The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
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Characters : Stormdance (S) Rainfrost (R) Sunpool (Su) Wrenpaw (W) Hawkmist (H) Clan/Rank : Riverclan, Tier 5 Warrior (S) Skyclan, Tier 3 Warrior (R) Riverclan, Tier 2 Warrior (Su) Riverclan, Apprentice (W) Shadowclan, Tier 2 Warrior (H) Number of posts : 1024 Gender : Transmasc, he/they Age : 23
Subject: What Have You Got To Lose? [c] Sun 30 Oct 2022 - 23:45
Stormdance
Riverclan Territory
It was a cloudy day, the skies threatening rain that had yet to come. A chill breeze spilled over the territory, kicking up the leaves and disturbing the reeds. It caused Stormdance to shift closer to his companion, pressing against her familiar, warm fur. It was for all intents and purposes a dreary day, with Stormdance's namesake hovering threateningly over the horizon in dark clouds, but it really didn't feel that way. At least, not to Stormdance-- not when he was with Brookstone.
He had slowly, but surely, began to pull himself out of the rut he had fallen into when Owlshriek passed. His former mentor's loss still weighed heavily on his heart, but he knew the last thing Owlshriek would've wanted for him was to see him driving himself into the ground like he had been. He's been pushing himself, not to work constantly, but to drag himself back to reality. He's picked up Rowanpaw's training again in full, determined not to see Rowanpaw as hurt as he had been after Poppyshine passed out in camp. And to his delight and pride, Rowanpaw was rapidly getting close to earning his warrior name at last, something Stormdance had already been discussing with Perchstar.
Stormdance was also making sure not to neglect other relationships, the most important of which being, of course, his best friend Brookstone. With all that had been going on, it felt like forever since they had just gotten the chance to spend time together. Sure, they shared tongues often and spent most nights curled up next to each other in the warrior's den, but a free moment where they really got to just focus on one another was rare. (At least, not a moment that didn't end with Stormdance crying on Brookstone's shoulder. He was grateful to her for that, beyond grateful, even if it made him a little embarrassed to have fallen apart like that. Still, if there was anyone Stormdance would feel okay falling apart around, it would be Brookstone.) So, when an opportunity arose where neither Brookstone nor Stormdance had any pressing duties to attend to, Stormdance pounced on that opportunity as quick as he could, inviting Brookstone out on the walk they found themselves now. Thankfully, the borderline-dreary weather had kept even Stormdance's precocious apprentice from interrupting, and so they truly had the time to themselves.
Stormdance glanced at Brookstone out of the corner of his eye, sky-blue eyes filled with warmth. As awful as everything had been lately, he was grateful to still have Brookstone. In fact, he was even more grateful than ever for her presence in his life. He was trying appreciate what he still had, and she was one of the most important cats in his life. Scratch that, the most important. There was no cat he felt closer to. He was realizing that these days. He had no idea what he would do if he lost her. He prayed to Starclan he would never see that day.
There was more too. Thoughts and feelings that lingered as he looked at her these days. Brookstone was always special. She was just a special cat- anyone could see that. She was brave, bold and kind, and had this infectious laugh that made Stormdance's chest feel warm every time heard it. He could be halfway across camp and hear her laugh, and suddenly there would be a smile on his face, involuntary and instinctive. So, yeah, his feelings for her were always intense. But he'd been wondering lately, considering those feelings in a new light, brought on by his conversation with Dayquil and a lot of teasing from Rowanpaw. Romance was not something Stormdance considered, really. He never really understood why so many cats got so worked up over it. But maybe he was starting to understnad, because his head had been awfully jumbled lately. He was just overthinking things. He was certain of it. Right? It was scary, to consider the possibility that there might be more to his musings on his feelings with Brookstone than just overthinking, because what was he supposed to do with that if there was? The thought of ruining what they had, of making something out of it that wasn't there, these things scared him, leaving a tight circle of anxiety around his chest. It made him look away when he looked into Brookstone's eyes just a little too long, made his heart race when he smelled her nearby.
It was too much to think about, especially when his head was already feeling so mixed up. He couldn't handle it, so he did what he always did when something was just a little too much for him. He pushed it down. Right now was for him and Brookstone to have fun, after all, not for Stormdance's incessant overthinking. Stormdance flicked his ear, forcing himself to focus on the here and now. The breeze ruffled his fur, making him look a little puffed up and silly. He shifted on his paws, gently knocking his shoulder into hers. "How have you been doing?" He asked softly. "It's been too long since we went out with just the two of us." He smiled softly.
