09.30.2019 → There has been some exciting changes on CD lately! We've added a new monarchy to the groups of cats on the islands, as well as restructured the boards a bit to allow for some space - thus, redrawing the map! We've also promoted Nifty to Global Mod! There are some auditions open right now for JungleClan Deputy as well as for all of the new Kingdom of Mokuhau high ranks - Artemis
09.12.2019 → Unfortunately Elaedria is stepping down as administrator due to life being too busy to keep up! The site will be going through some restructuring in high ranks as well due to this. Effective immediately, the word count is now 100 minimum. Some more changes will be coming in the future - members have been emailed a survey to help us figure out what to change and how to get better. Thanks for your patience! - Artemis
WEATHER
Year 55, Scorching Sands 09.05.2019 → The temperatures of the islands are a steady 98° F on land/ high 80s in water. There is almost no breeze, the sun is uncomfortably warm.
Prey during the day is pretty scarce due to the heat, however is quite active after the sun goes down.
Lost in the dense jungles of scattered islands, facing perils unimagined by their ancestors, are three warrior groups - The traditional JungleClan, descendants of the original clans carried aboard a twoleg contraption from their home long ago and breaking new ground on old beliefs. Second, the curious TidalClan, made up of kittypets who chose to abandon their long since passed twoleg civilization ways for those of true felines. Lastly, the mysterious Tribe of Twisted Roots, hidden in the mist from others with their strange ways and a deeper knowledge of the land around them. Together they must learn how to take their fate into their own paws if they wish to survive this land of erupting mountains and roaring waters.
Join our crew and dive into an island-based Warriors roleplay - a twist on the original series by Erin Hunter. We are a semi-literate site with a minimum of 100 words per post.
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[attr="class","aodmain"] NEWTSTRIPE strolled leisurely back into the camp with a few clams in his mouth. Today had not been a particularly good hunting day, but clams were always worth a snack. He was not as busy as the other Fighters who had Fledglings and thus had the time to relax for a little. It was high noon, but the sun was not out today. It was cloudy and cool, and small showers of rain fell occasionally across the territory. Newtstripe had just returned from the beach and his pelt was slightly damp with rain and sea water. [break][break] He actually loved weather like this. It was mild, not too cold and not too hot. The rain always painted the world a different color and brought the sea to life. Being close to the shore, most TidalClan cats like Newtstripe did not mind getting their pelts wet and salty. This was their optimal kind of weather. This was the life that Newtstripe loved in TidalClan. Recently, he had began to love it even more as he forged stronger friendships. He had even began to hope that maybe this period of prosperity in the Clan could bring about new exciting things. Like romance. Like love. A tom can hope. [break][break] Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Tinystar. Newtstripe couldn't help breaking a smile. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. A few days ago he had finally worked up the courage to talk things out with her and now it appears they had more or less mended their friendship. After all, it never does any good to be avoiding your Clan chief. [break][break] Newtstripe knew he could not ignore his budding feelings and he was no stranger to crushes. He was eager to interact with her more. Over the last few days, he had thought a lot about himself and about Tinystar. He also visited the medicine cat once or twice to learn more about previous leaders and their roles. Newtstripe did not want to interfere in Tinystar's duties. He knew that her heart would always put the Clan first, even over him. He was not sure if he was alright with that. But surely, he thought to himself, previous leaders have managed to have friends, mates, and even kits, right? Therefore, Newtstripe decided he would wait it out a little, see what happens, and take it from there. [break][break] "Tinystar!" he bounded up to her. He was not too sure what to say but all he wanted was a little time to spend. Maybe ask her to go hunting? Fishing? Or maybe just a walk? Newtstripe shook himself and settled with a general statement.[break][break]"Anything you're up to today?" [break][break]
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he chief had been up since dawn, her paws never stopped moving. The first thing she had done was checked how much prey the clan had stockpiled to determine what kind of patrols needed to take precedence today. There was a pretty good amount of prey to go around, but she didn't think that it would hurt to send another hunting patrol out. The calico-and-white she-cat had decided that she would lead by example; a thing she often did around the camp - and headed the hunting patrol at dawn. She firmly believed that you couldn't ask your fighters to do things you wouldn't do yourself. If she wanted to be a respected leader, she had to pull just as much weight as the most senior fighter would. That wasn't a problem, of course. Tinystar was essentially married to her responsibilities.
