SkyClan Territory

[Charmer]

@AbsurdJinx

@woly

(Shinefang is going to be in his den. I'll get the post up and mention you both)

[lio]

Originally Posted by Duststorm

Fury blazed in his eyes as Orbit insulted him, his hackles rising in anger. Dear Starclan how he was biting back a nasty response! Overcome with frustration, Brambleflight stomped his paw, his voice laced with venom as he addressed the other. "Fine, whatever, she's over here anyway!" And with that, the warrior, childishly, stomped his way over to the spot he had directed Luna to hide. Poking his head behind the rock, anxiety gripped his heart, his vision blurring as he realized the kit was not there. How could he be so stupid! No, he couldn't validate Orbit just yet. "She was supposed to be right here!" Guilt prickled at his pelt, his eyes focused on the ground as he mentally scolded himself. "Luna?!"

"Oh no... you don't think she's outside of camp, do you?!" Panic swept over the tom as he watched Orbitstreak rush to the entrance of camp, his own paws pounding down on the others heels. Racing beside him, Bramble pushed past the other and into the territory.

orbitstreak yowled with despair as he raced after bramble, his eyes wide and dark. he flattened his ears and allowed his paws to stomp along the ground, paying no mind the the prey he was most definitely startling away. the tom caught up to brambleflight and ran next to him. his nose tilted up, maw parted to scent for luna.

"lunarkit!" his voice cracked, his heart weighing heavy in his chest. without luna, he had nothing. fern was gone. buddy was gone. everybody he'd ever loved was gone. orbit would be completely alone, and it would be bramble's fault.

"you bumbling moron. because of you, luna is missing and now she's probably going to get killed, or captured, or something worse! i— i hate you!" orbitstreak screamed as he ran along, his tail lashing irritably. his claws tore at the ground, leaving a trail behind him. the grumpy tom growled and skidded to a stop, looking around wildly.

"i scent a trail. this way," he commanded, turning into a different direction. that scent must be luna's!

said kit was hiding away in a bush, curled around herself fearfully. many new senses swirled around her, meddling with her thoughts and causing her to be confused. luna whimpered quietly, pulling her grey, striped tail closer around her tiny body.

[Dust]

Originally Posted by tinyalienboy

orbitstreak yowled with despair as he raced after bramble, his eyes wide and dark. he flattened his ears and allowed his paws to stomp along the ground, paying no mind the the prey he was most definitely startling away. the tom caught up to brambleflight and ran next to him. his nose tilted up, maw parted to scent for luna.

"lunarkit!" his voice cracked, his heart weighing heavy in his chest. without luna, he had nothing. fern was gone. buddy was gone. everybody he'd ever loved was gone. orbit would be completely alone, and it would be bramble's fault.

"you bumbling moron. because of you, luna is missing and now she's probably going to get killed, or captured, or something worse! i— i hate you!" orbitstreak screamed as he ran along, his tail lashing irritably. his claws tore at the ground, leaving a trail behind him. the grumpy tom growled and skidded to a stop, looking around wildly.

"i scent a trail. this way," he commanded, turning into a different direction. that scent must be luna's!

said kit was hiding away in a bush, curled around herself fearfully. many new senses swirled around her, meddling with her thoughts and causing her to be confused. luna whimpered quietly, pulling her grey, striped tail closer around her tiny body.

"You can hate me later! Right now we need to find her!" He snapped, his temper short as the two sprinted through the forest. Why did he do that? Why did he think telling a KIT to hide from everyone was a good idea? It wasn't like he wanted Orbitstreak to intentionally hate him. Shaking his head, the warrior stopped and lifted his muzzle scenting the air. Nothing but the stale scent of Skyclan and decaying leaves.

"i scent a trail. this way,"

Did he? Bramble couldn't smell anything, although in hindsight, Orbitstreak was caring for the kit. It would make sense he could rapidly discern her scent from everything. Amusement tugged at his heart at the thought of Orbit being a queen. He was sure that the warrior would shred his ears if he even hinted at it. Quickly following after the other, Brambleflight continued scenting the air, only catching the scent of Lunarkit as they proceeded further into the undergrowth. "How far do you think she is?"

