningClan or RainClan to do that - StoneClan deserved to be in this valley as much as any other Clan, and she would assure any StoneClanners that asked her what her thoughts were on that entire situation.

But, of course, she didn’t expect that she’d ever be asked. As far as she knew, everyone had already managed to move on.

When the tomcat thanked her, going so forth as to perform an entirely believable display of shyness, a smile formed on her face. There was something… adorable about him, and even though she wasn’t fond of such words being among the first to come to mind, she couldn’t stop them. He was being so nice, and since he was the first of another Clan that she was meeting, she couldn’t help but wonder if all exchanges with non-LightningClan cats would be so… provoking of unwanted feelings. She knew that is was wrong to be emotionally attaching herself to someone she had only just met, but it was so difficult to shove down her liking him. So far, no LightningClan toms had been as appealing as him. So what if he was a StoneClan cat. As long as she accepted that there was no chances of it going anywhere, then no harm would come from having some innocent feelings.

Now all she had to do was work on accepting it, if that was even possible.

“I’m a decent fighter, I guess… I mean there’s probably some apprentices here that’ll prove to be way more skilled than I am.” She looked around her, then, suddenly cautious of her fellow participants. She had a lot of faith in her abilities, but would they be enough to have her doing decently in the competition? “But Whiteshade is an excellent mentor. He’s taught me a lot since I was assigned to him, so I’m just hoping that I can put some of what he’s shown me to good use when my name is called.” She straightened up, trying to smile when she spoke of her mentor. She did like Whiteshade, but she wasn’t oblivious to how he scared a lot of the other apprentices, and how he even scared her a little. There was something… off about him. Something that she couldn’t place. But it didn’t matter too much; she trusted him, which had to count for something. When it came down to it, he was a good mentor - she could only hope that she was a good apprentice, too.

“I’d love to be friends!” Her voice warmed a few degrees, pretty blue-gray eyes sparkling. Being friends meant that he wanted to see her again. Being friends meant that they didn’t have to part ways after the Gathering and never think about each other afterwards. It probably wasn’t good that she’d rather be spending her time with a StoneClan tom than with anyone from LightningClan, but then again, wasn’t the whole point of Gatherings to maintain peace between the Clans? To socialize? She wasn’t doing anything to disappoint Redstar, or disgrace LightningClan. There was nothing wrong with being his friend. “I’ve never supported how the warriors are sometimes so hostile towards the other Clans, so I’m glad to see someone finally sharing my opinion! Friends…” Juniperpaw paused, her smile brightening. “Friends would be really nice.”

- - - - - -

Tags: Phoenix
Word Count: 705.

[Deleted]

Sunstride
The Brightest Flame
Said all I want from you is to see you tomorrow
And every tomorrow, maybe you'll let me borrow your heart
And is it too much to ask for every Sunday
And while we're at it, throw in every other day to start

Redsplash
Eat Your Heart out
Whenever you tell me I'm pretty
That's when the hunger really hits me
Your little heart goes pitter patter
I want your liver on a platter

---

The golden and white tom's green eyes scanned over the different clans as he watched the Medicine Cat's lead the apprentice's out into their own territories to start the Hunting Challenge. He could almost imagine the annoyance of Littletimber, if the eerie tom had any emotions, but the thought of an annoyed look across the blank face of the sandy brown tom almost brought a smile to the green eyed tomcat.

 However, something else managed to catch Sunstride's attention, something that he was so very happy about. Rippletail! He felt his stomach do a flip as he stood up, meeting the beautiful eyes of Rippletail as he made his way over to her, as casually as possible.

If Gentlebreeze had attended, then she would have been able to see straight through him, she had a gift for that. And he felt his heart give a lurch of pain, he hoped that his white furred sister would get better soon, he would love to have her meet Rippletail, because he knew she would never judge him, or her.

Gentlebreeze was so gentle in that way. So accepting, no matter what.

Pulling closer, the handsome Treeclanner sat next to Rippletail, giving a polite nod before turning his striking green eyes onto the beautiful Rainclanner. Her scent, a mixture of water, fish and lilacs, flooded over his tongue as he breathed her in. It was a refreshing scent, one that soothed his nerves and let his stomach calm itself. "Good afternoon, Rippletail. How are you doing?" He asked, a soft purr touching his throat.

He was aware, from his various meetings with Rippletail at Starclan's Claws, that she had an apprentice. Gust... Grass? Something with a G... Oh! "How is Gullpaw feeling?" He asked, flicking his tail so that it brushed against her fur ever so lightly. He was sure the young tom was excited, Sunstride would have been as well, should he had been able to attend as a young Sunpaw.

