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Post by Fawn on Jun 26, 2017 23:08:11 GMT -5
45 Moons. Tom. (S) Warrior of RainClan.For the past few days, Crowblaze had slept poorly. Ever since Swanfeather had been brought back to camp, he went to bed with a scowl on his face (even more so than usual), and he wasn't the only one. Piketooth had a perpetual look of having fish dung under his nose, especially if he was forced to walk near the medicine cat's den.
Crowblaze wasn't a very empathetic cat, but Piketooth's situation went beyond 'empathy'. He legitimately couldn't understand what that felt like, to be Piketooth, whose father had sacrificed his last life to save Swanfeather of all cats. And how had she repaid him? By tearing Razorstar's Clan apart.
"If you keep making that face, Crowblaze, you're going to get it stuck that way."
Heronstrike's attitude broke through his dark, angry reverie. Crowblaze gave his pelt a shake, and his sister a small annoyed glance. She was his littermate; that gave her more leeway than most to get under his skin or tell him to his face when he was being a jerk - but his patience was especially thin.
Heronstrike looked at him hard, as if he were a puzzle that needed solving. Crowblaze glared back unblinkingly, until she stared so long he felt his pelt begin to bristle. "What?" What was she staring at? Crowblaze swiped a big paw across his wide, pronounced muzzle, wondering if he had fish scales stuck to his whiskers or something.
Heronstrike snorted. "Nothing. Just wondering if there's anything that makes a cat like you smile. I'm glad you're back, Crowblaze. Really, I am, but are you glad you're back? You walk around like you slept on fish bones the night before." Her tone softened, and he felt his skin burn at her irritatingly accurate deductions. "The last time I saw you smile, really smile, was when we were apprentices."
Crowblaze stayed silent. The last time he'd smiled, both of his parents had still been alive. Falconleap was healthy and still around... The wound of Hawkfall's departure had still been fresh - but with so much of his family around, he'd believed he'd be okay...
A gathering patrol called Heronstrike's name, and she got up from where they'd been lying in the sun, warming their fur. "See you around."
He grunted in response, not willing to admit how rankled he was by her question. Was there anything left in the Valley to make him smile? Crowblaze's thick, dark-tabby tail swept through the ferns, and he got up, setting blazing orange eyes on the various areas of the camp as if searching for something... or someone.
Owlflight. Crowblaze immediately walked over, then stopped. What the heck do I say to her? He could invite her to go fishing... Crowblaze glanced around, wary of being overheard. He was in no mood for every cat to be in his business right now. With scowl, Crowblaze finished his approach. "Hey," he mewed, his tone not matching his expression. "I'm going up river. You can come, if you want." Crowblaze felt his stomach knot with awkwardness.
What was that about? Why should he suddenly feel nervous around Owlflight?
The answer hit like a lightning bolt.
Because she was his only friend in the whole Clan.
PAIN, You made me a, you made me a believer, believer
Word Count: 536 WordsTags: @sparrowkeeper Notes: <3 I missed these two!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2017 15:24:08 GMT -5
Warrior of RainClan. She-Cat. 24 Moons
Owlflight wasn't in a massively better mood than her darker-furred counterpart, being in the process of sulking subtly in a corner of camp by sitting with her paws tucked neatly beneath her and her eyes closed as the sun warmed her fur. She was trying to concentrate on the warmth, and on the sounds of a happy camp around her, in an attempt to remind herself that everything was "fine" and that Swanfeather had not killed everyone in camp yet.
Well. She hasn't been caught yet anyway.
She sighed, trying to withdraw from the thoughts and calm herself. She did not agree with Swanfeather's presence, she wanted the medicine cat gone, but these things were out of her control and there was no point in mulling them over like a belly of sour meat, it would only worsen her mood and wouldn't fix anything.
The grey tabby tried tuning back into the ambient noise of the camp, finding that she almost immediately honed in on a familiar deep voice not too far from her. Crowblaze was talking to Heronstrike about something, but they were too far away for her to make out the words. Crowblaze seemed annoyed, but that was relatively normal for him, especially with recent events. They hadn't had the chance to speak alone since their mountain hunt a little while ago, but Owlflight had seen his distress over the past few days. First the greencough epidemic which had struck down his own apprentice, and now Swanfeather moving into the medicine den. He had seemed a bit unhappy and withdrawn lately even for his normal behaviour, and the thought made Owlflight frown a little as she mused what might cheer the grumpy tom up.
