i’m the violence in the pouring rain [closed]

Though she quite honestly would rather be back at camp, Briarthorn's paws had once again led her to Fourtrees. After learning that Adderflare was dead she had no true reason to be here, but she almost felt as if she had no control over her own paws. Rather than the usual expression of anger or some form of disgust that usually painted her face, she wore an expression of plain and simple exhaustion. With a huff, she sat down in the middle of the clearing, head sinking between her broad shoulders. At what point would she feel normal again? What was normal? The dark brown she-cat couldn't recall a time where she felt what she believed to be 'normal'. From the very beginning, everything had gone askew. Her parents were responsible for two entirely separate Clans, and she'd only ever been able to meet one of them. She was raised by a mother who was, at best, half there. But that was probably because she pushed her away, wasn't it? That was among the myriad of things she'd done wrong, and one of the many that was frequently on her mind.

Bloodstrike woke in the night with a start. Pain radiated throughout his body, causing his claws to extend and for his teeth to grind. Beechface was out cold it looked like... and his eyes immediately flicked to where the poppy seeds were usually stored. There was none... or Beechface was hiding them. He got to his feet quietly and his fur bristled. His temper was flaring. Still, the rational part of him told him that it wasn't Beechface's fault that he was in pain and felt sick. She had been trying her best. He decided that he just needed to leave... at least for a bit. The deputy slipped out of camp as he had done so many times as an apprentice.

He needed to be somewhere where he could run, scream, destroy things... He found himself galloping toward Fourtrees. Rage pulsed through him. He took an angry slash at saplings as he passed them, releasing growls from his throat as he pumped his legs harder. Something sour welled up in his throat. Bloodstrike slid to a stop and heaved, bringing up the squirrel he'd eaten earlier. It wasn't enough to stop him. His green eyes snapped back over to Fourtrees and he was already running again... as if he could run from his pain and his inexplicable bouts of rage.

The pain was still present when he made it to the edge of Fourtrees. Last night's gathering went through his head once, but was immediately gone again when his eyes landed on a large she-cat. Bloodstrike slowed to a curious walk and his sides heaved with both the effort of running and with the waves of pain coursing through his veins.

He scented the air and immediately picked up the smell of Shadowclan... but there was more familiarity than that. A faint whisper of a memory... but it was there regardless. Bloodstrike made no attempt to conceal his approach, even giving the she-cat several fox-lengths of space between them as he circled around to her front. He had to stare for a few moments... but then the memories came back. As fuzzy as they were, he was sure it was that one apprentice.... The first apprentice he'd met when he was still Bloodpaw.

"It's certainly been awhile..." Bloodstrike's voice was not as innocent or as confused as it was when he was a new apprentice. The softer tones of a curious apprentice had given way to a rumbling, scratchy voice that was akin to the sound of a rockslide. He had seen much, experienced much, and had suffered much, as was evident all over his scarred face, his scarred body, shortened tail, ripped ears and torn lip that exposed his left fang in a permanent snarl.

"You didn't even have the decency to give me your name before you attacked me, Shadowclanner. I was a peace-seeking apprentice when we met at first. I knew nothing of the Shadowclan and Skyclan war before my time, or of the Righteous Few." Bloodstrike turned himself so that his shoulders lined up with her's. He sunk into a crouch and spread his feet evenly apart.

"I have much to thank you for. You are the reason I am who I am today." He licked slowly across his exposed fang, wrinkled his scarred face in a snarl and unsheathed his claws. The innocent, curious, and hopeful Bloodpaw had long been dead. The she-cat hadn't entirely been the cause of it, but she had certainly been a catalyst that destroyed whatever true blue hero Bloodstrike could have been. She had caused him to question his clan and his leader, which lead to the stories of the Shadowclan and Skyclan war as well as the Righteous Few from Flintstar.

"My heart wasn't in that fight," His voice was still fairly calm despite his enraged, pained expression and his obvious fighting stance. "Care to try again? Just us. No need to start a clan war. This is a formal one on one challenge from one warrior to another. You may decline, if you wish."

As soon as she heard pawsteps, Briarthorn quickly lifted her chin. In her head, she cursed for a moment, upset that she couldn't even go on a patrol and be left to be on her own. Eyes narrowed, she watched for a moment as the tom circled around to her front, sitting quite a distance away. That much she appreciated, even if she'd never admit it aloud. "So it has." She mewed curtly, tail tip twitching every few seconds. The sun had just set, but the she-cat had been awake for a few hours. Consistent nightmares meant very little sleep for her. As a result, her mind often swirled with distant possibilities and ideas, very rarely focusing on the task at paw. This time, though, her memories of that fight the two of them had shared so many moons ago were vivid enough that it felt like yesterday.

