If I Were to Blink {Open}

[Littlecloud]

Note: This thread takes place on the ShadowClan border. I didn't mention which border, so feel free to reply with whoever you want~

"Littlecloud?" The inquiry was hushed, and the ShadowClan medicine cat flicked her ear softly, feeling the wounded hurt in Elmkit's tone settle sorely upon her heart. "Yes?" She answered cautiously, her voice the comforting soothe of her trade. The small, sickly kitten trembled with pain as she gently secured a leaf to the cake she'd just applied to the scratch upon his chest. Mewing a tender apology, Littlecloud finished her work and withdrew to stock away the herbs she hadn't used. She was grateful her back was turned when Elmkit continued, so that he couldn't see the shocked look of uncertainty that crossed her features. "Why did StarClan smite us?" The words were so genuinely curious, so authentically injured, that Littlecloud felt the fur on her neck begin to rise. She stared sightlessly at the back of her storage den and blinked, unable to find an answer. She had been there, at the Gathering, when the tree had been struck aflame and fallen into the crowd of her unsuspecting clanmates. She'd heard their dying cries and the mournful howls of those few who had lived. And now the clan was struggling. Not a single cat had been spared it seemed — everyone had lost someone. Mentors and mates, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. Elmkit, whose mother had already given her life to bring him and his sister into the world, had lost his father and his uncle. How could she tell them that StarClan sometimes had bigger plans, when the words were utterly atrocious? It couldn't have been their ancestors — it couldn't. "Oh, Elmkit," Littlecloud finally mewed, finding her voice after a moment of utter stillness. She swiftly turned and padded back to the small, brown-banded kitten, and drew her tongue across the top of his head. And although she had found her voice, she hadn't yet found the words to explain. She doubted there were any, so she only put a dainty paw around the ShadowClan kitten, drew him into her chest, and let him cry into her fur. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The newleaf air still held the memory of leafbare; it nipped at Littlecloud's pelt and ears with a bitter coolness. But, at the same time, the sun beat generously down upon her fur to offset the chill. It was that strange time of year where the warm battled ceaselessly with the cold and neither had yet secured the upper paw. One morning felt like the heart of leafbare come again, while the next smelled and felt a lot like the promise of rejuvenation. Today was a curious compromise of the two; as if the grappling seasons had called a momentary stalemate. Flicking an ear, Littlecloud padded along the border with her maw carefully parted, searching for the elusive herbs she sought, while simultaneously alert for other felines. Behind her, Elmkit bounced along happily, his sore spirits very much improved by his venture from camp. Littlecloud had asked him to accompany her, not only because she thought the young kitten needed a distraction, but also because the queens needed a break as well. With the shortage of warriors, mothers with kits who were weaned had been called to mentor, along with elders who still possessed the youth and strength. And still there were too many apprentices without teachers. So training sessions had become group assessments, and everyone was wearing themselves thin. Everyone seemed exhausted and Elmkit's mother needed rest.  And as the young kitten pawed playfully at her heels, Littlecloud smiled. It felt nice to not be alone on her herb-hunting expeditions. And Elmkit was absolutely beaming — for now, he didn't even seem to feel the scratch upon his chest or the weight upon his heart. "What if we run into a border patrol, Littlecloud, wouldn't that be exciting?!" He gushed with enthusiasm, before pausing and perking up his ears. "What did the herbs look like again?" Littlecloud chuckled, amused at the unconscious implication of her possessing sight. "As far as I know, Elmkit... they 'look'... soft and fuzzy. If I... remember right, Leopardcloud told me once they have small white flowers, but I'm not sure if they'd be bloomed yet. It smells very sweet, and the leaves are very large." For a moment, Littlecloud was certain she'd lost the kitten's attention, but then he bounded forward across the border with a triumphant cry. "Here's some large leaves, over here!" Freezing, the medicine cat perked her ears and looked after where Elmkit had shot forward. Cautiously, she extended her senses to search for the presence of any other clan cat, before slowly stepping over the border herself. She knew the territories did not apply to medicine cats in the same way that it applied to warriors, but she could never shed her hesitance and fear when it came to crossing that line. There was no telling what kind of cat she could run into, and no guaranteeing that they viewed the freedoms of a medicine cat as complacently as others.

[Flowerfur]

