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Post by Sand on Oct 8, 2018 21:40:11 GMT -5
finally got this done, I'm sorry for the wait o: anyways, we can figure things out & rp here.
PLOT ONE -When the medicine cat, CAT A, of canon SkyClan decides to seek revenge on their leader, Ystar, everything is planned accordingly. Little does the deputy know, who is assigned to night patrol, that the medicine cat has planned a murder. When curiosity and suspicions get the better of them, the deputy, CAT B, follows the two. Unexpectedly, they see the medicine cat assassinate their leader before they are caught by the killer, who strikes up a deal. As long as the deputy keeps quiet and helps with the leader’s demise, the medicine cat will never mention it to the clan. Blackmail is held over the deputy’s head in exchange for silence.
[ we can decide the clan(s) & character details for this plot ] Cat A: Shrikethorn (@alias ) Cat B: Sloebranch (Sand )
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2018 19:48:22 GMT -5
hey there. i am so sorry it took me this long to finally get back on my feet again--exams took a lot out of me, and i just got over being super super ill. i'm finally feeling like myself again, though, and i've finally got an evening to myself to catch up on roleplaying.
Shrikethorn: a sleek, slender, and seemingly meek she-cat with a short, plushy cream coat, tinged with tan, with chocolate brown pointing at her face, ears, and tail. she has a splash of pure white on her muzzle and chest. her eyes are a clear shade of light blue. her features are very feminine and delicate, and she's on the smaller end of average as far as size is concerned. her personality seems fitting to her body: for the most part, she's reserved, watchful, and meek. don't be fooled, though--if you get her going, you may be surprised to learn that she's got quite a lot to say, and it isn't always what you'd expect.
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Post by Sand on Oct 27, 2018 19:00:00 GMT -5
No need to apologize, I completely understand :-) take all the time you need to recover, I'm usually always around.
give me a moment to put my character up ~
Sloebranch - Named after his dark pelt, this ebony black tom is known for having a laid back personality and being quite spontaneous. He's thinly built with a sleek black coat which dons a white splotch on his chest. He has pale, friendly green eyes. Sloebranch isn't a poster boy type of deputy. He's mellow and lighthearted with his clanmates, including the leader. However, due to his laid-back nature, he's passive when it comes to reacting to urgent situations. He does his best to allow control and demand kick in, though it's not always instinctive or done by habit.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 14:48:27 GMT -5
of course! take all the time you need :^)
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Post by Sand on Oct 28, 2018 17:07:55 GMT -5
I’ll be done in a few, just trying to find a suffix for him c:
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2018 23:51:00 GMT -5
omg. i literally just saw that you posted your character--forgive me for not checking this page actively enough. anyway! should you start or should i? i just may need a few days to get mine up.
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Post by Sand on Nov 11, 2018 0:12:45 GMT -5
it's okay! I completely understand, I had a huge paper due this week anyways ^^ hmm, I think it'd be okay for you to start considering you're playing the medicine cat? unless you would prefer I start?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2018 0:43:53 GMT -5
oof. hope it went well :^/ oh yeah totally! sure thing. again though, it may take me at least a few days to get to it. another question: i'm cool to make up names for other npc clan cats and the leader, right?
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Post by Sand on Nov 11, 2018 1:08:18 GMT -5
I think it did, all I have to do is submit it. I'm good wih that o:
yes! I'll do the same
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2018 23:30:13 GMT -5
oh my god. i just finished exams. i have been destroyed. (no stress means lots of muse which means i'll reply tomorrow, i pinky promise)
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Post by Sand on Nov 19, 2018 2:17:50 GMT -5
i hope your exams went well! i'm ready for a reply whenever you are.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2018 21:02:54 GMT -5
Shrikethorn in SkyClan territory, consumed by rage.
She waited with her typical austere stillness and patience just outside the leader's den, the very tip of her tail flicking idly as the long moments passed. Her breaths were few, far between, and deep, like sighs--no-one else but her would have known she was expelling as much of the enormous weight of anxiety off her small frame as she could, but as the seconds drew on, its pressing insistence crushed her more and more, like an immense paw on her throat.
