something about you : slateheart

[Gladefrost]

The long legged female found herself on a solo patrol after Frecklepaw finally settled down, her sister would often throw tantrums if she was separated from her for too long especially after she'd been in the medicine for four days straight. Her siblings had went to the sleep, and the moonlight gently rinsed across the border as she glances to the heavens. The silverpelt was bright and she observes for a moment as a gentle smile traces on her lips. Nights like this were beautiful when the moon washed everything in its gentle ray of light, their loved ones high in the sky as reminders that they were constantly watching them and there for them. She never noticed it before, but Slateheart had taught her to enjoy the little moments in life and this would be considered one of those moments.

A dark coat catches her sight from afar and her plumed tail twitches, wondering for a moment if the thought of Slateheart magically summoned him. Trout stares for a moment to confirm if that was or wasn't the tom-cat that she became friends with that came from Windclan. The raging fires no longer devoured the moors, and the rain had washed away the destruction with Windclan had quickly moved to start cleaning up and repairing the damages. Her dark ears twitch as she walks along her border closer to the figure as her chambray gaze eventually notes it was Slateheart and she sways her tail in greeting, an warm smile dancing on her lips. " Slateheart, " Her voice was warm yet welcoming as she brushes against a tree on her way to get closer to the black coated tom-cat.

He had beautiful green eyes that stood against his coat, light markings of white that made him unique that she was familiar with. He was similar to her in ways yet different in so many. " I was just thinking about you. " Troutsnout would state with a soft laugh, raising a paw to swipe behind her ear. Despite him being from a different clan, she enjoyed his company during Windclan's refugee stay in the Beech Copse of Riverclan. Was that awkward or weird to say to someone else? It sounded like she was thinking about him this entire time, and she feels momentarily embarrassed before giving her chest a few licks to remove the awkwardness that heated her ears up.
​

 

[slateheart]

Slateheart missed his freedom, oh so much. Being confined to the medicine den for injuries was one thing, but being confined in another Clan's territory? It's a wonder he lasted as calmly as he did. Truthfully, even those serene moments spent relaxing with Troutsnap, his paws itched to run and his mind spun with worry and longing. Needless to say, being home on his four paws again felt like a true blessing.

Slateheart was always a night owl, all the way from his youth. As an apprentice, nighttime was the only time he could get away from the pressures of life. Away from his father's cruel and ever-watching eyes, Sootstar's militaristic expectations, and his brother's shadow. Whenever he had the opportunity, Slatepaw would sneak out at night through a hole in the gorse wall.. and just, run. To feel the peat and heather beneath glide beneath his paws, the wind buffeting his ears, to turn his mind off and embrace the freedom of being alone - it was always exhilarating.

Now, with Lynxtooth and Sootstar both dead and gone, Slateheart is free. But that longing for the peaceful embrace of nighttime still persisted. It was the opportune time for him to reflect, to be himself without worrying about the opinions of others. Not to mention, it was utterly beautiful out here.

Without really knowing why, Slateheart's paws lead him back towards the RiverClan border. He remembers roaming here in his apprentice days, always searching for his sister, Ashpaw, whom he had discovered to be alive and well in RiverClan at the time. Since their one and only meeting and her subsequent disappearance, the desperation to find companionship across the border has waned. He was not yet aware of the return of that same feeling of longing, subtle but growing.

The moor-runner moves towards the bridge, watching the moonlight dance across the river as he walks. The sky is hazy still, but he can make out the shape of the moon above, reflecting off those glittering waves. There is something uniquely tranquil about the way RiverClan's waters reflect the stars - he can't help but compare it towards WindClan's kinship with the open night sky. Perhaps every Clan has their own beautiful connection with their ancestors..

There's a voice across the border that snaps him from his wonderous daze, and Slateheart's head rises sharply. Caught unawares, he expects trouble from RiverClan; despite their brief allowance for the refugees, the Clans still had their differences, and he wouldn't put it past them to return to their normal taste for bickering. But the voice is warm and welcoming, and Slateheart's fur settles as quickly as it rose. Across the bridge, a new yet familiar russet feline with striking blue eyes greets him. The black-furred tom cheerfully raises his tail in response.

"Troutsnap," Slateheart responds, after his brief few moments of having his thoughts startled out of him. "It's nice to see you again. How are you fairing?" He wonders about her disappearance towards the end of their stay, and the herb-scent she carried with her on the way back. If he had to guess, it was correlated to their talk on overworking themselves, a trait they both shared. Slateheart had never been hospitalized for such.. maybe Troutsnap worked herself harder than he could've imagined. Worry creases his brows for only a moment, before he continues on with his lax and friendly demeaner.