[lio]

Originally Posted by Duststorm

"You can hate me later! Right now we need to find her!" He snapped, his temper short as the two sprinted through the forest. Why did he do that? Why did he think telling a KIT to hide from everyone was a good idea? It wasn't like he wanted Orbitstreak to intentionally hate him. Shaking his head, the warrior stopped and lifted his muzzle scenting the air. Nothing but the stale scent of Skyclan and decaying leaves.

"i scent a trail. this way,"

Did he? Bramble couldn't smell anything, although in hindsight, Orbitstreak was caring for the kit. It would make sense he could rapidly discern her scent from everything. Amusement tugged at his heart at the thought of Orbit being a queen. He was sure that the warrior would shred his ears if he even hinted at it. Quickly following after the other, Brambleflight continued scenting the air, only catching the scent of Lunarkit as they proceeded further into the undergrowth. "How far do you think she is?"

the panicking tom lashed his tail, ignoring brambleflight in favor of focusing on the task at hand. his eyes flitted back and forth, an amber gaze searching for a white pelt. orbit froze and spun around in a circle, hearing something. she must have become frightened and hid in a bush, or worse, up a tree, he thought.

"shut up, i hear something." orbitstreak raced towards a bush, following the sound of tiny whimpers. poking his head into the greenery, the tom yelped as he felt small claws scratch at his face. "luna, it's me, uncle orbit!"

"orbit?"

"yes, orbit," he curled a paw towards her, nudging her out of the bush. puffing his chest, orbitstreak put on his best fatherly voice to scold the white kitten. "you are not supposed to be out here, luna. there are many dangers in which you are too young to face. please do not run from camp again."

luna ducked her head in shame, "okay, uncle orbit."

orbitstreak kept speaking, brambleflight momentarily forgotten. "your mother was my best friend, but now she is gone. i cannot lose you too, luna," he dipped his head and pressed his nose to her cheek, "i love you, my little moon. let's go home."

he looked up at bramble, heat flaring across his pelt as he realized that the mouse-brain saw a softer side to him. orbit merely narrowed his eyes and signalled to the tom that they would speak once luna is safe and in the nursery. for now, he wanted the imbecile to stay quiet.

although i don't believe that's possible, orbitstreak thought, chuckling quietly to himself.

[Dust]

Originally Posted by tinyalienboy

the panicking tom lashed his tail, ignoring brambleflight in favor of focusing on the task at hand. his eyes flitted back and forth, an amber gaze searching for a white pelt. orbit froze and spun around in a circle, hearing something. she must have become frightened and hid in a bush, or worse, up a tree, he thought.

"shut up, i hear something." orbitstreak raced towards a bush, following the sound of tiny whimpers. poking his head into the greenery, the tom yelped as he felt small claws scratch at his face. "luna, it's me, uncle orbit!"

"orbit?"

"yes, orbit," he curled a paw towards her, nudging her out of the bush. puffing his chest, orbitstreak put on his best fatherly voice to scold the white kitten. "you are not supposed to be out here, luna. there are many dangers in which you are too young to face. please do not run from camp again."

luna ducked her head in shame, "okay, uncle orbit."

orbitstreak kept speaking, brambleflight momentarily forgotten. "your mother was my best friend, but now she is gone. i cannot lose you too, luna," he dipped his head and pressed his nose to her cheek, "i love you, my little moon. let's go home."

he looked up at bramble, heat flaring across his pelt as he realized that the mouse-brain saw a softer side to him. orbit merely narrowed his eyes and signalled to the tom that they would speak once luna is safe and in the nursery. for now, he wanted the imbecile to stay quiet.

although i don't believe that's possible, orbitstreak thought, chuckling quietly to himself.

