WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[monfang]

Originally Posted by RedHead

(*coughrainismalecough*)
Rainpaw smiled as his father came up to him. He hadn't been able to hand out with him lately, and really wanted to. He laughed as his father brushed his tail over him, then flicked his own tail at his father playfully. "Training is going okay, I guess... I mean, I don't really like the battle training." Rainpaw wasn't a fighter, he prefered to use words to "battle" his way through a situation, instead of having to unsheathe his claws. Rainpaw's tongue was his asset in any battle. "How about you dad? Have you been interacting with other warriors?" Rainpaw knew that when the tunnels collapsed on their family, it took a large toll on his father, but Rain knew his father was strong. He had gotten through it.

Goosegrumble was still at the camp entrance, but as he spotted a fellow warrior just basking around in the sun, he narrowed his amber eyes. What's she doing? She should be hunting! With the tensions high between Thunderclan and Windclan, Goosegrumble had been on even more edge than before. The clan would need food to keep them strong, especially if a battle came up. So every cat should be pulling their weight and helping out. Of course, that was just how Goose's mind thought about it, he was always planning ahead. Every little thing he thought about, he had to think of the consequences that came with it. Goosegrumble was never not prepared. And his plans had to flow. His plan would not flow if this she-cat sat there and groomed herself. On any other day, Goosegrumble might have surpassed her and not cared, but today, Goose was feeling especially grumpy. He stalked over to her, lashing his tail through the air.
"So, Windclan and Thunderclan are at high stakes right now, and you're just planning to sit there and groom your fur?" Goosegrumble growled, an agitated look on his face. "There's really no point in that, if we have a battle then your fur is definitely going to get messed up." Ahh Goosegrumble, always saying it like it is. The tom himself hadn't groomed in a while, with how much he had put on his own plate. But Goosegrumble didn't care. His white fur may be all ruffly, the ginger splotches as well, but at least he was helping the clan.
Unlike this feline right in front of him.

{ holy hell wot? i've been on his page so many times and i always read it as female i am so sorry dyslexia at work </3 }

Larkmark smiled at his inquiry and nodded. "Yes I have." he said, thinking if Infernosky nearly instantly. He chuckled at the thought, him helping her train, along with Russelfur and Jitterpaw. He licked the top of Rainpaw's head and he looked down on him. "You know, you'll be a great warrior. You have such a big heart, much like your mother had." he said, the happiness in his eyes flickered like lights going out. He thought of her for a moment before he cleared his head, clearing his throat. "Well, tell me what you have learned."

[AbsurdJinx]

Originally Posted by Nighty

Frostpaws whiskers twitched as she realized it was bad looking, and probably not good for the emotions of the other cat. She had reacted in fear, instincts, defense. She knew, but still. What would any cat do if their evil fathers look a like just showed up behind them? Most cats would freak out, she was sure. Hopefully he wouldn't be the same way. But she watched as the emotions flickered in his eyes. She had her ways of reading cats, she had had to when around Broken, that way she knew how to act. It was in the eyes, they truly were the windows to the soul.

The reveal of who he was though, it brought some worry back to her. She stepped back, almost the same time he did. This was her grandfather. The grandfather she had never known existed. Singe nor Sorrel had ever mentioned anything about grandparents. No cousins no nothing. Just them. Just Singe, Sorrel, Brindle, Flash, Burning, and Dapple. That was it, no other mentions of family had ever cropped up in conversation.

But was he like Singe? They practically mirrored each other, and it was blatantly obvious that they were related rather closely. Did this cat, who was her grandfather, believe in the same beliefs as her father and mother? Did he despise Starclan? Had he opted to stay here to seek revenge for his son and daughting in law? Had he stayed here to watch over Brindlepaw and make sure she was okay so Singe didn't have to worry for her? Because despite all his evil attributes, he cared for his family above all. Loyalty and Change, those attributes made up his world.