The RiverClan warrior's next words almost fly between his ears, oblivious as he is. He chuckles in response at first, only for it to come back and hit him a moment later. Then, he is stunned, awkward. "Thinking.. about me?" he echoes. Never before had those words been uttered in his direction - in fact, he was almost certain that no cat thought about him ever, aside from the necessities like pondering who to assign a patrol or thinking about whose nest needs more moss. The warmth of his ears suddenly becomes much more noticeable, and yet the tom remains unsure of what to make of such a statement.

"Why?" he questions. The response is awkward and perhaps a little blunt, but his expression remains surprised and confused. Then, in the face of an odd interaction he's never had before, his mind swirls with uncertainties. Was it normal for friends to say that? Was he supposed to say it back? Was he supposed to have been thinking about her, too? Unresolved, he wonders if he really has been - perhaps subconsciously, he realizes, his new RiverClan friend has been lingering in his mind.

The conversation hangs on an awkward note, and Slateheart quickly clears his throat, replying hurriedly: "I mean - I've been thinking too. About you, I mean - a little. I think about everyone. What.. what were you thinking about?" Good save. He puts on a toothy, clumsy grin, despite feeling as if he'd just destroyed the entire conversation.
​

CHARACTER INFORMATION — ♡ ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ ♡ — OUT OF CHARACTER

• 

  slate slatepaw slatetooth SLATEHEART
  ━━ MOOR-RUNNER WARRIOR of WINDCLAN
  ━━ 23 MOONS,, ages every 6th
  ━━ LYNXTOOTH xx ADELAIDE xx SILVERFOOT
  ━━ SIBLING to GRAVELSNAP and ASHPAW
  ━━ MATE to none | PARENT to none
  ━━ MENTOR to none | MENTORED by LYNXTOOTH​
  ━━ HEALTH ♥︎♥︎♥︎♡♡ | recovering from burn wounds and suffering frequent breathing issues due to smoke inhalation.
  
• 
  
  
• speech is #bbbb88​

 

[Gladefrost]

Troutsnout never truly understood freedom, she willing held herself hostage in her work. She was obsessed with doing everything to make her siblings, friends and clan were always content and happy. She didn't mind working until her body ached, skipping meals or even if she got a couple hours of sleep until she had collapsed. Frecklepaw had torn into her once she returned for leaving her alone, others didn't understand why she worked so hard or different assortment of opinions. Riverclan had hard workers, but none necessarily invested such an commitment like her besides perhaps Mosspool. She had always attempted to fulfill whatever part of her she was missing after her parents had passed she always tried to fill their shoes in different ways: the parental figure to her younger siblings, training to be good warriors like them and hardworking.

Nights were often a time of peace, and solitude for her. The moon was a welcoming sight similar to the sun which brought beauty and showed no matter how dark it gets, there will always be light. The rays of the moonlight were neither overwhelming or bright, similar to a gentle blanket unlike the sun's rays. A stillness of the world despite how lively it was at night, showing an entirely different world once the sun retreated for the night. She envies the moon and the beauty it carries and how serene life is when everything became when it was up. Could life always be peaceful during the night? It always seemed as the sun brought different disasters and she barely heard of incidents happening during the night.

" I'm well. I had to spend a few nights in the medicine den after I fell sick from overworking myself. " Troutsnout would respond to his inquiry, unintentionally answering his subconscious thoughts on her disappearance from the Beech Copse and the lingering herbal scent her coat carried when she last saw him. Two days were required for her fever to officially settle down and Moonbeam had made her stay an extra two days for allowing her body to rest and catch on the necessities: sleep, eating and relaxing. Her tail twitches as she inquires him next, " How are you? " The warrior hoped that he was faring well back at Windclan, and he seemed much better on his paws than he was best at Riverclan which graced a soft upturn of her lips.

Her words don't seem to reach him for a moment and he finally processes it. Thinking.. about me? His facial expression seemed confused with a mixture of surprise, and her ears heat up in embarrassment. It did come off wrong, didn't it? Who said that to a friend after seeing them for the first time in a while? A vibrant chambray gaze flicks to the side nervously as she ponders on what to say, what to do— was she a minnow brain? He questions her why on her statement which brings her gaze back to his as she laughs softly. " Well— I was just enjoying the serenity and beauty of the night and it reminded me of you. " The she-cat would respond before realizing how her words came out and her face burns hot in embarrassment, ears faintly flattening.

