My Day Off [Tagged]

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

ooc; Lightningtrail Let's make friends c:
ic;

The early morning sun peeped through the branches of the warrior's den, landing just on Grassthorn's eyes as it always did. It was why he chose this nest after his warrior's ceremony; he could wake up early and get his duties done. However, this surprisingly cool morning was meant to different. He had nothing to do today until Sunhigh when he was meant to go on a hunting patrol; and even that was only if they really needed food. Still, even if he didn't have anything assigned to him to do, and even if most of the other warriors were still asleep, Grassthorn pulled himself out of the den and into the clearing. Maybe he would just get something to eat and see if anyone wanted to go with him on a makeshift border patrol. If not, which he figured would happen, he could just go by himself.

Once outside of the den, he stretch out his back, relishing the feel of quivering muscles in use again. A quick glance shows that the morning hunting patrol hadn't returned yet and there were only a few pieces of cold kill left in the pile from yesterday. With a sigh, Grassthorn snagged a cold mouse, covered in morning dew, to devour quickly in order to avoid the feeling of old food on his tongue. He sat as he waited to see if anyone else would wake up, so that he may ask if they would like to join him. but, he resigned himself that if no one was up by the time he finished, he would just go alone. There was no way that Grassthorn would be able to sit around the camp all day with nothing to do, like some pregnant queen just waiting to have kits.

[Lightningtrail]

I walked alone through the city of monochrome

Silvershine laid curled up in the back of the warriors den, her eyes squeezed tightly shut in an effort to block out the incoming rays of sun. She held on to her last wisps of sleep, a futile attempt, but an attempt none the less. She would have been able to drift off again if it weren't for a crack in the branch weaved ceiling. Light poured through the small hole and right into her face, burning through her peaceful slumber like a laser. Eventually, the she-cat gave up. Silvershine slowly got to her feet, her eyes blinking rapidly as she attempted to wake herself up.

She quickly groomed her silver fur until it was tidy and meticulously cared for. The cracks in the warriors den's roof caused her fur to be striped with sunlight, a sign that it was going to be another warm, sunny day in MidnightClan. She yawned. Just because she was awake did not mean that she wanted to be. It also did not mean that she was fully aware of where she was walking. She nearly trotted straight into a cinnamon colored cat. Luckily, she realized that she was about to step on the other cat's tail before she did.

Silvershine took a step back to escape the other cat's personal bubble, and hoped that he had not realized that she had nearly walked right over his tail. She walked around the warrior, making sure to give him a wide berth as she made her way to the freshkill pile. A small huff of disapproval escaped her as she saw what measly scraps rested in the dewy pile, but she grabbed a scrawny vole anyways. She was sure that the only reason it had been still on the pile today was because no one had wanted it, but she did not care how puny it was. She just wanted a small snack to fill her stomach just enough so that she would not be too hungry until later in the day, after more hunting had been done. She glanced back at the cat she had nearly walked over, and noticed that he was dreadfully alone. She probably would have avoided him if it had seemed as though someone may be interested in eating with him, but she hated to see other cats all alone. With a slight sigh, she padded towards him and sat down about a fox length away. She said nothing. Maybe there was a reason he was alone, and if so, she did not want to find out why. She would simply wait for the other cat to make the first move, and if he seemed tolerable, she would consider conversing with him.

towards a place where no sunlight would reach

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

Lightningtrail

Grassthorn hadn't finished his small meal when further signs of life stirred at the entrance to the warrior's den. A silver she-cat slipped out, morning sun making her pelt glow. The female warrior looked tired and must be, seeing as she nearly ran straight into him. He side-stepped out the way even as she had stopped herself, and he pulled his tail in closer to himself without saying a word. It was early morning and mistakes were easily forgiven for him. Not all of the warriors were as eager to be awake as he was when the sun itself had barely pulled over the treeline and the forest was bathed with the gold and orange of early morning.

Sad meal now finished, he began grooming himself, quickly fixing the few problem spots his short fur had. Grassthorn craned his neck to get the part of his pelt that seemed to stand on in despite all of his best efforts, one eye kept on the silver she-cat. She seemed as disappointed in the pile as he was, but he couldn't tell from the angle he was viewing her. It was his best guess, seeing as the prey was small after all the good pieces had gone. He quickly gave up on grooming himself as the she-cat came over, patience quickly lost.

His fellow clanmate sat nearly a fox-length away and Grassthorn figured now as good a time as any to invite the she-cat out on his makeshift patrol. "The freshkill is running low," he observed, looking at the few pieces of prey sitting in the center of the clearing instead of the silver warrior that he spoke to. "Maybe we should go out on a hunting trip and check the borders." Grassthorn felt the tendrils of anxiety grappling for his heart and lungs. Speaking civilly to others was harder for him. Confidence flooded him when he was fighting and insulting; talking only made him nervous, especially in the presence of a pretty she-cat or tom.