[break][break]The hunting patrol she had led out to the Sea of Grass had been fairly successful. She had caught a small hare nibbling on some seeds in the foliage. A fairly experienced fighter in TidalClan name Troutpelt had travelled to the shore just past the grassy sea and managed to fish out a decent sized silvery fish. A few other cats on the patrol had caught some small game such as large minnows, mice and even a small lizard. It wasn't an exceptional hunt, but it would definitely help keep the pile of fresh prey large and fill some more bellies. Any kind of success was a good expedition in her books.
[break][break]It was now early afternoon, and the she-cat had just returned from the hunting patrol. She had left the responability of arranging a border patrol to her deputy, Sharksong. While things were not tense with JungleClan, Tinystar felt like staying vigilant was of utmost importance. She had only briefly met their leader, Toucanstar, and while she had no reason to suspect any ill will from the midnight black molly she figured it was best to keep the clan wary. She deposited her hare on the pile of fresh prey and padded off to the side, surveying the camp.
[break][break]Tinystar heard her name being called and turned to see a familiar brown striped tabby pelt bounding towards her. Newtstripe closed the gap across camp between them, his golden yellow eyes sparkling in the early afternoon sun. She couldn't help but feel her stomach flutter as she made eye contact with the tom, but quickly pushed it aside in favour for professionalism. The two had just only begun repairing the rift in their friendship and she was hesitant to complicate things. She barely had any time to grapple with the complicated feelings she felt from their last conversation.
[break][break]She gave him a warm smile nonetheless, giving a graceful dip of her head in greeting to the tom. "Good afternoon, Newtstripe!" She responded, her greeting equally as warm as his own. Was she up to anything today? His query made her smile wryly. The day had only begun and she felt like it had been full already. The duties never seemed to end. "I just got back from a hunting patrol, and I'm sure duty will call elsewhere at some point today," She mewed good-naturedly in response, a joking tone painting her last words. "How about yourself? You have a distinct fish smell to you, have you been fishing?" She purred, tilting her head.
Being cooped up in Turtlehop's den for days on end was a special kind of torture. He was bored after the first few days, but the healer was firm in her decision. Her warnings of infection, hypothermia and secondary drowning were stern, and he felt like a kit again, being confined to nest rest. When the daylight blurred to night, he felt strange, like he was sick and completely hollow inside. He grew quiet and his complaining ceased as darkness fell, and oddly enough, he couldn’t sleep. Night after night he felt the same way, but he refused to mention it. He didn’t know what was happening, but it didn’t seem worth bringing up. Sharksong became even more boisterous by day to keep up appearances, even though it felt like his energy was sapped. It was as if he was teetering constantly on a high plateau, ready to fall at any moment.
He dealt with the days of nothingness, dealt with the sleepless and haunting nights, even dealt with half of his head swathed in cobwebs. His patience was razor-thin though, and his tolerance for everything even thinner. It snapped when he found himself flinching against raindrops that fell one day. His anger and quiet despair flared into a maelstrom—who was he? How could TidalClan trust in a deputy that feared the rain? After that he demanded to have free reign of the camp, and he started forming patrols. Doing anything at all was cathartic, surprisingly, and wielding the power he fought for was a balm against his taunting thoughts. He visited the object he took from the shipwreck often in its new home at the Stone Wall, especially when his mind wouldn’t quiet. It was nicked and dulled and damaged with age, but at one point he could imagine it being wickedly sharp. What was it? And what was it used for? He had no way to know.
The rain continued to disturb him day after day, and he grew irritated. Still, he forced himself to walk around camp in it, even though it made his skin crawl. Sharksong shivered against the warm air, pacing a track into the damp soil as the drizzle began to subside.
Sharksong paused when he saw Tinystar on the other side of the camp. She waited for him to come home through the whole night of his trial, but he wouldn’t ask if it was out of hope or vigil. Finding her there felt like a dream, and that sense was only multiplied when he didn’t see her while he was trapped in Turtlehop’s den. He knew she still had her duties to attend to, but part of him wondered if maybe it was a dream after all. He started walking nearer without realizing it, and once he did realize, he was surprised when he felt… nervous. Sharksong stopped to stare at his paws, conflicted. He heard chattering in the distance and looked up to see Newtstripe was suddenly there talking to her. Their tones were warm, happy, and that juxtaposition seemed to ping off oddly at his internal turmoil.
