storms make trees take deeper roots
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Post by cosmic on Feb 27, 2024 14:48:54 GMT -6
#s://i~imgur~com/dwXn8El~png [tw: foul language] Her wild fur fluffed against the bitter cold as she trekked up the rapids to investigate their current prey levels. She hadn't been tasked with it, but it kept her mind occupied and away from everyone else. Her large paws felt powerful against the small stones that she scaled to reach the highest point of the rushing water, before stopping to take a glance back toward the direction of camp.
Bristleback only could shake her head before taking more steps forward. It was almost a whole year since the war, and everyone just acts like nothing happened, at least in her eyes. Her stomach swirled with mixed emotions as she thought about ditching this idea and going to visit her father's grave. It was rarely visited, she assumed. The dark she-cat really didn't know her family's opinions about his death as she had secluded herself right after they came back to camp from MistClan.
Shit, she didn't really know her opinion on Wolfstar's death.
She felt relieved, and yet sad. He had done so many terrible things that the clan liked to point out, but he truly believed what he believed. Any sane cat would have done the same thing if they were in his paws, if they had seen what he had seen. But, she felt as though she carried so much guilt for his actions, and that the clan was watching her family to make the next move. If the family moved on, they would move on. But if they all continued to support their father and mate, then, well, that was certainly going to make the camp alive with activity and rumors.
Bristleback had been walking so much that she decided to take a moment to stop and rest her paws. Only a moment, as she found an area where the rapids had formed a small pool around the intention of a flat rock. Carefully, her massive head lowered to lap the cold water into her tongue and mouth, as she savored the relieving taste that almost seemed to clear her mind of anxiety. For a moment, but it still felt amazing.
Water droplets fell from her whiskers, as she looked toward the rapids on her right. However, as she turned toward her right, she saw the figure of a cat. The quickness of her turn didn't let her get a good look at the cat, until after she spoke. "Why the hell are you here?" |
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Post by tor on Apr 7, 2024 7:21:46 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/wK7htP1/kestrel~png Kestrelthorn wondered how many times he was going to be walked in on while trying to clean a mess from his fur. He blinked, astounded to see Bristleback walking so calmly - well, maybe not calmly, not with all the tension in her body - toward the river. He had one paw in the water already, standing slightly further up the river, before the rapids really picked up. It wasn't the safest place to dip into the water, but he'd cut his paw on a bushel of thorns. He just needed a place to rinse the cut before heading back to camp so Rainstorm could take care of it. Bristleback hadn't noticed him. She seemed lost in her thoughts. Kestrelthorn rolled his eyes, unable to fathom how a cat could let their guard so much just because they were thinking. Fisherfrost did that sometimes, but at least Fisherfrost was cute when they were lost in thought. Bristleback just looked... Actually, normally she looked unapproachable and angry. Today, she looked unapproachable and... sad, maybe. Not that he cared. Wolfstar's daughter didn't deserve any sympathy. Still, he watched her dip her head for a drink, watched the droplets of water roll off her whiskers, watched her attention spin as she realized she wasn't alone, watched the expression on her face shift to the angry one he was more accustomed to. "Why the hell are you here?"Any thought of sympathy rolled away. He sneered at her harsh tone, then shook his paw so flecks of water and blood jumped from it, staining the nearby snow with the faintest pink. "I was here first, freak," he said. "Don't get so pissy at me because you didn't notice." Dully, he heard his mother's voice in the back of his mind. Or maybe it was Owlheart's. Don't pick fights for no reason. "Just washing my paw," he added with a semi-reluctant grumble. "Stepped on a thorn." |
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storms make trees take deeper roots
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Post by cosmic on May 3, 2024 10:46:06 GMT -6
#s://i~imgur~com/dwXn8El~png [tw: foul language] She should have known who it was, it was just her luck. Bristleback's ears tampered to lay slightly along her skull, as the calico tom stood before her with the same spiteful energy that she carried. The scent of the tom, despite being mostly RidgeClan, made her want to gag with the combination of blood from his paw. Never could she have a restful moment alone.
"I think anyone would say the same about you, Kestrelheart," she sneered. The words of the tom did sting her ego slightly, mostly being called a "freak". Despite most kits and apprentices wanting to be close to her while she grew alongside them as the leader's daughter, there was the comment about her looking weird with her bristled and unkept fur.
