pafp Paint It Black | Sparring

[Cindershade]

A good way for Cindershade to exert that hyper focused energy that fizzed at her paws, that electricity to get up and do something besides just patrolling or hunting was training. She had sparred a couple of times with her own apprentice, but sometimes something with more of a challenge pricked at the back of her mind. She needed an outlet for all this pent up aggression she had locked away. She stands amidst the camp, tail raised and flicking as she scours for an opponent. Despite the wind that rustled the swaying willows above her and the swells of slate gray clouds, today was moreso a pleasant day. Verdant eyes rest upon the remaining clan members that resided in camp, but as she continued to examine—she grew more disappointed. With all this fighting that had been unraveling before her, the rosetted molly grew more restless to test her strength and continue to hone in on her skills.
What she needed was a challenge, a warrior in equal rank with her. Perhaps one day she'd take on Smokethroat, but it seems he had been out for the day as well. She wanted to test her skills against her speckled clan mate as he was just as on point with his skills as she was, and that competitive streak in her just wanted to see who'd take the other.
With Smokethroat out of camp, her eyes came to fall upon a tom that seemed to slither more than walk wherever he went. The gangly tom had been tending to himself as she locked upon him, trotting over with a mischievous glint in her eye. Would he accept her challenge? Or would he slither away like his namesake? Perhaps she'd be doing him a service, brushing up on his own fighting skills. She approaches him with a bit of a smug smile pinching on shadowed features, tail practically curling in amusement. "Snakeblink," she begins with a flick of her ears. "I want to spar with you. Come, the ground here is soft and spongey." The lead warrior beckons him with a tilt of her head, turning away before giving him a chance to speak or back out.

// @Snakeblink
This is not my best work but YOU KNOW WHAT...oh well

​

[ SILENCE IS DEAFENING ]​

 

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

It’s not often that Snakeblink’s plans come to fruition with so little trouble, so he takes a rare moment to bask in his accomplishment: his self-imposed mission to get Cindershade to like him is going remarkably well. She hasn’t tried to kill him since that very first time, she will sometimes talk to him without looking reluctant about it, and she didn’t hesitate for a second to stand in his defense when Flamewhisker sought him out at the Gathering. He’s always known her to be a fiercely protective cat — her loyalty to even her least likable clanmates was never in doubt — but it’s different, seeing it with his own eyes. The fact that she went as far as touching him, casually nudging him and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him, leaves him almost giddy with success. Surely that means they are friends, right? Or something resembling friendship, at least.

Now it’s only a matter of maintaining this fledgeling relationship. Her good opinion was hard to earn and he fears losing it forever; he must be careful.

When she approaches him, he immediately drops what he was doing to greet her properly, head tilting respectfully. He cannot stop his whiskers quirking up in a discreet smile, pleased to be sought out. Her smile is such a change from her usual resting expression while addressing him that he doesn’t register the threat in it until she speaks.

This good humor of his quickly fades when he hears her words though. He blanches, ears pinning back in concern. ”A… spar?” He repeats dubiously.

No one seeks Snakeblink out for a spar. He’s a poor fighter, and — he’s been told — frustrating to face in friendly combat, where throwing sand in people’s eyes and running away is deemed unsportsmanlike. But she isn’t exactly asking, and he doesn’t dare protest. After all, it’s a nice gesture, right? It’s nice that she wants to spend time with him… dragging him through the dust…

Glancing anxiously at the cats milling around camp, future audience to a very embarrassing event, Snakeblink follows Cindershade to the spot she pointed out. ”Well, if you are sure that is what you want... Although I assure you there are far better candidates—”

As he babbles on, he will go stand opposite of her, tail twitching uneasily as he waits for her to make the first move.
​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 42 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

​

 

[willowroot]

( ☾ ) it's not rare to see cats sparring within camp boundaries, especially now that riverclan has moved back to their more spacious home. still, usually it's apprentices, brushing up on techniques after hard days of training. as two cats pad towards the marshy area many use to train, tufted ears prick up, eyes widening as the femme recognizes two of her fellows. snakeblink and cindershade square up, tails twitching, eyes bright. there's obviously been a challenge issued, and willowroot is not one to ignore obvious entertainment. slender paws carry the feline over towards the area where she crouches a few tail lengths away, expectant. cindershade is square shouldered and strong, determination clear on her face, whereas snakeblink twitches anxiously, his lithe frame twisting side to side.

