die by the blade ☾ lightstrike

[Moonwhisper]

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She isn't sure if she's been purposefully avoiding Lightstrike or if it has been accidental that she's constantly missing him. They don't go on the same patrols much anymore, she had been sent to hunting more often than not after her outburst the other day over being sent to SkyClan but frankly she didn't mind and she wouldn't be apologizing for it. Flycatcher was an idiot who didn't think into the future further than his own nose and she wished her grandmother would pick a more proper deputy. Someone tenacious, who would actually fight for ThunderClan. Raccoonstripe or Nightbird came to mind immediately, her and Lightstrike's mentors were a stern and powerful pair and they had dutifully passed on said traits to both their apprentices. It makes the fact her brother was a lead warrior over her all the more infuriating given he was trained by Flycatcher of all cats. The more she thought about it the more upset she got so she shoved it down. There were more things to be bothered over lately than her own jealousy, which is why she was avoiding Mousenose like she caught yellowcough as well. She didn't need this, she didn't need all of this mess; she didn't want to think about her mother buried in a shallow grave atop a mountain, how the tom who was meant to protect her was instead granted the honor of being a medicine cat, the lead warrior who was supposed to bring them all home still in her position and walking around camp like she hadn't failed horrendously.
No, what she wanted right now was Lightstrike. To talk to him, finally, like they used to before...to ask him how he was and maybe, just maybe ask him if any of that tortie's blabbering was true. Her brother had laughed about it but she could never tell if Burnstorm was just amused at the antics or laughing nervously in response to what he knew would be a huge issue. Moonwhisper didn't like the idea of the cream tom with any other cat, she couldn't exactly place why- the reason was not so obvious, but she'd lost so much so recently that she was not interested in losing one of her few friends as well.
So when once again she was assigned to hunt on a different patrol she blatantly refused, she made herself scarce, and she was quick to follow along after him into the forest of their territory on light steps despite her much larger size. It was only when she was assurred they were away from prying eyes, far enough from the camp, did she actually step from her hiding place of stalking along behind him to reveal herself.
"Hi...are you hunting this way too? We should team up."

☾ break all the rules - live like a queen or die like a fool ☽ —— do you care what they think

•  
• 
  
  
  Moonwhisper
  —⊰⋅ Warrior of ThunderClan
  —⊰⋅ She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ LH Tortiseshell point w/ice blue eyes
  

​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
He'd gotten used to Clan life again, one way or another. That wasn't to say he had ever forgotten. Many of their habits had followed them up to the mountaintops. Rising early, hunting in patrols... it was simply different. There weren't many other ways he knew how to explain it.

It felt as though since the day he'd walked back into ThunderClan's camp, since Lightstrike had stood before Moonwhisper after their moons-long separation, he'd hardly seen her since. At first he hadn't thought anything of it, hadn't noticed. Cats got put on different patrols all the time. Their nests were next to each other, anyway.

He... couldn't blame her, anyway. Little Wolf was dead. It was still a scene that laid heavily, vividly in his thoughts, but she was her mother. Lightstrike didn't say anything, though. There was nothing to say, nor anything he could say. Sorry your mom died, by the way. Rich.

Days went on, and the thought tickled the back of his mind before it grew into an itch. He'd been spending plenty of time with his friends since he'd finally returned. How many times had he spoken to her outside of the occasional pawful of words? Friendly chatter with Burnstorm was daily, (Mousenose now as well, oddly enough), but when was the last time he'd had a proper conversation with Moonwhisper?

Lightstrike was distracted as he ambled through the forest, squinting at his paws and hardly focused on the task ahead. The hunt, that was. He was trying to figure out if he'd said something weird, frankly. She-cats could be strange like that sometimes. She wasn't mad at him, was she?

Coincidentally enough, the very same cat that combed through his thoughts spoke up from behind, and he'd be loathe to admit that he jumped before he turned. "Moon—!" he started, words failing and unusually pitched. He tried again. "Moonwhisper. Hey."

