die tonight, LIVE FOREVER -- Blackstar

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/wk2wco.jpg] [scrolly:h(112),w(425),sy] Lately, it seemed like all Riversplash thought about was birds. She'd caught herself day-dreaming multiple times and even dreaming almost nightly about the airborne creatures. Typically she ended up eating them - both in dreams and daydreams - but the fact they were there was still a reoccurring theme. Although she'd never dream of shirking her duties as warrior of Lionclan (often), Riversplash had pulled herself out of a dazed reverie multiple times in the last day alone in which she realized she was staring at the birds above, wondering how it would feel to be able to fly. How it would feel to spread her wings and soar up on the air, to look at the earth from the moon. The problem was, she was a lion. And the last time she'd tried to fly, she'd fallen right on her face - literally - in front of her clan leader and medicine cat, nonetheless. Not that the incident had really thrown her off or embarrassed her. Riversplash was the type of lion that was used to making an idiot of herself; it was why so many loved her so easily. It was how she made friends, how she opened up. How she kept herself from getting bored or worn out or kept her mind sharp. If a body couldn't laugh at itself, it could never truly laugh. Riversplash was a firm believer that if a creature can't take a few jokes and stares, they have no right to dish them out. And as of lately, the lioness felt like she had more of a right than just about anybody. Padding softly around the outer border of Lionclan, Riversplash's small bodice was rotating and moving, her short fur dancing smoothly over bulky muscles and lithe sinew. Her enormous paws and skinny, stunted legs worked together in a kind of awkward magic that could only be made beautiful by Riversplash herself. Her odd proportions had grown on her moons ago, and she had learned to use her body to its fullest. How else could she make the most out of the time Starclan had given her? As she padded gracefully around the border to the outsider territories, Riversplash imagined what it would be like to be a hawk. Still a mighty, majestic predator capable of instilling both fear in enemies and love and dignity in others of her kind. Of having the strength to crush, the speed to startle, and the softness to love. In many ways, she was like a hawk already. In many ways, Riversplash was of a breed of four-legged, wingless hawks that roamed the dirt. Or so it was in her head, anyway. That sort of thought probably wouldn't compute in the brain of any other living creature, but to Riversplash it was as plain as the nose at the end of her maw. She kicked her lazy stroll up to a trot, paws kicking up tiny puffs of dirt and leaving large paw prints in her wake. Amused, her blue eyes shimmered and filled with glee. Turning around in circles, Riversplash stamped her paws down as hard as she could in the dirt over and over again, watching as the dirt clouds grew larger and larger, leaving behind the perfect four-part prints around the larger center pad. Giddy with her current form of entertainment, Riversplash jumped in the air with each pound of her paw, making the dents as deep as her small bodice could possibly make them. She looked totally, utterly, and completely ridiculous. Even kits would probably laugh at her silliness, but her heart sang with joy as each paw took its turn coming down to meet the hard earth beneath her then sprang back up in the air. When her azure pools fell on a thick stick laying just a few steps away, Riversplash wasted no time going over to it. "Aha!" She opened her powerful jaws and picked up the small tree limb, carrying it proudly back to her masterpiece of paw prints. Looking at her prints, Riversplash found the perfect spot and turned her head sideways, slamming the stick into the rough ground. It jarred her teeth a little, but she simply shook her head and brushed the uncomfortable feeling aside. Sitting back, she enjoyed her handiwork. The stick had a twisted, deformed tip that, when the shadow it cast mixed with the shape of her paws, made an almost bird-like shape. River squinted her eyes and cocked her head to the side, letting her imagination run wild as she tried to picture other animals that could be created from her paws and stick. No matter how she looked, though, it was always a bird, and her heart soared with the image. [/scrolly]