He clawed frustratedly at the cobwebs wrapped around his head to loosen and discard them. His shredded ear stung as the cobwebs close to it were jostled, though he didn’t dare touch those. He didn’t want to restart the bleeding. Breathing in shakily several times to collect himself, he plastered on a smile and approached.
“Being able to leave camp? That sounds like a blessing.” He speared his way into their conversation with practiced—and false—confidence. “I still haven’t been cleared to even leave camp yet.”
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[attr="class","aodmain"] NEWTSTRIPE purred when he heard that Tinystar was free, at least for now. Their lives were very different indeed. Newtstripe had nearly infinite free time. Aside from the time during the day when he was assigned to hunt or patrol, most of his time belonged to him. He did not have a Fledgling, either. Therefore, his free time was flexible and practically infinite. He knew, however, that not every cat had such a luxury, and unfortunately as Clan chief Tinystar had not enjoyed such ease for a long time. [break][break] "Yes, I was fishing today," he replied pleasantly. "I did not have much luck though, ended up bringing back a bunch of clams and crabs instead." [break][break] He thought for a brief moment whether he should ask her to hang around here or to leave the camp. Better to just stay here, he decided, in case duty calls her. He looked past her at the cats returning from hunting patrol. The fresh-kill pile was coming along nicely. Since the weather was fairly nice, many TidalClan cats had gone to the shores to hunt and had collected an assortment of seafood. Although the rain drove many small land animals into their dens, the sea provided them with fish and other tasty treats. [break][break] "Have you eaten today?" he offered politely and enthusiastically. Maybe they could share a meal like the old times. "You must be working hard. If you haven't eaten, I can go bring you something." [break][break] His neutral and harmless question was sharply interrupted by the voice he had not had to deal with for a while now. Sharksong, the new Clan deputy, had returned from his trial battered and injured. Although he had been successful, this confined Sharksong to the medicine cat's den for a while and Newtstripe had not really been paying attention to the leadership transition. He had quite liked the young tom before and did not doubt his abilities. However, at the moment Newtstripe found Sharksong rather frustrating. What made the young cat think he can just barge into any conversation? Especially one with Tinystar? [break][break] Perhaps it was because Sharksong was deputy now. It was as if being deputy gave him special talking and listening rights with Tinystar. Newtstripe generally regarded cats who had or sought power with caution. He was an easy-going cat, and he would rather avoid any disfavor from authorities. The new deputy still looked tired, and his one injured ear swaddled with cobwebs. Newtstripe wanted to advise Sharksong to rest and take care of his wound instead of wandering about, but he bit back that comment. Although he was older than Sharksong, now that Sharksong was deputy, Newtstripe was not sure it was his place to say such a thing anymore. [break][break] Even so, Newtstripe tried hard to hide his disappointment. It was hard to catch Tinystar alone these days and he desperately wanted to continue their redeveloping friendship. He decided he should at least sound impressed with the young cat. After all, no deputy trial is forgiving. [break][break] "I bet it's for the better," he meowed neutrally instead. "Your trial was quite a success, but it did seemed rough. Turtlehop is a great medicine cat and I don't doubt her word if she insists you stay in the camp."
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t was really nice to speak to Newtstripe like a friend again. It was as if some ice between them had melted and the warmth had returned. The calico-and-white she-cat nodded with appreciation at his words. Despite his admitted bad luck, Newtstripe still came back with a good couple of morsels. Clams were a nice treat to have midday. "Excellent work, Newtstripe," She mewed encouragingly. "Clams are the perfect snack. Not too much to eat, but rather just enough to fill you up and tide you over for awhile." She replied, following his gaze to the fresh-kill pile. She glowed with pride. TidalClan was accomplishing a lot this Soothing Skies season.
[break][break]Her stomach grumbled a little in protest as she pulled her eyes away from the fresh-kill pile. She had barely even thought about eating herself before taking off and leading the dawn patrol. Naturally her hunger had caught up to her now that she was resting. As if reading her mind, the brown striped tabby then asked if she had eaten yet today. Newtstripe even offered to grab her something. "That's a very sweet offer, and I do appreciate it. Maybe we could grab something togeth-" She was going to ask if the tom maybe wanted to share a fish in a bit when a familiar voice sounded from behind her.
