private AN OUTSTRETCHED HAND - talonpaw

[AGATEPAW.]

Agatepaw found himself a little lonely these days. Things had been better under Swansong's tutelage and ever since he came out, but he missed Stonepaw. At least a little. But it was better this way. Stonepaw didn't need him. Stonepaw was strong and independent and so much better than Agatepaw.

But maybe someone else did.

Talonpaw. He recognized him - they were in the nursery together. Ivypaw's littermate. But he had been hurt early on in his apprenticeship, lost an eye, kept to himself most of the time. And Agatepaw thought his time under Puddledusk was bad. He could never compare it to the pain of losing a part of oneself, of injuries. He'd yet to get hurt, not really. Not sick either.

But he still found him handsome, despite the scars. Maybe Talonpaw was lonely too, sitting all by himself. Hesitantly, the fawn and black approached the black tom. "Hey... you look like you could use a friend."

'And I could, too,' went unsaid, staying within the confines of his mind.

// @talonpaw.​

"Speech"​

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STEP FROM THE DARK TO THE LIGHT​

 

[talonpaw.]

He wasn't going to lie when he said he felt his head drooping a little. But he'd snap his blue eye back open. The half frozen frog before him lay untouched, his eye heavy of the bags that usually weighed his face down. His paw stretched forward, claws extended to wrap around the dark brown creature-

Hey you look like you could use a friend...

Oh.

His eye snapped up, paw carefully drawing back to his belly, eye narrowing slightly as he looked upon Agatepaw. His muzzle of silver and black lifted a bit, whiskers twitching slightly in thought.

Is it he that needed a friend, or the other? He had friends. He had ivypaw and carrionpaw. And, if he wanted to count it, Amberhaze. More like an acquaintance, but none the less. He stayed quiet for a moment, before realizing that the weight of the silence was heavy.

"Here. Have this." He said, shoving the frog towards the other apprentice with a shrug. How was he supposed to respond to that? Tell her he didn't need or want friends? He wanted to. But instead, he chose the alternative. Which unfortunately.. probably wasn't the best option either. "Need to keep your energy up." He tried to add smoothly. Though, his voice remained monotonous, and he simply, just strived to survive day by day.

​

 

[AGATEPAW.]

"Oh..." Agatepaw murmured softly, ears twitching as he looked at the frog. "Uh..."

Would it be weird to...?

"We should share it," he stated softly. "We both have to keep our energy up. And... and it's like... rationing? Kinda? Maybe? I don't really know."

So smart, wow. He mentally chastised himself for his awkward and shy words, and gently pushed the frog in between the two. "It's tough out here," he murmured. "But... we gotta keep going, yeah? Just keep... pushing forward. And aren't clanmates supposed to be there for each other, especially in these hard times?"

It was a lonely world, wasn't it? He turned to Talonpaw with a sigh. "You take the first bite. It was yours originally." Kindness might go a long way.​

"Speech"​

---

STEP FROM THE DARK TO THE LIGHT​

 

[talonpaw.]

Agatepaw spoke a lot, didn't he? But it didn't bother Talonpaw, flicking a ragged ear at the other apprentices words. Did he pity him? The words that came out made him twitch his whiskers in response, before shrugging. "Yuh, yer not wrong." He said. Always short of words. Always lacking the drilling of his own thoughts- but why should others know what goes on in his head? It was weakness, to share too much. It allowed for weakness. It allowed the possibility of others finding fault on him besides the loss of one eye.

And as if to prove a point, that he did not disagree with Agatepaws words, he took a bite, haphazardly gnawing on his bite for far too long. As he formulated words, he finally swallowed, before poking the now mutilated creature towards the other, eye watching carefully before curling his tail to his side and finally speaking.

"It would be rationing, I spose. But the clan will thrive. Or it won't. It's not anyone's place to say." He said blankly.

Is this what friendship was? It felt weird. Awkward, and not only for him, but for Agatepaw too. He didn't know what to make of this. His form rigid, uncomfortable. But not because of him.

"What... Is- are you worried about something?" He asked, blue eye locked onto Agatepaw, studying the other with an unnerving stare.

​