Silent Night [Snap]

[Blackie]

Wolf had always liked stars.

The night brought a crisp chill to the land. It coursed through Wolf's senses, making him want to puff out his unique coat. The birds had stopped chattering long ago, and now the night crickets took up the song. The sense of peace envoloping the reluctant rogue was strange to him. How long had it been since he felt safe and secure? Probobly not since he was a kit nestled against his mother's belly. Just now, he felt brave, he felt as if he could take the world in his paws and make it spin just once in his favor. And that was a very odd feeling for Wolf.

A star shimmered and winked out as it marked a bright path across the sky. Wolf caught a glimpse of it just before it disappeared. It reflected in his yellow orbs, darkening the maroon to red. The flash of light pricked his senses. Somehow, it exzilirated him. He could do anything!

He didn't have to be scared anymore! He never had to be scared to begin with! He was free to live his own life the way he wanted. Why should anyone tell him what to do? He didn't have to listen to them! He could be himself and no one would care. He could be free. He could run, he could dream, he could live his own life!

Crack!

Somewhere in the darkness, a twig snapped. Wolf froze, all the previous feelings he had melted away like snow in greenleaf. Had he really thaught he was brave? Yeah right! Never, not even he had nine lives like the Clan cat leaders were said to have. Bravery was not a word to describe him, and never would be.

When the silence ahd reigned again long enough, Wolf relaxed. His fur was sticking out clumpily, leaves hanging on his coat. Already crouched, Wolf sat down and started to groom his marbled pelt. His eyes closed drowsily. Soon, he would slink back into the rogue camp, find a corner away from everyone else, and go to sleep. But he wanted to enjoy himself for a little bit longer.

He wanted to enjoy the peace.

[Meerful]

S-S-S-Snap,,

i want someone to follow who doesn't lead the way. i want someone to listen who wont repeat what i say.

Moonlight bathed the forest in a silver haze, much like rain, only smoother. Wind echoed through the trees, circling inside little hollows on the trunks of them, agape like crooked pictures or horror stricken faces. Emerald blades of grass, now a lighter jade from the silver toning, brushed together to create a forest music uniquely familiar. As if inspired, the waters in the creeks began to bubble and flow and drip in rhythm, the occasional sound of films of ice being broken.

Along with these, the sounds of twigs breaking in intervals was adding the harmony. Delicate paws tried to gracefully stalk through the forest. They were black and awkward and clumsy, stepping on any stray twig or turning every rock that stood proudly, waiting to hear itself clash with the earth again. They tripped over any jutting roots, and their claws constantly clicked. Stealth wasn't so much of a problem, as was the ability to be completely unseen. The night was their only friend. In the night, you can't see black paws...

These little black paws happened to belong to Snap. Snap was an incredible hunter, but only when luck was on her side. She could be amazing... but only if her paws would cooperate. Sometimes she wondered if she thought to fast for her body to react. So far that seemed to be the only reasonable explantion for her odd paw pattern. Maybe she just wasn't made to hunt in the forest...? She'd heard of fast hunters who hunted on the plains. Of course, Snap was fast, but she wasn't sure what she would do without the shadows of trees to keep her pelt hidden, especially in the winter. The black didn't end with the paws. The shadows crept all over her body, stopping at her jungle green eyes, bright, and equally, if not more emerald than the silver trimmed grass.

Stars brimmed brightly in the sky, and twinkled in her eyes as she stared up at them. Her tail swished behind her, bored. She couldn't be bothered to hunt anymore, she'd had enough earlier. The pros of being small; it didn't take much to fill you up. Getting up, she stretched, and true to her name, snapped a twig on accident. Its crack echoed, and her ears flattened.

I'm sooooo aloof She thought to herself, sighing inwardly. In response to that crack, however, she heard a rustle in the grass and leaves. This sparked her curiousity. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she appeared to be...? A tightening in her throat made her feel fear. What if she really wasn't alone? Could whatever was out there be much more dangerous than loneliness? She swallowed and shook her head, as if throwing away the sudden scared feeling. She took a deep breath.

"Is someone out there? She mewed. Instantly after saying it she felt ridiculous. What if no one was out there? What if she was just talking to nothing? Its not like a tree was going to answer her. Snap rolled her eyes at herself, and flopped back on the ground to watch a parade of ants trail about. The leaves were like mountains to them, the dirt like colds deserts. She watched them fascinated. Funny how bored a cat can get huh? Snap licked her lips and waited for something to happen.

[Blackie]

Are you going to scarborough fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine

"Is someone out there?"

Wolf flew into the air, every hair stiff as it shot away from his body. It could had fallen straight off him, but had the good fortune of being rooted into his skin. His tail was straight out, like the poles Twolegs sometimes used for their fences. Only, it was also bushed out into a bottle-brush. Even his claws had shot out of their sheaths and snagged into the earth when he landed again. Back arched and legs unbendable, Wolf span in circles. His lips were drawn back and his jaws parted in a log terrified his. Frantically, he searched for the owner of the voice. Who were they? Would they attack him? Was he on someone's territory?