[break][break]Tinystar broke off mid-sentence and twirled around to see a familiar gray-and-white tom. Sharksong had been through a lot over the last few days. He had made it back from his deputy trial in mostly one piece, but the cobwebs wrapped around his head were a reminder of the price he had paid. She had heard from Turtlehop that his wound was healing slowly, and she could just imagine how frustrated he was. The healer wouldn't allow him to leave camp, and rightfully so. Tinystar felt a pang of guilt when she realized she had hardly gone and visited him since he had been stuck in her den. She thought her presence might stress him out and worry him about work, and she was hoping that he could rest easier without her pestering him. She wondered what he thought. She was kicking herself a bit for not at least peaking her head in to see how he was doing.
[break][break]"Sharksong!" She greeted, excitement was obvious in her tone. He was his usual easygoing and confident self. Part of her wondered how much of it was a bravado. He looked a bit tired, but he masked it well. He had a large smile on his face and if it wasn't for the bandaged wound, she would not have really known anything was wrong. She gave him a sympathetic look, tilting her head to regard the new deputy. "Patience, my friend," She murmured softly. "You'll be free to leave camp again shortly. It's more important that you heal." She said, nodding at Newtstripe's words which echoed quite similarly.
[break][break]Was it just her? It felt like the brown tom's tone shifted slightly when he responded to Sharksong after speaking with her. Tinystar wondered if there was any animosity towards the gray tom because she didn't choose Newtstripe as her deputy. He didn't seem like the type to be bent out of shape about something like that, though. His father may have thought he was walking that path, but despite being a great fighter it seemed like Newtstripe didn't really want the responsibility that came with power. She studied the tom. She had known him her whole life, yet sometimes he felt like a stranger to her.
[break][break]She nodded in agreement at his words about Turtlehop, though. She was an excellent healer - any cat could agree to that. "Turtlehop will know when you are ready to take on your new duties. I'm sure the rest of your recovery will come quickly, after all, you accomplished a great thing by completing your trial. A lesser cat may have never even made it back." She gave a fond, encouraging smile to Sharksong. He was young and very accomplished already. She didn't even try to hide the pride in her voice as she spoke to him. Tinystar knew she picked her deputy correctly, and he just kept continuing to prove it.
With the hard moment over, Sharksong relaxed slightly as his nervousness slipped away. He still felt uncomfortable, like his insides were churning, but with the rain subsiding he’d only feel better, he hoped. Since when did anything set him back for long?
Newtstripe’s look was long, just enough so that he noticed it. He stared at the older tom, confused for a moment, though his expression remained unflappable. His smile slipped away at Newtstripe’s comments though, and it took all of Sharksong’s willpower not to immediately contradict it. To anyone, it was a logical and maybe even a thoughtful statement, and from what he knew of Newtstripe, that was exactly what it meant to be. The slight flatness of the tom’s tone felt off, but it seemed safe to assume that his mental state was overreactive and over imaginative. Since when would Newtstripe regard him negatively? They always got along.
“I suppose so,” he relented in a tone that was a little too cheery. The danger of him succumbing late to his trial was over now… it had to be. He was almost back to normal physically, so didn’t it make sense for him to return to normal duties? The longer he stayed in camp, under Turtlehop’s watchful eye, the more he worried she would realize not all was what it seemed. If his newfound fears and nightmares were discovered, would it be regarded as a sign from the gods that he wasn’t fit to be deputy, after all?
His gnawing anxiety was briefly assuaged with Tinystar’s enthusiastic greeting. Sharksong’s smile was genuine this time around, and it felt like some of the pressure was lifted. He managed to keep it in place as she agreed with Newtstripe, even through the stab of unease that pierced his momentary relief with that agreement. Neither of them understood, if he stayed trapped in the camp any longer—
He exhaled slowly. “Hah, yeah, that trial was something…” His voice dropped away as he looked past them, brows creased. When he blinked, the expression reset back to his usual friendly smile. The warm regard in Tinystar’s voice soothed him again. “I’m glad you two were there to support me. Thinking of my clanmates there to welcome me back kept me going.” In truth, he’d thought little of anyone but himself during the trial. He was all but ready to give up. If anyone found out, would they really be proud?
There was no winning against his thoughts. It was hard to keep from fidgeting, hard to feel accomplished when he knew really what happened.