"you got this, snake!" she'll call, and wrap her tail around her paws with a grin. "it's nice to have some entertainment around here finally. a lead warrior fight is something to watch!" ​

( THE LIGHT YOU GAVE ME )

 

[SMOKESTAR]

He was only just coming back to camp when he heard the question and was immediately met with the urge to give a laugh, held back only by the fish he was holding clamped firm between sharp teeth; a rush of air to snort in amusement muffled by scales. Snakeblink sparing was as common an occurence as a WindClanner he didn't want to kill on sight alone. Cindershade might have better sport fighting one of the apprentices.
It is not meant entirely unkindly but Snakeblink was not exactly what he'd consider a combatant of a cat and if his own mentoring skills were anything to go by neither would be Frogpaw; he was wondering again if he should have griped about it and brought up the fact offensive training was something all mentor's ought to be pushing onto their apprentices but frankly he didn't care at the time. He'd been busy with his own and now look at her, one of the best of the recent graduates, a more capable warrior than even those several years her senior; his most proud accomplishment. Iciclefang could probably destroy Snakeblink, is what he was getting at but he didn't offer the comment.

Smokethroat glances to the side with a brow arched to Willowroot's cheering, was she just being polite or did they genuinely think the striped tom had even a little bit of a chance? Hard to say. Regardless he dutiful moves to the pile to deposite his catch before returning to watch as he might an apprentice assessment and frankly, if anything he might need to ask Cicadastar if they turned cats into paws because if they held Fernpaw back for a poor performance then what hope was there truly for the quiet natured tabby with the green gaze. Either way, it would be entertaining and stars above knew they could use a little of that and also someone needed to be there to stop anyone from saving him from Cindershade's ruthless pummeling to come. Silently Smokethroat took a seat but said not a word in greeting, his only acknowledgement the faintest nod of his head.
​

 

[Mosspool]

Cindershade's challenge immediately caught Mosspaw's attention. While she was used to seeing spars between other apprentice's in the midst of camp, a match between two warriors - especially lead warriors - was a touch more uncommon. In her mind, they were surely both excellent fighters if Cicadastar trusted them so deeply. Without a word, she padded toward them.

Watching them would help her own training tremendously. Though mostly, she was just curious as to what a match between such advanced fighters would look like.

Mosspaw set herself down next to Willowroot, mirroring her mother's posture with her tail wrapped around her paws. Once her mother made it clear who she was supporting, her daughter chimed in to lend her own support. "Go Snakeblink!"​

 

[Cindershade]

As expected, her offer—or really, a friendly demand, catches Snakeblink completely off guard. She watches him with mild interest as he begins to stutter, to pull away from her request and redact himself from the situation entirely. Too late, she thinks lightly with a mischievous grin upon her shrouded face, the tip of an incisor jutting from under pulled back lips. One would think she was merely ignoring his incessant stalling, clearly unnerved and trying to wrap his head around it. But there was nothing to unwrap here. All she wanted was a friendly spar, a chance to release pent up energy whilst improving her skills all the same. Besides, a chance to one-up her clan mate was always a fun bonus, her competitive nature just couldn't resist that electric-like jolt in her paws, like an itch just dying to be scratched. All in good fun, with a flick of velveteen ears she turns to face him now. As the crowd gathers, their words don't not unnoticed as they cheer Snakeblink on, trying to push his spirits up. The rosetted molly flicks her tail, observing the gangly warrior before her. Muscles bunched and flex under her sleek pelt, and in a fluid movement—she launches for him without a word.
Her paws thud against the grassy clearing as she beelines for Snakeblink, veering harshly to the left and skidding loose soil in her wake. She's searching for an opening, verdant eyes flitting to and fro till she finds one. It's then that Cindershade fires off in a shadowed blur of movement, aiming to duck low and sweep his front legs from under him. Whether her first move misses or lands, she soon counters with her other leg; thrusting it upwards to the underneath of his chin in a hefty, but controlled, blow with a sheathed paw. Perhaps the force would be enough to drive him forwards, to actually put up a bit of a fight and give her the challenge she wanted. Let's see how you'd really fair in a fight.