It felt like it had been eternity since that night in the storm. It felt like it had been forever since she'd been made deputy. It felt like it'd been a lifetime since the last Gathering. Lionstar was still accusing ThunderClan of the absolute tragedy at the Gathering, and how he could ever think that any cat would wish something so horrible on everyone was beyond her, especially that an entire Clan would do so. Flowerfur's dreams were filled with unrest, filled with the scent of blood and fear mixed with the screaming, the crying, the chaos. It was because of one of these dreams that the ThunderClan deputy had decided to take a walk, as she recently did as of late. She stayed along the border so as to seem as if she was doing something important, but in truth she only wished to be left with her thoughts. So much had happened. The trees dappling her fur with shadow seemed to lean towards the she-cat, judging her for all she had and hadn't done. The grass seemed to grab at her paws, and the bushes scratched at her sides. You're a hypocrite, they whispered. You condemn Elmstar, and yet you choose to follow in his pawsteps. Flowerfur froze, looking up at the sky, the sun emanating warmth as everything else seemed to judge. "I gave my word," she called out towards her ancestors, her voice wracked with desperation and guilt. She couldn't see Silverpelt, but she knew it was there. "I would never do this if he hadn't asked me to, and you all know it. Please, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, and pass it along to my clanmates, for the times are hard. I wish only for them to see peace from all of this!" The earth under the grass suddenly felt softer against her paws, slightly cracked with all of the use, and the leaves on the trees fluttered in response. The deputy thought that if that wasn't a sign of something, nothing was. But since StarClan seemed to be listening... The brown tabby looked towards the border of ShadowClan, sadness lacing her features as the wind nipped at her ears. "Give peace to ShadowClan. They have by far lost the most in all of this, and they are the least deserving of what's been happening. I only wish I could know how they fare in these mercurial times..." There was a bit of silence as she gazed towards the landscape that would eventually reach the tunnel system where the cave-dwelling cats lived. With a sigh, Flowerfur took another step forward as she heard something. Concealed from view by a bush, Flowerfur hunched down and watched a cat bound across the border, towards a chervil plant. The trespasser was a small, grey kit that smelled of ShadowClan, seeming rather proud of his discovery. With a small purr, Flowerfur stepped out from the bush, giving a comforting look to the young tom. "Yes, those are large leaves. In fact, that's chervil. I used to fetch it for Grayleaf sometimes." With a smile, Flowerfur looked to her right, instantly spotting Littlecloud. "I don't suppose this little dear is helping you pick herbs, Littlecloud?" The ThunderClan deputy gestured with her tail for the other cat to come forward; she was quite welcome. Another prayer answered, Flowerfur thought to herself. She was glad to see the ShadowClan medicine cat, who could probably best tell the state of the Clan. That, and she was always happy to see a kit, especially one so excited as this. "And what's your name?" she purred, twisting her attention back towards him. Tagged: Littlecloud / Oakey Status: ??? Muse: I AM INFINITE! I AM ETERNAL! Notes: Yay, a Flowerfur-Littlecloud thread, having to deal with a kit! I have a feeling they'll get along well, this should be fun!

[Littlecloud]

[attr="class","kissmekissingyou"]

[attr="class","ross"]storm clouds may gather and stars may collide, but i love you until the end of time
512 wordsflowerfur/openi hope this is ok!

[attr="class","texterz"]A lightning-quick panic bubbled through the ShadowClan medicine cat as her and Elmkit were immediately joined by another feline; but it was soothed (her relief made obvious by a visible sag of alleviated apprehension) as Littlecloud recognized the scent and voice of ThunderClan's deputy. If anyone was a rational feline capable of sense and reason, it was Flowerfur, and a small, pleased smile pulled over Littlecloud's muzzle as she joined her younger clanmate.

Next to her, Littlecloud could feel Elmkit's buzzing excitement at meeting another clan cat, his dark fur bristled with a palpable clash of bewilderment and awe. Even though, the little tom pressed just barely against Littlecloud's foreleg... vaguely reminiscent of a kitten hiding behind his mother, he was not quite able to completely hide the fact that he was also a little intimidated. His singular sort of cautionary fear (which was swamped by a much stronger fascination and open-mouthed wonder) brought an affectionate, amused curl to Littlecloud's smile as she allowed him to draw slight reassurance from her close presence beside him. She thought the tom would answer Flowerfur's inquiring about his name, but he seemed too absorbed (or overwhelmed) to make a proper answer at the moment, and so... after a waiting moment... Littlecloud saved the trio from a settling silence.

"Good day, Flowerfur," the mew was courteous as she dipped her head in a respectful nod of friendly greeting, and grinned wider as Elmkit trembled beside her excitedly. "Yes, this little charmer has been gracious enough to bless me with his delightful company. A good pair of eyes and a friendly someone to talk to. Go on, Elmkit... it's okay, this is—"

The little kitten seemed to overcome his shock all at once, and suddenly he hopped a mouse-length forward with a burst of excitement; all of his kitten fluff standing on end and his eyes wide with disbelief. "Wait, Flowerfur!? Oh yes, brown tabby fur. Yellow eyes! All muscley and strong, oh StarClan — you're the ThunderClan deputy! My sister Grousekit always pretended to be you whenever I played Elmstar — because that's my name, you see, I'm Elmkit! But we don't play ThunderClan anymore, not since that tree killed our daddy and uncle." The chattery thing paused for only a moment, to puff out his chest with pride. "Is it true that you guys made that tree fall down at the Gathering!? Can you shoot lightning bolts out of your mouth! Doesn't that hurt!?"

