Re: SkyClan Clearing
 

She giggled once again, hopping around. ''Why would you want to do that?'' She asked him. ''Staying to yourself is so...''She plopped down on her stomach, rolling over on her back, and looked up at him with her yellow eyes. ''...boring.'' She clawed at the air, and giggled once again. To say she had trouble with paying attention to her surroundings, wasn't a lie. Though, she could not figure out why everything distracted her, like the grey tom in front of her. She thought he was interesting, and comical, as she noticed he had trouble speaking properly. She started to claw at the air. ''Are you tensed?'' She suddenly asked, and hopped to her paws, circling around him again. When she saw something else that caught her attention, a type of flying insect, she accidentally brushed her tail alongside him, and hopped over to the little bug, trying to catch it, to no avail. ''Hey!'' She yelled at it. ''I won't hurt you! I just wanna play!'' She whined like a young kit. She took a quick glance at the tom, and bounded towards him, entering in a playful bow. ''I think we would be great friends! You are so interesting, as if you are like-like-like-like...'' she fumbled her words, ''a mystery!'' She exclaimed. ''I love mysteries! I like adventures too! Do you like adventures? Have you ever even traveled anywhere?'' She looked ahead of them, at the clearing, and at the sky. ''I didn't. I don't want to leave the clan,'' she giggled, ''I'd get lost. No one would ever see me again.'' She flattened her ears. ''You know, that's what happened to my brother. I don't remember much about him anymore, other than that he was catnapped by some nofurs.'' She growled under her breath. ''Do you have a favorite food? Ohhhhhh~ I love squirrels! Their meet is delicious, if I do say so myself! Do you even have any friends in the clan?...''she trailed off, giggling once again. She started humming a tune as she hopped around him on her lightweight paws. Then, she stopped, and turned to him slightly, sitting next to him. ''I never even got you name...unless you told me! But, then again I have a good memory. I would remember a face like yours...''She thought aloud.

Re: SkyClan Clearing
 

Re: SkyClan Clearing
 

Greystep watched the she cat, a flash of amusement replacing the anxiety in his yellow hues for a moment before it faded. What was wrong with her? Could she do anything that involved sitting still for more then a few minutes? That's no way to think. She's a lovely young cat, and you're a nervous wreck of a warrior. He thought, with a firm twitch of his tail as though to seal the thought. "We-wu-well it-it-s bu-be-butter-better thu-the-then b-bei-ng aro-un-arou-nd oth-othu-r-other c-cuh-at-cats and g-get-getting huh-hur-t. It's better then being around other cats and getting hurt." Greystep mewed, looking pleased with himself as he finished the sentence. Perhaps after a while, once he was able to calm down more, he would be able to speak clearer and she could understand him even better. It was difficult, imagining himself without a stammer...after all, it had been there for quite a long time now.

He was able to talk to Owlwing without stammering like that. At least, not as severely as he was now. Perhaps it was just the young warrior's overwhelming enthusiasm for life that overwhelmed him. Why did she have to be so...cheerful? How come she couldn't be quieter? Though Greystep had no right to be thinking something like that, he was one of the quietest cats around and it didn't seem like anybody really cared too much about him. He was about to answer her question when she bounded away, after a small flying insect. That bug has no idea what's coming to it, he thought with a short chuckle, a purr rumbling in his throat. This young warrior amused him.

Quite a bit, if he was being honest...but he wasn't sure whether or not he should humor her in turn. She was a sweet cat, perhaps she should find someone that worked more at her pace... but no, she had come over to him, of all cats-- why him?-- and now he should be friendly towards her. As she re-approached him, Greystep gave her as friendly of a smile as he could manage, yellow hues gleaming in an interested manner. "Wuh-wel-l, I-I-I di-d le-lu-lea-ve Sky-ski-Sky-Clu-Clan once. I-I u-use-d t-tu-to b-bu-be a tra-trav-eler." He explained. He had forgotten to piece the sentence together at the end in his excitement, but he figured she could work it out.

