[[I've had a very busy time as of late; winter break starts this saturday, so I'm looking forward to that. . . I'm returning to my third-person roots. I have a bit of a writer's block and not very much time, but I've managed before with those circumstances.
Also, I hope you enjoy your "birthday present," Fae. :3
Thank you for controlling that when Tink and I didn't, willowpelt; I appreciate that.
Welcome back, Fairy -- glad that you could post. At least you'll be able to enjoy other things in life now, since you won't be posting quite as often. . .]]
Gathering
It took no less than three racing heartbeats for Pebblestar to whirl around to face Bloodstar so quickly that her eyes were manic with dizziness. Either that or she was becoming just as insane as Ashfeather. The latter seemed more likely, Bloodstar mused as he analyzed the crazed twinkles in the two AirClan cats' eyes. Appears that crazy is spreading. . . "Ha! Bloodstar, you have failed my little test!" The other leader practically shrieked; her tone was so shrill, he was tempted to curl his tail over his ears. But. . . "Little test?" What in StarClan -- the Place of No Stars seemed too long for him to think due to the rapid sucession in which Pebblestar uttered the mad words -- was she referring to? Somehow, it only made her appear even more mouse-brained to Bloodstar. "Am I not fit to be a leader am I?" Yes, definitely crazy. Her speech itself was barely coherent, if you could understand it at the rate she was spewing the nonsense that continued flowing freely from her mouth like a gushing river. "You see, Bloodstar, I knew you would burst with anger when those words left my mouth! Go home, Bloodstar! There is no more quarrel here! Just go home! This is over NOW!" Since when did the leader of AirClan gain such a boost in confindence, as well as a backbone in order to attempt to assert any kind of authority with Bloodstar? He highly doubted that she had even planned the next sentence while mewling her earlier words, let alone consider the effect they would have. Pebblestar was devising her actions with just as much forethought as her fellow leader, Bloodstar, was. "Or I will show you what this unfit to be leader can do!" The stone-gray she-cat added, almost like an afterthought. Of course, that would require actually engaging in the process of forming a thought, and everyone old enough to catch their own prey knew that that was way above Pebblestar -- or at least how the white tom-cat she was challenging assumed they did.
Somehow, Pebblestar's mindless speech didn't fan the flames of Bloodstar's anger. If anything, they muted them; his automatic approach of using logic to degrade a foolish or inferior cat forced him to hold his tongue and inspect the situation with an expert's eye, scrutinizing every detail to use against his opponent. Seldom known by anyone other than him, Bloodstar could not often resist a word battle -- he loved arguments, as much as they infuriated him. If only he could wriggle around his temper long enough to consider a sentence or two to arm himself with.
But of course, Bloodstar never found the chance to whittle a few scars into one of his more unimportant rivals with his sharp wit, for on that very night StarClan decided to intervene. As he parted his jaws to respond to Pebblestar's "challenge," his ancestors twisted his words around and shoved them back down his throat, where they stuck and pricked his vocal chords like the barbs of a medicinal herb -- painful, but part of a greater cause. Manipulated and unwilling, the broad-shouldered leader of FireClan meowed in a calm, almost hypnotic voice as if he were in a trance, "Fine." That wasn't all; StarClan had more plans than that. "This won't happen again. I'll see you next Gathering." With that and a flick of his snowy tail, Bloodstar turned around and signaled with another lash of his tail and a tilt to his ears before padding away a few steps toward the edge of the clearing with paws that were not his own. He paused, infuriated once more; being made a slave in his own body was indignifying and only made Bloodstar's crossness even more unbearable -- not like he could do anything about it. It could have been worse. StarClan had been remarkably tame when they selected the words that their pawn would say aloud, albeit against his will. Nonetheless -- the next time he had the misfortune of visiting StarClan, he would have to give his brother a very stern talking-to. Whiteblaze and the others playing mind-puppet was not helping his helpless feeling one bit. Neither did their next line, announced into existence by his own betraying tongue. "Ashfeather, I apologize for my reckless behavior tonight. I was being a fool, not you." How much Bloodstar wanted to bite that tongue off!