But what if it was the opposite? What if he hated his son? What if he opposed everything about a Singe? What if he was the strongest Starclan believer out there? What if his faith in Starclan was never faltering? What he he feared Singe like she was starting to do? But then, if he despised everything that was Singe and Singe related, how did he feel about her? She was the kin of Singe. What did he think about her? Hopefully it wasn't too horrid, as it seemed he had ran into her. Besides, he hadn't murdered her.....yet.

Forestpaw sighed inwardly though. Her mind was getting the better of her again. She knew all too well her mind was her strongest attribute. She knew she was head strong. She knew that a majority of her strength was mental. She liked it too...sometimes. She knew she could easily analyze a situation, see different solutions, come to different conclusions, but that also meant bad things. It meant that she became easily paranoid. She would over think things, stress herself out over nothing. She knew that her mind, while being her greatest strength, was also her greatest downfall. "My Grandfather?" She queried, staring at him, her pastel green hues blinking softly at him. He seemed genuine, but it could be a trick. He could have been the source of Singe's slyness and cunning.

Though Mumblenose believed himself to be the unintentional source of Singe's cruel ways, he wasn't aware of whether or not the idea was factual. It was true that he blamed himself and punished himself terribly, but now that his kin were coming back to him, he had something to fight for. Maybe the way he treated Singe as a kitten was cruel, but he yearned to make up for his mistake. Unfortunately, Singe had made it clear how unwelcome Mumblenose was in his life. He had tried, though, and even attempted to twist his son's beliefs to something good. Perhaps he could've lead Singe along a path of righteousness if he had tried harder? But then Singe threatened him, warning him that if he dared to so much as glance at his family, Mumblenose would face the consequences. He wasn't scared of Singe, but he hoped that if he listened to him, their relationship would be mended a bit.

Mumblenose obediently obeyed his son's request, avoiding his kin. But, somehow, he still faced the consequences. During the battle where SkyClan attacked WindClan, Mumblenose was forced to face his other son, Searblaze. In the end, his family left him. And he didn't have a Bliss to seek comfort in. He then drowned in a period of severe depression. Those times haunted him, during his awaking moments and his sleeping moments.

Now, though, Mumblenose was encouraged to fight for what he had. He had been sad before, too, before the Evil Era, but when he saw what his son was bringing to the clan... He had to fight for WindClan; but he failed. He became sad once more. But he was happy, now that his kin returned to him. It was always a pattern, always. What would make him sad once more?

``Yes, your grandfather!`` Mumblenose cheered quietly, excited that Forestpaw seemed to understand - somewhat understand. He straightened happily, a bright grin on his face. Then he realized she was uneasy, most likely because this was their first meeting. Of course she will feel uncertain! His smile faltering slightly, he folded his ears in embarrassment. ``Oh, sorry. I understand I must be coming on strong - I'm just so excited I finally get to meet you!`` He figured his height could be intimidating, so after flashing her an apologetic look for his kit-like approach, Mumblenose lowered himself to his belly. His forepaws stretched before him, as long as they were, and his haunches were tucked against his flanks. He still held his head high, unable to bring it lower due to excitement. And then it hit him - did he remind Forestpaw of Singe? With his shock ebbing away as explanations clouding his mind, Mumblenose quickly meowed, ``I'm not... for lack of a better word, bad.``

[lone]

Originally Posted by InfernoFlicker

The former deputy's gaze followed the tom's expressions observantly after she had finished her proposals. The first reaction she got from his face was a but of uncertainty---in response to this, she added, "That's not to say you aren't fully capable of training your own apprentice. The majority of mentoring comes naturally to most warriors---it's just the different approaches that one would suggest to heed a little advice."

Originally Posted by InfernoFlicker

As the fellow warrior continued his description of his apprentice, Infernosky nodded her head in a genuine understanding of what he was saying. This apprentice of his reminded her a lot of what she had been like at that age. Blunt, very serious, over-achieving...perhaps those qualities didn't describe only her past self.
"From what you're saying, it doesn't seem like he holds a personal dislike for you, but his...insecurities , I suppose you could say...that are caused by his family condition and history are simply reflecting in his attitude, and you're caught in the line of fire, that's all." At this point, the former deputy realized that she very likely might be intruding on some private information, and her overly analytic observations of feline behavior could easily prove to be disconcerting to Obsidiansky. She suspected that this could be the case when the tom only responded to her offer with "Well, thank you for your offer. I might take you up on that." Mousedung. In a hopeless attempt to rescue her invasive words, she answered, "Perhaps I could learn a little something from your mentoring as well, if you consider a group training session with our apprentices."

