KING OF THE NARROW SEA | sparring

[SILVERSMOKE]

Duty was not just a thing done to keep a roof over one's head and belly full, duty was almost all that Silversmoke lived for. It was purpose in a world that could seem so purposeless, it was repaying a debt no one had asked him to shoulder, it was the thing that had brought him love and pain in such a quick succession that he found himself confusing the two whenever his emotions turned into a river in a storm. The sandy ravine had once again become Silversmoke's home, his nest within the Warrior's den as cold as leafbare's grin. Regardless of the temperature outside, his blood ran like fire, circling his opponent with guile that made it seem that the spotted tom had forgotten he was an ally. Blood trickled down the side of Silversmoke's mouth, a sucker punch with unsheathed claws, a side-effect of the spar, a side-effect he had demanded when fighting with muscle hadn't seemed like enough. 'I am not enough.' He breathed heavy as he circled the other, their fight a dance of quick jabs and fluid dodges, either side unwilling to give the other an edge. When the opportunity didn't reveal itself, one had to make an opportunity themselves.

His opponent darted towards him and the tabby's odd eyes narrowed. Clearly a fake-out, but on the defensive, it was imperative that he made the right choice to avoid being pinned. Silversmoke didn't go left, he didn't go right, he didn't duck or jump, he stood exactly where he was, paws sinking into the soft ground below. When the other was a tail length away, the Lead Warrior turned his head and kicked sand up into the other's eyes, the other SkyClanner howling in surprise and pain. Opportunity. His opponent's vision began to clear but the Lead Warrior had already swiped to the side, his forepaws pressed against the sides of their head, his claws kissing the sensitive skin. Jumping upon their spine, Silversmoke's hindpaws kicked at the back of the other's legs until they buckled, collapsing under the weight of the maine coon hybrid. The slackening of muscles beneath him was a yield the other was too proud to say out loud, with a hefty leap, the SkyClanner landed back upon solid ground. His lungs were sore, but as he looked towards his clanmate, he was able to speak clearly.

"Thank you." As the other slunk off, rubbing their eyes each couple of steps, Silversmoke turned his frosty gaze to the onlookers. Fur was ragged from the effort of a few fights already, cuts and bruises upon his body had not been given the chance to swell and scab over, but the warrior had always been the type to give a stubborn mule a run for its money. "Don't bother with niceties, whoever's next, come at me."


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[BEAR]

He's assuming @APPLEFROST is in the vicinity, her presence one of the few frequents to him in SkyClan. Bear watches the whirlwind performance with what he wishes was admiration, but instead stirs something that has his gut churning. He's known fighting for what he's convinced is the entirety of his life, however the memories and remnants of encounters that were stuck to him for life are impossible to forget, so accustomed to snapping teeth and glinting claws. Encounters that are not so vicious were increasingly rare when he isolated himself, he's always prepared now, mournful blue eyes watchful, usually hungry body braced for betrayal or attack.

He comforts himself with the knowledge that this isn't areal fight. A spar. It's evidenced in the lack of blood, nothing bleeding too badly, not like the occasions that he'd rather never think about ever again. He's curious as to the SkyClan Warrior's approach, as Bear bruteforcing himself out of situations hasn't gotten him killed yet, he wants to see how he does against clan members. He's sure the approach must be different to the rogues, he's never seen a rogue do something like throwing sand before. He casts his blue gaze to his mentor figure, gives Applefrost a nod. "I'll do it."

