humiliated. great. (open)

[cloudspots]

cloudspots;;

the cream and ginger tom sprang down hard on the blackbird that was now clutched in his paws. long, charcoal feathers bounced around in a flurry as cloudspots ended the bird's life with a quick nip to the neck. it was effortless, like shoeing away a fly. he was just going through the motions lately. he was near the camp, but felt like he was miles away. in reality, the camp entrance was only a few short fox-tails from his position in the woods. he was not really giving any thought, but just ... doing. there was no effort that went into catching the prey for the Clan. it just happened. like everything in life, it had to be done, or there would be no future. cloudspots sighed as he bent down and picked up the dead bird in his mouth. the beak pricked at his jaw a bit, but he didn't mind enough to move it. padding to the edge of the forest, cloudspots dropped the bird and dug a quick hole in the dirt below his pads. tucking the bird safely away from his return after the rest of his hunt, the stocky tom looked up toward the sky. it wasn't quite sunny, but not cloudy either. it was like the sky had ruled in a compromise, that for one day each of the types of weather could have a spot. tiny blooming buds dotted the treeline of the forest, each one about to open, but not quite ready yet. some patches of ice and snow inhabited the ground in the morning, but eventually melted back to reveal small patches of brown mud that cloudspots avoided without fail. he hated getting dirty.

i need to get going... cloudspots rushed off into the bracken and trees, scenting the air as he went for any scents that might bring about another hunt. there was nothing at this point, but cloudspots still rushed through the woods, trying to find something to bring back to ashclan. slowing to a soft trot, cloudspots cocked his head to the side and looked around the clearing. why am i moving so fast. i am not in a hurry for anything... his thoughts had been so jumbled lately that he hadn't really taken the time to smell the flowers. his late mate, amberlight, had recently died, leaving him with two kits that were at the age of becoming apprentices. how was he going to deal with it? he was their role model now. to owlkit and brightkit, he was all that they had. he realized how his own past had been the same way, how his mother had died when he was about the age of an apprentice. it brought sadness to his mind, and he padded forward.

hunting seemed to lighten his nerves, and it made him feel useful to bring food back to the camp. if he came back empty handed, what would they think? that he was out doing something strange? mingling with the suffragettes? no, he would never do that. shaking his head to clear his thoughts, cloudspots realized that he had stumbled into a thick mud puddle. splashes of brown ran up his creamy socks and he looked down in horror at his foolishness. rolling his eyes and backing up out of the mess, he shook out his whole body. "Great." cloudspots exclaimed sarcastically in a whisper. at least nobody had seen him. his head snapped up into the woods. well at least he hoped nobody had seen him. backing up a bit into the trees, he spotted a squirrel out of the corner of his green orbs and turned toward it, and squatted down into a hunter's crouch. oh, how everything began again. everything had a circle. he pounced at the squirrel, and ended its life with a quick bite to the vertebrae. mud splashed along the squirrel's hide, but he carried it off to be buried for later anyway, not minding to clean it off at all. it was dead anyway. it didn't matter if the squirrel was humiliated by being dirty.

puppet;; cloudspots
muse;; good
count;; 652
directed towards;; open
notes;; brightkit and owlkit will be up for adoption soon...

[нązə .paw]

_______________________The feline was a Haze of dusty Paws .!

Live for today,
because yesterday already happened,
and tomorrow may never come.

Apprentice of Ashclan .!____________________________

Things were so... tense. The Suffragettes were making an uprising, they were going stronger, larger, more so threatening. It seemed the whole of Ashclan were tense, waiting for the strike. Most of the females had left to join these rebels, and the ones that remained? Well, they were either content with their life-style, feared living without the protection of toms, or simply did not want to become an enemy to Ashclan. Hazepaw herself felt rather out of place. Blackpaw was to join the Suffragettes, though Hazepaw was undecided herself. Sure, it would be great if she cats earned the respect they deserved. But what if they were going the wrong way about it? What if they failed. Hazepaw certainly didn't want to be seen as a trespasser in her home land.

