What's the Fun, If You Can't Take It Too Far [closed]

Thick tendrils of steam hung heavily in the twisting rapids of the Gorge, a pale blanket of dampness that effectively concealed the cool drizzle of rain that continuously pelted down from the dreary grey sky. The somber atmosphere of the falls was plagued with the constant low-rumbling of high-flowing currents; the roar and howl of quick-moving waters ringing out sharply, dark waters spilling and frothing hungrily at the slippery mud of its crumbling riverbanks. Although this portion of the river was relatively shallow during most seasons, the several tail-lengths of river just before the Gorge was much too turbulent and quick-moving to ever cross due to the sheer amount of rainfall and snow-melt that had occurred. It was very unlikely that any RiverClan cats would've tried their luck with pushing the borders, considering how effective the river was when it came to deescalating any sort of conflict, but it was always better to be safe than sorry- especially when it came to RiverClan, because who in their right minds would trust those fishmongers?

Brushing through the innately familiar sea of spring-fresh heather and grasses that curled skyward, Shrikepaw made certain to keep several tail-lengths of distance between himself and the sharp slope of the riverbank, fearful of the prospect of slipping. The last way he was hoping to spend his afternoon was to find himself floundering in the current just before the sharp drop of the Gorge. Resisting a shiver at the thought of plunging over the Gorge and to a watery grave below, the young WindClanner's aimless wandering left soft prints in the upturned earth he trekked across.

It was dreary and rainy. Heavy clouds of fog had descended over the gorge. Appropriate, considering Icepaw's mood. The apprentice was just mad. There was no particular reason. Perhaps it was a combination of everything- being treated like a kit, being shown up by the older apprentices at every turn, missing a catch in front of others... or maybe Icepaw was mad because she could be. The second option, she decided, storming towards the gorge. I can't be in camp right now with all those fish-brains yowling orders at me. Her neck fur lifted up in shock as she saw an apprentice padding the length of the gorge from the WindClan side. Her fur fluffed out and her claws raked the ground. She glared at the sky for a few moments before deciding to just be mad.

"Hey, fishbrain," she yowled, maw curling into a sneer. "What're you doing? Are you sure you're not a lost kit?" They were kitlike insults, but Icepaw couldn't care less. She'd gotten her point across, and now she glared at the apprentice, waiting for his retaliation. Her claws dug into the ground again, and she wished they were digging into his stupid rabbit-scented fur.

The prominently barren, stone-riddled earth beneath Shrikepaw's careful steps trembled faintly as he drew closer to the ragged chasm of the Gorge, the barley discernible shuddering of high-flowing waters pouring relentlessly from the falls. The stiff breeze, made choppy and weak by the leap and twist of the current, only served to intensify the cloying presence of humidity and dampness that hung heavily in the air. The unpleasant mixture of sharp and scraggly grasses and stones overturned by the constant stream of movement clung to the tender underside of his paw, sending the occasional stream of fiery pinprick of discomfort resonating up his foreleg. Sniffing irritably, the young tom was forced to pause for a moment- features drawn tight in an outward expression of his dismay at having to lick away the sharp debris that was embedded in the soft flesh of his pad.

Letting out an unhappy grumble, Shrikepaw's irritation only heightened as he attempted to remove a firmly lodged piece of gravel with his teeth. Focused fully on the task of attempting to clean himself without scraping up his tongue too much, Shrikepaw didn't catch a glimpse of the shape slinking along the opposing stretch of grass along the Gorge- only taking notice of the RiverClanner after she spoke. Indignation sparking a fiery trail down the length of his spine, the young tom swung an incredulous gaze around to the featureless shadow of pale fur that evidently thought herself capable of making demands of him- the son of Brindlestar, the apprentice of Heronfeather! It was difficult to unspool the fiery thread of anger that was currently ensnaring him, unsure if he was more upset that the RiverClanner didn't recognize that he was practically royalty within his Clan, or if it was the callous manner in which she addressed him. Fur prickling sharply under the strain of his newfound rage, the young tom's characteristic temper and sharp tongue frothed up from somewhere low within him.

"Excuse me?" Shrikepaw's thinly-veiled snarl was undeniably bridled, "Are you without any semblance of sense? Are you seriously shouting at me, as if I would care what some wailing she-cat from RiverClan has to say? If we're speaking of kits, perhaps you should return to the Nursery- your tantrum evidently suggests that you belong there!"

As the WindClan apprentice only hissed back at her (which had been inevitable, but she didn't care), Icepaw felt herself growing more and more angry, until her vision was pricked with red. She didn't know how she jumped across the gorge, and onto WindClan territory, but she'd done it. No thought was focused in her mind beside He will pay. Icepaw wasn't being fair; she'd, after all, started the fight, with insults and now with claws. But she'd never cared much for borders anyway. Her paws touched down on the sharp rocks of the WindClan side, and for a single, fleeting moment, her hind legs were churning above the jaws of absolute death. Rather ungracefully, Icepaw rolled herself up onto all fours, and hissed at the apprentice who'd insulted her, acting so self-righteous, as if he were the leader of WindClan. With a hiss, Icepaw unsheathed her claws and reared up, striking them hard across whatever she could find.