" I mean like, uhm... " Troutsnout would stammer on her words in embarrassment as he mentions he was thinking about her as well, and it was followed by a toothy grin. It seemed like she was flirting with him, but she was just reminded of him by the midnight skies and his words that sat in the back of her mind. " The night is beautiful and stressless, like you in a manner. I've started to sit and enjoy the little moments... like you told me. " She would slowly meow, her ears flat as she tried to word it without seeming as she was hitting on her friend.

Good job.

Her ears perk up as she allows her gaze to shift to the moon that reflected on the waters, thinking of what to say next. Trout liked the moon and in a manner, Slateheart was like the moon. Despite being surrounded by thousands of countless stars, it seemed lonely yet so powerful and beautiful. It held a powerful presence without words or actions. Some nights, the stars hid away and left only the moon: sometimes it was different sizes which was so different from anything from the heavens yet familiar. " You just remind me of the moon. " Trout would admit while she continued to watch the moon blessing them, a soft smile on her lips before finally allowing her gaze to flick back to the Windclanner as she grins happily back at him.
​

 

[slateheart]

She fell sick from overworking herself - his guess was right. "I hope you would not do it again," Slateheart mews in reply, light-heartedly but with a hint of warning. "RiverClan needs a hard-working warrior, and there's little work to be done if you're confined to a medicine cat's nest." Perhaps she learned her lesson. Slateheart isn't sure why he cares.

She asks how he's been, and he starts his response with a bright smile. "Relieved. Happy. The fire has gone, and my wounds have healed enough to allow me to walk freely. Chasing rabbits is a little rough, but each day gets better." It pained him to take it day by day, but like his advice moments before, he'd rather work slowly than not work at all. Of course, there was always chores to do that didn't require his running gait; bedding for the kittens, repairs to camp, and so on. The only work he hadn't dared to touch was kit-sitting. That, he'd leave to Periwinklebreeze.

Their conversation carries on awkwardly; it appears both have flustered themselves, stumbling over their words like fools. It's a common day experience for Slateheart to have such an interaction with another, struggling with his words and meaning and, usually, making things worse. He remembers returning to camp one day, accidentally dressed in moor-flowers, and taking the warrior Dimmingsun's compliment to heart, only to discover it was.. sarcastic. How embarrassed he was! Then, unbeknownst to him that Mintshade was expecting, he had called her.. bloated, in front of everyone. Being ostracized from WindClan's society by his father seems to have done a number on his social skills. This conversation was no exception.

At least it could be a learning experience, or.. something like that. Optimism wasn't quite his strong suite either. At least he wasn't alone in it?

As Troutsnout explains herself, Slateheart's green gaze draws up to the moon shining above. Stressless, his mind echoes. He could laugh at the very thought of being stressless. He was only good at not showing it. Beautiful is another word, one he isn't sure how to take. He thought himself an awkward being in physicality as much as mentality, with his lanky legs and big paws. He thought himself scruffy, like a stray dog. But, if Troutsnout thought otherwise, he supposes he won't object.

He did feel like the moon, sometimes. Surrounded by so many stars, and yet.. so alone, cursed never to cross one's path, to touch, to speak. It's reminiscent of Slateheart's early life, forced away from other cats his age to focus on his training; it's reminiscent of him now, shining as bright as he can, and still not quite fitting in.

Slateheart's attention snaps back to Troutsnout and he chuckles. If she is flirting with him, it goes over his head; regardless, it's something he could forgive, just this once. Unknowing of how to approach that scenario, he would likely pass it off as a joke. "Thank you," he hums, lowering his head. "I.. hope you don't expect such a well-thought response from me. I'm not a poet, you know." Wolfsong, Dimmingsun, Sunstar, and now Troutsnout - they had a way with words that he couldn't even begin to attempt without sounding silly. He found it easier to just speak his mind, despite the trouble it gets him into at times.

The moon is still overhead, and there is no sign of dawn yet. Slateheart ponders this for a moment.. would he allow himself to spend so much time with a RiverClanner? If Troutsnout were a WindClanner, Slateheart thinks he'd consider her a friend just as much; only then, he wouldn't have to feel disloyal in doing so. What's the harm in one night? he tells himself eventually, after some back-and-forth. You have a new friend, Slateheart. Cherish it.

