Twolegged Place for Five-Clan Rp |☾ ☼ ϟ ≈ ☁|

hi))

Cricket whirled around the corner of the alley, narrow eyes locked onto the rat he chased. He dug his claws into the stone beneath him, propelling himself forward that he could swat the rat's legs and trip it up. Once the rat stumbled and rolled, Cricket was on it, killing it with a swift bite to the neck. He inhaled deeply to catch his breath, looking down at the rat with a light gleam in his eyes. The tom's gray fur was more mottled than usual, his white paws covered in the muck of the twoleggedplace. Yet, he easily sat down and started cleaning them, ears tilting for the sounds of the alley. Monsters whizzed by on nearby thunderpaths, but he paid them no notice. Once his paws were clean, Cricket picked up the rat and turned back down the alley, easily jumping a few dumpsters to head back to Indigo's and Fiona's.

Indigo and Fiona. Cricket had to admit, he had owed those two a lot. They taught him the tricks around here, taught him how to survive in the rough alleys and unforgiving streets. But most of all, they didn't expect so much out of him. Sure his first few weeks were rough, jumping at every shadow and sound, but learned the lay of the land. Fiona and Indigo were patient with him and didn't press too much into why he left his Clan. Cricket never had been able to correct them that his name was really Cricketsun, but out here he wasn't a warrior. So, he didn't really mind.

Cricket took a deep breath when he jumped up on the roof of an abandoned twoleg nest. He had grown more comfortable in these filthy streets than he had ever in ThunderClan's luscious forest. He was more confident in himself, didn't feel the pressures of mounting up to the expectations of the Clan. No one cared that he was coward out here. No one cared that he was half-clan and no one compared him to his siblings or his parents. Cricket shook out his pelt and kept walking along the roof, unafraid of the deadly drop right next to him. He did it enjoy out here. It wasn't so crowded as ThunderClan, all he had to worry about were Indigo and Fiona, most cats just left them alone unless a fight for food broke out. Yet, ThunderClan still itched at the back of his mind. Bloompelt, his kin. He had left without saying a word to them. Shadestar would never let me come back. Cricket shook the thoughts of the Clan from his mind. He had to focus on the here and now. Nothing could change what had happened and honestly, he didn't want it too. This life suited him much better than anything he could amount up too in ThunderClan.

Cricket paused at the edge of the roof, looking down at the small ledge just below it. A few jumps to that ledge, a lamp, and a dumpster, and he was back on the ground safe and sound. He even carried his rat with his head held high, striding all the way back to Indigo's and Fiona's.

Cricket jumped up on another dumpster, flicking his ear in the frustration that he had journeyed further from Indigo's and Fiona's home than he originally anticipated. A pang of hunger pricked at his stomach, but he ignored. He caught this rat for all three of them, not just himself. The former warrior jumped up along a fence and easily padded along it. Yet, movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. Cricket briefly glanced over at a cat, pinning him as another loner in the twoleggedplace. However, he did a double-take. The tom started and froze in his tracks when he recognized Sparrowstrike. StarClan! What was he doing here?! Cricket looked around the alley. With the rat in his face, he couldn't pick up any scents, so instead, he searched for visible signs. Had Shadestar sent a patrol after him?! Was Sparrowstrike here to kill him?! THey weren't going to drag him back...were they?!

Cricket flattened his ears when Sparrowstrike stopped. He glanced down the other side of the fence. Surely, he could get away without the tom noticing him. He couldn't let him drag him back to ThunderClan. Cricket slowly moved along the fence, if he just made a few more steps without being spotted, he could jump down onto a trashcan on the other side of the fence and avoid Sparrowstrike all together. I'll have to warn Indigo and Fiona that ThunderClan patrols are in the twoleggedplace.

Cricket flinched heavily when Sparrowstrike spotted him. His heartrate immediately jumped and instead of listening to what the tom had said, he darted away. Cricket leaped down from the fence, not using the trashcan to ease himself and bolted down the alleyway.

Cricket flattened his ears, glancing over his shoulder in panic when he realized that Sparrowstrike was following him. However, the words that he spoke brought a doubt to Cricket's heart. Just wanted to know who he was? Didn't Sparrowstrike know? He was sent here to drag him back, wasn't he? Cricket's gaze glanced up at an upcoming fire-escape on the side of one of the tall twoleg nests. Using a trashcan and a stack of crates, Cricket bounded up to the fire-escape. His actions dislodged the top crate that it fell and made Cricket unreadable. Cricket paused once atop the escape and looked back at Sparrowstrike, rat still in jaw and breath heaving.

Cricket kept his ears back. Unsure whether or not to believe the tom. Cricketsun. StarClan, he hadn't been called that name in a long time. Uncertainty wavered in his eyes and he felt like he was right back in ThunderClan's camp, fumbling over what words he should say. That made him pause. I'm not in ThunderClan anymore. Out here, he was Cricket. He was a loner who knew how to survive the twolegedplace. Cricket set his rat down in front of him. He took a deep breath to spur his courage and looked back at Sparrowstrike, his voice blunter and firmer than it had ever been. "It's Cricket now, and I'm not going back."