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[attr="class","aodmain"] NEWTSTRIPE kneaded the ground with his paws. He had been so close. Tinystar was even about to accept his offer to grab a meal together and out of nowhere the deputy had pulled her back to her duties. While Newtstripe was not an observant cat, he carefully watched Tinystar's every move and stare. He wanted to decipher if she had a thing for Sharksong, but was too embarrassed to ask directly. The way she greeted him fondly, complimented him, and broke off her conversation in order to converse with him... were these signs of friendship or of affection? After all, these were not words that Tinystar ever offered him. Perhaps it was because he was not nearly as cool and accomplished as Sharksong. He was not impressive, not ambitious, and therefore not interesting. Newtstripe feared that was likely the case. [break][break] In his own mind, Newtstripe still felt a little guilty. He probably had a chance with Tinystar at some point when they were fledglings or fighters. However, he had been too young to think about love seriously, so he never acted on feelings if there were any. If he had missed his chance with Tinystar, Newtstripe realized he probably deserved it. Even worse, maybe Tinystar deserved someone as accomplished as herself, and her Clan deputy was a good candidate for such. [break][break] "I'm sure your family is proud as well," Newtstripe purred, although he had some difficulty faking that purr. He knew fairly well that Sharksong was not super friendly with his family, but perhaps being deputy had changed that. "Have Wavestep and Shellheart been supportive? I'm sure they are worried about you since you have not been able to leave the camp." [break][break] As much as he hated to admit it, Newtstripe thought that the longer Sharksong stayed in the camp the better. He was content taking orders from Sharksong, but certainly did not want the younger cat on his tail during hunting and patrols. He also treasured the times he got to walk along the beach with Tinystar nowadays, and that was certain to be interrupted once Sharksong's wounds healed over. [break][break]
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inystar could see that Sharksong was troubled by not being able to begin his new duties as deputy. She could understand - she would feel the same way should she have been confined to camp for such a length of time. Blinking at the gray tom, she nodded her head. "I'll tell you what, I'll speak with Turtlehop and pass along my recommendation that you begin light tasks," She mewed, her voice taking on a more business-like tone now. She thought she caught a look between the two toms, but as quickly as she had thought that it was gone. Sharksong had a smile on his face and Newtstripe's tone was cool - not unfriendly.
[break][break]Did Newtstripe hold her decision of deputy against her? She didn't see any outright hostility towards the younger tom, but she could have sworn that she saw that look between them. What was that all about? Before she could spend too much time thinking about it, though, she realized the two toms were carrying on their conversations without her. Sharksong was speaking about the support of his clanmates during his trial. The chief nodded her head, her brow furrowing slightly as she recalled that terrible night on the beach, the solitary vigil she had held for the tom in the wake of his return. "We were all worried for you, and I am sure I speak for everyone when I say we were thrilled you made it back with minor injuries." She mewed, her eyes sliding to his jagged ear once more.
[break][break]Her yellow gaze slid to the brown tabby tom as he spoke of Sharksong's family. Tinystar wasn't sure what Sharksong's family situation was like except for the whispers she had heard around camp, but she had not gotten herself intertwined in clan gossip. Instead she merely took every morsel of information she heard with a grain of salt. She had hoped that on his own time, Sharksong might confide to her what he felt necessary. Her thoughts moved to how little she knew about her new deputy. For a moment, she studied the gray-and-white tom - but forced herself to avert her gaze after a few moments.
[break][break]"Hopefully we will be able to change that," She added, in reference to Sharksong not being able to leave the camp. She wondered what the tom's family thought about him becoming deputy and successfully completing his trial. It was quite the feat, to be sure. Would it be enough to mend a rift between a family if one existed, though? Only time would be able to tell. Her stomach grumbled angrily, and she thought back to the offer of food that Newtstripe had extended. "If you two are not up to anything right now, how about we go and grab something to eat?" She asked the two toms, giving them a small smile as she slowly steered the conversation towards a lighter topic.
Sharksong grimaced. It seemed like Newtstripe was hitting everywhere it hurt. It seemed like he knew where to hit. That thought was so consuming that he had to stop and analyze it—so much so that he nearly forgot to answer.
Eventually, he shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t know about that. They… they never said anything.” He was so worried about his own predicament that he never stopped to consider that none of his family approached him. None of them stopped by to check on him, to see he was safe. They never even congratulated him. It was a lot to unpack, so he pushed it out of his mind. He didn’t have the energy to focus on it.
While their struggling family was no secret to the clan, he was sure Newtstripe was trying to be considerate. He couldn’t have known how dire the situation was.
