[Deleted]

Sometimes he wished that he had left to join the purists at the wooded cove. They got to have all the fun, slaughtering innocent cats while still retaining a mostly intact relationship with the other purists. Oh what he would give for others to know of his own sick habits and still like and respect him despite it all. The pale white tom had no 'impure' blood that he knew of and he could have easily joined the treacherous cats in their endeavors. Of course, he didn't follow them because of one simple reason. He knew that a cause like theirs would fall and fall hard.

It seemed to be the law of things. Big bad groups like theirs arose only to be quickly shut down by the 'righteous and pure' who valued life over purity of blood. In Shellstep's eyes, both sides were sad and pathetic. The purists for placing blood above all else and the loyalists for believing life was so precious.  Both of those things, blood and life, were meant to be stripped from the body to allow everyone to see what remained. A barren and cold shell, a husk filled with indescribable anguish, that's what all cats were to him, that's what all life was to him.

Even after all was said and done, the blood having dried and the spirits of the loyalists having all but been crushed by the death and betrayal, he sought to bring forth the truth. Padding slowly in the direction of the Willow Stream, the pale-furred tom's mind had turned to thoughts of a pretty she-cat whom he had seen leaving camp not long ago. Her scent led in this direction and her form drew him to her. He wanted to meet her, to get to know all about her. He wanted to become her friend, and right now that was ALL he wanted. The rest could come later, he had work to do now.

"U-um, excuse me there." The tom piped up as he eventually found the she-cat among the trees. "I-It's me, Shellstep, I'm sorry that I followed you here but I was worried." The green-eyed tom looked down at his paws, feigning nervousness as though that were all he knew. "I didn't want something bad to happen to you, so is it okay if I stay with you for a while?"

BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

~~~~~~~~ She really had no idea why it was she found herself here so often. Whiskers twitched in the chilly air, the fawn colored she-cat thankful for the thickness of her pelt. It certainly made Leaf-fall and Leafbare a little more tolerable, though the latter still managed to freeze her paw pads, which she most certainly did not enjoy. "Leaf-fall isn't so bad." She whispered to herself. Stretching out her right forepaw, the newly named warrior tapped the surface of the stream with her paw, watching as the river quickly corrected its path around the new obstruction. Though her eyes had once been bright with life, today they were a little lackluster. That seemed to be the norm these days. Retracting her paw from the stream, she gave it a little shake, scattering droplets of water among the willow roots. Her thick tail moved slowly along the ground behind her, her distant gaze staring at something only she could see. Although she'd worked hard to earn her warrior name in recent sunrises, it felt strange finally having it. She felt a little lost without Stormheart instructing her of where she should be and what she should be doing. Fawn-colored ears snapped up suddenly, her off-green eyes momentarily refocusing. "Stormstar." She told herself firmly. A heavy pang pinned her in the chest, her former mentor's new name a heavy reminder than Timberstar (who'd been her mentor before illness began wearing on her) was no longer with them. So many cats had lost their lives in recent days... There was a part of her that felt relief it had been illness to claim Timberstar. No one deserved to be murdered in cold blood like the Purists' victims. Shivering upon recalling her encounter with Leopardyowl, where she'd desperately run back to camp with Lizardleap on her tail, Minnowsplash shut her eyes tightly and hid her muzzle beneath her paws. A nearby voice nearly caused her to leap out of her fur. Her head snapped up, eyes wide in alarm as she wheeled about to face the intruder. White fur had her heart skipping a beat, but when her eyes landed upon greenish ones, and not the sharp blue she'd expected, she felt a prick of disappointment. And then she felt guilty. I shouldn't feel disappointment at this tom's arrival! That's a horrible thing to feel! She scolded herself silently. Embarrassment quickly flooded her, Minnowsplash's eyes falling to her paws as she shuffled them awkwardly. Gathering the courage to meet the other warrior's gaze, she offered him an apologetic smile. "O-Oh! Hi, Shellstep. No! It's fine, it was stupid of me to go off alone anyway..." She stammered, the new warrior glancing over her shoulder as though half-expecting something to jump out at her right then. "I guess I... Was a little distracted and had to get away from the, uh... Hustle and bustle of camp." She offered, lowering herself back into a sit. Her ears seemed to move endlessly, unsure whether they wanted to prick forward to listen to this tom, or lay back in a reflection of her uncertainty. Clearing her throat, she forced herself not to stare at her paws again. "I'm... Sorry I worried you, I guess I should have thought about that... RainClan's not exactly the safest territory right now, is it?" She laughed awkwardly, quickly clearing her throat to kill the sound. "Oh!" Unused to others appearing to want to be in her company, the she-cat found herself glancing at the empty spot beside her, before recentering her gaze on the tom who'd asked her. "N-No, I don't mind at all!" She told him hurriedly, tucking her tail more tightly against her side. "I was just... Well I was just staring at the water... Not exactly thrilling, but y-you are more than welcome to join! Two is.. Safer than one and... Probably more fun too..." She trailed off awkwardly, coughing to cover up the pause.

@marshymutt Fawn

Note: 18 moons old.

[Deleted]

15 Moons - Tom - Warrior - RainClan

Oh yes, this little she-cat would be quite the fun little toy to play with, he could already tell. Everything from the way she stuttered to the clear display of nervousness she was showing called to him. He could already tell that he had done well with choosing his next target, his ears only barely listening to the sound of Minnowsplash's voice whilst she spoke. His mind was elsewhere of course, dreaming up a plan for his 'beloved' clanmate and involuntarily shuddering at the thought of what he would do to break her.

This sudden movement didn't go unnoticed by Shellstep however, and once he realized he had shuddered, seemed to fluidly shift his expression into one of concern and sadness. "I-I don't blame you for wanting to get away. Bu-but I just couldn't stand the thought of losing another clanmate." His voice shook and cracked ever so slightly as he spoke, making it sound as though the tom were bordering on tears with each word that left his maw.

Quickly, Shellstep followed up by gritting his teeth and shaking his head as though trying to rid himself of some intrusive thoughts. "I'm sorry, I just can't help but worry sometimes. Maybe I should start coming out here to get away for a while too. Seems like I could use a break from the stress." He murmured out, taking a seat beside her.

Word Count 233 - Tags BlooRey DVD - Notes

[BlooRey DVD]

