Awkward Encounter
Hhhhhhhhhhhhh......
Sugarsnap was almost dragging her paws as she came ever closer to the snakeclan border.
She was exhausted. With the kidnappings and the like, everyone had been on edge and she had thrown herself into being as busy as possible. This cursed face seemed to make no one trust her and frankly, she was tired of it.
Getting away from the clan camp was reprive to her, despite being warned going out along was dangerous-- she just couldn't be asked to worry about it. Other rogues had never posed a threat to her before after all.
As she came to the border, Sugarsnap lowered her head to sniff at the scent markers still working on slowly familiarizing herself with the other clan scents as much as she could. It just wasn't a high priority to her, what with not giving a fuck about the borders in general. Still... she knew she had to figure it out eventually.
So there she stood, her tail twitching back and forth and her eyes staring into nothing as her mind began to wander.
-----
He really shouldn't be out here alone but...ever since Rustleflame left, Darkmask had been feeling...lonely. The tom had Ashtail and her family, as well as his sister but there was a missing piece of him...a piece that had left when Rustle did.
The younger was family after all.
Lost in his thoughts the tom heard a crinkle of leaves from his blind side, and his head whipped quickly to squint at whoever was there near the borders and-
No. Impossible.
But they never found the body did they? It really wasn't impossible was it. It would be her that somehow cheated death and just came back to make him choose between his loyalty again, no he's not gonna do that, not now.
Darkmask adjusted his stance a bit, slowly moving his paws into a good position before he rushed at Stormfang and lunged at her.
"YOU! What are you doing here?!
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Rocks... dirt.. does all of snakeclan smell like this? Did she smell like this at some point? She and her mom did travel through the mountains for a while...
Sugarsnap was focused intently on trying to remember this earthy smell when an unfamiliar voice shouted from the other side of the border.
Her head shot up just in time to see an unfamiliar tom rushing towards her, asking what she was doing here, her heart leapt into her throat and she yowled as he made impact, tumbling backwards, her paws shooting out to press against the Snakeclan cat's chest and face
"I wasn't over th' border I was trynna remember th'scent! What in gods name is you Snake clan cats problem!?"
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"Remember the scent?! You should KNOW the scent considering you trick my clan the most Stormfang!"
This she-cat with manipulation. The fact that she thought that it was going to work on Darkmask again was insane. He willing got exiled so he could learn why his actions were wrong- and his loyalty to his clan was strong. Did she really think this would work again?
He squinted his eyes again, looking down at the she-cat before him. Honestly this is one of the times he curses the fact that he cant see fully anymore- it throws him off at the weirdest moments.
Did Stormfang look...smaller? Wasn't she bigger then him? And didnt she have different markings??
Darkmask gave a slight shake of his head. No matter, probably something to do with the fact she was somehow still alive after everything.
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Stormfang Sugars eyes widened and then they narrowed, snarl curling on her maw.
That name again... Her ears pinned flat against her head and she tucked her feet close to her belly, before shoving them with as much force as she could muster into his soft underbelly, a hiss tearing from her maw.
"I'm sick and tired of you stupid clan cats throwin' that name at me! My name isn't Stormfang! I never even met that psychotic murderer!" she yowled, using all of her willpower not to extend her claws, choosing instead to keep the tom at arms length with her paws pressed against his chest if kicking him didn't work.
She was so, fucking, tired of this.
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The shove was unexpected. Somehow, in all his anger, Darkmask did not expect the she-cat to attack back. He moved with the shove, finally getting off the smaller she-cat (smaller, she shouldn't be smaller, Stormfang was GIANT) as she yelled her piece.
And thats when everything clicked.
She was smaller. And she did look different- hell she even had a different scent then Stormfang. Thats because this she-cat wasn't Stormfang.
Darkmask narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you then? Because last I was aware, Stormfang only had three kits and you look way too much like that fox hearted scum."
His tail lashed as he spoke, and he kept flexing his claws. Depending on her answer, he may go back to attacking.
-----
When the snake clan tom got off of her, Sugarsnap quickly rolled onto her feet, tail lashing back and forth, her fur bristled and her stance defensive, head lowered and eyes narrowed.
Still, the would be an unmistakable splash of fear in her eyes, a slight shaking to her stance. Sugar wasn't a fighter-- at least, not of other cats. She could hunt and that's about it. She didn't like the violence she'd been introduced to since she joined the clans.
For a moment, she considered ignoring his question, thinking instead of turning tail and sprinting back into Lynxclan territories, her ears quivering briefly at the thought.
