IT'S 3 AM, [ intro ], I MUST BE LONELY

[scalejaw]

—————————————————【 she/her | menacing 】————————————————

【◈】The heat was beginning to dissipate, and with that, Scalejaw emerged from the warriors den.

She was a regal thing, really. Far from any kind of River princess or Thunder queen, Scalejaw seemed far too sure of herself. It was far from the truth, perhaps, considering the scars she carried and the names she's taken. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the marshes into shadow and the ink of night, the smoke chimera padded to the freshkill pile. Her eyebrows twitched, orange optics peering at what was available. A soft sigh left her muzzle. Nothing she could do about the dwindled pile- it seemed the clan had just finished eating before she emerged from her nap. She picked her head back up, stepping away from the pile.

She mewed a greeting to one or two cats as she passed them, her tufted tail drifting behind her. Her gaze was distracted, casted over the camp while deep in thought. The sickness was troubling, but the fact that a portion of the clans were departing from their sides made her a bit nervous. Who wouldn't bear fear? Sickness was sweeping over the camp, and the strongest of them were leaving. She would not be joining them, no, not by any means. A soft breath left her, gaze shifting back in front of her just as she ran into something. Her ears flattened, tufted ears pressing against her mane as she stepped back from the other cat she ran into. A grin settled on her lips. "I do apologize. I didn't look where I was going- are you alright?"

// feel free to be the cat she runs into!

"yuh"

[penned by dallas].

​

 

[TAZ STORAGE UNIT]

Exhaustion weighed heavily upon Lilycrest's robust frame, their usually pristine pelt now tangled and marred by debris from outside the camp. Breaking away from the usual routine was something he didn't particularly relish, as the chocolate point cat wasn't fond of change. However, he willingly made sacrifices in his daily activities for the betterment of the clan. Sickness had afflicted every cat, and ShadowClan found themselves in an especially precarious situation. Chest tightening with the weight of it all, he attempted to clear his mind by walking to the fresh-kill pile. Massive head lowered from fatigue, and wide paws dragging with each step.

Suddenly, aggravation surged through Lilycrest at the unexpected force of another body slamming into him. Teetering briefly and struggling back into a balanced pose. Lilycrest whips his head towards the unknown assailant's. Their earlier neutral expression twists to a sour grimace. However, he quickly quelled the intense feeling, forcing on a fresh half-smile. Looking down at the rather unique she-cat who had collided with him, he takes a few steps back to create some distance. Satisfied with the space, he briefly cleans the lower half of his chest from embarrassment and runs his paw over it a few times for good measure.

Inhaling deeply and exhaling fast, he addresses Scalejaw and falls into a brief meow. "I'm alright." Regaining composure, Lilycrest bites his tongue, restraining a venomous retort. Instead, he forces out a light chuckle, knowing there is nothing to gain from a petty argument. They also didn't want to risk looking foolish in front of the entire clan. Returning to his usual graceful demeanor, they settle into a low crouch, gaze slightly lower than the grinning cat before him. "I should ask you the same thing. Are you okay?" With practiced finesse and ample discipline, Lilycrest attempts to pull off his most convincing worried expression, lower lip wavering and blue eyes glistening for added effect.​

​

 

[smogstar]

Peculiar as it may sound, Smogmaw's obsessive proclivities during his upbringing has brought forth a wide array of benefits. Skills and assets, cultivated through his little irrationalities, which distinguished him from his fellow clanmates—so he would very much like to think, at the least. A heightened sense of awareness and uncanny attention to detail meant that even the subtlest changes in scenery failed to elude him. It elevated his hunting prowess and honed his finesse in the realm of stealth. Additionally, it meant he wasn't stumbling face-first into his own clanmates.

Scalejaw's collision with Lilycrest chisels a grin into his stony expression. In a world where logic prevails, this simply cannot occur; the latter was as fluffy as a cloud and twice as wide, to the point where Forestshade would be able to skirt them effortlessly. "Like a shadow in the night, Scalejaw," he prods on approach, hubris hanging from his dark-smirched shoulders. He's certain that he'd witnessed Swanpaw do the same to one of his siblings, but the difference was some fifty moons or so. "I do hope you're getting enough sleep," the deputy then adds. He most certainly hadn't been, and it takes an insomniac to know one.