Relief washed over the tom cat as Lunarkit was coaxed out of her hiding place by Orbitstreak. He couldn't help but feel guilty. Ducking his head, he gave Luna a sympathetic look, hoping but Orbit wouldn't be too hard on her, like he had been on him. Ears pinned back against his head, Brambleflight scuffed his paw against the ground. It came as a shock when he heard the warrior talking softly to the kit like he was her own damn father. Definitely now what he expected! A grin plastered across his face, Bramble shot Orbit a playful look and nodded, following after the two. He was going to get a mouthful -- he already knew that, but atleast he could tease the other about being a softy at heart. That was all he needed to get through the lashing he was about to receive. Maybe if I play like a kit he'll show some mercy on me too? He thought to himself, a small purr rumbling in his throat.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

It was worrying to him, Marblestrike's actions. How scared she seemed, that frightened him. What was she so afraid of? Had he tried to hurt her yet? No. But there was something in her that seemed to be telling her he was dangerous, that he was not to be trusted, and Palmettoleaf hated the way that made him feel. Like he really was dangerous. Like he really couldn't be trusted. His tail twitched back and forth, eyes looking down at the ground as he unwrapped it from around her. Well, he didn't want to scare her! That definitely wasn't his goal. Green eyes fixed themselves on his companion as he listened to her, toning in on every word. She didn't leave a detail out... at least, not as far as he knew. From what it sounded like, this was the most detailed description she could really give of her brother.

The most detailed he could ask for, anyways. Palmettoleaf felt bad. Honestly, if anything could be said about it, he felt awful for making her think of these memories again. True - he couldn't have known. But he could have guessed, and he didn't have to push it. Yet that was exactly what he had done and now she was sad and scared and frustrated and Palmettoleaf felt like he had just been named the world's most inconsiderate cat. He could help her! He really thought he could help her, but there was nothing that he could do at the moment. Right now he felt powerless until he could think of a way to help her. He knew he would be able to, Palmettoleaf really wanted to help Marblestrike, and if he set his mind to something like this, he would accomplish it. The way that she described her brother, made Palmettoleaf think about how close family bonds really could be. The story that had been told, about her father... no one would kill their own kits! It was your legacy. It was the way that you passed down your own genes, kits were the future of the Clan.

The future of the world that they knew, and Palmettoleaf wondered what the world would be like if everyone did that. Perhaps a few adult cats, but there definitely wouldn't be many. Maybe there wouldn't even be Clans. Just loners and rogues, struggling to survive, living in smaller groups, but never in a group like this. That would be horrible! He was glad that his own parents, and most of the parents around the Clans and hopefully areas beyond, weren't like Marblestrike's father. "He sounds incredible." It was such a shame that he would never get to meet this brother that she admired so deeply. It was an even bigger shame that he never wanted to meet her father. If he did, chances were, things were NOT going to end well. Despite having never met the tom, Palmettoleaf already hated him. In his mind, in this story, her father was the biggest bully of all time. It was worse then he would have imagined. His soft green eyes fixed themselves on Marblestrike. This day had grown surprisingly personal, and he was kind of worried as to what it could mean for their future. Their personal future, anyways, as friends. Getting too personal on a first meeting like this could be bad, because what was there to gain trust about later? She had already told him all of this. Maybe she really was beginning to trust him already.

Which made Palmettoleaf happy, but worried at the same time. If he were to betray her trust, accidentally of course, he could never forgive himself. Green eyes flashed worriedly as he recurled his tail around her and made sure he was sitting close enough to her to make her feel safe. To make her feel like she was closed in from the world, he would be a shield. "I've got you." The most comforting thing he could think of to say at the moment. There wasn't much that he could say about Slip. The tom sounded like he had been her previous shield, so if he could be one now, that would be great. Of course Palmettoleaf wasn't quite sure how it would turn out. Maybe, things would be fine. There was always that hope... that everything would turn out fine. I've got you. His own words sounded back in his head and he hoped that he was telling the truth. Did he truly have her? Would he make sure that he never let her fall? The answer was uncertain, just as their future was. But Palmettoleaf was pretty sure that he could begin a healing process, that he could help her forget - or maybe just take some of the pain away - so that she could trust again.