Right?

He listened to her story, and felt a twang of pity when he heard about her brother, but before he could respond to that comment, she was already moving on to another statement. And another. Both questions, so Greystep figured that he could answer them both at once. "I-I lu-lik-e squ-squi-rrel. I like squirrel. A-an-d I hu-have a-a fri-en-fruh-friend. And I have a friend." He mewed, the tip of his tail twitching as he spoke. His yellow hues never left the bouncy young warrior. He could feel his anxiety fading, and wondered if the next thing he said would be less hard to figure out and easier to understand. "G-greh-aystep. Greystep. Wh-at-wuh-what's y-your nu-name?" He swallowed nervously as he watched the she cat beside him, who just a moment before had been bouncing around like she had ants in her pelt.

She certainly was an interesting cat to have for a ... friend.

Re: SkyClan Clearing
 

Splotchfeather settled down for a bit, as she sat next to the grey warrior. She laid on her stomach, and looked up at him with a smile. ''Greystep...''She repeated. ''...Greystep...'' she repeated again, more slowly. She bounced up again, and jumped to where she was in front of him this time. ''I'm Splotchfeather!'' She exclaimed in her bubbly voice. ''I just thought you didn't have any friends. I mean, you're sitting here...alone...acting as if you're in captivity.'' She shuddered at the thought. ''Cages, are not an ideal place to be, by the way.'' She narrowed her eyes at him. She quickly switched over to another statement, to avoid thinking of the past. ''Travelling, you say? Where did you go?'' Her eyes sparked. ''I love thinking about traveling. As a young kit my mother always traveled with us, until I landed here.'' She shook her pelt, and sat down to take a few licks at it. ''But, then again, living in a clan is full of adventures itself!'' She bounded a few ways away from him to take a look at the clan. A bright smile was placed on her mew, and she flattened her ears. ''Why do you think you're going to get hurt?'' Her head turned to glance at him, and she tilted it in confusion. ''Especially in a clan, where you'd be protected.'' She stated, eagerly. ''Now, if you were a loner...that's a different story. It's not a pretty story either. In fact, it's not a story. It's reality. Just being alone...''She shivered, feeling cold chills go down her spine. She jumped up again. ''Besides! You look like you could fight off a hundred other cats!'' She mewed. There was something about this cat she did not quite understand. With the constant stuttering, she noted quickly that he was shy. Which conflicted with his posture.
Splotchfeather did not want him to feel hardened around her, but she could not find a way to relax her cheery state. She recounted her mother always telling her how happy she was, of how when she came out into the world, everything just glowered around her. With that planted in her mind, Splotchfeather thought every cat was gentle, nice, and amusing. Even the tom in front of her. Perhaps, she never met such a cat like him that kept her intrigued.
She gently gave his shoulder a jab with her paw. ''I have to admit,'' she laughed, ''You have great taste in food. Do you know how to hunt? What else do you enjoy doing? Other than,'' she gestured to the corner he laid in. ''...being here all the time. You should get out more. You know, bask in the sun, and soak in this weather! Maybe even sing a couple times!'' She looked to the sky again, her ears flattening. ''I love singing. My mother used to sing me a lullaby to my brothers and me, all the time.'' She sighed longingly, and then shook her head to rid the thoughts. She bounded to his side again, sitting down. She gently pushed him with her side, ''Why don't you tell me more about you?''

Re: SkyClan Clearing
 

The grey tom watched the warrior, his hues glancing over her as though he couldn't process what she was saying-- either that, or he couldn't figure out what he was trying to say. He was used to cats coming up, saying exactly what they meant, and leaving. Not hanging around like she was doing. If he were being honest, it scared him. Fear was an emotion that had been so active in Greystep's life, it felt almost like the real him. When he wasn't scared, he felt as though he were a whole different cat. Like he could do anything, or be anything... but of course, that was untrue. "Splo-splu-splotchf-fea-fuh-feather? Splotchfeather? That's- that's a, pr-pruh-pretty name," He mewed, cocking his head to the side as he watched the younger warrior. Splotchfeather. He replayed her name in his head, as though he were thinking of something extraordinarily interesting. Though that might not be the case, Splotchfeather certainly was an interesting cat to Greystep.