Her suspicions proved to be folly when, to Infernosky's surprise, Obsidiansky continued to share some of his concerns about his apprentice. Good, she hadn't screwed up...that much. As she listened, she felt herself finding a common ground and connection with this apprentice, and that made it easier for her to understand where both the apprentice, and Obsidiansky, were coming from.
"No--it's alright. Perhaps, if I could get to know your apprentice, I could help you get through to him more effectively." She sounded like there was some kind of mindless science to apprentice training. That wasn't how she meant it, of course, it's just how things came out of her mouth; in a very factual manner. She knew, from experience, apprentices such as this could have emotional barriers so thick not even Infernosky could get through. However, as she looked and listened to Obsidiansky continue, perhaps he had an advantage that Infernosky had always lacked; empathy. Obsidiansky, as far as the former deputy had known him, has listened intently to her every word, and understood ever bit of it---at least it seemed that way. Infernosky didn't say it out loud, but perhaps that was precisely what this raging apprentice needed; someone to listen, and empathize, and to simply be there for him. Being the natural instructor and teacher that she was, she found immense satisfaction and pleasure in coming to this conclusion. Yes, this dynamic could work out nicely for both cats.

"You know...maybe you're doing things right. Who am I to show prejudice when I haven't even seen you train."

(This post is a mess I'm sorry)

Getting to know Rainpaw was easier said then done-- they'd already been training for a week or two and Rainpaw was just now starting to open up more. There had always been those rare moments where one or the other would have a moment of excitement and share it with the other, but most of the time it was Obsidiansky trying to pierce through his hard outer shell while equally trying to sucessfully train him. Balancing those two things was easier said then done. He was a harsher cat then Obsidiansky had originally thought. But, his outburst at the ceremony had shown the tom that it wasn't going to be easy. He'd thought it was just some jealousy. Now? There was so much more going on here. Rainpaw was a broken cat, broken as far as Obsidiansky could tell, anyways. And the saddest part of it was that he wasn't sure he could fix this.
　
It seemed to be that deep-down kind of brokenness, the type that would keep you up all night. He hated that for the younger tom. It was like seeing someone he loved be split in half. And, unfortunately, he didn't quite know whether he was going to be able to sew this young cat back together. Either way he was in for a rough time. "Maybe you could. I don't know if he would get along with you that great, though, I mean... not-- not that I have anything against you, it's just-- Rainpaw is really hard to get to know. I still don't know a lot about him, and it's already been half a moon." His expression faltered and he sighed. It's not that I couldn't use her help. But surely she's going to have her own apprentice soon, and then it's not fair to take her attention away from a cat who needs it. Besides, she's trying to get her friends settled in and Rainpaw's just going to make her life difficult... his thoughts trailed off.

　

Still, as he had said, maybe he would take her up on it. When things quieted down and she wasn't so busy. Problem was? He didn't know when this 'not so busy' was actually going to happen. Her next words gave him a sense of confusion and pride at the same time. Really? "Thanks." That was the first response that came to mind, and the one that left his maw. For someone who had seen so much, been through so much, and knew a lot more then he did about the world, it made him feel better knowing that she could have at least a little faith in him. Confirmation: that he was doing things right, that he was a good cat, that he was going to be okay... all sorts of confirmation was good but in his opinion this was the best kind. Blind(ish) faith. "But really, I mean... maybe once your life calms down I'll take you up on your offer. I don't know a lot about how to train an apprentice, heh..." His voice trailed off.
　
Now, Obsidiansky wasn't necessarily what you would call straight out prideful, but he did seem to have quite a bit of pride sometimes. What he had just said had wounded whatever bit of pride he still owned. No one liked to admit they didn't know something, and while the ebony tom was okay with it, it was still somewhat embarassing. "I really was grateful for-- for your offer, I just... I don't think you need to be bothered with that. Just getting back and all." He mewed with the slightest shrug. He could handle things on his own, anyways, although he didn't mention that part aloud. It seemed to be nicer just to leave it at that. The tom sighed, settling back down and wrapping his tail around his paws, despite the quickly rising temperature.