Humiliated but helpless, Bloodstar silently waited for his Clan to gather around him, smoldering inside unbeknownst to anyone among the living.
Also, I hope you enjoy your "birthday present," Fae. :3
Thank you for controlling that when Tink and I didn't, willowpelt; I appreciate that.
Welcome back, Fairy -- glad that you could post. At least you'll be able to enjoy other things in life now, since you won't be posting quite as often. . .]]
Gathering
It took no less than three racing heartbeats for Pebblestar to whirl around to face Bloodstar so quickly that her eyes were manic with dizziness. Either that or she was becoming just as insane as Ashfeather. The latter seemed more likely, Bloodstar mused as he analyzed the crazed twinkles in the two AirClan cats' eyes. Appears that crazy is spreading. . . "Ha! Bloodstar, you have failed my little test!" The other leader practically shrieked; her tone was so shrill, he was tempted to curl his tail over his ears. But. . . "Little test?" What in StarClan -- the Place of No Stars seemed too long for him to think due to the rapid sucession in which Pebblestar uttered the mad words -- was she referring to? Somehow, it only made her appear even more mouse-brained to Bloodstar. "Am I not fit to be a leader am I?" Yes, definitely crazy. Her speech itself was barely coherent, if you could understand it at the rate she was spewing the nonsense that continued flowing freely from her mouth like a gushing river. "You see, Bloodstar, I knew you would burst with anger when those words left my mouth! Go home, Bloodstar! There is no more quarrel here! Just go home! This is over NOW!" Since when did the leader of AirClan gain such a boost in confindence, as well as a backbone in order to attempt to assert any kind of authority with Bloodstar? He highly doubted that she had even planned the next sentence while mewling her earlier words, let alone consider the effect they would have. Pebblestar was devising her actions with just as much forethought as her fellow leader, Bloodstar, was. "Or I will show you what this unfit to be leader can do!" The stone-gray she-cat added, almost like an afterthought. Of course, that would require actually engaging in the process of forming a thought, and everyone old enough to catch their own prey knew that that was way above Pebblestar -- or at least how the white tom-cat she was challenging assumed they did.
Somehow, Pebblestar's mindless speech didn't fan the flames of Bloodstar's anger. If anything, they muted them; his automatic approach of using logic to degrade a foolish or inferior cat forced him to hold his tongue and inspect the situation with an expert's eye, scrutinizing every detail to use against his opponent. Seldom known by anyone other than him, Bloodstar could not often resist a word battle -- he loved arguments, as much as they infuriated him. If only he could wriggle around his temper long enough to consider a sentence or two to arm himself with.
But of course, Bloodstar never found the chance to whittle a few scars into one of his more unimportant rivals with his sharp wit, for on that very night StarClan decided to intervene. As he parted his jaws to respond to Pebblestar's "challenge," his ancestors twisted his words around and shoved them back down his throat, where they stuck and pricked his vocal chords like the barbs of a medicinal herb -- painful, but part of a greater cause. Manipulated and unwilling, the broad-shouldered leader of FireClan meowed in a calm, almost hypnotic voice as if he were in a trance, "Fine." That wasn't all; StarClan had more plans than that. "This won't happen again. I'll see you next Gathering." With that and a flick of his snowy tail, Bloodstar turned around and signaled with another lash of his tail and a tilt to his ears before padding away a few steps toward the edge of the clearing with paws that were not his own. He paused, infuriated once more; being made a slave in his own body was indignifying and only made Bloodstar's crossness even more unbearable -- not like he could do anything about it. It could have been worse. StarClan had been remarkably tame when they selected the words that their pawn would say aloud, albeit against his will. Nonetheless -- the next time he had the misfortune of visiting StarClan, he would have to give his brother a very stern talking-to. Whiteblaze and the others playing mind-puppet was not helping his helpless feeling one bit. Neither did their next line, announced into existence by his own betraying tongue. "Ashfeather, I apologize for my reckless behavior tonight. I was being a fool, not you." How much Bloodstar wanted to bite that tongue off!
Humiliated but helpless, Bloodstar silently waited for his Clan to gather around him, smoldering inside unbeknownst to anyone among the living.
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