i was given these hands; i can make a fist with them [C]

Fish
T1 Rogue | Rogue | he/him

Restlessness ate at Fish often now. He got older; he got bigger; he got smarter, and the last point especially should have meant something, but it only got him so far when any cat older than him rarely listened. Not just let his words pass through their ears--actually hear what he said. But beyond that aggravation, his tolerance for boredom was getting thinner and thinner. Stone only held so much intrigue. The fields beyond, muddy more often than not now, were also losing their luster. Fish was yet to explore them in full, but he'd grown tired of breaking his muzzle in pursuit of the little mice or getting lost for hours on end. Still, he could leave camp in confidence. He wasn't sure he was supposed to, but the others did it. He hadn't gotten in trouble for it yet, so Fish decided it was fine.

There was one landmark he could reach, if only because it was in view from the Crew's camp. Fish shook out his legs and settled into a trot as he moved away from the outcroppings. The stretch of flat, black road, separating them from the marshland at some point and the hills at another. Fish wasn't sure which direction was which, but he'd stumbled his way onto each territory. He'd even met nice cats from the Shadow Clan before. A part of him was hoping to do it again, if only to vindicate himself against the Crew's teachings.

No cars rumbled across the road as he approached, so Fish gaily hopped onto the cold path and jogged across. Just as he was teetering over the slope down at the other side, a rustle in the dead bracken caught his attention. His whiskers twitched and he looked up, blinking curiously. It was easier to see in the duskier light of twilight than full day, but he still had to squint. Could he see someone moving around over there? A glance around and Fish realized the land ahead was recognizable as the Shadow Clan's. He grinned and looked back towards the source of the prowling. "Yoo-hoo," he chirped, "anyone there? You aren't very stealthy, you know!"

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Wolfpaw had been plodding along behind whatever patrol he was forced onto. Hunting? Patrol? He didn't remember, nor did he really care. He was forced to the rear while the other cats chatted, and if he gruffed something at them, they always gave him pointed looks. This is why he preferred going with family.

He had lagged behind enough that he wasn't quite sure what route they had taken when he snapped back into reality again, mind drawn away from a pale face and grating voice that kept working its way into it. He slowed his pawsteps, swivelling his head back and forth to try and pick up a scent as to where the rest of the patrol went-- And then got something else. It stank. And it's voice, world forbid, was agitating.

His pelt bristled and he whirled, blazing eyes fixing on the small shape not too far away but not far enough. Was that what rogue scented like? Definitely not fish, damp, trees, or grasses. Just... stink. A vicious growl-mixed groan ripped out of his throat in frustration, and with a snap he turned himself and headed in this things direction.

Pulling himself again the slope with outstretched claws, pulling undergrowth with him as he went, he came face to face with a mud-pelted thing. There was a faint rumbling somewhere down the Thunderpath, he could feel it against his paws, but they were clear enough of it. He bared his teeth, rounding on it, his tail lashing back and forth as he went like an impending count-down to an explosive spit. He leaned down, ears front-facing and a low growl rumbling in his throat; "You lost?"

discord: moonazine| timezone: gmt| code (c) kieer

Fish
T1 Rogue | Rogue | he/him

Fish caught sight of little specks of fire through the dark undergrowth. His focus turned immediately, blinking squarely at the burning eyes locked with his. The full-bodied shape of another cat emerged around their sockets: decently larger than Fish, all dark fur and mud-reek, growling like an empty belly. Watching him crawl up the slope inspired an amused giggle. Fish made no motion to back away from the ominous approach; rather, he lifted his chin in greeting. What had this tom so rumbly? Was he an example of the Clan cats Grub and Ajex told stories off--one of the vicious ones, eager to taste rogue blood? Or was he just in a sour mood for no reason at all? Something else entirely, even? The anticipation of knowing he'd soon find out made Fish's fur buzz to match the distant rumble underpaw.

"I'm not lost," he puffed defensively, breath stirring the stranger tom's whiskers. "My camp is right that way. I can still see it, so I'm not lost." His tail flicked in the vague direction of an unimpressive huddle of rocks, tendrils of evening fog beginning to wrap around their structure. His eyes narrowed, assessing, then a big grin broke across his face. "And I'm not going to be." The larger tom smelled the same as the other Shadow Clan cats; there was even something subtler to his close-up scent that spoke even more of them. Were they related? Either way:

"Because you're going to be my guide!" Fish hurriedly bumped his nose against the assumed-Clan cat before side-stepping his imposing figure. Carefully, but quick enough to avoid any snapping teeth, he lowered his forepaws to the softer ground below. The exact instant he was sure he wouldn't topple forward, Fish shot past the stranger, skidding to a halt as he reached the bottom of the slide--and spilling out onto his side, caught up in his own moment. He hissed quietly at the fall, but Fish was quick to get back up and seek that blazing stare again. "You're from the Shadow Clan, aren't you? I'd bet rocks that you are. Why not take me on a tour, whatever-your-name-is?"