Characters : ➀Forestbreeze ➁Brookstone ➂Briarrose Clan/Rank : ➀Shadowclan T5 ➁Riverclan T5 ➂Thunderclan T4 Number of posts : 497 Gender : They/Them Age : 24
Subject: Re: What Have You Got To Lose? [c] Wed 30 Nov 2022 - 23:43
🪨【Brookstone】🪨
❒ Despite the inbound storm brewing in the horizon, Brookstone wasn't the least bit bothered. The frosty wind that had picked up the pace roughly ruffled her short fur but even then, she didn't blink an eye. Stormdance had enough warmth for the both of them. She was more than content with their closeness—a feeling that was fighting valiantly against the rising hesitation and bashfulness. She mentally shook all of it away. None of that now. She just wanted to enjoy the moment. She deserved to give herself that at least.
❒ Sparing a glance at the larger cat beside her, a thoughtful look soon crossed her eyes. They softened only a moment later before she flicked them to look elsewhere. Life hadn't been easy for anyone lately—it had stomped down particularly hard on her best friend. His mentor and good friend, Owlshriek, had passed away not long ago. Couple that with Poppyshine's frightening faint in the middle of the camp... Brookstone sighed through her nose. At least Stormdance seemed to have kept himself together well enough. It was nice watching Rowanpaw's training resume with renewed vigor. Despite this, she could still see the weary shine in the other's blue gaze and it made her heart clench in an uncomfortable way. She wanted that gone. However, she hadn't gotten a chance to pull Storm aside and have a long and meaningful chat due to both of their busy schedules. They barely managed the occasional moment to share tongues or a brief comment in passing. Alright, well, the night cuddles were more than just fine. It was something she looked forward to every day—something she wasn't ever going to say out loud but her delight was more than obvious even without the verbal indication, much to her embarrassment. Anyway, none of those moments were enough. Playing the waiting game made her itch and unfortunately, it wasn't something that could be easily scratched away.
❒ Delighted was she when Stormdance approached her earlier in the day to invite her to walk with him. Finally! Thank the stars for this rare day of free time. It was more than a treat at this point. Brookstone hurriedly agreed—she'd label herself as crazy if she ever turned down anything from Stormdance—and off they went. It was even better finding out that Stormdance's spunky apprentice wasn't interested in crashing their time alone as he'd done before. Don't get her wrong! She loves her little fishy more than anything else! It's just that she appreciates some time to spend with her best friend without hearing Rowan's snarky comments or his persistent heckling that may or may not lead to either or both Brook and Storm wanting to bury their heads in the ground out of embarrassment.
❒ Feeling Storm's gaze on her, the brown-and-white tabby cat brushed off her thoughts and glanced at the dark grey tom from her peripheral vision. Her bright blue gaze met his and she resisted the urge to squirm. The pure warmth in his eyes made her feel things. She liked feeling these things but at the same time, they confused her. She didn't like being confused. To hide these feelings from seeping out, she offered him a small, lopsided smile before gently knocking her head against the crook of his neck and blowing a raspberry. She pulled away and grinned. She proceeded to wink before turning away teasingly. She always liked to tease him.
❒ Truthfully, she turned away for more than that. She needed to put a quick end to the swirling feeling that was slowly bubbling within her belly. Every touch, every look electrified her. Her nerves lit up and sang an overpowering cacophony. It was both too much and not much at all, enough yet not enough—no, never enough. She was playing tug of war with herself and she was scared of which side would eventually win—she was certain that in due time, one side would win. No doubt about it, never doubts. She could see it. She wasn't blind to it. There was this... question between them. A "maybe" that they teetered on every so often. It served as a barrier of sorts. A barrier between the title of "best friends" and... and... more. She was hesitant to take the leap of faith she could clearly see ahead in her path through life. It felt inevitable. However, as inevitable as it may seem, she needed to make time. She needed time—to think, to process, time was valuable. She didn't want to mess things up. No, she couldn't afford to miss. This... was too important of a jump to miss. But, really, how much time did she really have left?