Her father had been a horrible cat. And he wasn't sure whether it was the death of her beloved brother, or knowing that her father was out there and thinking that there might be other cats out there, that had caused her to close off like this. Maybe a mixture of both. Palmettoleaf was nothing like her Dad, though. Nor would he ever be. He was going to be different... special. Not all cats were trustworthy, and not all were untrustworthy. It was just a matter of time before you could figure out which were which. Palmettoleaf knew that he was trustworthy, but the question was... did Marblestrike know that?


@Doodle

Marblestrike felt Palmettoleaf remove her tail, feeling a bit guilty- could he tell she was uneasy? She felt torn. It was a habit of hers not to trust any cat, but at the same time all this tom had done was be kind. Well, and a bit pushy, but she could tell it was all with good intentions. At least, she thought it was- and that was what scared her. What if she thought he was good, thought he was kind, and he turned out to be the opposite? The betrayal of her father cut deep, giving her trust issues with every cat she encountered.

Part of her wanted to yell out in frustration. Why couldn't she just be happy, live a normal life? But what was done was done, and there was no way she could change the past, no matter how much she wished she could. The molly risked a glance at the tom beside her, trying to decipher the look on his face. He too seemed to be having many emotions running through him, which would be expected. Her tail flickered a bit nervously as she tried to stop focusing on how he would fully react. He had been taking it in stride so far, surely that wouldn't change? Her gaze flitted his way once more, and that was when she picked up a trace of what she thought was guilt. What did he have to be guilty about? Marble frowned, realizing that he was likely blaming himself for the emotional wreck he was. No, that just wasn't right! Reaching out uncertainly, she placed a paw on his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself," she murmured. "You couldn't have known. Besides, I've always been a wreck. No one's noticed, that's all." She tried a small smile, and though she could feel how fake it was she hoped it gave him some reassurance. When she placed her paw back down it was delicately- as if she was fully aware of how fragile she was right now. But no, it was more so her sensing how fragile the air was around the two cats.

Her ear flicked at Palmettoleaf's words and she gave a small nod. "He was," she agreed, briefly meeting the tom's green eyes. "He... was a great brother, and a wonderful friend." No cat she knew could compare to her brother, and even Blazingcomet or Gingerwish weren't as close with her as she had been with Slip. She doubted any feline would be as near and dear to her heart as her brother had been. Not even just doubted the fact- she considered it impossible. When Palmettoleaf turned to her, Marble didn't remove her gaze. She allowed herself to maintain eye contact, despite the fact that it was something she was uncomfortable with. She felt that, perhaps, she could see into the tom better. His eyes didn't seem to be lying- they seemed sincere and kind- but a flash of green eyes, ones so similar to this tom's, had her turning away hurriedly.

Almost immediately after turning away she felt a tail wrap around her and she fought away her natural reaction to tense up, instead relaxing herself more. Palmettoleaf was trying to comfort her, that was all, she reminded herself. His words, intended to comfort, did exactly that and so the molly leaned herself onto the tom, quiet for a couple heartbeats. "Well, know you've gotten to know the 'Strange and Mysterious Marble', are you happy?" She joked in her sarcastic way. Yes, sarcasm was definitely a way for herself to hide how she was feeling- but it was definitely part of her true personality as well. Even back before the incident, back when her and Slip were still littermates, back when he was alive, she was sarcastic. Not with her parents- that would've earned her a scolding- but definitely with Slip.

So maybe sarcasm was her way of being close to others. At least, sometimes. Others her sarcasm was definitely meant to get those she disliked away. But while Palmettoleaf may have been one of those annoyances at first, he certainly wasn't now. Perhaps he was even becoming one of her friends? She wasn't sure. It wasn't like she made lots of friends. Perhaps after this they would go back to not speaking? Oddly enough she didn't like that idea, but the thought made her pull away. If they were to become distant then she didn't want to get close to the tom. That would result in pain for her, and she wanted to avoid hurt at all costs. The marbled feline glanced at the tom beside her before shoving herself to her paws, nodding in the direction of camp. "We should probably get going," she muttered, already pulling her boundaries up. She had been hurt before and she was determined not to let it happen again.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Doodle

Marblestrike felt Palmettoleaf remove her tail, feeling a bit guilty- could he tell she was uneasy? She felt torn. It was a habit of hers not to trust any cat, but at the same time all this tom had done was be kind. Well, and a bit pushy, but she could tell it was all with good intentions. At least, she thought it was- and that was what scared her. What if she thought he was good, thought he was kind, and he turned out to be the opposite? The betrayal of her father cut deep, giving her trust issues with every cat she encountered.