After heartbeats of silence, he belatedly realized the words that had been spoken to him. "Oh. Uh, yeah. Sure. I wasn't really..." The tom trailed off, gaze wandering away to their surroundings. It was now he realized he wasn't quite sure where he'd been headed. "I wasn't really going anywhere specific, I don't think," he concluded lamely.

Another awkward pause, and then he tilted his head in a gesture that suggested come along. Once she walked along with him, the two set off. Admittedly, the hunt still wasn't at the front of his mind. Then again, not much was. Maybe it was just one of those days.

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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[Moonwhisper]

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The tortie point's stiff stature could be easily mistaken for callousness, her usual cold and aloof demeanor, but admittedly it was because of uncertainty this time. An uncertainty she would never admit out loud. The tabby, for his part, didn't seem bothered she was there though - that she'd interupted whatever he was doing.
Lightstrike lacked his usual energy, she wasn't sure exactly why. Had the journey been so tiring or was he not actually pleased to see her? Was the avoidance purposeful? She tries not to think about that too much, but when he eagerly agrees to hunt with her she can not help but feel relief. A cat who didn't want to be around her would not have so readily agreed, an excuse would have been made or some kind of dismissive remark; if anything he just seemed surprised to see her. Not that she could blame him, she'd gone out of her way to move along the same path he had without warning when no other cat had headed in this direction upon being sent on their patrols.
"That's fine." She comments, moving forward with assurance and brushing along his side in friendly greeting proper, "We can head towards Snakerocks maybe, with it being so cold it should be safe. They've surely slithered into the ground by now." Moonwhisper had never been afraid of serpents, cold blooded things that would eat one another if given the chance as well as any mouse or fledgling they came across, but their venom was potent and could kill a cat in seconds; there was a sort of thrill to hunt them - a more deadly prey she couldn't imagine. But with leafbare creeping toward them the snakes were probably long gone by now, they didn't do well with the cold.
"So..." It's an odd word for her, a hesitant and casual drift of sound to stall what else might come from her mouth, "...how are things with you? We haven't talked much lately...I heard that you and Mousenose..." Moonwhisper trails off, embarrassed that she'd blurted such a thing out. It was a lie certainly, but there was no denying how strangely cozy and close that tortie had gotten with him recently. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything at all.
Lightstrike did not shy away from that brat's advances, which obviously meant he didn't mind it. Why did she even care.

☾ break all the rules - live like a queen or die like a fool ☽ —— do you care what they think

•  
• 
  
  
  Moonwhisper
  —⊰⋅ Warrior of ThunderClan
  —⊰⋅ She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ LH Tortiseshell point w/ice blue eyes
  

​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
Snakerocks, she suggests. That was true, now that he thought of it. They were somewhere around there, weren't they? "Yeah, alright," he agreed easily, and their course was readjusted to Snakerocks proper.

She was walking nearly shoulder to shoulder with him, Lightstrike had noticed, aware from the moment she'd brushed against him; but he'd neglected to comment. He'd never been bothered by contact, it just seemed... odd for her, was all. He didn't distance himself.

Silence once again spread between them, but he found it wasn't an uncomfortable one. The air was cold, colder than it had been evident in the way he could see the slight shiver of his breath in the air if he tried, but the warrior wasn't sure if anything could ever compare to the biting air they had endured up in the mountains.

Cold weather only brought misery, he thought grimly, and he wasn't ready to face another.

Moonwhisper was the first to break the silence, and green eyes slid over to her. Her opening question was one of the more unexpected things to happen today so far, even in the face of everything else that had happened in the span of the past pawful of minutes. She went on to bring up Mousenose, and there was a slight crinkle of something unreadable that adorned his face.

"Well, hate to admit it," he began, and with a breath that could have been a laugh, "but I'm honestly just glad to get back into routine."

The crinkle turned to distaste, and his chin raised to the sky that was, unfortunately, clearly visible through the near-barren trees. Gray. Bleak. "If I see another speck of snow again, it'll be too soon, but it's probably not too far off now..." Too cold, too eager to soak up the bright scarlet of blood. Insatiable. He'd thought it pretty, the first times he'd ever seen it. If only he'd known what was to come.