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[atrb=background,http://i775.photobucket.com/albums/yy35/BaileeDanielle3/blackstartable2.png] The large brute had chosen to stay away from camp today, to take a small break from being leader. As the scents of Lionclan faded behind him, Blackstar's senses went on full alert. He was on the lookout for that black leopard again. Since his encounter with Goldenpelt, that leopard had attacked him three times, trying to injure, or maybe even kill, whoever was with him. He found himself thinking about that leopard. If it attacked him one more time, Blackstar would kill that fox hearted cat himself. Suddenly, a familiar scent bathed his mouth as he scented the air. Riversplash? He thought and trotted until the lioness came into view. He watched her with amusement as she lodged a stick into the ground. Now what are you trying to do? He asked with a deep chuckle. You aren't going to jump off that, are you? Blackstar teased. He padded up to her, his fur brushing hers on accident. He stepped away a pace, a little embarrassed, and shot her a shy glance. Never had Blackstar been shy around anyone, but Riversplash had that odd affect on him. He shook his mane and sat down. Now what are you doing outside of clan territory? I can't protect you when your out here alone... er... I mean... LionClan can't protect you while your out here alone... He corrected himself quickly, mentally biting himself in the tail for that. He looked at her, his deep eyes giving away his worry for her safety. Ever since their encounter in the camp with Thunderstrike, Blackstar felt more open to her, and it felt weird. A good... weird.

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[atrb=background,http://i53.tinypic.com/wk2wco.jpg] [scrolly:h(112),w(425),sy] While admiring her handiwork, Riversplash's ear twitched, catching the sound of heavy paw steps headed her way. Turning her head, she caught sight of a familiar black mane and her nose filled with a familiar scent, making her grin happily. Before she could greet her leader, Blackstar greeted her, making her chuckle and recall the last time they'd spoken. She'd been caught daydreaming about flying. Ok, well that wasn't entirely true; she'd been daydreaming about flying, and launched herself off of a large rock in the center of the camp and nearly landed right on Thunderstrike and Blackstar below. Ah well; it had been a great experience. As Blackstar walked over and chastised her about being out on her own, Riversplash bounced and shook her head, the shiver running the length of her oddly proportioned bodice. "Aw, it's nice you're so concerned," she said with a laugh. "Even though, you know, it's kind of your job. Just like as a warrior of Lionclan, it's my job to take care of myself." Shuffling her feet, her azure eyes turned back to the stick she'd shoved in the ground and the paw prints around it. She wondered if her leader had the imagination to see what she saw. She'd never really known Blackstar to have a big imagination...or at least, to say anything about it if he did. But to her, the world was completely open and free, capable of turning and twisting the imagination in more directions than most realize is possible. Riversplash often looked at one thing and saw another, or saw another way it could be used. She wondered if perhaps Starclan had given her such an imagination for a reason, though the longer she lived, she assumed it was just a random gift. After all, warriors didn't use much imagination in battle. Sure it was good to be able to think of unorthodox strategies and ways to corner the opponent, but when it came down to it, there wasn't time for creativity or anything like that. If you took the time out, you'd die. [/scrolly]

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[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq95/amanda1472/bla2.png] Blackstar chuckled. Well, I don't care about you because it's my job, I care about you because your my warrior, my friend. He purred softly. He looked at the stick and circled it a few times. So, what have you built, River? He asked curiously, eying the stick. He shook his mane and sat down, prodding the stick gently. It slanted, then tumbled to the ground. Blackstar leaped to his paws with a gasp of shock. Um... Blackstar said softly. He picked it up in his powerful jaws, shoving it back into the ground and jumping on it and jumping off a few times to ensure it was secure. Blackstar is once again victorious! He cheered. And the crowd goes wild! Ahhhh! Ahhh! He laughed as he pranced around the stick and Riversplash. He sat down next to her, staring at the stick. Well... um... I fixed it... He smiled with embarrassment. You know, Riversplash. I don't understand it. Every time I'm around you, a new side of me comes out that nobody else can pull out of me. How do you do it? He asked softly, a purr in his voice, as he looked at her with affectionate eyes, unaware that his gaze was affectionate at all. He nudged her playfully with a paw and jumped away, spinning in mid-air and landing, facing Riversplash. He crouched on his forelegs, his hind end waggling in the air. Betcha can't catch me! He chuckled as he raced off like a CheetahClan warrior into the brush and disappeared. He crouched on the other side, out of sight, waiting to ambush her.

