Ok...it felt kind of nice to NOT write 2020 LMAO. Welcome to 2021! To kick off the brand new year, we're introducing a round of updates, including new bio and forbidden romance rules, our Secret Santa reveal, OTM winners and nominations, our monthly patrols, and a fun new infectious disease! So make sure to check out the January Announcements for all of the new content! As we leave 2020 behind us, we hope everyone is able to put themselves first this year and practice self-care! Here's to another one! Let's write some cats!
The Apostles is a warrior cats roleplay based in northern Wisconsin. On Lake Superior, the wild cats have made the Apostle Islands their home. It is on these islands - Rocky Island and South Twin Island - that the clan and tribe cats have lived in a peace and harmony that ebbs and flows with the tide.
But as the tides turn, so does the truce that binds them to one another; and as the water raises, a darkness follows, an evil that will end in bloodshed and violence.
It was mid morning when Loudstorm finally woke. He had been on guard duty late that night, Finchstar wanted to take no chances after LichenClan's attack. Loudstorm didn't blame him, and he didn't complain. A part of him itched to return the strike to LichenClan, but he would wait for his leader's order. The warrior den was empty when Loudstorm rose. The chill from the outside air had seeped into the den and woke the warrior from his slumber. He wouldn't be able to sleep without more bodies around to warm the den, so Loudstorm stood and went to start his day.
Exiting the den stopped the warrior in his tracks. The camp was covered with a thick blanket of snow, thicker than any snow that had fallen that leaf-bare. The wet fluff sent piercing cold into Loudstorm's paw pads as he stepped into it. He sunk into the deep snow drift, up to his stomach in the cold. The glistening white blanket coated the camp in a layer of winter magic. The quiet wind that had blown through the night had built up snow drifts around the tower tree trunks of the redwood forest. The pointed tom opened his both, a fog billowing in front of his face as his warm breath left his lungs. It was beautiful. As Loudstorm took in the scene before him, his mind brought forth the image of a feathery red she-cat jumping through the drifts, her cheerful laugh echoing in the caverns of his memories. Dawnlight will love this!
Dawnlight. As Loudstorm stepped further into the camp clearing he found his eyes searching for her familiar pelt. Their last interaction had ended with a sour note. Days later, Loudstorm felt his face flush with shame at his anger. He had been wrong to lash out at Dawnlight like he did. They had both been angry, still reeling from the shock of the attack. Now, with a calmer head, regret stabbed at his stomach. He had let her walk away with the bad blood boiling between them. Now, with the snow a reminder of her joyful spirit, Loudstorm wanted desperately to make amends.
Across the camp Loudstorm spotted Hazelpaw, Dawnlight's apprentice. So she's not out training. And likely not on a patrol, mentor and apprentice would accompany each other for those. Where is she then? His blue eyes scanned the surrounding, knowing she wouldn't be there since his last scan. She hadn't fallen ill? His hurt lurched. What if they had brought that sickness back with them? Loudstorm pushed his way to the snow to Orchidshade's den. If she was sick, that is where he would find her. But when the warrior pushed his head into the den he was greeted with Orchidshade's cold demeanor. Loudstorm bowed his head in greeting "Do you know where Dawnlight is, Orchidshade?" The black she merely twitched her tail in annoyance and responded Try the nursery.
The nursery! Of course, Curlycloud was preparing for her kits. Dawnlight and the tabby queen were inseparable friends. The warrior turned and hurried to the nursery. He slowed as he neared its entrance, preparing to call a greeting before barging it, when he ran straight into the exiting form of Dawnlight.
Startled, the warrior stumbled back. "Oh, Dawnlight, I'm sorry," Loudstorm hastily spoke when he realized who was before him. Now that the time had come, he found himself nervous, his paws shuffling in the snow as his mind reeled to pull his thoughts together.
"Actually, Dawnlight, I was wanting to talk to you...to...apologize." His head was bowed, but as he finished the sentence he lifted his gaze to her face, wondering if the warrioress would allow him the audience he sought from her.
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
Dawnlight had spent the night in the nursery alongside Curlycloud. She hadn’t planned on it. She’d been trying hard to put a healthier distance between her and the silver queen, but she’d stayed too late and by the time she’d tried to leave, the snowfall had been thick outside and her and Curlycloud had spoken to each other long into the night. She’d overslept as well, which she was sure had been noticed by many. She was normally awake with the first rays of dawn, but lately, she’d been swamped. She couldn’t quite fathom why she’d been so distracted and emotionally drained lately. It was getting hard for her to keep up with her happy-go-lucky façade.
Dawnlight bid her best friend a farewell, intent on working extra hard that morning to make up for lost time, and her recent lack of quality hunting.
