Roses Are...Black? [iSLY]

[♠ Spade ♠]

Blackrose
>>I know I don't act much like a lady<<

>>Blackrose was out hunting today. The sun was relatively close to its highpoint in the sky and she'd been out since sunrise, but a little bit of exercise was good. She'd only recently started hunting. Most of the time she'd spent out of camp had been spent walking around aimlessly and just stretching her legs. She'd been out long enough that her pelt was streaked with mud. The sticky substance covered her paws, completely hiding the white on her paws.

>>She didn't seem to notice that she was so dirty because her pale yellow gaze was fixed on a raven perched in a tree. She watched the silky feathers on the bird's shoulders ruffle as it started to spread its wings. It gently launched off of the branch, its flight path arcing down before a flap of it's wings leveled the bird out.

>>The black warrior crouched, the powerful muscles in her hind legs bunching visibly under the fur and mud that covered them. She waited until the bird was in just the right spot before launching herself up into the air. Her jump was well aimed and as she reached her claws up, she could tell she had a high chance of making this kill.

>>Her claws hooked into the bird's chest and it gave a 'caw' of alarm as she pulled it from the air. She landed roughly with a grunt of discomfort as she pinned the bird to the ground and killing it. She loved jumping like that, even if it took its toll on the joints in her legs. The feeling of moving through the air like that made her feel like she was flying, even if it was only for a second.

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[☮iSly <-----]

---- day by day
the lush prey
come out to play ----

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The newly made warrior, Oakstripe had gone out to hunt today, upon leaving the camp, the ruffled looking tom had told his sister Foxtail to rest. His dear sister was expecting kits any day now, and as stubborn as she was, wanted to come along with him to hunt.

"But Oakstripe, I haven't been out hunting with you in a moon! I'm coming, and your not going to stop me." The fired up she-cat meowed with a hint of anger in her voice.

Sighing, Oakstripe shook his head. "You know your kits are coming any day now. I don't want you wasting your energy, you'll need it later." He told her calmly, staring into the eyes of his twin.

Tail lashing, the plump queen bite back a retort, but just let out a big sigh. "Fine. But when you get lonely out there, don't come crying to me." She meowed with a nod, nudging her brother lightly with her head, all signs of anger gone, replaced with a warm gaze.

Smiling, Oakstripe purred his thanks, and headed out.

Oakstripe knew his hard-headed sister would be complain all throughout the days to come when her kits finally came. Not being able to go out regularly on patrols or nothing would drive her insane!

But he knew that she would also be thrilled when her kits finally did come, and she would be raising them. It was a shame that Darkpuddle wasn't as anticipating of his new kits as Foxtail was.

Why didn't Foxtail pick a better mate then that grouchy fur-ball. Oakstripe wondered, as he padded onward, into the heart of ShadowClan territory. The air around him mingled with the roof of his mouth as he took in all the scents it carried.
The weather was perfect today, a soft wind blowing, the high sun blaring down with it's warmth. Leaf-bare was indeed Oakstripe's favorite season.

The lush furred tom padded thoughtfully through the tall pines, his mind not on hunting for the moment, he was just enjoying the alone time.
Turning down a familiar path, the young tom hoped onto a log and padded along it silently. His yellow-green eyes sparkled against the light as he passed through a sunny spot created by the separation of the pine tree's branches. ShadowClan territory was mostly under the night's shadows, with all these pine trees around, it was a wonder why ShadowClan cat's pelts were all so dark colored!

Leaping lightly off the perch, Oakstripe picked up the pace and trotted onward, scenting the air once more. He picked up the familiar tang of the ThunderPath, knowing it was not too far away, and then he could scent a more comforting scent. Pausing to examine the scent, Oakstripe suddenly realized he wasn't alone.

Indeed he wasn't, as his eyes glanced over his shoulder, he spotted Blackrose. His eyes immediately brightened as he turned to see what she was up too. He was pleased to see that she was hunting.
Always a paw ahead of me. He thought humorously, his tail twitching as he padded silently closer to watch.
For a heart-beat he thought the she-cat had gotten a new fur-coat, but saw that their was merely mud splattered on her black fur.

