influence and control (open)

[gray]

Sometimes, things were just so easy. The influence and depth of control he had now made his mission so simple—at least, as far as his Clan went. He had twisted the circumstances that so obviously indicated his paw in everything, instead placing the blame on, say, a small band of rogues or a certain foul-tempered snarl-pelt medicine cat. Humph, well, that would be ex medicine cat now. His silly foster brother—who, by the way, couldn’t even cure his own cold –now took over the medicine den. At least Runningnose, his only surviving foster sibling now, had been a little kinder to him as a kit than the others had. Tangleburr and Deerfoot… well, they weren’t a problem anymore. Although, Runningnose may suspect some foul play in the exile of Yellowfang; no one would believe him. Even without the part of the warrior code stating that the leader’s word is law, a certain thick-furred scarred tabby tom could easily convince his Clan of his viewpoint with a couple of well-placed words. The other Clans should give him little trouble once he outmaneuvered Leopardstar. It was only a matter of time before he did so, she had already given in to the alliance between his Clan and hers.

Brokenstar was a formidable sight, with his scar-riddled thick brown coat crisscrossed with dark tabby stripes. His wide pale yellow gaze missed nothing. The kink in his tail—from which he had garnered his name –testified to the all-over image of a fearsome enemy. He knew just how to throw his influence in order to convince the Clan to do what he wanted. Sometimes, though, it surprised him just how easy it truly was now that he was leader.

The mingled scents of ShadowClan mixed with the stench of WindClan—stinking rabbit-chasers, it was no wonder they had been so easily pushed out. The only reason he hadn’t been able to exile them again was because he had grown bored and impatient and launched the attack too soon after they had been brought back by that meddling ThunderClan. At least Bluestar was safely out of the way now. He would have to thank the warrior that did her in if he ever found out who had killed her. All in all, thinking back, things had been going well for Brokenstar. Several of his enemies were now suitably disposed of. WindClan knew that they could be exiled again. And now that he had shown his contempt for the others by refusing to show up at the Gathering, the other three Clans would all sit at their borders with baited breath, wondering what in StarClan’s name he was formulating next.

Extending his paws and digging his claws into the ground as he stretched, Brokenstar ran through his options. Maybe it was time to push Leopardstar a little harder. She had already agreed to allow ShadowClan continued hunting rights on RiverClan territory. What else can I do? he wondered, digging out a clod of earth from between his claws.

Ah, well, there was time for that later. He had all the influence he needed over ShadowClan, with just enough control to ensure no random dissonant voices raised over top his. For the moment, things were just fine the way they were.