​

[ SILENCE IS DEAFENING ]​

 

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

The attention of his clanmates on this impromptu sparring match has Snakeblink’s skin crawling. He’s keenly aware of the weight of Smokethroat’s sharp, judgemental gaze in particular — he can already anticipate the dark warrior’s amusement at the pathetic result of this spar. At least Willowroot and her daughter are rooting for him, and will probably not laugh too hard at his demise… Although the apprentice might lose all respect she has for him by virtue of his position after seeing him literally dragged through the mud.

All he can hope for is that he won’t embarrass himself too much.

Cindershade doesn’t drag it out, at least. They’ve only been in position a moment before she leaps forward, swiping at his front legs. Though she makes contact, Snakeblink has an advantage here: he is used to being underfoot, and as such difficult to sweep off his paws. His save isn’t graceful, scrambling back to avoid falling on his face, but he doesn’t lose his footing. It leaves him on the back foot, and he takes her second blow dead-on. His jaw closes with a painful click as her paw hits his chin, throwing his head backward and sending him sprawling in the dirt.

Though she didn’t put all of her strength into the blow, it’s enough to knock some of the hesitation out of Snakeblink. She’ll pummel him into the ground if he doesn’t take this seriously — so he might as well put up enough of a fight that she doesn’t feel the need to wipe the ground with his carcass.

He rolls on impact, finding his paws again but not standing right away. Eyes zeroing on Cindershade, he swipes his paw against the ground, throwing clumps of dirt at her face. Even if it doesn’t briefly blind her, he’s hoping it’ll be enough of a diversion for him to dart to the side, keeping himself low as he tries to circle her and swipe at her hind leg.
​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 42 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

​

 

[Cindershade]

Her sweep wasn't as successful as she initially thought it would be, she had imagined sweeping Snakeblink easily off his paws and pinning him to ensure a victory in a swift motion but, he surprised her. He stumbles and it is just enough, balancing on long hind legs and in that moment she connects with her other paw to his chin. She heard the clack of teeth within his helm, and she inwardly cringed at the sound. Snakeblink inevitably flies backwards due to her force, colliding into the sand below them and she smirks. Maybe he didn't fall the way she wanted, but now he lay there with his abdomen exposed and vulnerable. The shadowed warrior readies to hone in onto him again, eyes flashing with mirth and the thrill. Snakeblink rolls back onto his paws just as she launches for him, until blots of dirt enter her vision. He throws dirt in her face and she can't move in time to maneuver away, soil colliding into her vision and she hisses at the stinging pain. What the fuck was he doing? Did he really just throw dirt at her? A helpful tactic in real battle, but this was far from that.
Cindershade is immediately enraged, her ire evident in her spitting snarls and bristling fur. "You little twit!" A scorching snarl burned over her tongue, her anger blazing through her veins and boiling the blood that runs within them. She's half-blinded from the soil, the grit causing her eyes to burn and water in order to wash them out. If he wanted to fight dirty, then she'd oblige with no complaint. As he rounds her, she cannot necessarily see him clearly but she can hear him. He aims to sweep for her legs, she feels his whiskers upon her tail and the brush of his sleek fur against hers. Cindershade shifts her weight just in time, bearing most of it on powerful shoulders and aimed to thrust both of her hind legs through his skull in a powerful double kick. Whether it hits or not, she's unsure. Her eyes still water, vision blurry as if under water. She cannot see clearly, but it's no different than fighting within the shadows. She curls into herself in a pinpoint turn, pulling herself more into it as she now faces the other lead warrior and launches towards him with all her strength, aiming to barrel into his chest in order to put him on the ground with claws half sheathed, ivory tips barely pricking at the skin of his throat.

