A Dangerous Venture [open]

[Azura]

((OOC: I'm looking for somebody to come along and stop her... like that scene at the beginning of Titanic when Rose is gonna jump XD))

The moon was floating high in a sky which had been starless for a very long time. Its eerie reflection was mirrored in the river as it rippled past the scruffy cat's paws, the light it gave turning an otherwise perfectly dark night into something cats could see in.
The scruffy cat didn't appreciate such things. Aza wasn't the kind of cat who went all teary-eyed over moons and nights and pretty stuff. Aza was just about surviving.
She knew it was dangerous to be here. Even high up near the Moonpool, she was in DuskClan territory and since she was a Loner that probably wasn't entirely smart. And Aza wasn't one to make a habit of doing things that weren't entirely smart. If she went lower, she was going to get attacked by DuskClan warriors for sure. Any higher and the Higher Cats would be mad that she'd gone near the Moonpool, and Higher Cats weren't cats you wanted to make mad.
She was probably just inside the DuskClan border, but she had taken little to no notice of scents while she'd been coming here, so didn't know.
Aza had almost no idea what had drawn her here. She wasn't normally a cat that paid attention to gut feelings or mysterious stuff. She didn't put stock in it. Life for her was just hunt, eat, sleep, run from stuff that's bigger than you, kill stuff that isn't.
She sighed and stared into the river. Maybe it was because she'd had too much. She'd given up years ago, and it showed, in the way she moved and the look in her eyes. Aza no longer believed in hope. In anything.
Maybe without anything, life just wasn't worth living.
Aza looked down at the river again. She couldn't swim. It would be so easy...

[Sparksetter]

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[scrolly:h(186),w(550),sy][atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/7t5M.png] It was a nice night. The earth wore a cloak of darkness and moonlight weaved together as Sparksetter slowly strolled through the low dark trees. It was night-time, and Sparksetter should've been back in camp, along with the rest of the cats - but Sparksetter aimed to spend as little time with those idiots as possible. When I'm leader, I won't tolerate that, Sparksetter grumbled to himself. The people in his Clan were idiots. All idiots. Priding intelligence over ferocity. Being always so kind and gentle and...wimpy, just wimpy. He was ashamed to be a DuskClan cat most of the time. Why, they hardly ever chased off cats anymore when they wandered into DuskClan's territory - Sparksetter froze. Slowly, gently, a strange smell drifted into his nose. The smell of a cat that wasn't DuskClan - that wasn't even part of a Clan at all. It could be a higher cat. It could be a rogue. It could be.... "Who's there?" he growled. "Show yourself, now." [/scrolly]

[Azura]

Aza froze as she heard somebody coming. She felt herself becoming tense, ready to flee, ready to run for her life. Even a weak DuskClan cat could probably get the better of her in a fight; Clan cats had training, the support of their peers, and were usually perfectly adapted to whatever terrain they lived in. Aza had none of that. She wasn't looking forward to meeting one, especially since she was on DuskClan territory... she had known it was too dangerous to come here! But had she listened to her head? No, for once, and look where it'd got her!
"Who's there?" came a growl from behind her. "Show yourself, now."
Aza whipped around and decided it would probably be better to do whatever was required of her, now that she'd ascertained she was in serious trouble. She padded forwards on stiff legs, ready to flee at a moment's notice.
She spotted him then, a handsome silver tabby. He couldn't be more than an apprentice.... but no, the confidence with which he carried himself told her otherwise. He was possibly the most handsome cat Aza had ever seen.... and... his eyes were... what was she thinking?
Aza shook her head subtly, clearing it of the stupid thoughts, and looked at the silver cat. "Um," she said. It was all she could really manage.
Aza was terrified.

[Sparksetter]

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[scrolly:h(186),w(550),sy][atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/7t5M.png] Sparksetter waited as the cat turned around. He took note of her quickly - a fairly pretty she-cat, with the smell of sorrow and somewhere beyond the Clans clinging to her. He knew the rumour DuskClan had around these parts - that they were oh-so-kind, oh-so-helpful. Sparksetter wasn't that kind of cat, though. He wasn't going to let this filthy rogue get the best of him - Calm down. Sparksetter cleared his throat, trying to turn on the charm/ "Hello, my friend. What's your name?" Gently, he stepped closer to her. "And what are you doing out alone on a night like this? Dangerous things roam the forest, you know." [/scrolly]

[Azura]

Azura remained still as she felt those glorious green eyes on her. He seemed irritated for a moment, but then she sensed him relax and she thanked whichever warrior spirits watched over Loners that he wasn't going to eat her bones.
The cat cleared his throat. "Hello, my friend. What's your name?" He stepped closer to her on gentle paws and she shivered slightly. "And what are you doing out alone on a night like this? Dangerous things roam the forest, you know."
Before Aza could stop herself, she felt herself giving one of her customary sharp, cutting replies.
"I am one of those dangerous things," she told him with the faintest of smirks, and then immediately cursed herself. Why had she said that? Well, she knew why she'd said it- habit- but... oh, great...
"I'm Aza," she stumbled, trying to cover herself. "Short for Azura. I just came to the river, to, um, uh..." she trailed off, suddenly realising exactly what she had come to the river for, and not liking it at all.
You're being stupid, the scrawny cat berated herself. Really stupid. Are you a cat or a mouse?
The inner voice's tone made her stand up straight and face the cat head on. Okay, this incredibly handsome DuskClanner was going to kill her now. At least she'd die with dignity.
"I don't even know your name," she heard herself ask softly.

