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Post by ♫.Starredmyst on Sept 8, 2008 19:01:27 GMT -5
The sun was setting, and the sky was bloodred.
A pale tom lounged outside the warrior den, dark eyes absent as they studied the rose-clouded horizon; freshly dug earth beside him was all that remained of his dinner -- a vole, bony and half-starved after the long leafbare, but hopefully the last of its kind. There was still a faint trace of blood around the young warrior's mouth. After a moment of holding his thoughtful pose, he rose up into a sitting position and began to wash himself thoroughly.
Red sky at night...
It was going to be a good evening. Aviansun could feel it.
He had had a profitable day; he'd caught quite a bit of prey on patrol -- that vole was one of them -- and the other cats had been glad to see the forest coming to life once more. Personally, Aviansun was of the opinion that there was more room for promotion during the cold moons -- the greater the challenge, the clearer the victory -- but, well, the rest of the Clan was entitled their opinion as long as he wasn't highly ranked enough to influence them about it.
And as for his other conquests...Aviansun hoped he was doing well at charming the rest of the Clan. It was a troubled time, and troubled times often gave rise to great leaders -- he'd been waiting for the chance to prove his mettle. A whisper in the right ears could go a long way, and so he'd been clearing the way for himself with a smooth tongue. He was fairly certain he already had a cat or two who would run to him with all the latest gossip...although apparently his little kittypet informant had turned tail and run not long after meeting him. Aviansun frowned to himself at the thought, pausing as he held his tail down to clean. He'd checked today, and all the trails by the little log she'd slept in were stale...
But nonetheless...things were going well, and if the colorful sky was any judge, his luck would continue into the night. With a veiled smile, Aviansun resumed his grooming.
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Post by რoonwhisker on Sept 11, 2008 21:07:11 GMT -5
Moonwhisker's day had been quite boring. Things had been the same as they always were. She'd gotten up early to join the dawn patrol. Nothing interesting had happened their either. That was a good thing though, if anything else was throw onto Moonwhisker's shoulders she would probably go insane. Speaking of insane, she hadn't seen Patchstar all day.
After patrol, she'd made sure that there was enough food and she'd organized the patrols for the rest of day and gone out hunting herself. She'd taken some time to think near the twoleg place, giving herself a break from her crazy deputy duties. She sighed, Patchstar. He was a problem in himself. She loved him like a father, but even though deep inside she knew he was losing it, she didn't want to bring herself to believe it. Every time she looked at him she saw him in his glory days. Back when she was young and there had been more than one Clan.
She couldn't make herself forget.
Holding a large rabbit in her mouth, she gracefully put it in the fresh kill pile as her stomach grumbled-- she hadn't eaten all day. She was tempted to ignore the grumble, Rainclaw had moved into the nursery which meant two things. One, she would eat more and two, she wouldn't be able to hunt.
She stared at the pile for a few seconds then she decided that it would be best to skip it. She turned away and noticed Aviansun doing nothing interesting.
Aviansun-, Moonwhisker had never made an effort to really get to know him. To her knowledge he was nice. He always offered to help out in whatever she or Patchstar needed helping with. Her stomach grumbled once more but again she ignored it, walking gracefully over to the tom. "Good afternoon Aviansun, how are you?" she asked. She felt a bit formal, but she honestly didn't care.
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Post by ♫.Starredmyst on Sept 14, 2008 7:29:46 GMT -5
By the time Moonwhisker approached, Aviansun had more or less finished his grooming; he gave his chest a final lick as she approached, then nodded politely.
"Good afternoon Aviansun, how are you?"
Aviansun smiled at her. A good night indeed! This was, as far as he could remember, the first time the deputy had approached him for casual conversation. "Fine, thank you, Moonwhisker." He drew a deep breath, letting it out in a contented sigh -- hiding with that sigh that he tested Moonwhisker's scent for a good topic to seem helpful about. "It's been a good day."
I smell rabbit...but has she eaten? I don't think so. Bit stupid of her -- she could commandeer the entire pile if she wanted to. Hiding these thoughts behind another smile, he added, "Good hunting lately, don't you think? It's always a relief when newleaf comes, and we no longer have to worry about the whole Clan being fed."
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Post by რoonwhisker on Sept 17, 2008 14:48:19 GMT -5
"It's been a good day."
Moonwhisker smiled, "I agree. It's been pretty good, so far nothing insane has happened!" she meowed chuckling. She flicked her tail to try and cover another rumble coming from her stomach.
