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.
369 words | Atari (ooc: this thread explains shark's mindset after the trial & his recovery in the mc den, which should help with this thread c: )
The last few days had rain interspersed with night, and Sharksong was left constantly miserable. His interaction with Newtstripe and Tinystar remained in his mind on replay; he couldn’t figure out how he felt about it. He only felt at ease when the sun was out, and his inability to sleep was still pathetic. He stayed out in camp as long as he could, talking with whoever listened about anything he could think of. He only returned to the walls of the church when he absolutely needed to. The one night it rained he didn’t sleep at all, hunched stiffly in one position until the sun rose.
The cobwebs swathed around his ear and head were a constant, physical, discomforting reminder that he was uncomfortable with everything now. He was lucky that he was good at keeping it to himself, because if he wasn’t… He didn’t want to think about what a disaster he would cause.
He’d done his best to keep up appearances around Turtlehop most of all. It was punishing to tell her he was feeling better when he wasn’t sure that was the case. A few white lies never bothered him before, but it felt different with this. He was the deputy and she was the healer. He had responsibility now, even if he’d done little else but schedule patrols. He wasn’t lying to Wavestep or tricking Ivorysplash anymore. Cats would depend on him to be truthful.
Regardless, Sharksong knew he had to keep convincing Turtlehop otherwise. He needed to be released from the healer den, needed to be allowed access to the territory. He couldn’t handle being trapped in camp anymore.
Decision set, he trailed towards the church, hanging reluctantly by the entrance. He closed his eyes and counted. He tried to place himself in the mindset that he had before the trial. Being himself was so easy then. Now he felt so lost that he didn’t even know how to gain that back. His deputy trial was supposed to be him proving himself, but he felt more unqualified than ever.
With a long sigh, Sharksong crossed the threshold into the healer’s den. “Turtlehop?” he called, swallowing his uncertainty as he searched through the gloom.
She had honestly been so relieved Sharksong has passed the trial. Turtlehop had believed in him, knowing he was one of the candidates Tinystar had mulled over, but the ominous vibe of the announcement had left her wary. For once, she had been wrong in assuming it was a bad omen. He had survived, bruised and battered, but alive. He needed her careful medical care, but in the long run, she knew he would survive to be deputy for many seasons.
Her reasoning keeping in him camp was less medical, and more mental. She wanted him to recover from the trauma fully, before pushing himself. The trial was traumatic, to say the least. But with trauma came the chance to grow stronger, she knew. It was... Oddly cruel, but their way of life. Turtlehop would do her best to help him move past it.
He was, slowly. She knew he was restless in camp, eager to return to his duties. But there was something still mildly off about how he held himself. The pressure of his duties now, she imagined. The healer had felt it too, when Palmsong died and she was suddenly in charge. It was distancing, in an odd way. You suddenly held more power than before. For a fighter becoming deputy, it was even worse giving orders to those who were once on the same level of respect as you. And Sharksong was young.
So really, she wasn't surprised when her name was called from the entrance to her den. She nodded to Shellpaw, her very new fledgling helping to sort rotten herbs from fresh. "Finish those up, please? I won't be long." She nudged the small she-cat affectionately, and padded towards the lighter entrance of the old church.
"Everything alright, Sharksong?" Turtlehop asked pleasantly, lifting up onto her haunches like a squirrel to check his cobweb bandages. The wound was healing nicely, and she decided mentally if this conversation went well, he could probably be free of them and go back on patrols in the next few days.
ulla
Swiftwave - Jungleclan warrior Rain that Blurs the Sky - Tribe navigator Turtlehop - Tidalclan Healer
Turtlehop emerged out of the shadows before him, and he took a moment to study her. How much did she know? How much did she realize? How much did the gods tell her? Did they tell her anything at all? Her smaller form revealed nothing. He wondered these things every day, but he was no closer at finding an answer.
“Yes, of course,” Sharksong answered automatically to her question. He always answered questions like those with a positive, even if it wasn’t the case. He wasn’t used to divulging potential weaknesses to… anyone. It seemed like a strength at first, but with how he felt right now, it seemed like a weakness itself. Even if he wanted to talk about it, he didn’t have the courage to mention it. Neither did he have the courage to face her—or the gods’—disappointment and disapproval with him. He just had to get on like normal. Somehow.