He held back a laugh, as he thought of how long she must have been out here to get that dirty. His eyes followed her focused gaze to a raven perched on a low branch. His whiskers twitched as he quietly watched the show.

Oakstripe was amazed at how high Blackrose leaped into the air. His gaze didn't leave her for a second, as he saw her claws hook onto the flying creature's chest. She had caught a hold of it, now let's see her bring it down for the kill. Ears twitching as the bird gave a distress call, Oakstripe watched her fall to the ground, raven still in grasp, and land with a thud.

His lips twitched up into a silent smile as she made the killing bite to it's neck. This show was over.

Oakstripe would have taken a picture of her flying cat act, but alas, he had no way of. Well, guess that's what memories are for. He admired how well of a hunter young Blackrose was, probably better than himself, he was more of a fighter.

Oakstripe let out a small chuckle, and padded on out, revealing himself.
"Great form, but the landing could use a bit of work." He meowed to her, his deep voice tinted with amusement as he padded over to her slowly, tail held high.

His gaze met hers evenly and he smiled broadly, showing his white fangs. His eyes swept over her muddy pelt and went back to her gaze, now showing interest.
never was one of the cleanest of she-cats, but hey, I can't complain. The tom thought as he stood before the she-cat, his reddish brown fur ruffling more as a cool breeze blew by.

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the ooc//
progress; done
muse; high as the sky! lol
post directed to; Blackrose
mood of character(Oakstripe); amused and curious
notes; i need some gum! xp

[♠ Spade ♠]

Blackrose
>>I know I don't act much like a lady<<

>>Blackrose recognized the new scent before she heard the cat address her. She had been so focused on her raven, she wasn't really surprised she hadn't detected Oakstripe's presence sooner. She smirked and chuckled when he commented on her landing and nodded, stretching her leg to emphasis what she was about to say. "I know. I keep this up and my joints will be as stiff as the elders' in no time," she meowed, looking to her catch. "But it gets the job done, doesn't it?" she meowed with a proud purr.

>>She looked back up to Oakstripe, her yellow eyes sparkling at the thought that he had watched her hunt. She always loved the opportunity to show off just how high she could jump, even if she didn't know she was doing it. She watched him look at her fur and she mimicked, looking at her own pelt. Embarrassment shot through her as she realized the condition of her fur, but that was the more feminine side of her talking and she quickly silenced it.

>>With a crooked smile, she looked back to her Clanmate. "I've been out here a while. I headed out of camp just after sunrise for a walk and I didn't get tired, so I thought I'd hunt," she explained. She tilted her head slightly as a question formed in her mind. "What brings you out? Are you hunting too?"

[/b] she asked. Her ears tilted forward a bit in an eager fashion at the thought of having a possible hunting partner.

256 words[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[☮iSly <-----]

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A flash of amusment came over the tom's face as he saw her mimic his action.
"By the look of your fur I'm sure you were out a long while." He meowed deeply after she told him how long she'd been out of camp.
Oakstripe's head tilted to the side as he thought of being out that long to just hunt.
I couldn't stay out and hunt for that long... The warrior thought as he sat down, drawing his tail over his paws gently.

"Yes." He informed her, ears flicking to the side as he heard the russle of some near-by prey. He ignored it for now, knowing it would still be there.
"Foxtail has been giving me fits all day, and I had to get out of there." he let out a small purr at the thought of his twin yet again. Were all expecting queens this way...?

Oakstripe drew his paw up to his mouth, giving it a short lick, absently thinking about nothing. His eyes then became curious, "Have you ever had to deal with a pestering kit?" He asked, his grin becoming lopsided as he stared at Blackrose.

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the ooc//
progress; done
muse; goood
post directed to; Blackrose
mood of character(Oakstripe); humerous
notes; still need some gum! xp

[♠ Spade ♠]

Blackrose
>>I know I don't act much like a lady<<

>>Blackrose gave an amused purr when Oakstripe explained how Foxtail had been giving him trouble. "She's an expecting queen, she's entitled to her fits every now and again...at least for a little while longer," she mewed. From her experience, hormonal mothers generally calmed down once their litters were born. Then they turned from raging pregnant monster to the protective mommy....generally.