Moonwhisker shuffled her paws nervously, then stopped. Deputies did not shuffle their paws nervously. Especially in front of Aviansun. "Um, yeah. I was planning to eat now, actually..." she lied awkwardly. "Care to join me?" she added to ease the tension. She flicked her tail again, out of habit.
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Post by ♫.Starredmyst on Sept 18, 2008 16:35:34 GMT -5
Aviansun chuckled quietly at Moonwhisker's joke, keeping his expression politely attentive. His ears flicked slightly at the growl of the deputy's stomach, and his smile broadened -- polite and just a little bit teasing. Was it considered toadying, an attempt to get into the deputy's good graces? Aviansun wasn't certain if he cared or not.
Then Moonwhisker shifted back and forth, the slightest gesture of discomfort, and the warrior decided that it wasn't, and didn't matter anyway. It seemed he was making the deputy uncomfortable in some way -- good or bad, he couldn't tell, but carefully kept the gleam of opportunity out of his expression.
"Um, yeah. I was planning to eat now, actually..." The words were somewhat awkward, and Moonwhisker added quickly, "Care to join me?" Aviansun put on his best smile and bowed his head slightly.
"I would love to, if you'd have me," he answered agreeably. "I've already eaten, but I'm not tired enough to sleep -- company would be welcome."
The bengal tom stood up, but waited politely for the deputy to lead the way.
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Post by რoonwhisker on Oct 9, 2008 15:27:54 GMT -5
"Sure, the more the merrier," she meowed, rising off her butt and walking towards the fresh kill pile. She grabbed a small vole quickly and started to eat.
She looked up at Aviansun. "Can I ask you something?" she meowed, finished the vole. No bothering to wait for him to reply she continued with her question, lowering her voice to a mere whisper. "Is Patchstar losing it?"
So she didn't really know him that well, but she found it easier to ask him than one of her close friends like Swiftflame. She really needed someone to confide in, her life had been so stressful. She hadn't even had time to be sad about Envyheart. |
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Post by ♫.Starredmyst on Oct 9, 2008 15:48:26 GMT -5
Aviansun willingly followed the deputy over to the freshkill pile. He sat beside her as she began to eat, silently watching; perhaps it was a bit odd of him to do so, but it had occurred to him that Moonwhisker was...a tidy eater. Elegant. He liked that in a cat.
He was a little startled by her question, pulled away from his strange train of thought. "Patchstar?" he echoed, slightly guarded. "I wouldn't be one to say..."
Still, she seemed serious enough, and looked a little lost. This was a nice opportunity. He moved a little closer to her, lowering his voice still more. "If you want my honest opinion," he answered her question more directly, "I've been very...impressed with you, Moonwhisker. The way you've been holding up the whole Clan. I've seen that Patchstar is...well," he temporized, "I couldn't tell you whether he's in his right mind or not, but he clearly lacks certain decision-making abilities. And I'm amazed by how well you've been able to make so many of those decisions yourself, and keep him safe besides..." He trailed off, sounding a little hesitant.
Had he laid it on too thick? His voice was smooth as honey, and hopefully she'd buy the compliments, but they might be a little much. He watched her closely -- that was why he was so close to her, of course, no desire of his own put him there -- studying her expression for any disbelief.
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Post by რoonwhisker on Oct 16, 2008 14:34:31 GMT -5
Moonwhisker's mind didn't really register what Aviansun had said for a few seconds. Then the little light went on, he was praising her! It was nice, to be praised. The over-stressed deputy hadn't gotten a compliment in awhile. It was always, 'Patchstar this hunting that patrols this blah blah blah!' She grinned at him. "Why thank you Aviansun," she meowed.
"And It's only fair that I tell you my view on Patchstar. But, I don't think here is the perfect place to share my views on our dear leader...." she trailed off, looking around the camp.
She wanted to talk to him. Badly. She didn't have anyone to talk to, and she was practically bursting. If you keep things in they have to come out a some point, right? |
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Post by ♫.Starredmyst on Oct 24, 2008 15:59:51 GMT -5
It was rather amusing, in a quaint kind of way, to watch the she-cat's expression transform. From its usual harried worry through confusion on to startled pleasure...it occurred to Aviansun that he hadn't seen anything but anxiousness on the deputy's face for a long time.
Well, it was his duty to relieve it, then, wasn't it?
"And it's only fair that I tell you my view on Patchstar. But, I don't think here is the perfect place to share my views on our dear leader...."
