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Post by darkwolf45 on Jun 1, 2019 16:51:26 GMT -6
"....that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice." -Charles F Kettering
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It was almost too easy to step over the scent marks that divided WillowClan from RavenClan. Those imaginary lines drawn by long dead cats that might or might not exist in some sacred afterlife. His mother was probably there now. He had to wonder if she was happy though when her sons that she doted on so much were left all alone with the agony of her death and so many questions left hanging in the air around the two young toms. His pelt was coated in the scent of garlic, a scent he hated more than ever because the last time he had rolled in that same patch had been with his mother and brother. His light pelt helped him blend with the swaying heather and grass of the moors. It felt so open out here and he had to keep casting his eyes upward, wishing that he could enjoy the view. But it somehow seemed stupid to enjoy this clear sky and the warmth of the sun on his pelt and the breeze that ruffled his pelt. Not when he was here on a mission. So he refocused on the task he had set himself, his mind burning with questions that he needed answers to.
He slipped further into the territory, pausing every so often to duck low when he thought he might have seen movement anywhere in the tall grasses. He wouldn't and couldn't go back to the WillowClan camp and face his brother or his mother's memory without knowing more about the tom that he was sure was his father, that he was angry and sad and maybe slightly excited to meet.
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Post by niftyshark on Jun 6, 2019 20:26:29 GMT -6
The moon managed to pass by slowly and quickly at the same time. He felt like he was walking around in a fog, not quite present. Coyotestorm was positive he managed to relapse into another downward spiral, and he struggled with mourning Dark. He couldn’t say he really knew her properly, but he felt partially response for what happened. And it wasn’t just him anymore. There were kits that he supposed he was responsible for now, even though he didn’t know them either. They were in a separate clan. There was no way he could make it work. Especially not in secret.
That’s what he thought, anyway. He was proven wrong quite unexpectedly, when he saw himself walk out of the tall grasses of the moor. No, not himself... it was Beanpaw. Coyotestorm stared openly, stupefied for a moment. Was he dreaming? He knew he wasn’t. “What... Beanpaw?” He tried the name on his tongue. “Why are you on RavenClan territory?” He was too mystified to be angry.
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Post by darkwolf45 on Jun 6, 2019 21:39:38 GMT -6
The moment he had spotted the older version of himself he had paused before deciding to just get on with it and finish his mission. It felt odd, staring at an almost exact replica of himself, except maybe he was actually a replica of Coyotestorm. Steeling himself he eyed the tom curiously, "I came to find you." He answered simply. There wasn't much sense in making the situation more complicated than it already was.
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Post by niftyshark on Jun 7, 2019 7:08:36 GMT -6
Coyotestorm worked his jaw, trying to make sense of the situation. “Well, you found me.” That much was obvious. Even why Beanpaw was looking might be obvious, but he didn’t want to assume. “Trespassing will get us both in trouble.” There was still no admonishment in his voice, but his tone grew surer as the seconds went by. “Did you cover your tracks? Did you make sure you weren’t seen? If you’re going to break the rules, at least make sure you do it right. I’m not going to be responsible for your mistakes, and I won’t hesitate to put the blame on you.” He held his son’s gaze. If Beanpaw was going to take the risks, he had to assume every part, including his downfall. He never at any point thought about what being a father would be like, and he was sure it wasn’t like this. But it was all he knew how to do, and it was something he could do well.
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Post by darkwolf45 on Jun 7, 2019 12:21:28 GMT -6
The sudden flood of words from Coyotestorm caught him off guard, having not expected the tom to be so quick to talk to him. What was even more amusing, and maybe a bit annoying, was the way the tom seemed to almost lecture him. With a smirk and a roll of his eyes he replied, "I rolled in some garlic before I crossed over the border and I stayed downwind and hidden. I've been sneaking out of camp and around WillowClan territory for a long time. I've eve spent the night outside of the borders once." His heart ached at the memory and for a moment his breath hitched in his throat before he shook off that pain. He shrugged, "And you can put the blame on me if ya want but as far as anyone else is concerned I'm just an apprentice. We do stupid things all the time. But if you were going to out me you'd have chased me back over the border already."
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Post by niftyshark on Jun 17, 2019 8:16:11 GMT -6
Coyotestorm’s mouth twisted into a dry smile. “Maybe you know more than I expected.” It made him wonder how. Did Dark teach him that? It was possible, because she never bonded to clan rules, but the knowledge seemed a little specified to what a clan cat would need to know. He decided it didn’t matter after a moment. Beanpaw’s attitude spoke enough about where the knowledge might have come from. “So you’ve covered your tracks. But you are still visible in an enemy’s territory.” He held the tom’s eyes for a moment before he walked past him, towards the outland border. It was clear Beanpaw wanted something, but Coyotestorm couldn’t guess what. It probably wasn’t something he wanted his clanmates to find out, so they would have to talk on neutral ground. The outland border came quickly, and he crossed it with purpose. He led the way out of sight, where they could sit and talk behind a large boulder. He turned to face his son. “What did you want?”