Part of her wanted to yell out in frustration. Why couldn't she just be happy, live a normal life? But what was done was done, and there was no way she could change the past, no matter how much she wished she could. The molly risked a glance at the tom beside her, trying to decipher the look on his face. He too seemed to be having many emotions running through him, which would be expected. Her tail flickered a bit nervously as she tried to stop focusing on how he would fully react. He had been taking it in stride so far, surely that wouldn't change? Her gaze flitted his way once more, and that was when she picked up a trace of what she thought was guilt. What did he have to be guilty about? Marble frowned, realizing that he was likely blaming himself for the emotional wreck he was. No, that just wasn't right! Reaching out uncertainly, she placed a paw on his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself," she murmured. "You couldn't have known. Besides, I've always been a wreck. No one's noticed, that's all." She tried a small smile, and though she could feel how fake it was she hoped it gave him some reassurance. When she placed her paw back down it was delicately- as if she was fully aware of how fragile she was right now. But no, it was more so her sensing how fragile the air was around the two cats.

Her ear flicked at Palmettoleaf's words and she gave a small nod. "He was," she agreed, briefly meeting the tom's green eyes. "He... was a great brother, and a wonderful friend." No cat she knew could compare to her brother, and even Blazingcomet or Gingerwish weren't as close with her as she had been with Slip. She doubted any feline would be as near and dear to her heart as her brother had been. Not even just doubted the fact- she considered it impossible. When Palmettoleaf turned to her, Marble didn't remove her gaze. She allowed herself to maintain eye contact, despite the fact that it was something she was uncomfortable with. She felt that, perhaps, she could see into the tom better. His eyes didn't seem to be lying- they seemed sincere and kind- but a flash of green eyes, ones so similar to this tom's, had her turning away hurriedly.

Almost immediately after turning away she felt a tail wrap around her and she fought away her natural reaction to tense up, instead relaxing herself more. Palmettoleaf was trying to comfort her, that was all, she reminded herself. His words, intended to comfort, did exactly that and so the molly leaned herself onto the tom, quiet for a couple heartbeats. "Well, know you've gotten to know the 'Strange and Mysterious Marble', are you happy?" She joked in her sarcastic way. Yes, sarcasm was definitely a way for herself to hide how she was feeling- but it was definitely part of her true personality as well. Even back before the incident, back when her and Slip were still littermates, back when he was alive, she was sarcastic. Not with her parents- that would've earned her a scolding- but definitely with Slip.

So maybe sarcasm was her way of being close to others. At least, sometimes. Others her sarcasm was definitely meant to get those she disliked away. But while Palmettoleaf may have been one of those annoyances at first, he certainly wasn't now. Perhaps he was even becoming one of her friends? She wasn't sure. It wasn't like she made lots of friends. Perhaps after this they would go back to not speaking? Oddly enough she didn't like that idea, but the thought made her pull away. If they were to become distant then she didn't want to get close to the tom. That would result in pain for her, and she wanted to avoid hurt at all costs. The marbled feline glanced at the tom beside her before shoving herself to her paws, nodding in the direction of camp. "We should probably get going," she muttered, already pulling her boundaries up. She had been hurt before and she was determined not to let it happen again.

Feeling her paw on his shoulder, Palmettoleaf looked over in surprise. That didn't seem like a motion that a stranger would make - that was the type of motion a friend would make. Wait, did Marblestrike think that he could be a friend? That he now was a friend? That thought made him cheer up some, and he offered her a friendly smile. At least she was trying. She was trying hard, and he was pretty sure that by the end of the day, they would be somewhat friends. It was nearing the end of the day now, and Palmettoleaf knew that he was going to have to act quickly if he wanted to gain Marblestrike's friendship. If he wanted to help her. If he wanted to make sure that she got the future she deserved, with a good cat who would take care of her and love her. It didn't necessarily have to be a mate - maybe all she needed was a best friend.

