when it's cold outside, i've got the month of may~ [wildheart]

[Brighteyes]

"I'LL BE RIGHT BESIDE YOU"​

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In the two moons since Skyclaws reign of terror over Thunderclan, Brighteyes had been doing his best to return to a sense of normalcy. Truthfully, though? When he and the other ex-kittypets had been sent away.. Stars, how did you even describe how something like that felt? How did you put a single emotion to the realisation that your clanmates would never really see you as the same?

Because when Brighteyes really thought about it, weren’t kittypets seen as generally weak by all the clans? Wasn’t that the reason that Thunderclan– like all the rest sans Sky– refused to let them join the ranks unless there were special circumstances?

Too soft, that’s what they all said.

He couldn’t help but think of all his past failures. Of all the times he’d frozen in the face of danger. Of the countless cuts and scrapes and bruises, the twisted ankles and pulled muscle from injuries that could have been prevented if he’d just stopped hesitating all the time. Was all of that because of where he’d come from? Was it really something in his blood he couldn’t change?

No.

The war against Skyclaws cats had to be proof otherwise, didn’t it? He hadn’t hesitated then, not when the lives of his clanmates were on the line, not when his home was at risk of falling into the hands of a monster permanently. He’d felt almost free charging into the fray alongside his fellow Thunderclanners, alive with a purpose and confidence that had stripped him of any fear or sense of self-preservation. He’d wanted to fight, to protect what he cared about.

And he’d done well. The injuries he came away with were the same as many of the others who’d managed to hold their own that day, and he was almost proud of the scars beneath his dark gray fur.

So while his determination burned bright, the feelings of inadequacy remained.

Thus, when he found himself heading toward Wildheart, he wasn’t sure what he was looking for; if it was the infectious, admirable strength they always seemed to exude, or if it was in search of proof to justify the gross feeling that’d been living in him lately.

Surely the former, right?

”Hey Wildheart!” he greeted, tail giving a friendly flick behind him, ”What are you up to?”

@WILDHEART

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[WILDHEART]

Wildheart didn’t take any pleasure when it came to reflecting on the events that transpired during Skyclaw’s takeover. They had lost so many, including Howlingstar. How could anyone turn their claws on their leader and own relative? The whole clan had been made to live in fear, even Wildheart had felt the crushing weight of it all. Even when it all came to an end there was barely room to sigh with relief, not with the resulting mental and physical injuries that had been created.

Wildheart had been lost in his thoughts as he stood in the heart of the camp, idle and without a duty at that moment. Which seemed to make him easier to find by one of his peers. With just the sound of the voice alone he knew who was approaching, and it stirred a nod of his head in greeting. It wasn’t the warmest of greetings that he gave, but it wasn’t cold nor meant to drive away the attention.

”Nothing much. The apprentices are getting a break from hunting, and I have nothing planned until later. What about you?” Wildheart rumbled the answer, though he visibly made an effort to turn his head to the left in an attempt to hide the grisly scars that now marred his face. A trophy of war, but one that served only to haunt him.
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[Brighteyes]

"I'LL BE RIGHT BESIDE YOU"​

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”Oh, um, s-same! Well, minus the apprentice part, that is.” The nervous chuckle was nothing new, and by now he had come to expect that he’d be tripping over his own worlds and stumbling through any conversation that didn’t lead to him rambling about stuff nobody cared about for five minutes. It was a habit he was trying to break.

”Maybe we can do some catching up, then? It’s been a while since we hung out together– just us, I mean. I know we see each other everyday, but it’s been since the dog that we… um.. You know.” he finished lamely, spent time together.

It felt like so much had happened since then.

”I haven’t even t-told you about my fight during the rebellion against Skyclaw.I totally won against Batblink! A-and not just because I got lucky either!”

It felt good to brag a little after keeping it in for so long. It just hadn’t seemed like the time or place in the aftermath of such a serious thing, and then by the time it might have been appropriate, there was too much going on too many bad memories associated with the battle for anyone to want to bring it up again. But Wildheart had always appreciated bravery and strength. Had been the one to tell Bright that he should stop by the training hollow more. If anyone would appreciate the small victory, surely it’d be them? Even if Batblink was nothing particularly special to be bragging over, it was more the fact that the freckled tabby had managed to pull through when it counted that truly mattered– or at least, he hoped it would.

"How did your own fight go-- are your injuries healing alright?" he craned his neck to try and catch a glimpse of the jagged scars, but it was hard when Wildheart wasn't really looking in his direction...

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