Stop thinking about it, damn it, a voice in the back of his mind snapped, and he realized he'd fallen silent. "Oh. Sorry. Uh, I'm... good," he finally said. "Just happy to be home." She'd asked about Mousenose. That she'd heard...

Abruptly, Lightstrike sighed. "I don't know what everyone's talking about. I don't get what's up with her. We hardly ever talked before. Did something happen while we were gone? I mean sure, I guess we're friends now but seriously, what is everyone on about?" He seemed genuinely confused, brows furrowed and head swinging to face her. "I'm convinced it's some elaborate prank. Hearing a few too many snickers whenever it's brought up."

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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[Moonwhisper]

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"It's good to have you back, you know." There is a rare sincerity to her cool tone, voice softspoken as usual but without the edge that often tinges every word in silent warning. The creeping chill of frost. She feels the same about the snow, can only imagine it soaked red now in her thoughts despite knowing otherwise; knowing those circumstances were rare above anything else. ThunderClan was unlikely to have a similar event this year, she would not see her mirror fade upon the cold again - the only mercy of losing someone was knowing you would not have to lose them again after, the permenance of death was a pain that only struck a single time.

It's embarrassing the relief she feels at those words, though she does a good show of not revealing it; expression still as neutral as it often was but a light smile plays across her maw not too soon after, "A prank, I imagine, yes. That sounds like something she'd do."
It sounded like something done specifically to spite her, Mousenose playing games she knew she couldn't win but acted with only the intent to be as irritating as possible. As long as it was confirmed otherwise she no longer cared, she no longer wished to humor it.
"I wouldn't let it bother you, but if she is having a laugh then I think the funniest thing you could do is respond in turn. I imagine she backs off first from the joke."
Maybe it was a cruel suggestion, maybe even a touch manipulative given Lightstrike didn't even grasp the full extent of what was happening at his expense, but she didn't care. She had stopped caring about that kittypet born wretch of a tortiseshell the moment she made her daft little comments when Lightstrike wasn't even there; was journeying to find them lungwort in the mountains.

☾ break all the rules - live like a queen or die like a fool ☽ —— do you care what they think

•  
• 
  
  
  Moonwhisper
  —⊰⋅ Warrior of ThunderClan
  —⊰⋅ She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ LH Tortiseshell point w/ice blue eyes
  

​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
Although he didn't reply immediately, Lightstrike smiled softly. Yeah. It was good to be back.

Rather than be sappy, however, he shot her a snide grin. "Missed me that much, huh? Couldn't stand to be without li'l ol' me?" He ducked out of the way before he could give her a chance to make any move, practically dancing on his paws with a wild grin.

Of course, the conversation inevitably veered back to Mousenose, and he frowned as he returned to Moonwhisper's shoulder to walk at a calmer pace. "Weird fucking prank," he muttered, half to himself. "Seems real weird to pretend to be someone's friend because you think it's funny." It wasn't as though he were hurt by the idea that she was faking it. He just genuinely didn't get it. Why?

"Well, whatever," he announced, putting the topic behind him once and for all. He could see Snakerocks just up ahead. "We doing this or what?" With it just past sunhigh, it was about as warm as it would get for the day. He only wished that there was some direct sunlight to warm his fur. A cold breeze hardly sufficed.

"Like you said, I doubt there's gonna be any snakes out and about, but keep on the lookout anyway," Lightstrike nearly mumbled to her, green eyes searching. He would argue that the decaying leaves and fauna would make them even harder to spot than in greenleaf.

With an idea popping to mind, the warrior gave his companion a sidelong glance. "First catch gets first share tonight?" A little motivation went a long way, after all. Plus, the idea of flaunting a fresh-killed squirrel in front of her before she could catch one sounded funny.

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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[Moonwhisper]

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"Maybe I did a little." Moonwhisper admitted coolly, nose tilted up as she glanced away to gaze off into the forest, "Hardly many tolerable cats in the clan to talk to that don't irritate me." Lightstrike did annoy her but in an entirely different way that was hardly his fault, he bothered her because she didn't know why he didn't bother her; it was a strange feeling. Maybe it was because he'd been so kind to her as apprentices, she often wondered if it was out of some sense of regret at his involvement in her sister's death but she couldn't humor such things because the very thought of it made her withdraw and recoil in disgust.