Poor sod needs a pick-me-up, and I guess that makes two of us really
She snorted softly to herself, deciding it was time to get up and do something with herself as it seemed that her attempted camp medication session/sulk wasn't really cutting it. The she-cat opened her eyes and stretched out, arching her back and clawing gently at the ground as she heard pawsteps drawing closer to her. She glanced up to see Crowblaze with a vexed expression weighing down his features. He looked like he was about to tell her Squirrelpaw had picked up the courage to spread mouse-bile on his nest.
To be honest I think he'd actually be rather happy about that, at least it would show him the poor apprentice had some spunk
She thought wryly, perking up her ears to see what he was actually coming to tell her. The invitation surprised her, and she smiled a little despite herself.
"I think I definitely need that, yes please."
She felt rather touched that he was asking, since she always felt a little tentative about their budding closeness. He was so bristly and guarded, and it was hard to tell where he stood, but in a way that was part of what she liked about him. He wasn't chatty and lively and exhausting like some of her clanmates could be, and he kept himself to himself most of the time. She felt like if anyone in the clan respected her need for privacy, peace, and quiet, it was this tom.
Birds of a feather...
She mused to herself as she dipped her head towards the exit and started to pad out into the territories with him. The end of that phrase left suggestions in her mind that resonated with previous threads of thought that had been dormant for a while as the greencough epidemic had taken up most of the clan's energies. She glanced at the tom again, fighting a nervous flutter in her stomach as she glanced back stubbornly at the path ahead of them. Since their hunting trip her affection for Crowblaze had only really grown, fuelled and augmented by the fact that she had started to pay more attention to the tom when she had seen him in camp. She respected him, admired his strength and how he still held himself steady after all he had gone through, and appreciated the way he had been so open with her when they spoke in private. Combined with the classic blushes and knotted stomach, it was pretty clear to her what was going on here for her.
What's going on in your head though?
She thought as she looked back at Crowblaze, flicking her ears awkwardly as she mewed,
"How's Squirrelpaw doing? Any luck?"
766 Words - Fawn - EEEEEEEEE I love them so much I missed this too! xD
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Post by Fawn on Jun 30, 2017 13:06:18 GMT -5
45 Moons. Tom. (S) Warrior of RainClan."If by luck, you mean 'lucky he hasn't drowned yet', then yeah." Crowblaze was saved having to mentally fumble for a topic of discussion - why do I feel anxious? Owlflight's my friend. She agreed to walk with me - by the she-cat's inquiry about Squirrelpaw. "Stormstar just wants to keep me distracted, with an apprentice like him." It was a moody response, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
Heronstrike was right. He walked through camp like a particularly fierce storm cloud, with a voice of thunder and the likelihood of striking anyone with lightning the moment they got on his bad side. Crowblaze glanced at Owlflight, seeing her keeping pace beside him, and some of the tension began to relax. Crowblaze shook out his pelt.
He wasn't the talkative type, but she was easy to talk to. He hadn't forgotten their mountain adventure last season. When you were this antisocial and difficult to get along with, moments like that were made to stick. He couldn't forget it even if he wanted to - and he didn't.
"Lotuswhisker's pregnant," Crowblaze slowed, feeling like this was news he was supposed to be sharing with close friends. "My brother's mate. That means I'll be an uncle, I guess." He wasn't sure how he felt about that. In truth... the thought of having more family put his stomach into knots and his heart in a chokehold. He knew Gullswoop was going to name one after their parents. Falconleap. He didn't have to ask.
He wasn't the only one who still missed his mother.
And what if they die? Then what? More loss. More pain. He couldn't take much more of that. The greencough epidemic was over (or so he was told), but the camp didn't feel safe. Not with that public menace, Swanfeather, still taking up the mantle of medicine cat. The fur along Crowblaze's spine raised, and his tail flicked with undisguised hatred. "I don't have a good feeling about that." That medicine cat needs to go.
Crowblaze caught his reflection in the water, when a faint heron-call drew his attention towards the reeds. He looked like a thunder cloud again. Dark, angry, swollen with furious thoughts and a scourging temper. Crowblaze let out a huff, trying to look less like the world's meanest tom. "So tell me about Goldpaw," said Crowblaze, unintentionally bossy - just like before.
PAIN, You made me a, you made me a believer, believer
Word Count: 398 WordsTags: @sparrowkeeper Notes: XD He's so awkward and gruff. <3
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2017 15:45:05 GMT -5
Warrior of RainClan. She-Cat. 24 Moons
"If by luck, you mean 'lucky he hasn't drowned yet', then yeah."
Owlflight snorted, glancing at Crowblaze with a entertained wrinkle of her nose, whiskers twitching.