word count // 546
ooc comments // none
tags // open

[valkyrie]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://i44.tinypic.com/2i1zal1.png] FROSTY WANTS TO PLAY If the devil had chosen to take the form of any sin and be a female then he would look something like the essence of lust standing before the breaking light. She was the illustrious queen of a winter’s bitter rein. The frost that nipped at your slowly dying body, capturing your ability to move, contemplate, and breathe. The snow would dance in her favor and the harsh winds that would normally blow for the season’s amusement wouldn’t dare to whistle by her. She was the ghost that skewed to the ground like ice sickles, a threatening beauty. A temptress, that swelled that feeling which sunk into your bloodstream and held a vice grip on your soul. She held a face of welcoming delight but those too pools of emerald that sunk into her ghostly head shined with devilish intentions. She was the birth of the word, curvaceous with each twist that danced along that goddess mimicking body; giving it the ability to enslave you to a solid stare that made you forget how to exhale. She belonged to no one but the wintery body that she was placed in; she danced, slithered further closer to her prey preparing to sink in her fangs. She was the danger mothers warned their sons about, she was possibly to be any tomcat's end. Frostbite slithered forward with a defying force as the ground announced her presence to any sharp listener within the camp. Her paws gracefully pressed down on the moist earth that sunk under her weight attempting it hardest to support her. The morning air hovered above her, this ghostly mist covered the view making it hard to anyone to scout ahead of any dangers lurking. Of course at this very moment most little creatures and cats would be tucked into their beds curled comfortably sleeping soundly as the sun peaked into view. Barely making any difference as it rays struggled to burst through the heavy white defense. It seemed the sun had returned to show her love again, yet she couldn’t penetrate fully through the thick blanket over the camp. It was similar to a haunting lullaby, the tension of the camp. Ice orbs pierced through the fog hovering asking for her attention, yet she had her eyes on something else. The white warrior sat in a position of authority across the camp watching her leader, Brokenstar. What on earth was going through that head of his? Knowing how his character was faintly, she placed the idea of his conjuring new ways to put his control to good use. She smirked, if only she had such control she would know exactly what to do with such. But that wasn't to say she didn't respect her leader, if anything he was possibly the only cat she respected on her own. She enjoyed how he manipulated the clan, and his ability to soothe minds with the tongue; much like she did expect there was a difference. He did not deny his dark tendencies or desires, whereas Frostbite bounce on her toes being poisonous yet sweet to anyone who drunk the essence from her words. She was like a deathberry, incredibly delicious appearance, tempting those foolish enough not to know of what she is and then taking their breath from them as they let themselves be consumed by the temptation she brought upon them. What made it further amusing was that no one noticed it, like every new leaf there would be several kits to die because of the berry, every several moons she would have new pawns to place in order. Now many would question what was with her and the idea of pawns, and anyone who did know her would wonder what she was up to with those pawns of hers. Yet Frostbite hadn't decided what to do with her faithful minions just yet, she'd rather wait for the moves of others before she set another paw forward. Besides she knew eventually what laid hidden in the dark would soon be brought to light and she wasn't going to tempt the sun to reveal her just yet. Rising to her paws she advanced towards the tom she had been glaring at for endless moments. As she drew closer tasting his scent upon her tongue and hearing his heart play a steady beat she settled on the floor once more. Dipping her head in respect before raising it to its rightful position high in the air. "Brokenstar," She purred the tone in which she recited coolly was beguiling to any nearby listener. Her sapphire eyes screamed there admiration as the purr descended into silence. Her ears twitched in amusement by the tension the air carried almost as if it was holding its breath. "What ponders in that mind of yours." ------------------------ Words: ---- Muse: Low Tags: Open Notes: Crappy Postie. Blewh

[/quote]

[gray]

The night was still young and the moon had hardly peeked her head above the horizon in her pursuit of her brother sun. The stars were out, Silverpelt speckling the sky with countless little souls of the dead. It was funny, really, how such larger-than-life figures were eventually reduced to nothing more than a pinprick in the night sky, doomed to fade each morning. Individuals passed on, but influence left a lasting legacy. Brokenstar knew the sounds of the marshes at night, and he pricked his ears as he heard a sound that didn’t belong. He immediately relaxed, realizing that one of his Clan had returned to camp. He made no effort to determine who, exactly, it was—it was one of his Clan, and that was enough specification for him. He didn’t really care all that much who went where and when they went places, as long as everything he wanted done got done. However, when he felt the returner’s gaze fixed on him, his pelt bristled slightly. Does no one know it’s rude to stare? he asked himself. Surely he commanded enough respect by now to avoid being stared at! He was the leader of ShadowClan, he had pushed RiverClan into full access to their territory, he had exiled an entire Clan!

At long last, the returner crossed the clearing and approached him. It was almost worth enduring the company of some gullible fool to have them stop staring at him. “Brokenstar.”

[/I] It was a she-cat, her tone like the honey that RiverClan medicine cats seemed so fond of using. Thick, sticky, cloying, falsely sweet—that was the voice, he knew, of little white-furred blue-eyed Frostbite. She was much more welcome than others, not quite as gullible or enthralled as they were. Brokenstar looked over at her coldly. He knew Frostbite, of course—not one cat in the Clan ever let her story go. Her parents abandoned her all because simple Blizzardstorm had claimed to be ‘losing his mind’. It was quite the sob story, really, but one that the thick-furred tabby had little interest in. As an apprentice, Frostbite had worked hard and that was all Brokenstar cared about. Another dutiful warrior for his Clan. “What ponders in that mind of yours?”[/I]