(It's absolutely fine!)

[SuspiciousMindz]

@woly @Equinox

Blazingstar shifted his gaze towards Fireflare then back towards Larkcry. The both of them needed a punishment, but he had to think about what to give each warrior. Perhaps a little teamwork was in hand? An apprentice task that most of the apprentices dreaded. The nursery clean out. It'd force the two to cooperate, but not only that, it also helping out the queens and kits. "You both will clean the moss and reinforce the wall in the nursery. This will be done before either of you can hunt or go on border patrol. If either of you two fight, trust me on this, I will know about it and your punishments will get worse. Do not ask for the help of apprentices, this is your tasks and yours alone. It could be done fairly quickly since you're both grown warriors if I'm not mistaken," Blazingstar finished his statement. It really wasn't too bad of a punishment just because of the lack of evidence and the lack of need for one. Of course he trusted his warriors, but sometimes there simply wasn't enough proof to justify someone's crimes. The words from both sides were the only thing he was going off of and the nursery clean out was the best he could think of. With that, the ginger warrior flicked his tail towards the den entrance signaling that this conversation was over. Suddenly the leader looked wore out and he definitely felt like it. Once the two warriors had turned to leave or at least began to, he turned from the entrance and circled his nest before slumping down into it to rest.

[goddess of ducks]

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx

Though Mumblenose believed himself to be the unintentional source of Singe's cruel ways, he wasn't aware of whether or not the idea was factual. It was true that he blamed himself and punished himself terribly, but now that his kin were coming back to him, he had something to fight for. Maybe the way he treated Singe as a kitten was cruel, but he yearned to make up for his mistake. Unfortunately, Singe had made it clear how unwelcome Mumblenose was in his life. He had tried, though, and even attempted to twist his son's beliefs to something good. Perhaps he could've lead Singe along a path of righteousness if he had tried harder? But then Singe threatened him, warning him that if he dared to so much as glance at his family, Mumblenose would face the consequences. He wasn't scared of Singe, but he hoped that if he listened to him, their relationship would be mended a bit.

Mumblenose obediently obeyed his son's request, avoiding his kin. But, somehow, he still faced the consequences. During the battle where SkyClan attacked WindClan, Mumblenose was forced to face his other son, Searblaze. In the end, his family left him. And he didn't have a Bliss to seek comfort in. He then drowned in a period of severe depression. Those times haunted him, during his awaking moments and his sleeping moments.

Now, though, Mumblenose was encouraged to fight for what he had. He had been sad before, too, before the Evil Era, but when he saw what his son was bringing to the clan... He had to fight for WindClan; but he failed. He became sad once more. But he was happy, now that his kin returned to him. It was always a pattern, always. What would make him sad once more?

``Yes, your grandfather!`` Mumblenose cheered quietly, excited that Forestpaw seemed to understand - somewhat understand. He straightened happily, a bright grin on his face. Then he realized she was uneasy, most likely because this was their first meeting. Of course she will feel uncertain! His smile faltering slightly, he folded his ears in embarrassment. ``Oh, sorry. I understand I must be coming on strong - I'm just so excited I finally get to meet you!`` He figured his height could be intimidating, so after flashing her an apologetic look for his kit-like approach, Mumblenose lowered himself to his belly. His forepaws stretched before him, as long as they were, and his haunches were tucked against his flanks. He still held his head high, unable to bring it lower due to excitement. And then it hit him - did he remind Forestpaw of Singe? With his shock ebbing away as explanations clouding his mind, Mumblenose quickly meowed, ``I'm not... for lack of a better word, bad.``

So, Singe had obviously failed to mention this. A grandfather she had never heard of? Not what she was expecting when she came back. But his features, height, pelt, even eyes. It all reminded her of Him. It wasn't on a bad way though. Forest loved her father. She really did, no matter how other viewed her for it. It was the father she had and she had to love him the way he was. Sure, as she grew older she was beginning to disagree with more and more if the things he had done and was doing, but that didn't mean she stopped loving him for it.