"Who's 'at?" the bengled rogue finally shrieked. "Who are you, what do you want?" His voice faltered then, and Wolf came to a close stand-still. Fear lit his eyes as bright as the moon. Complete and total terror.

"Please don't hurt me. I-I'll l-leave."



lyrics from Simon and Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair/Canticle

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S-S-S-Snap,,

a new experienced me will be coming back on rusted limbs and bloodied knees

The sound of a lot of commotion caught a flick of Snap's ear, but only for a second before she went back to staring at the ants. Their numbers were endlessly stretched, as though they had gone from one end of the forest to another, blanketing the forest floor with the little black trooper carrying white flecks or small pieces of dirt. After a few moments, she dared to stick her paw in the middle of their path, just to see if they would continue walking like soulless zombies, or if they were actually capable of doing anything but following one another on a never-ending path. A few just walked right over her part like it were noting, slibering in between her fur, causing a prickling sensation to crawl all over her body. One eventually stopped, and started to veer away.

Free thinker.

The other ants quickly toppled right over it, and then over her paw. Zombies. Emotionless. Watching them was starting to disturb her. Just as she moved, another soundd hit her ears. A hiss, words. Not much she could honestly care to make sense of, but she heard the last sentence. 'i'll leave if you want' She tried to figure out whos voice it was. Was it someone she knew? Snap replayed it in her mind over and over again in just the few short seconds. No clue. Figures. The feeling of fear swept over her again, and with it, a bit of nausea. She swallowed hard. Then she considered something. They seemed more afraid of her. Like a spider. More afraid of her then she is of it.

"Um... Whoever is out there, you don't have to leave. I don't mind." She replied sweetly, ""Just don't come out of nowhere and jump me or we're gonna have some problems." She added a little bit more harshly. She did not want to get attacked. She was a little tired, and her back hurt enough from her last klutzy fall. Being attacked was just what she needed. Ha, no. [=P] Snap stood up, arching her back with a stretch and a delicate yawn. Her green eyes opened wide, ashen with curiousity as she stared at her surroundings...

Where was this other cat?

[Blackie]

The gentle voice was soothing enough to make Wolf pause and listen. It scared him to think he was talking to a cat he couldn't see, but at least they were talking calmly. Mabye they were friendly after all.

"Just don't come out of nowhere and jump me or we're gonna have some problems."

Okay, mabye they weren't extremely friendly. Trembling, Wolf stood up and looked around. His ears swivelled, trying to find more sounds to hint at the other cat's position. He just had to stay calm. And he shouldn't look so intimidated. Stop shaking!, he hissed at himself. What if they realize how scared you are and take advantage of you? Swallowing the bile that had risen in his throat, Wolf tried to still his knees. It was like trying to quench a river. Impossible. He'd just have to stand tall with it.

"Um . . .," his voice squeaked. So he gulped and tried again. "Erm, wh-where are you? I d-don't want to f-f-fight at all!" Better, he thaught. Still a little shaky there, but better. Only thing is, you sound like a stupid kit. Oh well, you can handle that.

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S-S-S-Snap,,

look at me, look at me, hands in the air like its good to be alive

Snap listened carefully to the other cat and wondered about him. Who was he? Why did he sound so scared? Was he afraid of everything? Naturally that made her want to make him feel better. Maternal instincts much? Psh. Snap bit her lip and pondered about what she should do about it. Assessing the situation, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her ears swiveled around, trying to get a direct pinpoint on the other cat's voice, but of course, the echoes the trees created made that almost impossible like putting a blazing forest fire out. She decided to wait, just like watching the fire burn, she waited for him to show himself. If he wanted to, he would find her.

Snap smiled when he said he didn't want to fight. "Well I don't want to fight either!" She meowed back. Again, fighting wasn't really thebest thing to do right now. Especially because she didn't know her opponent, didn't know how big he was or muscular, oh and yeah, she had no freaking clue where he was. She was almost certain he was close, but how close, she could not decide. "Can you please just come over here? I promise I wont attack you unless you attack me first." She sounded like a kit making deals about sneaking out. It was pathetic, but at least she could handle the situation in a way that didn't cause anyone to get hurt.

[ughh short]

[Blackie]

Now or never . . .

The tabby lifted himself to his paws and leaned toward the bushes. His paws were supposed to move with him, but they were stuck. Literally. At first, Wolf thaught it was because he was so nervous, but when he looked down . . . How had his paws gotten there?

A tangle of roots where traced on top of his paws. How his paws had ended up there, he had no idea. Mabye they had gotten shoved there when he was freaking out. Grunting, he tried to tug his paws out of the roots. It took surprising effort, and by the time he got his paw free he was panting.

