The Escape from The Fire -private rp with leafygreenss-

[Abbster]

Pixie chuckled. "I hope you're right" she said, licking her mate again

Snowflurry looked up at Clover. "thank you" she said

Maple yawned and opened her eyes a little while later. She stretched, and looked around. Juhi was a few feet away, eating some prey, Tern was alone. Maple sighed. She hadn't been very polite. But at the time, she hadn't known what to say. With another sigh, she decided it would be best if she just talked to Tern...so she padded up to her, smiling. "Hi" she said. "Sorry about my...rudeness earlier." Maple said. "I was just very tired." she said. "I actually got pretty badly wounded in the barn fire, and i'm still recovering" she said. "I'm Maple by the way"

[leafygreenss]

Juhi picked at a sparrow Tern had caught her, the she-cat boasting about how much she'd improved at treehunting. Juhi had only smirked and promised to outhunt her in three-days time, when Goldfinch told her that her chest would be healed enough by. Apparently she wasn't supposed to engage in "meaningless rigorious activity,' which truly was despicable because doing meaningless, rigorous activities is practically her life story. Her ear flicked slightly when Maple woke up and padded over to Tern. She didn't look up from her sparrow, although, she wasn't really hungry.

"Of Course." Clover purred, "Someday, you'll have to stand up for yourself though. Or she'll keep trying to win you back over."

Tern surveyed the Calico, who held herself slightly awkwardly, likely from the injury she spoke of. She'd seen the look in Juhi's eyes when this cat- Maple- had walked away without a word. She'd been hurt. Whoever this Maple was, Juhi clearly valued her opinion. Seeing her friend upset angered her, but it seemed like Juhi genuinely liked this she-cat. So i'll try to be nice. I suppose. "Hello," She cocked her head to the side,  "I'm Tern," She said, keeping her voice even and calm, although her eyes swept over Maple again and again, observing every strength and weakness. Juhi had once called her judgemental. 'No,' she'd replied. 'I'm just prepared.'  "I expect you've met my kits- Goldfinch and Sparrow?"

[Abbster]

Maple nodded, but she kept noticing the she-cat look her over. "is something wrong?" she suddenly asked, feeling quite uncomfortable with this she-cat now. Tern kept looking her over...up and down...up and down. Why? Maple wondered. Was there something wrong with her?

Snowflurry nodded. "i know" she said, as she and clover chose a nest of their own to sleep in.

[leafygreenss]

Tern's gaze snapped up to Maple's, firmly meeting her eyes. "No." She said simply, "I don't doubt Juhi's told you at least a bit of our past. This is just a habit, as most things are for me." She mewed, slightly defensive. "Have you met my kits, Goldfinch and Sparrow?" She asked again, her tail flicking slightly.

Goldfinch let out a long sigh, sitting in the corner of the barn. She'd always lived here. Tern had raised her here, Juhi coming by regularly for visits. Now, once Juhi had finally brought back some friends, her mother seemed conflicted. Tern was still in her protector mode, sizing up anycat she saw as a threat to her family, her friend included. She'd saw the look on Juhi's face when Maple had went straight to sleep. It seemed Tern had seen as well- it would take a while for Tern to simply warm up to Maple being here, especially after that.

[Abbster]

"yes, I have" Maple said, still very unsure of Tern. "look...I get you probably don't like me after I didn't say anything earlier" Maple meowed. "But I care about Juhi, I do" she said. "I'm gonna go" Maple said to Tern. The real reason she hadn't said anything to Tern earlier......was because she was feeling....jealous. She had never seen Juhi like that with any other cat but her...it hurt her in a way Maple didn't understand. She looked at Juhi as she passed her, trying to smile, but her tail was drooped behind her, her ears pinned in slight sadness. Maple padded back over to her nest, and lay down with a sigh. "why do I suddenly feel this way?" she asked herself.

[leafygreenss]

Tern didn't drop her gaze. "At least you aren't oblivious." She said, letting herself smile slightly, though her voice was deadly calm as she spoke again. "I believe our actions speak louder than our words, Maple. Please don't hurt her again." She mewed dismissively, flicking her ear. She watched as the calico left, still not quite sure if she trusted her or not.

Juhi didn't listen to their conversation. She didn't want to. Maple padded past her, giving her a half hearted smile, although Maple's tail was clearly drooping, her ears slightly pinned. She tried to smile as well. All I want is for them to get along. Tern is family, and Maple is... i'm not sure, even. She's close to me. She let out a sigh, leaving her half-eaten sparrow on the barn floor as she padded towards the barn doors. No meaningless, rigorous activity, right? Sure.