Despite all this, everyone seemed to be holding their breath. Many of the toms did not like huntresses, they were often headstrong. Much of the female numbers, mostly as huntresses, had dwindled, but Hazepaw remained. She wondered if she were to be looked down upon even more, because she was a young huntress. What if the toms thought she was a spy for the suffragettes. Topaz eyes grew round in disbelief as a shiver snaked up Hazepaw's spine. They wouldn't. What harm could I possibly do?

As much as Hazepaw told herself this, she wasn't convinced. And with a long, hesitant sigh, the pale brown tabby slipped from camp to wonder the territory in careful though. Should she join the Suffragettes? Hazepaw wanted just as much to be part of this change as the other she cats, but she couldn't imagine life where Ashclan were her enemies. The felines she'd been raised with. Again, a shudder rolled along the petite she cat.

Quickening her pace, Hazepaw broke into a bound, she wasn't sure where she was running, or how far. She just wanted to run, as though she could flee from the thoughts that constantly bounced about her skull, like a whispering wind snaking through her ears. Shouldering through a thicket of bramble, Hazepaw broke into the open, freeing her frame of the gripping vines. The she cat plunged forward, only to near collide with another feline. A tom.

Yelping, Hazepaw leaped away, lost her footing among the snow and mud, and was sent sprawling. With a huff, the young she cat was stunned for a heart beat before slowly rising to her paws. Mud caked her pelt as she shook it vigorously, splattering sludgy droplets in a fray. Her pelt was left a deep chocolate brown, bristling in all directions under the gel-like mud. Weary apology flashed across the apprentice's face as she turned to Cloudspots. His own paws were painted with the mud, however Hazepaw preyed he would be mad. "Uh, sorry, Cloudspots." The she cat meowed softly. Unlike most proud-run huntresses, Hazepaw knew when to hold her tongue, and she wasn't about to go picking fights with warriors, not while the up rise of the she cats were in place.

[cloudspots]

cloudspots;;

he could smell her before she ran into him. stupid females, they could never use their brain or their nose. and to make it worse, here was a little huntress apprentice, running into him in the middle of the forest. and the area of rendezvous just happened to be on the way to the suffragette territory. interesting.
cloudspots looked down at the young femme, eyes narrowing in a serious gaze as he tried to calm himself. he didn't like cats in his personal space, especially female apprentices. he just didn't understand the role in the clan. yes, they got the food, but that was the only thing they were good for. he couldn't understand their not wanting to fulfill the usual female duties of having kits. it didn't seem all that bad to him, not that he would ever lower himself to feel sorry for them. he just lived by tradition, lived by how his parents lived and how his ancestors before them lived. it had always been this way, yet why would there be all of these headstrong young females wanting to break out of that mold. did they like displeasing their elders, and their own ancestors? it didn't seem so great to him.
he observed the young cat, eyes running over her scared body. it was Hazepaw, an apprentice he had seen in the camp this morning, but why would she be out here on her own in the woods, without her huntress mentor? surely she wouldn't be out on a hunting mission alone; the huntresses always went out in large groups. he kept glaring at her, and then addressed her. "What are you doing out here in the woods, pretty child? Surely there is no reason for me to punish you?"
by punishment, he meant a plethora of things. she was a little young for him, and the emotions from amberlight's past death were still bubbling up inside him. he took a breath to calm down. at least he could harass her a little, and scare her a lot. he wanted to use his power to his full potential, none of this effeminate mercy stuff now. he shook some of the mud off of him, and kept staring down the tiny she-cat.
she was caked in mud, more so than him, and he couldn't help asking her, "Taking a mud bath, I presume?" she wouldn't tell anyone about their encounter, except for some of the rebellious youth in the apprentice den, so he would have as much fun with her as he could without getting caught. he had way too much energy, and after stepping in the mud moments ago, and with this female apprentice nearly running in to him, he didn't have the patience to be nice. well, he was not ever particularly nice. he would take his time with this one.
cloudspots sat down in front of the scared hazepaw, and glared at her until she answered.

puppet;; cloudspots
muse;; ehh
count;; 492.
directed towards;; hazepaw && open
notes;; ehh lets have some fun here. a little female harrassment to try to push hazepaw to leave the clan? sounds fun. haha

[нązə .paw]

_______________________The feline was a Haze of dusty Paws .!

Live for today,
because yesterday already happened,
and tomorrow may never come.

