TAKE THIS IN A SHOT RIGHT NOW — PIERCE

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    [center][fancypost= width: 450px; text-align: justify;][size=11][font=timesnewroman]The BlizzardClan leader was leaving her hut, stepping past the threshold of her home and closing the door behind her. She had been checking on her sons - Mieczyslaw and Aleksei. Seeing both her boys sleeping contently, Sweetopheia felt that she now had time to go out. Perhaps she could go hunting or go out to check the borders. Either of those ideas seemed promising to the Targaryen. Perhaps she could even do both.


    @PIERCE-
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    info — updated 2/2

    [center][fancypost= bgcolor= opacity: 0.5; borderwidth=0px; width: 450px;][font=times new roman][align=justify]The young serval was just awaking from a nap, deciding to head over to his studio. Overnight he slept in his art cave, but during the day he preferred to be out in the open. He would sleep outside all the time, but it got too cold at night.


    He wasn't sure what he'd do art-wise. Should he just sketch, or get to work on a painting? He had been meaning to start a mural on his wall, but hadn't gotten a chance to. Pierce turned a corner, nearly colliding with Sweetophelia. Luckily, he bumped into people often, so he was able to avoid hitting her. "Sweet!" he exclaimed, coming to a shuttering halt to keep from walking head-first into the she-cat. "What are you doing out here?" Duh - she lived here. His amber gaze drifted to her hut, feeling a smile of embarrassment attempting to tug at his mouth. Licking his chops, he corrected himself, "I mean - uh - how are you?" Pierce knew he wasn't the best person to talk to. Due to his thoughts moving and changing all the time, it was difficult for him to word things properly without being awkward or going on about nothing. He'd have to work on that.



    tags :: updated 2/02

    [center][fancypost= width: 450px; text-align: justify;][size=11][font=timesnewroman]Sweetophelia wasn't aware of the fact that Pierce had an "art cave". Riddlersgame had a personal library set in a cave, but rarely did BlizzardClanners live outside the camp on the main island. Sweetophelia herself lived in a hut at camp with her boyfriend and two sons; she had never had a reason to need additional space/storage/housing or a reason to sleep away from camp. Come to think of it, Sweetophelia didn't have many hobbies outside of her work and family.


    Her soft ears pricked, swivelling in Pierce's direction just as her Vice-Leader managed to avoid colliding into her. Turning, the tall Targaryen looked over at the nervous serval, a vague hint of amusement lingering in her pale gaze. Sweetophelia had always been a more socially confident animal, and thusly was often able to ignore whatever awkwardness there may be in an encounter. Pierce might have had more difficulty conversationally, but that was not unlike his mentor, Riddlersgame. "I'm good. I actually got a new apprentice - Orchid." Wisteria had been her first apprentice, Mikasa her second, and after Wisteria became a medic trainee, Sweetophelia was free to take on another apprentice. "What about you? How's your training with Riddlersgame going?"
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    info — updated 2/5

    [center][fancypost= bgcolor= opacity: 0.5; borderwidth=0px; width: 400px;][font=times new roman][align=justify]Pierce's studio wasn't exactly a cave. He often called it that to avoid having to explain, but it was actually situated under a overhang. There were trees on either side, so he was blocked from wind and snow. He didn't really talk about it much, though, since he didn't like when he had too many visitors, so it would make sense that Sweetophelia didn't know about it.



    Noticing the leader's slight amusement, he managed a soft, "Ha," at himself, pawing at the ground uncomfortably. It was true that he could sometimes have difficulties when conversing, but only in situations such as the current one; with people he wasn't entirely comfortable around. Unfortunately for him, that was quite a lot of people. He did enjoy being around others, but he wasn't particularly... good at talking to them. Luckily, Sweet spoke before he fell into an endless awkward silence. "Orchid?" he echoed, having recalled seeing the tom around. The boy nodded his understanding. It seemed the Ragdoll always had at least one apprentice. Huh - maybe he would take one up someday. At her question, he smiled. "It's been going well," he replied slowly, "I've learned a lot." Riddler's teaching methods were, admittedly, sometimes strange, but they worked.



    tags :: updated 2/02

    [center][fancypost= width: 450px; text-align: justify;][size=11][font=timesnewroman]Privately, Sweetophelia wondered whether or not Pierce's present awkwardness around her was partially attributed to their past "history" together. Sweetophelia had been willing to overlook his past infatuation for Riddlersgame, and although she seemed relatively confident in the assumption that he no longer resented her, she imagined that the past had yet to be completely forgotten by the young serval. But the BlizzardClan leader had little interest in addressing such matters again.


