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Post by niftyshark on Mar 9, 2019 17:37:41 GMT -6
The air was warmer for a change—something that meant newleaf was slowly on its way. Coyotestorm took full advantage and remained outside of camp even when his clanmates returned from the dawn patrol they shared. He was completely liable to go to sleep, but he didn’t, even though he was tired. He wandered through the fields of yellow-green grass, enjoying the shafts of weak sunlight with a sleepy laziness. He spent a better part of the day alternating between resting and walking as the sun reached and passed its zenith. He even managed to catch a mole, and prey all for himself was such a rarity that it almost felt wrong. He was chewing on a bone when he spotted something red in the distance, but by now he could recognize who it was—Rowanmask.
With a bone still held between his teeth, Coyotestorm kept low to the ground as he drew closer. There wasn’t much cover, but he was luckily downwind. A stream trickled nearby, and he used it to get as close as he dared. He waited a moment before he leaped from his cover behind her, hissing through clenched teeth far louder than was necessary.
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Post by theatricals on Mar 13, 2019 20:24:41 GMT -6
It was unusual to find Rowanmask's nose so close to the ground, but she would never go anywhere without expanding her horizons. This also meant expanding her knowledge of hunting techniques, which forced her to search lower rather than higher. She had to admit that the tracks she found, although very small, were fascinating, but she lacked both the willpower and experience to go beyond that. Rowanmask could fight, even hunt well--but tracking and patience was not her forte.
She had pretty much given up entirely, ready to turn around and actually catch something to bring back, but before she could even get the thought past her brain, she heard a loud and sharp hiss from behind her, prompting her to spin around and strike out a paw at the enemy.
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 15, 2019 17:09:40 GMT -6
Coyotestorm also knew Rowanmask enough by now to predict how she might react. He raised his paw quickly enough to bat hers away, and he took a generous step back. His smile was wide, the prey bone poking out from between his teeth, which he shifted around with movements of his jaw. "I guess you can get spooked, huh?" he said pleasantly. "Though was it because you weren't paying attention, or because you were doing something weird again?" He leaned to the side to look past her, but he couldn't see anything remotely interesting. "I could have killed you if I was an intruder. Maybe I won't spare you next time," he added, remembering their past conversation easily.
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Post by theatricals on Mar 16, 2019 21:45:19 GMT -6
The hammering against her chest only made her more frustrated, knowing that the tom had truly caught her by surprise this time. She almost considered taking another swipe at him just for that alone, but the bone poking out between his teeth brought her up short, and him goading her onward was enough for her to shove her initial shock in favor of sizing him up. "Anything I do could not be considered 'weird.' I am furthering my own education--not that you would understand much about /that/." She probably didn't mean to sound so harsh, but as her paws were still tingling, she wasn't really in the headspace to be "nice."
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 24, 2019 12:35:51 GMT -6
The small bone cracked cleanly between his teeth, and he spit it out as he burst into laughter. "Nothing you do could be considered weird? Right, come back to me about that when hedgehogs start flying." Something told him that Rowanmask was actually being serious about everything she said, which made it that much funnier to him. He brushed off her attempted insult, knowing well that it was a tactic to save face. Nothing that she tried would steal the glee from his face or the fun from the moment. "Listen, I get it," Coyotestorm began. "We all have that odd thing or two that we enjoy. You can trust me, I won't breathe a word to anyone that the valiant warrior Rowanmask likes to look at dirt."
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Post by theatricals on Mar 25, 2019 15:40:39 GMT -6
Rowanmask dug one paw deeper into the dirt to keep her claws from swiping his arrogant face. "/Observe/ the dirt. Track. I assume you know what those words imply?" Obviously she couldn't assume that he knew what she was saying--she had her doubts that he would even understand what she was trying to achieve. "There are other ways to hunt besides just walking through the trees with your eyes ahead of you. Maybe I just wanted another way that would provide more use for the Clan." She structured her reasoning perfectly, although she couldn't say that she thoroughly enjoyed the activity. Too many trees were very restricting for her, so to have to breathe in a scent that was far from fresh was not her ideal method.
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 4, 2019 18:27:19 GMT -6
Coyotestorm watched her with an amused expression. “I know what tracking is. But is that really what you’re doing? I don’t think you need to look -that- closely at the ground.” He moved closer, within her reach, to see the patch of dirt she was examining. It was... a patch of dirt. He sighed. “Rowanmask, I’m not sure this will help RavenClan. I think actually putting your effort towards chasing prey will help. We’re used to hunting rabbits, remember? We need stealth, not surprise. Leave that to AspenClan.” His nose wrinkled, and he stretched out a paw to flick her ear. His tone was jovial as he said, “But your attempt at originality is almost cute.” He saw nothing wrong with hunting in a way that worked. He didn’t need any fancy tracking techniques to catch what he wanted.