Apprentice of Ashclan .!____________________________

The warrior fixed the she cat with a harsh glare, though he didn't react with snarls as Hazepaw would have expected. The young huntress shuffled her paws, gaze flickering to the damp ground. Hazepaw itched to inch away, or rather dash away. She didn't want to be around Cloudspots, or anyone really. But Hazepaw was, in fact, a huntress-to-be, and as an apprentice, she didn't really have the right to walk away. Being female didn't help either. Great.

It was then that the warrior spoke up again, pale tabby ears flicked forward, taking in his words before the she cat reluctantly let her gaze rise back to Cloudspots. "No, no, Cloudspots. I just wanted to go for a walk, some quiet time." Hazepaw meowed softly, though she wasn't too confident in herself. But what she spoke was the truth, and with any luck, the tom would see that. "And maybe a little hunting." Hazepaw added quietly, so it didn't seem she was completely wasting time.

Again, the apprentice fell into silence, she felt uncomfortable, to be masked in mud, and of course to be stuck with Cloudspots. A pale ringed tail twitched anxiously as Hazepaw tucked herself low in on herself, pulling her paws close to as she sat down. Maybe if Hazepaw didn't look keen to fight back, he'd get bored, or had some patients with her. Maybe.

It was then that the warrior spoke up again. A weak smile painted across Hazepaw's muzzle, though it was a show. None of the light touched her eyes, or the enthusiasm seemed to lack, but it was better than nothing. "Something like that." The she cat replied in a one time shot to seem light hearted with this tom. "What were you doing, out here?" Hazepaw chimed curiously, topaz eyes never straying from the tom. It wasn't necessarily that she was questioning him, rather hoping for a change of subject.

[cloudspots]

cloudspots;;

she started to back off, as if scared, or just trying to show that she wasn't worth the time. cloudspots let a little grin cross his maw, and quickly wiped it off. he hated showing emotions. he was known as that one cat that hid from happiness, and glanced seriously at sadness. there wasn't much that could upset him, and if there was, he rarely let anybody know about it. he usually kept to himself, yet if he got angry, he could snap at any minute. there was never knowning with cloudspots what he was going to do next. which was why hazepaw should be afraid, and not inching backwards as he interrogated her. what was the fun if she ran away? anyway, she didn't have the rights to do that. she was a female...what did they own? nothing. he smiled a bit again, but it didn't show in his eyes.
and when she answered him, cloudspots was a bit confused. i hope she knows what she is getting herself into...she seems so naive. he thought, a bit puzzled. huntinng? without her huntress mentor? why would she be out doing that? and without permission from feverstar, most likely. he distrusted the apprentice, not believing her lies for one minute. his rose, towering over the apprentice. "Do you expect me to believe that, Hazepaw? For all i know you could be out joining the Suffragettes!"
She wasn't very convincing. her arguement was horrible. hunting by herself? really? what apprentice would think of doing that, where she could be punished so easily for something so strange. hazepaw just kept her paws deeply tucked in, but cloudspots had the feeling she was finding it hard not to flee. especially now since he was yowling at her. a bird flew away out of the trees, annoyed at cloudspots' noisiness. he sighed, trying to calm down. he wasn't used to showing this much emotion, and when he did show emotion, it was only anger.
but then something roused his anger again. she actually asked him, questioning him for the sake of curiousity, why he was out in the forest. why would she need to know that? it was none of her business. yet he decided instead to yell in rage, to play along. "Well, young Hazepaw...I was out this morning in the forest to look for something... to look for a young apprentice actually. one that was breaking the rules. you wouldn't know said apprentice, would you?" he glared at her, obviously portraying this apprentice he was looking for as Hazepaw. he hoped she got the message.
he circled her, so that he was between the camp and her small figure. he was much larger than him, and he hoped it was intimidating. he sat down again, leaning toward her. what did she have to say now? hopefully it would be more thought out, so that he would not need to tell feverstar of her actions out here.

puppet;; cloudspots
muse;; good
count;; 493.
directed towards;; hazepaw && open
notes;; watch your words, hazepaw lol cloudspots can snap

[нązə .paw]

_______________________The feline was a Haze of dusty Paws .!

Live for today,
because yesterday already happened,
and tomorrow may never come.