He turned the question over in his mind—after he snapped, “That is none of your business, Frostbite.” What was he thinking about? Well, there were many things. He had to tread carefully. Even his own Clan didn’t approve of making three-moon-old kits into apprentices despite the obvious benefits of the practice. The Clan had more able-bodied warriors at a younger age. Sure, they often died during training, but that was simply the way of the world. By weeding out the weak young and early, they caused much fewer problems later on. The only good problem was a dead problem. He also needed to determine the best way to assert ShadowClan’s dominance over the other Clans. Tigerstar especially was in dire need of getting knocked down a bit—he was getting much too confident with his ‘TigerClan’ nonsense. Abruptly, he said, “Frostbite, what is your opinion of Tigerstar’s ‘uniting the Clans’… idea.” He’d have rather used a stronger word, like ‘rubbish’ or ‘fox-dung’ or ‘complete and utter idiocy’, but he didn’t want to influence the she-cat’s response. He was genuinely curious. Of course, if she disagreed with him, he would just have to make an example of her to the rest of the Clan.

No one would ever stand in his way again.

word count // 588
ooc comments // … -__- crappy? no no more like fantastic. I have never once written 800 words. and it was all good quality, too.
tags // open

[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[valkyrie]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://i44.tinypic.com/2i1zal1.png] FROSTY WANTS TO PLAY Frostbite lip almost curled into snarl when the mangy brown tom snapped at her. She wanted to swipe a paw across his oddly shaped head but she knew better. She had to hold her temper he wasn't worth losing anything over. Beside he would soon be rid of whenever Tigerstar got a hold of him it would be his end. But he seemed to rethink this snap at her as he sat paw obviously tossing her question around. The white she-cat almost rolled her eyes in annoyance, what would he even be thinking about that she hadn't? When he spat out the Tigerclan idea she gave him a small smirk trying to hold back an amused chuckled. She thought a lot of things about the whole idea. It was fairly smart but the way he approached it was horribly wrong, not to mention that he must have known other clans would rejected it. No leader wanted to give up power so why would he think they would fall under his paw? Not to mention Tigerstar wasn't exactly the brightest of any bunch, he just had an arrogance and ability to fight on his side that was the only thing. Therefore his whole idea wasn't going to end well eventually. But the idea of the clans uniting wasn't half bad with a few tweaks in it. It should be more so four leaders playing different roles if he wanted them to unite but everyone always wanted the upper hand over the others and that was the problem with the world. They just couldn't let the idiots fall to their approaching doom, the world didn't know patience and that is what caused all these battles and not well planned ideas. If it were Frostbite in charge it would be a rather different matter, Frostbite didn't want anyone to know that she was obviously in control of them, she'd rather alter their thoughts with simple undetected persuasion, and that was why most of her plans followed through. Not to mention she didn't have any fear of getting hot tempered if need therefore she had the ability to adapt herself to different characters, different ways of persuasion. She prided herself on such and was why she had an inner network of cats within Shadowclan and a small portion of Riverclan. She was going to be a side master to sudden rise to power with much notice, yet she would allow the other cats to believe they were in power just to keep them in content with themselves. Turning attention back to Brokenstar she cocked her head at him, "Tigerstar's idea is idiotic, he didn't approach whatever take over he was trying to have in the correct way, not to mention his take over wouldn't last long, everyone wants their own slice of power and he is far too greedy for his own good. He'll be dying soon anyhow, he's all bite without brains." She said coolly her voice tickling the air and her own ears. She knew exactly what to say to her leader while keeping her opinion in the mix mildly, yet he wouldn't know. He didn't know her that way as he had other things to tend to and while she didn't know him that well either she had watched him for a while. She had watched all her clan mates and seen them interact so she knew how to interact with him. Besides she needed him on her side if she was going to follow through with that plan of hers. ------------------------ Words: 500 something Muse: Super lows Tags: Open Notes: NADA LLAMA

[/blockquote][/blockquote]
[/color]
[/td][/tr][tr][td]

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[gray]

It was strange, the dynamic between the brown tabby and each individual cat in the forest. Each relationship was different, based off of the mix of histories and personalities and decisions. Almost every life in the forest had, in some way, been altered by him. He had affected the course of life of nearly every cat, from the smallest kit to the oldest elder. Brokenstar was confident there had never been another cat quite like him throughout the course of history. No one else had ever dared to claim the influence he had stepped up to bear. Tigerstar had no idea what it meant to be truly great—how could greatness thrive in such a large setting full of too many unworthy cats? No, no: Brokenstar did not seek to rule or tyrannize; he sought out fear, he wanted greatness and distinction, to be set apart from the others. He wanted to eliminate weakness and subdue the weak links—the other Clans. None of them had stood up to fight for greatness, proving just how pathetic the others were.

