✨ [ hearts of willow ] ✨

[astronautica.]

one. cs rules apply. two. 10+ line posts please.
three. no character limit, only what you can
handle though. four. one high rank per user.
five. please try to balance genders && ranks.
six. please keep names realistic, no cat may
have the prefix star, moon or willow. seven.
lgbt+ characters are accepted. eight. posts
should have a font size around 85 && tags.
nine. please post all discussion and forms on
the discussion thread, but pm any reservations.
ten. relax and enjoy! im not going to be harsh,
every ones busy around now

W
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willowclan has lived within their territory, since the very begining when willowstar had founded the clan, alongside oakstar and his respective clan oakclan. the two clans had lived together for generations, oakclan thriving in forest whilst willowclan protected their much loved grassland and streams. starclan was close to both of them, even creating the lake willowclans camp is on to protect them from an attack they couldn't win. willow was swift and tactical whilst oak was strong and proud; aside from the occasional border quarrels the two clans lived peacefully - there for one another if a huge crisis happened. they lived an ideal life, rivalries being competitive rather then hateful. however the rise of the rogues from beyond the border broke them apart; wiping out oakclan all together.
it was only little things first: outsiders crossing borders, stealing prey but it was only until carcasses of prey that reeked of oakclan was found deep in willowclan territory. gannetstar called a meeting with oakclan, ordering them to stop their actions. maplestar had no idea of what had happened, for the rogues were responsible, and protecting her clan she denied gannetstars accusation, gannetstar was angered and ordered her to stop once more, otherwise the two clans could no longer be close to each other. the band of cats seized their opportunity; all attacking oakclan camp in the middle of the night acting out to be willowclan, claiming to find more oakclan scent in their territory. they scattered, terrified till oakclan was no more, many dying fighting for their home. willowclan knew nothing of what happened until a few days later, the gathering, where gannetstar perched on the leaders rock waiting for the clan that would never come. a willowclan patrol went to visit the clan, to know why they hadn't attended the gathering and were greeted with a tattered and bloodied camp, bushes torn apart and bodies littering the ground. rogue scent was mingled heavily in the air with blood. we've been fighting the wrong enemy.

[astronautica.]

it is currently nearing the end
of greenleaf, prey is plentiful
and there is still a moon until
the return of the cold winds.
this is usually a time of joy &
relaxation yet the outsiders
are aware of the clans bounty
of prey and are becoming a
threat.

willowclan's camp is situated on a small island in a lake, the clan being named after the ancient tree that has protected the cats for generations and has become the foundation of camp with reeds and water plants around the edge of the island protecting the camp from view. the leaders den resides in the willows thick trunk, an abandoned nest of large owl that is higher then any other den, although easy to climb branches lead up to the den. the medicine cats den is similar to the leaders den but is instead at ground level, with the medicine cats sleeping area and herb stores within the willow and space for injured cats within a bush growing beside the trunk which was extended more recently due to the clan's current situation. beside the medicine cats den in a dense thicket is the elders den, easy accessible for the medicine cats. under the roots of the tree there are two more dens one large and the other small; the nursery and the warriors sleeping quarters. the nursery is much smaller and leads out of under the roots partially into a sweet smelling shrub. the apprentices den is the only other den along with the elders den that is not in or under the sacred willow, and is instead a large bramble thicket which stretches around the rest of the willow, with the large roots of the willow creating separated hollows for individual nests. the whole island is considered to be camp as it is one clearing with the willow in the centre so cats have plenty of space for a fresh kill pile, though when a clan meeting is called all cats gather facing the side of the willow that the leaders den is positioned. sky perch is the only other notable part of camp, it is the highest branch of the willow which pokes a mousetail above the canopy and is where the leader and medicine cats go to ask or confide with starclan - a place to pledge for advice or forgiveness. kittens are taught at the age of three moons to swim, using the shallow water at the edge of the island with supervision. the rest of the territory is a patchwork of threadbare fields with small areas of emerald woodland - nestled in the south making the summers warmer then most areas, however due to the rivers and lakes around them they rarely are effected by deadly droughts. however the winters are harsh and drastically different from the pleasant summers that is a common occurrence for places far from the coast cursing them with freezing winters. they used to have a specific area for combat training however a badger took the area over.