I could be her best friend. Except Palmettoleaf did realize that he might be jumping to conclusions, maybe she already had a best friend somewhere that she was missing right now. Maybe he should let her get back to her best friend. But part of him just wanted to stay here, forever, in this area talking about Marble's past and getting to know her more and more. "I'll see what I can do about that." He mewed with a gentle smile, in reference to her comment about being a wreck. She might have been somewhat emotionally unstable now, but he could change that. He could fix that so that she would be more emotionally stable, and no one would ever think of her as 'Marblestrike the wreck' or 'Marblestrike the invisible' as she seemed to think of herself. Nobody had noticed? How could no one have noticed the pain lurking beneath the surface, that she lashed out because she was hurt, not angry at them! Palmettoleaf was so glad that he had chosen her of all the cats to spend time with that day. It seemed she had really needed it.

Sometimes that was all another cat needed, a word of encouragement or a friendly smile. And the multicolored tom was doing his best to offer her both. If he could, he would've gone back in time and changed things for Marblestrike. Made it so that her brother Slip was still alive. She really loved him. And no, Palmettoleaf hadn't thought "had loved" because even though he was dead, she still loved her brother. It was possible. Entirely possible. He nodded as she spoke of him, a soft smile crossing his maw when she leaned against him, relaxing. This was good. This was nice. It meant that just maybe, she was starting to trust him more, and that they could actually have a better future as friends. Just maybe - Palmettoleaf really could be her best friend. The best friend that she needed, who would support her and love her... that was all he wanted. Strange and mysterious? Those were both words that Palmettoleaf might have used to describe Marblestrike before he got to know her, but now he was beginning to realize that was the opposite of who she was.

She was just layered - like most cats were - and it took some questioning before he could get through to the real, unlayered, stripped down version of Marblestrike. The original version. He was pretty sure he'd gotten quite a ways today. And he'd had a good time - despite how hard it had been. Palmettoleaf was glad that she had confided in him, that she had been so hurt she had decided she had nothing to lose under his questioning. And now he could help her. Help her to get over it, to trust other cats again the way she had trusted him today. "You're not strange, Marble. You're just unhappy. And hurt. And scared. But you're a good cat." He told her, with the softest smile he could manage. It was so nice to feel like he was helping, and to feel like she was letting him help.

But that feeling faded to one of pain, frustration, and confusion when the marbled feline pulled herself up, away from him and away from the comfort that he had been trying to bring. The warmth of her body quickly faded, along with the warmth of the trust she had given him for a moment. Palmettoleaf pulled himself up as well, clearing his throat and looking away from her for just a minute. Right then it was painful for him to. "Lead the way," He told her with the friendliest smile he could manage right then. In that moment he felt like she had taken his offer of friendship and thrown it away. Like she just didn't want it... and even if she didn't, did she have to act so much like she didn't? Maybe that was just how being untrusting worked. If you didn't want someone, you threw them away.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Feeling her paw on his shoulder, Palmettoleaf looked over in surprise. That didn't seem like a motion that a stranger would make - that was the type of motion a friend would make. Wait, did Marblestrike think that he could be a friend? That he now was a friend? That thought made him cheer up some, and he offered her a friendly smile. At least she was trying. She was trying hard, and he was pretty sure that by the end of the day, they would be somewhat friends. It was nearing the end of the day now, and Palmettoleaf knew that he was going to have to act quickly if he wanted to gain Marblestrike's friendship. If he wanted to help her. If he wanted to make sure that she got the future she deserved, with a good cat who would take care of her and love her. It didn't necessarily have to be a mate - maybe all she needed was a best friend.