But now, here was this cat who claimed to be her grandfather. Sure she had no way to verify that, but judging by the same features, height and all, she would trust him in his word. Beside it seemed he knew who she was, though she didn't know his name. If this cat was her family, maybe she could get to know him? Maybe her Grandfather could be a good alternative to Singe for her.

"Huh," she huffed. "Singe never mentioned anything if you. And besides, I don't even know your name. " she remarked, gazing at him with calm and steady eyes, holding his gaze. "Of course, I don't doubt you, but you look a bit young bye be called grandfather. " she purred in slight assume that. Maybe this could be the start of her second chance, the chance of a life time, the chance to change everything, and to fix her problems.

[dino.]

Originally Posted by Suspiciousmindz

@woly @Equinox

Blazingstar shifted his gaze towards Fireflare then back towards Larkcry. The both of them needed a punishment, but he had to think about what to give each warrior. Perhaps a little teamwork was in hand? An apprentice task that most of the apprentices dreaded. The nursery clean out. It'd force the two to cooperate, but not only that, it also helping out the queens and kits. "You both will clean the moss and reinforce the wall in the nursery. This will be done before either of you can hunt or go on border patrol. If either of you two fight, trust me on this, I will know about it and your punishments will get worse. Do not ask for the help of apprentices, this is your tasks and yours alone. It could be done fairly quickly since you're both grown warriors if I'm not mistaken," Blazingstar finished his statement. It really wasn't too bad of a punishment just because of the lack of evidence and the lack of need for one. Of course he trusted his warriors, but sometimes there simply wasn't enough proof to justify someone's crimes. The words from both sides were the only thing he was going off of and the nursery clean out was the best he could think of. With that, the ginger warrior flicked his tail towards the den entrance signaling that this conversation was over. Suddenly the leader looked wore out and he definitely felt like it. Once the two warriors had turned to leave or at least began to, he turned from the entrance and circled his nest before slumping down into it to rest.

Larkcry stiffened at the punishment, and opened his mouth to object. But, apparently, he thought better of it. The warrior closed his jaws and muttered a, "Yes, Blazingstar."

He turned to pad out of the den, tail-tip twitching in agitation at such a childish punishment. Then his ears flicked slightly, and he paused, glancing behind his shoulder to see Blazingstar laying slumped in his nest. "Blazingstar?" he whispered. "Are you ok?"

[Mango]

Logfeather layed in the clearing napping.

[Brunch]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"You know you love me." He flicked her with his tail teasingly, a friendly smile on his features as usual. Her proposal of hunting would be fun, if it wasn't so hot. Casting a glance out at the height of the sun; not to mention the fact that he could feel it's warmth all the way from the current area of the clearing; Obsidiansky figured it probably wasn't the best idea. "You know I would, but... it's awfully hot out for me. I'll take you up on that later though. I need to beat you in a hunting competition so I can mend my wounded pride." His hues flashed with pleasure and the tip of his tail twitched again as he sighed. How tired could he get? Perhaps the heat was making him sluggish, but he felt lazy. It was days like these that he wished he were a RiverClan cat... he would just go swimming to cool off, but his thick pelt would probably drag him down. And the thought of that terrified him.

"In the meantime, anything new going on?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. He had always wanted to know what others were thinking, to feel what they were feeling at the moment, and he glanced at her curiously as though expecting her to tell him all of this in the next few seconds. Of course she wasn't going to... what kind of cat would? But, they were close. And he was hoping that she knew she could trust him. Whatever she told him, the words would not go further. He wasn't much of a gossip-- sure, he listened to the daily talk, caught up on what happened with his friends, but he didn't spread their worries and hopes around. You could trust him.