He's not quite sure what drives his paws forward, what urges him to approach, when all in his mind he can associate with the act is real fighting. Messy furred and sad eyed, he lumbers over. "Okay." social skills perhaps his poorest, and rustiest skill, he approaches both the spar and the spotted tabby with little grace. His gaze sharpens into something bright and wide, approaching with one of his shoulders slightly forward. He uses what he has always used to his vantage, the carelessness with which he regarded his bodies state in a fight. He attempts to smack the other on his head going downwards, rears up, and attempts to crash down and press himself down on Silversmoke, as if to try and smother him under his disheveled coat. Bear is trying hard to keep his claws unsheathed, trying to ignore that part of him that he's always relied on screaming something about life and death.
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[TWITCHBOLT]

Silversmoke was a cat Twitchbolt had fought beside in more than one battle, by now- but in the heat of it all, with flying claws and cleaving flesh, you didn't tend to take many notes on how the cats around you were performing. Granted the opportunity to watch, now, Twitchbolt did not pass it up- fascinated eyes watched on as the silver tom beckoned another opponent, and to the tom's genuine surprise it was Bear that stepped forward.

This'd be... interesting, probably. He'd find out where the newcomer's strengths lie, and... if he had any ulterior motives, then he might be able to take a not of his weaknesses, too. Interest glazed over wide eyes, and he took a spectator's spot.

Twitchbolt himself often fought with speed, but Bear and Silversmoke both seemed to rely on size; something he, with short stature, couldn't quite manage. Looking to a shape that had sidled to his side, Twitchbolt murmured, "Who're your bets on?" lowly.​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[CHRYSALISWING]

"For a cat pretending to be a warrior of the forest, you aren't even pretending to fight like one." Chrysaliswing's voice pierced through the sounds of fight and fury and struggle, as if an adder's strike through the mist of the fray, a white-hot flash of clarity through the frenzy. The moment would fade and the chaos would descend once more, in a matter of uncountable seconds. Always eager to shove his input into places where it didn't belong, Chrysalis trailed into the scene as though the shadows had slowly spat him up again and had given their bile a nebulous form. The wildfire-and-cinder-colored cat sat down and kept his feathery tail by his side. It seemed that he had just missed his window of opportunity to challenge his old mentor.

Chrysaliswing had grown strong enough to hold his own against many of the warriors of Skyclan, with his own sets of tooth and fang, honed and dulled by the many moons of perpetual war. Like a machine, almost, his bite and claws had never lost their purpose. Now that he was much bigger as well, his challenges and arrogance had weight to them. Wounds of adolescence had sunk into bole-soft skin and hardened into the flesh of adulthood.

The tom simply watched with a gaze of glowing coal, observing how Silversmoke's body had already taken somewhat of a beating, and yet the proud man still stood. Small scratches and scabs marred the argent of his pelage, and yet he still stood. If anything, Chrysaliswing admired his tenacity and sheer will (not that he would ever admit it). As a stranger whose name had not come to mind yet (he didn't care to memorize it regardless) approached Silversmoke, a twinkle of curious interest speckled at heterochromatic vision.

He turned to Twitchbolt's quivering voice, not affording the other warrior even his snake-venom glare. He was too invested in this spat. "I hope Silversmoke doesn't win."

( must emphasize this is IC opinions )
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[DOEBLAZE]

Will she ever hunger for war in the way that the better part of the forest seems to? Bobbie's compelled to doubt it. She would fight for her Clan in a heartbeat, yes, but she doesn't lust for the feeling of her claws lodging in flesh the way the likes of Silversmoke do. If anything, the idea of murdering a cat or tearing out an eye is one that sickens her. She rarely participates in the occasional spar that goes on in camp or the sandy ravine, a product of warranted doubt in her skills that she knows is counterproductive. One has to lose to learn how to win, after all—but if she must spar, she'd much rather have one with sheathed paws and her mate squaring off against her.

As such, when Silversmoke calls for an opponent, Bobbie has no interest in breaking from the crowd, her issues with the silver tom notwithstanding. Whatever. If her mediocre talent in fighting has to come back to bite her, it certainly won't be against him. She's never chosen to deal with her issues in the explosive manner some of her clanmates seem to favor—if she beats anyone up, it's herself. Bobbie's destruction has always been self-contained, and now that she has Blazestar at her side, it's borderline nonexistent.