"Who said you'd earned the right to know my name, SkyClanner?" The large she-cat teased, shaking out her thick pelt with a sly grin tugging at the corner of her maw. This encounter was shaping up to be interesting, was it not? "Ignorance is so often the root of Clan disputes, hmm?" Before she could get another jest in, the tom continued to speak about how he had her to thank for what he'd become. A chuckle escaped her maw before she could stop it, and she stared at him through narrowed green eyes. "Is that so? All these moons I haven't been taking credit for all that I've done." She mewed sarcastically, eyeing him from her spot in the center of the clearing. As his claws unsheathed, so did hers, and her face pulled into a slight snarl. "I'm always down for a tussle." She growled, launching herself forward on powerful hind legs. She was out of practice and Bloodstrike was quite obviously stronger than her, but she couldn't have cared less at that moment.

Bowling the tom over, she dug her unsheathed claws into his shoulders and snarled, "Just like old times, hm?"

Briarthorn used Leap and Hold, dealing -9 Health Points and using -10 Stamina Points. Bloodstrike is stunned for 2 turns.
Night Finesse is active, dealing an additional -2 Health Points.

Briarthorn:
45/45 HP
150/160 SP [-10]

Bloodstrike:
89/100 HP [-11]
280/280 SP

The member 'Maple' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 6

Bloodstrike felt something inside of him ignite when she attacked. A terrible grin split his maimed face as she sailed through the air, the scene replaying in his head when she had done it the first time. She bowled him over... and he used her momentum to just keep rolling. He squished her under him and rolled back to his feet. He barked out a laugh... and for once his pain seemed to be nothing more than background noise. "No... not quite. That apprentice you beat has been dead for moons." He lowered his head until his chin was set against his chest. He flattened his tattered ears back against his skull and his feet spread apart evenly once more. The nub that remained of his tail wiggled as his excitement grew.

"Come at me again, Namelessface." She wouldn't give him her real name? Fine. He would make one for her.

Bloodstrike used Duck and Twist, dealing 8 damage and -25SP

Bloodstrike
No longer stunned
89HP / 255SP (-25SP)

Briarthorn
37HP / 150SP (-8HP)

Cursing under her breath, Briarthorn quickly flipped over back to her paws, staring the tom down from a few paw steps away. "I see you've spent these past moons perfecting your skills, Bloodstrike." She mewed, narrowing her eyes as he continued to speak. "Namelessface? I fear for the apprentices that you'll grant warrior names to if that's any indication of your skill." She growled, pushing forward and turning onto her back quickly, using the momentum to slide underneath the tom. Her claws sliced his flesh into ribbons, sending fur and blood splattering onto her face. Before he had a chance to crush her, she darted from underneath him, stumbling to her paws and facing him once again. "Your turn, Treehugger."

Briarthorn used Half-Turn Belly Rake, dealing -11 Health Points and using -20 Stamina Points.
Night Finesse is active, dealing an additional -2 Health Points.

Briarthorn:
37/45 HP
130/150 SP [-20]

Bloodstrike:
76/100 HP [-13]
255/280 SP

Bloodstrike couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of her remark about the name he gave her. Ah well, he'd enlighten Namelessface on the horrible tradition of Skyclan names. "Actually, horrible names are a tradition in Skyclan. After the fire, Wolfstar named his next son Blazingkit. I named my daughters Ashkit and Vulturekit. Then my son got traumatized by a fox attack that left him unable to speak for a moon or so... At his warrior ceremony, Wolfstar named him Copperfox..." His voice became strained as she slid under him and ripped skin from his belly. Yes... yes Bloodstrike was telling stories in the middle of a real fight. It had hurt... but given that he was in pain all of the time now... it was just another moment in the life of Bloodstrike.

He back-pedaled away from her claws, not eager to let her spill his guts everywhere. Treehugger? "Oh. Wow..." Bloodstrike feigned a hurt expression on his face... a moment before his smug smirk returned. "That's the closest thing to damage you've done since I got here!" He sneered with a grin, right before he charged for her as well.

Bloodstrike used Rear-Up-To-Slash, dealing 17 damage and -15SP

Bloodstrike
76HP / 240SP (-15SP)

Briarthorn
20HP / 130SP (-17HP)

Briarthorn almost did a double-take when Bloodstrike mentioned SkyClan's awful naming tendencies. "And you find this funny?" She mewed, almost chuckling at the thought. "No wonder every SkyClanner I meet seems to have nothing more than a toad for a brain. You traumatize them from day one, eh?" Briarthorn resisted the urge to stick out her tongue and mock the tom at his scathing remark, and instead focused on the task at paw. Insulting this tom in some other way.

"I'd complain about the pain your blows inflict, but the thought of your poor kits suffering from such cruel names hurts even worse, my dear Bloodstrike." She growled, eyes locked on Bloodstrike's. But then the faint shadow of something larger than him appeared behind the tom, and Briarthorn, resisting the urge to shove him into it for fun, rushed past the tom and bowled into the creature behind him- a fox. Her weight was enough to throw the large creature backward, and thankfully, since it was entirely focused on lining its nest with Bloodstrike's pelt, she had the element of surprise working to her advantage.