But... she can't keep trying to run away from these. What if it just made her look guilty? These cats believed in dead cats controlling their fate from the sky, why wouldn't they believe she was the reincarnation of some murderer?
With that thought, she hissed softly under her breath but didn't move, instead practically freezing in place (as best as she could while quivering), speaking finally through grit teeth.
"MY name is Sugar.. Sugarsnap. I only joined th'clans a few months-- moons-- ago. I was a rogue." she paused, before deciding to add in, not wanting to give too many details.
"Stormfang n' I share a father."
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His claws eased as he could see the fear in the other's eyes, and the slight shake in her stance. He...he was being too aggressive wasn't he? It was just his anger at Stormfang, she ruined his life for a long time.
Yes he learnt from it- yes just because a cat lived differently didn't mean he should just up and kill them (though the rogues that have taken his clanmates, have kidnapped them willingly, he wouldn't mind showing them his claws again.)- didn't mean Stormfang didn't ruin his life.
But this cat. It wasn't Stormfang.
With a sigh, Darkmask fully sheathed his claws and sat down as the she-cat (Sugarsnap huh?) explained who she was. And ah. That...that had to be rough. And well....Darkmask isnt stupid. And while his anger at Stormfang still ran through him, this wasn't her.
"I am not the first cat to react like this to you, am I?"
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Sugar's stance stayed rigid even after the tom sheathed his claws and sat down, though when he seemed to calm down and speak less aggressively, asking a question she was.. surprised to hear. None of the other cats that had responded negatively to her mere existence had ever asked that, her ears relaxed and her fur slowly started to lay flat.
She wasn't comfortable enough to sit, but her tail slowed finally and she found herself looking away, avoiding the tom's gaze as she answered, choosing instead to find great interest in the mussed up grass beneath her feet.
"....no. a different Snakeclan cat went n' attacked me before. So have... a few lynxclan cats." her voice was considerably softer. Her expressions clear on her face as her brows furrowed and a slightly hurt look crossed her features at the memory.
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"You look a lot like your.....sister."
Darkmask watched with one eye as Sugarsnap avoided his gaze and decided the grass was more interesting then he was. Which, yeah fair.
The tom blinked and for a split second again he thought he was looking at Stormfang again, and anger surged through him once more before he had to physically take a deep breath.
"And I am sure you are aware.....but your sister has done a lot of harm to my clan and Lynxclan"
His voice was slightly strained, whether it was from memories of the time, or the fact every so often he glanced at her and thought he was talking to stormfang again, even he didn't know.
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"Don't call her that."
Sugarsnap was surprised at herself as she suddenly spoke, a little too sharply considering they had both just calmed down, her ears twitching back and her eyes lifting, wide and apologetic to meet his own for the first time.
"Uh..s-sorry I didn't mean...t'come off angry I jus'. She ain't my sister. I never knew 'er. We jus' share a 'Pa who... I never met either." her gaze averted again and she brushed a paw mindlessly along the grass, wriggling her toes briefly as she did so.
Yep, a lot more interesting than staring at a cat that just attacked her.
"I was told by th'deputy what she did. Real ironic innit? I grew up and was raised as a rogue. Now I'm always mistaken for a rogue killin' crazy woman."
She laughed, but it lacked humor. It was almost bitter.
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The sharp tone shocked him too- and wow does she sound like Stormfang too when she talks like that. Darkmask couldn't help his claws flexing out a bit when she said that. Another deep breath, and Darkmask physically had to take a moment before answering.
"Fair. I would not want to be associated with that murderer either." Which was ironic, considering who Sugarsnap was talking too.
Darkmask...probably shouldn't hide that huh.
"While your deputy can give you an outline of what Stormfang did, she probably does not have the nuance on how Stormfang was able to convince others to just....kill."
His tone was flat when he said that. Darkmask didn't like thinking about it anymore then he liked mentioning it.
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The silence drug on and Sugar started to grow uncomfortable, but when the other cat spoke again her head shot up, eyes wide and her ears twitching back.
"N-no! No, she didn't and-- I'm sorry mister- uh... Mr. Snake clan cat but, i-i don't really wanna know all th' details. I know she killed cats. I know she convinced others to, too an'... it I know she died. " The thought of her own face, lifeless somewhere made her shudder, and she looked away.
"I'm not... I'm not used t'all this. This fightin' an' borders... I don't think I always will be. So please don't.. don't make me hear more about what she did. I don't care t'know. It's awful and should be allowed t'be forgotten n' buried wherever she hopefully is."