She promptly ran into a thick set body. Dawnlight back pedaled with a startled gasp, hopping on her still slightly tender hind leg. The wound had only recently scarred over, with the muscles still tight. But she’d been cleared for regular duty a long time ago, with explicit direction to work the stiffness from her leg to bring back full mobility.
Dawnlight blinked, verdant eyes widening when recognized the familiar lynx pelt that haunted her thoughts more often than she cared to count. Her thoughts flitted back to their last conversation, and it clicked. She had avoided thinking about their recent encounter and now she realized it was because of that stupid reason she was now feeling so ragged.
Dawnlight cast a quick glance behind her, ears twitching in nervousness at the thought that Curlycloud was close enough to hear their conversation. Shame burned her pelt as she remembered their argument and how petty in the end the whole thing had been. He was the one apologizing when she’d been the one to overstep her boundaries. Feelings aside, she knew very little about Loudstorm on a personal level and she’d no right to accuse him to those things she’d said.
“No,” she countered tersely to his apology, then winced when she realized how he might take her rejection. She scrambled to speak again, trying to express herself but stumbling over the words and talking much too fast. “You’ve nothing to apologize for, it was all my fault. I had no right and I was way out of line. I should be the one apologizing.”
------------------- 407 words | moony | sorry for the delay!
That single word wounded Loudstorm more than any battle ever had. His stomach lurched and fell from the shock of the word and his mind reeled at the thought that whatever friendship that had bloomed between them was withered away because of his idiocy. The best thing he could do is bow his head in acceptance and leave her alone. "I won't pester you any mor-" Suddenly Dawnlight seemed to gain control of her mouth and a rush of words leaped out at Loudstorm.
“You’ve nothing to apologize for, it was all my fault. I had no right and I was way out of line. I should be the one apologizing.”
Loudstorm stared at her, processing those words. She was apologizing to him? But she had made valid points. I also had valid points. His mind interjected. Perhaps they had both been in the wrong. The silence after Dawnlight finished sounded loud in Loudstorm's ears. He mentally shook his head and opened his mouth to respond. A rustle in the den behind Dawnlight stopped the words in his throat, however. Perhaps this was a conversation they should have outside of prying ears. Although, knowing Dawnlight she would be relating all of this to her friend after the fact. Perhaps the privacy was more for Loudstorm's sake.
Realizing he had been silent for to long, he smiled fondly at Dawnlight. "Perhaps we should take a walk and discuss who should be apologizing?" He offered with a friendly tone. The warrior stood and turned, heart beating fast, hoping the she-cat would follow him outside the camp.
The snow was thick on the ground, Loudstorm pushed his way through it, leaving a clear path for Dawnlight to follow. He went on in silence, focused on putting distance between them and the camp. Finally, realizing he had gone in the direction of the stream between RedwoodCland and ThistleClan, he stopped and turned. He was delighted to see Dawnlight behind him. But now he had to talk, and he wasn't sure what to say. The words from that day at the redwood graveyard sprung to his mind. "Are you really so conceited to think that you alone could have made a difference?"
Loudstorm glanced in the direction of the bear stones. That fateful day when he had failed his mother. He took a deep breath and returned his gaze to Dawnlight. "I am sorry, Dawnlight. Even if my being there or not doesn't matter I'll always feel responsible for those I care about. I've failed that responsibility to often to forgive myself so easily for failures." He glanced at his paws, his heart began to pound harder against his chest, rattling his rib cage and flushing the blood in his face. Why was it so important to him that Dawnlight understand. That Dawnlight forgive him? If he couldn't wake up to see her smile at him... He returned his gaze to her own. "I hope you won't hate me for that."
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
i'll lay out all my reasons, you'll say that i need help
"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
Dawnlight flinched as she heard the rustling behind her, casting a slightly nervous look over her shoulder. She glimpsed the shifting of a dark form and quickly calculated the distance as only just too far to be within eavesdropping range. Dawnlight looked back to the handsome seal point, eyeing the gentle slope of his smile.
Dawnlight found herself mirroring it and nodding her head when the tom turned, following him closely. She made certain to not appear too eager to outsiders looking in as she followed the senior warrior away from camp.
The silence that descended upon them wasn’t oppressive. As the ruddy molly followed her companion, she took the moment to enjoy the scenery. Her fur fluffed up against the cold, whiskers fanned, she breathed deeply the cool air. She’d yet to really enjoy the snow properly this season, as the first true snowfall had hit not long after tensions in camp started rising.