[astronautica.]

maine trains valerian
shrike trains externus
soapdish trains lily
follower trains name

R
O
G
U
E
S

these are the outsiders of the clan, cats that have only united to destroy the clans due to personal heartbreak caused by the warriors and some just for their own personal gain - one thing they all have in common though is how willowclan despise all the outsiders after all the attacks they have dealt with. they meet under a burnt tree but live separately if they wish too. they see the warrior code as strict and their acts as liberation from the rules.

the ringleader [1/1]:
nyah | ♀ | 29 | harmonious
the followers [6/8]:
firefly | ♂ | 20 | astronautica.
shrike | ♂ | 38 | detective who.
soapdish | ♀ | 26 | killian jones
maine | ♂ | 37 | sleeper
salem | ♀/♂ | 29 | sleeper
minnie | ♀ | age | lisca
open | ♀/♂ | age | username
open | ♀/♂ | age | username
the trainees [2/4]:
valerian | ♂ | 12 | harmonious
externus | ♂ | 8 | rockett.
lily | ♀ | age | username
open | ♀/♂ | age | username
the mothers [0/1] && kits [0/?]:
open | ♀ | age | username

moose | ♀ | 27 | rockett.

[astronautica.]

ashfall mentors eaglepaw
lioncloud mentors owlpaw
stormheart mentors quickpaw
acornfur mentors rowanpaw
kestrelwing mentors mintpaw
larksplash mentors pansypaw

leader: ivystar | ♀ | 28 | astronautica.
deputy: to be polled | ♀/♂ | age | closed
medicine cat: wrennose | ♀ | 20 | lisca
medicine app: mallowpaw | ♂ | 8 | detective who.
warriors [11/11]:
kestrelwing | ♂ | 26 | lacke
rainsong | ♂ | 21 | jimmy novak
lioncloud | ♂ | 24 | jimmy novak
alderstrike | ♂ | 28 | snow falling;;
larksplash | ♀ | 28 | snow falling;;
ashfall | ♀ | 27 | cas,
gingersplash | ♂ | 27 | wolf,
stormheart | ♀ | 26 | scintillating.
acornfur | ♀ | 24 | rockett.
hawkfur | ♂ | age | winterlove.
badgerclaw | ♀ | 45 | keriae
apprentices [6/6]:
eaglepaw | ♂ | 12 | astronautica.
owlpaw | ♂ | 6 | lisca
quickpaw | ♂ | 9 | killian jones
rowanpaw | ♀ | 6 | wolf,
mintpaw | ♀ | 6 | winterlove.
pansypaw | ♀ | 9 | harmonious.
queens [1/2]:
pebblesong | ♀ | 26 | lacke
open | ♀ | age | username
kits [0/??]:
open | ♀/♂ | age | username | queen
open | ♀/♂ | age | username | queen
elders [0/2]:
open | ♀/♂ | age | username
open | ♀/♂ | age | username

[astronautica.]

according to the warrior code medicine
cats are forbidden to mate or rear kits.
mating outside the clan is also banned.

✰
✰
✰
✰
✰
✰

kinship;;
eaglepaw, mallowpaw and externus are siblings
pebblesong and kestralwing are siblings
quickpaw and pansypaw are siblings
ivystar and stormheart are siblings
moose is quickpaw's and pansypaw's mother
cat is cat's mother
cat is cat's father
cat is cat's father
cat is cats aunt

romance;;
hawkfur likes ivystar
cat likes cat
cat likes cat
cat likes cat
alderstrike and pebblesong are mates
kestralwing and acornfur are mates
cat and cat are ex-mates

forbidden;;
cat likes cat

[astronautica.]

gannetstar; leader before ivystar
willowstar; willowclan founder
oakstar; oakclan founder
fawnleaf; 1st willowclan med. cat
maplestar; last oakclan leader

a prophecy is soon to be on the way, feel free to message me suggestions! i will update this later with information.

''this is where the prophecy will be''
receiver: name

the ____ ;; cat name ;; info ;; user
the ____ ;; cat name ;; info ;; user

[astronautica.]

ＯＰＥＮ/ ＣＬＯＳＥＤ
please pm any reservations!!

[deftonesly]

[♞] ❝ ( Q U I C K P A W )
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♛ [ voice: baelfire ] ♛ [ age: nine moons ] ♛ [ rank: apprentice ] ♛ [ mentor: stormheart ] ♛ [ location: apprentices' den; lake shore; going hunting in the woodlands ] ♛ [ tagged: briefly pansypaw; open ] ♛
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xxxxx quickpaw sprang to his feet in a whirl of moss and feathers and silver tabby fur. he was excited and more than ready to do what he did best: hunt. and right now was the best time for one of his outings; it was early dawn, and through the branches of the apprentices' bramble den, the legendary silverstrike's son saw hardly any other cats roving about. he was surely the third or fourth cat to be up.. just how the studious little tom liked it. only a select few of his campmates were lethargically bustling about under the spreading, drooping branches of the willow tree. releasing an explosive yawn that was enough to make the apprentice nearest him - his sister, pansypaw - roll over in her sleep and mewl, quickpaw shook out his fur and stretched his legs before him. he arched his back in a long and luxurious stretch until every last one of his cramped muscles had cracked and popped.
xxxxxx the silver tabby began to groom himself and set the rumpled hairs on his chest and sleek shoulders into place; he studied his pale sister as she slept. during the night she'd shifted against him; her spine was pressed against his right side, and her maw was wide open and had soft snores emanating from it. looking at her, quickpaw felt a huge wave of affection and determination surge through him. he would keep pansypaw safe.. he swore it. though both of his parents - silverstrike and toadface - had passed on and were now united in starclan, that didn't mean that the brother couldn't take on some fatherly traits, didn't it? after all, he was the only male cat in her life for now.. until he got herself a mate in the future. he gently leaned down and lapped at his sister's ears - once, twice - before shaking the last of his nest's contents from his coat and trotting out of the den. when he eased his small body out of the prickly den entrance, he glanced back once at his sister, pale green eyes warm. i would die for you, sister. mother and father may be gone, but you still have me.
xxxxxx you will always have me.