The she-cat listened to the demeanor of the tom change. Obviously, he had become dismissive after the recent events that happened. "Poor you, you don't have a mommy or a daddy to help you lick it clean." Bristleback's fur rippled with the wind coming from the rapids. "No wonder you can't make pleasant conversation, your mother was a coward anyways. Didn't even think to talk to Mushroomstar about her grievances." |
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Post by tor on May 18, 2024 8:51:05 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/wK7htP1/kestrel~png His head hurt from how hard he rolled his eyes, listening to Bristleback quip back at him unoriginally. Very few cats called him a freak. In fact, since Laurelfern made her decision and split the clan, most cats ignored him. Some called him a coward. Some gave him awful looks. But a freak? No, he'd managed to avoid that insult. It was her next quip that almost stung. Don't have a mommy or daddy - illogical, at it's core, because they both knew he did have his parents, unlike her. But the heart of it, that Laurelfern and Honeythorn weren't within his reach, filled him with the same loneliness it did every time he thought of his parents. It was true. He wanted to be with them. "No wonder you can't make pleasant conversation, your mother was a coward anyways.""That doesn't even make sense," he snapped. "I can't make pleasant conversation because I don't want to be pleasant." End of sentence. Still, he continued speaking. "Laurelfern isn't a coward for doing what she thought was right. You're just jealous that my mom followed her heart and succeeded, while your idiot father followed his heart and got killed." He snorted. "At least I still have both my parents, freak." |
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storms make trees take deeper roots
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Post by cosmic on Jun 6, 2024 18:55:15 GMT -6
#s://i~imgur~com/dwXn8El~png [tw: foul language] Wow, this little shit was so blinded to the reality that was right in front of his nose. Was he really that ignorant, or just so supportive of his mother and father?
It seemed she struck a nerve by mentioning his parents, and she really hoped that was enough to get the calico to venture off to some other part of the rapids. Despite her ill-intention nature most of the time, she actually wanted to be alone for the day. However, with his quick response, it was apparent that he wasn't going to let her live the peace of the day.
Bristleback listened to the the tom continue to retort everything that she spit his way, but of course he had to mention the absence of her father and his fateful reign that caused his demise. Her nose and ears twitched for a moment as she tried to let her anger subside her. Not because of his mention of her dead father, but at the audacity to come at her for his choices.
"Yeah, he followed his heart, but he wasn't a stupid fucking traitor to the clan that took care of her for her whole life. At least my dad died with fucking morals and was loyal to his clan, something your family lacks." To her, Laurelfern and Honeythorn were the lowest cats to have lived in the clan, alongside those that disserted to MistClan. "If they had any brain, they could have talked to Mushroomstar about the issues they had with the clans, the whole valley! He would have listened and done everything he could. But no, your pathetic parents had to tuck their tails and run away from their problems. Some amazing parents you have."
The she-cat's tail lashed behind her, the wind bristling her already unkept fur to make her even more furry. "Just you wait, I bet you'll go to join them in no time. Both you and Owlheart will be nothing but low-life cowards." |
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Post by tor on Jun 14, 2024 9:07:23 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/wK7htP1/kestrel~png Pure exhaustion weighed him down whenever Kestrelthorn heard someone talking about his parents like Bristleback was. It was so tired. Yeah, half the forest thought they were cowards for leaving RidgeClan without trying to work out their problems first. Boring. Trite. Try again. Kestrelthorn disagreed with that assessment on principle and wouldn't even engage with it. Cowardice was not starting a new life. A safer life. There was nothing braver than leaving everything you've ever known behind. Still, he wouldn't abandon a chance to get another dig at Wolfstar in. That fucking murderer. "Not a traitor? Wolfstar was the worst traitor of them all. That bastard got good RidgeClan cats killed, and now even his closest followers think he's worthless." What cat still supported Wolfstar, besides his kids? Maybe cats liked the idea of getting the Moonpool or whatever, but Wolfstar had lost his grip on the forest when he died. Good riddance. He had little time for further anger, though. Bristleback's comment about Owlheart send hot fury from his ears to his stomach. He didn't think twice before lunging at her, having just barely enough sense to keep his claws sheathed. Bristleback was bigger than him. Stronger. If this was anything other than a tussle between pissed off cousins, he was going to get hurt. Still, how dare she bring up Owlheart. - ooc: i'll let you decide if his hit lands or not! he wants to just pin her down and shout at her, not do any real damage ehe |
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storms make trees take deeper roots
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Post by cosmic on Jun 30, 2024 19:45:06 GMT -6
#s://i~imgur~com/dwXn8El~png [tw: foul language] Her belly bellowed deep with anger, while growls escaped the rumble of her throat. Bristleback didn't realize how insufferable her cousin was until this moment. She boiled it down to that he probably felt superior to her as Laurelfern's litter was born first. And, you know, the fact that his parents were alive.