Catching what was left of his breath, Wolf gathered himself up and started to pad out of the bushes. Have you ever been extremely clumsy when you were scared? Poor Wolf, didn't he just get away from those roots? But the tabby still managed to trip over them and fly. Leaves and moss scraps leaped up arond him and the tom had no hold on anything. There was a flash of trees and bushes, then all the breath was gone with an unexpected collision.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Wolf wailed, spinning on his paws to face the other cat. His intention was to apologize and run for his life, but when he saw her . . .

The world stopped.

The stars he loved so much were nothing compared to the beauty posed before him. The midnight fur drew him in and confused him, but the emerald eyes were worse. Slowly, the tabby's yellow orbs raised to meet them, and his breath was snatched away again. He held it, marveling at how deeply her eyes captivated him.

Then, of course, he had to breath.

Skipping breaths twice in a short amount of time is not good. Wolf's jaws fell apart in silent awe, before sweeping in a loud gasp.

"H-hi?" he croaked.

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S-S-S-Snap,,

my mind is open; i scream for better things

One minute Snap was surround by eons of darkness, and the next a large cat was plowing into her, causing a delicate gasp to escape from her lips, which had parted into an O of surprise, but the shock never came out as anything other than the shimmer in her eyes. Her paws scrabbled their hold on the ground and held her up on all fours as she scraped back. Newton's law. Psh. What is in motion must stay in motion. Snap closed her eyes in a flinch as she waited for her balance to feign and she would topple onto the ground. After the dust that had been worked up had fallen back down to earth, and she hadn't, did she dare to open her jungle eyes.
"wh-who are you?" Snap asked quietly, taken back a little by the tom's stare. He was just looking at her, with big open eyes, and her equally large eyes stared back at him inquisitively. She opened her mouth to speak but only random syllables would come out as she cross-examined him. He was bigger than her, and he sounded like he was more afraid of her then he'd ever been of anything in his entire life. "I'm... Sorry..." She mumbled, not knowing why those were the only coherent words she could muster. [b"Uhm.. Hi?"[/b] Snap's eyes were locked on his, and not a single though was passing through her mind.

[tired. depressed. sorry.]

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[Blackie]

She shouldn't have been so startling to him. He didn't know her, she posed no threat. As he thaught about it, it wasn't that he was afraid of her. She was just surprising. The dark color of her fur was beautiful and her eyes were shocking. The most startling thing about her, however, was the fact that he wasn't terrified by her. He was nerous, yes, even afraid. But he wasn't so scared that he took shooting off as usuall.

"Wh-who are you?"

Wolf swallowed hard so he could speak. He almost couldn't, but somehow he found enough voice to answer her question.

"Wolf," he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.

The bengled tom tried to control his trembling body. He knew he no doubt looked pathetic, but he wanted to look stronger than he felt. He'd never been embarresed by his frightful personality before, but he didn't want this she-cat to know how skiddish he really was. He met her gaze with his yellow eyes. The red outline was clearly visible, his eyes stretching to even reveal the whites. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done, staring her in the eyes. He almost couldn't do it. Yet, somehow, he managed.

"Who . . ." Wolf started, but his voice was so very soft that even he couldn't here himself. More strongly, he tried again. "What's your name?"

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S-S-S-Snap,,

every time our eyes meet, this feeling inside me
is almost more than i can take;

Snap stared back at Wolf. Wolf. That was his name. She thought about it for a minute, letting is process. She considered saying his name, but instead she let it bubble up inside her mouth, and swished it around a bit so that it rolled off her tongue in a graceful way,

"Wolf?" Snap asked quietly, somewhat questioning herself more then him. What an unusual name. Who names their kid Wolf? She pursed her lips in thought as she continued to hold her gaze with him. It was almost more than she could do, but she managed. Wolf... She liked that way it felt on her tongue. And the way it sounded in her ears. She brought her delicate paws together and began to calm her racing heart as she cross examined him.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Snap" She said all of a sudden, feeling embaressed that her had said anything. Her skin felt hot under her pelt, but she shook it off by standing up and ruffling her fur for a moment before it settled back down on. "What are you doing over here? Are you a loner or a rogue?" She asked, hoping he wasn't going to react violently to her question. She felt unnerved by the cat, but captivated... Snap bit her lip and waited.

[Blackie]

Wolf liked the way shivers ran up his spine when she said his name. He could feel his fur rising slightly with excitement. She said it so perfectly. And her name was Snap. He tried to repeat it just like she had done for him, but he couldn't bring himself to form the word. Somehow, he thought his shaky voice would ruin the magic of it. The nervousness he still felt might shatter and break this precious moment when Wolf was actually having a real conversation with a cat. Not that it was a very good conversation, but at least he had found the courage to talk to her. Courage. Wolf drew in a slow breath. She had made him braver.

