not much of an escapade - - (open!)

[aisu]

c r o w s c a r.

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The day was moderately cool, not the hottest day yet to come, but neither the coldest. It was just...normal. The blinding sun rested amongst the endless blue dotted with hints of white clouds. A cool breeze whispered by the scarce lands of the ShadowClan territory.

A rather scraggly shadow ghosted along the muddy ground, his one pale green eye glancing back and forth in a careful manner. Although he had tread the same grounds for most of his life, Crowscar still couldn't help but to be paranoid of large predators roaming, waiting in the shadows to hunt him down. That was why the tom rarely tread to the ends of ShadowClan territory.

Today was another evasion from being cooped up the camp grounds, under all those watchful eyes. Granted, most of the time he wasn't judged, given the fact that he had been living with his clanmates for about twenty-four moons; they should have been used to his appearance by now. The black tom was just skittish and insecure about his...disability

"It's probably better if I stayed out here," he mumbled to himself softly before shaking his head.
"Oh, you useless mousebrain, not every cat thinks you're an ugly brute." He puffed out his chest in renewed confidence, a slight smile lighting his face as he walked past a small puddle from last night's light pour. The murky water reflected a murky cat with one eye and a chest too far stuck out. The tom deflated at his reflection.

Crowscar moved away, frowning.

"Fat chance," the young tom argued to himself and sighed.

He swung his head around, looking at the underbrush on his blind side. Crowscar kneaded the ground, absentmindedly digging a little hole in the soft ground. The ShadowClan warrior had left camp...but what was there to do now?

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[ceilingwax]

Ravenheart

Silencing the mouse with a bite to the neck, Ravenheart raised his head, licking the taste of blood off his lips. Shadows cloaked his back, shrouding him from sight as he killed his catch. It was a lovely day to hunt, with the temperature pleasant despite the relentless sun that hung in the cloudless sky. Glancing up at it now, Ravenheart squinted for a moment, before casting his gaze around the surrounding territory, blinking. Still not a cloud in sight. Today was one of those odd days when he did not mind being in the sun, for it was not incredibly hot out; even as he thought it, a cool breeze blew through the forest, ruffling his fur.

The onyx head dipped once more as he picked up his catch by the tail, letting it dangle, swinging from side to side as he walked. Instinctively, he stuck to the shadows, paws moving silently across the familiar ground. Blending in had become a habit for him, hiding in the shadows and the black of night with ease. But though the shadows may blanket him in their depths, making him virtually invisible should he wish it, they did not prevent him from leaving paw prints where he walked. Slightly disgusted as the wet soil squished beneath his toes, Ravenheart paused mid-stride glancing down and behind him at the obvious trail he had left. Pitch black paws had become muddy, though he forced himself to ignore the odd sensation as he moved forward.

Just as he rounded a tree, the ShadowClan warrior's ears caught a whisper of sound, sounding almost like a meow. Curious, he hesitated, keeping still for a moment, before turning his head in that direction. Keeping to the shadows of the tree, he peered around it for a moment, spotting a familiar black cat, Crowscar, who appeared troubled. Not that he cared about the other tom's worries, Ravenheart decided to approach the scarred warrior. Stepping around the tree, he moved into view, setting the mouse down at his paws. Nodding once, he greeted his clanmate with a quiet, "Hello, Crowscar."

[aisu]

c r o w s c a r.

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Soft rustles resounded through the empty forest as a darting breeze whispered by, teasing his cropped onyx fur. Crowscar breathed in the crisp air, heaving out a sigh as his eye fluttered shut from the chaste contact. His paw, still digging a small gouge within the muddy soil, squelched. The tom realized his paw was caked with mud and halted, examining his muddy limb with a wary eye. Oh, this would be a pain to clean.

"Hello, Crowscar." A startled noise left him as the tom bolted up, spinning around to find the source of the voice. He came face-to-face with a familiar black tom, rather majestic and embracing a regal air. So...unlike him who stood scrawny and torn with muddy paws.

"O-Oh, Ravenheart,"[/b] Crowscar murmured dipping his quickly in a jerky manner. He rubbed his paw against his cheek, forgetting about the mud caked within the fur as he stared at those cool, amber eyes.
"What...what brings you out here? I mean, anyone's free to come out here! I don't own the forest!" Crowscar rambled on before his voice died down in case he started looking even more stupid. The ShadowClan warrior then noted the small mass of fur at Ravenheart's front paws and the tom wanted to kick himself for such a stupid question.[/size]

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[ceilingwax]

Ravenheart

Amusement flickered through him as Crowscar wiped his muddy paw on his face, but had the grace not to comment, instead replying to the other tom's question, "Don't worry, I know what you mean. I was only hunting and wandering when I heard you, and wondered if you would not mind some company." Why was he being so outgoing right now? Not that Ravenheart was bothered by it, but he tended to avoid instigating conversations with other cats.