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Post by theatricals on Apr 5, 2019 17:37:51 GMT -6
His criticisms certainly didn't make her feel better about her meager attempts, especially when he went to examine the evidence himself. She couldn't say she was surprised when he told her to just stick with what she knew, because that was very obvious--she could have come to that conclusion herself. But she knew there were times when that wasn't enough, and she wanted to be prepared. She almost commented on his remark about AspenClan, wanting to defend herself--because there was no way she would ever consider climbing up trees--but his latter statement caught her off guard, and she found herself surprised.
Her annoyance made her cheeks burn, along with the slightest bit of embarrassment that she would never admit was present. "You're completely missing the point," she said, pausing for a moment as she was forced to think over her words. She worked well under pressure, coming up with words just as quickly as they were thrown her way. But now, she was stuck. "I'm not--it's not..." she began, angrily sheathing and unsheathing her claws as she scrambled for a better justification for her actions.
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 13, 2019 17:33:28 GMT -6
He watched her lips as she stumbled for words, and his gaze drifted up to the flustered expression on her face. "Am I?" he questioned innocently. "I don't think I missed any point. You're trying something new, but it might not be worth the time. Unless you think you can prove me wrong." Coyotestorm smiled as he walked past her, the statement and thinly-veiled challenge lingering on the air as he stepped a few paces away from her, examining a field of flowers in the far distance. "Otherwise, I think generations of RavenClan warriors have perfected what we know to the point that we don't need anything else." It was one of the more logical things he would say, because if he didn't need to put in extra energy or effort, then he definitely wouldn't. Rowanmask could prove him wrong or right, but it didn't mean any additional move or tactic was necessary in the first place.
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Post by theatricals on Apr 17, 2019 22:07:44 GMT -6
She caught the challenge, but for once, she didn't feel the need to correct or challenge him back. Whether it be the lack of motivation or an actual admittance of defeat, she wouldn't say. In the end, she gave a small, wordless shrug, possibly suggesting she didn't care, but for Rowanmask, it was unlikely. She did care--too much, probably. Her emotional outburts came from a place of festering feelings where she put her entire heart into them. Never did she do anything with half effort. "It doesn't hurt to try new things," she said finally, after a long silence. It was a weak statement, but one she felt compelled to share. She wouldn't be made to seem like a fool here.
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 24, 2019 19:35:42 GMT -6
Coyotestorm turned to face her again. “So you say. What other new things do you want to try?” His smile was smug as he spoke, and it grew worse as he continued. “I might have a few ideas if you’re running dry.” He didn’t clarify or offer any insight into what he was thinking, and he didn’t think that he needed to. Several were prominent in his mind, things that could actually be considered fun. Rowanmask needed to loosen up, and he was the master of that, or so he liked to believe. She seemed like she missed out on actually living a life up until now, and if he could give her a taste of it, how much would she turn around? He was curious, but his expectations weren’t high.
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Post by theatricals on Apr 26, 2019 13:29:13 GMT -6
It annoyed her that he could change the subject so speedily, dragging her away from duties only to do what he alone would consider "fun." It was infuriating, yet the smaller part of her was curious enough not to swat his ear in response. "You would do well to cleanse your mind of whatever inappropriate or troublesome ideas you're thinking of." She took on a formal tone at that, knowing that if she broke, it would be far too easy for him to take advantage of the slip-up. The warrior eyed him warily, knowing that Coyotestorm was known for impulse actions, whether it be physical acts or spoken words.
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 26, 2019 20:43:03 GMT -6
A flash of something like disappointment crossed his face, but it was so quick that it wasn’t noticeable without careful attention. “You shouldn’t knock something before you try it. But suit yourself,” Coyotestorm said. “I’m not the one affected by your life choices. At least I know how to enjoy myself.” His smile was steady, and he started to walk past her. He already knew not to expect much from her, but part of him hoped that maybe he could, that maybe Rowanmask had the slightest bit of curiosity and interest. While he was used to toying with others and getting under their skin, there was a point where he would stop, too. Rare as it was, he -did- have a limit. If the benefit or the pleasure he received ran short, he wasn’t about to waste his time on an expense. His standards, while pitifully low, did actually exist. Perhaps stepping away would jar her more than continued pursuit—that would have to be enough for him.
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Post by theatricals on May 1, 2019 22:16:02 GMT -6
"I know how to enjoy myself," Rowanmask slowly turned around, not following him but also making it clear that she wasn't letting him walk away without him knowing she was still there. She could have sworn his expression had briefly changed, but she couldn't be sure. She watched him, completely tempted to just let him walk away with a roll of her eyes and return to what she was doing alone, but something was stopping her. Eventually, she took two steps forward and asked, "What is it you want, Coyotestorm?" It was a loaded question, but one she couldn't keep to herself. Perhaps it was personal, but it also held weight that connected it to everything else as well. His actions and words didn't affect only her, but the whole Clan.
