Ask to Join Paws Under One Sky

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

Curiosity tugged at Leopardrose's paws more than caution ever could when she noticed Greypebbles, and before long she found herself stalking through the undergrowth several fox-lengths behind him. When he settled her ears twitched mischievously.

Dropping into a crouch, the Bengel quietly advanced, barely stirring the grass as she circled downwind. Then Leopardrose exploded from the grass with a playful snarl to aim squarely beside him. In a half tumble of spotted fur through the soft moss, a paw arced at his whiskers as she looked up at him upside down.

"There you are!" She hissed triumphantly, more of a sultry purr as her grin widened alongher muzzle. For a moment she simply looked up at him impossibly close and the teasing smile lingered. "...You looked happy." And the words came out softer than she intended.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

∙∙•🌑•∙∙

Despite smelling Leopardrose a short while before she had arrived, Greypebbles still gave a small jolt as she near pounced on top of him, his blue eyes flicking open in a sudden jolt of surprise that quickly melted into that comforting familiarity. "Hi, Leopardrose." Greypebbles purred softly as he playfully batted at her muzzle with his front paws, relaxed beneath the Starlight.

"And you look like you were following me." Greypebbles teased playfully, while he would have patted the ground next to him with his tail to join, he just didn't have a tail that was long enough to do so. So he used a single paw to press on the space beside him. "I was just stargazing, I got a bit sidetracked I suppose." he added with a purr, it was true, he did get a little distracted by the peaceful quiet, surprisingly enough and nearly fell asleep because of it, lucky Leopardrose was there to snap him out of it in time.

"And thinking... I suppose." He added, glancing up at the stars again, the lost cats of the past, past and... present. The rogue had taken so much and nearly tore through Leopardrose and Greypebbles' friendship in her wake, part of him was glad that she had been vanquished, another lingered on the cats that died to her claws, they didn't have to... surely. What would have been the purpose...

He shook his head, then his mind wandered again, something... more-a-less in the future, Bravesong's kits in particular. He wondered if that would be his chance to gain an apprentice, if he would ever, if anything would give him some sort of feeling of meaning, of belonging, besides the cats he was close to... anyway. He then moved his gaze back to Leopardrose and gave a soft smile "Did you come to watch me stargaze or would you like to give a warrior some company?"

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

Leopardrose's whiskers twitched with absolutely no remorse. "I did follow you." She admitted with a growing grin. "I wasn't going to let you have all the fun." She watched him glance back toward Silverpelt, her own expression softening for only a heartbeat before she leaned into the paw he'd offered beside him.

"Why not do both?" Came her delicious purr. She had settled at his side, pelts grazing under the stars where she peered up at the Silverpelt herself.Still staring up she leaned over to give her companion a small nibble along the side of his head before pulling back looking pleased with herself.

"I like it out here. Especially when you can pick out shapes in the sky...Let's see." Her eyes wavered for a moment or two, tracing the outline of the stars above. Leopardrose pointed at the culprit with an outstretched paw. "I think I can see Wildcry's grumpy face."

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

∙∙•🌑•∙∙

Greypebbles' relaxed grin curved into something brighter as he tried not to laugh, causing a soft snort to come from his nose. "Even sort of looks like it got her wrinkles." He joked as he glanced over at his friend. "You'll get first pick of prey if you don't tell her I said that." He whispered promptly afterwards as he looked back up at the stars. "That one kind of looks like two kits playing moss ball with the moon!" Greypebbles commented, his bobbed tail flicking the grass underneath his fluffy grey body. 

"See, just over there!" He pointed with a paw towards what he thought he was seeing in the stars. His purrs previlent as he thought of Bravesong and Orchidflame's kits they were growing well, already a moon old and chatting to the other cats in the clan, exploring, playing, he wondered if he would blink and then they would be apprentices. It was strange, how that was how it went for some cats. Time just moves so fast.

But there was at least one sturdy presence in Greypebbles' life, Leopardrose. He let himself purr loudly inching closer until their pelts pressed against one another, her embraced the warmth it brought, both physical and emotional. Thank StarClan that Leopardrose stayed by his side. Content. 