The beautiful, white devil of Rainclan felt a strike of a new emotion wrap itself through her insides, squeezing tightly underneath her pelt as she let her blossom tinted eyes gaze into the hidden red orbs of Whiteshade. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but the fact that he had acknowledged her and continued on a conversation left the snowy siren speechless. She had never know the emotion of love, but she was sure infatuation could be used in such a sense. She had seen it when she-cats trailed after toms.

Pulling in a cool breath, Redsplash found her paws again as she nodded, though she hardly cared that Sandstar's life had been taken so suddenly. To her, he was just another cat of Rainclan that treated her like she was something wrong, even if he had never done anything to her. She had been wired that way during her abuse as a kit and apprentice. However, she wasn't about to be rude to this handsome tom.

"Yes." She said, liquid venom dripping from her lips as she spoke, "Sandstar will be missed..." I suppose. "We will see if Razorstar lives up to the expectations of Sandstar and Rainclan." She was barely able to take her eyes away from Whiteshade for a moment to glance up where Razorstar was standing with the other leaders. It was then that the vile green of envy ran hot through her blood. A tom that wasn't born to Rainclan, was treated with more respect than she, and now, he had climbed the tallest mountain.

What I wouldn't give to be Redstar, then Rainclan would pay... Redsplash blinked her pinkish-red orbs, turning them back to Whiteshade, giving a masked smile as she went to return an answer to his next question. "As well as any cat treats one such as me." She was unable to hide the hatred attached to her voice, but she assumed that Whiteshade had gone through the same, or he at least understood.

She could see the looks from other cats, she could hear the names: Freak, Monster, Demon. It sank deep into her fur, and though she never showed her feelings, it ripped through her like claws to a piece of prey. Despite looking and acting like a monster, she still held feelings. She had never know kind feelings, and so the fact that Whiteshade even went out of his way to speak to her made her bloody wounds heal slightly.

"What about you?" She asked, letting her orbs linger on his. She watched him, so calm and cool, collected and detached. He was so... perfect. But there was something, off? Maybe it was just because of who she had become, but she could sense that something about Whiteshade was hidden, something deeper and darker. Dangerous, and she wanted to figure out what it was. It was drawing her in.

---

When someone cuts your heart open with a knife, now you're bleeding
But I could be that guy to heal it over time
And I won't stop until you believe it
'Cause baby you're worth it

I eat boys up, breakfast and lunch
Then when I'm thirsty, I drink their blood
Carnivore animal, I am a cannibal
I eat boys up, you better run

[Deleted]

but all the stars that separate
disappear now when i'm dreaming of your face

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

"Good afternoon, Rippletail. How are you doing?"

She started, pretending to be surprised by his sudden intrusion. "Hey, Sunstride. I'm doing well, thank you." She touched his shoulder with her tail as his question about Gullpaw crossed his lips. She purred, happy that he remembered her apprentice's name. "I think it's safe to say that Gullpaw is feeling just like every other apprentice: worried, nervous, excited..." She trailed off, thinking about how she would feel as an apprentice involved in all of this. "StarClan knows I'd be terrified if I had to prove my hunting prowess in front of all five of the Clans. You saw evidence of those."

The hint towards their meeting here at StarClan's Claws only a fortnight earlier hadn't meant to slip out, but out it came. Did I really enjoy my time with him that much? she asked herself, looking at the visibly excited tabby across from her. It was safe to say that he did.

Were cross-Clan friendships possible? Especially for her? TreeClan and RainClan didn't share a border; they'd have to meet at StarClan's Claws each time they wished to talk outside of Gatherings. It seemed too much work and risk to her -- anything cross-Clan could get dangerous.

Yet here she was, excited to be talking to Sunstride, a TreeClan warrior. That feeling of energy in the air tickled her fur, reminding her of the jolt she felt the first time he brushed up against her. Now, she was meeting with him under the scrutiny of her Clanmates -- and his. She would have to stay calm. Rippletail wasn't the stone that dropped into the pond and caused a disturbance, she was the ripple that merely floated along on whatever came her way. Making the ripple wasn't her job.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

rippletail;; warrior ;; rainclan

ghostie: sunstride ;; tag
301 ;; wordcount
she's starting to realize how she feels about him~ ;; notes
3 Doors Down - Here Without You [edited] ;; lyrics