xxxxxx yawning again, he returned his attention to the camp and what he'd tasked himself with: a small little expedition to the woodlands beyond willowclan's island home and their precious lake. blinking against the bright, gray dawn light that seeped through the willow's canopy, quickpaw broke into a trot towards the the island's edge. not even bothering to greet any cat, so ecstatic he was to head outside and get hunting and providing for his clan, the silver cat shunted through a patch of reeds. he came out of the thicket of bright green stalks at the edge of the island; the lake's waters lapped at his paws and tugged at his webbed feet, which he'd been born with in thanks to silverstrike. the water was clear and almost iridescent, and with the late greenleaf sunshine igniting the water and dappling it with bright patterns, the liquid was warmed perfectly.
xxxxxx quickpaw, purring lowly, wriggled his forepaws, causing the pebbles beneath them to slid and slide and grate against one another; he sent ripples cascading across the surface of the water. time and time again he was grateful that willowclan's founders had found such a wonderful place: it was sheltered and tucked away from any twolegs, badgers, foxes, dogs.. and was absolutely beautiful. except, there was just one thing that the lake couldn't shield the cats from, and that was the rogues. the band of outsiders and their unnerving ringleader [a female that some had discovered to be named nyah] had been living on the outskirts of the territory for quite some time, though no cat knew where their camp was and what their motive was. for now, willowclan was content with setting up their defenses and getting ready for an attack, and the tabby couldn't blame them. quickpaw had never had the unfortunate chance to meet one of the rogues, and from the stories he'd heard about them and their viciousness, he didn't want to!

xxxxxx shaking any thoughts of the outsiders from his mind, the silver tabby slid slowly into the water, purring ever louder as the water lapped at his fur and soaked him. he was an absolute sucker when it came to swimming; it was one of his most favorite ways to pass the time.. and when he did swim - especially in this sacred, ancient lake - quickpaw felt closer to the spirit of his father. he still remembered when the lean silver brute had brought him to the edge of camp when he was three moons old.. still remembered silverstrike's kind, loving voice as he'd coaxed his son into the roiling waters. heh, he even still remembered how stubborn he'd been, and how when he'd refused to get in, silverstrike had grabbed him by the scruff and tossed him in. when quickpaw had grown older and had asked him why he'd done such a thing [he had been a kit! he could've drowned, for starclan's sake!], his father had responded with: "you're my son, quicksilver," quickpaw had loved it when silverstrike had called him by the warrior name he aspired to earn one day. "and no son of mine will be a cat that fears water! water is your best friend.. embrace him."
xxxxxx quickpaw's pale green eyes watered with emotion at the thought of his father.. at the thought of his soft fur and voice. how he missed him. a hole had been developing in the apprentice's heart ever since his father had been dragged off to a fox's burrow on one of the plains that willowclan owned. quickpaw had seen it all, and recalling upon silverstrike's cries of agony and his blood splattering the earth made his ears ring and chest suddenly feel tight with sadness and longing. the tabby had yet to return to those plains.
xxxxxx though thinking about silverstrike put him off - he was standing in the shallows of the lake, looking off into nothingness with a blank look in his eyes - the pressure in quickpaw's chest lifted ever so slightly when he began to dwell on what he'd made the decision to do when the time came for him to become a warrior. quickpaw was going to make sure that he was known as quicksilver.. in honor of his dead kin. if there was one goal he had in mind, it was that: to carry a little piece of his father with him.. to hear his father's voice when cats called out his name: "quicksilver, quicksilver, quicksilver!"
xxxxxx he closed his eyes, relishing in his clanmates yowls of praise as if they were actually ringing in his ears.. and not in his mind. as if they were real, and not figments. oh, a figment is what my future name may be for now, but for as long as there is blood in my veins, i will not give up until i've earned the name that my father himself chose for me and have made his wish for a perfect son a reality. i will not stop until i've done silverstrike's and toadface's names justice.. until i join them in starclan and can look them in the eyes and say that i hope i've done them proud.
xxxxxx however, i can in fact get on my way to getting my warrior name if i hurry up! quickpaw thought, chastising himself for standing idle in the lake for so long. the sooner i get on with hunting, the better. i hope stormheart and ivystar notice me when i bring back a heap of prey! with that, the tabby took off from the shallows of the lake and began to swim through the water with rhythmic thrusts of his paws. he moved with otter-like speed, and soon enough came trotting out of the lake on its opposite side with the faintest of skips in his step.