    "Yes, apparently he was a former Combatant." But it was only recently that Sweetophelia had met Orchid, seeing as he had come in between her first life in BlizzardClan and her second. "But he's still quite young." If she recalled, Tama had been even younger when she became leader - four months old or so it was told to her. "I hope to introduce him to Mikasa soon. It'd be a good learning experience for them to train together."

    A brow arched, "Perhaps you and Riddlersgame could join us for a training session. He's covered combat with you, yes? What else have you learned from him?" Admittedly in Sweetophelia's own training - under her former mentors, Melantha of BloodClan and Feliks of BlizzardClan - combat had been stressed at the expense of other fields.
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    info — updated 2/5

    [center][fancypost= bgcolor= opacity: 0.5; borderwidth=0px; width: 450px;][font=times new roman][align=justify]It was, in fact, true that most of Pierce's awkwardness around Sweetophelia stemmed from their past interactions. He didn't think of them often, so he supposed it was more subconscious. It wasn't that he still resented or disliked her either - quite the opposite actually, he highly respected the female - but he simply was uncomfortable around her. He was, although it was unlikely he would ever admit it, slightly intimidated by Sweet, which also played a part in his odd attitude around her. All in all, though, he liked her, although he had trouble conversing with her one-on-one.


    Pierce didn't know Orchid well at all. He had spoken with the other male once or twice, but other than that he had no idea who he was. Why would he? The last time Orchid had been in Blizzardclan, the serval hadn't even been born yet. Now, that was a strange thought. He nodded politely once more, but didn't add anything in. He had nothing to say, since he didn't know what it was like to mentor someone. Perhaps someday he would take up an apprentice of his own.


    A group training session? He had never thought of such a thing. Maybe it'd be fun, as long as it wasn't too hard; he would hate to screw something up in front of Mikasa or Orchid. At Sweetophelia's next question, Pierce smiled. He and Riddlersgame had worked for quite a long time on his combat and hunting skills. One thing was for sure, and that was physical activities were not Pierce's forte. "Ah, yes, we have," he replied, stopping to think of her next question. Recently, they'd been working on quite a few things. "I've learned... uh, well, a few days ago we went hunting, and another time we were playing brain games; puzzles and such. Rid wants to sharpen my mind too." At this, the skinny Vice-Leader pointed to his head with a grin. The puzzles were tricky, of course, since Riddler had come up with them, but he had been gradually improving at them.

    tags :: updated 2/05

    [center][fancypost= width: 450px; text-align: justify;][size=11][font=timesnewroman]Sweetophelia's feelings on Pierce were not so complex. The tall serval was a promising young member of BlizzardClan, and with his past feelings for Riddlersgame forgotten, she simply considered him one of her high positions, albeit one that was now expected to work more closely under her. Sweetophelia had no intentions of leaving her current position as quickly as she left her post as vice-leader under Feliks, but she imagined that Pierce would become a solid successor in time and experience.


    "I'm pleased to hear that you've been training frequently, and in such diverse fields as well," Sweetophelia remarked. "I know Mikasa's mainly interested in combat." The girl was unusually fixated on the idea of protecting her brother. "But I haven't been mentoring Orchid for as long, so I'm still getting accustomed to his interests and style." Sweetophelia herself had been most interested in politics and combat - both had been essential skills for the places she wanted to get in BloodClan and BlizzardClan. "What's your favourite subject with Riddlersgame?" Her guess was the brain games. "Anything else you wanted to learn from him?" There was never enough time for learning, was there? Life was simply too busy, too short.
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    info — updated 2/7

    [center][fancypost= bgcolor= opacity: 0.5; borderwidth=0px; width: 450px;][font=times new roman][align=justify]From what the vice-leader had seen of Mikasa, he would have assumed combat would be her main concern, seeing as she was awfully protective of Eren. Pierce could understand wanting to protect those close to you, especially after such terrible things had happened. What would he do if Riddler's leg had been chomped off? He would certainly have more people to support him - Sweet, Mie, and Aleksei, but Pierce would become more defensive when around the tabby.