Perhaps it due to the slight sympathy he felt toward Crowscar, though he knew that the other tom would not appreciate it if he knew. The black tom had the feeling that the large hawk had done more damage than a missing eye and claw marks along the back, but also knew that most cats would probably not look beyond that. Though many claimed to not, Ravenheart noticed that many cats did judge a cat by their appearance. With his missing eye and the numerous scars littering Crowscar's back, the timid warrior could appear fierce and unapproachable. Even though Ravenheart thought that that was part of the reason, he also had the idea that it was due to it being a conversation only between them. The ebony warrior did not have any bond with Crowscar, but the idea that it was just two cats, out of the way and alone, would make him more comfortable than a large group of cats in the middle of camp.

But whatever the reason, Ravenheart flicked his tail lightly through the air as he waited for a reply from the other tom. Amber eyes glanced down at the paws. Had the ground not been so muddy, he would have considered sitting, but he had no idea to expose himself to more mud than he had to. If this kept up, he would develop a fond dislike of mud.

[aisu]

c r o w s c a r.

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"I was only hunting and wandering when I heard you-"

Right, well, he had figured out that Ravenheart had been hunting, if the dead mouse was anything to go by. Crowscar shuffled his paws, soft squelching noises reverberating and he gave a sheepish look before halting immediately.

"Was I that loud...? Gah, I really am a mousebrain"[/color] he murmured to himself before shaking his head, realizing that his clanmate was still there. Crowscar had the decency to look embarrassed as he shot a little grin when finding he had talked to himself again. The ShadowClan warrior jerked up, suddenly realizing that Ravenheart had offered for some company.

"Oh, of course! I'm sorry! I-I...I don't mind at all! I'd be honored, in fact!"[/color] The ebony tom clamped his mouth shut again, pale green eye flashing in anxiety but anticipation.

Crowscar had never talked to Ravenheart. Perhaps their briefest contact was the occasional greeting if he thought about it. But that had been the limit. Now, here they were, making small talk and breaking boundaries. The ShadowClan warrior felt happy, warmth radiating within him at the fact that Ravenheart wanted him as company. Crowscar knew that he wasn't the best cat to have fun with...he was rather skittish about everything, and even if he was the only cat within the forest at that moment, the tom felt rather special. Who knew? Maybe they would have something in common.[/size]
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[ceilingwax]

Ravenheart

Ears twitched as Crowscar started muttering, and unsure if that was supposed to be a reply, Ravenheart listened as best he could. However, for his efforts, the ebony tom only understood a few words and a questioning tone. Putting 'that loud' with the tone, the warrior figured he knew the question Crowscar had asked himself. Ravenheart hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should respond to the rhetorical question, but decided against it. Though he appreciated the irony it would have created - responding to a muttered question about being loud - the ebony tom did not think that Crowscar would find it amusing.

"Oh, of course! I'm sorry! I-I...I don't mind at all! I'd be honored, in fact!" Ravenhearted nodded shortly, amber eyes watching the other tom's single green eye fill with something like anxiety. Tilting his head slightly, he found himself wondering why Crowscar would be anxious. Like every other cat, he knew that the scarred tom was skittish and nervous around others, somehthing that would make clan life fairly difficult, and though Ravenheart preferred his solitude, he was not going to bite. The warrior considered himself a decent cat, not one to fear.

But at the same time, he felt curiousity slowly seeping into him. Ravenheart knew that he had always been curious, especially as a kit, and although he did not mind learning new things, his curiousity had died down slightly. The warrior was not sure if he liked that. Now as he was faced with this new situation - he and Crowscar have never really interacted - he felt it returning, wondering what he could learn about his clanmate. "How are you today?" Ravenheart asked politely, and though his tone was fairly pleasant, his expression and body language were closed off as usual. He was not the most welcoming cat, but if Crowscar wanted a decent conversation, he would have to deal with it.

[aisu]

c r o w s c a r.

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The jittery bug poking around had subsided, but had not completely disappeared. Crowscar was still rather nervous although he honestly had no reason to be. He couldn't help it; socializing was one of his worst skills. That and cleaning himself. The tom glanced up at the handsome ebony cat before looking back down at the murky ground. What were they supposed to do now?

Am I supposed to say something...? What should I say? Should I ask how his hunt was? Or wait, is that rude? Does it sound like I'm questioning his hunting methods? Oh, I don't want to offend him! But what do I say? Questions popped into his mind so quickly that he felt disorientated. The tom stifled a sigh.

""How are you today?"[/i]

The pale green eye shot up in surprise (though nothing was surprising about such an ordinary question), a sudden smile lighting his face.