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[♛] ❝ ( S O A P D I S H )
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♛ [ voice: violet ] ♛ [ age: twenty-six moons ] ♛ [ rank: rogue follower ] ♛ [ trainee: lily ] ♛ [ location: makeshift den; going tree-hopping ] ♛ [ tagged: lily, shrike ] ♛
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xxxxx soapdish wasn't exactly one to wake early. apparently old habits died hard, because she still managed to sleep in almost every day until sunhigh; some things about her kittypet life had yet to be left to rot. so when the pretty calico awoke early in the morning in her nest with pale gray dawn light filtering through the bracken den and warming her pelt, she was almost tempted to slip back into sleep. almost.
xxxxxx but her mind was changed when she heard the rumblings of her own belly.. her mind was changed when she rolled over in her mossy nest and came face to face with her closest friend: shrike. shrike had been soapdish's closet confidante for what felt like an eternity. nearly the day when soapdish had joined nyah and her gang, a spark had been ignited between them, and now that spark had blossomed into something deeper.. something more tender than just plain old respect. the two cats cared for one another deeply, and would do whatever it took to help the other. dare soapdish even think it, but.. she and shrike were family - as close as any blood brother and sister. the gray and white had come from a background similar to soapdish's; he'd been a kittypet as well, and they often spoke about what their lives would be like should they not have felt the tug of the forest and became "outcasts". they also loved climbing trees together, and, in fact, tree-hopping was the number one way that the two got from one destination to another. why walk or run on the earth when you could dip and fly and soar through the treetops?

xxxxxx but besides shrike, there was another cat that demanded the yellow-green-eyed molly's attention. and that was lily. the calico follower shifted her gaze away from shrike after studying his finely-drawn face and the way his whiskers twisted and turned and tangled as he breathed to look at her trainee. the she-cat was curled up against her mentor's side, small chin resting on her flank and head bobbing slightly as soapdish breathed. the calico snorted in amusement, remembering when she'd taken on the young cat as her work in progress and when she'd permitted her to stay and travel with her and shrike. the young molly had been eager to learn from the ex-kittypet that seemed so in tune with the forest and the laws of nature that soapdish couldn't say no to her and her desire to gain knowledge. the only problem that she had was that she feared that she.. wasn't exactly the best role model. soapdish had to face it: she wasn't the wisest cat that had ever walked the earth, and even she knew that she could be on the more rash and rude side with her unsavory, foul language and cocky disposition. soapdish had also been reluctant to accept lily because she feared that something awful would happen to the she-cat while she was training under her wing. yet she had pushed those dark fears aside anyway and permitted lily to do something that she'd only allowed shrike to do before her: grow on her and gain access to her heart and her affections.
xxxxxx even now as the calico looked down at her slumbering friends - family that she never could've pictured herself having - her chest was swelling wildly with her desire to protect and cherish them. and because of that love that often overtook her when she stared at her denmates, soapdish pulled herself together and got to her paws, being careful to make sure that lily's head sank to the den floor slowly, as she didn't want to disturb her. she was starved - those stupid willowclan cats always hoarded all of this land's food! - and she was certain that her friends were too. besides, she was already up and ready to begin the day; when soapdish woke up, she found that she couldn't fall back asleep. [it was a great little tick to have.] why not use her time wisely and present her denmates with some fresh-kill when they awoke?

xxxxxx gazing down at shrike and lily for a moment longer, soapdish then slunk out of their bracken den. the fronds of the vegetation scraped at her back and clawed at her legs as if they wanted her to stay and return to her nest, but soapdish resisted the plants and shunted her way outside and into the open. light blasted her yellow-green eyes and blinded her momentarily, and the follower hissed; it was so bright out here that it physically hurt to open her eyes for a few moments. as her eyes adjusted to the harsh morning lighting - she kept them narrowed just in case - she briefly settled down on her haunches outside of the den to groom. she knew that her coat was bound to get rumpled when she went out hunting and tree-hopping, but it was all a matter of pride. once she'd smoothed her whiskers into place and matted down a patch of fur on her forehead that was stubbornly refusing to cooperate, soapdish gathered her long legs beneath her and set off into the emerald wood.