The landscape was carpeted with a thick blanket, like it had grown it’s own thick, white fur. Other than in the wake of their passing, the snow was untouched. It looked soft to the touch, as feathery as the wisps of hair on her chest and tail after a good thorough grooming. Her heart ached in her chest, a physical pain, to run the snow like a kit, flinging it up in the air to catching the falling flakes without a care in the world.
But Dawnlight focused trained her focus in front of her, intent on shoving aside those kittenish tendencies she was unsure she’d ever outgrow. It didn’t go unnoticed to her that Loudstorm was carving a path for her. She was grateful as her leg was no doubt going to be tender tonight after this walk.
When Loudstorm brought their little procession to a halt, Dawnlight flicked her ears. Warily, she looked around, hardly daring to think of what this place looked like under its white camouflage.
Bear stones.
Once upon a time, she could imagine that maybe this place was beautiful in the midst of new leaf, in full bloom and bud. Even now, a part of her could see some beauty in the landscape; it was like nature had pulled a mask over the scene, hiding the dangers beneath a deadly cloak. Dawnlight’s thoughts strayed from her inner monologue to focus on Loudstorm. She listened to his words attentively. Dawnlight blinked at Loudstorm’s final admition, of his worry that she would hate him.
As if she was capable of such a thing.
“Loudstorm,” Dawnlight pressed softly, leaning forward. Her verdant eyes were bright and her smile affectionate. “I can’t forgive you, because, quite frankly, there is nothing to forgive. We both said some things, of which we are both sorry for. We both lashed out in a moment of weakness and pain. I know that much.”
“I could never hate you, though,” Dawnlight glanced away, suddenly to shy to look the tom in the eye. “Quite…the opposite actually,” she whispered, tail twitching.
------------------- five hundred two words | moony | oph there it is!
His breath hitched in his throat. His stomach seemed to plummet into the depths of the earth. Loudstorm had never felt so confused by a single cat before. Always he had looked out for his Clan mates, cared for them, protected them when he could. But Dawnlight...Dawnlight, he realized, was different. He felt more for her than he did any other cat. And these words...could she care for him just as deeply? His mouth hung ever so slightly open as his brain clicked the pieces together. His mind raced with such ferocity that Loudstorm almost didn't catch her next words: “Quite…the opposite actually,”
The. Opposite?
The opposite of hate? That's love.
Did she just confess to him?
And if she did, what was he suppose to do?
Loudstorm thought he was apologizing to a cat he wanted for a friend, but now he was realizing they could never just be friends. But what if he was reading to far into what she was saying? Did she actually mean she loved him? Or was that just what Loudstorm hoped she meant. They had become so close over the past moons, yes. And the tom found himself seeking her out, hoping she would be on patrol with him. Or he'd find her in the clearing eating so he could join her. A few nights he had even woken to find her near him in the warriors den. Sometimes, especially on the coldest nights of leaf-bare, he wanted her closer than that. This was love, wasn't it? His father died when Loudstorm and his siblings had been born, so the warrior wasn't sure what love was suppose to look like. But this. This felt right.
"Dawnlight...Do...are you saying you..."Just say the word Loudstorm. But the doubts started to creep in. Tigerpool's words from the night he had returned to the camp from the tribe flashed in Loudstorm's mind.
"But sure, let's rush into a counter attack right after multiple, critical injuries and deaths- like you're just the tom in position to call any shots"
Loudstorm was in no position to have cats rely on him. To trust him. His instinct was to lash out, return claw for claw even when his clan mates were injured and week. Take a dare and then lead his love ones to danger. His mother almost died because of him. What if he lead Dawnlight to danger as well?
"I could only ever hurt you."
It was agony, to want her so much yet be so afraid to take her.
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
we all got expectations, and sometimes they go wrong
"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
The silence that followed her words was heavy, weighing down on her like a water-laden coat. Dawnlight cast a quick, shy darting glance towards Loudstorm, heart thundering in her ears as she tried to gauge his reaction. She couldn’t make out much of his expression, though his bright sky eyes did appear to be wide with…confusion perhaps?
“…are you saying…”
Dawnlight felt a mild panic creep into her bones. Wasn’t that a bit of a loaded question? Dawnlight honestly didn’t know if she truly…loved…this tom, as she was only just recognizing the growing affection, she had for him. She was beginning to crave his attention more, wanted to be near him just to feel his presence and know he was near. She was drawn to his scent in an instinctual manner, body relaxing immediately in the familiar smells of him.
It was too soon for her to say she loved him, but she certainly felt like this was more than just simple affection. The contentment and longing she had for Loudstorm was visceral, and more alarming, the thought of him being separate from her and distant, as nothing more than simple friends, made her heart ache in her chest. “I could only ever hurt you.”