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Post by niftyshark on May 18, 2019 18:13:57 GMT -6
The simple question made Coyotestorm pause. The simplicity was something strikingly different from how they seemed to normally operate. While he wasn’t one to shy from being direct, it was enough to completely disarm him in this circumstance. He worked his jaw as he continued to face away from her. He took a deep breath, then slowly turned back to Rowanmask. “What I want?” He drew his paw over his face in frustration. Wasn’t it obvious? He thought so, but maybe she needed it said as clear as day. “You,” he said in irritation, unwilling, or perhaps unable, to say any more. If it wasn’t obvious after that, she and his attempts were a lost cause. He was fully willing to admit it and give up if it came to that.
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Post by theatricals on May 18, 2019 18:26:08 GMT -6
Even with Coyotestorm's growing frustration and the knowledge that he could simply send back a stinging retort just to be a mouse-brain, Rowanmask still wasn't prepared for such a response from him. She lifted one of her paws before setting it back down, wanting to step back but also feeling unable to. Her mind very quickly shut off, the complete opposite from the day, moons back, when her frustration caused her mind to go into overdrive. "You're--" she started, the words on her tongue, but they were such a jumble that they wouldn't come out as her brow creased and her fur started to burn. "That--that's not funny." She didn't sound irritated, or even impatient, but rather confused. Her attempt to sound firm was lost to her.
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Post by niftyshark on May 18, 2019 18:38:35 GMT -6
He was surprised at how quickly his frustration melted away upon her response. She looked completely lost and quite unlike how she usually presented herself. Coyotestorm smiled then, amusement heavy in his gaze. “That denial is what’s funny.” Tongue-twisting her was enough to satisfy him, and it told him she knew exactly what he was talking about. It also confirmed to him that it affected her just enough that she was perceptive to it. “Come on, you mean to tell me you haven’t thought about it before? I would bet a whole day’s worth of fresh-kill that you have. Just examine your response.” He was definitely reaching a bit, but maybe it would get more of an answer out of her.
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Post by theatricals on May 18, 2019 18:44:08 GMT -6
Rowanmask straightened up slightly, being forced to pull herself together, but her gaze remained lost and not so certain as she forced out a reply: "I'm--I'm a warrior. What warrior has time for things like this?" She finally did take a step back, but it wasn't her uncertainty that drove her to it; rather, it was an attempt to back up her words and show that she believe in what she was saying. At least... partially. She watched him a moment, wondering if he might push her more, but she continued before he could. "Regardless of whatever I--" she stopped there, knowing he'd probably take advantage of it. She chose her words carefully. "You're distracting me. Don't you have other stuff to do?" Other "stuff," that was certainly an eloquent way to put it.
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Post by niftyshark on May 18, 2019 19:25:18 GMT -6
Coyotestorm lifted a paw and gestured to the open space around them, as if to suggest she was able to walk away at any point. He wasn’t sold on her thinking him a waste a time, and he was even willing to bet she wasn’t convinced of herself either. “Plenty of cats have time. I’m pretty sure you’re old enough to make decisions like this.” He paused for a moment, if only to make her stress, before he continued, “I could find something else to do. But I doubt it would be as enjoyable. If you want me to go away, all you have to do is tell me no. Say no, and I won’t bother you again.” His smile failed to fade as he spoke. It was a challenge as much as it was a promise. If she really didn’t want it, he wasn’t going to pressure her, but maybe she just needed help getting over her self-built walls.
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Post by theatricals on May 18, 2019 19:40:39 GMT -6
Rowanmask looked defensive, as though she was facing an enemy from another Clan. But no enemy would prompt such confusion and conflict within her, and certainly none of them would pique her curiosity like he did. It would be foolish to do so anyway; it was against the warrior code! She stopped herself there, knowing where that line of thought was heading. Despite her reservations and better judgment telling her to just walk away, she knew she couldn't. The comment about her age almost prompted a biting retort--she was perfectly capable of making her own decisions--but she knew no matter how she said it, she'd be proving his points in every degree.
She glanced around hesitantly, as though looking to see if anyone else had heard their conversation. They were far enough from camp that it was unlikely, especially since she had purposely chose this area because of the lack of attention it was given. Perhaps she was looking for an excuse to walk away, but since she eventually turned back to him, there was a part of her that didn't feel overly disappointed. "This... first idea," she began slowly, though not awkwardly. Past the initial shock, she was at least able to somewhat find her footing, if barely. The she-cat would have elaborated, but she couldn't say any more beyond that.
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