Amber eyes flit in the ragdoll's trajectory next. "Any broken bones?" Smogmaw asks next, his question frivolous but tone dead-serious. "Looks like your cheek's a little out of place, there."​

 

[CHILLEDSTAR.]

DON'T YOU GIVE ME UP, PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP​

---

as chilledstar anxiously sits, they cat watch. every step, every flick of ear or twitch of a tail, they can see. they're trying to have some sense of control of what's going on when in reality, they hadn't a single amount of it. it was sickening. it was panic inducing. who wouldn't be panicked? so many cats dying. so many cats too sick to move. to do anything. shadowclan needed all the warriors they could get, but what did it matter with a sickness running through them so fast? an invisible killer. worse than the bears. worse than rogues. worse than anything they've yet to face.

still, seeing scalejaw stumble clumsily into lilycrest makes them giggle. a rare noise that does not have any anger or lacks sanity. it was simply just that. a laugh. a good feeling, no matter how fast and fleeting.

"clumsy as always, scalejaw? no wonder i keep winning our competitions. you can't keep your paws under you."
​

 

[NETTLEPAW ♡]

Everyone was so tense that it was almost as contagious as the illness. Almost. Nettlepaw could feel the anticipation in the air, so much so that... apparently, concentration was slipping too. Ever aware of what his face was doing, what his body language showed, Nettlepaw would never have caught himself astray like that- barrelling into a Clanmate, stepping a mere paw wrong and surely driving them away from him. He could do nothing that would endanger what reputation.

Grin easily plastered, he moseyed over to the group of stressed warriors as if they were simple friends. There was no disrespect about his demeanour, but a distinct, charming ease to his smile. Smogmaw pointed out a cheek- Nettlepaw, studying Lilycrest's features, could not see quite the same thing. Perhaps he lacked his mother's eye for injury... "hope you haven't broken anyone's face, Scalejaw," hummed Nettlepaw, voice tinged with humour. Brightness was necessary at times like this. ​

penned by pin ♡​

 

[scalejaw]

—————————————————【 she/her | menacing 】————————————————

【◈】Lilycrest was the cat she bumped into. Her head tilted kindly, making sure the other was okay. A smile followed at the question risen, her tail swaying behind him- tip just barely gracing the ground. "Yes, I am quite alright." She confided with a grin, her ears perking back up as Lilycrest and herself both straightened back to normal. Of course, the bump didn't come without some teasing.

Golden vision shifted and turned, looking towards Smogmaw and Chilledstar. What a striking pair the two of them made, and a rumble left Scalejaw's chest. Her laughter raised and joined with Chilledstar's brief giggle. The smile was left on her features as the teases followed. She responded to Smogmaw first, sharp teeth visible as she peered forward. "Thank you, I try so hard." A mock bow followed, her stance gently widening before standing back straight. "Sleep is never an issue. Not here, anyways."

What she meant by that, she had no clue herself.

Her vision shifted towards Chilledstar, ears perking forward. "You and I both know we're evenly matched." Scalejaw responded, her grin widening. Padding towards the pair, she settled down, a warm look on her face, despite the twitching in her tail. In honesty, Scalejaw was embarrassed, but she played it off well, cool and controlled. Her vision shifted towards Nettlepaw, however. "Oh, I've broken plenty of faces." She purred languidly. "Most deserved it. Other's taunted me a bit too much." Scalejaw responded.

"yuh"​

 

[NETTLEPAW ♡]

It seemed Scalejaw had relaxed a little, collecting herself from the starling she'd just received- and she settled into a hardy skin, unbothered by the crowd that had flocked following her incident.

Plenty of faces. Did that mean simply two or three, to a plethora, enough to fill platters with shattered skull-bones? Curious blue eyes lit azure with humour, a grin bright upon his features. Most deserved it, she said, and Nettlepaw saw much of the humour in it. "I s'pose they've earned it, taunting someone known for face-bashing," he offered with a grin, voice peppered with jest. His vision wandered to one side as he tried to recall something. What was that phrase? Something about... mind over matter, but... not quite the same thing. Brains over brawn, that was it... though some preferred the reverse, apparently.

"Words don't work against some people, then?" he purred, still as cheerful as ever as he lowered himself to a seat, curling a ruddy tail around snow-dipped paws. ​

penned by pin ♡​