“In fact,” he began, casting her a winning smile as she sat up to inspect his ear, “I’ve been feeling much better lately. I survived all the initial dangers, and my ear has to be healing by now, thanks to your care. I think I’m ready to go back to my normal duties and assume my new ones. As long as you think I’m ready.” He stared at the healer imploringly, as if she would give her consent and leave it at that. He was almost hopefully thinking so, but it never was that easy. She probably had several tests she wanted to do, like giving him five different kinds of disgusting leaves and then making sure he could recite TidalClan’s recent history word for word. Something like that seemed a little absurd, but Sharksong wasn’t a healer nor her fledgling for a reason.
He shifted his weight around, praying to whatever was out there that Turtlehop was oblivious to his terrible sleep patterns and other growing problems.
He was trying very, very hard to convince her he was fine. It was... Perhaps almost painfully obvious? That or she was really just that good a healer. Spending time around sick cats who just wanted to get away from her herbal remedies made her pick up on little details. Sharksong's smile was just a little too wide, his expression just a tad too desperate. He needed out of camp, and honestly, she understood his need.
But she was the oldest cat of the high ranks. She was darn well going to make sure he understood that pushing himself just to appear tough was a stupid thing to do. At least he would admitted he wouldn't go back to warrior duties without her consent, but she knew he'd argue with her fiercely if she was to say no.
"You're doing much better, injury wise," she agreed slowly, settling back onto her haunches and looking him in the eye. "I think in that regard, you're good to go. But," she continued, before he could cut her off or get too hopeful, "You've been through a very life-changing event. I have a few more things I'd like to check before I give you the clear."
She stood, flicking her tail for him to follow her. "I could use some fresh air just as much as you. Let's take a walk, shall we?" Turtlehop jogged off at a decent pace for an older cat who spent most of her days sorting herbs, trying her best to push him physically. Mentally would come soon enough.
Her paws guided her confidently, though she made it seem as if they were going in any sort of random direction. Though in reality, she was heading for the coast. Hoping to keep him distracted, she shot him a smile. "I know you've been doing your best to keep up with your deputy duties from the camp. You're doing well," she encouraged him, completely honest. He was a capable young tom, who could fall into the role easy enough. He just needed to settle. "How are you finding the shift? Gaining more power can be.. difficult to adjust to. You walk around with everyone thinking you're sent from the Gods." Turtlehop snorted. She'd had her own fair share of it, though it was utterly stupid. She was as normal a cat as anyone else, outside her duties.
ulla
Swiftwave - Jungleclan warrior Rain that Blurs the Sky - Tribe navigator Turtlehop - Tidalclan Healer
She was speaking, but she was also looking at him firmly. Like she was seeing through him. He fidgeted his paws ever so slightly, and it grew harder to hold her gaze. His heart sank even though he expected her to have more to check. He’d held on to the slim hope that he’d be all clear immediately, but now there was no chance of that at all.
Despite himself, Sharksong perked up slightly when Turtlehop asked him to walk with her. He was leaving camp? His heart picked up in excitement, and he glanced up towards the sky. It was blue, almost completely devoid of clouds. It was safe. He bounded after the healer to the camp exit, more than willing to follow her.
When the territory opened up around them, he felt his spirits soar. He kept the set pace without even thinking about it, and he found himself looking around with wide eyes. It was like he was a fledgling leaving home for the first time again. The old buildings faded into lush, green grass and trees that reached up to the sky. He took a deep breath and enjoyed the scent of forest and saltwater for the first time in days.
Sharksong looked down at the healer when she broke the silence. He forced himself to smile at her compliment, even if it felt hollow to him. He believed it was real, but he worried he wasn’t worth her praise.
He moved to look straight ahead, working his jaw as he thought about how to address her question. “I… haven’t felt any different. I’m already used to cats looking at me because of how obnoxious I am. Now they’re looking at someone obnoxious who just got an ego boost.” Sharksong watched Turtlehop from the corner of his eyes, smiling sideways. “At least the clan will take me a little more seriously, now.” It was easy to pick himself apart with humor, it always had been, but now he wondered just how true it was.