"What are you doing over here? Are you a loner or a rogue?"

Wolf's eyes rounded with shock at the simple questions. Yet, they were the most terrifying ones she could have asked. He was afraid that if he told her he was a rogue, she would be upset. Most cats didn't like rogues. He didn't doubt that Snap might attack him if she had a strong enough hatred. To tell her he was a loner, however, could be twice as bad. First of all, he would be lying. Even though he desperately wanted to get away from the torture of rogue life, he hadn't done it yet and now was not the time. So what would he tell Snap?

Gulping bile, Wolf rasped, "I, um, I don't actually know what I am. I . . . n-need to think about it. I'm out here be-because," Wolf looked up where the shining Silverpelt blinked down at him. "I'm out here because I like to watch the stars." He looked back at her eyes, his own filling with the mixed emotions of excitement and nervousness. What would she think of him?

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S-S-S-Snap,,

i'm screaming out a name that can never pass my lips

Snap clicked her claws on the ground with a regular beat. Nervous habit. She was unsure of this tom and his intentions. As frightened as he may have seemed when they were unable to see eachother, now he had the chance to realize she was much smaller then him. An easy target. Easily handled. Could she even force a tom of his size to leave he alone? Probably not. So why did he still seem frightened of her?

Maybe he's nervous, too? She though to herself, and then realized how ridiculous that sounded. Who would be nervous around her? She was just a little black she-cat who couldn't walk in a straight path without finding something to collide with, that something normally being the ground as she tripped over herself. Who could be nervous of her? She found that hard to believe, but she had a gut feeling that's what it must be. His eyes had grown wider when she'd spoken. Did he think she was going to just jump him? A cat his size? Psh.

"I, um, I don't actually know what I am. I . . . n-need to think about it. I'm out here be-because, I'm out here because I like to watch the stars."

Snap let his words settle in her mind. How does a cat not know what they are? That's stupid. She felt an impulse to say that outloud, but changed her mind, not wanting to offend him. She had the tendancy to do that. Why was he so stuttering? Snap narrowed her eyes at him and stood up, sauntering forward so that her weight was resting on her front paws which were elegantly positioned so that one was in front of the other.

"You sound like you got a thorn stuck in your tongue" She said caustically, rolling her eyes. "If you're not careful, the stars might disappear in the storms" She told him, somewhat warning him in a sense. If he was a loner, this wasn't a good place to be. Which is another reason she was so edgy about being here. "No matter what you are, I'm a loner, and I'm staring to feel very paranoid staying in one place too long" Snap's green eyes studied wolf, feeling goosebumps rise along her fur as a small breeze passed through.

[Blackie]

She's a loner. She won't like that you're a rogue, and she's mad already without knowing.

Wolf shrunk back from Snap, the beautiful cat's new anger was more than enough to send the bengal fleeing, but he stayed where he was. He could remember the loner Cinder who had given him shelter from the rain. She had been kind to him, even after she found out where his allegiances lied. She had been even more acceptant when he told her the truth: that he didn't like his rogue life but felt trapped there by his sister. Cinder had encouraged him to leave and join the loners instead. He hadn't, he was still to scared of Rain. But if he had left, would he have met Snap sooner? Maybe, hopefully, Snap would see him the same way Cinder had when the truth was out. A frightened cat haunted by a past he couldn't get rid of, but so desperately wanted to escape.

The breeze that ruffled the black loner's fur swept over Wolf as well, leaving him shivering. But bolder.

"Please don't be upset." he mewed softly. "I was born as a rogue, but I want to leave that life now. I hate it. I want to be free."



ooc: So stinkin' braindead. Sad, sad post. If you don't reply before I get my muse back, I'll add to it. But you can still post. Whatevah.

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S-S-S-Snap,,

est-ce que tu es mon coeur?

The thought of a rogue made her lip curl. It was how she was raised. Rogues were rumoured to be dirty, mangy, gross lawless fiends who didn't do any good for nothin'. It seemed right impossible that this cat could be a rogue. Rogues were scary and big and vicious and didn't stoop to talk to any cat that crossed their path.
Maybe he was telling the truth?
Or maybe...
Maybe he had an ambush, ready to jump on her and strike her down.
Snap jumped back, her fur fluffing out. Her claws extended and rooted her to the grass. Her eyes narrowed into furious slits as she glared at him.
''Why are you talking to me?" She growled suspiciously. Of course, she still thought Wolf seemed nice, but her instincts of self preservation were acting much more strongly at the moment. She bit her lip and calmed down a bit, but still stared at the cat skeptically.
"Can I trust you or are you waiting to rip my fur off and line your nest with it?" A low growl was rising in her throat, emanating through her chest. Acting bravely, she walked stiff legged over to him and locked onto his eyes, waiting for an answer. If he was being truthful, she wouldn't hurt him. If he wasn't... He was crowfood.