>>She began thinking about how she would fare in the nursery. Part of her thought she could handle it no problem. But another part of her couldn't stand the thought of being cooped up in the nursery that long. She came to the conclusion that how she would be able to hold up in the nursery would depend heavily on her mood at the time. She was drawn from her thoughts by the sound of Oakstripe's voice. She focused her yellow eyes on him and listened to his question.

>>It was almost like he'd read her mind. "A pestering kit? Hmm...nope, can't say that I have, why do you ask?" she asked. She wasn't sure she had the patience to be able to handle cats so young. But that's why she hadn't bothered to settle down and take a mate just yet. She watched Oakstripe curiously, momentarily wondering if he expected his sister's kits to be a pawful.

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Oakstripe suppressed an eye-role as he listened to Blackrose explain that Foxtail was an expecting and yadayada. His tail flicked impatiently for her to finish and then he blinked at her slowly, ears twitching.

"Well, that's how she's been." He meowed with a chuckle. "Makes me glad that I'm not a she-cat.." he meowed in the same teasing manner.
Letting out a sigh, Oakstripe's tail brushed the ground. "So..." he began, not knowing what to say now. His eyes studied his big brown paws for what seemed like a moon before he finally spoke. "You seem like the kind of she-cat who wouldn't have the patience to raise kits." He suddenly blurted out. He regretted what he had said moments afterward, knowing he had let his tongue slip. His tail drew sharply out, making a stray leaf go flying back wards. His mouth opened up as if he were going to say something else, but nothing came out, but a blank stare.

WHY did I say that?! he thought, now alarmed that he had offended Blackrose. He forgot that she was a she-cat who had feelings, sensitive feelings at that! Even though Blackrose seemed like one of the toms sometimes, she did have the sensitive side all she-cats had, and when that side was unleashed...

Oakstripe suddenly wished he were at the other side of ShadowClan territory right now. He had asked a rather awkward and personal question directed toward Blackrose, and well, however she took it was the faith of himself. Sometimes Oakstripe spoke before he thought, which was a bad thing.

His eyes showed slight alarm as he stared at her now, unblinking and silent, awaiting for some sort of reply.

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the ooc//
progress; done
muse; highh
post directed to; Blackrose
mood of character(Oakstripe); holy crap! o.O
notes; be on tomorrow to reply back! xD

[♠ Spade ♠]

Blackrose
>>I know I don't act much like a lady<<

>>Blackrose's first reaction was, as he had probably guessed, to be offended. Her muscles stiffened and the fur on her shoulders bristled slightly. She was quite irritated until she realized that she'd just been thinking the same thing and that he was probably right. But it would be more fun to make him believe he'd offended her. She curled her lip and narrowed her sharp eyes, sure that she was doing a good job of looking angry.

>>"Why?" she snapped, being sure to insert an appropriate amount of irritation."Do I just not seem like the type of she-cat who was born without a motherly side?" she challenged, lashing her tail. She noticed with a hint of satisfaction how uncomfortable the tom felt. The way he was looking at her reminded her of how a cat might look like after they'd wandered straight into a badger's den while the creature was home. "I'm just sick of you toms always making assumptions like that about me!" she huffed, her tail lashing a couple more timed.

>>What happened next, however, was completely the opposite of how she'd just been acting. Her gaze softened as she looked up at him. She stared at Oakstripe for a moment, unable to keep the amused smile off of her face. "Just kidding," she cooed with a playful giggle. "Did I fool you?" she asked. A mischievous light sprang to her eyes as she stood up and took an eager step towards the russet furred tom.

>>After giving him a moment to answer, she shrugged and sat down again, curling her tail lightly around her paws. "But no, you're right. I don't think I'm patient enough to live in the nursery," she meowed with a shrug. She wanted to explain to him that she'd just thought it over and decided that her ability to tolerate kits would depend largely on the mood she woke up in, but gave a sigh as she decided that it was to complex to go into detail over. She didn't think he'd really understand anyways.

342 words

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The russet colored tom stood strong as he saw the glint of anger in the she-cat's eyes, and the bristle of her black pelt.
here it comes... He thought, ears flicking back an inch or two as her lip curled up. She was definably angry with him.