She looked so unhappy. Opportunity was singing in Aviansun's mind; opportunity to gain Moonwhisker's trust and (he wasn't one to deny it) material for later blackmail. But somehow, the bengal tom had a feeling that he wouldn't want to blackmail this cat...not anytime soon.
He tilted his head at her words, considering. "Have you ever been into the back caves, behind our den?" he offered. "Sometimes you'll get a kit or two playing in there, but we can chase them off -- it's usually quiet enough."
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Post by რoonwhisker on Oct 24, 2008 19:08:59 GMT -5
She nodded hastily. "Yes, I remember when I was a kit Dreamcloud and I got stuck back there," she meowed, remembering the good times with her brother. "Lets go," she meowed, snapping back into focus and leading the way into the caves.
Once she was there, she sat down and waiting for Aviansun to settle himself before pouring out her emotions all over the poor bengal cat.
"Well, I just-- I don't know how to put it. I don't know if you remember Envyheart, but he was my mate and he died and, and--" she was studdering which was unusual for her but she barely seemed to notice as she continued, "I found him and I just think I should've been there but then I don't know because then I wouldn't be deputy and Patchstar is seriously scarring me because I don't know whats going on inside his head, and its just not good and I don't know what to do about it and I have so many responsibilities, mine and Patchstar's because he's been not doing them and when he does he does them wrong and I don't know what I should do and... I just... I just don't know," Moonwhisker finished, the look on her face was pathetic. You could see the stress in her face and body. |
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Post by ♫.Starredmyst on Oct 26, 2008 10:09:25 GMT -5
Aviansun padded after Moonwhisker into the back caves; once there he settled himself against the wall, lying down in the soft, dry sand. Moonwhisker seemed tense, and with reason; as soon as he was settled she began to speak.
He was startled by the flood of emotion that came with her words, and a little amused by his own surprise; he hadn't realized it had been so long since a cat had been so open with him. He supposed it was true that the more you guarded yourself, the more other cats guarded themselves against you...but Moonwhisker didn't seem aware of that. She was cracking under the tension, poor cat.
Finally Moonwhisker's words petered out, and Aviansun rose to his paws. The helpless look on her face called for a response from him; impulsively, he sat down next to her -- oh so very close -- and carefully, gently wrapped his tail round hers. "Shh," he whispered in her ear, comforting, "it's all right. I understand. It's all right, Moonwhisker, you're safe with me."
It had been such a very long time since he'd acted on impulse, too, but he was certain it was the right thing to do now that he'd done it. The deputy was a she-cat -- he was very aware of it, so close to her -- she-cats were emotional. This would comfort her.
"So Patchstar truly is mad..." he mused, muzzle still close to her ear. "I'm so sorry, Moonwhisker. It's such a great burden on your shoulders...but remember, you don't always have to stand alone." He pulled away a little, to look her in the eye. "I'll be here for you, Moonwhisker, and I'm sure other cats will be too."
She'd given him the perfect opportunity for a bit of ambition; naturally he took it. Still, he didn't pull away...and for some reason, the earlier part of her monologue intrigued him.
"Moonwhisker..." He said her name softly, moving to speak close in her ear again. "I can understand how it feels, to have...failed someone you loved." Love? He was certain he was laying it on a bit thick; anycat who knew him well -- very, very few -- knew that he'd never loved a cat in his life. And even if he had loved his parents...he hadn't failed them, nor had they him. They had failed themselves; failed at the game of life, the one he was playing. "But you can't be upset with yourself for living without him, Moonwhisker," he whispered, hiding those thoughts. "It wasn't your fault he died; it's all a part of the greater game. It was his destiny. You have a greater one...you just have to learn to live beyond him."
He pulled back again, enough to look at her, head slightly tilted. For some reason he felt he should say more, heighten the intensity of this moment; but at the same time he wasn't certain what he would say. What was she thinking right now, the pretty she-cat? What did he want to tell her? Aviansun liked to know the effect his words would have before he spoke them...
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Post by რoonwhisker on Oct 26, 2008 11:26:56 GMT -5
"...you're safe with me."The deputy's brain hadn't processed anything but those words. She was safe with him. She didn't have to worry about anything right now. All that mattered was that Aviansun believed in her.
"Th-Th-Thank you Aviansun. That means a lot to me right now," she meowed. Moonwhisker shivered as she realized his head was basically right in her ear. The feeling was weird. It was like.... romantic. She shook her head and shoved the feeling away. No. She couldn't. Not at a time like this. There was a Clan crisis for StarClan's sake. She couldn't put her own feelings before the Clan. That's not what a good deputy does.