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The member 'Sal' has done the following action : Roll Dice

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'Battle Dice' : 5

Ah, that certainly struck a nerve.

Shrikepaw let out a sharp exclamation that was dominated by the presence of foul words, but his momentary triumph was quickly diluted by the RiverClan cat's predictably violent reaction- but would anyone really be surprised by such a reaction? RiverClan cats had the temperament of unattended and unwanted kits, more often than not. It was difficult to resist the urge to roll his eyes as the other Apprentice hurriedly crossed the river, evidently aching for a fight despite her sorely lacking verbal capabilities.

In his head, Shrikepaw began to pull together pieces of the relatively insincere apology that he would likely have to use on Heronfeather and Softcloud.

Catching Icepaw's initial blow across the face with little processing or reaction of the pain, thanks to the immense adrenaline and irritation that slipped through his veins like hot oil, the WindClanner's superior speed and agility came into play as he whirled on the pale-furred she-cat. The young RiverClan she-cat was evidently too enraged to realize the fact that the shelf above the swirling depths of the river they were alongside was actually quite narrow, hardly leaving any space for proper defense. "What?" Shrikepaw snarled, low voice roughened by the jeering taunt spat without remorse, "Nothing more to say? So much big talk for such an unsightly scrap of fur."

Purposely ducking around Icepaw so that he was firmly entrenched and preventing her from fleeing back to her own territory, the blotched tom lunged forward and sent the pair floundering in an unsightly tangle of limbs and flashing teeth, likely crushing the smaller cat beneath his greater form. The force of their impact jarred his skull with such intensity that his vision quavered and his teeth rattled, inky dark blots momentarily appearing. However, the combative response that had been seemingly permanently ingrained into his muscles on behalf of such rigorous training with his mother and mentor easily kicked into play. Swallowing down the worst of the fish stench and pain, Shrikepaw was quick to latch onto the nearest available portion of flesh with both claws and teeth.

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Shrikepaw used Claws & Teeth, Dealing -7 in Damage!
Initial 4 in Damage + 3 in Damage Done by Dice.

Shrikepaw :
21/30 [HP]

Icepaw :
23/30 [HP]

The member 'Seer' has done the following action : Roll Dice

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'Battle Dice' : 3

Icepaw wanted to find some cruel retort, but she couldn't. Maybe that was better, anyway- more energy to fight, instead of wasting energy on useless words. The small apprentice hissed as she got bowled over. She was glad they were rolling away from the gorge instead of towards it, but that was all she could be glad for. By now, the angry fog that had made her insult and attack Shrikepaw was lifting, and all she could think was what am I doing? She grunted in pain as her opponent latched onto her flank, claws slicing and teeth gnashing. She rolled away, hissing. I guess I want to end this now, before one of us gets hurt... but that would make him think I'm weak! I can't do that!

She should've. She should've ended it right there. But a fierce, proud part of her, wouldn't back down, and Icepaw was ready to show Shrikepaw how good a RiverClan cat could be. So she launched herself at him, pinning his head down to the ground, hissing angrily.

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[ooc: haven't used grapple before, so tell me if I'm doing it wrong. How many turns does it last?]

The member 'Sal' has done the following action : Roll Dice

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'Battle Dice' : 6

ooc) dw, the move can be confusing! so a successful grapple roll lasts for three turns, but to determine the success of the move, i also need to roll the dice and see if my character can flip the situation! if i fail to roll a higher number, then my character is currently held- although i can roll and try to escape, or i can just fight it out with moves other than claws & teeth.

hope that helps :>

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The tumultuous roar of the Gorge efficiently swallowed up the sickening thud of the quarreling Apprentices, the soft earth that comprised the riverbanks easily giving way to the force of their collapse. Thin tendrils of bloodied spittle extending in a spidery web between his overly pronounced canines and the unpleasantly greasy clump of pale fur that he had just been torn free of, Shrikepaw could feel a sharp prickle of pain spark to life in the delicate joints of his jaw. Unaware of the internal faltering on behalf of Icepaw, who had evidently come to the realization that legitimate fights were hardly worth the energy expended, the young tom only grew more enraged with each violent beat of his frenzied heart. It was obvious to any cat with a properly functioning set of eyes that this battle was quite stupid. It was the product of nothing more than mounting frustrations, and the longer they attempted to fight, the higher risk of more severe injury- especially whenever taking into account that they were currently squirming in the dirt hardly more than a few tail-lengths away from the Gorge.

Bucking wildly beneath Icepaw, Shrikepaw's blood-stained teeth lunged for any available portion of undefended or carelessly placed flesh he could reach. There was a dark gleam evident in the honeyed depths of his flashing gaze, an undercurrent of something a little too ferocious. A little too unpredictable, something that entailed the promise of hurt. "Is this really how you want to play?" He suddenly hissed, raspy voice sharpened with the faintest taste of a genuine threat.

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Shrikepaw fails to flip Grapple!
Shrikepaw is currently held for TWO more turns & unable to use Claws & Teeth.

Shrikepaw :
13/30 [HP]

Icepaw :
23/30 [HP]

The member 'Seer' has done the following action : Roll Dice

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'Battle Dice' : 3