private AFTER ALL THIS SURVIVAL [✿] silversmoke

[DOEBLAZE]

✿—— she pads eastward of camp, far from the safety of the hollow's bramble and fern; far from the walls that had once been the limits of where her paws roamed. now she leaves it behind every day, as often as she can—patrolling, training, hunting, doing as much as she's able. the work manifests itself in the ache needling her shoulders as she moves forward, heading towards the rockpile; while she's getting better at climbing, she still prefers to do her hunting on the ground for now. it's really quite pleasant despite her sore shoulders and scraped pawpads, though, with late greenleaf sun dappling the ground and filtering through the pines, a nice hunting expedition ahead of her.

or it would be if it wasn't for her companion—she glances sidelong at silversmoke's hulking grey form, green eyes narrowed. the lead warrior stalks alongside her, by no choice of his own; she imagines he wants to be doing this about as much as she does, which is very little. she can't say she's terribly interested in a hunting trip sure to be interspersed with snide remarks about their clan's daylight warriors or the red collar buckled about her own neck. bobbie flicks her half-tail, pushes herself forward faster with little effort—luckily for her, speed seems to have become an easy skill, perhaps from chasing kits around camp for a few moons.

"i imagine you're pleased about the new l-laws," she mews coolly as the rockpile draws into view, twitching an ear. privately, she's somewhat interested to hear the lead warrior's opinion; no doubt he'd think her a soft kittypet lover for her own. she's not honestly sure of her own thoughts on it—on the one paw, she certainly hadn't proven herself within her own first moon, and kittypets still deserved a chance. and yet on the other, cats like cheddar and yukio were putting the entire clan in danger for no other reason than, well, ignorance. sighing under her breath, she mutters lowly, "i can't say i entirely disagree with you."

as much as i'd like to.

NO LOVE, HOWEVER BRIEF (✿) 𝑰𝑺 𝑾𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑫

• ooc: ——
  
• nothing here, have a nice day :-)
• 
  — bobbie
  — she/her ; warrior of skyclan ; 40 ☾s
  — "speech" ; thoughts ; attacks
  — chibi by its_oliverr
  — penned by dejavu
  

​

 

[SILVERSMOKE]

Even if the large tom would never be punished for his blunt words and aggression towards certain status quo, he still couldn't help but feel as if patrol organisers were passively working against him as of late. The Twolegplace trip had felt like a disaster and now, he had been advised to go hunting with someone who was practically an apprentice with their current skill level. It wasn't something he'd usually have a problem with, but the creature in question was one who'd bickered with him enough to make the spotted tabby see red. He kept his head down as they trudged towards the rock piles, reminded of a time when a certain Daylight Warrior had taken him there to hunt snakes. Attitudes had changed quickly when he could no longer keep his feelings to himself, even now he wasn't sure who was quietly bristling more, himself or Bobbie. Just a few moons ago though, there hadn't been a Twoleg epidemic or quite as many instances of trespassing. It had been easier to be passive, to be the good soldier his debt to SkyClan told him to be. Nowadays, he feared their downfall should they continue overlooking quite how entitled outsiders had become.

Jaws locked, the male gave a swish of his tail as the other began to speak. He turned his cranium curiously, he wouldn't have brought up the new law if Bobbie hadn't done so first. Silversmoke was silent for a time, gauging to see if the other was looking for an argument, then, she muttered something under her breath that caused his tufted ears to shoot forwards to be able to hear it properly. She... agreed with him? Perhaps 'agree' wasn't the right word, 'not disagree' was more amicable for the both of them, what with their opinions usually mixing as well as cats and dogs. "Relief, more than pleasure," he admitted with a click of his tongue, casting his attention out towards the rock pile. Moons ago, there was a chance that he'd have never seen it again, forced inside steel jaws like the rest of his clanmates and taken to a place where he'd be put to death. "We were abandoned by Daylight Warriors after the blizzard, we were abandoned by those whose lives we've saved from the shelter. I'm sure Slate would've run off by now if Blazestar hadn't given him a promotion for his—" His frown strained, realising what he was about to say didn't sound entirely truthful anymore. He shook his head.