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Post by darkwolf45 on Jun 21, 2019 20:38:40 GMT -6
Twitching his ears at the dry smile Coyotestorm he raised his eyebrow, curious about the reaction before he frowned and let his eyes shift away and around them. He was about to respond when the older tom walked past him and towards the out lands. He remained silent as he followed, mildly nervous about being in outsider territory considering the last time he had been there he'd lost his mother. The amount of trust he was putting into Coyotestorm was a lot, maybe too much. Once they were behind a large boulder, and Coyotestorm spoke he gathered his thoughts.
"Would you believe I wanted to just come meet up with my father?" His tone was dry, looking away to scan their surroundings with some tension in his shoulders he felt only a tiny bit of relief that there was no sign of danger. "We never did get to actually talk before. I need answers." Beanpaw's gaze finally slid back to Coyotestorm, once again noting their similar looks.
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Post by niftyshark on Jun 30, 2019 12:57:42 GMT -6
His silence stretched on for a long moment when he realized he didn’t immediately know what to say. Being faced with the thought he was trying to avoid was hard. He knew realistically speaking he was a father, but what that meant beyond face value, he wasn’t sure he could measure up to. Coyotestorm was relieved for a heartbeat when Beanpaw continued speaking, but the words that followed soon crushed that. He wasn’t sure that what he expected and what Beanpaw expected for their first meeting would have been the same, so he grew wary. Was there something Dark—Darkfury, never told them? Would it have been a simple meeting, or did she have something more planned? There was no way to know now. “What answers are you looking for?” he said at last, words accompanied by a sigh.
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Post by darkwolf45 on Jul 2, 2019 22:07:54 GMT -6
So many questions buzzed through his mind and he tensed as he mulled them over, trying to grasp at what made the most sense, but so many questions he had since he was a kit. Did Coyotestorm love his mother? How did they meet? Was he excited to learn about Darkfury being pregnant? Did he want to meet Beanpaw and Haypaw because of curiosity or obligation or what? Did he mourn Darkfury too? Why hadn't he tried to have more contact with his sons?
Beanpaw let out a shallow breath, eyes wide as he started at the cat who his mother had never really spoken of, only in passing, but her admiration was clear. Finally he settled on a question one that had burned through his mind as he had watched his mother be carried from camp to be buried in a grave on clan land. "Did you love my mother?" Maybe it was a stupid kit question, the idea that his parents had loved each other even beyond clan boundaries. But his mother was a good cat, how could someone not love her?
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Post by niftyshark on Jul 15, 2019 10:22:05 GMT -6
Coyotestorm watched as several emotions flitted across Beanpaw’s face. He waited for questions, but it took long enough to make him wonder if Beanpaw was ever going to ask something. But then he did, and Coyotestorm was immediately at a loss. Did he love Darkfury? He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He... he cared for her, but love?
Was it something he ever felt?
He didn’t know. He always saw it as caring for someone. Or maybe he felt the sensation of love at one point, but if he did then it died countless moons ago. It was then that he knew he didn’t have an answer for the apprentice, and he didn’t like that realization. “I enjoyed her company,” he said at last. “I never got the chance to know her, though. To truly know her. We had a connection... but I was never able to find out how deep it went.” He stared at his son, uncertain why it felt like he was squirming under his pelt.
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Post by darkwolf45 on Sept 7, 2019 17:21:20 GMT -6
Beanpaw frowned, eyes sliding away to stare past Coyotestorm as he thought over the words the older tom had uttered. It made sense, what the RavenClan warrior was saying, and he finally gave a slow nod, realizing it was likely along the same lines his own mother would have explained it. She'd always told him and his brother that when they fell in love it would take time, understanding, because to truly love another cat, to call them your other half, you had to know them as well as you knew yourself.
He finally brought his gaze back to Coyotestorm's, "Do you..." He lost his nerve, gaze dropping to his paws, claws digging into the ground. He wanted this answer, but he didn't. He wasn't sure he could take a negative answer to it the question hat hung on the tip of his tongue, finally spilling out like venom dripping. "Do you care about me and Haypaw? Or is it just an obligation to you?"
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Post by niftyshark on Sept 14, 2019 13:20:56 GMT -6
Coyotestorm opened and closed his mouth again. The questions weren’t confusing, but his feelings were, and he knew his answers would be. He could counter one thing at least, so he did.
“I hardly take the time to complete obligations. I don’t like having expectations on me. If that’s all you were, I would never have known that you existed.” It probably wasn’t very consoling, but it was the truth. The warrior code forbade them from existing, which was partially why Coyotestorm would always find them interesting. Not to mention that they were his own family, and his family in his own clan was only getting smaller.
Part of him was almost afraid of knowing them too well. What if they died too? It only took him a moment to remember that they had the chance to when Darkfury did, but they survived. That meant it had to be safe.
“If you’re looking for another parent figure... I don’t think I can be that for you,” he admitted rather flatly. “I know a lot of things, but trying to guide someone else...” He trailed off. He didn’t know for sure if that was Beanpaw’s ulterior motive, but it seemed good to address in case it was.
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