HOLIDAY INN = [ addersnap ]

[antlerbreeze]

She doesn't think she has walked as far as she has in the last seven days. Her eyes are heavy, pelt damp with the frost that she kept prowling by in the barely-hibernating undergrowth, and Thrashpaw's questions circle in her mind. She steps back into camp, bidding her apprentice go warm up and rest until the next border patrol left, and she took a measly piece of prey and padded towards the warrior's den. Eyes shift amongst those outside of the den, and she settles down without paying too much mind to just who she sat next to.

Addersnap was a constant in her life- being an apprentice she trained alongside for a month, warrior-ship about the same time... their lives lined up in milestones in funny ways. That hunting patrol with just the two of them before the cold snap hit.. her fur warmed just as the thought of it, and she settled down to eat, not too close, but close enough to offer a greeting before she began to eat. It was but moments later that her head began to droop, tilting to one side. Falling asleep on the job, in the view of other clanmates, in the cold, with her meal unfinished? Unprofessional, sloppy. Antlerbreeze couldn't find it in her to care.

Her breathing was even, and she could no longer resist, tipping to the side. Her head presses against Addersnap's flank briefly, and all she can think is how warm, before she is jolting straight up, eyes wide but still tired. "Oh, stars- I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" She presses her mouth shut, wide eyes turning to catch eye contact with the other. "Um.. haha.. did you want any of my mouse?" She asks softly a moment later, an attempt to ease the tension, gesturing to the mouse she hadn't finished before dozing off.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ┌── MY NATURAL REACTION ⋅❁⋅ IS THAT WERE SCARED ──┐‎

• "speech"
  // @ADDERSNAP

• 

• ANTLERBREEZE she/her, warrior of thunderclan, fifteen moons.
  ⭃ LH cinnamon lynx sepia with low white. smaller body, agile and slippery, fits really well in small gaps in the underbrush. soft spoken but strong and determined.
  ⭃ previously mentored by howlingstar / / mentoring no one
  ⭃ padding after no one / / sibling to fallowbite and doepath
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[Addersnap]

ooc: so sorry about the length

Exhaustion was already rooted deep in his bones, the weight almost leaving him to rest for longer than he needed to in the warmth of his nest. Although his nest was more thin than usual. The warmth wasn't brought much by the lining of his nest -- the moss old and slightly damp, beautiful adorned feathers weaved in now crushed and browned by the clay and soil that littered his paws from the forest. Addersnap managed to keep himself comfortable with his long fur, curling his tail over his eyes to keep his face heated as much as possible. This frost, it was getting to him already. Oh how the tabby longed for only the slight twinge of icy air.

Training an apprentice was more complicated than the tomcat had been expecting, now more than ever thankful for the patience that Leafhusk had with him. Sparkpaw was... well, he didn't really know yet if the boy was good or bad. They'd only been training for less than a week together, it was hard to form an opinion. He seemed motivated enough -- but it was Addersnap who felt like the student, still wishing he could cower and escape his duties like he did when he was an apprentice himself. It was embarrassing to stumble around so much in front of his own apprentice. What a failure he turned out to be after all.

Though no matter how down Addersnap felt, how alone, desperate, or scared he may be... there was something in him keeping him going, a star that shone brighter in the sky than all the others. It was hard for the tabby to not feel his heart flop like a fish out of water when he looked at Antlerbreeze, her honey-colored gaze captivating him more than he ever expected. Their sunset hunt still lingered on his mind, a feather from the dove he let her catch hidden in that mangy nest he owned -- it was the only perfectly clean item that resided in it. He found himself thinking of her constantly, wishing he could just be sick of her so he could focus on his training of Sparkpaw. But she was like his own personal yellowcough -- plaguing his mind, suffocating him with her toxins just by being near him.

He often times now found himself sitting in camp despite the temperature, his own yellow-colored eyes staring blankly off into the nearby distance. It was the easiest way for him to disassociate from the world for a while now that he didn't collect bugs, or bones like he had with Deerpaw (oh, how he longed for those days). It didn't feel right, though. Especially not alone.