A sudden rustling from somewhere behind her startled her; Shrikethorn jumped up to her paws, ears pressed flat against her head, eyes alert and wide. The sight of her was met with good-hearted laughter as her leader stepped into the twilight. "Sorry to keep you waiting out here," Smokestar mewed, kindness and mirth glittering in his deep green eyes. He was named aptly: the unbroken thick mass of grey fur blended into the night, and always reminded her of the looming, foreboding clouds flanking all sides of a wildfire somewhere off in the distance. "I'm ready to head out now. Just had some thinking to do--that's all."
The two started to head off on their usual route--a narrow, meandering path through the back of camp, far away from the prying eyes of other clanmates that just didn't need to listen in or speculate about what their leadership was up to: Smokestar had always preferred privacy over total transparency. It was an unsaid but observed rule, nonetheless. Trying to get any concrete sense out of that tom was like pulling teeth, and for no reason, it seemed to Shrikethorn. Why not give a reason for deciding to send more cats to patrol the borders, or to strictly limit the number of cats allowed to go to Gatherings? The only reason why Shrikethorn was in regular attendance at Gatherings was rather obvious, given her role as a medicine cat, but the leader didn't seem too keen on the fact that he had to allow her to go and participate. The two had never been close, to put it lightly.
Well, no. That wasn't exactly true. They had been quite friendly at one point, but that was a long, long time ago. That time haunted her.
"You seem jumpy today," the leader coolly observed, glancing down at the smaller cat at his side. She didn't lift her eyes from the forest floor to meet his. When a moment passed without an answer, he asked softly, "Did something strange happen? Did anyone say anything to you?"
His question seared like ice on a flame in the medicine cat's chest, but she didn't dare show a hint of weakness in her steady gait alongside her leader. "No," she answered shortly. Smokestar's stride slowed for half a second as he struggled in vain to come up with any kind of reply, but he resumed once more, padding quietly now half a tail behind Shrikethorn. Everything that had happened between them was unspeakable and horrible--she was well aware that he knew the bright, happy she-cat she used to be, all that time ago, and how that vibrance for life was preyed upon and stolen, without consideration, and without remorse.
Even though she sobbed about it all by herself and to the one friend she had in this clan, her old mentor, who sadly passed away many moons ago, nothing had ever snapped in her that made her truly want to take some kind of vengeance against him. Sure, she fantasized about killing him, and watching every life given to him ebb out of a gaping slash in his neck with the same lust in her eyes that he once regarded her with (still did, if she was being perfectly honest), but something about him kept her quiet in her den, sorting herbs and not doing much else. The only thing that changed was the fact that she had the foresight to observe the cycle repeating with a different victim: Shrikethorn watched with unfiltered disgust from her den only a few days ago as he started grooming an apprentice, an eager to please, soon-to-be warrior cat.
And it was then that she decided to take it upon herself that she wouldn't have to see that side of him.
She continued to walk him down the path that lead towards the Whispering Cave, but with all her knowledge of this area and the branches off the path that lead to little clearings in the woods, Shrikethorn suddenly stopped, pricking her ears up, tail twitching. A part of her plan. "Did you hear that?" She whispered urgently, turning to look at the older tom behind her, and she hoped to StarClan that her acting with that drab personality of hers was convincing enough to lure him off to the side.
Smokestar's expression shifted to something more serious. He craned his neck around, swiveling his ears, trying to pick up something that wasn't there. "No, I didn't--what was it?"
"i think it's--something down here," she told him, mews still hushed. "It's no mouse, I know that." Shrikethorn crouched down and started a steady crawl to a darkness just on the other side of a thick bit of underbrush--she knew the area behind it quite well, and it lead to a patch of grass flanked by rocks where she'd come to gather moss and herbs for the den. "This way." With a leap, she cleared the bush, then tucked herself away carefully into the shadows off to the side of the entrance. When her leader naively followed after her she pounced, without a moment's hesitation.
The taste of cat blood in her mouth was sharp and acrid--something she was entirely foreign to, with her job as a healer. Nevertheless she bit and she bit deep, until she felt a snap somewhere between her jaws, and in all honesty, she didn't know what it meant or what it was. Only until she became keenly aware of the claws fighting back against her in her forearm did she finally let go and pull back off the tom, who was staggering for a breath. Shrikethorn was secretly, but pleasantly surprised with herself: blood dripped from his neck and from between his teeth like rich sap flowing out of a tree, glistening with the moonlight above them.