Apprentice of Ashclan .!____________________________

His gaze never strayed from the young she cat, his larger build lean and intimidating. The first sound that came from the warrior's mouth were sharp and angry. Hazepaw winced, her ears falling against her skull in an attempt to block out the vicious chorus. Fine claws sank into the damp soil, not in an act of rebellion, but as though Hazepaw would be swept away by the harshness of Cloudspots' words.

Hazepaw's mind spun, and every nerve in her mind told her to just break for it, but that wouldn't get the she cat anywhere. The heart beat she returned to camp, she would be under the gaze of the warrior, or dare be it, the leader. She gaped in silence for a moment, stumbling over the words in her head. "N-no, Cloudspots. I don't want to join the Suffragettes... My place is here, in Ashclan." The apprentice silently longed for a fellow huntress to wonder upon the pair, and then again, it probably wasn't best for Hazepaw to drag another she cat into this.

Golden orbs never strayed from the large tom, round as he delicately circled and purposefully placed himself between she, and camp. He spoke more calmly now, though it was obvious what he meant, the message behind the words. Hazepaw narrowed her eyes, as though a bout of rebellion was rising up in her chest, but with a blink, it was gone, replaced once again with the guarded uncertainty. "I hope you find that young apprentice." Hazepaw meowed softly, gaze straying past the warriors before flickering back to him.

Hazepaw grew still for a moment, seeming to think better of her previous words and rose cautiously to her paws. "I haven't done anything wrong." The she cat meowed quietly, lowering her head, ears remaining slicked back. "But if you wouldn't mind... I'd like to get to hunting, or back to camp, if you'd like." Hazepaw's tongue itched to keep lashing, to spit at the tom with the same hostility he had to her. But she apprentice knew better than that, and with a weary glance, she slowly slipped sideways in hopes to slithery around the tom and break for it, pausing, topaz eyes fixed round on the warrior.

Had she been talking to an apprentice, or even a huntress speaking to her like this, Hazepaw would have fought back more so. However this was a warrior. This was a tom. And with his suspicions high, she didn't want to push it.

|| ooc; || Lol, little miss Hazepaw doesn't have the heart to defend herself properly. x] This is interesting, who knows, maybe Cloudspots will be able to change that. xD

[cloudspots]

he loved playing with the little apprentice. she was so worked up, and he could tell that she wanted to yell back, the little free spirit that she was, yet was unable to in fear of being struck down by cloudspots. he laughed a bit, and then turned his head back to camp to see if anyone was coming. why couldn't he just stretch this little visit out a bit more? he looked down at hazepaw, and let his mind wander. she was a huntress apprentice...why not test her in her hunting skills?
he blinked his deep amber eyes slowly, a glint of a small dose of humor in them. "well, hazepaw? you are a huntress apprentice, correct? why don't you get to that hunting...but i want to observe you. i want to see how you provide for my clan, and if it is good enough and up to my standards." cloudpsots didn't know much about hunting, but it would be good for him to see what hazepaw could do. why not work the young she-cat? he sat under a young birch tree, and nodded for hazepaw to continue. it would be entertaining in the least, although he didn't really feel like being humored. maybe he could make this hard for her, and make a noise whenever he saw an animal...hazepaw was still standing there, and he didn't understand why. he nodded to her again, more firmly now.
also, he would get a meal out of this.
it was a win-win situation. well, at least cloudspots thought of it that way. he laid down on the mosses and bracken along the ground, and waited for the apprentice to get going. it was going to be an enjoyable afternoon.

puppet;; cloudspots
muse;; HORRID
count;; 288
directed towards;; hazepaw && open
notes;; hehehe

[нązə .paw]

_______________________The feline was a Haze of dusty Paws .!

Live for today,
because yesterday already happened,
and tomorrow may never come.