    That's how it had been with Eren, at least at first, but with Mikasa already there and with the younger tom's obvious upset at being helped (although Pierce couldn't quite understand why he didn't like support and assistance), he had found it best to take a step back.


    The serval's favorite thing to do when training with Riddlersgame had to be... well, probably the mental exercises he was given. It was most likely unique to his mentor, at least, the methods of mental training he used were, but it had to be by far his favorite. He didn't enjoy things such as hunting and combat as much, seeing as although he was good at them, or, as good as he needed to be, he wasn't very talented when it came to the subject. He could most likely take down an enemy around his level, but he knew there were others his age - even younger - who were much better than him. He didn't mind that, it was just that his brain was his most useful tool, and he found it best to strengthen that than to strengthen him in things such as fighting, which he knew he'd never be the greatest at. Without taking much time to ponder the she-cat's question, he responded, "Like I said, the brain games. Puzzles, exercises, stuff like that. I find it the most entertaining training we do." At her next inquiry, he simply shook his head, not knowing what to say. Riddler definitely had more in store for him, possibly things he would enjoy more than what they were currently doing, but he didn't have anything specific in mind.

    tags :: updated 2/05

    [center][fancypost= width: 450px; text-align: justify;][size=11][font=timesnewroman]"Hmm, perhaps you could pass on those same lessons when you receive your own apprentice," Sweetophelia remarked with a sense of renewed interest. "How old are you now, Pierce?" She remembered meeting him when he was just a small child. Now the golden serval was much taller and had even ascended to the rank of vice-leader in BlizzardClan. It would not be long until Pierce was a true adult as well.


    In fact, Pierce was actually not much older than Mack who was only twelve months old - a year old. Life certainly became very different when viewed through different perspectives. Sweetophelia had managed to regain much of her physical and visual youth through her death and subsequent reincarnation, but the BlizzardClan leader still felt very old in the mind - after all, she had grown up alongside Riddlersgame, Tama, and Enigmaticsoul - all longtime members of the clan even if it was only Riddlersgame that remained by her side now.
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    info — updated 2/8

    [center][fancypost= bgcolor= opacity: 0.5; borderwidth=0px; width: 450px;][font=times new roman][align=justify]Pierce had once considered taking on an apprentice once he had completed his training. The thought kind of scared him, though; wouldn't that mean he was an adult, that he was finished growing up? He wasn't sure he was ready for that yet. Still, he nodded at Sweet's words, not voicing his worries. He would grow up when he was ready, he supposed. Opening his mouth to respond to her question, he had to stop and think for a moment. How old was he now? Nine months, ten? He wasn't sure. He had been five months when he joined, and that was around five months ago, or so he assumed. "Oh, ten months," he replied before he could question himself. "Why do you ask?" It seemed an odd question, seeing as they had just been talking about his training, but perhaps she had something on her mind. Or, she might just be curious. He didn't think of his age often, which was the reason he had trouble remembering it.

    The sand-colored feline missed Tama and Matty. He hadn't known them well, but they had been large parts of the clan and admirable people. He remembered a time when he couldn't imagine Blizzardclan without Tama leading it, seeing as she was the only leader he had known. He had been shocked by her untimely death, and after that there had been a whirlwind of things happening - Saltcircles stepping up and disappearing, more deaths, followed by Sweet becoming leader. Although just a few months ago he would have never expected to say, even think it, the Targaryen was a great leader. She was fair and level-headed, which he found were two of the most important traits someone of her ranking should have.

    tags :: updated 2/05

    [center][fancypost= width: 450px; text-align: justify;][size=11][font=timesnewroman]"Curiosity, I suppose." Most apprentices completed their training and progressed onto the next stage once they turned twelve months old, and Pierce was already four months into his training - with only two months left. But of course, there were always exceptions - apprentices completing their training earlier than expected or others taking a little more time than the norm. Either situation was not too uncommon, seeing as everyone's personal situation differed. "But you're not much younger than Mack actually - he told me that he's just turned a year old." Strange, wasn't it? Considering Mack had already been a Head Paladin when Pierce had come to BlizzardClan. But of course age was not always taken into account when it came to selecting promotions - all she truly desired was a sound mind and consistency, among a few other key traits.