He eventually turned to face her between gasps with sad, shocked eyes, but what chilled her the most was the degree of silent understanding beneath them. "You--you're going to, to kill me--aren't you?" Smokestar managed. He realized he'd walked into the perfect trap of suffering in isolation, and, perhaps if he was keen enough to read into it, it was much like the one he'd put her in for all this time. That great, hulking body of his reeled and shook and crumpled to the ground, coughing and gagging pitifully.
Shrikethorn nodded, then sat down calmly to watch and observe. As much as she thought that doing this would make her feel better, somehow making up for all those moons lost to the dread and the fear and self-loathing and social isolation and not being able to tell anyone, it didn't, but she didn't care much, either way. It didn't move her quite like a sunrise did.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2018 22:36:52 GMT -5
ugh--don't even talk to me about exams. i got absolutely and utterly obliterated this midterm season. but god am i glad to have a break now.
also i'm really glad to have found a motive for shrikethorn? originally i was just going to write her as a deranged and distrustful character, but i feel like this gives her a lot more substance. let me know if it's too edgy or anything--i tried to keep things pretty subtle and implied, if you know what i mean.
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Post by Sand on Nov 21, 2018 19:00:08 GMT -5
breaks are the best, it's like a huge sigh of relief.
aaah, i love the way you write though <3 Shrikethorn sounds like such a fascinating character and it really makes me want to learn what when on between her & Smokestar. I'll get my reply up in a few minutes o:
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2018 22:22:32 GMT -5
honestly though. i feel so stress free and relaxed for the first time in way too long of a time, imo. oh thanks dude! honestly no pressure to match length exactly or anything--i was just sorta spitballing there? anyway. i have a super tragic past in mind for her that i'm sure will gradually come to light, so. stay tuned!
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Post by Sand on Nov 23, 2018 22:18:17 GMT -5
Sloebranch .. SkyClan territory
Sloebranch wasn't the type to stray from his duties, if to do anything that wasn't in the rulebook at all. He was laid back, sure, but that didn't mean he wasn't loyal. He loved SkyClan very much, just as much as he cared for his clanmates too. However, tonight was a different tale. One that made his guts churn like a twister, paranoia wrapping its hands around his throat. He could not back out now, it was too late.
For some time now, he had been following Shrikethorn, SkyClan's medicine cat and Smokestar, their leader. The medicine cat's recent behavior had piqued his interests and, because of that, he found it very troublesome to pull himself away from the newly found task at paw. He should have been guarding the camp with one of the few senior warriors, though he knew they wouldn't notice his depart due to the fact they always fell asleep as soon as they posted themselves at the entrance of the camp.
He carefully treaded through the undergrowth, his breaths hushed and light as the pair before him made their way down to the Whispering Cave. From what Sloebranch knew, there was no half moon or full moon in sight yet, so his suspicions rose again. However, he needed to remind himself they could just be having a very private conversation together and that they didn't want the rest of the clan knowing of it. Yet that struck him as odd and out of character for Smokestar, though he didn't know the tom as well as Shrikethorn did. He had no place to be judging the two, but what if it was something scandalous? Something against the warrior code?
No, that couldn't be a possibility, could it? Now was not the time to dwell on a forbidden romance anyways, and even if it was a possibility, the black feline would find a way to uncover it properly.
Then again, what he was doing right now wasn't so proper either.
The sudden sound of a feline clearing a bush brought him back to his senses as his faint green eyes popped above a fern bush, his body encased in the plant. Before he could even blink, Shrikethorn had pounced on Smokestar and began biting and attacking the leader. He was, to say the least, baffled by the medicine cat's actions. He wasn't sure that intervening would be the best decision seeing that Shrikethorn was much powerful and stronger than expected. Smokestar, on the other paw, was strong but not strong enough to hold off the sudden ambush which was quickly leading to his demise.
He could overhear the leaders pleads before he saw his body reel, shake, and crumple to the ground within heartbeats. The deputy tried to hold back the violent shakes and nausea that swelled in his throat, but what good would that do? He saw his clan's medicine cat murder their leader, in cold blood. He couldn't move yet he knew he needed to move. Shrikethorn needed to be aware of his appearance and that he had seen everything from beginning to end.
