Late Night Contemplating || Crowflame Intro

Keeping a piercing glare in Turtlefang’s direction until he was satisfied with having watched the tortie tom disappear into the horizon, Iceglow’s teasing expression dropped slowly. He cast his eyes back towards Crowflame. “… what’d you really come out here for? I know you do this but this time it feels… different. What’s eating at you?” Turtlefang had been fun, but the encounter with him put a dent in Iceglow’s plans for how they’d handle this little moment with their sister. They should’ve gotten to rough house a little after he pounced on her - another thing he didn’t get to do - before he had to bring up the more solemn reason he was out there.

Yeah, Turtlefang was going to get it for this one.

They swatted at Crowflame’s mane again, smirking slightly up at him. “I mean, c’mon Fadedstripes… you know you always have me, right? I know it’s hard to believe you’re that lucky, but it’s true.” That last line had to be added, just a little bit of emotional leeway in case Crowflame needed an out.

Even though he had known it was a lie, he still couldn’t help but try to protest being excluded from plotting against the Clans. What sort of siblings didn’t include each other in treason? Terrible ones! He’d have every part in whatever heretical plans she came up with.

Obviously, though, it was a lie. The brief moment of offense being quickly dismissed by the concern and sympathy as Crowflame explained xeir problems. Nudging him gently with their head, Iceglow looked at their twin gently. This sort of conversation wasn’t his strong suit, but for them…? He could make an effort. “Hey, Crow, don’t beat yourself over that, alright? It’s… it happens. Sometimes bad stuff just… I dunno, it doesn’t feel real or something. Sometimes terrible things happen, and you can’t make yourself feel anything about it. I know I’ve had that happen a couple of times, too.”

He gestured vaguely at something, unsure of what, but it was all for emphasizing his point. “I mean, the whole Beestar thing? I can’t make myself feel anything, honestly. I’m more upset about watching the way their kits are handling it, that’s… gotta be tough. Seeing your parent’s dead body be pulled into camp? Yikes. But Beestar being dead just sorta feels like a thing that happened. Everyone handles things differently, and sometimes you even handle things differently to how you handled it before.” Ducking his head secretively with furrowed brows to indicate a level of secrecy, he leaned in slightly. “I mean, don’t tell anyone but even I’ve had my moments of screaming crying. I think it’s good, though, for other cats to have different reactions to bad stuff. If we were all moping miserable from this, we’d die too. All of us laying in camp and wasting away because we all got that sad? Nah, we need cats who react differently. We just… gotta understand that better. Or something.”

They shrugged for emphasis that they were no genius in this realm of “feelings”. “Point is, you aren’t like evil or anything for this. You can’t help how you feel, so just… try to go easy on yourself. Got it, Fade?”

“I watch them out of habit, they've got a weird dynamic going on. I've decided to stay clear of it for now, but I keep an eye on them just in case they need an intervention,” he explained casually, shrugging once more. He grinned playfully as she continued, nipping at her cheek. “No problem, Fade, this is one of my many specialties.” A blatant lie, but hey, things were normal again, who cared?

“Crying's more of a kit thing, I've outgrown it, so I'm not surprised it stuns you,” he stretched with amusement. “Next time, if you do come out here to plan against the Clans, be sure not to leave me out of your evil schemes, got it? Otherwise I'll actually have to put my ambush skills to good use. What's the plan now? Gonna find your bats, or head back to camp and those super fun walls?”