But today he was blessed with her presence, her wordless approach making the butterflies in his stomach flutter up to his throat. Addersnap felt as though he may cough them out at any moment, swallowing the anxiety that now felt so overwhelming, yet so thrilling at the same time. Giving a measly smile to the other and inwardly cursing himself for it, he looked off to the side so he may look as uninterested as possible. He didn't want to give any signs, anything that indicated the feelings he was beginning to have for her. She couldn't know. He didn't want to lose her, even if it meant keeping his feelings a secret. She was the only friend he really had right now.

Then, she leaned against his flank. Oh, stars, she was leaning against him! A spark lit in his chest, growing bigger and brighter by the second as it overtook his heart, which pounded so fiercely Addersnap was worried it would awaken her. Her breathing was uneven -- soft, comforting. The warrior felt himself slipping off for a moment, feeling at peace with her by his side before Antlerbreeze shot awake, his own eyelids flung back wide as he inched away in case the closeness had made her uncomfortable. Oh StarClan, what if she was uncomfortable? What if she stopped talking to him?

The molly's sunlit eyes meet his own, and the heat builds under his cheeks yet again, flushing through his whole face. "U-uh -- um -- 't's okay, An'lerbreeze. 'M purdy tired too." He glances off to the side for as he speaks, unable to meet her gaze until the end of his sentence. She didn't mean to? 'Of course she didn't, you mousebrain.' Pinning his ears to his skull temporarily before giving an awkward grin, Addersnap was surprised by the question that follows suit from her apology, his chocolate fur raising in glee as he shook the chills from his skin. "Mm, su'e. I- I'm purdy hungry." He wasn't, really. He -- in fact -- had never actually shared pray with anyone before. Sure, he would sit next to others while they ate if they approached him first, but the idea of eating from someone else's prey disgusted him. Normally.

Bending down to take a bite, Addersnap's internal monologue didn't seem to stop talking as he chewed, relishing in the silence that fell between them in that time. She was talking to him. She fell asleep on his shoulder. She wanted to share her meal with him. Maybe things weren't so bad after all. Swallowing, he turned back to Antlerbreeze with a shift of his paws, hoping to ease some of the nerves that were clawing their way into his stomach. "How's uh... how's trainin' with Ttthhh... Thrrrashpaw goin'?" Small amounts of spit flew from his tongue as he spoke of her sibling, praying to StarClan it was good enough. He did not want to mess up her sibling's name, of all things.​

 

[antlerbreeze]

He's probably just as nervous as her- her eyes watch steadily, as he looks away then back, as if to gain confidence, a sure-footedness in this conversation. Her own stomach flips with the realization that it surely wasn't just her that felt... all kinds of strange and weird about this now, yes? Her ears twitched briefly, before she looks away. There is relief in knowing he doesn't say no to the shared meal, and her paws press against the cold ground near-eagerly.

Antlerbreeze takes the brief silence as time to relax, a sigh leaving her and twisting her spine too and fro to stretch it. She moves, tucking her paws underneath of her before Addersnap speaks again. Her gaze moves to match his vision again, ears perking in curiosity. Thrashpaw. A genuine smile found her face, mirthful at the way he ensured he was saying Thrashpaw's name right. "Yes, Thrashpaw." She nodded her head gently to emphasize that she wasn't belittling the way he asked the question, before her eyes shifted away in thought.

"It is.. still early, but I'm happy to know Thrashpaw has so many questions." Antlerbreeze says, and the longer she's talking, the more she realizes it's.. easy to talk to Addersnap. An individual with an experience like hers- Leafhusk's tutelage, the Civil War. Surely that's what it was- not the funny feeling in her stomach anytime she was around him. Definitely not. "I was afraid that.. well, Thrashpaw wouldn't talk to me, given our shared history." Her eyes blinked briefly, and she turns to look at Addersnap again as she continues.