'Why? Do I just not seem like the type of she-cat who was born without a motherly side?'

Oakstripe hesitated and shuffled his paws, "Well, uh- no not really.." He started off, feeling mouse-brained as he gazed into her eyes timidly.

One of his imaginary eyebrows rose as she made her next comment. If she was tired of toms making such assumptions about her, then why didn't she act more....er, she-catish?
He did not know why a she-cat would want to act like Blackrose did, not saying it was a bad thing. He always thought she-cats were the kind to moon over every single tom around, and boast about having kits someday. But Blackrose...she wasn't like that, at all. She acted calm and cool, and wasn't afraid to show her aggressive (extra aggressive) side, and to get alittle dirty.

His yellow-green eyes blinked a couple times as he saw Blackrose's facial expression change. Ears twitching, Oakstripe was relieved to see that she had only been kidding.
I thought my fur was done for sure! He thought, his muscles untencing as he let out the breath he had been holding in for quite awhile.

He felt almost annoyed that Blackrose had done that to just work him up, making him look like a total fur-ball...well, which he was one, but that didn't mean she had to go and make him show it more!

'Did I fool you?'
Eyes betraying his surprise, Oakstripe quickly regained composure, looking like he had when he first arrived at the scene. He scoffed slightly and shook his head. "I know you weren't really mad....I was just acting." He told her, his eyes showing defiance as a small smirk played on his lips.

He frowned slightly and gazed up at the sky skeptically, and then quickly looked back at the she-cat, "But nice try." He said, a purr closing his statement, his tail drawing near to his side once more. Of course he wouldn't admit he was fooled, that would just make him look like... Oh whatever, Oakstripe was just acting tomish, like he should be.

He leaned in slightly as he heard the next statement made by the pretty she-cat. His eyes widened in slight amusement, re-thinking about Blackrose plus kits.

"No, I think I was wrong. I'm sure you would have the patience. That is, if they were your kits you were taking care of." He meowed knowingly, his ears flicking. "Now if they were someone elses....perhaps not." He added, a loopy smile showing.
"It would depend on how much you loved them, and with all the queens I've seen go in and out of the nursery, every one of them loved their kits very much." He went on, eyes becoming distant for awhile as he went into thought over something unknown to all but himself. Thoughts of his mother crossed his mind suddenly, remembering being back in the nursery den, her warmth surrounding and comforting him throughout the leaf-bared nights....
And his father, how his father hated him. Hawkstare was more kind to Pinescar now, forgetting he even had two other kits. It seemed Hawkstare liked the kind of cats that acted much like himself. Mean, ruthless, and bossy. It was a sad fact, but it was indeed true. Oakstripe had tried to get Hawkstare to admire him like he had admired Pinescar, and Darkpaw shortly, but it never worked. Both Oakstripe and his sister were aliens to their own kin, except with Treesong...
Treesong was the most kind and gentle she-cat in all the clan, now that she's gone....It's like Oakstripe has no other family other than his dear sister, Foxtail. He would soon have other kin, thinking of Foxtail's expecting litter. He just prayed that they were to be nice and gentle like his mother and sister are and were.

He shifted and stood up suddenly and padded a few paces away from Blackrose, feeling awkward all of a sudden, but not showing it. "Anyway..." he started, clearing his throat, he was sure Blackrose didn't want to talk about a subject such as kits, that was more of a, er...mate thing he guessed.

Shaking his head to clear it, Oakstripe looked back at Blackrose, his gaze returning to normal. "Since we're both here, I suppose I'll go ahead and hunt with you." He meowed, glancing back to the place where he had heard the russle before.
Eyes not leaving the bush, the tom continued. "But of course, if your tired of me, you may go back to camp." He meowed lowly, a hint of jokeness in his low voice, but was also being serious. He had probably gotten on Blackrose's nerves right when he intruded on her hunt.
I shouldn't have brought up the awkward subject... He told himself mentally.
He crouched down low and eyed the shadowed brambles, knowing the prey he heard was still in there. It smelt like a mouse, and thank StarClan. If it had been another toad, Oakstripe probably would have had to beg for Blackrose's raven. He was sick of the slimy vermin, and sometimes wondered how ShadowClan ate them.

