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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Felix had completed yet another rotation around the forest. Staying at the barn, staying in the townplace, staying at the farm. Repeat. It was becoming rote, and rote was becoming boring. Yet he couldn't stop himself from continuously pacing around these areas. Sure, these places were nice, but he could only see the same few trees for so long before he would be driven insane. The only thing that broke the monotony was meeting new cats. But it had been at least a day since he'd had a conversation with someone. He'd had the most luck meeting others at the large farmhouse near River Clan, so that was where he was now waiting, feeling his tail twitching as he sat intently close to the border. Mist Paw or Tiny Paw would be great to talk to, and of course, he always held out some foolish hope that Perch would come looking for him. But any cat would do. He was nearly bored out of his mind.
Supposedly, there had been a dark-furred loner lurking on the edges of RiverClan territory. Nothing had come of it beyond sightings— that Rowansong heard of, at least. He figured it was better that way, though. Had there been more to go off of, he might not have been so curious. He did not have much time for leisure, frequently occupied with Larkpaw or busying himself otherwise. But for a few hours during the warmth of the day, he had nothing to do other than make the journey to the farm. The lingering twoleg presence made him wary, but it seemed quiet today. But, even better than the absence of those beasts was the sight of a strange black cat, perched intently at the border.
Rowansong blinked owlishly the first second he caught sight of the tom; the next second, his eyes were sparkling. Winding out of the reedy grass he’d passed through, Rowansong padded closer, tail high and waving spiritedly. “Hail! What a pleasant surprise, to chance upon the specter I was searching for.” He stopped opposite the loner, squarely on RiverClan’s side of the border, nodding once in greeting. “I suppose I cannot chase you away, for you are not trespassing… though I do not suppose I planned to. Suppose I did not plan much, truth be told. I did not account for speaking to the fabled shade, so— cast aside the fact I have already spoke, if you would —I might allow you to take the first word! Perhaps your name might be a good one?”
Finally--someone. Felix's ears pricked up at the sound of approaching pawsteps. Sure enough, a cat emerged, smelling of reeds and sand and damp river mud. A River Clan cat, coming from their side of the border. Not a cat he had seen before, however. A brown tabby tom with darker ruffs of fur. Surprisingly, the other tom seemed happy to see him, too. How curious. Most of the times he had met wild cats at the border, they had been either outright hostile or at least on their guard. The cat greeted him with a wave of his tail. He had been... searching for him? Interesting. Golden eyes moved up and down the wild cat's graceful form, sizing him up as he continued to listen. No plan... simply a search. Perhaps word of his lingering near the border had reached the home of the River cats, then. But had it reached his other cats? The two other she-cats that he supposedly fathered? Well, it was of no matter. They were not here at the moment. This other tom, nameless though he currently remained, was here.
To be sought after... it was a novel change. Felix blinked slowly, before allowing a small, pleasant smile to cross his features. "Ah yes... the first word." His tail waved a singular time behind him as he thought. "Thanks." Then, with no further warning--acting immediately and suddenly, as had been his style for both battling and hunting his whole life--he sprang forward and bowled the other tom over. He barely crossed the border in doing so, but the movement had been so quick that they both ended up on the unmarked side in a few moments. Right after the movement, as the wild cat lay surprised on the ground, Felix spoke again. His voice remained friendly and casual. "How interesting to be looked for. As a reward, I shall give you my name. I am called Felix. It is very kind of you to bestow your company upon me. It's terribly lonely to linger for so long by oneself, don't you think? And with that, would you do me the honor of returning with your own name?" His gaze gleamed with interest. Then, belatedly remembering the "manners" that Valley had snarled so foolishly to him about, he gave a quiet sigh. "It has been ages since I have sparred with another cat. You do not... mind being my partner, do you?"
Felix used Jumping Strike, dealing 11 (8+3) damage and costing 7 stamina.
Subject: Re: mister blue sky (c) Fri 4 Aug 2023 - 16:12
Rowansong
With a rather undignified squawk of alarm, Rowansong found himself suddenly on the ground. The loner moved fast-- no moment of stillness to catch the tension in his muscles, no stiffness throughout his body to warn of hostility. He hadn’t seemed a threat on approach, hadn’t seemed a threat in any of the rumors being woven about him. Rowansong scrambled back to his paws while the loner-- Felix, apparently --finished speaking, tail lashing twice before the question being posed registered.
“A spar!” He exclaimed with a sigh of relief. “Great StarClan, Felix. I had begun to worry the far worse stories of bone-chewing, blood-thirsty rogues were true! What a grisly way to meet my end, wouldn’t you agree?” Rowansong shook his head then flashed a big smile, all teeth. “If it is a spar you seek and not a fight to determine whether I see tomorrow’s sunrise, I do not mind at all. I commend you, for taking the first move where I had stolen your chance at a proper introduction.”
