US AGAINST THE WORLD // Lichen

[SHALLOW]

Shallowpaw had just returned back to camp with a mouse. On his way over to the fresh-kill pile spotted a freckled spotted figure from the corner of his eye. Knowing who it was Shallowpaw turned his gaze over only to spot Lichenpaw walking into the apprentice den. For a long moment he would just stand still as he stared at the den the other apprentice had disappeared into. The two hadn't really spoken after the incident with Sunnyday. But he had noticed the change in behavior with Lichenpaw who normally always followed him around something he had oddily get used too. It was weird not having them around. Shallowpaw wasn't sure what he felt about it. He wasn't even sure how he felt about the whole incident with Sunnyday. What he had done had been shocking and put his whole life upside down. Still he couldn't even put words to what he even was feeling. He felt like a stranger to his own emotions. He wonderd if Lichenpaw felt the same way?. The two had both been living under Sunnyday's wing after all. If there was anyone who probably could understand what he was feeling right now it was them.

He finally decided to move with the mouse still in his mouth Shallowpaw headed over to the apprentice den to step inside to search for his denmate. Like he had expected found them in their own nest which not was far away from his own. He could still remember the day when Lichenpaw had decided to move his den closer to theirs for some unkown reason. Shallowpaw still was left wondering why. He had been fine to have his nest isolated from everyone else. Blinking his eyes, the dark tom walked himself over to them only to drop the mouse down at their paws. Without any words at all Shallowpaw did what he did best. To stare at them.

@LICHENPAW


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[LICHENPAW ❁]

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I AM JUST A BROKEN MACHINE

Lichenpaw has lost much of his eager chattiness as the conflict with Sunnyday wore on, and yet Shallowpaw is one friend that he stuck by. Always there to train with him, always striving towards the same goal. A cat that could understand, more than any born into ThunderClan's ranks, that deep desire to prove himself.

And yet. Things are different now, now in the aftermath of the fight born out of tensions he never cared to diffuse. Their nests are still exactly as close together as Lichenpaw placed them (Shallowpaw never commented on it, so it's probably fine) and there is comfort in that, but there is still an uncertainty to their relationship that had not been there before. Shallowpaw looked up to Sunnyday, they know, long after their opinion of him begun to shatter. He'd welcomed them both to the Clan, another point they share, and yet Shallowpaw has known the warrior far longer. Does he share their anger, their betrayal? They don't know. He's far quieter than they, has not spoke a word about what he thinks. Not that Lichenpaw's been around to hear it; he's been keeping to himself more often than not, aside from checking up on Sandpaw.

So he's not quite expecting it when Shallowpaw approaches him rather than the other way around. It takes a moment to process, blinking at his friend in dumbfounded silence as the mouse is placed at his paws. He'd returned to his nest as soon as training was finished; not much in the mood to socialize right now, so he was kind of expecting to be left alone.

...Not that Shallowpaw is unwelcome, though. He never is. Lichenpaw gives him a tired smile. "Oh, hey — heya Shallow," they say. He doesn't seem inclined to speak, but that's nothing unusual. They wouldn't be friends in the first place if that was an issue, and Lichenpaw is always ready to fill a silence. "This uh, this for me? Or didja want to share it? I mean, it's, it's a little small for the both of us but that's alright. If you want to." Pointless rambling, words meant mostly to fill space, but Shallowpaw never seems bothered by it.

Yet something tells him this is about more than just a mouse. He doesn't bring that up just yet, but there is an uncertainty that lingers in his eyes. He'll keep acting like everything is normal, they don't have to address the Sunnyday thing if he just doesn't bring it up

AND I DO THINGS THAT I DON'T REALLY MEAN !
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.°❁ info ; visual

• //
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• LICHENPAW named for the lichen on the trees of his home.
  — he/him or they/them. 10 moons.
  — thunderclan apprentice, mentored by blizzard fang.
  — bears a near-permanent nervous grin.
  
  primary character, high activity. penned by saturnid.​
• "SPEECH"
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• 

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[SHALLOW]

He acknowledged their greeting with a nod . A silent 'hello' back. Shallowpaw contunie to stare at them even when he was being asked if the mouse had been for them. Hadn't that been obvious?. he decided to nod his head again but then suddenly started to shake his head instead. The mouse had been for them. Shallowpaw had not brought it for them to share...should he have?. For a brief moment the blue tom looked conflicted with his own decision making. In the end he decided that the mouse was for Lichenpaw and them alone. He had never shared food with another cat before so it would be weird if he suddenly stared doing so now. Beside he was not all that hungry to begin with.