Man she spoke a lot there didn't she? She couldn't help it though, her nerves were shot and she was uncomfortable with the topic, her feet shuffling beneath her more before she finally sat down, curling her tail tightly around her paws in a weak effort to hide her nervous movements.
And failing.
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This...this was one of those times he probably shouldn't have said what he said wasn't it? See this is why he needed Rushingcloud she was better socially then he was-
He wasn't going to go into that. Even though his heart ached for her.
"Apologies."
He was quiet a bit as she rambled on, and even more as he thought of what to say. His gaze drifted away from her, so she was on his blind side now and therefore couldnt catch the signs on how she was shuffling and nervous.
"....It is hard, going from no borders to borders- even when you grew up with borders to begin with. A bit to get used to for sure."
He finally turned his head to fully look at her again, and tilted it.
"If you would like. I can help you with things."
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She calmed a little when he apologized, though when he offered help, she couldn't hide the balk. Her ears twitched back and she stood now, not aggressively but more out of confusion and a slight bit of suspicion.
"Uh...." she paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing.
"No offense, sir, but I'm rightly not so inclined to ask help from a cat that attacked me because I looked like someone who's supposed t'be dead." Despite the slight quiver to her voice, Sugar was firm. Her brows furrowing and her head cocking to the side as she looked at him, her ears flopping over in an almost comedic way. Like a confused puppy.
"I'm doin' jus' fine. Despite havin' a rough go of it. Not all the cats in m'clan are obsessed with somethin' bad that happened in th'past but-- don't ya' think it's a lil' questionable t'attack me, try to trauma dump on me, and then offer t' "help" me because y'feel bad??-- I mean, y'ain't even told me your name 'Fer gods sake!" she finished, her tail twitching back and forth.
Why were clan cats so fuckin' weird?
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And this is why he didn't talk to cats. This right here.
"Darkmask."
He isn't helping in the slightest but well. He already dug his hole, might as well lay in it.
"Considering with what has happened in this valley, you will have to forgive me for thinking Stormfang was back. It is sadly an actual possibility that can happen."
Man this is why he stays alone or with Ashtail. He just. Is terrible at social interactions. So bad at it that sometimes he wants to curl up and cry but man if he isn't determined.
"Yes I do feel bad for attacking you, and me offering to help was an olive branch in hoping to clear things up. Even with whats happened in the past- considering whats happening now I am sure there are many clan cats a like that look down on former rogues."
He gets up with a swish of his tail.
"If you do not want the help that is fine. I apologise again for attacking you."
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She snorted a little, unable to really contain herself, shaking her head a bit as she took a few steps back.
"Okay. Darkmask. Well, I'd say that it was a pleasure but I have grass in my fur that says otherwise. I don't got a lot of experience interactin' with a lot of other cats other than my ma' but-- well. How'd you feel if you were in my position, hm? Maybe think 'bout that. That's what I do if I'm not sure how t'handle somethin'.. 'cuz I feel like that's what you're strugglin' with." she said it kindly but still with a bit of weariness, maybe even a little bit of sass with some frustration peppered in there.
Shaking out her pelt, she lifted her head to (try to) look confident, though whether or not she succeeded was up for debate. She felt like she was gonna pass out.
At his last mention, her eyes narrowed. "Yeah. Well. That's a them problem that they should really look at gettin' checked out. Mark of a disturbed mind n' all that. Uh. I'm gonna go now. This is uncomfortable." She stated honestly, taking a few more quick steps backward as she spoke, indicating with her head exactly where she was going as if it wasn't obvious before she suddenly turned and ran back into the tree line, her stomach churning and her back still sore from her impact with the ground.
She had just wanted to get a break, man.
-----
The tom gave a look in return, almost being sassy back if not for his calm expression. He has to give he credit, she certainly seemed to be able to handle herself more then he thought she would.
Especially during times like these.
He then turned and returned to his side of the border, giving on final look over his shoulder before dipping his head to he last remarks. Afterwards he padded deeper into the forest, intent on returning to camp. Now wasn't the time to get kidnapped by a bunch of rogues.
And if as he returned to camp he mulled over Sugarsnaps words, thats someone only he would know. She wasn't wrong after all- he was terrible at these situations and usually Rushing was around to help but...not anymore.
Maybe he should try thinking as the other cat did.
Whatever it was, apparently he still had a lot to learn.