[Socks]

Originally Posted by Charmer

(It's alright. I've been sick anyway)

Rainpelt's ears laid flat on her head at the excitement in Runningpaw's voice. He didn't get it. How could he? He'd never have to go through what she's going through. His body would never betray him the way hers had. "

"I never asked for kits," she replied coldly. "I never asked for a lot of things, and yet I still got them all." She turned to her apprentice now, her green eyes burning. This apprentice had what she had always wanted, the opportunity to live as a tom. And here is was squandering it. Insisting on going by no gender at all. For what? Didn't he realize how lucky he was? "You're a tom, Runningpaw. You'll always be a tom. Your body is a tom's body. Why do you insist on going by 'they'? It doesn't make you any less of a tom." At last it had come out.

The white apprentice took a step back from the other when they heard the hostility in her voice. They were wide-eyed, confused. They wanted to speak, words of comfort, maybe, but before they could Rainpelt spoke again, her words making them lower their ears in shock and sadness. They stared down at their paws, flexing their claws into the dirt below them. "What did I do wrong..? Why are you saying stuff like this." Runningpaw wanted to seem strong and hostile too, they wanted to match their mentor's emotions and defend themself but they couldn't bring themself to do it. In their mind, Rainpelt had been one of the cats who supported them, made them feel safe in being who they were but this destroyed everything. They hated the topic of their gender, they wanted to avoid it all together, it made them anxious and shakey.