Briarthorn used Run-and-Tackle, dealing -12 Health Points and using - 10 Stamina Points.
Night Finesse is active, dealing an additional -2 Health Points.

Briarthorn:
20/45 HP
120/150 SP [-10]

Fox:
76/90 HP [-14]
280/280 SP

Bloodstrike:
76/100 HP
240/280 SP

"And you find this funny?" Bloodstrike hesitated and thought about it. Funny? Well... definitely not when you say it like that... In truth he never really thought it was funny so much as a superstition that he had. The only one of his children that had a perfectly decent name was Dawnhawk and he turned out to be.... well... not good. Beechface was unbearable even though good-hearted... Give kits horrible names and they seemed to turn out okay... He was about to tell her this too when he saw her eyes flick passed him for a moment. He wasn't going to fall for it.. until she changed the trajectory of her charge and bolted by him.

Bloodstrike spun... and spotted the fox. Speak of the devils and they appear! He knew he threw quite a bit of muscle into that last attack... she had to be hurting. She was a Shadowclanner that he owed a pounding, but he wasn't about to abandon her to a lousy fox of all creatures.

"Skyclan doesn't run." He muttered, though she could probably hear him. His tone had gone from casual to serious again in an instant. He kicked off of the ground with his powerful Skyclan hind legs and directed all of his fury toward the fox.

Bloodstrike used Leap and Hold on Fox, dealing 14 damage and -10SP

Bloodstrike
76HP / 230SP (-10SP)

Briarthorn
20HP / 120SP

Fox
Stunned for One Turn
62HP / 280SP (-14HP)

The member 'Tara' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 3

Panting, Briarthorn simply nodded in thanks to Bloodstrike. "Fortunately for you, neither do I," She growled, lip pulled back in a snarl. With Bloodstrike pinning the copper-furred beast, there was a perfect opening for her to dart forward and rear up on her hind legs, slicing and slashing with her front claws as she came down with all her weight. Voice crackling, she muttered under her breath, "These scoundrels are worse than any other Clan cat I've met, and just as cruel."

Briarthorn used Rear-Up to Slash, dealing -11 Health Points and using -15 Stamina Points.
Night Finesse is active, dealing an additional -2 Health Points.

Briarthorn:
20/45 HP
105/150 SP [-15]

Fox:
49/90 HP [-13]
280/280 SP

Bloodstrike:
76/76 HP
230/280 SP

Bloodstrike hadn't managed to hold the fox for long this time. Still, as it managed to throw him off of it's back, he kicked off the ground again toward it and buried his claws into it's flesh. Namelessface should have an opportunity to attack it again too while it was distracted with him. It was nice to not have to shout orders to inexperienced apprentices for a change.

Bloodstrike used Rear-Up-To-Slash, dealing 17 damage and - 15SP

Bloodstrike
76HP / 215SP (-15SP)

Fox
No longer stunned, can attack next turn!
32HP / 280SP (-17HP)

Briarthorn
20HP / 105SP

After what felt like an eternity, the fox was finally able to break free from the grasps of the two cats that it was battling, and despite much of its energy and strength being drained, it lashed out at Bloodstrike and clamped down on his shoulder, attempting to shake and batter him beyond repair. When she finally noticed an opening where she would be able to attack the fox without harming Bloodstrike more, Briarthorn darted forward, rapidly clawing the fox's shoulder with heavy paws and unsheathed claws. Thankfully it released its iron-tight grip on Bloodstrike in order to focus on her, which would give Bloodstrike a chance to get in some blows of its own.

The fox used Iron Bite on Bloodstrike, dealing -30 Health Points and using -20 Stamina Points.
Briarthorn used Upright Front Paws, dealing -11 Health Points and using -20 Stamina Points.
Night Finesse is active, dealing an additional -2 Health Points.

Briarthorn:
20/45 HP
85/160 SP [-20]

Fox:
19/90 HP [-13]
260/280 SP [-20]

Bloodstrike:
46/100 HP [-30]
215/280 SP

Bloodstrike saw the fox whip its head toward him and he knew what was coming. Teeth plunged into his shoulder and he growled, blood streaming down his leg. Luckily the fox didn't hold long. The giant Tom's tattered ears pinned back and he shot forward with his own teeth.

How do you like getting bit? He scolded the fox in his head, not daring to loosen his grip to speak.


Bloodstrike used Teeth Grip dealing 13 damage and - 20SP

Bloodstrike
46HP / 195SP (-20SP)

Fox
Stunned for 3 turns
6HP / 280SP (-13HP)

Briarthorn
20HP / 105SP

The member 'Tara' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 5