❒ A smile tugged on her mouth as she felt Stormdance's shoulder nudge. She cocked her head as he broke the silence. Her ears twitched as she thought for a moment. "Well," she began, "Nothin' interesting's been goin' on really. Just same old same old I guess. Dawn patrols, huntin' patrols, border patrols. If it ends with "patrol", I've done it—many of 'em to be exact. I lost count at this point." She chuckled and shook her head. "I mean, I have taken some time to myself. Went on a few walks and swam around when I craved it, though, it's been gettin' a little too cold to be doing that..." She pouted then shrugged before grinning. "Oh! Serpentpaw's trainin' has been goin' swell too! Proud of my newest little fishy. He's real sweet. I want to take Spruce-ter and Serpentpaw out on a patrol so they can get ta know each other and just have fun." Brook's eyes twinkled for a moment longer before she shook her head and cleared her throat. "A-Anyway, how about ya? How's my favorite furball been? Any new adventures with Rowanpaw?" She winked and tilted her head. "By adventures I mean, has the little fishy given you any trouble lately? He's got a knack fo' that. I'd be worried if he wasn't thinkin' up a way to make us all lose our pelts from fright... But I mean, it'd be funny. Can ya imagine everyone losing their pelts at the same time?? Like, POOF! Gone! Just like that. No warning, nothing. I mean, it wouldn't be ideal during Leaf-Fall or Leaf-Bare but I'd still laugh." She cackled unabashedly as her mind couldn't help but provide her the images of her clanmates peltless. Ah geez! She needed to grow up! But, it's probably too late by now—moons too late by now. Eh. It's part of her charm. It's what made her so lovable! Wink, wink.
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【Current Cats】 ═════════════════════ ⓵ Forestbreeze of Shadowclan ⓶ Brookstone of Riverclan ⓷ Briarrose of Thunderclan
lostfanboy
Characters : Stormdance (S) Rainfrost (R) Sunpool (Su) Wrenpaw (W) Hawkmist (H) Clan/Rank : Riverclan, Tier 5 Warrior (S) Skyclan, Tier 3 Warrior (R) Riverclan, Tier 2 Warrior (Su) Riverclan, Apprentice (W) Shadowclan, Tier 2 Warrior (H) Number of posts : 1024 Gender : Transmasc, he/they Age : 23
Subject: Re: What Have You Got To Lose? [c] Tue 6 Dec 2022 - 15:49
Stormdance
Riverclan Territory
The squawk that Stormdance let out in response to the raspberry blown into his neck was anything but dignified, and he scrambled a few pawsteps away with his indignant “Hey!” being interrupted by the laughter that bubbled out of his chest. “Rude!” He tells her even as he laughs, and he sticks his tongue out in response to her wink. He moved back into step with her, giggles still escaping him as he shook his head. “I can’t believe you’ve done this.”
He chuckled as Brookstone lamented on all the patrols she’d been on, nodding knowingly. The tasks never ended. “I bet we never thought that it’d get a little tedious when we dreamt of being warriors as apprentices,” He said with a small purr. Stormdance gave her a sympathetic smile. He was happy to hear she’d been able to get some time for herself. “We should go swimming one last time before leafbare gets here in full.” He said. They hadn’t gone swimming together in…stars. A long while.
Stormdance’s smile grew as she talked about Serpentpaw and his training. “I bet they’d get along great.” He said. He nudged Brookstone again. “Sprucebark’s grown into a fine warrior. I bet Serpentpaw will too, with you guiding him. It’s obvious how much you care about them. Any little fishy is lucky to have you.” He purred.
Another hearty laugh left him as she talked about Rowanpaw, struck with the image of half the clan hairless, and feeling warm at the sound of her cackling. Her laughter was, as always, infectious. “Oh, he certainly still threatens to make me lose my pelt from time to time,” He said. “Which I do not think would suit me.” He snickered. “But, honestly? He’s grown a lot recently.” Pride colored Stormdance’s words.
“Considering how little we got along at first, I never expected how much he’d grow, or how much he’d grow on me. Which, let me tell you, the first few weeks? I was convinced that Rowanpaw had been created special just to drive me into an early grave. First training session he leapt head first into the river! Did he know how to swim? No. This was right around that flood that hit Shadowclan, the river did not look pretty. I nearly keeled over right then and there.” Stormdance lamented with an exasperated sigh.
“But,” He chuckled. “Like I said. He’s grown up a lot. He’s almost ready for Warriorhood. He’s really good at fighting, he’s got a knack for it in his spars. He’s managed to knock me on my rear more than once, let me tell you. He gets more frustrated with hunting, but he’s learned and improved a lot. He’s got a good heart, that kid. And he’s become really important to me.” Stormdance shook his head. “Sorry. I’m getting sappy again.” He wrinkled his nose playfully at Brookstone.
“As for me?” He took a breath. “Well. Things have been better. Then again, things have been worse, I suppose.” Stormdance is more willing to be honest about how he’s doing with Brookstone. Whereas with other cats he’d try to insist that he’s doing just fine no matter what the truth is, Brookstone had already seen his weakness, and she hadn’t turned him away.
“But things are getting…better. They always do eventually.” He shook out his pelt and looked at her, eyes softening. “I’m just grateful we’ve got a chance to have some proper time together.”