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[atrb=background,http://i54.tinypic.com/2h3u41w.jpg] [scrolly:h(277),w(289),sy] Laughing, Riversplash gave no thought whatsoever to what her leader had said, why she apparently brought this side out in him, or if she should hold back and chase him or stay where she was. In fact, the only thought that even crossed her mind at all was to follow him and tackle him. Blackstar was a large lion to begin with, but compared to the stunted she-cat, he was enormous. But that didn't stop Riversplash from barreling after him, laughing. He'd sure acted rather loose and comfortable lately, but she hadn't given it any thought other than that it was strange and out of character for him. Typically her leader was more in a shell and kept to himself, a little on the gruff side. But lately he'd been different, and if it was somehow because of her, she was glad she could cause the positive change. Though why he'd only started acting like this because of her was completely beyond her; she'd been here since she was a kit, after all. As he disappeared behind a bush, Riversplash bunched up her rear legs, springing hard and launching her body into the air. Outstretching her too-large paws, the warrior cleared the bush and ran on. Suddenly she realized Blackstar wasn't in front of her, as he should have been. Confused, the lioness stood there with her head cocked to the side in confusion. An ear twitched and her nose quivered, telling her Blackstar was still here; she could still smell him plainly. Turning around, Riversplash looked back at the bush she'd jumped over and saw him there. She grinned, her pointy teeth flashing in a toothy grin. She'd completely jumped over him! How incredible was that? She hadn't even seen the big brute as she sailed through the air, somehow she had cleared both the bush and the leader! Impressed with herself and knowing he'd probably charge and take advantage of her moment of indecision, River sprang herself forward toward him and dove left at the last second, pulling into a corkscrew turn and keeping her crystalline blue eyes on him the entire time, happy to have someone to play with. ooc; sorry it took a while to reply, had writer's block. i <3 the new table, btw! [/scrolly]

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[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq95/amanda1472/bla2.png] As she landed on the ground, looking at him and looking a little joyful, Blackstar sprang at her and wrapped his powerful forelegs around her neck, gently pulling her to the ground. He laughed softly and looked into her eyes. You are the only one who has ever made me laugh. Why are you so charming? He asked, admiration in his eyes and voice. He untangled himself from Riversplash and nudged her gently on the flank. Your it! He yowled and bolted into the brush faster than a cheetah, it seemed. As trees surrounded Blackstar, he shot up one, quite clumsily, and sat waiting. He was perfectly hidden by the bountiful leaves as he looked out of Riversplash. Suddenly the wind blasted against the trees, making the leaves hiss and Blackstar almost fell off his branch, his claws digging into the soft wood. He kept still as he scented Riversplash coming closer and closer. Suddenly bored, Blackstar jumped from the tree, landing heavily on his paws. He looked around for Riversplash as he saw her coming, again he crouched and pounced at her, landing at her side. Actually, Riversplash, will you join me at the river? He asked and padded away to the roaring waters of the river. He padded onto a ridge that stretched over the river a little ways out. It was low enough for Blackstar to drink from as he crouched and lapped at the water. He looked around for Riversplash and called out for her with a loud roar, like a mother calling a lost kit. He pricked his ears and turned toward where he had come from, waiting for Riversplash. OOC: Sorry it took so long. I've just been busy and stuff.

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[atrb=background,http://i54.tinypic.com/2h3u41w.jpg] [scrolly:h(277),w(289),sy] Never one to back down from a game of tag, Riversplash ignored her leader's question about being charming and ran after him. She'd never found herself particularly charming anyway, and assumed it was just this strangely positive mood he'd been in lately. Whatever had him in such a chipper state must have been something really great, because Riversplash hardly even recognized the giant, kit-like lion before her as her introverted, somewhat harsh, totally closed-off leader Blackstar. Whatever had caused the change and made him decide to be a playmate, she made a mental note to be thankful and figure out what or who had done it so she could show her gratitude. Blackstar was starting to come out of his shell, something that was both odd and a beautiful sight to see. Losing sight of her leader, Riversplash slowed her gait a bit, blue pools searching happily for the brute as she padded through trees and around spines and underbrush. Suddenly a wind blew and she got a nose full of his scent. Confused, she glanced around and only looked up at the last moment. He was falling - or maybe leaping, though she thought falling - from a tree above her and Riversplash skittered backward, the lioness not wanting to be squashed. As his paws touched the ground she bolted for him again, laughing the whole time. He bounded toward her and the game seemed to be over. Her heart soared; it had been so long since she'd been able to act like that with another adult; with kits she had to be gentle and take it easy, so she didn't hurt them. But Blackstar was a full-grown, tough, muscular male and although he was much, much taller than she, Riversplash could play rough and give it her all when the two of them were having fun like this. He invited her over to the river and she wondered if maybe he was making a subtle play on her name. Not that she minded, of course; she herself made jokes about it pretty often. She was a cat that believed if you couldn't laugh at yourself, you didn't have the right to laugh at others. "Of course," she said as she padded off after him. As they got to the river she stood behind him, watching as he drank. She hadn't really thought about the fact she was in the lion's blind spot - which was much larger in her case, once you considered her size - and he called out to her, thinking she hadn't followed him. She chuckled. "I'm here, silly," she said, stepping around to where he could see her. "What's the matter, elder one? Worn out from a little bit of play, are we?" She tossed her weight over toward him, aiming to bump his hindquarters on her way to get her own drink of water from the river next to him. ooc; no worries, you're fine. but you're kind of powerplaying a little there, Ice. [/scrolly]