"It protects SkyClan from the rest of the clans' meddling, more importantly. They already think us soft, they need not think us insolent too." Though, there was a large part of him that yearned for the latter to be true, for the other clans to test SkyClan and to be utterly swept away by their strength. Sadly, it wasn't true at the moment, both in himself, and the rest of the clan. It didn't stop him from wanting to poke that proverbial beehive though, just to see what they could get away with when the time came. Plucking a stray bramble from his chest fur, the Lead Warrior mewed, "Why don't you disagree with me?" It was not a topic of conversation he'd have been interested in usually, once an argument had been had it took moons for him to be bothered to re-engage. Bobbie was a special case though, a creature who'd earned some modicum of respect through her name decisions and a creature whose child he was forced to train for another eight moons. Even if he found her soft-hearted or disrespectful, he would at least hear her out.


​

 

[DOEBLAZE]

✿—— again she cuts her gaze towards silversmoke sidelong; she has long been a cat influenced by those around her and while blazestar or yukio might unspool a softness from her chest, silversmoke makes her more barbed than anything. she has a suspicion that they will never entirely agree or get along—she definitely wouldn't be the first cat the silver lead warrior had argued with, and she's certain she won't be the last. still, she may not like the tom, but she can respect him, she repeats to herself, nestling bladed fangs close against one another, muscles pulling taut in her jaw. whether she likes it or not, he's an esteemed lead warrior despite his tasteless opinions and she is the newest soldier among their ranks—she cannot openly be rude, and more than that she does not want to be.

relief, more than pleasure. she twitches rounded ears in visible surprise; she'd always considered his outspoken opinions against kittypets to be a mark of hatred rather than caution, had expected him to be visibly joyous if not gloating over the law. his words are clearly cut, laid out neatly in a way her own jumbled thoughts never are; she swishes her half-tail in consideration of the stated facts. she hadn't been present for the blizzard, for the shelter rescue, nestled in her housefolk's home or the nursery rather than out raising tooth and claw for clanmates she hadn't yet known. he cuts himself off mid-sentence at the mention of slate and she glances sideways at him again, blinking in mingled curiosity and irritation. it was almost childish, like two fighting kits in the nursery, how two cats who were (loath as she might be to admit it) capable warriors and council-members couldn't set aside their differences. begrudgingly, she mews, "i suppose that makes sense."

"it was yukio," she admits stiffly in reply to his question, considering. she hasn't delved into her feelings on the topic, quite possibly intentionally, and she can't say she wants silversmoke to be the first cat she discloses them to. still, bobbie ads, "he - he endangered my life, the lives of my kits, of our entire c-clan, due to nothing more than ignorance. it's a blessing howlingstar's been so merciful about our recent transgressions on the border." she sighs, shoulderblades pushing sharp beneath fur slightly rumpled in irritation, struggling to explain it. the tabby mews, "i was a kittypet once too, i was a queen until r-recently. it's ... it's not an excuse."

"yukio is still my friend, regardless of what some cats think of him," she remarks with a sharp sigh, "but he didn't just endanger the clan, he e-endangered the place of cats like me in it. i could've lost my chance to become a warrior, for starclan's sake," the tabby finishes, exhaling slowly through her nose. why she's confessing this to silversmoke, of all cats, she can't say—perhaps it's because he already dislikes her enough that she can't possibly lower his opinion of her any further.

NO LOVE, HOWEVER BRIEF (✿) 𝑰𝑺 𝑾𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑫

• ooc: ——
  
• nothing here, have a nice day :-)
• 
  — bobbie
  — she/her ; warrior of skyclan ; 40 ☾s
  — "speech" ; thoughts ; attacks
  — chibi by its_oliverr
  — penned by dejavu
  

​

 

[SILVERSMOKE]

'I suppose that makes sense' sounded like it didn't in fact make sense to the former Kittypet, but he held his tongue. He didn't know if an unlived experience could ever be truly understood, only sympathised with, but sympathy was no shield and he would prefer his caution to be more agreeable. Alas, he felt he would be a choosing beggar, should he expect the tabby to abandon all of her viewpoints based on his word alone. Ears perked forwards, he listened as she began to explain herself, the name being a victim of many, many curses in the Lead Warrior's mind. "Howlingstar is the only reason our clans are not at each other's throats, that, and Blazestar's family." He chewed the side of his mouth, trying not to sound disappointed in Bobbie's presence. The day would come when she would be chosen to attend ThunderClan's borders and they would mock her viciously for that Twoleg trinket around her neck. So many insults were levied their clan's way and Silversmoke wished to stand for none of it, only SkyClanners should have the ability to insult SkyClan (even then, the words were poison to be delivered only in low doses). Still, he longed for the day when his clanmates would not prove their enemies right.