He couldn't figure out her confidence, how she was so...interested in everything, all of the time. "It-it's a di-ffer-ent kind of- of h-hurt." He explained, realizing that all the while he was becoming more comfortable. Loosening up. He was doing it! He was really doing it! Greystep felt as though he could have flown away, just like a bird at that point, he was so excited. A shy, though enthusiastic smile spread over his features as he glanced at the she cat, who he no kne was Splotchfeather. "M-might look th-thu-that way, b-but I cu-coul-couldn't," He mewed darkly, remembering the fierce battle. He must have had to be saved at least a hundred times. He was getting in the way more then anything else. But the moment he had thought Owlwing was in danger-- the moment he had thought something might happen-- he had turned into someone else.

He remembered the cries of the injured cats, the blood... no! Think about something else, anything else, anything at all, let's imagine we're in a field...sunny field...warm field...Greystep thought, a shudder going down his spine as he imagined the cold snow melting away and him standing in a warm field surrounded by bright yellow flowers. That was a pretty color. Bright yellow. And red. Despite his giant size, Greystep was definitely the definition of a gentle giant. Not to mention a frightened one. It made for a humorous sight, seeing the older warrior so frightened of a little fight. "I-I like to hu-huh-hunt! I do-don't stay in h-here all the t-t-tim-e!" He protested, his hues flashing for a moment, although they had a little spark of interest in them at the same time.

Another smile came over his features as he mentioned her mother singing to her. He could just see a miniature version of the young warrior sitting with her siblings as their mother sang a song...that sounded nice. Greystep had never gotten that as a young kit, although he desperately wished he had. He shifted his weight, glancing half-up at Splotchfeather as she requested that he tell her more about himself. "We-wuh-well, I like t-to h-huh-hunt...an-and g-go f-fo-for w-wu-walks...an-and s-some-sometimes t-tuh-talk, i-if t-thu-the cu-ca-t cat is nu-ni-nui-nice," Greystep mewed somewhat hesitantly, finally lifting his yellow hues to look at Splotchfeather again. His voice had gone back to it's normal stammer, though it definitely wasn't quite as severe as it had been a moment before.

He only wished it would sound normal.

Re: SkyClan Clearing
 

''You're adorable!'' She giggled, not realizing that she said anything. Her mind was always running around, constant changing thoughts, at different speeds. She was definitely a whirlwind of a tornado mixed with a hurricane. She settled down her laughing fest, and turned back to him. ''You think my name is pretty?'' she shyly asked, before quickly adding, ''I hate my name, if I'm honest. I mean...I would had gone with something flowery. Like Rose, or Lilac, Sunflower! But no...'' She huffed, ''my mother decided to name me Splotch because of my fur. She said I looked like some type of art...'' Splotchfeather rolled her eyes, but her heart treasured the memory. ''And, if I do say so myself, you seem like one of those cats that might when a award for acting like stone!'' She giggled once again. She got up from next to him, and started circling around him again in an excited manner. She never knew why she couldn't settle down for a few minutes. She always been like this, ever since she was a kit. She imagined her mother saying, ''Splotch! Splotch, can't you sit down? Just sit down!'' In contrast, she remembered her brothers never being the way she was. They were more calm and collected, but Splotchfeather was more on the daring side. ''You said you like going for walks, huh?'' She swayed a few steps in front of him, her head turning back to look at him. ''Perhaps we should go on one.'' She suggested. ''Especially since you don't stay in that spot all the time.'' She rolled her eyes playfully at him, and turned her head to continue walking. ''Maybe we'll catch a squirrel on the way, and could share it.'' She shrugged. ''Or, you could introduce me to your friend! Do you have family here? Parents? A mate? Kits? Who cares! I would love to meet them all!'' She snickered.