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[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq95/amanda1472/bla2.png] Blackstar looked at River and smiled, a low purr rumbling in his throat. As he padded a little further up to the river he came to a ledge that hung over half the swirling water. He craned his neck to look down, hoping the rocky structure would hold his weight. He opened his jaws slightly, letting the scents of the earth bathe his scent glands. Suddenly, a thunderous cracking filled his ears. Blackstar's head snapped down to look at the rocks holding his weight as the cliff lurched downward. He gasped with horror as it gave way. He scrambled for the bank, leaping the last fox length. His right, foreclaws ripped at the rocky shore as he was pulled away by the current. Blackstar, despite his tough appearance and brave personality, let out a terrified roar. He knew he had nine lives, but in the river he could lose them all. He scrabbled as a large wave rolled over his head, sucking him under like a whirlpool. His black mane stuck to his face as he resurfaced, coughing up water and thrashing wildly. Suddenly the water felt like it was going faster... a lot faster. He looked behind him, his paws shredding at the water. The river was disappearing. Confused, then understanding, Blackstar struggled with all his might, trying to swim against the current as the roaring falls pulled him closer agonizingly slowly. He roared out in panic. Riversplash! His voice thundered in terror, barely audible over the roaring falls and the thundering river. He paddled with all his strength, which was quickly disappearing. With a booming roar, Blackstar was thrown over the falls, plummeting several fox lengths to the lake below. Hitting the water with enough force to drive every breath of air from his body, Blackstar went limp with exhaustion. He let the lake water carry his gently to the sandy shore, pushing his body from the water. His sides heaved and his breathes came in ragged chops of air. Slowly his breathing slowed and he closed his eyes, giving into dizzying blackness. Then, he laid there motionless. OOC: Sorry, I didn't mean to. Also, I figured I'd make him lose a life to break the routine of all the leaders having nine lives. Lol. I'll PM Hazel and let her know.