[Blackie]

Wolf recoiled from her in surprise. Moments before she had been gentle, waiting for him to explain himself. He knew what had upset Snap, he had even been anticipating a similar reaction. Cinder had treated him the same way when he told her the truth about his past. He knew the pretty she-cat would hate him, but he had to remember, it was his past. Not the future, not now. From here, the dream was coming true. He was going to escape what had been.

The bengled tabby looked up as Snap approached him. He met her gaze, heard her hiss. He shuddered. "I'm talking to you because I thou- I know you would listen to me. I could tell you were different from the cats I know. You gave me a fair chance. I was a rogue, but not anymore. I'm a loner . . ." As of today, anyway. Wolf looked away from Snap, suddenly terrified that he had been too bold. Would she believe him? Or would a rogue always be a rogue to her?

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S-S-S-Snap,,

tu es... tres... je ne sais pas, mais je connais je vuex toi.

Snap let her hackles fall. Maybe this cat wasn't so bad. He certainly didn't seem bad. He was too scared to even handle being with the rogues that he had to leave. Surely that meant he wasn't as bad as the rest of them right?
Snap let her fur lay flat, and licked her check to get it to stop sticking up instinctively. She sat back down, lightly in case she had to attack, and kept he claws unfurled.
"So you're a loner? Why haven't I ever seen you 'round the others? Or have you spoken to Skull? Or Meer and Shard?" Snap asked, still a little wary of the rogue, loner, whatever he was. No wonder he had been so timid. Snap still felt a small incentive to chase him out of her territory, but maybe he would just get chased back here from the rogues. Maybe he needed her? Snap stared at him, her gaze unwavering.
A silent breeze ruffled her fur and the blades of grass, twisting them around to reflect little splotches of silver as moonlight danced upon them. The moonlight was beginning to fade over the loner's area of the forest, and just as the moon pulls the water, she was drawn to her warm nest, but she knew she couldn't leave yet. Not with Wolf here. Where would he go? Snap bit her lip, chewing on it thoughtfully while exmaining him. He could come with her, couldn't he?

[Blackie]

Skull? Meer, Shard? Who were they?!

On the verge of panic, Wolf started to slither backward. His eyes, bright with fear, darted from side to side. What would she do to him? He had completely forgotten that the loners had a system they lived in. In his personal opinion, it was similar to the rogues. When Wolf thought of loners, he though isolation. And isolation wasn't a bad word here. It was the best word on earth. Come on, be brave. You've been shredded before.

Some things are easier said than done.

"W-w-well, I'm not . . . not, I-I'm n-not a lone-not a l-l-l-loner yet. I, uh, erm, I've o-only met Cin-cinder. Sh-she said I c-could j-j-join . . . maybe . . . o-or not, I g-guess." He shook, terrified she would attack him and chase him away. And where would he go? Back to the rogue camp where fear waited in every corner.

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S-S-S-Snap,,

je rêver de toi!

Snap flattened her ears to her head and she huffed angrily. She closed the gap that Wolf had made between them, certain he wouldn't dare attack her. He was too scared.
This cat needs a freakin' backbone! She thought, feeling slightly sorry for him. How could a cat so big and intimidating be intimidated by her? She was small, skinny, lithe yes, but clumsy and uncoordinated. She was a big gigantic target when it snowed, and even when she was draped in black shadows, she still managed to step on twigs or knock rocks over so that her hiding place was revealed. How could he be afraid of her?
She wouldn't let him know she was nervous.
Snap sucked in a deep breath.
"Cinder doesn't make the decisions. But I'm sure Meer and Skull would weclome you." Snap told him. "For all the trouble they cause, they're not bad cats. They just like to make everyone think that." Snap bit her tongue, suddenly wondering if she was saying too much. Their dark reputation protected them. Of course, the loners traveled alone, but like Bloodclan had been, they looked to Skull to preserve what little territory they had. Snap swallowed before shakily beginning again,
"If you... If you want, you can stay with me." She said slowly, embarassed by her kindness. Why should she help this mangy nowhere cat? Snap glanced at him and knew she was trying to talk herself out of it. Wolf had treated her fairly, and wasn't doing her any harm. Waiting for an answer, she melty green eyes tracing the marble patterns on his pelt, chewing on her lip.

[Blackie]

Wolf was certain he had just killed himself by admitting that he was neither rogue nor loner. So what was he, then? A nothing? That was mouse-brained, if he ever heard anything mouse-brained in his life. Wow, he really was the dumbest coward to ever walk the planet. No matter what he did, he always ended up in a bad situation. All because he had felt a sudden urge to be on good terms with a cat he had never met, he was now a nothing. What made Snap so special? If it had been any ordinary time, Wolf would have torn off a long time from now. Cinder had been an exception only because Wolf had been too exhausted to do anything.