He nodded, considering Frostbite’s words. Yes, it truly was an idiotic idea. The words ‘he’ll be dying soon anyhow’ sounded eerily like a promise. He glanced at the white she-cat. She looked dainty at all times, but appeared especially delicate at the moment sitting there before him. Her wide eyes looked so innocent, but he knew better. Brokenstar had not survived this long by underestimating others—okay, he may have underestimated Leopardstar, but that was understandable. She had been so malleable for so long, and must have just grown suddenly overconfident at that stupid Gathering. However, he knew his Clan and there was just something dangerous about Frostbite. She was too delicate not to be dangerous, in that strange way that somehow made perfect sense. Her voice always dripped with sweetness, which he didn’t trust at all.

“Good,” he replied inattentively. He really had nothing more to say to her, nor did he have any urge to prolong their little chat unless he thought of some vital question. He didn’t like the way she watched him so intently, examining him and piecing him apart. It was unnatural. “What would you do, if you were me?” It would be amusing to hear her answer, that much he knew for sure. He saved that question for a few select individuals. There were several reasons why he rarely asked that question.

Some answers were predictable. Others, he knew would have no idea or no concept of finesse. Some cats wanted the power but not the responsibility. Many weren’t charismatic and could never mask their cruelty behind the proper words. A majority would never be able to balance needs against wants. Then, there was the fact that almost every cat in the Clan wouldn’t know how to bring ShadowClan to the greatness that Brokenstar saw for it.

He kept his yellow eyes fixed on Frostbite. He knew her answer wouldn’t disappoint.

word count // 496
ooc comments // I was gonna say something. but I forgot what it was.
tags // valk & open

[valkyrie]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://i44.tinypic.com/2i1zal1.png] FROSTY WANTS TO PLAY The ivory temptress scrutrinized her leader as he nodded at her words. His eyes locking to hers for a brief moment as if he was analyzing her again, trying to pin point the threat she was. Well at least someone wasn't a complete idiot to the danger she purposed, yet she knew Brokenstar wouldn't expose or hush it either way, he would simply over look her "danger" as nothing. He underestimated many cats which would eventually lead to his downfall at some point. She was expecting him to dismiss her but recieved the opposite of her expectation. When he inquired her with a simple question his eyes falling on her steadily. IF she were him? She be the same idiot tom-cat he was, but then again Brokenstar wasn't always mouse-brained. He usually did come up with complex thoughts that she did silently congradulate him on silently yet he could do so much more if he removed a flaw or two. But wasn't that to say for every cat? Not to mention she if she were how would she not be able to have the thoughts that he naturally produces as being himself. There would be no alternate answer unless Brokenstar had several ones in mind, but to pronouce her ideas as his would not be answering the question correctly. Therefore she simply chuckled flickering her tail around her paws as she began to answer. "If I were you, I'd only be able to do whatever you have already decided or choose form the "answers" you have already conjured. I would only be able to think in which you do as there would be no difference than what is already present because I am you." She smiled briefly not exactly satisfied with her response but she decided it would do, besides she wondered how many mouse-brained fools had given him answers of their own ideas. She shook her head, as those sapphire jewels laid back t the brown tabby. "How many have answered that wrong?" She said her voice unusually even and not as sweet and tender as commonly. She wondered if he would even answer her question but either way she already really knew the answer. Most cats were trapped in the mind of this "starclan" or blindness of "leader and clan" therefore they can't understand anything outside of the "starclan fox-dung". ------------------------ Words: 500 something Muse: Super lows Tags: Open Notes: NADA LLAMA

[/blockquote][/blockquote]
[/color]
[/td][/tr][tr][td]

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]