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

Leopardrose followed the line of his paw, squinting one eye through the darkness. "I see them now." The edges of her mouth lingered in a smile as she traced the cluster through Silverpelt. They continued until they fell on the moon itself. "And the moon's espcially bright tonight."

From their view below it hung low above the trees and bright enough to cast them in a very pale light. As she felt him shift closer she didn't move away...and angled her shoulder into him to share their weight. She simply matched his purr adn then casually began grooming him.

She started where she had nibbled him to smooth down the fur that was ruffled where she continued unhurried. It wasn't common for Leopardrose to share tongues with just any cat...Greypebbles had to have known that he was special to her.

"We need to have more evenings like this..." Her confession was laced as a suggestion, eyes swatching sideways to blink affectionately over at him. "And more stargazing...Like that one there that looks like a rabbit on its back."

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

∙∙•🌑•∙∙

"Seems like it. Wonder if that means anything." Greypebbles chuckled at Leopardrose's analysis on the moon's vibrancy. His ear pricked as Leopardrose began to lick the fur down, his eyes moved to her as he gave her a genuine smile, as if to say 'thank you for trusting me' without the words being spoken themselves. His eyes than moved back up to the sky looking for the rabbit in the stars, giggling like a kit when he saw it.

"It's like it's trying to kick its leg to get back up!" He chirped playfully, then relaxed again. "We should, I like hanging out with you, Leopardrose. Even if the rest of the clan doesn't notice me, I'm glad you do. You is enough for me now." he added with a soft breath from his nose as he searched the sky for anything else StarClan had for them. 

When he found something, her couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it. "Look at that one! It's like a fat squirrel stuck halfway through a tree hole!" He snickered, that one was a little abstract, but Greypebbles could see it, and he hoped that he friend was able to as well, especially since the two had now made a thing of it. But Greypebbles didn't mind. As long as Leopardrose was with him, he'd be happy to do anything.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

Leopardrose tilted her head one way, then the other as she confirmed what she saw. "...That's a...fat squirrel!" A laugh escaped her, richer than the quiet chuckles she'd shared all evening. Now she couldn't unsee it...

When he spoke she almost giggled again, but her face softened along the edges. What a Greypebble's thing to say. She nuzzled into him against, shoulder against his flank. "Sometimes I can't not notice you...You're a fun cat to be around." Blinking a sidelong glance at the spotted tom, she allowed what she spoke to stretch comfortably.

The forest was alive. Fireflies and crickets chirped. It has been too long since she had spent time outside the camp at night. "Actually...Are you hungry?" Leopardrose lifted her nose to test the air for prey that would surely be out.

Her tail curled to mimic a loose question mark as she tried to tempt him. "What do you say? First one to catch something doesn't have to share...or first one to snore doesn't have to go back to camp?" She meowed playfully.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

∙∙•🌑•∙∙

Before Greypebbles could truly enjoy the embrace, Leopardrose made an offer to hunt, that was definitely a Leopardrose thing to do. He purred to himself as he rose to his paws and pressed a nose to her shoulder. When he drew his head back, he aimed a light hearted challenging smirk at her "Those are challenging words, Leopardrose. Tempting challenging words." He chirped enthusiastically. He was usually not like this in camp, but out here when most of the clan was asleep and he was out here with Leopardrose, there was nothing to overwhelm him, not here. Not right now.

"Even if i did make the first catch, I'd still share. Even if it's a scrawny mouse or a half-fed vole, I'd make it work." He replied, his bobbed tail upturning like a cute little rabbit tail as he flanked Leopardrose with a soft chuckle. Being here with one of the few friends he had in the clan was nice, especially when it was just them, without anything able to interrupt them. Not yet anyway.