I could be her best friend. Except Palmettoleaf did realize that he might be jumping to conclusions, maybe she already had a best friend somewhere that she was missing right now. Maybe he should let her get back to her best friend. But part of him just wanted to stay here, forever, in this area talking about Marble's past and getting to know her more and more. "I'll see what I can do about that." He mewed with a gentle smile, in reference to her comment about being a wreck. She might have been somewhat emotionally unstable now, but he could change that. He could fix that so that she would be more emotionally stable, and no one would ever think of her as 'Marblestrike the wreck' or 'Marblestrike the invisible' as she seemed to think of herself. Nobody had noticed? How could no one have noticed the pain lurking beneath the surface, that she lashed out because she was hurt, not angry at them! Palmettoleaf was so glad that he had chosen her of all the cats to spend time with that day. It seemed she had really needed it.

Sometimes that was all another cat needed, a word of encouragement or a friendly smile. And the multicolored tom was doing his best to offer her both. If he could, he would've gone back in time and changed things for Marblestrike. Made it so that her brother Slip was still alive. She really loved him. And no, Palmettoleaf hadn't thought "had loved" because even though he was dead, she still loved her brother. It was possible. Entirely possible. He nodded as she spoke of him, a soft smile crossing his maw when she leaned against him, relaxing. This was good. This was nice. It meant that just maybe, she was starting to trust him more, and that they could actually have a better future as friends. Just maybe - Palmettoleaf really could be her best friend. The best friend that she needed, who would support her and love her... that was all he wanted. Strange and mysterious? Those were both words that Palmettoleaf might have used to describe Marblestrike before he got to know her, but now he was beginning to realize that was the opposite of who she was.

She was just layered - like most cats were - and it took some questioning before he could get through to the real, unlayered, stripped down version of Marblestrike. The original version. He was pretty sure he'd gotten quite a ways today. And he'd had a good time - despite how hard it had been. Palmettoleaf was glad that she had confided in him, that she had been so hurt she had decided she had nothing to lose under his questioning. And now he could help her. Help her to get over it, to trust other cats again the way she had trusted him today. "You're not strange, Marble. You're just unhappy. And hurt. And scared. But you're a good cat." He told her, with the softest smile he could manage. It was so nice to feel like he was helping, and to feel like she was letting him help.

But that feeling faded to one of pain, frustration, and confusion when the marbled feline pulled herself up, away from him and away from the comfort that he had been trying to bring. The warmth of her body quickly faded, along with the warmth of the trust she had given him for a moment. Palmettoleaf pulled himself up as well, clearing his throat and looking away from her for just a minute. Right then it was painful for him to. "Lead the way," He told her with the friendliest smile he could manage right then. In that moment he felt like she had taken his offer of friendship and thrown it away. Like she just didn't want it... and even if she didn't, did she have to act so much like she didn't? Maybe that was just how being untrusting worked. If you didn't want someone, you threw them away.

Marblestrike noticed the surprise on Palmettoleaf's face, immediately beginning to think that she had made the wrong move. Was what she did weird? But then the tom smiled and all worries she had trickled away- no, she hadn't done the wrong thing after all. After a brief second she returned the smile with a hesitant but genuine smile of her own. The molly looked down at her mottled paws before glancing back over at the warrior, wondering what he was thinking about. She could tell he was definitely in thought about something- he looked like perhaps he was trying to figure something out. Oh, goodness, she really hoped that she hadn't sent a mixed signal his way. Marble wasn't even looking for friends, let alone romance. She hoped that Palmettoleaf wouldn't take it too harshly- he seemed like a nice cat and all, but she doubted she could ever trust a cat so much to become romantically involved.

Her ears flicked back with the other's words and she gave a small nod in response to them. Oh, goodness, she was letting him get to close, letting herself get too close to the tom. He wanted to help her- at least he seemed to want to. She couldn't let that happen, though. Marble didn't see herself as a feline that was able to be fixed; she was broken and mangled beyond repair. She would forever carry with her trust issues and pain, it was just a given. It was quite sad if she thought about it, but she lived each day knowing that it was one more closer to being with her brother again. With this in mind she glanced up to the sky- was Slip there now, watching her from the Afterlife? Or was he not able to see her here with this Starclan in the way?