But sacrificing her own feelings for the clan? Was that something any cat should do? But she wasn't just any cat, she told herself. She was the deputy of IvoryClan. First in line to be leader. She looked up at Aviansun, "I just can't seem to let go. I feel like if I do, something bad will happen. I don't want him angry..."
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Post by ♫.Starredmyst on Nov 14, 2008 17:36:14 GMT -5
Aviansun listened in silence as Moonwhisker spoke, polite, even comforting, but as ever assessing every move the she-cat made. It was strange, but she seemed to tense up a little in the brief silence after her first words; had he done something wrong, after all? How foolish of him, to be treading waters he could barely find the boundaries of...
But then she looked up at him with that lost look on her face, and he kept on treading. His tail tightened round hers before pulling away ever-so-slightly; he could almost empathize with the expression in her eyes, if not the words she spoke.
"It's not as though he can do anything to you now. His anger can't hurt you."
Aviansun spoke the words automatically, as he would to anycat, the thinly-laid dismissal in them veiled only by his desire to keep the she-cat close by his side. That was it, he was realizing slowly...he wanted to keep her close to him. Something felt good when she was by his side, woke a slow-burning fire in him he'd never felt before...absently, he stored the thought, even as he pulled himself back to the present -- realizing immediately that he had said the wrong thing. Immediately he tried to rectify that mistake.
"Besides," he dropped his voice again, edged it with gentle seduction, "I don't see why he would be angry with you for letting go, Moonwhisker. It's not as though you can hold on to him any longer -- time, if nothing else, will fade the bond between you two. You'll never see him again, not till the day you die."
He fell silent then -- a calculated silence, a perfectly acted-out hesitation -- and looked at the sandy floor, flicking his tail across it to see the grains fly against the wall. "On the other paw, there are...things for you here. Ambitions." Again a brief pause, a glance in her direction. "Other cats with concerns for your welfare."
He wasn't entirely certain if he spoke truth with that blatant hint. Since when had he been concerned for a cat's welfare other than his own? And yet...and yet, suddenly he never wanted to leave this den. There was a strange thrill that went through him every time he met her eyes, every time she moved so that his pelt brushed hers...
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Post by რoonwhisker on Dec 14, 2008 11:17:04 GMT -5
"It's not as though he can do anything to you now. His anger can't hurt you."
She nodded, still frowning. "I know that. But I just feel so guilty. But I guess it's best to assume this is what he wanted most... for me to be happy," she meowed.
"Other cats with concerns for your welfare."
She looked up at him. And for the first time during their conversation she smiled. A legit, big, happy, genuine Moonwhisker smile. Her heart fluttered with butterflies. Heart butterflies? Sure. At that moment she felt as though anything was possible.
The thought that her feelings were basically illegal didn't even cross her mind. All she could think about was for the first time, she wasn't stressed out over something. And at that moment in time the realization hit her, "Either Patchstar dies or the Clan falls apart."
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Post by ♫.Starredmyst on Jun 1, 2009 17:16:12 GMT -5
"But I guess it's best to assume this is what he wanted most... for me to be happy."
Aviansun's tail flicked out as Moonwhisker spoke, brushing gently against her side in agreement. "Of course that was what he wanted," the tom replied, his voice barely a whisper. Inside, though, his mind mocked the words.
I've yet to see a cat like that, darling. I doubt that tom of yours wanted anything for your sake -- what he wanted was you. His eyes met hers as she smiled up at him, broke contact, flickered across her pelt. And I don't blame him in the least, you know that? You're a pretty cat, Moonwhisker. If you were just a whisker less devoted to your duty, and I a breath more desirous than ambitious...I would have you off your paws in an instant.
He was smiling at that thought almost as much as the she-cat's words when Moonwhisker spoke again, but her next thought did amuse him. He chuckled, as if to himself, and said out loud, "You have a one-track mind, don't you, love?" His use of the word was casual -- it was, after all, one he used with most she-cats, whether in affection or threat -- and he didn't, for once, think to analyze her response to it. He sobered, though, as he considered her question.
"That would make you leader," he remarked, studying the she-cat, "in name as well as duties. I suppose it would be gratifying, to finally have repayment for all your work toward the Clan."
Suddenly, though it was a compliment, though it was well in line with his ambitions, it wasn't what he wanted to say. He didn't want to discuss her duties, to remind her of everything outside of this cave; in fact, he didn't really want to talk at all. He wanted to sit with her, here, just to feel her fur against his...just that? Maybe more.
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