[rockett.]

xxxx ❝ A C O R N F U R

( tags: badgerclaw, mentions kestrelwing ) xxxxxxxxx ( warrior ) xxxxxxxxx ( molly ) xxxxxxxxx ( mentors rowanpaw )

acornfur, at times, loathed her thick pelt. it wasn't long, no; the fur was perfectly short. however, it was thick and dense, making swimming a real thorn in her side. if it weren't for the molly's broad frame to help her to powerfully surge through the water, her pelt would surely weigh her down to the bed of the lake. all of these thoughts had flooded into the molly's mind as she trudged through the water of the lake to get back to camp, chin held high over the rippling liquid to stop her prey from getting wet. she had been out late hunting, and was only just paddling back into camp as the sun had begun to peak over the trees once more. when acornfur reached the bank, her wide white paws scrabbled on the side before she dug her claws in and hauled her dripping wet body onto dry land. the mackerel tabby shook herself off as much as she could, finding pleasure in seeing the tiny droplets of water fly from her body and cascade over the bank of the camp. luckily for acornfur, she had managed to have the entire day off yesterday, allowing her to rest as much as she had pleased. however, as the day went by, acornfur started to get restless, which had resulted in her doing some night hunting and coming back that morning. as acornfur had managed to rest on the previous day, she found that she didn't need to go back into the warriors den and catch up on the sleep she had missed. instead, acornfur padded heavily over to the fresh kill pile, placing down her kill. deciding to appreciate her hard work, the warrior plucked a juicy looking shrew up from the pile and carried her prize over to a nearby rock. the rock was slightly elevated off of the ground, and had a reasonably flat surface - perfect for acornfur to rest her still slightly damp body on. as acornfur tucked into her delicious prey, her warm yellow eyes flicked across the slowly awakening camp, in hopes she'd lock eyes with her mate kestrelwing. she had been intending on inviting the handsome tom to come night hunting with her, but she quickly thought better as she knew the tom had not been resting as much as she had. if she'd invited him out, he surely would've been too tired to function the next morning.
as acornfur peacefully devoured her meal, her eyes cast upon the sleek black and white fur of badgerclaw, the senior warrior of willowclan. even with the rather large age difference between the pair, acornfur found badgerclaw to be good company. the molly was known for her rather fiesty nature, and while this could sometimes clash with acornfur's hard-headedess, more often than not the two mollies were very comfortable with one another. finishing off her meal with a swipe of her tongue around her muzzle, acornfur lifted her body from the flat rock, noticing the wet mark she left behind on it. "good sunrise, badgerclaw," acornfur meowed rather loudly, to grab the attention of the senior warrior. acornfur locked her warm yellow gaze onto badgerclaw's cool green orbs, before padding across the camp to stand in front of her. "what's got you up so early this morning?" acornfur questioned, dropping her haunches to the ground and curling her fluffy tail over her white-dipped paws."surely you would rather get the extra moment of rest in rather than seeing the sun rise over the treeline,"acornfur exclaimed with a warm smile, raising her head to see streaks of yellow light begin their journey across the almost cloudless sky. i know i certainly would, the she-cat thought to herself.

xxxx ❝ E X T E R N U S

( tags: valerian ) xxxxxxxxx ( trainee ) xxxxxxxxx ( tom ) xxxxxxxxx ( trained by shrike )

it had been just over a moon now, since externus had left the place considered 'home' to start his journey of life alone. however, the tom hadn't taken into account that he had been only seven moons old when he left, and could not fend for himself. so, the young tom managed to stumble upon another group of cats; this group much smaller, and less welcoming. however, they allowed him to stay, and externus decided to take them up on their offer, figuring that if he couldn't live alone yet and he couldn't go back to the clan, that this was his only option.
over his moon of staying with these cats, he had become more familiar with them and what they were about. nyah, the leader of the group, was a tough one to pinpoint. she was like a storm; clear skies one moment, torrential rain the next. as for the majority of the 'followers', as they were called, he still did not know much. externus had a feeling these cats were not so fond of where he had come from, but the young cat didn't want to ask why. he'd heard these cats often speak poorly of willowclan, causing much thought to occur in externus' mind - what had driven these cats to have such a hatred for the clan? personally, externus didn't really care anymore; he had left because he didn't fit in, but that didn't mean he all of a sudden loathed willowclan. externus would just have to keep his ears switched on, in hopes of finding out why these cats felt the way that they did.
the night had been another crisp one. as there were no clouds on the sky as the sun had set that previous night, there was no warmth in the air. the mottled tom, having very little in the way of protection against the elements, had been forced to find shelter in a rotting log overnight, which made him damp the next morning. as tiny rays of sunlight filtered through the holes in the log and onto externus' sleek pelt, he had fluttered open his bi-coloured eyes and slunk out of the makeshift den. immediately, the tom tried to lick his pelt clean of the debris from the rotting log, much to his own disgust. once satisfied, the ex-apprentice stretched his limbs out, oddly coloured eyes scanning the still unfamiliar area for his trainer, as they were called in this group. there were so many different things about this group to being in a clan; having a trainer instead of a mentor, sleeping wherever instead of having a set den for everyone, and having very little rules compared to life in a clan. externus had to admit it was all very strange, but he enjoyed it as it kept his mind active as he learned.
while searching for his trainer, externus' bi-coloured eyes caught a flash of white in amongst the dark brown and green colours of the undergrowth. with a swift movement, externus arched his back and lurched forward, nimbly dashing through the foliage to meet with who the mottled tom had assumed was shrike. "shrike, i was wondering - ah, good morning, valerian," externus corrected himself smoothly, managing not to flatten his ears against his head in annoyance to his mistake. externus still considered himself to be a new member to the group of cats, and the tom still felt he was not welcome by some - including valerian, the sleek cream-furred trainee who stood before him. valerian, as much as externus hated to admit it, was much more appealing than himself. with a coat like snow and fiery amber eyes covering a tall and muscled frame, the older tom was much more aesthetically pleasing than externus, who thought of his unique mottled pelt and striking blue-yellow eyes just made him look stupid. externus couldn't help but feel intimidated by the older tom, but he would never show it - if externus was good at one thing, it was hiding his emotions.