"Perhaps I do," the she-cat mewed with purr, but Canineheart suddenly regretted her words, realizing that it was a bit suggestive in a sense... Her cheeks tinged with pink as she pawed the ground nervously, her heart pounding in her ears. Please tell me he didn't hear me... She pleaded to StarClan... Perhaps her ancestors would listen to her for once, and let her have this one slip. It wasn't that she hated the tom,Canineheart just didn't have that sort of feelings for him quite yet; Obsidiansky was a good friend, yes, but she didn't want him thinking of her that way-- as a crush rather than a pal.

"Didn't realize you could be knocked out by the sun so easily..." Canineheart muttered with a bit of an embarrassed glint to her emerald eyes. "Explains why a little she-cat like me can tackle you like that," she teased with a friendly sneer, her tail flicking, trying to distract Obsidiansky from her former words. Please, please, please, please... Canineheart repeated over and over again, trying to persuade the clan above to listen to her. Canineheart needed time before she told anyone if she had a crush on some tom. She needed time to figure out who she liked.

What if Obsidiansky is the one? A voice above her pleas echoed in the back of her mind. I don't know yet, so keep quite... Canineheart whispered to herself. She didn't need another friend turning their back on her because of the stupid things she says.

"Oh..." Canineheart said after a moment of hesitation, "I... Well..." Her eyes dropped to the ground, focusing on a small clump of grass. "I guess... Uh, after standing up to my friends and telling them that I don't want the kind of toms their trying to pair me up with... they..." Canineheart winced as though someone were touching a fresh wound on her shoulder. Her ears flipped back with dismay as her shoulders sunk. "They sort of told me that they were only trying to help me, and were never my friends... I-it's stupid right...? They act like we are still apprentices," Canineheart gave a forced laugh, trying to calm herself as tears started to well in her eyes.

"I'm stupid," Canineheart muttered, "For even caring about this..." She shook her head and looked at Obsidiansky, "Sorry for spilling this on you... It just feels like I have no one else..."

Well of course you have no one else, because you do this to them...

[Lawlipop]

Originally Posted by RedHead

Goosegrumble was still at the camp entrance, but as he spotted a fellow warrior just basking around in the sun, he narrowed his amber eyes. What's she doing? She should be hunting! With the tensions high between Thunderclan and Windclan, Goosegrumble had been on even more edge than before. The clan would need food to keep them strong, especially if a battle came up. So every cat should be pulling their weight and helping out. Of course, that was just how Goose's mind thought about it, he was always planning ahead. Every little thing he thought about, he had to think of the consequences that came with it. Goosegrumble was never not prepared. And his plans had to flow. His plan would not flow if this she-cat sat there and groomed herself. On any other day, Goosegrumble might have surpassed her and not cared, but today, Goose was feeling especially grumpy. He stalked over to her, lashing his tail through the air.
"So, Windclan and Thunderclan are at high stakes right now, and you're just planning to sit there and groom your fur?" Goosegrumble growled, an agitated look on his face. "There's really no point in that, if we have a battle then your fur is definitely going to get messed up." Ahh Goosegrumble, always saying it like it is. The tom himself hadn't groomed in a while, with how much he had put on his own plate. But Goosegrumble didn't care. His white fur may be all ruffly, the ginger splotches as well, but at least he was helping the clan.
Unlike this feline right in front of him.

Her rough tongue halted in it's grooming and blue eyes looked up at a clanmate. His sudden approach startled her, but she seemed unsurprised by his words. She flashed a smile at him, getting up after she stretches herself out. "Oh, hello there, how are you today?" She yawned, then paced back and forth in a friendly manner. She knows how to handle this. "I apologize for my procrastination, I was just sprucing a few flaws and was about to go out to hunt. For you see, I'm not a great fighter." She explains, telling how her frail body proved unsuitable for combat. "Could you allow me a few more moments of care before I go? You can go off and attend your duties, I just need to set some out of place hairs, if you don't mind." She has faced many cats in the past that has noticed her procrastinating on her duties. And with each encounter, she has grown wiser and now has a whole pile of excuses in her mind she is ready to use at her disposal.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Cloudy