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Could his day possibly get any worse? Not only did this stink-thing seem insistent to accompany him, but he also missed his bite. His teeth ghosted the air where the young toms head had just been with a resounding snap, probably devastating if it had connected, and the thing skittered free.

"No," Wolfpaw growled. "Well. I am. But I am not giving you a tour. And if you touch me again, I will peel the fur from your face."

He thumped down the slope after the rogue, slotting himself between him and the rest of ShadowClan territory. He craned his neck downward, as level as he could with the thing, and narrowed his eyes. "Go home," He hissed, baring his teeth again as if to calm how much they itched to clamp down on the bicolour creature. Or tricolour. He didn't look too closely to truly see.

"Or, I could let you wander the territory yourself," He continued, his tail tip the only inclination to the amount of rage he was struggling with. This would be the start of it, surely. The first rogues would trickle in, incompetent and unassuming, and they would lower their guard. Then the rest would come along, and they'd kill his family. A low, gravelly growl rumbled in his throat at the very thought, and he forced himself to speak as levelly as he could. "You wander yourself, and we shall see how long it takes for another cat to find you. Or for you to get stuck in the mud or mutilated by a rat. And I will watch, and I will not help you."

discord: moonazine| timezone: gmt| code (c) kieer

Fish
T1 Rogue | Rogue | he/him

Fish wanted to purr over having it confirmed that the larger tom was from ShadowClan, but the noise could barely start in his throat before threats were spat his way. His ears pressed forward then quickly flipped back. So it was his first guess, then: this was one of the violent types. Fish's tail flickered by his paws and he watched the tom come plodding down the slope. As he hadn't before, he didn't move away from the leering. But this time, the hot breath stirring his fur made his blood run icy. Fish wanted to shrink back from the growl, rumbling like the distant car his ears ticked toward, but he held his ground.

"Geez," Fish muttered, looking sourly toward his paws. "Temper." Abruptly and with a quiet thump, he dropped onto his haunches. His eyes dragged up, looking around the large body blocking him to stare into the territory. The harsh words awakened a new sense of fear, but... Fish had walked the territory before. Met other cats from the Shadow Clan before, even. He didn't drown in mud or get eaten by rats or mauled by warriors, like he figured this tom wanted. The bridge of Fish's muzzle wrinkled.

"You're not very nice, huh?" His tail swished once before Fish got up with a laborious huff. "Fiiinne then. I'll do all the work myself." Fish stepped past the beastly cat again, careful not to let even a hair of their pelts brush, and started to march further into the mud. "I've been here before, you know! And the last Shadow Clan folks I met were way more welcoming than you." Fish looked pointedly over his shoulder before fixing his attention fully forward. "Hope you're ready to guide me back out when I'm done! You'll have to if you don't want me to linger." With that last chirp, he wiggled his haunches and readied himself to skip off.

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Wolfpaw held back some kind of a shout the more this stink-thing attempted to get on his proverbial good side. The light-hearted comments, eye rolls and the teasing as if it wasn't in the predicament that it was. It knew it had been unfortunate stumbling across him, Wolfpaw could tell. But-- His ears perked before the thing bounded off, and he jerked forward-- Maneouvering easily around him to plant his large paw directly in its face.

Wolfpaw leaned down again, making sure he was the only thing Fish could see. And then he asked, as pronounced and toned as he could; "Who?" He narrowed his eyes, already feeling anxiety prick at the bottom of his pads. That was what the feeling was, correct? He had it with that hag of a medicine cat too. Burdock, or something. "What ShadowClan cats did you meet? Who were they?"

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Fish
T1 Rogue | Rogue | he/him

He'd made the Clan cat unhappy--again. That large frame came shoving forward again, and Fish almost lurched into him in his haste to move forward, but he scrambled back with enough time to prevent them from colliding. He moved a little too fast though, fore- and hindpaws knotting together. He tripped over himself, landing on his ribs in his attempts to remain upright. Big paws, not big enough but maybe strong enough to flatten his head like an engorged worm, filled his vision; and then the snarling visage took its place. Fish's heart thrummed so loudly in his chest he swore the other cat could hear it. This cat was young, like him and Hedge Paw; he had the same coat as hers and her mother's too, if her fur was just as dark with no deep, ruddy hues of brown; most strikingly, he had the same eyes as Hedge Paw's mother. More vicious, but strikingly gold. The thought that he was a relative came again. Would asking make this work? Fish initially thought that mentioning his friends in the Clan would calm the other cat down, but it'd only stoked his misplaced rage.