xxxx ❝ M O O S E

( tags: kipper ) xxxxxxxxx ( loner ) xxxxxxxxx ( molly ) xxxxxxxxx ( mentors no one )

moose twitched ever so slightly as she slept, restful dreams painting a landscape in her mind. she was in a forest, much like normal, except this one felt more homely. moose felt as if even the grass beneath her paws, and the leaves bristling in the trees, were welcoming her to stay. and moose had accepted. when she lifted her head up she could see a handsome grey tom, smiling back at her with the same affection and passion she had once seen in those warm yellow eyes. below her, winding themselves around her slender white legs, were two young lives; one a small replicate of his father, the other a beautiful grey splattered with ginger and white. when they matched their gaze with her own, their youthful faces were filled with nothing but joy and ease, as they merrily chased each other across the soft forest floor. moose would sometimes allow herself to wonder what it would have been like if she stayed with silverstrike, raising her kits inside of willowclan. but, unfortunately, moose knew deep down that it would be much unlike the picture painted in her dreams. and that was why she had left; the molly could not stand the idea of being pushed into a new and unfamiliar place, with slit eyes watching her every move like she was a prisoner. besides, at the age of only eighteen moons, moose was still learning to take care of herself - if she had been put in charge of raising her kits alongside that, their lives would surely have been short-lived. so moose, being naive and impulsive, had refused to join silverstrike in his clan, losing his trust and losing her children when she fled. but in fleeing from this life, she had to also flee from the memories. over the nine moons since the event, moose had managed to do so - however, it was always there, hiding in the depths of her mind.
moose's cool green eyes fluttered open as she felt something heavy on her leg, causing the movement to be very restricted. once her eyes had adjusted, moose could see that the weight her hind leg was trapped under belonged to her brother, kipper, who was still peacefully resting. moose couldn't help but pause to watch for a moment, finding peace in watching the tom's chest rise and fall slowly with each breath. finally, when the molly started to feel discomfort in her hind leg, moose tried to shift it. "oi, log," moose meowed loudly, to try to capture the attention of her brother. "do you mind edging over a bit? at this rate my leg's going to fall off!" moose teased, raising her tail to annoyingly flick the tom around the ears. moose was lucky to have her brother around; when she had left him to stay close to silverstrike, each day she was away brought more guilt to the she-cat for leaving him. when she found him once again, the molly was incredibly relieved - the last thing she wanted was to lose both her love, her kits and her brother. when kipper immediately began questioning his sister, moose would always change the subject or refuse to tell him. as bad as she felt for doing it, moose couldn't bring herself to tell kipper what she had done. she wouldn't be able to put it in the past if he was aware of it. so, moose thought, if she kept on leaving it out, then soon enough it would disappear from both of their brains completely.

[deftonesly]