With that settled, Rowansong sprang forward the same as Felix had, bearing his weight against him to roll the loner into the earth where he planted heavy paws against dark-furred shoulders. “I suppose I shall play nice. I am Rowansong, warrior of RiverClan.” He shifted his weight as he spoke, pressing down a little firmer to ensure his hold. “I would agree-- lingering is quite the lonely experience. I would offer my sympathy, though it may be you have chosen this lifestyle for yourself. It would be rather crude to dismiss that, no?” Laughing along, “Is that why you find yourself frequenting our borders, elusive shade?”
Rowansong used Leap and Hold, dealing 10 damage and costing 15 SP. Felix is pinned for 2 turns!
Subject: Re: mister blue sky (c) Sat 5 Aug 2023 - 17:06
Bone-chewing, blood-thirsty rogues? How interesting. It seemed that the forest cats grew up hearing stories of outsiders the same way that all the housecats and barn cats he knew had been raised on tales of blood-drinking, kitten-eating wild cats. At least this tom--who now identified himself as Rowan Song--had not been offended by the offer to spar. In fact, he responded in kind, and Felix suddenly found himself pinned on the ground. He recognized the quick move as one that Perch had used on him. His heartbeat quickened. His smile widened. "How fascinating that my motives should be of interest to you," the loner responded pleasantly. "You are correct--the name of wanderer, and the lifestyle it encapsulates, is one that I bear with pride. And yet... I am not immune to the endemic of loneliness, it would seem."
He certainly could not tell this tom that he knew Perch by name. If this Rowan Song was indeed from River Clan, there was no chance that he would not know Perch, given that she had self-appointed herself to him as a "leader." Mystery about his intentions was required. "I suppose that 'frequenting' must be the right word, if you have heard about me all the way in your home," Felix said as he thought. How to escape this pin... "Tell me, am I a tale used to frighten kittens, or simply a notation of interest? I would not wish for my lingering to be misinterpreted as looming. I promise you that I mean none of your Clan-mates any harm." Even as he spoke, easily and calmly, his muscles tensed--and in a moment, he had twisted himself out of Rowan Song's grip. He retreated a few paces and resumed his fighting stance, unable to make another attack due to his quick escape. Still, he smiled. "I suppose that if for no other reason, finding such a wonderful sparring partner was grounds enough to dally here."
Survivalist kicks in! Felix cannot be pinned/stunned for more than 1 turn.
Subject: Re: mister blue sky (c) Wed 30 Aug 2023 - 19:17
Rowansong
Rowansong met the loner’s easy smile with his own. His head tilted with intrigue at the drawling response. “None are,” he agreed with a smooth nod. “Lonely you must be. I sympathize.” Felix continued to speak, carrying on with cadence and language to match Rowansong’s own. Fascinated as he was just by listening, he didn’t miss the tension that collected through Felix’s body. He braced himself for the shift in position rather than pressing more of his weight down, ensuring he would not be caught wholly off-guard when the other tom slipped his grasp. Rowansong did stagger temporarily off balance, but he steadied himself in only a moment and rounded glittering eyes on Felix without missing hardly a beat.
“Careful with your words, specter! Flattery alone cannot distract me.” He laughed again, that same warm chuckle. It did throw him briefly and make his ears heat that he was a supposedly wonderful sparring partner, but Rowansong shook his dense coat out to dismiss any acknowledgment of such. “Though you are quite sporting, yourself. What a delight we chanced to cross paths.” He resituated his paws, rocking from the flat of his pads to his toes several times, idling himself while he considered an answer to the actual questions. “Looming? No, I don’t believe I would refer to it as quite that. You are merely a point of some interest amidst the drudgery of daily life. One can only gain so much amusement from fish and fowl, you know.” Â
With that and a flick of his tail-- courtesy warning --he bowled into Felix again, though not with the same pinning weight he’d used moments ago. It was only enough to knock the dark-furred tom off his paws. “I hadn’t assumed you to mean harm, as harm would have already come had that been your intention. Out of good-will, I dismiss the notion you only bring it up to preemptively clear your name should harm come.” Rowansong perched on his shoulders for only a moment, smirking down toothily before hopping off. “Have you some other gain, or is a cure for boredom and isolation truly all you seek? Forgive the minor interrogation on my part, though you are very nearly trespassing. I would hardly be doing my duty as defender to my homeland were I not to at least ascertain your intentions, as I decidedly will not be chasing you away.”
Rowansong used Jumping Strike, dealing 10 damage and costing 7 SP.
"Oh, certainly. There is a reason why I have never dallied long at these borders before, nor wished to join your style of life myself." Felix responded easily, taking the attack in stride. He'd seen the leap coming, but felt it was worth it, if only to put Rowan Song off his guard for a few moments. It wasn't too awful to be pinned for a little while anyway. "There are myriad distractions in the world outside of your little forest. Tell me honestly, have you never thought to steal away, if only for a moment or two? There are enough sights out there to dazzle even the eyes of one such as you."