"They're.. afraid of not fitting in, I think. We went hunting for materials with the rest and Thrashpaw looked panicked they found something but the rest of the patrol hadn't yet." There is... a hint of amusement in her voice, alongside the hint of worry. Antlerbreeze hopes that, at some point soon, the younger of this mentor-apprentice pair would find a natural confidence. Maybe that's what she needed to work on. Her eyes, which had unfocused away from her companion, tilting up to meet his again. "What of you and Sparkpaw?" She asks.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ┌── MY NATURAL REACTION ⋅❁⋅ IS THAT WERE SCARED ──┐‎

• "speech"

• 

• ANTLERBREEZE she/her, warrior of thunderclan, fifteen moons.
  ⭃ LH cinnamon lynx sepia with low white. smaller body, agile and slippery, fits really well in small gaps in the underbrush. soft spoken but strong and determined.
  ⭃ previously mentored by howlingstar / / mentoring no one
  ⭃ padding after no one / / sibling to fallowbite and doepath
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[Addersnap]

The inside of his mouth is as dry as the ravine they call home, jaw clenched and his throat feeling as though it were closing in on itself. Addersnap assumed it was from the drastic change in the temperature, his nose too dry these past few sunrises since the start of the frost. It was easy to overlook the real reason as to why he was so clammy when he had other excuses as options. Figuring that a bite of Antlerbreeze's mouse would soften his cracking maw, he bent down to sink his sharp teeth into flesh, its blood cold from sitting out in the freshkill pile. His gaze snapped away from her as she stretched her spine, claws digging into the ground as heat rose like a hot spring from his fur.

Glancing back to Antlerbreeze once she spoke, he swore she could hear the skip from his beating heart. It wasn't something he openly showed or talked to with anyone about, obviously, but the tabby had always been insecure of the way he spoke, his words short and just... not how it should be. He cursed his mother and 'father' inwardly with a sharp inhale, lantern-like hues piercing into the cinnamon-colored she-cat's own eyes. Her opinion of his struggle mattered more than all the others -- and she had been nothing but supportive. The right side of his lip twitched as he looked to the ground with a soft, closed-mouth smile before dragging his claw in the soil below.

Addersnap never listened to other's when they spoke to him about their troubles and worries, the good in their day or the bad. He wasn't one for small talk, or getting to know his clanmates on a deeper level. There was no reason too -- none of them wanted to get to know him better, so why should they expect him to extend the same type of curtesy they couldn't? But with Antlerbreeze, it was... different. Maybe it was in the way she spoke, delicate yet so sure and full of confidence. It made him feel warm, it inspired him. He had been watching her speak with attentive ears, angled towards her to hear every words she may utter from her maw, and with eyes that hadn't been seen with such softness before. His eyes meet with hers, and the boy can only hope she can see the emotion that littered his gaze.

Following the molly's idea of getting more warmth to avoid the cold winds that now swirled through their fur, he shivered as freezing brown paws tucked in under his chest. Addersnap nodded his head at her theory, ear flicking as he dwelled on the topic of 'shared history' before absorbing in her next words. Oh, he knew all too well how that felt. He... felt sympathy, for the young boy. "Well, FF-Flames'ar picked th' right men-tor for Th... Thrashpaw, then. S- she knew tha' ya'd be 'he best ch- choice for 'em. Ta git 'em ta feel like 'hey fit in." The warrior wondered in that moment what it would be like if Bearcloud or Elkthistle had trained him from the beginning instead of the old tom Mossywing. Maybe his training wouldn't have been sabotaged (as he saw it). Maybe he would have gotten the support he needed, like Thrashpaw needed from Antlerbreeze.

Antlerbreeze asked about Sparkpaw, but he wished that she had kept talking about herself. He never enjoyed discussing topics that included him, especially when it came to training -- whether it be his own, or for his apprentice. He didn't care much for the stories of other's lives, but the tomcat already knew she was different. Swishing his tail in a display of anxiousness, his mouth went dry again as he turned his head towards the apprentice den. "Mmm... I dunno, really. He... seems like he's gotta lot goin' for him. But I dunno how Leafhus' did it, trainin' someone tha' was al-ready bein' trained by som'on' else be-for'. 'M just kinda... lost, hones'ly." Addersnap laughed softly, another new leaf for the boy as he looked back to his clanmate with another leap in his chest. She was so beautiful, with the way her fur flowed with the wind.