"If you... If you want, you can stay with me."

Wolf's head whipped up in surprise. With wide eyes, he stared into the loner she-cat's pretty face. He didn't know what had possessed her to be so kind to him. The offer was a shock, and he didn't know how to respond. But even more shocking was that his mouth was responding whether he knew what to say or not.

"Sure, I . . . I'll stay with you, if that's okay. Thanks."

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S-S-S-Snap,,

oh baby youuuu got what i nEed

Snap licked her ruffled fur, flicking up in awkward splayed out angles as she became embarrassed. Lashing her tail around, she settled into a sitting position and drew it over her paws before swiping her tongue across her lips.
She was still very nervous in front of this tom she'd never met. Would her like her? Would he hate her? Why did he look at her that way? As if she were a juicy bit of prey that had wandered up into his paws. A flash of resentment welled up inside of her for just a heartbeat, and then a settling calm washed over her. Why should she feel that way? Maybe he'd never seen a nice cat in his life. That was probably why he was afraid of everything, ever her!
As she waited for his reply, her eyes darted around the clearing before averting to stare up at the stars. They had always been a little captivating when she stared right up at them. A soft sigh escaped from her lips at the same time she heard Wolf reply.
"I'll stay with you. If that's okay..."
Snap rolled her eyes at the tom and padded up until her nose was almost touching his. Her eyes were fiercely gazing into his, with a small glint of amusement.
"Would I invite you if it wasn't?" She asked him, a soft purr echoing in her chest. She stood there, locked onto him, as she waited for his reply.

[Blackie]

Wolf was shocked speechless by his bold acceptance of the she-cat's hospitality. She couldn't have meant it, his staying with her. She was just teasing him. Now he was the biggest idiot in the history of the forest because he had agreed to a mock offer. Every brown and black hair on the tom's pelt lifted and stuck out. His eyes were wide and dark from his expanded pupils. He had a vacant expression on his face as if he wasn't really there with the rest of his body. His claws started to flex, working out of their sheathes into the ground where they made deep gouge marks. He was a fool. Snap was far too pretty to want to have anything to do with a beaten, faint-hearted idiot like him. He drew back just a bit preparing himself for a sneering laugh.

But it never came.

"Would I invite you if it wasn't?"

Wolf looked up surprised that he really had been invited to shelter with the loner, then terrified at how close she had come to him. His claws stopped flexing and stuck fast into the ground. His pelt stood on end so that he looked like a hedgehog. He tried to speak, thank her for her unusual kindness, but words were lost. His brain felt like absolute mush. If she came any closer, Wolf swore he would die. His heart was beating so fast that it could have pounded straight out of his chest. He couldn't think about anything except that he couldn't move - in fact, didn't want to move. His eyes locked with hers, his gaze becoming more and more intent with wonder. Snap was beautiful . . .

Quite, quite suddenly, Wolf came to his senses and realized he was staring. And that he had been staring very hard. With a nervous grunt, the tabby back-pedaled away from Snap and sat up straight. He still looked at her, but now he tried to avoid making eye contact. "Mouse-dung," he muttered softly to himself. You're such a dork, you mangy flea-brain! Louder, he rasped, "Thanks . . . Okay."

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S-S-S-Snap,,

its like 1000 paper cuts soaked in vinegar

Snap recoiled from the tom, stunned. Her breathing had ceased altogether during those few moments. What had this cat done to her?! She was simply acting sly with him, enjoying the company of another cat, and he'd all but turned the situation into a staring contest, except the power of his gaze was too much for her to handle. If his eyes were magnifying glasses, she could see the very pores of the sun. His eyes were so brilliantly staring at her, her lip quivered and she chomped down on it to cease the movement. She didn't want to move or think or breathe. She simply wanted to fall into his eyes and never come back up so maybe she could feel this utterly... bewitched for more than just the few seconds that had passed. Just like that their eyes were no longer locked, and she had to close her own to wrench her head aside to avert her eyes from seeking his. Suddenly Snap felt foolish. Did he realize how intent she had just been? Snap cleared her throat and rubbed a paw across her whiskers before turning abruptly.
"We need to get going then, don't we?" Snap mumbled, flexing her claws and arching her back in a delicate stretch until she quivered and a light purr rose in her throat as her muscles relaxed.This, thankfully, seemed to take an edge off her nervousness and inexperience in dealing with strange and bewildering toms. Were they all like this? The only toms she had ever been around treated her like a kit, and she treated them the same, furious with their assumptions of her maturity level. Flicking her tail for Wolf to follow, Snap slithered into the undergrowth towards the loner territory.