Cricket flinched at the mention of Bloompelt; however, everything within him suddenly stopped. "What?" His jaw hung open. Bloompelt was pregnant?! Since when?! He hadn't--They didn't--but it was--StarClan have mercy. "You're lying!" Cricket lashed his tail. He couldn't trust Sparrowstrike. Sparrowstrike was Shadestar's little pet! And Shadestar was a cruel leader! There was no length that Shadestar wouldn't go too to prove his dominion over ThunderClan. He just wants to punish me for leaving. Cricket grit his teeth. "You're not going to trick me into going back, Sparrowstrike." He eyed the wound on the other tom. "Go back to ThunderClan before you get yourself killed out here. Tell Shadestar I'm dead, you finished me off, I don't care. Just find the rest of your patrol, head back to ThunderClan, and don't ever come back."

Cricket stared down at Sparrowstrike for long and silent moments. His pelt prickled with unease. How could he trust what Sparrowstrike was saying? Sparrowstrike had never been kind to him in the past. Yet, the tom did appear rather broken, and it was easier to believe that Shadeclaw was influenced by the Dark Forest rather than StarClan. Northstar and Swiftstar both respected Lightningstar, and if the Dark Forest was involved, they would no doubt come to anyone's aid to rid the forest of it. Cricket flicked his tail and grit his teeth. NO. Sparrowstrike couldn't be right. If he was then...then he...

He just left Bloompelt alone and carrying his kits.

Cricket swallowed down his anxiousness. How scared she must have been, she must be. His kits? His kits?! StarClan, he wasn't ready to be a father, he barely had any courage. Cricket's heart skipped a beat in panic. Was Bloompelt okay? If she was scared that would put stress on the kits, right? Make the birthing process more difficult? Isn't that what Peachdapple once said?

The former warrior glanced down at the crates he knocked over. His safest way down would be to travel up the fire-escape until he reached a ledge with proper footholds to climb down. Cricket flattened his ears. Leaving the rat where it was, he jumped to the crates, no hesitation in his actions. Upon the landing, the nerves in his paws strained and splintered like lightning. Cricket ignored it and bounded down right next to Sparrowstrike, shoving him to his feet. "Get up. You're coming with me back to ThunderClan."

(I gtg for the night!)

Sparrow hissed loudly as the wound was struck, and for a moment his claws extended in preperation to return the strike back tenfold. The orders reminded him of Shadeclaw, and a coil of rage burned in him. He controlled himself though, glaring darkly at Cricketsun.
“I don’t take orders from you, or anyone, got that? Act tough all you want, but you’re still a deserter too.”

He shook his pelt, ignoring his wound now as he sighed heavily. He really didn’t want to go anywhere near Thunderclan, but his heart still stung at the idea of his family, and of Bloompelt doing everything all alone. She...she had always been kind to him.

“I’ll go then, but only for Bloompelt’s sake, not yours. And to prove to your foolish self that I’m not lying. Keep your paws and orders to yourself, Cricketsun. Let’s go then.” He grumbled, lashing his tail and storming away from the other tom.

“Nobody said you were staying. I could care less what you do.” Sparrow barked sharply, padding onwards.
“Who knows. Maybe Bloompelt’ll send you running for leaving her behind. I wouldn’t blame her, I mean I told everyone when I left exactly why I was leaving. You, I admit, were certainly brave to drop everything and just go.” Sparrow gave a small snicker.
“And to think I once cared so much that you left. Starclan, what an idiot I was. Thunderclan’s a mess anyway. Always has been...” He seemed to be pushing away how deeply he missed it, but he did still hold resentment for the clan itself too.

Was that truly his thoughts though, or did Shadeclaw’s propaganda still taint every corner of his mind? What thoughts were truly his own? He narrowed his eyes, continuing on towards the fence. Navigating around here had gotten easier over the few moons he had stayed.

“I didn’t just get here. I’m not stupid. I know this place well enough too. I don’t need you guiding me, or telling me what to do.” Sparrow bounded quickly after him, climbing up and balancing on the fence with a sneer.
“Pretty sure you’re the one who’s better at falling behind, oh brave loner.” He rolled his eyes, following after the other tom. The idea of going back on Thunderclan territory made his paws itch with discomfort.

He had to know something though.
“Why didn’t you tell Bloompelt you were leaving? Or your family?”

“I mean, maybe she would have gone with you, you know? She seems like she’d pick you over everyone.” Sparrow continued, his voice now a bit envious yet still sparking with faint sadness. He flicked his tail.
“You uh...you were good, cats liked you. You weren’t bad, like Shadeclaw or...or me. I guess you like this place better, then. Aren’t you lonely though?” He asked.