Greypebbles then took a few pawsteps forward, pressing the grass down under her paws "You've got yourself a challenge, Leopardrose. Be warned, I was quite the hunter when I was an apprentice." He chirped playfully before winking at her and slipping into the underbrush.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

Leopardrose's whiskers lifted with quiet delight as Greypebbles accepted without hesitation. "We'll just have to see if your apprentice boasts survived into warriorhood." Once Greypebbles diseappeared into the dark foliage, she slipped in the opposite direction.

The moonlight above filtered through the canopy in broken patches as she lowered herself into a crouch that was as effortless as breathing. Her rosetted pelt dissolved amongst the dapples as he scented the night air.

Her ears pivoted toward the faint rustling beneath a patch of bracken where tiny claws scratched through the leaf litter. Leopardrose froze as she approached the mouse...one step, than another. Surprising the critter, the she-cat loosed her hindquarters, sending her forward.

Her paws struck the earth, and her prey and was soon dispatched.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

∙∙• ☾ •∙∙

It wasn't long before Greypebbles caught a scent trail, a bird.. of some sort, judging from the ruffling of the ground in front of Greypebbles' eyes, it was a small bird pecking at the ground for something or the other. Greypebbles adjusted his stance accordingly, something built more for speed than stealth as he inched closer to the bird, of which he discovered was a juvenile thrush. 

Wordlessly and soundlessly, Greypebbles advanced closer to the bird and left is jaw agape, because if the bird noticed him, he would need speed on his side. And he was well prepared to do that. 

Once the grey warrior had inched close enough to the bird, he came at it from above, teeth bared and claws extended for the best chance of blocking it's escape. The flapping of wings send the bird exploding upwards, and yet, it wasn't quick enough to escape Greypebbles' claws as they hooked one of its wings and brought it down, his teeth meeting flesh in a clean bite to the throat. He did it, but if it was something that could beat Leopardrose was something else entirely.

Greypebbles easily slipped back into the undergrowth with the bird clasped tightly in his maw, as he made his way to meet Leopardrose at the spot that they had been previously stargazing, now it was a competition, it was strange, how she could turn anything into a competition. Somewhat admirable really. He then moved to where the two had been standing before Leopardrose had challenged him, he was back first, but unsure if he had caught the bird before his best friend. They shall see.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

Leopardrose padded silently through the ferns, the mouse hanging neatly from her jaws. It wasn't the largest catch she'd ever made, but it had been fast. At the clearing her ears perked as the tom stepped out from the opposite side, a thrush in his mouth.

"That was pretty quick." Her pale eyes sparkled mischievously as she set down her prey. "So I think that makes us both winners." The she-cat rested briefly on her haunches as the wash of moonlight lit them both up from above. She glanced between the mouse and the thrush before lifting her gaze back to Greypebbles.

"Though I seem to recall a certain tom saying he'd share his catch anyway." A little grin teased across her face. "So I suppose we don't really have a competition anymore. Feel like taking these back to camp to enjoy them?"

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

∙∙• ☾ •∙∙

At Leopardrose's offer to eat the prey at camp, Greypebbles hesitated, he was enjoying the stars, but he enjoyed the company of Leopardrose more than anything else he could really think of at the top of his mind. So he knew which choice one before he even chose it. But yet, still he glanced over at the star-dappled sky above the clearing for a moment before turning back to Leopardrose. "Of course, I wouldn't miss it." His acceptance came with a soft nod of approval as he followed Leopardrose with thrush in tow.

After the pawsteps dragged them closer to camp, Leopardrose seemed to be the only cat that Greypebbles was able to look at. How strong and bold her strides were, but she had her own humility when it mattered most, unlike some cat like Savagefox or Gingerthrash, who would rather flay their pelts than admit they were wrong. Leopardrose wasn't like that, even if she was raised by Wildcry, she just, wasn't, Greypebbles appreciated that.

And still, the two got closer to camp, and for a moment, Greypebbles teetered with exhaustion, dawn to dusk was the usual for warriors of his age an older, but perhaps hunting this late put him in a bit of a tired spell, but he was still determined to spend his time with Leopardrose, so he stood strong, or rather, leaned gently onto Leopardrose for balance, hoping she wouldn't mind. He looked forward to sharing prey with her