[Blackie]

Wolf followed Snap deeper into the forest with his head bowed. He felt sheepishly guilty, as if this simple acceptance of the loner's friendship was a sin. He supposed it would be, in another rogue's eyes. He had practically just signed himself off as a traitor. The bengled tabby's fur lifted off his body. What if Silentclaw found out, not that Wolf had ever been noticed by any one before. He could only imagine what his sister, Rain, might say when she realized he was gone. Actually, she might be thankful he was out of her fur, but if she knew he had turned loner she would kill him. Wolf didn't doubt it for a second. If she hated him now, she would be murderous with rage when she learned what he had done. And he a cat who had lived through the battle of the Night! Not that he had been a fighter worth mentioning: he hadn't fought at all. Yet, he couldn't forget what he had been through with the rogue's and how long he had pledged loyalty to them. He couldn't tell himself why he had wanted to give them his loyalty except that he had been afraid of Rain. Now, however, he was taking his very first step into a life and future he was claiming as his own. All because of Snap.

Wolf raised his yellow eyes to the dark she-cat, following her movements with a bright gaze. She had done something to him in the short time they had come to know each other. Changed him. Wolf suspected that the change had already been at work, gradually revealing itself in deep desires to escape rogue life. When he had met Cinder, that desire had been sparked to a new level, becoming more and more of a reality. Snap had finished it, or rather, begun the finishing. Somehow, she had turned his desire to a subtle passion, if he could call it a passion at all. At least he was certain of what he wanted now.

Wolf checked his stare and adverted his eyes from Snap. He didn't have a right to look at her like that, even with her back turned to him. Wolf had seen pretty cats before; even Rain was pretty! But Snap had something else. It worked into his soul until he felt as if he could do anything for her. Whether it be fly or die, he would do whatever she asked.

"So, um," he began, feeling braver now that her green orbs weren't turned on him. He shuddered just remembering the power they had held over him. "Where do you live exactly? And will your leader have to know I'm with you?"

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S-S-S-Snap,,

i'm waiting for the sun to come and melt the snow,
wash away this pain, and give me back control

Snap padded through the forest, an awkward feeling spreading over her. She could feel his yellow eyes on the her, and she wondered if the reflection of his eyes was boucing of her sleek, moon-lit pelt. This thought, how ever, seemed to make things that much worse. Why did he have to stare at her? She could feel his eyes burning her, and it wasn't a painful kind of burning, it was the magnetic kind of burning that made her want to turn back around and become lost in the deep pools of yellow that were his eyes. And that, of course, was very very foolish. What right had she? He was just some nowhere cat who would probably never see her again once they had gone their seperate paths. After all, loners are alone, right? Maybe he would just stare her down until he left and then he would find some other cats to stare down. She felt as if he was looking straight into her soul... Or something equivalent. A light shudder rippled along her spine, but nothing too noticeable. Her clumsy paws were trying very hard to appear stealthy as she treaded forward, wondering when she was going to slip and fall over her own paws and embarass herself even more in front of Wolf.
Relief flooded through Snap's limbs as she felt Wolf's eyes look somewhere else. It was weird how she could always tell when she could be seen, and just who was looking at her. Though, it would be pretty obvious who was looking at her in this particular situation. Wolf was the only one with her, and he was surely staring at her previously, Snap would bet a moon of fresh-kill on it. Shrugging, she felt just a little bit better. A few clouds were threatening to cover the moon, but they were so thin and wispy she didn't think they would hide the are from her. Besides that, she knew her way around here pretty well. Except her paws just didn't like to cooperate. It seemed that when Wolf was watching her, they were behaving, but now that she felt safe from his eyes, they were twisting all around rock and snapping twigs. No wonder her name was Snap. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she flatted one of her ears to her head, feeling remorseful. Her and her dreadful little paws. She'd get the hang of it though, someday, right?
What was worse was that she couldn't stop thinking about his eyes in the first place. It hadn't necassarily bothered her, she just knew that it made her feel different than before. Maybe she even liked it when he looked at her? No, she couldn't. Why should she? Just because he was the first tom to notice her didn't mean she should be noticing right back at him. He was probably internally laughing at her, her pathetic balance and the mockery she was of a loner, and a forest cat at that. She couldn't shake the feeling though... Wolf was... What was the word she-cats described toms that were pretty? He wasn't pretty, he wasn't feminine looking enough... But he looked... Snap flattened both her ears now and shrugged off the thought. She needed to concentrate if she was ever going to get this tom back to her den. That thought, also, made her nervous. What if he left in the middle of the night and she ever saw him again? She definitely trusted him not to hurt her, but she didn't want him to leave. She wanted to talk to him some more and get to know him. Would he stay?
"Where do you live exactly? And will your leader have to know I'm with you?"
Snap jumped slightly, surprised by the sound of his voice. It had been so quiet, the air was thick with tension, and she let his words echo inside her mind for a moment, lost at words.
"Oh, uhh..." She stuttered, "No, I'm sure its fine for you to be here, and I live in an abandoned fox den, but its really big, but if you prefer sleeping outside, that's fine." She recovered from her previous blunder, but in the same instant snagged her claw on a tree root. Not wanting to pause, she wrenched it from the bark, and bit her tongue to stop from crying out. A trickle of blood escaped the destruction site, but she was determined not to let it slow her down. "Its not far away." She mumbled, her pelt growing hot, once again.