"Oh! Very well! I'm doing great!" he exclaimed, surprised but nonetheless pleased with Ravenheart's simple question. It felt odd to be put in the spotlight, to have someone's attention for a while, but it felt wonderful. To be able to interact with someone else, to get closer to them. Crowscar couldn't help but grin.

"How...how are you today?"[/color] Crowscar managed to ask, bouncing just slightly from giddiness.[/size]

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[ceilingwax]

Ravenheart

Inclining his head in a quiet nod, the ebony tom acknowledged Crowscar's reply. "That is good news." Something like guilt had infiltrated Ravenheart at Crowscar's pleasantly surprised reaction to his question. Had ShadowClan really "exiled" their own clanmember, avoided him to the point where he would look forward to a simple question? Ravenheart, at least, chose to be alone most of the time, chose solitude over company. But was Crowscar different? Was he alone just because no one would approach him? The thought made him wonder; his idea could be reality, he did not know.

But the other warrior, bouncing slightly on his toes the excitement was so great, had asked Ravenheart a question, in turn wondering how his day had been. The ebony tom thought about it for a moment before replying softly, "My day has been decent. The prey is running fairly well, and despite all this--" he glanced down at his paws in disgust "--mud, the weather is quite nice."

Here, Ravenheart paused, wondering how to continue the conversation. This was just small talk, and if it continued like this, the situation would get awkward fairly fast when they ran out of topics. But what could he discuss with the other warrior? Since he did not really know Crowscar and had not really interacted with him, they shared no experiences and he did not know if they had any similarities. This was why he avoided socializing, apart from the peacefulness that their territory had. Slightly hesitant, Ravenheart asked another question, "Do you wander out here often?"

[aisu]

c r o w s c a r.

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His mood was suddenly lifted, feeling much lighter than before. The doubts and self-consciousness he had subsided; for the moment it was simply him and his clanmate. Nothing else would bother them...or so he hoped. Although the conversation hadn't progressed as much as one would think, Crowscar couldn't help the silly grin rising on his face as Ravenheart replied quietly.

"Yes, weather's very nice! The mud's not so...great. But, but guess we can't help it."

His first impression of the ebony warrior was silent but regal. That impression hadn't really changed but Crowscar began to develop a smidge of respect for the tom. Well not respect per se (although he was sure Ravenheart was a great warrior) but perhaps a feeling of awe? The tom noted his reserved manner, even Ravenheart's words were suave and controlled. Unlike him who seemed giddy and somewhat like a kit. For a moment Crowscar felt like he was back to being an apprentice in this ebony tom's presence. Intimidation was there but also guidance and teaching.

Ravenheart's question was unexpected, and although Crowscar wasn't sure, he thought he detected a hint of hesitance. The ShadowClan warrior blinked.

"Um...yes. W-Well I mean I prefer coming out rather than staying in camp. Not that being in camp's a bad thing!" he assured quickly. "I just...like...the forest."

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[ceilingwax]

Ravenheart

Ravenheart shrugged, lifting ebony shoulders slightly as he sighed, "No, I guess we cannot. Though I wish we could; mud does get disgusting after a while, and though I do not mind the rain as much..." His voice trailed off into silence, feeling more satisfaction at the giddy grin on his companion's face. Though he tended to stay by himself, Ravenheart did enjoy making another cat's day when the opportunity arose. And the black tom had a feeling that he had made Crowscar's day.

Nodding at the other warrior's words, Ravenheart recognized a similarity between them. "I know what you mean," He reassured Crowscar, sensing a growing nervousness from the black tom. "While the camp is... enjoyable for short periods of time, I find myself wandering the forest rather than staying confined to camp. I find that there is a peacefullness to the forest that many cats do not recognize. I prefer that to the activity of the camp."

OOC: bleh, not so good of a post, sorry

[aisu]

c r o w s c a r.

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Ravenheart's words were different than what he had expected. Crowscar didn't know why but he thought that the tom would question his hesitance, ask why he didn't stay in camp more often. Quite truthfully if Ravenheart had asked that then he was sure he wouldn't have a decent reply. But to his pleasure, his clanmate assured him softly and he nodded vigorously, sponging up every word. Though tiny, they had something in common.

Crowscar sat down on his haunches even if the ground was wet; the mud was hardly a priority in his mind right now. His cheek felt dry and prickly from the dried mud and he rubbed it, only to have a fresh layer taint his obsidian fur.

"I-I agree! I feel more...open out here. You can go along at your own pace. It's...it's tranquil." Crowscar stilled into silence, unsure what to say next, but he didn't want the conversation to end so quickly. He glanced up at those warm amber orbs, trying to think up a question.