The Abyssinian warrior cleared his throat slightly and looked towards the entrance, willing the cold that was seeping into his bones away. The she-cat had not even spoke a word yet and he was already so uncomfortable with trying to talk to her. He was eager to get out and about, letting instinct take over. It was easier to hunt and patrol. After a few moons as a warrior, any cat could pick up the patterns and do it without a second thought.

[Lightningtrail]

I walked alone through the city of monochrome

Silvershine could tell that the other cat was keeping a close eye on her, but she tried to ignore it as she bit into her vole. It was stringy and littered with bones, but she tried her best to eat around the tough portions. It was a bit difficult for the she-cat to swallow without making faces at the taste, but she managed to get all of the meat into her system before pushing the leftovers away from her with her darker grey fore-paw. She hoped that someone would think to hunt before too late in the day, or else she would be stuck surviving on those scraps of vole she had somehow managed to consume.

The she-cat glanced to the side, her eyes catching the other cat in her green gaze. It seemed that he had finally stopped looking at her, and instead his gaze was on the terribly small freshkill pile. He spoke, and she gave a small nod. "I can go with you," She stated, struggling to match the cat's nonchalant way of speaking. Her eyes drifted to the freshkill pile. She was usually the type to find conversing easy, simple. Whether she was gossiping with the queens or yowling insults on the battlefield, she was good at communicating. but it was always easier to converse with someone who was as extroverted as you were, and it was obvious that this cat did not have the talent in small talk that Silvershine flaunted. He did not seem anxious, but he certainly did not appear to be comfortable.

Her gaze moved with the tom's, shifting to look at the camp entrance. Her long, thick fur moved slightly as she turned, and she instinctively reached around to flatten the fur on her neck that had stood up because of her movement. Anxiety crept into her like ants in her grey pelt, and she struggled to remain calm under the pressure to not appear as awkward as this cat was already starting to seem. It was contagious, but she would not let it affect her. She was resistant to awkward anxiety, and she would not allow herself to seem like a mousebrain. Not in front of another cat, and especially not in front of a cat that she did not know well.

She stared at the entrance for a short time, and then glanced to the other cat. "Um, are we going to leave now or are you waiting for someone?" She asked, interrupting the silent gap that had formed between the cats. She stood with a swish of her tail, and turned to face the other cat. "By the way, I'm Silvershine. And you are?" The she-cat was slightly embarrassed that she did not know his name, but she would not let it show. MidnightClan was rather large, and it made sense that she did not know every single cat that slept in the camp or wandered the territory.

towards a place where no sunlight would reach

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

ooc; Apologies for the late reply! Lightningtrail
ic;

Grassthorn gave a curt nod in the she-cat's response to go along with him. Good. He didn't often fancy company, but even a prickly hedgehog like himself desired some sort of contact beyond the nights spent sleeping among silent clan mates. And it was good to know that he was capable of more than just biting words. Despite his affirmation about the pretty she-cat joining him for a short hunting outing, he sat still. The sun was just beginning to warm up his fur and even the small, cold meal he had eaten was filling him pleasantly, perfect for an active morning meal. Instead of moving, he just gazed lazily ahead with slit eyes, slightly entranced by the ambiance of a beautiful forest morning.

The warrior had not even realized his hesitance until she spoke. He quickly got to his feet, tail lashing just slightly. A prickle of awkward unease rippled through his skin, short fur on the back of his neck standing up in just the slightest angle. "Ah, no. We can go," he said, sounding stiff, much to his annoyance. Grassthorn knew he should be better than this. He should be able to easily interact with his clan mates and not overthink every interaction. He lashed his tail once more before beginning to head out of the camp and into the forest. Surely, he would feel better once he began hunting under the Greenleaf sun.

"I'm Grassthorn," he said just as curtly as he had nodded before. He cared not if Silvershine knew his name or not. In fact, it may be better that she had not known it before. He may be blowing up the situation in his mind, but he fancied himself a small reputation among the clan for his sharp words and rather... unconventional ways of gender. However, if Silvershine did not know about this particular tidbit of his life, well he certainly was not inclined to share.

He glanced back to see if the she-cat would follow his lead. It struck Grassthorn that the name given to her fit well, pretty silver pelt seemingly guaranteed to shine if it was struck be sunlight. With a slight clearing of his throat to jar his thoughts, he called out in a carefully controlled voice, "Any particular place that would be best?" Grassthorn didn't want to sound aggressive, especially not around a she-cat who seemed to be no threat to him. And really, he ought to be saving his grouchy, anti-social attitude for his days as an elder.