One of the new joiners steps up, and she inhales sharply between her pearled canines. This will be interesting, if nothing else, though she's not sure she wants to watch her fellow lead warrior pummel the newcomer into the ground. Have some faith, she chides herself, glancing towards Twitchbolt. A sour-looking warrior near him spits out a hope that Silversmoke would lose. Bobbie's inclined to agree, not that she says so. "Hard to say." She opts for a more neutral reply in a similarly low tone to her fellow lead, adding, "Silversmoke definitely has, um....drive, you know?" Bloodlust, you mean.

i'm a moon ☾ ( constantly chasing you )

• 

• 

  bobbie ; lead warrior of skyclan
  x. she/her ; 43 moons ; tags
  x. small, scarred lilac tabby and white she-cat with green eyes
  x. played by dejavu
  x. mother to lupinepaw, crowpaw, and drowsypaw. mate to blazestar.

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[CROWSIGHT]

It was always good to watch and learn. Even if he could learn on his own from others especially when it came to hunting because Silversmoke did little favors when it came to teaching him how to hunt, he also needed to know his mentor. Not because he was required to per se, but because he wanted to challenge Silversmoke himself when he was a bit older. To show the very tom who trained him that he had done his job and that Crowpaw was fulfilling his oath towards his mentor. Even though his mind trills to challenge his mentor, he knows he will be humiliated and that Silversmoke would huff that he was impatient or something.

Bear is someone new, a cat he doesn't have much of an opinion on. If anything he is grateful that Bear took up his mentor's offer as a reference to real battle. Both bear and Silversmoke are about the same size and with how he's growing, this would serve as a nice reference to see how battle would play out with someone with similar stature. He's certain if Twitchbolt took up his mentor's challenge, the first strike would be different. Given that Twitchbolt can't smother Silversmoke. Ear's twitch at the different voices offering their opinions on the matter.

The words uttered by Bobbie are strange. The tom hazards a guess that she means that his mentor is stubborn. He refuses to give up. "I want Silversmoke to win," he interrupts. If they thought he would be bothered by their disrespect towards his mentor that is not entirely off the mark, but if they had looked at him they would see the apprentice look upon Silversmoke with great interest. I have to work harder too... "He's stubborn, he refuses to give up." There's a certain admiration in that fact. How he and his mentor are similar in that regard.

‧₊˚✩彡 nothing compares to the fever dream

• — crowpaw / skyclan apprentice / masculine pronouns / 7 moons
  — undecided / single / not looking / open to flirting and crushes
  — long haired black smoke with hazel eyes with polydactyly
  — may powerplay minor harm / can powerplay healing
  — biography / @ on discord for plots
  — penned by velou

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[APPLEFROST]

Applefrost rather enjoyed catching her opponents off guard in a fight. Any of her Clanmates that seen her in a fight or skirmish might be aware she could handle herself proper, in fact excelled in comparison to any other skill. Survival was the main source of conflict for the life of a warrior and she had met it time and time again well before she ever took to the life of a kittypet. Now that she had returned to the forest, fully prepared to take every dawn and dusk to a mossy nest, she had immediately rushed into the arms of a fight once again.

The rogues were only the beginning. Now that she knew Nightfish had never run off to live as a rogue, but instead was only a skip over the river she had to be prepared for when they would see each other in battle. She may have spared him from death once, but that had only been against a mutual enemy. Under the terms that their Clans needed one another to survive. Faced against each other, though, she wouldn't back down.

Despite her prowess sparring games were not something she found joy in. The rush of a fight did not elate her, victory tasted sour on her tongue. Loss even worse. But it was a part of a Clans culture to practice and when Bear looked to her at Silversmoke's offer, she would not her head in encouragement. "I think he can afford to be humbled." She mused with her usual lazy smile.

Others join to watch, to chime in. Bets on who would succeed and who would fall. Applefrost had seen Bear in a fight, though. While she is sure he would contain his beastly behavior and save it for the rogues and enemy Clans, she wondered if it would give him any advantage here.

"Bear killed a rogue just days ago." She noted simply. Chrysaliswing had been there to see it. "I don't imagine he'll be, ah, rusty after that fight."​