Re: SkyClan Clearing
 

The tom's yellow hues shot open in surprise at Splotchfeather's words. He wasn't used to being called 'adorable.' And, to be honest, he wasn't quite sure what he thought of it, either. "Th-thanks?" He mewed, cocking his head to one side until one ear was pointed towards the ground and the other was facing up. It was almost completely sideways, and made him look quite kit-like-- which was strange, considering he was not only an older warrior but he was also quite large as well. Unusual pretty much sums up my whole life, Greystep thought with a sigh, the tip of his tail twitching back and forth as he did so. He didn't quite like being called adorable, though there was a certain amount of kindness in the word that he enjoyed.

"W-well I th-thi-nk your Mom na-named you v-very well. S-Splotch-fu-feather suits you." He mewed with another one of his small, shyer smiles. It was unusual for Greystep to smile, though it was almost impossible around this perky young she cat. How was she so energetic all the time? Greystep knew he would never be able to sum up that much energy, and he would never understand how any other cat could either. It was interesting, seeing she cats dart around Camp with so much energy one moment, the next lying down and muttering something about being too tired. And toms, for that matter. Kits and apprentices mostly, but Greystep had seen quite a few warriors in his time doing it as well.

He didn't know quite what his opinion on the matter was, though he knew he didn't approve of it too much. "Th-that wo-wou-would be nu-nice. W-we sh-shou-should do that some-sometime." He mewed. His voice was becoming less severe in it's stammering, but it was still there. He didn't like it. Perhaps later it would disappear completely, and then Greystep would feel much more at home. Definitely much more. Besides that, Splotchfeather was a perfectly lovely young cat and he wanted her to feel comfortable around him-- though so far, she didn't seem to have any problem with that.

At her next statement-- which was mixed in with a question-- Greystep felt a shudder prickling at his spine. Owlwing, like himself, got nervous around strangers...or was it just toms? The first time they had talked she had told him it had been toms, which might be the reason she had been so uncertain around him. Not to mention the reason that he felt more comfortable around her. "I-I do-don't have a mu-ma-mate. Or k-kits. N-no-not yet, any-anyways. M-my pare-parents do-don't live he-here, an-and ne-neither does my f-family. But...but you c-could maybe meet my f-friend sometime, i-if you want to...sh-she's bu-been busy l-lately, s-so I don't know wh-when you can s-see her." Greystep mewed. Just speaking for that long had drained him of quite a bit of his energy. It was fascinating, really, how so large of a tom could be so scared-- and have so little energy.

But when it came to his loved ones, Greystep turned into a completely different cat.