Sharksong closed his eyes and shook his head. He searched for something to change the topic, but Tinystar got to it first. He opened his eyes and sent her a relieved, grateful look. “If Turtlehop will listen to anyone, it’s definitely you.” To her question, he shrugged again, though his time was much lighter. He had almost nothing to do, so the thought of sharing prey with anyone sounded like a grand plan. It was only more so when Tinystar was the one asking. It took him yet another moment to realize he’d even had the thought. It startled him slightly, but then his mind quickly made sense of it. She was the only one who could relate to the experiences he had. They were both expected to support the clan and have answers to everything about anything, so it only made sense that he felt the way he did. It was the comfort of not feeling alone. "That sounds like a fine idea."
He turned towards the fresh-kill pile and led the way over. It was stocked recently, so there was a lot to choose from. Several different types of fish, mollusks, and land-caught prey like frogs and mice. He stared at all of it for a long moment, suddenly unable to choose. He shifted his gaze to Newtstripe and Tinystar. “You both can pick first, I’m fine with whatever’s left.”
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[attr="class","aodmain"] NEWTSTRIPE was not normally one to play mind tricks. He enjoyed being a straightforward and simple cat, but sometimes, part of everyone betrays themselves. Newtstripe especially was susceptible to his own mind. He saw himself, ideally, as a confident and charismatic type, but it was tiring to keep that up all the time. [break][break] His own family had always been a touche topic to him, and he certainly knew that Sharksong was no different. It was something many cats in TidalClan struggled with. While he feigned concern and worry, Newtstripe actually cared little for Sharksong's reply. He just wanted to make sure Sharksong was not getting too comfortable. After all, the deputy was younger than him. While Sharksong might exceed him in ambition and ability, Newtstripe believed that there was no way a younger cat could have more experience dealing with interpersonal issues than himself. [break][break] "I know you're busy now but, make sure you leave time for your friends and family," Newtstripe purred warmly in response despite knowing that Wavestep and Shellheart were unlikely to come around. [break][break] What was difficult to hide, however, was his disappointment that he lost some private time with Tinystar. Sharksong was often the focus of Tinystar's attention now. Whenever he came around, it was business, business, and more business. At least Sharksong offered them the choice of prey. Clearly, the black and white tom had no reservations about interrupting their private lunch. [break][break] "You know what? I think I know which will be your pick," Newtstripe teased Tinystar lightly and motioned toward the variety of prey in the fresh-kill pile. There were mollusks, fish, frogs, and more. Hunting had been good today. He had a good guess of Tinystar's favorite foods since their Fighter days and wanted to see if he was still correct. Did Sharksong know Tinystar nearly as well as he did? Or maybe... he could test how close Sharksong and Tinystar's relationship really was. [break][break] "I bet Sharksong knows which you'd pick too," he meowed audibly so Sharksong could hear. He flicked his tail playfully at Tinystar. He knew she always put the Clan first, but today prey had to be plentiful enough for her to be first pick for once. [break][break]
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he felt her heart ache a little at the gray-and-white tom's response about his family. She thought she saw a sad look cross his face, but it was gone as quickly as a shadow melting away. He gave her a thankful look as she changed the subject and she gave him a warm smile in return, a small chuckle escaping from her maw. "That's very nice of you to say," She mewed. "But I think we both know how stubborn our mighty healer can be when it comes to her patients!" She butted Sharksong very gently with her skull, giving him a wry smile. "Regardless of that, I will speak with her. I can be very convincing when I need to be." She grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief at the last words.
[break][break]She nodded as the two toms agreed to get some food. Sharksong turned away, leading the others to the fresh-kill pile. She glanced over the food that had accumulated thanks to her hardworking fighters with appreciation. There was certainly a variety of food to pick from, and for a moment she felt overwhelmed with the choices. Sharksong seemed to feel the same way because he offered them to pick first. She was about to turn to Newtstripe to ask him to choose first when the tabby striped tom spoke. She pricked her ears to listen, a smirk crossing her face at his words. They had once been very close, but was he so confident in the fact that her tastes had not changed in all of the time in which they had grown apart?
[break][break]But, Newtstripe was not done. His next words invited the deputy to try to guess the food she would pick, too. She felt the tail of the brown tom flick against her playfully. She looked from the two toms to the prey, guilt prickling at her paws. It was not easy for her to eat first. She was the chief, she was so used to putting everyone else before herself. It wasn't often she had first pick of the prey - she usually took whatever was left, or whatever was undesirable to most. Just because of the position she held, she refused to act like she was better than anyone.