Tapping his paw nervously as silence fell across them once again like a heavy blanket of snow, the tabby cocked his head as he began his question. "Ya know... I don' know much 'bout you, An'lerbreeze... I... wha' was y-your life like befo'e ThhhunderClan? Um, 'f ya wanna t-talk 'bout it." Voice shakier than usual, he ducked his head to avoid the embarrassment that began to eat him alive. What if he had just crossed a boundary by asking her to explain her life story to him? Oh, stars, this was why he didn't get close with anyone.​

 

[antlerbreeze]

She is warmed, at least, to see that Addersnap was eating. She did not realize how monumental it was that he was eating after her, or any other cat for that matter. No, all that mattered to her was the fact that he was being fed- it was important during this cold snap. A breath left her, curling white as she smiled again. "Yeah, I'm.. pretty appreciative of Flamestar's choice, too. Howlingstar taught me well, so.." She lets that sentence trail off. Speaking her former mentor's name aloud after the civil war felt.. felt like summoning a ghost, perhaps.

Her eyes turn half-lidded for a moment at the thought of the tabby that had become one of those dots, high, high above them, untouchable. She missed her- but Addersnap was talking about Sparkpaw, so she did her best to refocus, to hide the thought of her former mentor. His tail was swaying again, eyes shifting away- all things that Antlerbreeze took note of. "I think.. just keeping someone that you feel is well-trained continuing to practice.. they'll improve smaller things on their own." She ponders aloud, giving advice in a roundabout way. "And if there's any areas you think they lack in, focus there." Antlerbreeze hums.

She falls quiet with Addersnap then, his anxious tendancies revealing themselves. She notes this one, too- paw tapping, tail twitching, eyes shifting away. Part of her wishes that he could be still, that he didn't have to feel that way around her. This makes her stop briefly, Antlerbreeze's eyes fixing on his ducked head now that a new question was posed. Yet, it wasn't the question that made her stop. No, it was the intense need in her heart to make Addersnap, of all cats, more comfortable with her. A cough left her, trying to hide the stumble in natural conversation as she looked away for a long minute.

Tell him about Baying Hound? Her ears lowered, but... she could trust him, right? Addersnap was on the clan's side during the Civil War. Addersnap had been there when Howlingstar wasn't, back when they were apprentices. She spoke quietly, her paws still tucked and eyes lowering to the dirt before her. ".. I was born to a cat named Baying Hound." Antlerbreeze says, and it's nearly immediate how her tone has shifted. She is quieter, more serious, then before. "She was.. cruel. Ruled over us with an iron first. You have to be, being a rouge with a full litter of kits to feed."

Antlerbreeze doesn't think she's told anyone about Baying Hound since Howlingstar, since Fallowbite- Fallowpaw then- had come to find them. It's like falling into a river, she thinks- a shock, at first, surely. "Fallow- Fallowbite, that is- got stolen by a bird of prey. We were made to believe she was dead. Even Baying Hound thought she was dead." She shifts, unintentionally rolling a hint closer to him. Antlerbreeze didn't notice, given how locked into her own past she was. "Moons later Fallow returns. Baying Hound chases her back to Thunderclan's border, thinking it was someone tricking her. Thinking someone was playing a cruel joke on a single mother."

Her vision slid closed briefly. "We followed- Doe and I. Baying Hound had attacked Fallow. Thunderclan fought her back, and I spoke out. She.." Her eyes opened, head turning towards Addersnap. She was sinking in the river now, drowning, her lungs compressed and eyes full of water, a sheen over them from the emotion she was pulling from herself. But she couldn't stop herself now. She was past the surface of the water- she had to finish her story. To rest on the bottom, to feel the relief of no longer have to hide it. "She attacked myself and Doe. Baying Hound made us match her own scars, tearing her claws over our eyes." Her voice is quiet.

Vision snaps away again, swallowing thickly at the pressure from her own story now. "Doepath suffered more permanent seeing issues. I was lucky, with no effect on my vision. Howlingstar took us in, then." Antlerbreeze finishes, and it's like emerging from the river finally, breaking free and taking desperate breaths that filled her lungs with air instead of water. Her head turned away, afraid of looking at Addersnap. No, she had never shied from judgement from other cats- but him, for some reason? Him knowing? It was.. difficult.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ┌── MY NATURAL REACTION ⋅❁⋅ IS THAT WERE SCARED ──┐‎

• "speech"

• 

• ANTLERBREEZE she/her, warrior of thunderclan, fifteen moons.
  ⭃ LH cinnamon lynx sepia with low white. smaller body, agile and slippery, fits really well in small gaps in the underbrush. soft spoken but strong and determined.
  ⭃ previously mentored by howlingstar / / mentoring no one
  ⭃ padding after no one / / sibling to fallowbite and doepath
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[Addersnap]