"E-Erm, what do you like to do...? I mean like hunt, or fight, or..." he trailed off slightly embarrassed at such a vague question.

((haha, it's all good! My post is pretty poor as well. Muse dwindling as we speak -.-))

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[ceilingwax]

Ravenheart

"I prefer hunting to fighting," replied the black tom with a soft voice, "Though I believe that I am competent in both. Hunting provides an excuse to wander the forest, an added bonus to a task I already enjoy." An ebony tail flicked as he glanced around once more, eyeing the ground carefully. Spying a relatively dry spot, Ravenheart dipped his head, picking up his small catch, and padded softly over to it. After setting the mouse down again, he sat, tail wrapped neatly around his paws. Amber eyes found their way back to Crowscar as the warrior turned his attention back to his companion, showing that he was not about to leave.

Though the other warrior was more on the skittish side, Ravenheart was pleasantly surprised to find that he did not really mind talking with him. Crowscar was much more enjoyable to converse with rather than a hyper apprentice or an overly eager warrior. "What about you? Do you prefer to hunt rather than fight? Or vise versa? Or even some other activity?" He wondered if the ebony warrior would prefer hunting, like him, and add another similarity to their short list. Pausing for a moment, Ravenheart added, "Also, what is your favorite time of day to wander, if you have one?"

[aisu]

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Crowscar nodded with much vigor, a gleam lighting in his eye as he realized that they had another thing in common. He shuffled around a bit to get comfortable. He watched as Ravenheart dipped his head and an uneasiness stirred within him. Pale spring green eye watched the ebony tom intently as he carried a mouse over and his shoulders drooped slightly.

Well...I guess that was it then." He stifled a sigh. To his surprise the regal tom returned back to his original spot, amber eyes gazing back at him and Crowscar froze. He glanced over at what Ravenheart had done and saw that the small mouse was resting on a dry spot in the ground. Crowscar shook his head slightly, hardly believing that he would doubt Ravenheart to leaving their conversation.

Ears perked up at the familiar voice as his companion began to speak again, this time offering questions to him. Warmth spread through him and the tom smiled again.

"I prefer hunting too. Fighting...isn't really something I'm interested in. "[/color] Of course he preferred peace over conflict; he was never good at handling situations so he shied away from fighting, only using his claws when necessary.

"My favorite time...I prefer the night. A-Although it's suspicious to leave camp at such a time but...but I like it most."[/color] The real reason was that no one was up at that time. And that the shadows hid his features quite well, masking him into the depths of the darkness. Within the abyss he could camouflage his scars, at least look somewhat of a decent, normal cat.[/size]

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[ceilingwax]

Ravenheart

Yet another similarity between them. Ravenheart found it nice to find the similarities between him and Crowscar; it interested him to see how many they had. Both of them were recluses, even if it was not by Crowscar's own choice, both enjoyed wandering and both preferred hunting over fighting. The tip of his tail flicked lightly, though it stayed wrapped around his paws.

"I like wandering at dusk, though night is also enjoyable. The shadows are long then, and there are usually only a few cats, those on patrol, and I can easily avoid them," Ravenheart put in his own opinion, and hesitated again before deciding to take another risk. "And... if you ever want to wander at night, Crowscar... I'd, I would appreciate joining you. I can think of many ways to get out of camp at night, some of which I can tell you, if you would like. But I would not mind having a wandering companion... every now and then." That and he was interested in getting to know the other tom better.

Amber eyes watched Crowscar for his reaction, showing none of the anxiety Ravenheart felt inside. This was the first time he had really taken a risk like that, offering another cat his company. He did not trust very easily, but something about Crowscar struck him in the right spot. The ebony warrior did not exactly truat Crowscar or consider him a friend, but the scarred tom was the closest to it.

[aisu]

c r o w s c a r.

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Crowscar nodded, showing that he was listening, absorbing every single word from the onyx tom. It was plain to see that they were different; Ravenheart preferred solitude while he...felt complied to come alone. But they had things in common as well, and it made the young warrior so thrilled to find bridges between them.

Ravenheart's next words left him still for a moment, pale green eye wide, blinking. Had it been true or was he dreaming? Crowscar rubbed his face several times, nudging as if to snap himself out of his reverie if it was a dream. But it wasn't. Ravenheart had really asked him. A wave of happiness and inexplicable warmth surged over him and a wide, delighted smile broke his still features.

"Yes! Of course! I would love that!" The tom exclaimed, exhilarated, a noticeable bounce to his feet as he spoke. They were still acquaintances, not really extended on the terms of friendship yet. But right now, he couldn't have asked for more. And who knew? They might have more in common, a chance to deepen their relationship. And for once in awhile, Crowscar was glad he had come out to the forest that morning.

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