[Mica]

 

Originally Posted by squidz

~ BRIARSPLASH ~
stocky, large, & fluffy dilute gray tortie she-cat with goldish-green eyes; just a scratch
[ shadowclan enforcer | she-cat | 28 moons | abrasive, standoffish, loyal ]

~

At first Briarsplash snorted in amusement at Hillstrider's suggestion of keeping the mouse skull as a trinket; a mouse, of all things? The smallest and most pathetic of catches? But something about how earnest he was... even her abrasive self couldn't find it in her to be too scathing about it. If anything, the fact that he was the supposed 'gift-giver' and was offering this... well... a single mouse skull would be better than nothing, right...?

"Heh, yeah, sure... maybe I'll keep it," Briar grunted in her rasp, glancing down at the mostly-eaten creature at their paws. She had said it mostly sarcastically, although part of her felt oddly compelled to follow up on that request, her tone slightly edged by consideration. If not just for the fact she'd finally gotten something from... well, somebody. Even if it was the exuberant warrior who stuck out like a rose in the middle of tangled weeds.

As Hillstrider rambled on, repeating himself, Briarsplash couldn't help but notice that every time he looked sheepish for a moment, realizing a mistake or blunder, he'd snap back a moment later. It was a bit jarring, quite confounding, and perhaps a bit... intriguing. Which wouldn't be the first time she'd thought that about the orange-furred warrior. For half a second, when he was being asked if he was from ShadowClan or not, the shadow across his charming face really made Briar think she might've dug up some buried feelings and got Hillstrider to feel something other than bright and lively. But it was gone as soon as it came, and she only blinked blankly at first, registering his flip-flop as she listened along.

Letting out an amused huff, Briarsplash gave a nod of acknowledgement as he mentioned he'd gotten that question before. Unsurprisingly. And he seemed rather self-aware. "Joshin'...?" Briar echoed under her breath, raising a brow in confusion over the unfamiliar word, but Hillstrider (without a care or thought in that head of his, from her view) kept going on as if he never noticed. But at his question, the she-cat grimaced a bit, shifting uncomfortably; but she had no right, did she? She was the one who'd brought up Clan heritage in the first place.

Fluffing out her pelt as if that would help hide the uncomfortable twitch in her fur over the topic, Briarsplash glanced around before, rather stiffly, shaking her head once. "Uh... no. I'm not from ShadowClan, so you wouldn't remember me. I... joined many moons ago, when I was probably around an early warrior age... just came by one day and was... taken in." Her voice was tight when speaking about the topics, not fond of the memories it brought up, nor the state she had been in when she'd joined; weakened, bleeding, freshly having kitted, malnourished and exhausted... practically dropping at Dawnstar's feet. To this day, she'd never told the full truth of what had happened prior to her stumbling into the Clan, desperate and at her last resort. And she didn't plan on changing that.

Clearing her throat, Briarsplash's eyes narrowed, glossing over those details as cleanly as she could in her head. "...But I'm still as ShadowClan as the rest of you, no doubt. If it ain't in my blood, it's in my heart and my claws," she assured sharply, not necessarily towards him, just the reminder of her non-Clanborn roots. That had gotten her some teasing back in the day when she'd been newer, and the insecurity had bubbled into a sort of ferocious rage and fuel to prove herself more than anything else. Now anyone who doubted her loyalty would earn a swipe to the face—

Ahem. The Enforcer was getting riled up simply by the thought of that, and forced her thick fur to lay flat, giving a huff while her skin burned hot under her pelt. Briarsplash briefly glanced away from Hill's piercing yellow eyes that reminded her of dandelions and sunshine as they held her gaze.

[ @Mica - hilly ]

Hillstrider
ShadowClan Warrior
he/him | 24 moons
[Big fluffy orange tabby with yellow eyes]
Purrks: Heightened Perception (Hearing)
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Sun ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
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Hillstrider bit into the mouse again as Briarsplash launched into her origins, nodding absently. "Makes all the sense in the world to me!" He chirped, Briarsplash's vague threat to anyone who doubted her ShadowClan merit striking, but not in a way that made him nervous. "Don't matter where ya come from, my dude, just where you go." He pushed the last bit of the mouse towards her, stretching out over the dusty ground again. "Besides! You seem plenty ShadowClan to me. Very scary. Very tough." He nodded matter-of-factly, eyes closed.

The leafbare sunshine soaked into his pelt, drawing out a rumbling purr that vibrated through the ground. The birdsong brought his attention to the trees, letting himself get lost in the music. How could someone not love life when the beauty of the forest was right there for them to enjoy!! Hillstrider cracked open a yellow eye, glancing at Briarsplash. "Okay dude, favorite type of prey, go!"

[Haha no.... this isn't super late..... also I'm so sorry it's short]