He nodded in agreement with what she said: ignorance had been the queen's problem, ignorance that one with a tenure as long as the tom's should not be burdened with. Both eyes twitched when Bobbie enunciated her words, did she think he would throw her friend to the wolves for what he had done? It had been tempting, anger was often the enemy of reason and there were many regretful things the maine coon had done when his blood had boiled, but he didn't think he'd have ever kicked the Queen out for a first-time offense. Then again, she had only said 'think', reminding himself of that caused him to steel himself against accusations that didn't even exist. "You could've lost your chance to become a warrior?" He repeated, as if not hearing it quite right. Silversmoke tilted his head forwards, lashing tail demanding an explanation for the seemingly selfish vent. There were more important things at stake than someone's rank and reputation had ThunderClan's claws drawn blood that day. The Lead Warrior shook his head slightly, it seemed that Bobbie would have to include training of the mind before she was ready to earn her name.

"I'm sure you'd have been fine, Blazestar backed you up over his own council," he pointed out, voice twinging with something he decided to elaborate on. Not bitterness, something greener, more raw than anything his casual disdain could offer. Silversmoke refused to admit it was jealousy, it was such a childish emotion, yet... a long time had passed since he'd been one of SkyClan's favoured warriors, and it stung to know he shared the role with his attempted maimer and a Daylight Warrior who'd joined for a long-gone beast. "As for the others... they have nothing to worry about if they have any sense about them. Any SkyClanner that puts their clan first, regardless of skill or creed, will have a place in this forest. Granted, it seems me and the rest of the council have very different opinions on what 'SkyClan first' means..." he muttered the last part brows furrowing like a brooding old Twoleg's. Bobbie would know the subgroup of SkyClanners he was referring to, he saw no need to elaborate any further on why they were dangerous: if she hadn't listened the first dozen times, it was on her.


​

 

[DOEBLAZE]

✿—— she nods in a silent, begrudging sort of agreement at his words. recalling how blazestar had spoken of the brown tabby leader, of her daughter and his ex-mate, of his kits over there .... it wasn't surprising. she cannot fault him for it; she would do anything for her own children, she thinks, flicking one ear in a displeased sort of thoughtfulness. a glance at silversmoke reminds her that the big tom doesn't have any of his own, which doesn't surprise her given his polarizing viewpoints and the faint disdain he seems to hold for blazestar's split allegiances on that front. "i know," she chimes in, sighing and adding, "i've been on a couple patrols there. they d-don't exactly bother to hide their distaste for my collar."

she suspects he doesn't really either, but refrains from mentioning that. a glance at his face and she can tell he's, unsurprisingly, chosen to take her words in the worst way—a startling amount of cats in the forest seemed so hot-headed, so ready to assume the worst of every cat. "i - that wasn't worded well," she sighs, thinking of how to explain it in a way a cat like silversmoke could understand, a cat who seemed inclined to never understand. the tabby explains, "i was nearly dead when i joined skyclan. it's the same for many cats out in the loner lands who used to be k-kittypets, who lack natural skills or size. i only meant that for cats like me, the options can be warriorhood or death. n-not everyone's lucky enough to join as a queen." there's a certain sourness to her tone at this last, an uncommonly bitter twist, but she only sighs again and mews, "forget it."

"did he?" bobbie glances at him in surprise—she'd never thought of it that way, exactly. his voice has a twinge to it and she blinks, a bit startled; she'd never thought of silversmoke as the type to care much about such things, more like .... a solid tree-trunk of a kittypet-hater walking around the camp and glaring at everyone. everyone has feelings, she supposes, swishing her half-tail and mewing quietly, "frankly, i don't think i'll ever agree with you on that either. i trust that you put skyclan first, though," she pauses, debating, and adds, "and i hope that you believe i t-try to do the same."

NO LOVE, HOWEVER BRIEF (✿) 𝑰𝑺 𝑾𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑫

• ooc: ——
  
• nothing here, have a nice day :-)
• 
  — bobbie
  — she/her ; warrior of skyclan ; 40 ☾s
  — "speech" ; thoughts ; attacks
  — chibi by its_oliverr
  — penned by dejavu
  

​