There was one thing he wanted to know that Turtlehop didn’t reveal yet. He sidled closer to her as they padded along. He lowered his voice and bent his head by her ear, partly because he didn’t want to be overheard, but also because he wanted to get a reaction out of the healer. “So… what more do you need to check?"
Sharksong, obnoxious? Well.. Perhaps a little. At least he was aware of it, and that was the first step to toning any bad behavior down. But perhaps what he saw as obnoxiousness, Tinystar had seen as strength to speak his mind. A deputy needed such talents, because they were what kept the Clan safe when leaders sometimes made bad decisions. Not that Turtlehop could imagine Tinystar doing such a thing, but only the Gods knew a cat's future. Sharksong was what the clan needed.
"It might be hard," she warned, about the clan respecting him. Healers had it easy - cat wouldn't question the Gods' will. But a young deputy, who some might say overstepped more worthy candidates? He was in for some unrest. "You're young. There's older cats who will take some time getting used to taking orders from the obnoxious young tom." She shot him a wary smile. "You have the strength to cope, I think. Just don't forget, you have Tinystar and me to help you."
Like she was helping him now, she hoped. He questioned what more tests he needed, and she dodged the question with a soft "Oh, you'll see soon enough." Her paws sped up a little, hurrying towards the beach.
She noticed, on a side tangent, that her belly had started to develop a bit of a pudge. It waddled a tad as she ran. Gods, am I really getting old? she thought, mildly shocked. It was perhaps a good thing she had a young cat to keep her running around at a higher pace. They would need to practice some defense moves too, as all healers did, and that would perhaps work off the few extra mice she was apparently carrying around.
Their paws hit the sand soon enough, and she slowed to a halt, panting. There was no way to hide her motives now, and she needed to come clean. "I.. Want to make sure the Trial hasn't left any scars. Mental scars," she added, before he could argue he was physically fine. "It's a traumatic experience, to nearly drown. If you're to feel confident about yourself, you need to face any fears it might have left." She walked toward the waves, and looked over her shoulder to Sharksong with soft eyes. "I believe in you, okay? I'm here."
He needed to go back in the water, and make sure he was able to cope. A deputy who could no longer feel at ease in the waves was a deputy who would lack respect.
ulla
Swiftwave - Jungleclan warrior Rain that Blurs the Sky - Tribe navigator Turtlehop - Tidalclan Healer
“Maybe. But I think I have enough charm to pull it off.” He pushed through and continued his easygoing demeanor. “They’ll get used to me, and my decisions will be decent enough that they’ll know I’m a perfect fit.” That was how it had to be. If he said it enough, thought it enough, then it would have to be true. Wouldn’t it?
He didn’t like the answer to his last question. Suspicion churned in his gut before it completely changed to anxiety. Her pace quickened, and it suddenly felt hard to keep up with her. Sharksong’s pace slackened as the trees revealed wide swaths of sand… and the ocean glittering tauntingly ahead.
At first, Sharksong simply didn’t understand what Turtlehop was saying. The words were simple, but his mind refused to heed them. He was fine. There was nothing wrong. He had no mental problems. He was ready to forget about the trial and focus on his deputyship. He didn’t need to waste his time sightseeing with the healer. He had important tasks to complete.
He had to get in the water?
He wasn’t ready. His trial was nothing but a shameful attempt at surviving. The clan never was his focus. He froze up and trembled when night arose, felt sick to his stomach when rain fell. There was something wrong with him. He wasn’t worthy. The gods already knew, but TidalClan didn’t.
He did nothing but stare at the healer. His mind tore through her words, and he watched numbly as she moved towards the waves.
“No… no. I’m fine. I really, really don’t need to do that. I made it in one piece, see? I’m fine.” He laughed as the words spilled out, the sound rough and hoarse. He took a step back, mind spinning and spinning and spinning. He had to prove to her that he was okay. He couldn’t let Turtlehop glimpse his failure.
Sharksong sat down, trying to quell the sudden dizziness as much as he was trying to stall. “Do… do the gods not think I’m right for TidalClan? Did they tell you that?” The questions were supposed to give him time, but he suddenly realized he didn’t want to know their answers.
She had, sadly and to her great unease, been right. He was wounded, deep inside, from the trial. She wished so badly there was some other way to test the new deputies, to gain the gods' favor.. But it had, and always would be the way of the clan. That was why she was here, to help. To be a quiet aid to him without the whole clan getting involved in his fear. Turtlehop would do whatever she could to help Sharksong, because this good, young cat didn't deserve to live with the anxiety and worry of being scared of water.