"A-are you an apprentice too?" He asked, hating the way his voice shook. He hadn't stuttered since he was small and still learning the sounds behind most words. Fish shook his head and rolled himself so he was sitting more upright, but he didn't dare trying to stand. He was okay--he would be okay. If he was right--if this was a sibling or a cousin or something like that, then surely the other tom wouldn't want to maim one of Hedge Paw's friends. Maybe he was even on patrol with her, or maybe Hedge Paw's mother was following him, too, and they would keep him safe again. That had to be the case.

"She taught me that word! I- I mean Hedge Paw." There was a flash of recognition in the tom's eyes. Yes! "You know her! Are you one of her friends? She said she has a lot of those. Are you Quill Splash? Are- are you a brother? You look like her, you have the same face, you--" Fish breathed in deep through his nose. His words were running together impossibly fast. He swallowed thickly and tried to slow himself when he spoke again. "She was with her mom, when I met her. I didn't-- I didn't get her name, though. You have the same eyes." His eyes squeezed shut in an earnest, nearly pleading blink. "But I met them both and they were good to me! I think they liked me. They found me wandering around Shadow Clan lands and they helped take me home."

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It kept talking. Why did it have to keep talking? Get to the point, he wanted to snap at the stink-thing but then he knew it would startle and start all over again and--

Hedge.

And Mama. The itching in his paws was almost unbearable now and his tail thrashed behind him like it were the only thing keeping him rooted to the spot. This thing had followed his sibling and his mother onto the territory, and? And he thought he was Quillsplash. Oh, of course. He should have assumed the wretched excuse of a warrior would pretend that Wolfpaw himself was him, and that way he wouldn't have to worry about a witness if he--

With a furious spit, he swung out with his front claws and struck Fish viciously across the face. The scent of blood was instant, and he felt that familiar giddiness flare up and he had to resist the urge to sink his teeth into his throat and shake.

"I am Wolfpaw," He answered, making sure to leave the claws with the stink-things blood on it within view, and leaned down just above his head so that he could give no excuse for not hearing him. "And you will remember that name. If I see you with my sister, my mother-- If I see you with any of my family. If I smell you anywhere near them. I will tear out your throat and leave your corpse for the crows and rats to feed on."

Wolfpaw used Front Paw Strike, dealing 6 DMG and using 7 SP.

discord: moonazine| timezone: gmt| code (c) kieer

Fish
T1 Rogue | Rogue | he/him

Hedge Paw didn't come teetering out of the bushes, nervous but valiant. Neither did her mother deign to make a heroic appearance. Fish's heart sank further through his chest, toward his paws, every time he glanced away from his assailant. The hope that luck and good timing would save him, as it had several times before, was quickly beginning to die. And they--or another kind soul--were the only hope Fish had left for himself. His faith in being able to sway the other tom died nearly in harmony with the end of his rambling. The heightened curl of this apprentice's lip and his thrashing tail didn't paint him as pleased with the news.

Fish's eyes flicked away from the brush to look up from where he cowered. The larger tom's muscles flexed and a vicious noise rippled out of his throat. There wasn't enough time for Fish to react before he was suddenly striking out. His eyes squeezed shut on instinct and pain tore through his face just a second later. It was terrible and hot, radiating from the bridge of his muzzle and between his eyes. Fish cried out and tried to scramble back, but his desperate scrambling led to his paws sliding out from under him. Twisting to try and correct himself only led to him spilling out, yelping when his shoulder and hip connected with the ground.

Tears were already welling in Fish's eyes when he pried them open enough to look upon the bloodied claws in front of him. His blood. Fish's heart knotted. Had he ever bled before? He didn't think so, but that had to be what was drooling down his face. When Wolfpaw leaned down to growl dangerously close to his ear, Fish shrank away, pressing against the slick ground. In a too-fast effort to stand up, he knocked his head against Wolfpaw's chin with a dull clack that dizzied even himself before finally gathering himself enough to scramble backwards.

This cat was going to kill him. Fish wholly believed that. None of his siblings were to defend him; not his sole friend. Just himself. But he couldn't get his paws to move. They were frozen to the half-muddy ground with fear, too heavy to budge a whisker-length further than they already had in an effort to escape. Fear had never been such a palpable feeling for him before.

"Why?" He managed eventually, voice warbling with fear. He unrooted his paws enough to continue pacing backwards until his hindlegs were slipping down the slope off the road. The faintest rumble they heard earlier turned very suddenly into a growl; then into thunder; then into a vicious wind and snarl that threatened to tear Fish's fur off as a car went blazing past. The sudden harsh noise and shock through his pelt made him shrink again with a quiet whimper. "I haven't done anything bad. I don't want to hurt anybody." He insisted. "She's my friend--I think. Do you think she'd be happy if you murd- murdered one of her friends? I'm harmless, really. Don't do this. Please don't do this."

Fish used Headbutt, dealing 5 damage and costing 5 SP.

Fish
34/40 HP
95/100 (-5) SP

Wolfpaw
15/20 (-5) HP
53/60 SP

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