Littlecloud's amusement and affection was brimming as she let Elmkit prattle on, sounding like a wonderstruck kitten gushing at his long-admired idol. But there was an uneasy thrill of horror that threaded through the medicine cat when her clanmate, with childlike oblivion, mentioned the Gathering, and her ears swiveled back against her skull as a flush of apology crept over her face. "Elmkit," Littlecloud warned, and when she felt his eyes turned upon her, she offered him a small, collected smile. "Don't overexert yourself... if you don't pause for breath, I can't imagine how Flowerfur will ever get a word in."

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE

[newclass=.blowme]background-color:#EEE2D5;color:#666666;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:10px;letter-spacing:2px;padding:10px;text-transform:uppercase;[/newclass][newclass=.kissmekissingyou]background-color:#EEE2D5;color:#666666;padding:10px;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all .4s linear;-moz-transition: all .4s linear;-ms-transition: all .4s linear;-o-transition: all .4s linear;transition: all .4s linear;[/newclass][newclass=.kissmekissingyou:hover]opacity:1;-webkit-transition: all .4s linear;-moz-transition: all .4s linear;-ms-transition: all .4s linear;-o-transition: all .4s linear;transition: all .4s linear;[/newclass][newclass=.kissmekissingyou img]border-left:30px solid #7C6C90;border-top:30px solid #7C6C90;[/newclass][newclass=.texterz]height:400px;font-size:10px;line-height:9px;font-family:verdana;text-align:justify;overflow:auto;[/newclass][newclass=.texterz::-webkit-scrollbar]width:11px;[/newclass] [newclass=.texterz::-webkit-scrollbar-track]background-color:#EEE2D5;[/newclass] [newclass=.texterz::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]background-color:#EEE2D5;border-right:1px solid #666666;[/newclass][newclass=.ross]line-height:17px;font-family:time;font-size:30px;letter-spacing:-3px;color:#7C6C90;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;[/newclass][newclass=.ross a]text-transform:lowercase !important;font-family:trebuchet ms !important;font-size:10px !important;letter-spacing:2px;color:#666666 !important;border-bottom:1px solid #666666;display:block;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal;margin-top:2px;[/newclass][newclass=.t1-superrad]line-height:20px;font-family:time;font-size:40px;letter-spacing:-4px;color:#7C6C90;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;[/newclass][newclass=.t2]text-transform:lowercase;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:10px;letter-spacing:2px;color:#666666;border-bottom:1px solid #666666;display:block;text-decoration:none;margin-top:-15px;font-weight:normal;[/newclass]

[Flowerfur]

Flowerfur smiled, holding back the urge to laugh as Elmkit jumped about around her, rambling on about life at home. She had fans, it seemed. Her smile only faded when the excitable little tom mentioned the Gathering, and that the tragedy that had befallen there had killed some of his family. Many cats had died there, but time was only worsening the wound rather than healing it. Stories of families separated from one plane to the next, kits just like the one in front of her becoming orphaned… it was all horrible. It didn’t help any that every cat seemed to be blaming ThunderClan, the eyes upon them wary and judgmental. But strangely, the little kit seemed to be impressed. It was queer; his family had died by the tree that ThunderClan had been blamed for falling, and yet this little fan of hers was just about shivering with how starstruck he was. She put a smile back on her face as Littlecloud spoke up, looking about as embarrassed as a cat could get. “It’s fine,” Flowerfur chuckled, though she couldn’t keep the smallest hint of sadness out of the following statement. “I’ve faced much worse than an excitable kit these past few moons.” Looking back down at the tiny, quivering tom, she began to process his questions and had to hold back another laugh, ridding her throat of the sorrow that the Gathering had brought. “No, we can’t shoot lightning out of our mouths, though it does run through our teeth. Which is kind of like shooting lightning, except we have to be up close instead of far away. You’re Elmkit, huh? That can’t be right, because you’re much more fun than that grumpy old tom.” She couldn’t help laughing a little at her own statement. She loved talking with kits. “We didn’t make the tree fall at the Gathering, though. Even if we could do something like that, we wouldn’t, unless it meant taking down a giant badger or something.” It was a bit more difficult to keep the humourous tone up when she spoke of the Gathering, but she spent enough time around kits to keep it there. There was a little pause as the ThunderClan deputy closed her eyes, unable to wipe the smile off her face. “Do you like spending time with Littlecloud, Elmkit? She’s the sweetest cat I know. I bet company’s been a nice thing for her to have,” she commented, turning up to look at Littlecloud, even though she knew the medicine cat couldn’t see her do it. “Especially with all that’s going on lately. Isn’t that right, Littlecloud?” Flowerfur wondered briefly if Littlecloud was planning to make this kit the medicine cat apprentice. It was almost hilarious how different they were, though she could see how that would be a help. StarClan knows the ShadowClan medicine cat could use some friends in her own Clan. She didn’t dare ask in front of Elmkit, though; the little tom could have his hopes set on becoming leader or a great warrior, not to mention it would be talking about him as if he weren’t there. Tagged: Littlecloud / Oakey, Elmkit (NPC) / Oakey Status: Open Muse: Okay this is a little easier to write yes Notes: No, this is perf~ I love the dynamic between them so far!