Her tail flickered back and forth for a brief moment, a sure-fire sign of her anxiety. That was one of Marblestrike's biggest concerns about staying in the clans. She knew they had a different type of belief than she did- they believed in Starclan, whereas she believed she would go to the Afterlife after death. The molly didn't disbelieve in Starclan by no means; in her opinion the both likely existed side by side. After all, if only clan cats get into Starclan, wouldn't there be a space for loners after death? So, in her mind Slip was waiting for her in the Afterlife, but she always feared that Starclan waiting above the clans would keep her brother from being able to see her. I'm still here, Slip, and I still think about you every day. She hoped he was nearby, that he would know she was alright- or, well, as alright as the she-cat could be.

Palmettoleaf's words brought the feline back to reality. Her tailtip fluttered one last time before she forced it to still, focusing on what the tom was saying. Marble didn't like how well he knew her already- it made her nervous. "I'm not scared," she immediately denied. Her own rules she adopted repeated in her head- Don't show fear. Don't let anyone know the real you. Don't let anyone in. No one can be trusted. She wanted to leave these rules behind, but she had been following them for moons upon moons, ever since she left her territory and family all that time ago. It was a habit to follow them, natural for her. So trying to ignore them was almost impossible- it was a miracle she had bypassed them earlier, a miracle that she even told Palmettoleaf anything. It was an even bigger miracle that now, pushing him away, she felt a pain in her chest. She had already begun to let him in, and now reverting back to her old ways caused her to feel guilt.

This guilt only worsened when she noticed the tom's expression after she stood up. The pain was clearly visible, and Marble had to look away to keep her own feelings hidden. When he spoke, she turned back around, but rather than looking at Palmettoleaf she focused her gaze on the direction they would be walking back. She didn't waste a second in beginning to walk at a steady pace. I'm sorry, she thought, glancing back quickly at the tom to ensure he was following before turning back around, but it has to be this way. If only she hadn't decided to bring him to her spot. Maybe none of this would have happened, maybe he wouldn't have been able to coax her into confiding in him. Maybe Palmettoleaf could have been saved the pain.

[Mango]

@SpookyScarySkeletons
Lostpaw was walking through the territory and licked her paws, she was a good warrior, after all she was 11 moons old. She saw a familiar clanmate,” Hello Cloudpaw!” She smiled,” I’m heading out to hunt, would you care to join me!” She meowed.

[Doodle]

@Lonestar23

Marblestrike moved quietly through the trees, reaching the clearing and stream that she dubbed as her place- despite the fact that it technically was Skyclan's. To her, this stream was her own, as she had almost never seen one of her clanmates here. It was often a place she could go to relax and calm down- which was much needed currently. The molly had too much on her mind, from her apprentice's training, to her required duties as a Skyclan member, all the way to just a few days ago with a tom who would not seem to leave her thoughts. It was so frustrating- she had told herself not to get attached, not to let her guard down, and yet she was still caught up on how kind he had seemed, how caring, how his gaze seemed so soft and inviting...

The molly shook her head, realizing she had become dazed again- something that had been happening quite too often for her liking. Moving forward once again, Marble moved up onto the large rock that rested beside the stream, knowing the sunlight would have heated it up. It was chilly now, and she doubted she would be swimming for a while. A wistful sigh left her at the thought; she adored swimming, and thus hated leaf-fall and leaf-bare. She longed for the warmer seasons, for times where this rock would be too hot for her to handle, for when a dip in the stream was necessary in order to cool down. But that would have to wait.

Settling down into a comfortable position, she stared out past the stream and to the trees on the other side. While she felt at ease here, she could never completely let her guard down- a fact she had learned during her time as a loner. A cat could never be sure that danger wasn't a tail-length away; perhaps a dog could come charging at her, or even some returned Syndicate cats. A rustle caught the feline's attention, causing Marblestrike to twist around in her position, staring at the trees behind her- though she guessed it was just the breeze, as no other noise followed. Relaxing once more, she closed her eyes for the slightest second, enjoying the warmth that the stone and sunlight brought and trying to ignore all her worries.