As he lamented his feelings on the cruel prank she paused midstep to look at him with a skeptical stare - her expression neutral as the words processed.
It was as though a branch was pushed by a strong wind, allowing the sun to trickle down once more and light everything up. She stared at Lightstrike intently, blue eyes narrowed not in maliciousness but skepticism, "... you're not joking. You actually think that's what she was doing?" She had never met a more dense tom in her life with the exception of her own father and the thought filled her with outrage. She shoved it away, rejected the very notion that she would find that trait endearing in any way even if it was on a cat she had a fondness for. "She was telling everyone you were mates, Lightstrike." The girl huffed, tail lashing as she dropped low to the ground and her words uttered out as a whisper to avoid startling any nearby prey.
"I knew it was nonsense...you could obviously do better."

☾ break all the rules - live like a queen or die like a fool ☽ —— do you care what they think

•  
• 
  
  
  Moonwhisper
  —⊰⋅ Warrior of ThunderClan
  —⊰⋅ She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ LH Tortiseshell point w/ice blue eyes
  

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[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
His offer was brushed off entirely. Moonwhisper halted mid-stride, and Lightstrike found himself doing the same to meet that judgmental stare, his own expression deepening with confusion and an odd but growing sense of unease. He wasn't joking? Why would he be joking? "What?" he asked near defensively.

She was telling everyone you were mates, Lightstrike.

All prey was forgotten, now meaningless. "What!?" the golden tom erupted, shock painted cleanly across his face. He was bewildered, taken off guard, and his expression morphed wildly as he struggled to process how he should be feeling at that moment. Ultimately he jerked his head away, fixing his brow-furrowed and wide-eyed stare elsewhere.

"She- but-" He couldn't begin to fathom it. Lightstrike's head swung around to look at her again as he resumed his sputtering. "We're not!" Surely? At the very least it had never been brought up to him... right? "I don't- why? She was?"

Fortunately or not, the tom hadn't heard her following comment, too caught up in his own riptide of confliction. "But we've... never really even talked..." What kind of a prank was that? Did everyone believe it? Did everyone legitimately think they were mates?

Lightstrike let out a groan of mounting frustration, now beginning to pace restlessly in a start-and-stop manner. "What am I supposed to do about that?" He wasn't cut out for this shit. "Why would she do that? What did I do?"

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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[Moonwhisper]

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It was the response she expected with it out in the open like this, perhaps not quite so harried and frazzled but that didn't matter in the long run. She let him work himself up, watching as he sputtered about and denied it in short bursts of sound and confusion; his cream pelt bristling outward into fine points.
"Lightstrike." Her voice is calm, even, watching him pace like a caged animal as his frustration mounted and he lashed his tail about serpent-like in its movements. "I doubt anyone else believed her..." What did it say about her that she did initially? That her belief is what lead her to even bringing it up? Was she stupid or was Mousenose just being a manipulative wretch? For a brief moment she imagines digging her claws into that spotted molly's neck and the very real fear of her anger hitting such a point drags her back into a state of composure, she inhales slowly and exhales through her nose before glancing to the side.
"She was playing a cruel game. I think you should just ignore her until she fesses up and apologizes." It was the adult thing to do, her suggestion was of maturity and poise unlike what she intended to actually do the moment she found that tortie and caught her alone, she'd scream her fool ears off until they bled. Moonwhisper's ears pin back and she rises to stand, very carefully bumping into his shoulder as she did, "It'll be fine. I'm sorry this happened but part of me is glad it did so I know its not true." The last part was a near whisper, she had not intended to blurt it out so blatantly but it hung in the air like the clouds of their breath.

☾ break all the rules - live like a queen or die like a fool ☽ —— do you care what they think

•  
• 
  
  
  Moonwhisper
  —⊰⋅ Warrior of ThunderClan
  —⊰⋅ She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ LH Tortiseshell point w/ice blue eyes
  

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