He would have been lying if he said he hadn't been expecting Rowan Song's next question. As the River Clan tom backed away, Felix rolled onto his feet, contemplating the query. It was one he'd often been asked, after all... and one that he had never once answered with full honesty. "An ulterior motive for this spar? My dear fellow, it is simply my preferred mode of conversation. It is so dull to simply sit around and speak when one could be exercising at the same time." His gold eyes sparkled as he knowingly misinterpreted the question. "And besides, one learns so much about another from how they battle. It is really a crime that this method of communication is seen as such an offense in your wild society." As he finished his sentence, he moved smoothly forward, capitalizing on Rowan Song's smug confidence backing away from the pin. It took nothing more than a swift moment for Felix to get behind him, grabbing his scruff between his jaws--firmly, but not painfully--and throwing the sleeker tom to the ground.
Felix used Scruff Shake, dealing 8 damage and costing 20 stamina. Rowansong is stunned for 1 turn.
Subject: Re: mister blue sky (c) Tue 3 Oct 2023 - 18:58
Rowansong
Rowansong's clipped ear flicked at Felix's question, a faint sharpness coming to his eyes as the loner rolled back to his paws. "Never an idea entertained with permanence," he answered, tail swaying. There was more he might have said, but conversation continued to turn; Felix was moving as well, snaking behind him to wrench him to the ground by the scruff. Rowansong's face twisted, head spinning from the impact, but he bit into his tongue to ground himself with the sharper pain and rolled to press his paws against the ground. Finding purchase, he pushed himself upright again, though he swayed a step as he stood.
"All fair, I suppose," he mewed, watching Felix as closely as he could while his vision was still balancing. "It is a rather efficient means of communication, and I do so often find myself restless. I would not call it a crime... perhaps impolite would be a better word? For if you cause no harm and find yourself a suitable partner-- such as myself --rather than springing upon unaware passersby, you have done nothing wrong... technically." Rowansong inclines his head, nodding towards Felix's paws as he moves closer again. "Just as you have technically not crossed the border, and been very careful not to do so. You're rather clever, shade. Wit must be a necessity for your life, hm?"
Gathering his weight and the rest of his stability, Rowansong quickly closed the remaining difference between them to press his teeth into Felix's scruff, similarly to how the rogue had done a few moments ago. He gripped firmly, though he did not bite with intent to cause harm, giving his head a solid wrench before dancing away again. "Turning back to a point or so ago," Rowansong continued, spitting out a patch of black fur he'd incidentally stolen. "I have ventured beyond my territory. Quite the daring venture, though I do not long to repeat it. I suppose I did not see all the fascinating things you must be used to wandering upon. Were this not my home, I may entreat you to show me. Why not share a story of some such sight, rather than being subject to my continued questioning?"
Rowansong used Random Recall and Snap, overcoming his stun and dealing 10 damage, costing 12 (5+7) SP.
Subject: Re: mister blue sky (c) Tue 31 Oct 2023 - 20:20
Felix couldn't keep the smile from his space as the spar and conversation continued. Never before--well, only truly once before--had a forest cat asked such interesting questions. "I know that you wild cats have your code," he said, pacing carefully back and forth as he considered his next move. His stunning trick had not worked quite yet, so he needed to find another angle. "I suppose you could say that wit is what I live my life by. I know many who live in the alleyways believe that it's kill or be killed, hunt or be hunted. I believe that if you are sufficiently clever, you can avoid any danger. Talk your way out of any situation."
He saw Rowan Song's attack coming, but was not quite quick enough to dodge it. The tom was certainly a well-trained fighter. Idly, he wondered whether Perch had taught him any of the moves he now knew. "The world certainly has as much bad as it has good in it." His words continued to flow, seemingly effortless, as he darted away, trying to ignore the stinging pain in his scruff. "I suppose I oughtn't be surprised that one such as you had gone further. But if it is a story you want, then I certainly shall oblige." In the dance they shared, it was now Felix's turn, and so he feinted to the right and then pummeled the tom from the left. One sharp blow struck his shoulder, and another batted at the side of his face--only with the intent to disorient, not to actually draw blood. "Imagine your river," he began, "only a hundred times longer. And wider. And it stretches out onto the horizon, up and away as far as you can tell, so that the border between water and sky becomes impossible to discern. And the sound of such water--it roars, it whispers, it undulates in a way that is thoroughly alive. Its depths are blue, and green, and brown, and reflect every color of the world around it. Wisdom glimmers in its depths. Water so large and so deep it cannot be comprehended. That is the sea." Felix couldn't help but miss the scenery even as he spoke of it. "But such an experience cannot truly be understood until one is there."
Felix used Front Paw Strike and Dirty Trick, dealing 15 (8+7) damage and costing 14 (7+7) stamina.
