private ACCELERATION — nightbird

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

Night falls, and Raccoonstripe slips away from camp, a small smoke-colored she-cat at his side. Shafts of bone-colored moonlight slip through the forest’s protective arch; in pale slabs, it illuminates a fluffy tabby, dark eyes hooded and grim. Paws crunch through frost-gripped leaves. It’s a chilly night, and a quiet one; but for the distant, selective hooting of an owl and the wind rattling barren branches, the forest is silent.

When he speaks, he begins to pace.

“I thought she was going to say my name,” he mutters. The owl hoots again; he’s deaf to it but for the flicking of a tufted ear. “I’ve done everything I can think of. I lead so many patrols, my paws are like to fall off. I train every apprentice she throws my direction, and they’re good warriors.” Sure, Wildheart is a little rough around the edges, and Moonwhisper's tongue is frigid as her icy-pale gaze... but they're both dutiful, successful ThunderClan warriors. Surely they aren't the things holding him back?

Raccoonstripe pauses, lifting his coal-dark gaze to meet Nightbird’s frosted one. He searches her expression for sympathy, for disdain—for anything. “Tell me honestly. Should Flamewhisker be deputy over me?” He knows if nothing else, his mate will not withhold her opinion from him, scathing or not, and he feels he needs to hear it.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Raccoon . Raccoonstripe, he/him w/ masculine terms.
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — 37 moons old, ages realistically on the 5th.
  — mentored by n/a ; mentoring Smudgepaw ; previously mentored Wildheart, Moonwhisper
  — thunderclan lead warrior. gray wolf x howlingstar, gen 2.
  — currently mated to Nightbird.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh black tabby with white and dark brown eyes. charismatic, charming, calculating, ambitious, shallow, manipulative.
  
  

​

 

[nightbird]

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ her paws had already iced over by navigating frosted undergrowth, the occasional cold wind didn't help. nightbird much preferred to take these little moonlit strolls in the warmer moons. instinctively, she moved close to raccoonstripe's side, legs stretching to keep in step long enough to steal the warmth from his pelt.

they hadn't spoken much as they left, but they didn't have to for the molly to recognize that something ate away at him. she couldn't place it with confidence, but between berryheart's illness and flamewhisker's promotion there was certainly much on his mind.

she pauses, a quick resolve for mildly aching legs. but her mate continues, jaws parting to speak as large paws stride back and forth. disappointment floods his tone. nightbird listens, sitting as her tail folds over her paws. a small part of her sighed in relief when howlingstar didn't call his name. she knew it was selfish, knew he wanted it more than anything, to be deputy and one day lead. but watching someone die once was troubling enough, to witness the cat she was undeniably closest to fall still and then jerk back to life nine times? it was unnatural, and the thought settled something uncomfortable in the pit of her stomach.

"you're a good choice, would make a great deputy." she believed it, he must too or else they would not be having this conversation. but flamewhisker's experience could not be denied, how naturally she fell into the role her mate formerly held. "flamewhisker is too, though. you know that."

if he were looking for specifics that set him apart from his flame furred friend, she could admit there were few. but still, she racked her brain, an attempt to find the same things howlingstar must have. "she lead us in the mountains, that experience might've given her a leg up..." nightbird thought out loud, brow dipped in concentration. but her head shook, surely he would have an easier time getting into his mother's head. "truthfully, i'm not sure. have you considered asking howlingstar?"

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎┌── OH, I'LL CUT YOU DOWN ⋅⋆⋅ FOR I KNOW YOU ARE WEAK ──┐‎

• ooc ↛
  

• 

• 
  NIGHTBIRD ✩ she/her, lead warrior of thunderclan, 29 ☾'s
  ⭃ a small black smoke molly with a single white paw and pale silver eyes.
  ⭃ mate to raccoonstripe / / mentor to palepaw
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by vayle ↛ @vayl3 on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

Raccoonstripe’s ear twitches as Nightbird speaks. He’s relieved to hear her say what he, too, believed—that he’d make a strong and fierce deputy for ThunderClan, that someday, if given the chance, he would lead their Clan to glory. The quiet confidence his mate has in him replenishes him, filters out some of the self-doubt that had begun to plague him since Flamewhisker’s deputy ceremony. “I do know that. I have nothing against Flamewhisker,” he murmurs, and he’s speaking the truth. He knows the ginger-pelted feline to be a competent warrior, and, he’s sure, a fine deputy.

He exhales through his nose as Nightbird continues. “She lead us in the mountains; that experience might’ve given her a leg up…” Raccoonstripe’s lip twitches. “The mountains.” He does not give voice to the immediate thought that flashes through his mind. She led you in the mountains, where my sister met her end and where her daughter was crippled. He cannot verbalize these thoughts without offending Nightbird—it’s shaky ground, ground they’d tread before, ground that threatens even now to open up and swallow them both.

Instead, he mews, “Do you think I should talk to Howlingstar?” He frowns, his brow furrowing in thought. “Would that make me seem—” Hungry. Desperate. He does not know if he wants his mother to know just how badly he wants Flamewhisker’s position—just how badly he wants his vision for the future to come true.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Raccoon . Raccoonstripe, he/him w/ masculine terms.
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — 37 moons old, ages realistically on the 5th.
  — mentored by n/a ; mentoring Smudgepaw ; previously mentored Wildheart, Moonwhisper
  — thunderclan lead warrior. gray wolf x howlingstar, gen 2.
  — currently mated to Nightbird.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh black tabby with white and dark brown eyes. charismatic, charming, calculating, ambitious, shallow, manipulative.
  
  

​