"That bad?"
She half-laughed, shaking her head slowly from side to side as she turned back to paying attention where she was going. She silently agreed with his comment on Stormstar, nodding a little as they walked.
Not a bad idea to be honest, and it will help him integrate more into clan life. He is a loner most of the time, and he needs a bit of a push to get him to make bonds.
She mused, seeing the potential logic behind Stormstar's actions. She rather liked the idea of Crowblaze being gently pushed into being a bit more fatherly and a bit less guarded. It might help him feel a bit more connected and happy in the community that he was a part of.
Fatherly...
She briefly entertained the mental image of Crowblaze protectively watching over a gaggle of kits, expression dark as a storm cloud as usual, but somehow a little more relaxed.
Calm yourself, you are being childish
"Lotuswhisker's pregnant,"
Owlflight made a conscious effort to control her expression as she looked up at him, unsure from his tone how exactly he felt about that. He didn't look very happy, and his body language and words drew home the point, Owlflight felt her heart sink a little in her chest and did her best to shove aside her own half-formed idea. She didn't really register the heron's call, instead seeing how Crowblaze seemed to grow angrier. His rather tart words didn't bite as hard as they would have, as she was getting increasingly used to the fact that he simply wasn't very tactful.
He just doesn't want to talk about his sister right now
She reminded herself, summoning patience but still giving the tom a rather pointed look with raised brows and a flick of her ears.
"I'm afraid I have been a bit luckier than you on that front. Goldpaw hasn't really given me any problems, which I was surprised by. As much as I hate to admit it, I judged him based on politics, and I was wrong."
She padded up to the moody tom, standing close to him as she looked among the reeds with him for prey. Nothing immediately jumped out as her, and she wrestled with herself for a moment before deciding to take the plunge and try to metaphorically poke him with a stick.
"You seem really stressed."
She pointed out, lifting her head to make eye contact with Crowblaze as she said it.
455 Words - Fawn - lol Goldpaw's inactive rn I think xD
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Post by Fawn on Jul 4, 2017 15:38:09 GMT -5
45 Moons. Tom. (S) Warrior of RainClan.Crowblaze grunted, doing his best to listen. Goldpaw. One of the three sired by Mothfoot and Poppyflame -- two Purist-aligned Clan cats that had returned at Stormstar's ultimatum. Goldpaw's parents had succumbed to greencough. Crowblaze couldn't tell if he was... pleased over that fact, or simply numb to it. He didn't want to imagine what Bitternwing would say, if she thought he was happy a few less Purist-affiliated cats were in the Clan now.
She did her best to carry on as if everything had gone back to normal, but he saw the way she tensed up when a former Purist walked by. She hadn't forgotten the division in the Clan -- and how could they? That division had cost them their father.
"I judged him based on politics, and I was wrong."
Like he'd just been boxed upside the head, Crowblaze's eyes snapped up to Owlflight's face. She hadn't suffered as badly as he had (and that was something he was grateful for, oddly), so she could not know the depth of his anger and his grief... And yet... She was willing to admit to a mistake. A misjudgment.
As if trying to hack up a particularly difficult fishbone, Crowblaze's mind warred with itself; stubbornness and pride, over an attempt to actually be a more forgiving Clanmate. Looking at Owlflight, he finally made up his mind. He didn't want to be this angry, stormy tom for the rest of his life. But was it too late to change?
"Good to hear. He's shaping up to be a good warrior, if you're teaching him." She was level-headed, and unafraid of a challenge. "It's too bad about his parents." There. He said it. He didn't say good riddance, and further add fuel to the fire raging in his heart. These efforts were slow to transform his body language, however, as Owlflight couldn't help pointing out his present state.
"You seem really stressed."
"I'm always really stressed," replied Crowblaze, trying to turn a hard truth into something of a joke. He brushed off that failure with a twitch of the ear, and, almost unwillingly, found himself talking about it. "Swanfeather has no business showing her face around here. But even before that leech reappeared, I was feeling..." Sour. Suspicious. Hateful. Crowblaze's eyes, burning as bright a shade of orange as a setting sun, went to the water. "I feel like I can't relax. As soon as I do, something's going to happen. Something that I can't stop."
PAIN, You made me a, you made me a believer, believer
Word Count: 413 Words Tags: @sparrowkeeper Notes: Omg look, character development! Another Note: Vextha is adopting Goldpaw, xD though I told him to bump Goldpaw up to warrior status so you two don't have to worry about training threads. ^^ And told him to PM you to work out the mentor/apprentice relationship details between Gold & Owl.
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