He makes his decision by climbing up onto the railing of the bridge and taking a seat, careful to keep closer to his side of the bridge. "Do you want to chat some more? We've got time. I don't really talk to many cats like this back home, so.." Stars, has he always been this clingy? He's barely known the she-cat for more than a couple of weeks, and yet.. he's holding on, like they were old friends.
​

CHARACTER INFORMATION — ♡ ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ ♡ — OUT OF CHARACTER

• 

  slate slatepaw slatetooth SLATEHEART
  ━━ MOOR-RUNNER WARRIOR of WINDCLAN
  ━━ 23 MOONS,, ages every 6th
  ━━ LYNXTOOTH xx ADELAIDE xx SILVERFOOT
  ━━ SIBLING to GRAVELSNAP and ASHPAW
  ━━ MATE to none | PARENT to none
  ━━ MENTOR to none | MENTORED by LYNXTOOTH​
  ━━ HEALTH ♥︎♥︎♥︎♡♡ | recovering from burn wounds and suffering frequent breathing issues due to smoke inhalation.
  
• 
  
  
• speech is #bbbb88​

 

[Gladefrost]

A soft laugh leaves her lips at Slateheart's response at her overworking herself and mentions how there wasn't much she could do if she constantly found herself confided from collapsing to an extremely high fever overworking herself. " I know, I know. Moonpaw and everyone nagged my ears off and I just thought about the first day we met. " It's a nice change of pace to just.. enjoy the moment. His words and Foxtail's stuck in her head after realizing how everyone was worried for her. Foxtail wished that she cared for herself just as much as she carried for everyone else, and she was slowly learning to balance the work and life state.

Troutsnout listens intently to the black and white tom-cat explain how he's been fairing, it ranges from the emotional standards and how his paw has been healing. Her dark chocolate ears twitch as her chambray gaze lingers on him as he speaks, a gentle smile tickling the corner of her lips. He seems happy and excited that his life to be back to his usual activities, and it makes her happy that her friend is happy. " I'm glad you're doing well. It makes me happy that you're happy but don't hurt yourself. " The she-cat would coo after he explains how he's being doing and she offers a genuine smile. Trout had also been in the same boat and she was happy to return back to her duties, friends and family once she was released from the medicine den.

Unlike Slateheart, her social skills weren't bad but she had closed off from everyone after her parents death. She had three baby siblings to watch after, and it felt like no chance to officially grieve. Thus, she was stuck caring for her siblings and attempting to be the guardian figure of them and give them some sense of normalcy to their life. The apprentice version of Trout dove headfirst into being the best for her siblings as she tried to fill her parents shoes, preparing for her assessments and trying to make everyone else happy. Her emotions, dreams and everything all went on the back burner of the stove and she considered it selfish to consider herself first before anyone else. It was self destructive and none really taught her better of her reactions because she was great at hiding it— just like Slateheart himself.

They both were straight with their words, and said what was on their mind. She always was the mediator of situations and never had anything negative to say, but she wasn't exactly sure how her words came off at times. He considers her words to come off strange as she typically uses metaphors to describe things such as Slateheart being compared the night sky and the moon. He was peaceful to her like the moon in the sky, his coat was dark as the skies with the occasional spots of white that could be similar to the stars. Slate had dark green eyes similar to the leaves of the forest or the blades of grass that they treaded on. He didn't appear scruffy, ugly or unproportionable in any shape to her.

Slateheart was beautiful in her eyes, handsome if it was more natural to say.

He had long legs that emphasized his role as a moor-runner in Windclan, large paws that assisted in working and providing for his clan. His scars were proof of his dedication of his past, his life and as a Windclanner. He was perfectly beautiful in her chambray eyes regardless of what he thought or what others thought. Slate was a good friend despite being from an opposite clan, and one with a bad history with her clan at that. Distance often made the heart fonder, just like the journey a while ago made them return with a stronger profound love for their family, friends and mate. " It's fine, I just say what's on my mind. " Trout would coo softly at his apology, her ears twitching as she giggles softly.

Troutsnout watches as he leaps onto the railing of the bridge after a moment of staring at the moon, and he invites her to join him and chat. The Riverclanner watches for a moment before finally leaping up on the railing near him, her long plumed tail dangling off the side as she stared out at the waters. " I would love too. It's enjoyable talking to you. " She would respond with a glance at the tom-cat and a warm smile tracing on her lips. It wouldn't hurt to spend more time talking to the two moons, and learn more about Slateheart. There was nothing wrong in her opinion with talking with a good friend, as they weren't being disloyal to their others or their clan. Right now, they were just two lonely souls who found solace in each other's company.
​