Words poured from him, stalling, denial. She shook her head to it, yellow eyes soft and understanding. "You don't have to pretend. I know, I understand. And I am not judging you in the slightest." The tortoiseshell padded back to where he collapsed onto his haunches. She flanked him, pressing her warmth to his grey fur. This wouldn't be as easy as she thought, but she would sit here till moonrise if she needed to.
"The Gods have told me no such thing," she soothed, looking up to him seriously. "They have told me the opposite, Sharksong. If you were not right for Tidalclan, the Gods would have had your soul fed to the waves. The fact you survived proves to everyone that you are worthy." Her gaze trailed back over to the water, waves churning softly in the hot Soothing Skies sun. "It's normal to be scared. Do you think Tinystar wasn't afraid of water after her Resurgence?" Turtlehop still had the horrible feeling of her friend's struggling body under her paws, holding her to the water till she went limp. Their ceremonies were harsh. But not without reason. "But when you face them, finally, it makes you an even stronger cat. You will have pushed past it. You will be able to push past the fears that leading brings."
She trailed off then, knowing too much rambling would be a lot to process. Sharksong needed time. All she could do was stay close, letting him feel her warmth and the stroking of her tail to his back.
ulla
Swiftwave - Jungleclan warrior Rain that Blurs the Sky - Tribe navigator Turtlehop - Tidalclan Healer
His first thought was that he failed.[break][break]
What made him think he could hide anything from Turtlehop? She was the healer. She was trained to see what others could not. His deputyship was doomed. If she knew, then it was only a matter of time before he was found out to be not suited for the role. Then what would happen? He wasn’t sure he’d be able to face the clan once they knew. His bravado wasn’t good enough for that.[break][break]
His second thought was that he struggled to believe what he heard.[break][break]
She… wasn’t judging? He was so jostled by that knowledge that he didn’t register or respond to her physical comforting. She continued, and he faltered. But… the gods, the clan… none of it had been on his mind. He was ready to give up everything for safety. How could he be trusted?[break][break]
Sharksong didn’t know how it was possible to feel number than he already did, but when the Resurgence was mentioned, he felt like he was frozen solid. That would be him, in the future, if he lived that long. Guilt followed quickly. He was still thinking about himself. Tinystar faced worse than he did, yet she was still capable. It felt like he could hardly put one paw in front of the other.[break][break]
He closed his eyes briefly. “If I’m supposed to lead the clan someday, then why am I afraid of a little rain? Of the darkness?” His voice was hollow at first, but as he kept talking, kept admitting what ate away at him, his voice grew in feverish intensity. Self-loathing, he realized. It wasn’t the first time he felt as much. But now… it was more than just him. More than the disappointment of his small family. The entirety of TidalClan was at risk.[break][break]
All because he was like a little kit, bumbling out of the nursery. “I don’t know what to do. If the rest of the clan finds out…” He didn’t bother finishing his sentence. Just because Turtlehop understood, didn’t mean others would. He pulled away from the healer and faced her, almost glaring. “You’ll keep this a secret, I presume?” Nothing about his situation was comfortable. He hated feeling vulnerable and exposed. And for someone to see him in the state he was in currently took every particle of self-control he had. “I don’t want anyone else to find out about this. And… I plan to assume my role now. I’m tired of cowering.”[break]
The first step to healing was admitting you had a problem. Her ears flicked back slightly when Sharksong admitted he was now afraid of rain and darkness, her heart hurting for the young cat. It was a cruel world they lived in, the Gods demanding so much to those cats chosen to lead. She looked on hopelessly, as he fretted about what would happen if the Clan was to find out his weakness. The healer was about to murmur no one would find out, when she was set upon with a fierce glare.