Re: SkyClan Clearing
 

Splotchfeather eyed the large tom with a type of uncertainty, but it quickly faded away when she let out another giggle. She honestly could not crack open this tough piece of shell. She looked him up and down, wondering inside her head about the grey tom in front of her. She later stated, and for the first time, she sat down, longer than she would have. She curled her fluffy tail around her, and flicked her ears. ''You know, family is everything.'' She smiled. ''Even though I wasn't mine long, I still cherish them. And, one day you will probably have that!'' When she heard about his friend, she gave him a sneaky smile. ''It's a she-cat, huh?'' She giggled. ''I wonder how long that'll last...my mother told me that a tom and a she-cat can never remain friends when they realize that they love each other.'' She says. Even though she did not know the she-cat's name, she wondered who it was, but as quick as that thought came, it dispersed. ''You'll have a lovely family one day. A mate...kits...just imagine little yous running around...playing with them...cuddling them...telling them stories...watching them grow...loving them-'' She noticed that she was giving into her soft side, and quickly jumped to her paws, annoyed at the fact.
Splotchfeather didn't know where that motherly instinct came from. She wondered if it was just the fact that she was a she-cat, and she-cats adored little kits. She later added, ''I could never have kits,'' she laughed, ''I mean...a little me running around? Annoying the clan mates with their absolute peppiness and cheerfulness? I could get used to it, but I wouldn't want to annoy my clan mates more than I already do from time to time.''
Mother always told me there's a time and place for everything. But, not everything is happy. Besides, I rather go through life believing everything is happiness instead of being a grumpy old cat all the time.
Splotchfeather stared at her paws for a second, allowing her claws to sink into the dirt as she flexed them. After a while of being consumed in her lonely thoughts, she looked back up to the older warrior.
It dawned on her that she realized that she was probably being a push-over, and that he might not want to be her friend. She encountered this a few times, having to greet other cats with a profound enthusiasm, but realizing that not all cats enjoyed that type of approach. She blurted, ''I'm sorry if I'm being a nuisance!'' Her yellow eyes dart to the ground, and she let out a sigh. ''I just seen you in a corner, and I thought you were lonely. I mean, I shouldn't have bothered you in the first place. You seem harmless.'' She says, ''Besides, I most likely overdid my stay,'' she giggled. ''But hmm...'' She didn't want to leave his company, but her thoughts continued to harm her, making her think otherwise. To hide this feeling, she hopped around in a happy state, giggling. ''I could leave, if you want me to. All you have to do is ask.'' She stopped in front of him.

Re: SkyClan Clearing
 

Greystep watched the she cat cautiously as she sat down...and then to his surprise, stayed there as she began to speak. This was something new. Something unexpected. Something... different, that he hadn't thought of her before. "M-maybe," He mewed uncertainly. That was a sweet thing for her to say, he thought, with a small smile. Probably because she was a sweet cat. With a pretty name. And quite the personality. She was going to make some tom just like her very happy-- but more lucky-- one day. And when she did meet someone, Greystep was going to find them and make sure they didn't hurt the younger warrior. There was at least 20 moons of difference between them, he imagined...but then again, he had been wrong before. Even if he wasn't young, he was definitely the older out of the two, and because of that he imagined that even if he did grow to like the younger warrior, it wouldn't last long. He'd had little crushes before, but nothing that he could remember being truly...wow. Even now there was nothing that was truly wow, even with Owlwing-- which semi-surprised him, since he had grown to care for the she cat quite a bit since their meeting at the Gathering. He remembered being so nervous that something bad would happen when they returned to their Clan. Namely him making a fool of himself, as he had been bound to do in the past.

It seemed to be some sort of a curse, a plague on the older warrior-- something he couldn't shake, no matter how hard he tried to. "O-oh! W-well Owl-Owlwing and I-I are f-friends. G-good friends. I-I l-lu-like her, and everything b-but we're just f-friends." He mewed, with a semi-surprised expression due to Splotchfeather's words. At her next ones, however, she seemed to send the warrior into a trance. He was imagining the future, tiny kits running around... he and an unknown she cat, her pelt and face were blurred but he could catch patches of white and black, which looked much like Owlwing...and he could see tiny grey, and black, and white kits running around, playing with him-- not to mention his stammer was gone, which made him feel so happy he thought he could fly like a bird once more. That was something that happened to Greystep often, but the feeling never lasted too long.

"W-well I th-think mo-more little yous are w-what the C-Clan needs. I-I mean, we could u-use more happiness and ch-cheerfulness around h-hu-here." He mewed, glancing around to where cats were sitting. Some of them looked quite bored, while others...well...they looked a little more excited, and were having more animated conversations. While he and Splotchfeather seemed to be in their own little world, talking about things that he believed should be personal and private. But the she cat was so-- not pushy, exactly, but interesting-- that Greystep couldn't help but open up to her. And his stammer was growing smaller by the sentence. Soon he would be able to talk to her clearly and without a hint of one at all. If she's still talking to me by then. She might get annoyed and run off-- no, she doesn't seem to be the type to get annoyed. Greystep thought with a semi-intrigued expression on his features now. The tip of his tail twitched back and forth, and he glanced at the she cat almost worriedly. It seemed as though that expression wandered onto Greystep's features quite a bit nowadays, but that could be because he was getting older...and he was unsure of what exactly he was going to do later on in life. He knew that it wouldn't be long before he found himself retiring to the elder's den, and what if he never got a chance to talk to Owlwing before then?