Warily, he slipped out of the fern bush as he did his best to compose himself. Hopefully Shrikethorn wouldn't go after him next or suspect his fear which he was trying to hide. His green eyes peeled away from Smokestar's body before reaching the medicine cat, who was sitting completely still in a calm state.
"Shrikethorn...?" he meowed obliviously, pelt growing hot from uneasiness. All he could do now was hope and wait for some sort of progress that preferably wouldn't get him killed.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2018 22:56:54 GMT -5
Shrikethorn in SkyClan territory. terrified.
The very nature of what she'd done required an unusually precise attention to detail to get away with it (but, did she really care about the result if he ended up dead regardless?), and the medicine cat thought she had explored every possibility: both a hunting party and a patrol had been sent out in the early evening and would be returning sometime soon, apprentices were winding down for the night, as were elders, and the queens were always preoccupied with their kits. Everyone seemed to have a duty at the fateful time that Shrikethorn had summoned Smokestar to her den. She didn't anticipate much going wrong; she was known for being thorough.
It didn't occur to her that something could go wrong until she heard her deputy's voice break through Smokestar's ragged breathing and the furious, excited pounding of her own heart in her ears.
She whipped around to face him with eyes as wide as the moon above them all, ears flat, tail low and twitching. Oh, no. The mangled, twisted expression of pain and confusion on his face said it all. StarClan, no. She couldn't have thought of a worse witness: such a kind and benign presence in SkyClan, mellowing out their leader's more fiery personality. His judgement was brewing. No, no, no no--he just doesn't understand. Her small heart raced underneath her glossy, now bloodstained pelt, as she thought of all the wrong and right things to tell him to exonerate her for what had very obviously just happened here.
"It's--there's more to what you're seeing," she gasped, voice small. When she spoke she became acutely aware of the way the taste of blood lingered in her mouth, in her teeth, stuck to her fur and warm. It occurred to her in that moment that she was going to have to go for her leader's throat more than just this one time to finish him off for good, leaving that pitiful deputy standing before her, Sloebranch, as leader.
Smokestar's last movement caught Shrikethorn's watchful eye; she waited for him to go completely still before continuing to speak. After a long sigh, she continued on. "You just... Won't be able to understand. I'm not going to try and lie about what happened, but, you just--know that Smokestar did terrible things. Horrible things. He didn't deserve his life any longer." She paused, the slightly crazed look in her eyes turning hostile. "But you aren't going to say a thing about this, Sloebranch. I won't let you. I can't. I'm not wrong in doing this."
"I won't be able to stop you if you do, though," she mewed in a low, steady tone, continuing on. Her paws were trembling with nervous energy. "No. The only reason why Smokestar's like--that, is because I caught him by surprise. I can't do that to you, not now. But there's something you did that I know about." Shrikethorn met the deputy's eyes, her gaze deep, penetrating. "I think, in a time like this, when a Clan so suddenly loses their leader, that they don't need another source of, how should I put this? Disturbance."
She let the silence persist for a few unbearably quiet moments. "You and I both know. Don't make me share it."
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2018 23:08:25 GMT -5
eh, i left the blackmail piece open to your interpretation/worldbuilding. i hope whatever secret he's keeping is a juicy one >:^)
mm, i'm really falling in love with shrikethorn's character. god, she's so conflicted and tragic, but i love the dynamic between old and new personality (and newfound power, too) in her personality. i've even been toying around with an angsty little personality playlist for her (listen if you're ever that bored! i think i have good taste lmao) - flicker: lorde, kanye west rework - lake of fire & jesus doesn't want me for a sunbeam: nirvana - jocelyn flores: xxxtentacion (explicit lyrics) - back pack: andrew jackson jihad && that's all i got. enjoy at your leisure! if you want
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Post by Sand on Dec 4, 2018 20:39:53 GMT -5
I'll take a look at the songs, will reply to Shrikethorn when I can since I've reached the end of my semester and am working on final projects.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2018 0:09:35 GMT -5
no worries at all and no rush from my end—get your important things done, and do well, too!