Apprentice of Ashclan .!____________________________

"Well, Hazepaw? You are a huntress apprentice, correct? Why don't you get to that hunting...but I want to observe you. I want to see how you provide for my clan, and if it is good enough and up to my standards." The warrior's words sent a shiver along the she cat's spine. And if I'm not up to your standards? Hazepaw wanted so much to voice this thought, both in a defiant sneer, and reluctant fear. Thinking better of herself, the pale tabby pushed the thought aside.

It was when Cloudspots nodded firmly again that Hazepaw snapped back into attention. She jumped slightly, into a more upright position, nodding hastily to herself. Every muscle below each fine hair was tense with nervousness, unsure herself what the warrior was expecting. And with a last wry glance at the tom, Hazepaw turned away.

Jaws parting to drink in the air, the usual was brought to the she cat's attention. The fresh smell of the waters, the greenery, even a little prey. The strongest scent was that of a mouse, nibbling among some grass stems a fox length or two away.

With a long soothing breath, Hazepaw tried her best to put her frayed nerves back in place. Drop into the crouch of a hunter, the little pale tabby kept low to the ground. She tried her best not to feel the warrior's gaze constantly watching and with slow patient steps, the young huntress slithered forward. The rodent froze, threw it's head to the side, and looked about. Hazepaw, too, froze, hiding behind it as she held her breath. Topaz eyes watched the long silky whiskers of the mouse quiver before it when back to what it was doing.

Relaxing in the slightest, Hazepaw measured the distance between the two. However something tipped off the mouse, and with the blink of an eye, it shot forward. With a snarl of annoyance, Hazepaw shot after it, discs narrowed upon the potential meal as she shouldered after the brown creature.

--

Hazepaw padded into the hollow area a few heart beats later, the mouse mangled and propped between her jaws. Ears lay flat against her head, a slight limp to her walk. She gingerly placed the mouse to the ground, lifting a fore paw to examine the crimson oozing pad. "I-I think I got a thorn in my paw." Hazepaw meowed quietly, her gaze flickering to the warrior, and again to her paw, pink tongue giving it a few vigorous licks.

However when the she cat placed the paw on the floor once again, a wince rolled along her spine. She hadn't gotten it out.

[lostinstereo]

Maybe it's not my weekend.
--------------________---------------

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Blackpaw moved swiftly along the riverbank, the mice he'd caught with Duskfur still swinging from his night-colored jaws. He was running along, quite joyful to be rid of the interrogation he'd just encountered. The young tom's paws gained him ground, splattered with murky mud that clashed against his small white paws.

He heard voices, and headed towards them. He recognized the scents easily. Both were familiar to him already, especially Hazepaw. He slowed down, gently slipping into Cloudspot's view.

"Hello, Cloudspots." Blackpaw mewed softly, dipping his head low, his yellow-green eyes alight with a rare spark of happiness. He was mostly a neutral cat in personality, but he felt brilliant. He'd escaped Duskfur's questioning without any hint of his true feelings. Scotch free!

He knew Hazepaw was nearby. He could smell her, hear her pawsteps not far off. He had to talk to her....alone. Though he had a feeling that Cloudspots would not be going away anytime soon. Blackpaw muffled a growl of frustration that had started deep in his chest, turning it quickly into a soft purr. Hazepaw soon padded over, limping slightly.

"Really? I...uh..um. I actually have no clue how to get that out. What a horrible friend I am." he chuckled dryly as she put her paw down, wincing. "Here, let me see it, Hazepaw. I can give it a shot." He leaned closer towards the she-cat, his muzzle near her ear.

"Any way you can get away from this soon? I want to talk. It's important." The dark black tom whispered, pulling away to peer at her injured paw. He could just see the thorn, but was afraid to try and fail. He was no medicine cat apprentice, that was for sure.

But it's gonna be my year.
--------------________---------------

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