[Abbster]

Maple's head swung up, as she realized what Tern had said to her. Her gaze hardened, as she stood up, and marched over to Tern. "and why would I hurt my best friend?" she asked, as her eyes glared at her. "I don't know what you and Juhi have been through together, but what I do know, is that she saved my life, more times than I can remember." Maple said, her eyes now filling with sadness. "I don't care what you think of me!" she said. "Just don't EVER say I hurt my best friend again" Maple said, as she turned and padded for the barn entrance. Maple could see how close Juhi and Tern were...and yes, it made her sad, sadder than she's ever been. Maple is the closest with Juhi, why would Tern EVER think Maple would hurt her. Now beginning to tremble from uncertainty, Maple darted through the forest, wanting to be anywhere but the barn at that moment. As she ran, her ears flattened more against her head. Finally, after running for....who knew how long, Maple stopped and flopped down onto the grass. "Maybe...." she stopped. "Maybe Juhi doesn't like me as much as I thought....maybe we really aren't friends" she muttered to herself.

[leafygreenss]

Tern looked at the she-cat, "Why else would you react so defensively?" She asked sharply, watching Juhi leave the barn from the corner of her eye. "I don't lie Maple." She said, letting out a dry laugh, turning and sauntering back towards Pixie and Sabra's nests. She looked over her shoulder. "Call me what you wish, I frankly don't care. I might be a monster to some. An irresponsible young mother to others. I think Sabra called me a thorn in the paw the other day? The only thing I am not is a liar." She looked back at Sabra's den, padding in that direction, "I only say what I see."

Juhi scaled the nearest tree to the farm, which happened to be quite close. Up and up she went, closer and closer to the stars. The same stars she'd seen from the roof of the Vale Barn.

[Abbster]

Pixie growled a little. "leave the poor thing alone" she said to Tern. "you gang up on every cat that comes through here, if they aren't Juhi" she said. "just leave her alone" Pixie said again, as suddenly pain hit her sides. She closed her eyes a bit but ignored the pain, opening them again to look at Tern. "Tern, you need to understand that before Maple met you, she didn't know anyone closer to Juhi than her." Pixie said. "just give her some time" she said.

Time...is what Maple needed...Juhi is what she needed.

[leafygreenss]

Tern sniffed, "I can't trust her." She protested, her tailtip twitching, "I don't know her- and the first time I met her she acted like a brat! I can't keep everycat safe if I just blindly forgive everycat I meet." She mewed defensively, sitting down a few tail lengths from them, staring at a wall. "I can't trust her." She repeated.

Sabra looked at Tern sadly, "Have you really ever trusted anycat?" She asked her, tilting her head. "Besides Juhi," She added when Tern was about to speak. "You've lived here nearly three years, and you still look around every corner like one of those toms is going to leap out and eat you Tern, You have to give somecat a chance."

Tern stiffened, "I have. I have given many cats a chance." She growled, "I tried, I tried, and I tried again. I won't be kit-brained again and let somecat take advantage of me or Juhi."

[Abbster]

Pixie sighed. "Theres nothing we can do if you aren't willing to help" she said, pressing into her mate as the pain suddenly worsened. "im ok" she muttered a bit.

Maple sighed and stood up, beginning to trot back to the barn. When she got back, she looked around for Juhi, but couldn't find her, so she lay herself outside the barn doors, waiting.

[leafygreenss]

Tern said nothing as she padded out of their den, looking at her paws as she headed for her own nest, tucked away behind some boxes in a corner. She slept alone. I'm only protecting her. I'm only protecting her. I'm only protecting her.  She curled up in her nest, closing her eyes. I'm only protecting her.

Sabra looked at her mate skeptically, "I'm going to get Goldfinch anyways." She said quietly, giving her mate a reassuring lick to her ear before she went to fetch the she-cat. ^{[cue end scene, lol.]}

Juhi stared at the stars and the moon. It was odd that they followed her everywhere she went. Like her own little family of light watching over her. She secured herself in between two rather thick branches, relaxing. She did not sleep.

[Abbster]

As night arrived, Maple still didn't see Juhi. Her heart dropped, and she settled down in front of the barn door, curling herself up in a tight little ball, her ears flat in sadness. "maybe Juhi really doesn't love me..." Maple mumbled as she drifted off to sleep.

Pixie stared down at the three tiny bundles suckling at her belly. She looked up at Sabra. "our kits" she whispered with a purr as she looked down at the bundles again, licking their heads and then her mates head as well as the three bundles suckled.

[leafygreenss]

Sabra smiled tentatively- she'd raised plenty of kits, though never her own. "They're beautiful." She purred, slightly in awe. "What should we name them?"

Juhi stayed up in the tree until she was stiff and cold. With a groan, she pulled herself up, standing and stretching before she began to slowly pick her way down the tree. She jumped off the final branch, landing on the ground with a huff. She turned to the barn, and upon seeing poor Maple huddled by the door, asleep, a sorrowful expression crossed her face. Why was her friend sitting out here in the cold? She padded up to her quietly, nudging the calico's pelt with her nose, "Get up Maple." She whispered, "You'll freeze out here. You need to get in a nest."

[Abbster]

Pixie looked down at the black kit. "well, we have two she-kits and a tom" she said. "what do you think of Blackberry for the black she kit?" Pixie asked, purring.

Maple groaned and rose her head. "wh-what?" she asked sleepily, looking up, she saw Juhi. "Juhi!" she said, standing and pressing against her friend. "I missed you" she said