[♞] ❝ ( Q U I C K P A W )
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♛ [ voice: baelfire ] ♛ [ age: nine moons ] ♛ [ rank: apprentice ] ♛ [ mentor: stormheart ] ♛ [ location: apprentices' den; lake shore; going hunting in the woodlands ] ♛ [ tagged: briefly pansypaw; open ] ♛
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xxxxx quickpaw sprang to his feet in a whirl of moss and feathers and silver tabby fur. he was excited and more than ready to do what he did best: hunt. and right now was the best time for one of his outings; it was early dawn, and through the branches of the apprentices' bramble den, the legendary silverstrike's son saw hardly any other cats roving about. he was surely the third or fourth cat to be up.. just how the studious little tom liked it. only a select few of his campmates were lethargically bustling about under the spreading, drooping branches of the willow tree. releasing an explosive yawn that was enough to make the apprentice nearest him - his sister, pansypaw - roll over in her sleep and mewl, quickpaw shook out his fur and stretched his legs before him. he arched his back in a long and luxurious stretch until every last one of his cramped muscles had cracked and popped.
xxxxxx the silver tabby began to groom himself and set the rumpled hairs on his chest and sleek shoulders into place; he studied his pale sister as she slept. during the night she'd shifted against him; her spine was pressed against his right side, and her maw was wide open and had soft snores emanating from it. looking at her, quickpaw felt a huge wave of affection and determination surge through him. he would keep pansypaw safe.. he swore it. though both of his parents - silverstrike and toadface - had passed on and were now united in starclan, that didn't mean that the brother couldn't take on some fatherly traits, didn't it? after all, he was the only male cat in her life for now.. until he got herself a mate in the future. he gently leaned down and lapped at his sister's ears - once, twice - before shaking the last of his nest's contents from his coat and trotting out of the den. when he eased his small body out of the prickly den entrance, he glanced back once at his sister, pale green eyes warm. i would die for you, sister. mother and father may be gone, but you still have me.
xxxxxx you will always have me.

xxxxxx yawning again, he returned his attention to the camp and what he'd tasked himself with: a small little expedition to the woodlands beyond willowclan's island home and their precious lake. blinking against the bright, gray dawn light that seeped through the willow's canopy, quickpaw broke into a trot towards the the island's edge. not even bothering to greet any cat, so ecstatic he was to head outside and get hunting and providing for his clan, the silver cat shunted through a patch of reeds. he came out of the thicket of bright green stalks at the edge of the island; the lake's waters lapped at his paws and tugged at his webbed feet, which he'd been born with in thanks to silverstrike. the water was clear and almost iridescent, and with the late greenleaf sunshine igniting the water and dappling it with bright patterns, the liquid was warmed perfectly.
xxxxxx quickpaw, purring lowly, wriggled his forepaws, causing the pebbles beneath them to slid and slide and grate against one another; he sent ripples cascading across the surface of the water. time and time again he was grateful that willowclan's founders had found such a wonderful place: it was sheltered and tucked away from any twolegs, badgers, foxes, dogs.. and was absolutely beautiful. except, there was just one thing that the lake couldn't shield the cats from, and that was the rogues. the band of outsiders and their unnerving ringleader [a female that some had discovered to be named nyah] had been living on the outskirts of the territory for quite some time, though no cat knew where their camp was and what their motive was. for now, willowclan was content with setting up their defenses and getting ready for an attack, and the tabby couldn't blame them. quickpaw had never had the unfortunate chance to meet one of the rogues, and from the stories he'd heard about them and their viciousness, he didn't want to!

xxxxxx shaking any thoughts of the outsiders from his mind, the silver tabby slid slowly into the water, purring ever louder as the water lapped at his fur and soaked him. he was an absolute sucker when it came to swimming; it was one of his most favorite ways to pass the time.. and when he did swim - especially in this sacred, ancient lake - quickpaw felt closer to the spirit of his father. he still remembered when the lean silver brute had brought him to the edge of camp when he was three moons old.. still remembered silverstrike's kind, loving voice as he'd coaxed his son into the roiling waters. heh, he even still remembered how stubborn he'd been, and how when he'd refused to get in, silverstrike had grabbed him by the scruff and tossed him in. when quickpaw had grown older and had asked him why he'd done such a thing [he had been a kit! he could've drowned, for starclan's sake!], his father had responded with: "you're my son, quicksilver," quickpaw had loved it when silverstrike had called him by the warrior name he aspired to earn one day. "and no son of mine will be a cat that fears water! water is your best friend.. embrace him."
xxxxxx quickpaw's pale green eyes watered with emotion at the thought of his father.. at the thought of his soft fur and voice. how he missed him. a hole had been developing in the apprentice's heart ever since his father had been dragged off to a fox's burrow on one of the plains that willowclan owned. quickpaw had seen it all, and recalling upon silverstrike's cries of agony and his blood splattering the earth made his ears ring and chest suddenly feel tight with sadness and longing. the tabby had yet to return to those plains.
xxxxxx though thinking about silverstrike put him off - he was standing in the shallows of the lake, looking off into nothingness with a blank look in his eyes - the pressure in quickpaw's chest lifted ever so slightly when he began to dwell on what he'd made the decision to do when the time came for him to become a warrior. quickpaw was going to make sure that he was known as quicksilver.. in honor of his dead kin. if there was one goal he had in mind, it was that: to carry a little piece of his father with him.. to hear his father's voice when cats called out his name: "quicksilver, quicksilver, quicksilver!"
xxxxxx he closed his eyes, relishing in his clanmates yowls of praise as if they were actually ringing in his ears.. and not in his mind. as if they were real, and not figments. oh, a figment is what my future name may be for now, but for as long as there is blood in my veins, i will not give up until i've earned the name that my father himself chose for me and have made his wish for a perfect son a reality. i will not stop until i've done silverstrike's and toadface's names justice.. until i join them in starclan and can look them in the eyes and say that i hope i've done them proud.
xxxxxx however, i can in fact get on my way to getting my warrior name if i hurry up! quickpaw thought, chastising himself for standing idle in the lake for so long. the sooner i get on with hunting, the better. i hope stormheart and ivystar notice me when i bring back a heap of prey! with that, the tabby took off from the shallows of the lake and began to swim through the water with rhythmic thrusts of his paws. he moved with otter-like speed, and soon enough came trotting out of the lake on its opposite side with the faintest of skips in his step.