She could almost roll her eyes as he continued to speak as if Wolfstar was the only "traitor" of the clan, as if he was. Sure, he had his flaws, but he was led by everyone to believe that this was his path. The oracle was supportive of his efforts to take the Moonpool, many of the cats had to have seen this path they didn't agree with, and yet, how could she blame him from a sign as the log crashed between their borders? Wolfstar believed what he did, because everyone led him to believe it. If anything, the oracle was the one to blame.
Despite that, her complicated feelings about her father was pushed to the side before she could argue the other side of the events. Bristleback snarled, with her spine rising above her head. "His followers are still in our clan, so watch your tongue. The clan is trying to move on, and you and your bloodline will not let it go. Cats die, that's part of our fucking life. They died believing in Wolfstar and what he was told by our ancestors to do."
Before, however, she could continue, she saw a flash of white as she fell off her feet. Her head had thankfully missed the rocks under her, which would save her a trip to the medicine cat den. The rushing rapids above her head drowned her ears, as she tried desperately to not let her claws unsheathe. Bristleback knew that she would be able to knock him off due to her bigger size and muscles, but she needed to catch her breath. "How- fucking dare you. Get off of me, you piece of shit!" she coughed through, as attempts to get up were unsuccessful. However, she knew she just needed to wait for the right moment to try again. |
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Post by tor on Jul 10, 2024 12:33:16 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/wK7htP1/kestrel~png Between the blood roaring in his ears and the rapids rushing nearby, Kestrelthorn could hardly hear anything. He couldn't even make out his own thoughts. Bristleback writhed under his hold, shouting something he couldn't parse. For a moment, it seemed he might have won. She couldn't move, couldn't escape. He pressed down harder to keep her in place and again felt the urge to unsheathe his claw rise up. He choked it down. Murder wasn't his style. And though Bristleback was awful sometimes, she didn't deserve to die because of his short temper, or because of who her father was. Instead of striking, Kestrelthorn used what strength he had under his mottled pelt to keep his cousin pinned. "Listen," he said, lips twisted up in a wretched snarl, the expression ugly and full of disgust. "Say whatever you want about me. I know I'm a piece of shit." There were few things that didn't remind him of that. "But Owlheart doesn't deserve your crap. He's trying." Not that Bristleback would ever see that. After all, even Kestrelthorn struggled to see it. They were different, though. Kestrelthorn didn't want to see it. He wanted to see his brother just as bitter and frustrated as he was, because it meant Owlheart might come with him. Instead Owlheart... tried. He tried for RidgeClan. He wanted to be here. Wanted to fix things. Didn't that put him and Bristleback on the same side? "He's fucking trying. And if you can't see that, you're an idiot. An idiot who doesn't deserve a second chance." |
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storms make trees take deeper roots
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Post by cosmic on Nov 7, 2024 20:28:57 GMT -6
#s://i~imgur~com/dwXn8El~png [tw: foul language] Bristleback's breath felt hot as she tried to wiggle out from under the calico tom. She had hoped that the rushing water behind them would drown out anything else her cousin had to say, but it didn't. The pressure from the cat on top of her almost made her cough. She almost anticipated that he would pull his claws out, but that side of the family, violence wasn't their style. She'd argue that it wasn't on her side either, but Bristleback can't deny what happened all those moons ago.
She made out the majority of what he said, but it only made her flatten her ears more.
"I said get the fuck off me!" Bristleback used all her lasting strength to shove the tom back with a rabbit kick. Not enough to knock him down or hurt him, but to make sure she had enough room to rise to her feet.
Her eyes narrowed sharply, almost as if they were shut. She'd never let him see, but the fight to keep any tears from spilling made her eyes burn. Burn more than the fire that she felt burning all over her skin. "You think that you and Owlheart deserve a second chance? More than the rest of us?" Her teeth bared. "Finally, because of your mother and father, you get to feel the same way that your own kin feels!"
The anger made her spiky back more so, as her tail swished with agitation and fury. "Your family abandon us when we were hurting just as much as you all after the war. And you expect us to not do the same? Fuck you, Kestrelthorn. You are the idiot of our family." And with that, she slithered away, the rapids drowning out her footsteps away.
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