[Blackie]

"No, I'm sure its fine for you to be here, and I live in an abandoned fox den, but its really big, but if you prefer sleeping outside, that's fine."

Wolf looked up in dismay. Was she giving him the opportunity to sleep outside because she didn't want him in her den? The tom cat let his gaze fall to the ground. He felt foolish, having expected the comfort and warmth of a den. He should have known that a loner would want to maintain her privacy. She probably didn't trust him, anyway.

Surprised, the brown tabby's ears flicked forward and he looked up again to see Snap stumbling. The way she relentlessly kept her paws moving, even when she must have been hurt, shocked Wolf. If his paw had been stuck like that, he would have at least stopped and chomped down on his tongue to keep from screeching! She was obviously tougher than she looked. But as he passed over the place where her foot had been trapped, Wolf caught the distinct smell of blood.

"Its not far away." he heard Snap say over her shoulder. Good, Wolf thought. Then we won't lose too much time if we need to stop.

"Are you alright?" Wolf mewed, bounding up to her side. He felt his pelt brush ever so lightly against hers, sending lightening through his body. He held his breath and side-stepped away from her. Nervously, he continued in a low voice. "It looked like you hurt your paw. Is it alright?"

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S-S-S-Snap,,

its not like we would do anything naughty in the nurse's office, right?

Snap recoiled from the tom an snarled viciously at him, her fangs bared when he tried to ask her if she was okay. If she wasn't wouldn't she have said something? Of course, her paw was killing her, and she didn't really feel okay, but she was obviously okay enough that she didn't say anything! A hot flash of anger penetrated her, so fierce it momentarily took the edge off of the pain in her paw. Then as the anger ebbed away she felt kind of bad, and turned her face, wishing she hadn't gotten so angry at Wolf. She was still really annoyed, however, that he should think her too weak to live past a snagged claw. So what if it was bleeding? She wasn't a kit, and she would manage. She'd managed without another cat's help before, and she would manage now without this strange tom's help. It even made her a little more frustrated as she thought about what he might be thinking. He was probably assuming she couldn't even handle her emotions, surely she couldn't keep of sound mind either, right? Snap was almost disgusted with herself. But then again, if Wolf a kept his stupid trap shut this wouldn't matter.
Snap turned and glared at him once more.
Feeling her fur ruffle and spike up, her resentment grew inside of her until she couldn't contain it, and then she sighed and let her fur lie flat.
He wasn't worth her anger,
Looking back at him, Snap flashed him a toy grin,
"Nah, I'll be fine. Wouldn't want to be caught outside if it rained, would ya?" She teased, stepping forward now. As she turned back she felt a small twinge in her heart. She chewed on her bottom lip.
What is this feeling?

[Blackie]

Wolf flew into the night stars. Really.

Terrified by this sudden switch in his new friend's personality, the marbled tabby jumped backward. Every hair stood straight up; every claw sprang from their sheathes. She was going to kill him, he was sure of it. When he landed, his legs immediately clicked into their normal habit when Wolf found himself in these situations. He started to double back, every ounce of him thrown into fleeing the site.

But she stopped him.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Wouldn't want to be caught outside if it rained, would ya?"

Wolf skidded to a clumsy stop at the sound of her pretty voice. Panting, and not sure what he was doing, he looked over his shoulder just in time to catch her playful smile. He melted, fear and all. Literally slumping onto the forest floor, Wolf stared at Snap with something next to awe. He couldn't think. His emotions and instincts were in a conflicting uproar. Words kept flashing through his mind. Wow . . . She's going to kill you! Beautiful . . . Amazing . . . How does she make her eyes shine? Mouse-brain, RUN! But he didn't. He couldn't even if he really wanted to. She had him paralyzed, even though she wasn't looking at him anymore. If he was going to go anywhere, it would be straight back to her. At the moment he was too breathless to make a move. He gulped air in with ragged breaths. He wanted to talk to her, even though he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. His lungs screamed at him, forbidding the use of his tongue. He needed to focus on his breathing or he'd suffocate. He choked, groping for more air. He was having a more difficult time about it than usual, but as soon as he could compose himself, he'd be by Snap's side in the next heartbeat.

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[do you think we should get around to ending this thread?]

[Blackie]

yes, just tell me where you want it and who should start

[Meerful]

uhm, anywhere is fine. would you like me to?