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Post by Sand on Dec 5, 2018 12:20:52 GMT -5
Thank you! I hope things are well on you end too ^^
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Post by Sand on Dec 12, 2018 1:10:36 GMT -5
so, currently writing my reply-- do we want this to take place in the OG clans or not? other option would be our own clans or I can just change the secret. the idea I had for Sloebranch's secret is weak, but basically:
there was a big, bad battle and Sloebranch, unintentionally, killed a leader or deputy of another clan but it's seen as murder by many cats. so, shrikethorn could be one that sees it as murder, and obviously, the other clan would think the same too.
thoughts?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2018 18:44:30 GMT -5
uhmm. i think we had agreed this was going to take place in canon skyclan with npc's that we made up ourselves, so, uh. og clans! hmm. like you said it is a bit weak, but it's not the worst possible thing you could've come up with. just sitting here though, i came up with a few spicier/darker ones: - sloebranch lied about how a former apprentice of his died (maybe it was entirely preventable? maybe it was caused by neglect?) - your typical romance outside the clan ish - allowing a kit outside of the clan camp (big no no) resulted in their death? maybe lied about that? - yeah that's all i got
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Post by Sand on Dec 12, 2018 18:53:31 GMT -5
My memory score rn: 0/10. I'm down with the canon SkyClan though-- I def prefer it
oooh, good ol' forbidden romance.. hmm. I like the former apprentice one! I'd think neglect would be an interesting way to go about it.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2018 22:48:54 GMT -5
heh, no worries--it's been quite a semester. that sounds good! okie doke! i'm all good with that, and i totally agree. it'd create an interesting tension in the clan, since you can't really hate a youngin'. plus, that poor apprentice's siblings/parents... yike
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Post by Sand on Dec 12, 2018 23:45:15 GMT -5
his parents probs wanna take sloebranch out, ngl. okay, time to edit the end of the reply and it'll be up in like 10 mins top
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Post by Sand on Dec 13, 2018 0:12:58 GMT -5
Sloebranch .. in SkyClan territory, beyond any emotion possible
Each and every limb wavered as Sloebranch slowly tried to come to an understanding with what he had... stumbled upon. Smokestar was either half dead or half alive, which he wasn't sure of, and then there was Shrikethorn. Her pelt was bloodstained, drips of dark crimson liquid left her maw as soon as she spoke... it was unbelievable.
"It's-- there's more to what you're seeing..."
Oh, how he wish he could believe Shrikethorn right here and now. But he didn't and he wish he knew why.
How could two cats, ones he thought were the most loyal to the clan, end up in such a disaster? Smokestar had to be gone by now which meant that.. Shrikethorn had to have done something to cause this. Or at least it appeared like she did; her appearance gave more hints than he wanted to see right now. Bile rose in the tom's throat, his eyes growing even larger when he felt the urge to release it. Panicked, he whipped around rapidly before retching behind the closest fern bush. The blood, the body, the suspicions that swirled through his minds... It was all too much. He couldn't take it, he couldn't take it. He wanted to stay where he was right now, retching behind a bush, feeling queasy with each passing, rapid heartbeat.
For StarClan's sake, why... Just why did he had to get involved in something he would have never imagined nor want any part of? Retching for a final time or what felt like it would be the last for a few minutes, he swiped his paw across his maw. He then faced the medicine cat, eyes glowering with tumult. "I won't be able to understand? Are you senseless, Shrikethorn?! I just... I just saw you murder Smokestar! You murdered our leader, in front of a deputy-- his deputy! Do you know how... how reprehensible that is?" he uttered, trying to put some words together. His pale colored gaze would not leave Smokestar's limp body which would slip away any time now. He didn't, no, he couldn't watch his leader slip away from him and their clan. "Whatever he had done was no reason for you to kill him with your own paws! StarClan takes care of that, not us... especially not a medicine cat."
The medicine cat had caught him completely off-guard when her gaze flashed hostility. He knew Shrikethorn was a quick thinker, but as soon as she opened her maw and began to demand the black tom reset his mind as if nothing transpired between the cream and chocolate she-cat and Smokestar, stunned him. There was no way in StarClan's presence this was happening-- that this entire situation was a prank of some sort, though he knew, oh he know so well, that it was not.
Whatever this... bribe was, the deputy hadn't moved out of his place even while Shrikethorn's paws trembled nervously. He should had left by now and informed the clan, but no, he was still here and petrified of what would come next. Shrikethorn could attack him and claim that he and Smokestar went out for a late night stroll, ran into some rogues or a fox, and were found dead by the dawn patrol. She could get away with it too, easily.