[Sparksetter]

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[scrolly:h(186),w(550),sy][atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/7t5M.png] "My name?" He gazed intently at the she-cat. She was...interesting, to say the least. One moment fierce as a fox and the next stumbling over her words...."My name is Sparksetter. I hail from DuskClan. Which - I feel the need to mention - owns the territory that we're both currently standing on." He grinned and took a few slow steps towards her. "I wonder if you knew that. Have you ever - heard - of DuskClan, my dear?" [/scrolly]

[Azura]

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[scrolly:h(223),w(400),sy][atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/8qA6.png] "My name?" the cat answered her, and Aza's breath caught in her throat as she glanced again into his eyes. "Oh," she said very quietly, and then paused again, listening as he talked. "My name is Sparksetter. I hail from DuskClan. Which - I feel the need to mention - owns the territory that we're both currently standing on." The other cat grinned and took a few slow steps towards Aza. The little ginger-and-white cat shivered under her pelt, frozen to the floor, and suddenly she recognised the feelings tumbling inside her. Oh no. Oh no. Not this. "I wonder if you knew that. Have you ever - heard - of DuskClan, my dear?" Sparksetter was saying, but Aza barely heard him. I'm in love? What? With a cat I just met? This is stupid. Utterly stupid. It can't be true... but I know it is. The scrawny loner took a deep breath. "Well, actually... um." She tried to remember what Sparksetter had been saying... had she heard of DuskClan? "Well." Aza paused. "Well, um, sort of. I'm... well, I came here..." and suddenly the words were tumbling out of her mouth without any thought nor direction from her conscious mind - "I felt that there was nothing here for me, I thought it was my time to take my place in the sky, I thought.... I don't know what I thought, but what I was going to do was throw myself in the river." Aza's voice sounded almost of its own accord. "But I'm not now, because I've met you." What? She frantically tried to recover. She'd let her tongue run away with itself and that had been stupid. She'd never been a stupid cat, why was she acting like this? Oh, starless skies, she was an idiot! What had made her say that? She began to babble incoherently, then stopped, took a step back, and met Sparksetter's gaze again, waiting to see what he said. [/scrolly]

[Sparksetter]

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[scrolly:h(186),w(550),sy][atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/7t5M.png] "Because I met you." Sparksetter couldn't help but raise an eyebrow internally at that. What was this she-cat doing? It was almost as if she was nervous around him. Not because she was intimidated, but because she... Oh my. Sparksetter blinked quickly, than composed himself. He wanted this to work to his advantage. Maybe he could charm her for his own purpouses....he knew what to do. Quickly, he widened his eyes with false concern and padded over to sit down by her. "Your plae "in the stars"? Why would such a beautiful cat as yourself want to die so soon?" He sat and leaned closer to her, trying to brush his tail against her jaw. "Is there anything wrong? Tell me." [/scrolly]

[Azura]

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[scrolly:h(223),w(400),sy][atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/8qA6.png] Azura watched Sparksetter closely. He seemed to pause, and then came a quick blink before he composed himself. She caught her breath in her throat as his eyes widened and he padded over to sit by her. "Your place in the sky? Why would such a beautiful cat as yourself want to die so soon?" he replied, and Azura almost fainted. He called me beautiful! I'm not beautiful. I've never been beautiful, I'm a scruffy loner... or is he... can it be? He sat and leaned closer. His tail brushed lightly against Azura's jaw and she shivered with delight. I'm right! He loves me back!. "Is there anything wrong? Tell me." Aza hesitated. As much as she'd like to, loyalty could override even love. If she told him her story and he thought not telling the Higher Cats would put his Clan in danger, he'd almost certainly inform his leader. Clan cats were loyal and she couldn't take that risk. Besides. "It doesn't matter now," she told him breathlessly. Then she did something she had not done since she abandoned her rebel friends all those years ago; she threw caution to the wind. If he really does love me back, this is the way to tell. "Like I said, I met you," Aza went on, and with a kind of tentative care, her tail moved up towards Sparksetter's, trying to twine with his. She held her breath. Will he move his tail away or will he respond? [/scrolly]

[Sparksetter]

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[scrolly:h(186),w(550),sy][atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/7t5M.png] "It doesn't matter now. Like I said, I met you." Perfect, Sparksetter thought smugly to himself. He was not sure how we was going to use this girl yet, but he was sure that she could be a very, very valuable asset in his quest to become Clan leader. As the cat reached out with her tail, Sparksetter, without hesitation, wrapped his tail around hers back, and gave it a squeeze. Thinking quickly, he then bent over and nuzzled the side of her face with the side of his face, purring. [/scrolly]

[Sparksetter]

(OOC: I just realized how short that post was. Sorry, I haz no muse.)

[Azura]

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[scrolly:h(223),w(400),sy][atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/8qA6.png] Aza smiled and purred deeply back at Sparksetter, the deep noise rolling inside her throat. She had no idea what made her like this tom. Maybe it was love. She hoped it wasn't, because love was something foolish, blind cats fell into, a trap that caught them up in emotions and swept them away. In another, small part of her, she hoped it was. She hoped that even Aza, hard-hearted cunning realist Aza, could find it in herself to fall in love. Then she heard a noise. She jerked away from Sparksetter, feeling the moment gone. A rustling in the bushes. Another DuskClanner? "I should go," Aza told her newly-found love in a hushed undertone. "If I'm found here with you there'll be trouble for both of us. You should, too. I'll... I'll come back. I'll meet you again." The rustling in the bushes came again. With a last brush of her tail on Sparksetter's flank, Aza fled. Between the dark trees and over the wet, shiny rocks that reflected silver in the moonlight, she fled the territory of DuskClan. [/scrolly]

(OOC: Thread over, unless you want to keep it going? Reply to Where The Heart Is? )