[break][break]The calico-and-white she-cat felt her stomach growl, though. She returned the playful smile to Newtsripe, the glint of mischief returning to her eyes. "You sound awfully confident, Newtstripe!" She mewed. "Perhaps my tastes have changed since we were younger. You know, after trying new things?" She mewed, innocently poking fun at him. Was it too soon to bring up the divide they had just begun bridging? She hoped it wouldn't dour his mood too much. She stepped forward, her eyes looking over the selection.
[break][break]It wouldn't be rude of her to pick first just this once, would it? Her decision was between a small yet plump tuna. Tuna was nice and fatty and full of flavour, something she savoured. Sometimes though, she had a craving for something that hadn't swam in the ocean just before breakfast. She also noted that there was a hare, it was small, too, but also plump like the tuna that had caught her eye. The only thing she knew for certain was she would not select the slimy frog on the pile. Her nose wrinkled up at that thought. Frog was definitely not a favourite. Before she decided, though, she looked at the two toms. "Well, what do you think I will be choosing?" She mewed playfully.
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@sovereign, nifty | 588 words | oh oof this is spicy
Maybe not picking first wasn’t such a good idea.[break][break]
It was hard enough to ignore Newtstripe’s lingering comment. His mind stuck to it like a burr, trying to figure out what it meant and why he said it. There were so many comments that touched upon sensitive subjects that he could no longer ignore his suspicion. But now Newtstripe turned the fresh-kill pile into a game on top of everything? Why? The undertones of suspicion grew more and more with each passing moment. It was nice to feel an emotion that wasn’t fear, but it still wasn’t one he wanted to face with his current mindset. What if he said something wrong and ended up revealing his fragile state to either of them? He pushed his concerns away for the time being—he could think on it when he was alone.[break][break]
He couldn’t even get a moment to forget his thoughts, unfortunately. Newtstripe thought he himself knew what Tinystar liked? Why would it matter to Newtstripe if he did or not? The nagging feeling wouldn’t go away, so he stared at the other tom for a long moment, expression carefully schooled to neutrality.[break][break]
Tinystar immediately played along with Newtstripe’s antics, so he turned to look at her. And then it began to dawn on him.[break][break]
Was Newtstripe… jealous? Shock replaced the suspicion, and Sharksong knew he had to be right. He thought he’d been friendly with the fighter. Was that no longer the case? When did it change?[break][break]
Sharksong wasn’t one to care if cats didn’t like him. Even with Newtstripe, it was easy to brush off the feelings that came close to a sense of betrayal. It was no different from how Wavestep treated him. But like any cat in his position, he still wondered why.[break][break]
The following epiphany was sudden and dark. If Wavestep and no other family member cared that he came back alive, did that apathy also apply Newtstripe?[break][break]
…Did Newtstripe count on him dying? He knew what jealousy could do to a perfectly good cat. It wasn’t a question he could know the answer to, but he had experience with it. Tinystar didn’t seem to notice any ill intentions, but he felt cold inside all the same.[break][break]
He turned his focus to the fresh-kill pile. He could play along. “Hmm.” Sharksong made a show of looking Tinystar up and down. “It has to be the hare. I know when it rains a lot, the last thing I want is something from the water.” His reasoning made sense to him, so he could only apply his logic when he didn’t know anything else. And if he was wrong, then he would learn something new.[break]
[attr="class","aodmtop"]Success is not a destination
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[attr="class","aodimgtext"]340 WORDS - tag : Artemisnifty
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[attr="class","aodmain"] * While he remained mostly focused on Tinystar, Newtstripe paid no less attention to the mischievous glances between Sharksong and Tinystar. It was a dynamic that Tinystar never had with him, and something he felt awfully self-conscious of. Would the Clan Chief ever fully feel comfortable around him again? He knew that recovering their abandoned friendship would take time but Newtstripe felt increasingly impatient. [break][break] The hare. Tinystar had not particularly noted hare as one of her favorites back when Newtstripe was friends with her. However, a look at the fresh-kill pile certainly made the plump hare seem appealing. Certain cats in the Clan liked frog, but Tinystar had never been one of them. Besides, one frog was too small to share between the three. If it were Newtstripe's choice, he probably would have gone for the hare right away. He knew that Tinystar liked tuna. It had been a long time since he saw Tinystar pick up a tuna though, and he wondered sadly if she had been taking only the leftovers from the fresh-kill pile. For