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[♛] ❝ ( S O A P D I S H )
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♛ [ voice: violet ] ♛ [ age: twenty-six moons ] ♛ [ rank: rogue follower ] ♛ [ trainee: lily ] ♛ [ location: makeshift den; going tree-hopping ] ♛ [ tagged: lily, shrike ] ♛
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xxxxx soapdish wasn't exactly one to wake early. apparently old habits died hard, because she still managed to sleep in almost every day until sunhigh; some things about her kittypet life had yet to be left to rot. so when the pretty calico awoke early in the morning in her nest with pale gray dawn light filtering through the bracken den and warming her pelt, she was almost tempted to slip back into sleep. almost.
xxxxxx but her mind was changed when she heard the rumblings of her own belly.. her mind was changed when she rolled over in her mossy nest and came face to face with her closest friend: shrike. shrike had been soapdish's closet confidante for what felt like an eternity. nearly the day when soapdish had joined nyah and her gang, a spark had been ignited between them, and now that spark had blossomed into something deeper.. something more tender than just plain old respect. the two cats cared for one another deeply, and would do whatever it took to help the other. dare soapdish even think it, but.. she and shrike were family - as close as any blood brother and sister. the gray and white had come from a background similar to soapdish's; he'd been a kittypet as well, and they often spoke about what their lives would be like should they not have felt the tug of the forest and became "outcasts". they also loved climbing trees together, and, in fact, tree-hopping was the number one way that the two got from one destination to another. why walk or run on the earth when you could dip and fly and soar through the treetops?

xxxxxx but besides shrike, there was another cat that demanded the yellow-green-eyed molly's attention. and that was lily. the calico follower shifted her gaze away from shrike after studying his finely-drawn face and the way his whiskers twisted and turned and tangled as he breathed to look at her trainee. the she-cat was curled up against her mentor's side, small chin resting on her flank and head bobbing slightly as soapdish breathed. the calico snorted in amusement, remembering when she'd taken on the young cat as her work in progress and when she'd permitted her to stay and travel with her and shrike. the young molly had been eager to learn from the ex-kittypet that seemed so in tune with the forest and the laws of nature that soapdish couldn't say no to her and her desire to gain knowledge. the only problem that she had was that she feared that she.. wasn't exactly the best role model. soapdish had to face it: she wasn't the wisest cat that had ever walked the earth, and even she knew that she could be on the more rash and rude side with her unsavory, foul language and cocky disposition. soapdish had also been reluctant to accept lily because she feared that something awful would happen to the she-cat while she was training under her wing. yet she had pushed those dark fears aside anyway and permitted lily to do something that she'd only allowed shrike to do before her: grow on her and gain access to her heart and her affections.
xxxxxx even now as the calico looked down at her slumbering friends - family that she never could've pictured herself having - her chest was swelling wildly with her desire to protect and cherish them. and because of that love that often overtook her when she stared at her denmates, soapdish pulled herself together and got to her paws, being careful to make sure that lily's head sank to the den floor slowly, as she didn't want to disturb her. she was starved - those stupid willowclan cats always hoarded all of this land's food! - and she was certain that her friends were too. besides, she was already up and ready to begin the day; when soapdish woke up, she found that she couldn't fall back asleep. [it was a great little tick to have.] why not use her time wisely and present her denmates with some fresh-kill when they awoke?

xxxxxx gazing down at shrike and lily for a moment longer, soapdish then slunk out of their bracken den. the fronds of the vegetation scraped at her back and clawed at her legs as if they wanted her to stay and return to her nest, but soapdish resisted the plants and shunted her way outside and into the open. light blasted her yellow-green eyes and blinded her momentarily, and the follower hissed; it was so bright out here that it physically hurt to open her eyes for a few moments. as her eyes adjusted to the harsh morning lighting - she kept them narrowed just in case - she briefly settled down on her haunches outside of the den to groom. she knew that her coat was bound to get rumpled when she went out hunting and tree-hopping, but it was all a matter of pride. once she'd smoothed her whiskers into place and matted down a patch of fur on her forehead that was stubbornly refusing to cooperate, soapdish gathered her long legs beneath her and set off into the emerald wood.