​

[ SILENCE IS DEAFENING ]​

 

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

Snakeblink gets to enjoy a brief, glorious second of victory as the thrown dirt hits Cindershade in the face, making her hiss. He smiles, briefly — dirt in the eyes never fails him. Then that expression of satisfaction falls as he understands the hiss for what it is: a warning, like a snake in the grass preparing to strike. Her snarled insult has his short fur standing on end and his eyes widen as his paw swipe misses, leaving him wide open to her counter attack.

He… is going to die here.

It’s the last clear thought he has before her two back paws smash into his face, [throwing] him clear off his paws for a blink before he crashes back on the ground. The impact crushes the breath out of him, leaving him wheezing and seeing stars as he tries to crawl out of reach. He blinks hard, eyes blurry from the hit to his head, but it only serves to shift the darkness from the edges of his sight to the dead center of it as Cindershade throws herself at him.

He must still have some air left in his lungs, because he manages to let out a shrill scream of terror as she barrels into him, shoving him through the dirt and pinning him down. Panic seizes him but he cannot even struggle: her paw presses into his neck, threatening to crush it with one mighty push. He can feel the faintest pinprick of her unsheathed claws against the tender skin there.

”C… Cindershade,” he croaks out, voice thin and reedy through the constriction of his throat. ”May I yield?”
​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 42 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

​

 

[Cindershade]

Perhaps in the midst of her smoldering ire, that now ignited into a murderous hell fire and scorched everything in its wake, that maybe Cindershade did not hold back enough. She did not plan this out, did not mean for this to happen. She's usually a level headed combatant, always thinking of her next move and calculating—adaptive and graceful like the run off stream after a steady downpour. But she also held a blazing lust for the thrill of battle, a particular bloodlust that normally doesn't rear it's ugly form unless she felt threatened. A normal spar with Snake it would have been had he not potentially blinded her. The stinging sensation within her eyes felt like hundreds of needles pricking against her corneas, taunting as it threatens to dig in. No matter how much she blinked, grit remained and her eyes shed involuntarily tears in order to quench the pain and cleanse her sight from the rubble. She cannot help but be angry at this tactic, whether it was at Snakeblink for pulling such a move or that she was so ignorant to not even think that he'd pull such an underhanded card grom his metaphorical sleeve, she was not sure.

Her hind legs collide with that of a familiar wedge-shaped helm, the kissing of her pads against his blushed nose and she thrusts him away with more might than what was necessary. Her weight shifts and she pivots on her weight bearing paws, the soft echoes of his slender figure crashing against the floor before she springs upon him again, a coiled serpant prepared to strike she was. Cindershade finds his figure with a squinted glare, blurred of clarity but his shape was unmistakable and soon she collides into her chest with a grunt that escapes her lips but is drowned by a shrill scream that vibrates beneath an obsidian pad. A paw poised on his throat and she looms over her opponent like a shadowed apparition, velvet ears sloped against the nape of her cranium as she traps him beneath her grip. It was clear he was trapped and she blinks one, two, three times as more tears crowd her vision.
She stands there, sides heaving as her heart thrumms steadily against it's ivory cage in an eerie silence before his own breaks it. Snakeblink croaks under her pressure, politely asking to withdraw and she doesn't say anything for a moment. Her breath coming out in short huffs from a dark nose. Slowly, she lifts off of him and steps back enough to let him gather himself. Cindershade angles her head towards him, a shaded tail twitching before finally speaking. "Next time, let's leave the dirt throwing for the other clans, yeah?" Even as her tone remained stern and annoyed, a bit of a smile couldn't help but sneak onto her dark face. Partially because of her victory, partially because she had to admit—it did catch her off guard; albeit the next time she'd not fall for it again. "Now, help me get this shit outta my eyes."

​

[ SILENCE IS DEAFENING ]​

 

[lichenstar]

It is with a rumble of amusement that Lichentail finds themself watching with piqued interest as the two leads wrestle each other with a growing audience. It doesn't get to last very long as the dark-furred molly takes her colleague to the ground in a swift, angry movement and Snakeblink's growing anxiety that she might actually hurt him proves... entertaining. Swishing their tail as they take a seat to listen to their banter, the blue-furred cat can't help but find it a little odd that everyone was cheering for their favorite underdog. Had they known Snakeblink was going to fight dirty in a harmless test of skills?