    But leadership aged you. Sweetophelia had not been leader for more than a few weeks, but already she had grown accustomed to her new role in the clan. Arguably, she had perhaps been long groomed for the position - her parents had both been at the top of their respective groups during the peak of their power, and she had been Feliks' vice-leader when Tama was still a head paladin and Saltcircles was likely not even yet born into the world. Whatever personal qualms or opinions Sweetophelia might have held, the BlizzardClan leader tried her best to set them aside when it came to decisions affecting the rest of the clan. Leaders were always watched, after all - searched for signs of weaknesses by enemies or looked up to by clanmates alike. The pressure was ever-present.


    "Do you have any future plans? Personal goals, I mean." Did Pierce want a family of his own one day? Not all animals did, but Sweetophelia had always known that she wanted children - children to fill the gap left behind by the family she had long ago lost.
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    info — updated 2/8

    [center][fancypost= bgcolor= opacity: 0.5; borderwidth=0px; width: 450px;][font=times new roman][align=justify]Curiosity was an acceptable reason. After all, most of Pierce's inquiries revolved around curiosity as well. In fact, a lot of his time training with Riddlersgame was spent with him asking questions. Sometimes he had to hold them back so he could actually get practicing in, but it was good to question things, right? That was how you learned. It was difficult to believe that in just two months he would, most likely, complete his training. What, would he be considered an adult then? That would sure be odd. He wasn't sure, if it was even true, that he would develop into a fully grown adult by then. Well, he was fully grown physically, but definitely not mentally. He still had a lot of growing up to do. The serval was pretty sure he was mature for his age, and was aware that there were adults who were immature, but he didn't want that to be him. He wanted to be a reliable, mature person. Perhaps always a child at heart, but he hoped he would learn when to be a child and when to act grown-up. When the Blizzardclanner spoke again, she shocked him from his thoughts. Mack was only twelve months old? "Really?" he replied with a small tilt of his head. Mack had always seem so much bigger than he. Was it true that he was barely two months older? The idea was absurd.


    Pierce wasn't sure how he would handle being a leader. While he was Sweetophelia's vice-leader, there was a big difference between vice-leader and leader. Leaders had many more responsibilities and people had higher expectations for them. Would he be able to function under the pressure? Maybe someday he would know, but he sure hoped not. He was content as the vice-leader. He had duties and expectations as well, but not nearly as many, which was fine by him. Sweet's next inquiry took the male by surprise. Which goals was he supposed to list? He really just wanted to live a happy life, find a nice boyfriend and maybe have some children. That was a long way away, though, and he didn't really want to say this in front of Sweetophelia. "Uh..." the noise escaped his jaws as he thought, tail swishing. Finally, he came up with an answer. He wanted to do well in his position as vice-leader, too, and take care of the clan. "Um, I want to keep helping the clan," he said softly, though it was obvious something else was on his mind. "Maybe some other stuff when I'm older, but I'm not sure yet." That wasn't entirely true, but it would do.


    tags :: updated 2/05

    [center][fancypost= width: 450px; text-align: justify;][size=11][font=timesnewroman]"Yeah, I couldn't tell either," admitted Sweetophelia with a slight laugh. "It's usually not so easy to guess the age of an animal of another species unless you are currently or have been a member of the same species before. The fact that he's a hybrid cross between a bird and canine species only further complicates the matter." She herself had only ever lived as four species - manticore, kitsune, dragon, and feline. "But yes, I do believe that he was already Head Paladin when I rejoined BlizzardClan." It must have been strange to be surpassed by animals that joined the hierarchy at a later date, and Sweetophelia occasionally wondered after whether or not Mack held any resentment. But it wasn't just the BlizzardClan deputy - there were many other animals in similar situations, such as Jace of BloodClan who had been passed over in the succession before. They never showed any ill will, but Sweetophelia found it difficult to take their emotional responses at face value.


    "That's understandable. There's still so much time." Sweetophelia didn't know what she planned for the future. She had already ascended to the highest rank in BlizzardClan. She already had Riddlersgame and their two sons, and there was little chance that she would conceive again. Death could take her away from BlizzardClan, but there always remained the potential that unforeseen circumstances would arise, forcing her to abdicate. What would she do after? Sweetophelia had no intentions to join another clan - be it BloodClan, Westeros, or RiverClan.
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    info — updated 2/11