Sharksong was not a small cat like Turtlehop. He loomed over her, and suddenly she felt very small and vulnerable. The she-cat hated being the spotlight of someone's anger, a trauma left over from her kithood when her father, Piranhaclaw, had often scolded her for being so odd and unfocused. There was hurt too, that he had to ask her to keep this secret. As if she would blather away to their clanmates, and cause drama! The tortoiseshell shrunk into herself, eyes a little wide and fearful. "I w-w.. Was going to.." she whimpered, tail leaving his back fur to curl over her own white paws fretfully. "I'm not going to cause a whole scene with our clanmates because you're still experiencing trauma from the Trial." Her eyes looked at the ground, but with a shaky breath to calm herself, she met Sharksong's green ones once more. "But there's only so long you can pretend. You can go back to your duties, but until you face the fears, they will linger."
Just look at her, still scared of failure and arguments. She should take her own advice one time, and attempt to talk to her siblings and father. But it was easier to stay away under the pretense of her duties being too time-consuming.
It made her angry, not with the tom, but with herself. She pushed herself onto all four paws, and glared back at the deputy with mild hurt in her eyes. "I was going to help you with the fear, even if I had to swim with you in the ocean till next full moon. But I can't help someone who wants to hide their fears, even from themselves." She hated to argue, especially with someone like Sharksong, but her heart was always too big for its own good. She cared about him, like she cared for all her clanmates, and it made her want to help. She couldn't leave him like this, and expect him to thrive as Tidalclan's deputy.
ulla
Swiftwave - Jungleclan warrior Rain that Blurs the Sky - Tribe navigator Turtlehop - Tidalclan Healer
Sharksong watched as she cowered, and he was surprised at how good it made him feel. It was better than he felt in what seemed like moons and moons. He was tired of feeling like a clam in the mud. He needed to take control of everything that was slipping from his grasp. Focusing on that pleasurable feeling seemed like a start. If he moved even closer to the healer, if he pushed her a little bit more…[break][break]
He quickly caught on to his thoughts, and he recoiled away from Turtlehop, immediately hating himself. He didn’t know how to even begin delving into those thoughts, and what was even scarier was that he wasn’t aware of them until they already happened. More than a little disturbed, he struggled to look at the older she-cat, struggled to comprehend her words. They were all pointed, and he had the mental picture of him being peeled away piece by piece. “I… I…” he tried, but there was nothing he could say in his defense. No way for him to cross the distance that stretched far between them now. No way to apologize.[break][break]
He wilted further under her verbal assault, and he kept his eyes firmly fixed on his paws. The thought of acknowledging what he now had to face… it was almost too much to bear. Never mind facing it and attempting to conquer it. Stepping in the water was the last thing he ever wanted to do. It made him feel sick, like his skin was crawling and his stomach was weighed down with a stone, like his lungs were on fire. He could already taste the salt in his mouth as he dared to look at the water breaking calmly a short distance away.[break][break]
“I… can’t,” he said at last, still unable to look at Turtlehop. “I can’t face this.” He knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it. What was the point of trying?
It was funny, how just a moment before she had been cowering under his threatening gaze. Now the tables had turned, and her hurt and determination to fix this broken cat had him unable to meet her eyes. Perhaps he was ashamed of how he'd treated her. Or perhaps she had more of her father's attitude within her than she'd like to admit, and could be scary when she wanted. It made her mouth rather dry, and she was at a loss for words. Turtlehop stared up at him, trying to catch that ocean-eyed gaze.
Eventually, he would stammer that he couldn't. Her ears fell, along with her expression. He couldn't live like this, especially not as a deputy. "You must," she mewed softly, tail lashing. "What if a cat was drowning? A kit. Are you saying your fear would prevent your heart from helping?" She didn't think so, but right now, it would be very hard to convince him of that.
"I want to help you. I didn't come here to argue about it either. I am your healer, so let me heal your mind." She stepped forward, and attempted to headbutt him up to his paws. She may had well been pressing against the tree, though, given their size difference. She puffed a little, then halted. "Where's the strong intimidating cat you just showed me, huh?" she challenged, wondering if perhaps pushing his buttons might in some way make him angry enough to try and face the ocean. "You're telling me he's going to let a little water best him? That it's going to stop you from becoming deputy, leader even?"