Sunlit eyes watch as the molly's eyes turn cold for a moment. It wasn't from malice, no; something that he would be at fault for many times. This... this was from an overwhelming pain that even just uttering Howlingstar's name brought onto her, her eyes glazed over as though she were somewhere with the old ThunderClan leader. He never got to give his condolences to Antlerbreeze about her loss -- he didn't really think about it in the first place for himself, having tried to block out the memory of her falling from her rightful place on Highrock. Addersnap's gaze softened as flicked his tail-tip against her side, nodding his head to show her he understood that it was difficult for her to talk about her former mentor. He was sure it had been harder for her more than anyone else -- other than Howlingstar's family.

After he had finished sharing his concerns (his weaknesses) to the cinnamon she-cat, he took another bite from the mouse that lay in front of him, chewing slowly as he contemplated her words. He did have the boy practice what he already knew every once and a while, but maybe that's all he needed to do now. Sparkpaw seemed to know the basics -- if he practiced enough like Antlerbreeze was saying, the apprentice would grow in many ways. A smile spreading wide onto his maw, he pushed the mouse gently towards her with a slight nod of his head. "Mmm, y- yeah. 'Hanks, Antlerbreeze." He had made sure every bit of the mouse had been swallowed before opening his big mouth, not wanting to accidentally spit something onto her. He'd do something like that if he wasn't careful enough.

The beating in his heart from his posed question, his head ducked with the embarrassment that was written all over his features... Addersnap inwardly knew he was being very obvious of his feelings towards Antlerbreeze. He was so panicked over the fact that she may not reciprocate the same emotions that it kept him from being open around, worrying that he may blurt it out to her unprompted, leaving their friendship broken and tattered. Her cough almost sent him spiraling, the contents in his stomach churning as he speculated all the reasons why she may be trying to cover up her true reaction. It's not like he knew that's what she had been doing. He just had a knack for expecting the worst in every outcome.

She began to speak, and it was as though a breeze cleared the fog from his mind. Her voice, though darker in tone, was as soft and sweet as usual, honey-colored eyes peering into the ground below her as though she could see all the roots that inhabited their underground territory. Antlerbreeze spoke of her mother -- a cat named Baying Hound. Her cruelty, her anger and rage. Fallowbite had been hauled off by a bird to ThunderClan, seeming as though its fate had been sealed by arriving here. Crinkling his brows, he bit the inside of his cheek as she continued, missing her hint like the oblivious boy he was. Fallowbite was... attacked by its own mother? And he thought that he had a bad mother.

Giving her however much of a sympathetic gaze he could, Addersnap's head spun as she continued, his eyes focused on her mouth as the words left her, scabbed wounds reopened in broken, harsh pain. Without thinking, he pressed his flank against hers to offer whatever support he could as she spoke about her mother's attack, lifting his golden eyes to look into hers. He had always wondered how she had gotten those scars, but never wanted to ask her outright since he knew that it would be rude. Thankfully, he had some understanding of socialization.

Fur prickling in disgust and anger as she finished her story, he gnashed his teeth together to grind them ever so slightly. How could her own mother do that to her? It was unfathomable to him, retched and slimy. The tabby still hadn't noticed that he was pressed against her, his concern for Antlerbreeze overwhelming any other embarrassing emotions he may usually have.

Muttering softly with sheepish eyes, he hoped that they offered enough comfort to her more than his words. "'M... so sorry, Antlerbreeze. 'M... 'm glad ya are safe, um, wi' us now." Addersnap's cheeks heated as he spoke, voice more compassionate than ever. "T- thhhank ya for tellin' me. I- i know 'hat's gotta be... rough." He chuckled uncomfortably, biting his tongue to keep him from messing up more. "You... you're really brave, ya know. Ta have faced her." ''M proud of you,' was what he wanted to end on, but he was possibly already pushing his boundaries with her. But only the stars knew how badly he wanted to tell her, to confess his feelings and how beautiful she was against the frosted greenery around them. But he needed to wait for the right opportunity, and this.... it wasn't time yet.​