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[atrb=background,http://i54.tinypic.com/2h3u41w.jpg] [scrolly:h(277),w(289),sy] Man, she just could not keep up with Blackstar's constant movement! He was just as active as her, if not more so. Deciding to let him wander a while, Riversplash stepped up to the river they'd come to and lowered her head, letting her tongue lap up some of the slower moving pockets of the cool water. It tasted like fish and freedom, and Riversplash would have loved nothing more than to slow it down and go for a swim. To feel the cool water seep in through her pelt and get down to her skin, to run and run and never once touch the ground but instead stay above the land and suspended above it. She looked at her reflection, her eyes captivating her the most. They were the only thing about her that was attractive, in her opinion. They weren't the typical brown or gold of most lion eyes. They weren't dark or bronzed, but instead they were the lightest, most vivid blue anyone had ever seen. Her eyes rivaled the color of even the clearest, brightest sky and were certainly the feature she was most proud of, aside from her flexibility and able to think fast in spars. The rest of her lithe body, however, didn't quite meet up to Riversplash's expectations in the beauty department. And so long ago the she-cat had decided to drop all delusions of her being beautiful along with any and all desires to be such. She was just fine being the average, oddly-proportioned lioness she was, and she didn't need to be beautiful. Lost in her thoughts, Riversplash had failed to watch her leader make his way up to a rather precarious looking perch above the river. When a loud crash suddenly snapped her attention away from the cool water, Riversplash stared in horror at the place her leader had chosen to stand. What was he thinking, the mouse-brained brute!? Anyone could tell how unstable that structure was, and yet Blackstar had just climbed right on up to the top of it as if he belonged there. Letting out a roar of warning, Riversplash lurched forward as far as her large paws would carry her, hoping to meet up with her leader before his dangling body hit the water below. She was too late. He plummeted down, and she let out a snarl of fear and concern; even Blackstar wasn't good enough to get out of those rapids, she was sure of it. The leader was too heavy, too much bulk. The water would toss him around like a kit with a toad, and there would be nothing either one of them could do about it. "Blackstar!" She ran to the edge of the river and walked out until the fast-paced water was at her chest. It was so much stronger just a couple of paw steps out than it was at the bank that she could feel the water tugging at her body and she had to put up a fight just to stay rooted. "Blackstar, catch that rock!" She called, eying a large boulder off to the side of the river. It would make a decent cling-to for a moment, and if she could somehow mange to swim to the opposite bank, she could grab a vine or stick or...or something! It looked like he might make it when a large wave suddenly pushed him under. "Blackstar!" called the lioness, panic rising. Her leader, like any other of Starclan's favored, had more than just one life. In fact he had a whopping total of nine lives, something that would certainly come in handy throughout the years. The problem was, with the water sucking him down like that, he could easily drown more than once. Say, nine times for example. As he resurfaced, Riversplash could hear the panic in his voice as she stood by and watched. But what could she do? She wasn't nearly big enough to get in there and help him. Even if she was, it would do no good with that sort of current running. Panicking and deciding anything was better than just watching, Riversplash took off like a flash of lightning and tried to keep pace with her bobbing leader. She jumped over rocks and slid between water-borne trees, struggling to keep up with the rapids. If she could find the right place, she could jump in ahead of Blackstar and push him toward the other bank just enough he may be able to get free. Her light form would be carried closer to the falls than any cat felt comfortable, but she saw a low-hanging branch just off that out-cropping of rock that would hold her. Unfortunately, the plan came too late. One second she saw her leader, and the next Blackstar was plummeting to the ground in a deafening roar of water and fear. Her eyes grew wide and the lioness stopped short, staring at the falls where he'd gone over. How many times would that kill him? Just once? Twice? Four or five times? The fall was one of the biggest she'd ever seen, and would take the life of any animal with absolutely no chance for survival. So what about an animal with multiple lives? Riversplash wasn't really sure how that sort of thing worked, seeing as she only had one life. With a roar, she ran up on the bank and dug her claws in, making sure she didn't plummet over the side after him. She stared down, but all she could see was a roiling mist and white rapids. There was no sign of Blackstar from this high up, and she wondered if there ever would be again. ooc; poor blackstar D: [/scrolly]

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[atrb=background,http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq95/amanda1472/bla2.png] It was a day later that Blackstar awoke. He had lost a life and wasn't getting it back. He would've woken up after he lost the life, but StarClan had granted him rest after his struggle in the river. He was probably being searched for by his warriors and deputy. He coughed up water, his sides rising and falling. He thought about LionClan. What if he had lost all his lives in the river? River... Riversplash! He grunted and groaned as he rolled onto his legs, still laying down. His amber eyes searched frantically around. Was she looking for him too? He had remembered seeing her in the river. Had she fallen too? Was she dead? She didn't have nine lives like he did. If Riversplash fell into the river, she would've surely died. She wasn't nearly as strong as him. Well, okay, maybe she was almost as strong as him. Almost. But, Blackstar thought, if he wasn't strong enough to fight the river... neither was she. He let his head droop and closed his eyes, sadness dulling the soreness in his muscles. My fault. I shouldn't have gone on that ridge. It was stupid mistaske. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! He snarled and mentally shredded his own pelt. He struggled to his paws, legs trembling. He sat up and let his head continue to droop, exhaustion hanging heavy in his limbs and neck. He stood up on unsteady legs and limped toward a narrow trail that led to the top of the falls. He collapsed at the top, struggling for breath. His legs were bloody with scratches and gashes from the river's rocks, rapids, and the falls. The sun beat down hard on him, mercilessly, as if StarClan was punishing him for making a stupid mistake. Suddenly a scent filled his nose. Riversplash! It was faint, but not too faint. She was here recently. Maybe yesterday! He lifted his head a mouse length from the ground and let out a rumbling roar, calling out to her. He let his head fall with a soft thud and closed his eyes for a moment, falling into a light slumber.

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