"Perhaps I do," the she-cat mewed with purr, but Canineheart suddenly regretted her words, realizing that it was a bit suggestive in a sense... Her cheeks tinged with pink as she pawed the ground nervously, her heart pounding in her ears. Please tell me he didn't hear me... She pleaded to StarClan... Perhaps her ancestors would listen to her for once, and let her have this one slip. It wasn't that she hated the tom,Canineheart just didn't have that sort of feelings for him quite yet; Obsidiansky was a good friend, yes, but she didn't want him thinking of her that way-- as a crush rather than a pal.

Originally Posted by Cloudy

"Didn't realize you could be knocked out by the sun so easily..." Canineheart muttered with a bit of an embarrassed glint to her emerald eyes. "Explains why a little she-cat like me can tackle you like that," she teased with a friendly sneer, her tail flicking, trying to distract Obsidiansky from her former words. Please, please, please, please... Canineheart repeated over and over again, trying to persuade the clan above to listen to her. Canineheart needed time before she told anyone if she had a crush on some tom. She needed time to figure out who she liked.

What if Obsidiansky is the one? A voice above her pleas echoed in the back of her mind. I don't know yet, so keep quite... Canineheart whispered to herself. She didn't need another friend turning their back on her because of the stupid things she says.

"Oh..." Canineheart said after a moment of hesitation, "I... Well..." Her eyes dropped to the ground, focusing on a small clump of grass. "I guess... Uh, after standing up to my friends and telling them that I don't want the kind of toms their trying to pair me up with... they..." Canineheart winced as though someone were touching a fresh wound on her shoulder. Her ears flipped back with dismay as her shoulders sunk. "They sort of told me that they were only trying to help me, and were never my friends... I-it's stupid right...? They act like we are still apprentices," Canineheart gave a forced laugh, trying to calm herself as tears started to well in her eyes.

"I'm stupid," Canineheart muttered, "For even caring about this..." She shook her head and looked at Obsidiansky, "Sorry for spilling this on you... It just feels like I have no one else..."

Well of course you have no one else, because you do this to them...

The dark tom cocked his head to the side, not quite having caught her words.
"What was that?" He mewed with a short laugh, only to hear her tease him. This was what their friendship was like. They teased each other, right? He'd been playing earlier. She got that. Surely she had gotten that, had he made her feel weird? But, he quickly tried to come up with a retort before he actually did make her feel weird. "Oh, come on! Besides, did it ever occur to you maybe I'm the little one?" He mewed, a teasing glint in his hues as he spoke. Of course, she was somewhat smaller then him. Even so it wasn't doing any harm to mess around a little, not as far as he knew. Her hesitation at his question, however, proved him wrong. Something was up, otherwise she wouldn't be acting this way. And while he didn't claim to know everything about her, he knew enough to know that she wouldn't act like this.
　
And then she told him. What she said made him furious. "They said what?" He asked, his voice dangerously low and soft. That was enough to make any cat frustrated, but he was so angry he would have fought every single one of those cats. Why would they do that? They would just discard her when she decided to stand up to them? "You're right. That is stupid they would say that. They never should have told you they were your friends in the first place. I'm really, really sorry, Canineheart..." His voice trailed off and he sighed. What else was there to say? He was sorry, of course, but there was no way to mend this. There was no way to get her friends back and after hearing what they had said, he wasn't sure that he would if there was a way. If only he hadn't encouraged her to stand up to them. But, if she hadn't things could start getting worse as far as their selections in toms.
　

"You are not stupid for caring about that, and I hope you don't really believe that..."

He could hardly believe what she had said. "But as far as you 'spilling this on me,' I wouldn't have it any other way. It means a lot that you trust me enough to tell me about this. It's important to me that you never feel bad about telling me things, okay?" He mewed gently, giving her a worried look. So quickly playfulness had turned to a more serious conversation. And yet, Obsidiansky wouldn't have had it any other way.