Greystep's yellow hues flashed in alarm, though he kept it hidden. When he was ready to talk to the she cat, he would go. He was too nervous right now. Too excited. He would be ready later on, when things had calmed down a bit more. "No!" He blurted when she mentioned leaving, and then he pinned his ears back to his head in embarrassment, feeling it creeping up in his chest and he cleared his throat. "I-I mean, um, y-yeah...yeah. Y-you can go if you want to, but- but I don't mind having you here. I-I like talking to you." He mewed, lowering his hues so that he was no longer looking at her. That outburst had been quite embarrassing for him, not to mention that he realized it probably hadn't been the most comfortable experience for her, either.

But if it got her to stay, he was okay with it.

Re: SkyClan Clearing
 

For the first time it seemed, Splotchfeather didn't reply. She stayed planted to her spot, sitting across from him. While she was quiet, she stared at him, intently. Noticing every little physical thing about him for the first time. When she first approached him, she thought he was lonely...needed company. She never paid much attention to how he really looked, and this time. In this exact moment, she noticed the color of his eyes. Yellow. Like hers. She noticed his fur was grey, thick and long. Though, she already noticed his height from a distance. What cat wouldn't? She noticed he was aging, and she noticed that he held some type of pain. Was it pain? Was it fear? Whatever it was, she knew some type of emotion was there. However, she could not detect it. She noticed his stammering from when they first met. This did little to bother her. In fact, it humored her! Then, lastly it dawned that she noticed the aging upon him. She did note at that exact moment the many moons apart they were, but this did little to affect her. It did made her realize that he experienced more out of life than she ever did. Ever will, if she dare admit.
Quietly, she swallowed a lump in her throat. ''Time is a blessing...''She mused. ''However, it's a surprising matter...considering you never know how much time you have left.'' She stares into his yellow orbs, and looked away, to groom her flank. She did this to save herself from the timing. ''My mother died going across a pathway to save my brother. She tried to take him back after they took him...but she never came back.'' She, then laid down, feeling her cheerfulness fading away. She curled herself into a ball, her tail covering her face. ''After she was gone, it was only my youngest brother and me...two kits wandering around, trying to find something in life to do.'' She huffed, feeling a weight heavy on her heart. ''It wasn't long before I lost him too. I thought Starclan was punishing me because they took everything I loved, but then...I just couldn't be alone anymore.'' She constantly asked herself why she was telling this older tom most of her business, about the past she wanted to bury. She felt a trust in this tom for some odd reason. She quickly uncurled herself, swallowing deeply before going back to her bubbly personality. ''That is why you shouldn't waste a day!'' She crouched into a playful bow, her fluffy tail in the air. ''Or, the time you have here! And, sureee...''She rolled her eyes. ''Owlwing, huh? Now that name is exotic! I would prefer something along those lines...I just can't ever get a liking to my name.'' She rolled her eyes at herself. ''I honestly can't wait to meet her, Greystep! Her name fascinates me, and I'm sure she's as fascinating as her name!''
Splotchfeather pondered on if she would ever grow up...mentally, that is. If she would ever mellow down enough to be liked by her other clan mates. She wondered if she would ever turn out like the tom in front of her. Granted, she wasn't as...quiet as him, but she could hint some wisdom in him. And, it what made him so fascinating to her. She could be frolicking with the other toms her age, if she wanted. She could be annoying some other cat, but noooo she chose him. She was highly surprised that he didn't push her away, and that he wanted her to stay. Splotchfeather could not lie; the warmth that was swirling in her stomach at his kind words.