Pausing to look back over at Blackrose, the warrior searched her gaze for an answer. He sort of wanted the she-cat to stay out with him to hunt, it would be nice to have some company. Thinking of company brought his thoughts back to how his sister must be doing right now.
She better be seeing -insertmedcatnamehere- for some poppyseeds. She said she's been having pains all day. Gah, why can't you just rest like you were told to Foxtail? The brown tom's whiskers twitched as he blinked at Blackrose patiently.

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the ooc//
progress; done
muse; interested lawl
post directed to; Blackrose
mood of character(Oakstripe); er, idk u tell meh xP
notes;told you I'd reply today. ;3

[♠ Spade ♠]

Blackrose
>>I know I don't act much like a lady<<

>>If she was in one of her moods where she actually enjoyed being treated like your typical soft-nursery-nanny she-cat, she would have been truly offended, but even then, she would have just sulked. She saw the surprise in his eyes a moment before he said that he was just pretending to be fooled, but she didn't call him out on it. She could recognize that he needed to regain a bit of dignity. "Well I guess that's fair then," she mewed with an amused purr.

>>She looked genuinely surprised when he said that he'd been wrong. A thoughtful glint entered her yellow gaze as she thought about what Oakstripe had said. She had to assume that she would be far more patient with kits if she was actually their mother. When he talked about all the queens he'd seen move to the nursery loving their kits, she nodded and smiled. "Yes, I suppose you're right," she meowed thoughtfully. It was true as far as she knew. She'd seen she-cats with tongues as sharp as a thorn go into the nursery and turn into gentle patient cats, at least when around their kits. Her own mother had loved her, even if her father ignored her from the moment she was born to the day he died.

>>Her ears twitched as she heard the rustle in the brambles followed by the rumble of the tom's voice again. She looked a bit lost for a moment as if she forgot she'd been hunting. She quickly regained her composure and nodded with a friendly smile. "No, you're fine. Let's hunt," she meowed. Company was good to have after being out of camp alone all day and she was rather looking forward to having someone to hunt with. She made sure to keep her voice low so she didn't startle the bit of prey she'd heard in the brambles. She took a deep breath and smiled. She wasn't quite sure what was in there, but it smelled like a bit of warmblooded prey. Even with the brambles as cover, she could tell at the very least that it wasn't a toad or a lizard. She preferred winged beasts, herself. Perhaps it was because, with the help of her powerful legs, she could catch birds better then just about anything else.

>>She stood up, her tail tip flicking eagerly back and forth before she scraped a bit of dirt over her raven. She glanced at Oakstripe before deciding to let him get whatever was hiding nearby. She turned her head, scenting for different prey. Her yellow gaze scanned the lower branches, but no more birds were around after her raven had let out its alarm call. She sighed and settled for looking for landbound prey.

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Oakstripe smiled, grateful that Blackrose wanted to stay.
she's a cool cat. He thought, tail twitchng as he looked back at the bush, a flash of grey could be seen through the leaves.

His paws tingled in anticipation as he slowly and carefully stalked up to the srubb, able to see the mouse clear as day-light now. It didn't seem to notice him, which was always a good thing.

Ears angled forward, and tail straight out, Oakstripe bunched his back muscles up as he calculated the distance that separated himself and the morsal.
Eyes narrowing, Oakstripe paused once and then lept at the grey fur, claws unsheltereing and teeth gripping it's neck in a firm hold. He killed the mouse instantly with a quick snap of the neck. Holding it down, Oakstripe smiled contently and picked it back up to carry over to put with Blackrose's raven.

After covering it, Oakstripe scented the air once again in search of any other prey near-by. He was disappointed to not pick up any scents, other than the dreaded ThunderPath.

"Nothing here." He announced, tail flicking as he put his nose to the floor of pine nettles and then lifting back up. "Perhaps we'll have more luck along the border?" he suggested, not knowing if his choice was good or not.

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the ooc//
progress; done
muse; interested
post directed to; Blackrose
mood of character(Oakstripe); curious, and calm
notes;meew?