Her tail lashed in rising annoyance. Maybe this was what he needed, pushing. Fighters were tough creatures, no? They weren't gentle like apprentices could be. He needed to be pushed into being braved, like a kit was taught not to fear a fight.
ulla
Swiftwave - Jungleclan warrior Rain that Blurs the Sky - Tribe navigator Turtlehop - Tidalclan Healer
He must. He must. Of course he must. That was what was expected of him. It was easy for anyone to say he had to overcome what now weighed him down. From an outside perspective, it was easy—just get better. But they didn’t know how he felt choked when clouds covered the sky, or the way he felt like he was sinking in the darkness at night.[break][break]
They didn’t know that he wasn’t sure he would save a drowning kit. His fear, his sense of self-preservation was so strong that he would let a small kit die.[break][break]
It fueled the growing self-hatred further still, and what made it worst of all was that he didn’t have the heart to disagree with Turtlehop. Sharksong nodded along, smiling weakly. He was saved from having to verbally agree with her when she continued.[break][break]
He wasn’t surprised that she wanted to pick up the broken pieces of his mind, but he didn’t know how she would manage it. He stared down at her when she made the attempt to bring him to his paws, and it ran parallel with his thoughts. She struggled to move him physically. His mind felt even heavier. Could she really do it? Sharksong knew it was stupid to doubt her, but this situation, needing this kind of treatment, was completely alien to him. He couldn’t imagine it getting any better.[break][break]
When she began a verbal assault, Sharksong nearly agreed with her then and there—the words “it might” danced on his tongue, but he kept his mouth firmly closed. He stood abruptly, a frown dragging his features down. He didn’t want to be intimidating but falling into that trance was so easy. He was afraid of what he would do, of what he’d be capable of, if he lost himself to the bitter anger swirling just underneath. There was no pain when he embraced it, but there was no feeling, either. He only wanted what made him feel good… and what he would do to get it in that state terrified him.[break][break]
“Water is stronger than you think,” he said breathlessly. “But if you can move me there, I won’t resist.” His response was automatic, as if he gave it no thought. In all honesty, he really didn’t. It was a teasing response without any emotion added to it. He didn’t think of what it would mean if Turtlehop actually succeeded. All he knew was that he couldn’t let himself get angry.
He was doing nothing, and it infuriated her. Why couldn't he try? Was he really so traumatized, or was he falling into the symptoms she'd seen before of tomcats being the biggest kits when sick? She hissed through gritted teeth at his oddly flat tease, very nearly tempted to swat at his ears.
It was very, very odd for the she-cat to get this angry. Turtlehop was a healer, born a calm, sweet cat who wanted nothing more than to care for others. The fact that Sharksong was ruffling her fur so much was rather shocking. She wanted to question why, but now wasn't the time. This was their deputy, and she was beginning to question if Tinystar had the made the right choice.
"Fine!" she snapped, tail thrashing like an angry eel. "I'm not afraid to try." She was afraid of many things, but for once, she felt a bubbling fire in her gut that was driving her to be less passive. It was if moons of swallowed frustrations over her family and life were crawling out her throat.
Doing was a little harder, but in the end, he was just a cat. She wasn't moving a felled tree. Turtlehop dug her paws into the sand, bent her head, and began to shove him in the shoulder with all her strength. She wasn't planning on stopping either, despite the heavy pants and puffs she emitted.
ulla
Swiftwave - Jungleclan warrior Rain that Blurs the Sky - Tribe navigator Turtlehop - Tidalclan Healer
Her anger was palpable and he flinched despite himself. Sharksong had never seen Turtlehop angry, never heard rumors or stories about it. It was like the emotion didn’t exist with her. And yet somehow, he managed to bring it out. He was so blindsided that he offered almost no resistance.[break][break]
He was nudged closer and closer to the water, and he didn’t immediately realize. Sharksong was trying to figure out what set her off. He thought he offered a compromise. What wasn’t he understanding? What made his feelings wrong? Well, the fact that he could hardly stand the rain was one indicator... But it wasn’t like he wanted to feel the way he did. He just reacted without thinking about it.[break][break]
His tail brushed against water, and immediately Sharksong jumped in surprise. A strange tingle jolted down his spine and his fur prickled. He sunk his claws into the sand to prevent himself from bolting, and he trembled with the effort. Sharksong slanted a sharp look down at Turtlehop. He was warring between his fear and the anger that still seeped out.[break][break]
“Well?” he said through gritted teeth. “Does this make you feel good, trying to prove something?” It wasn’t so different from how he felt, but he would never have expected as much from Turtlehop.