“No,” she snapped, angrily. “By accident maybe, but intentionally? Never.”
Dawnlight stood, body tense, tail tip twitching, then her aggravation evaporated from her body, like snow in the warm sun. “I don’t know much about…relationships…but I do know they are never perfect. And I don’t know where…we…are going after today…but I’d like to try…if you are willing?”
Dawnlight stepped forward nervously, whiskers twitching and ears swiveling. She pressed her face close to Loudstorm’s, just shy of touch, but close enough that their breaths intermingled. Then, to break the tension, she leaped forward and shoved him lightly into the snow. Dawnlight flicked snow at him with a forepaw, before bounding away. She crouched low to the ground; half hidden in a snow bank as she turned to look at Loudstorm. Then, she flicked her tail over her spine, an invitation, before racing off.
------------------- three hundred forty-seven | moony | and the games begin!
Loudstorm had become oblivious to the cold. He was entirely focused on Dawnlight, his heart pounding a percussive rhythm against his chest. He had fallen silent and Dawnlight had quickly filled the space with her definitive reply. No..
Whether he intentionally hurt someone or not had never mattered to Loudstorm before. He hadn't intended to hurt his mother, and she had almost lost her life. He was fool hardy and thoughtless. But before the tom could formulate a response, and objection, Dawnlight stood. Loudstorm's blue gaze snapped back into focus on the she-cat, his ears pricked as she spoke. Her body language was tense, and Loudstorm made a conscious effort to relax the strain he felt in his shoulder muscles. He was nervous as well. Relationships.What kind of relationship was in their future? He cared deeply for Dawnlight, yet he was not sure it was love. But she obviously felt something for him in return.
The ruddy she-cat stepped forward, her face stretched forward, brushing every so softly against Loudstorm's maw. He heart froze and he took a deep breath, allowing her scent to overwhelm him. Quietly, just a whisper, he found himself responding to her question. "Yes."
He started to pull away, then. The closeness still unfamiliar, yet addicting. And that's when she launched herself at him. He rolled onto his back, falling into the drift of snow behind him. It encapsulated him, and he scrambled to poke his head above the chilling white fluff. Memories of the training session they had during leaf-fall resurfaced in his head. This contagious youthful playfulness the she-cat possessed with contagious. Loudstorm kept forgetting what it was to have fun, his mind always focused on repentance and protection.
Dawnlight twitched her tail, a gleam in her bright green eyes inviting him to chase after her. Loudstorm grinned and erupted out of the snow bank. In just a few long strides he had caught up to her. He rounded on her, throwing his paws out and wrapping her in a gentle bear hug, pulling her down into the snow. "Gotchya!" he jeered playfully, releasing her after he had pushed her (gently, or as gently as one of his size and strength cold), under the snow. He backed up, expecting her bright red form to pop back out of the snow. But when she didn't immediately jump back out, Loudstorm felt his heart skip. Had he hurt her? He stepped tentatively forward, almost afraid to see what had happened. "Dawnlight?"
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
but no one listens to me so i put in this song they tell me think with my head not that thing in my chest
"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
Dawnlight’s heart raced within her chest, made her blood burn in her veins and her pulse roar in her ears.
“Yes.”
Yes.
He’d said yes. Yes. Dawnlight couldn’t help but give a joyous leap. A grin spread across her lips as she bounded through the snow like a kit, kicking up soft powder everywhere she went. Her feelings, as undiscovered as they were but still present, were returned and Loudstorm was willing to see if those budding affections would perhaps grow into something more.
“Gotchya!”
Dawnlight let out a shriek that was quickly over-powered by giggles as she was tackled. The snow bank immediately closed in over her head. Panting, and a bit disoriented, she floundered in the white powder, trying to determine up and down. She managed to dig herself out from her entrapment (it was lightly packed and soft despite being cold), and found herself on the top side of the embankment, Loudstorm’s slightly bewildered expression giving away that he’d lost track of her.
An impish smile tugged at her lips, and with a roar of playful challenge, she launched herself down the snow drift to tackle Loudstorm. She sent them tumbling head over tail down the slight incline, until the came to a rolling stop like two kits play fighting one other in their first outing form the nursery. Dawnlight let out a triumphant cry as she managed to pin Loudstorm’s bulkier frame beneath her.
“Pinned ya!” This time, when she looked into his face, she didn’t shy away from the closeness. Gently, she pressed her nose to the tom’s. “You’re mine,” she whispered, voice as light as a feather, but affection woven into every tone and note. Dawnlight purred and backed up to allow the tom to rise to his paws, but kept herself close. “At least for the time being,” she teased, head butting the tom's shoulder lightly.
------------------- three hundred thirteen| moony | <3