a Chief who so dearly cared about the Clan, he realized that was a totally plausible explanation. [break][break] "My guess would be the tuna, if your tastes have not changed too much," Newtstripe declared playfully. If his theory was true, it was time to convince Tinystar to treat herself; she had been working hard. [break][break] "The hare does look like quite a meal as well though," Newtstripe added with a nod at Sharksong. He was not going to make it too obvious that he was upset. The other tom had done Newtstripe no wrong. It was Sharksong's blase innocence that frustrated him. [break][break] Newtstripe would never treat another cat badly, even the younger tom in his competition. It would be way too out of character for him and he was not close to willing to sacrifice his dignity. He did not necessarily mean to hurt any cat, but somehow today the passive aggressive comments rolled off his tongue like dewdrops on a rainy day. [break][break]
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[attr="class","petittitle"] Tinystar
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[attr="class","petitsub"] follow the signs right back to you
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inystar didn't realize that anything was amiss. To her it seemed as though Newtstripe was just participating in some friendly banter with herself and Sharksong. She was too oblivious to what was really going on to see the true nature of Newtstripe's words and actions. Nevertheless, the gray-and-white tom cat turned to look at the fresh-kill pile, ready to make a guess as to what Tinystar might select for herself. His eyes found the plump hare that she had eyed just moments ago. Trying not to reveal anything, she looked to the tabby tom next.
[break][break]Newtstripe made a compelling argument, too. He pointed out the meaty tuna that was on the fresh-kill pile. He knew her well from her younger days. As a fighter, Tinyfin would have loved to scoop up that tuna to share with her friends. The chief gave the two a wry smile. "To be completely honest, neither of you are incorrect." She mewed, waving her tail. "Depending on my mood of the day I would have gone with either the hare or the tuna, so in all honesty you both know me quite well." She padded forward to retrieve the hare from the fresh-kill pile, first, and then the tuna.
[break][break]"I just can't make up my mind today, though. Would you two share these with me? Sometimes I like to indulge in the best of both worlds." She purred. She couldn't help but think about how Newtstripe had been trying to hard to rekindle their friendship. Was it something more than just friendship that motivated him, though? Something deep inside her still flickered when she thought of Newtstripe as she had when she was younger. A former flame that never fully extinguished. Her gaze slid over to her newly selected deputy, and her stomach did a somersault. She wasn't really sure why, but she began nervous all of a sudden. She kept her face neutral, though. She sat down on her haunches with her tail wrapped around her paws neatly, ever the polite one as she waited for her clan to eat, first.
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@sovereign, nifty | 347 words | lul when the prey is rly just her feelings coming out lmao
Given his previous thoughts, and what he suspected, Sharksong wasn’t surprised that Newtstripe picked out the completely opposite prey item. It pitched them both on opposite sides, which seemed fitting given the mood between them. He kept his gaze on the tom carefully, switching it between Tinystar and their surroundings as needed so it wasn’t as obvious that he was watching closely.[break][break]
When Tinystar “chose”, Sharksong raised a brow, forgetting Newtstripe for a moment. Was it intentional from the start that she would choose both? But then again, it would be hard to share a single hare or a smaller fish between the three of them. There was logic behind it, but he wondered if it saved her from having to pick between him and Newtstripe.[break][break]
Why would she need to choose between the two of them? His lips pursed, and he decided it was another thought that could be pursued later.[break][break]
She was waiting expectantly, and he quickly understood that she didn’t want to eat first. Sharksong was torn between treating her or indulging her wishes. Technically as the deputy, it was probably proper that he wait too, but did that protocol apply in a relaxed setting? Plus, he was worried that they’d never get to eating if it was a waiting game between all of them.[break][break]
Taking a risk, he pulled the hare and tuna a short distance to where there would be room for all three of them. He settled in front of both, then tore a hind leg off of the hare. He used his claws to section off a piece of the fish, then leaned back. He didn’t yet take a bite, waiting for Newtstripe and Tinystar to take what they wanted. Sharksong wore a smile that was nothing but friendly, and he was nothing but pleasurable. Now that the sun was out and the sky was a clear blue, it was far easier to act the way he did. It was easier to keep his darker thoughts at bay.