"I think it compliments your eyes quite nicely," they cut in, watching the lead rubs at her face to free her vision of the earth that had been tossed at her. Gesturing with a tilt of their nose towards the lazy waterway that moved through the camp's grounds, a silent suggestion to utilize a quick bath as a means of saving herself some pain.

Glancing towards the more... cowardly lead, their smile didn't falter, "That was a fun trick, Snakeblink. You never cease to surprise me."​

 

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

Coughing slightly, Snakeblink gets back on his paws and shakes himself free of dust. Though he knew Cindershade would not murder him in cold-blood… It's a relief to see her slight smile and know she won’t sneak up to his nest tonight to tear off clumps of his fur in retaliation. He allows himself a moment to feel proud that he managed to hold up his own somewhat before Lichentail’s voice reminds him of their audience. He throws them a hurried glare when they comment on Cindershade’s eyes, a silent don’t go borrowing trouble.

Looking closer at Cindershade’s face, he clicks his tongue. ”I’ll grab some wet moss for this. Though you might be better off taking a prolonged swim…” He huffs. ”I apologies for the dirty trick.” With humor and a little pride, he adds, ”But it caught you by surprise, did it not? Maybe you’ll see it coming when a real enemy tries the same thing on you…”

Turning on his heels, he pads past Lichentail, grimacing pleasantly enough at their comment. ”Thank you. I have to keep the lot of you on your toes somehow, don’t I?” Glancing at the others cats milling about, he adds, ”I hope this proved entertaining, if nothing else…”
​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 42 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

​

 

[Cindershade]

Squinted eyes face towards the blue pointed woman that speaks, nostrils flaring with ire that was met with a single flick of her tail. Lichentail always had something smart to say, didn't she? Thought she was just so funny. Ivory teeth gnash into something of a smile, blackened lips pulled back to reveal pointed teeth. "If it's such an appealing accessory, Lichentail, I'd be more than happy to share it with you. I'm sure blue will look perfect with shit brown, wouldn't you say? Just like the river that meets the shore of the land. We can always test it out and see." Her paw grasps at the loose soil below her, ready to scoop and send it flying in the direction of her voice before Snakeblink interjected first by the shadow of his presence to blurred vision and the fish tang of warm breath on her whiskers. "Just take me to the river and I'll dunk my head in, or drown myself—who knows, I'll decide on the way." A small smile breaches on her lips now, the apples of her cheeks pinching her eyes shut further as she stands to walk in the direction of rippling water.
At his next comment, she scoffs, turning her attention to the tabby tom next to her. "It only caught me by surprise because I thought you a more honorable opponent, Snakeblink. But I guess whatever works, which in this case—you still lost." Laughter leaves her now, aiming to bump him harshly in the side but a good-natured one nonetheless. "If an enemy tries that on me, they'll have been met with a swift darkness and no stars to welcome them."

​

[ SILENCE IS DEAFENING ]​

 

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

Snakeblink hurries to Cindershade’s side when she looks close to picking a second fight with Lichentail, but she mercifully does not throw the pawful of dirt she seems to be gathering. He doesn’t have the slightest idea what he could have done to stop the scuffle besides putting himself between the two, and unlike her he knows better than to let himself be pelted with dirt.

Mercurial as ever, she is quickly smiling — the expression in sharp contrast with her harsh words commenting on Snakeblink’s dishonorable fighting technique.

”You should have known better than to expect such from me. Besides, if I fought honorably I would end up in the dirt even sooner. That would not be very sporting, would it?”

His teasing tone falters when she bumps into him, nearly sending him stumbling. Despite the roughness of the act, he cannot help his body’s involuntary reaction — like breathing, a slight but noticeable purr kicks up deep in his throat. Clearing his throat ineffectively, he tentatively leans into the touch. ”I am, nevertheless, glad to come out of this experience with my life. Though if you would like to avoid the dirt, next time, you would do well to give me a bit more of a warning beforehand…”
​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 42 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

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