~~~~~~~~ Hearing the little tremor in the tom's voice, Minnowsplash felt a wave of something akin to sympathy. StarClan... I really worried him. I should be more careful in the future. She told herself resolutely. More than happy to have the tom sit down beside her, Minnowsplash went as far as gently laying her tail on his shoulders. "I really am sorry, Shellstep... I guess I was being a bit selfish, not.. Thinking of how my actions affected others." Her off-green eyes drifted back to the Willow Stream stretching out before them, pulling her tail back to her side as she thought quietly. "I really like it here... It's sort of become my little... Safe haven?" She offered, not entirely sure on her choice of words. "I mean... I know we're probably safest in camp, strength in numbers and all that, but... Sometimes I feel like an outsider, I guess... The whole Purist movement j-just... Made me more aware of my lineage. I try not to let it get to me because... Loyalty is more than your blood, right? But hear something enough times... You almost start to believe it." Her shoulders shrugged heavily, the young, unsuspecting warrioress sighing under her breath. Her ear flicked as a soft breeze tickled her, a thought slipping through her mind suddenly. "Maybe we can... M-Make a little pact, just for fun. If you ever n-need to get away... And you want to come here? You can tell me, I'll come with you. That way... We're not alone, especially during this... War." Sadness flickered through her gaze again, thinking about how divided RainClan was right then. "I... Hate the division the Purists have created... Maybe you see it as some kind of... Bias, but I really don't understand the difference... I'm not a bad cat, just because my blood isn't the same as yours... Am I?" Green eyes, equal parts hope and fear, turned toward Shellstep. She wasn't entirely sure what she hoped he would offer her, but she sought it nonetheless.

@marshymutt

Note: 18 moons old.

[Deleted]

15 Moons - Tom - Warrior - RainClan

The prospect of a pact between himself and Minnowsplash was enough to bring a soft smile to the tom's face. In his mind however, he was celebrating his little milestone with her. She already trusted him enough to believe it was safe to be alone with him, it wouldn't be long before he had her eating out of his paws.

When the she-cat started talking about how the recent events had made her feel about her own bloodlines however, it seemed almost too good to be true. "Personally, I've never considered someone's bloodlines to be all that important myself. I've always believed that it's our actions that decide whether we are or not. You, are not a bad cat because of your bloodline, you are a loyal and valuable clanmate and friend that belongs in Rainclan just as much as any other cat." He said. "And don't let those purists convince you otherwise."

Word Count 153 - Tags BlooRey DVD - Notes