"Are you sure about that-- catching him by surprise? Was it planned from the beginning?" he inquired, tail lashing behind him angrily. His green eyes shone of despair and dread knowing that if Shrikethorn knew something, he would end up like Smokestar soon at any moment now and if not then, it would be soon. The silence sank into his heart and stomach, where they barely felt afloat. "Disturbance? Look, Elmpaw wasn't supposed to die... He was completely fine the entire time before the accident, I swear! All of it, the fact he fell off the Skyrock... it wasn't anyone's fault, it was a mistake. He wasn't supposed to fall, he shouldn't have stood behind me! I told him not to..."
Sloebranch wasn't better off than Shrikethorn. His first apprentice, Elmpaw, died tragically, in attempt to scale Skyrock and scour the territory for a good hunting spot. Instead, Sloebranch was too preoccupied with keeping an eye out for prey and before he knew it, he had bumped into Elmpaw who then lost his grip on the rock. He then wailed for Sloebranch to pull him up, but the deputy didn't. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe-- he was physically paralyzed. Elmpaw had nothing left to hold onto and violently tumbled down the cliffside. All he did was watch. He didn't budge from his position that was only inches from his young apprentice. There was nothing he could do, right? He couldn't pull the tiny piebald back to safety without descending down the cliffside to his death. So, selfishly, he didn't react and watched the young tom brutally plummet to his death.
Sloebranch was lucky enough that his body hadn't gone further down than what he and his clanmates could reach. He returned to camp as fast as possible, explained to Smokestar that Elmpaw was missing and he couldn't find him in the last place he saw him-- the cliffside. No patrols were close by to help him out, so his only hope was the cats who were still in camp. A patrol quickly went to find Elmpaw with Sloebranch following, but by the time they looked over the craggy edge... all the was left was the small apprentice's lifeless body along with jagged shreds of rock.
It was Sloebranch's fault and he knew it, but he blamed it on the Skyrock's conditions that day and, from what he knew, every bit of the lie was believed and forgotten after the days of mourning Elmpaw. But now... it seemed that Shrikethorn knew more than what was told and that in itself terrified him.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2018 19:23:18 GMT -5
(hello i plan on replying very soon! i'm just tired from traveling)
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Post by Sand on Dec 22, 2018 16:56:56 GMT -5
Take your time!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 20:45:53 GMT -5
Shrikethorn in SkyClan territory. grasping at straws.
When she had first implied the bit of information that only Sloebranch was supposed to know, the medicine cat didn't know whether or not it would be sufficient enough to give her a chance to squirm out of this. But when she saw the shade in his eyes change from fear to dread and despair, watching his tail lash more quickly in uncertainty, Shrikethorn knew that she was definitely going to be able to use this situation to her benefit.
"Yes, this was all... Planned," she admitted to him, voice soft in the event they had another lurking observer, "For reasons that are for me to know, and me only. He knew, too. He should've seen this coming," Shrikethorn opened her mouth to continue on, but she thought better of it. This wasn't the right cat to share it all with, even with how kind and forthcoming the deputy could be. Perhaps, there would be a better time sometime in the future where she could comfortably bear her soul to him, but it wasn't like she owed him much right now. She'd already been quite honest.
The she cat's gaze turned more steely as Sloebranch defended himself: she was able to see right through him. Even if she hadn't been there to witness the situation directly, something about it didn't seem right from the very beginning, with an apprentice as old as Elmpaw was, bless his little soul. They had a brief visit during one of her trips to StarClan at the Whispering Cave, and, to say the absolute least, Sloebranch wasn't being very upfront with the situation.
She flicked an ear, holding eye contact with the tom. "You and I both know that's not exactly how it happened." Shrikethorn paused, rising to her paws. "You normal Clan cats seem to forget something quite often. Dead cats can speak too, you know," she continued on, padding towards the tom, passing by their fallen leader's motionless body with forced nonchalance. "One needs a certain set of skills to be able to listen to what they have to say, though. I have those skills."
Shrikethorn stopped only half a tail length from the deputy's face. "I think it would benefit the both of us if we could strike some kind of mutual deal," she proposed, tone serious, inflectionless. "A you groom me, I groom you, sort of thing. A pact of silence." She paused again. "If you speak about me, I will not hesitate to speak about you. What do you think?"
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