Shallowpaw did not let his eyes off Lichenpaw as he headed to his own nest to lay beside them in his own personal space. He was staring at them in wait for them to start eating. It was important to eat to remain strenght and to know when someone was mentally stable. In his own way Shallowpaw was trying to make sure that Lichenpaw was okay. He wouldn't stop staring until he saw them start to eat only then the blue tom would blink his eyes before turning his attention away to look at a different direction. " If you wanna talk i will listen." he finally broke his own silence. All this time he had in truth been thinking out carefully what to say. In the end he had decided to copy what his own mentor usually said to him. 'I'm here if you wanna talk'. In this case though it did not necessery have to mean about Sunnyday or anything of importance. It could be anything Lichenpaw wanted to tell him about. It could be something as simple like what they thought about todays weather.

He guess he just wanted to hear them talk like they always had done before. The silence that had followed these past few days had been an unwelcomed peace to his mind. How odd. Shallowpaw didn't understand it to be honest. Why would he want to trade his peaceful silence away for?. Yet here he was doing the complete opposite. Maybe he was getting sick.


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[LICHENPAW ❁]

————— ❁ —————
I AM JUST A BROKEN MACHINE

The answer to his question is silent and conflicted, and Lichenpaw waits until Shallowpaw rests in his nest to take the refusal to share for what it is. There's no disappointment in it, Shallowpaw's never share prey with them before, but it's still nice to ask. Gesture of trust, and all. It takes a moment for Lichenpaw to begin eating though — he's not particularly hungry, but he's not one to turn down food either.

He eats in silence for a moment, startles a bit when he hears Shallowpaw's rarely-used voice. "If you wanna talk, I will listen." Lichenpaw blinks up at him, his averted eyes, tries to understand what he means by that. Well, exactly what he says, probably. Lichenpaw likes that about him, that blunt honesty. If they want to talk... They haven't as much, lately, but they always feel a little more comfortable with Shallowpaw.

They let themself slip into the easy chatter they're used to, just whatever comes to mind. "So mm," he begins, belatedly remembers to swallow the bit of mouse he'd been chewing for politeness' sake. "So, the other day — or, actually, no I think this was yesterday — um, so. I was out hunting, right, and I found um, found this really cool hiding spot." He's always on the lookout for them, old instincts turned into something more like a game. He's been getting better at actually finding them again, though he'd be much better if he could actually explore rather than just patrol. "It's this little burrow — uh, long abandoned, don't worry. Scents are old." He waves a paw dismissively in the face of this hypothetical concern. "Foxes maybe? I dunno. But it's, it's all cleared out now, hidden under a bush."

He sighs, resting his head on a paw forlornly. "It's a good — I mean, I think it's a nice spot but um. Can't really go back there, 'cause I'd need my mentor and everything. I mean, he's — he's been taking me out of camp pretty often, I think —" Mouth running on autopilot, saying whatever comes to mind. "think he's, uh, trying to get my mind off —" and he halts, abruptly. There it is, the thing he's been talking around. "...y'know," he finishes lamely, seeming to deflate with the word. He averts his gaze finally, leans down to take another bit of the mouse.

AND I DO THINGS THAT I DON'T REALLY MEAN !
————— ❁ —————

.°❁ info ; visual

• //
  ​
• LICHENPAW named for the lichen on the trees of his home.
  — he/him or they/them. 10 moons.
  — thunderclan apprentice, mentored by blizzard fang.
  — bears a near-permanent nervous grin.
  
  primary character, high activity. penned by saturnid. IC opinions :']​
• "SPEECH"
  ​
• 

​