The Escape from The Fire -private rp with leafygreenss-

[Abbster]

Maple looked up as Clover padded up to her. Maple looked up. “Clover” she said. Clover jumped up and sat beside her. “Hi” clover meowed. “Hi” maple said. “Why….why do you hate me?” Clover asked. Maple sighed. She had changed…it was true. “Oh clover” she said. “I….I don’t hate you” maple said. “Then why…why are you so mean to me?” She asked. “Because I want to keep you safe.” Maple said. Clover blinked. “You do?” She asked. Maple nodded. “I watched my litter mates and my mother die, in front of me. No cat knows this. I’m telling you this, because….because I need you to know. I don’t hate you” maple said. Clover nuzzled her and she jumped down, leaving, racing over to Juhi to tell her everything she had just learned. Maple sighed. Juhi…she did need to know. Maple jumped off the tree, and raced to her friend. “Juhi….I…we…need to talk”

[leafygreenss]

Juhi stared at the sky, at the sun and the clouds. The world kept moving, even if hers stopped sometimes. Maple's scent hit her before she heard her mew. She looked down at her friend, her eyes hollow, but filled with a strange, harsh clarity. "Why? Why would you want to talk to me?" She mewed. "I'm just the best friend who you used to know and love, right? Right?" She laughed, the sound empty. "I'm tired Maple." She said, her voice cracking as she squeezed her eyes shut and curled her tail around her. "I'm so tired." She did not leap down from her tree.

[Abbster]

Maple looked down. “I don’t hate Clover!” Maple blurted out. “I don’t. Really! I don’t! I never have!” Maple said. “Look….Juhi….I just want to keep her safe” maple said. “When I was little. I watched my mother and litter mates die in front of me.” She said, shifting on her paws. “I’ve never meant to change.” She promised, as she began trembling. “I love you, Juhi. You’ll always be my best friend, I promise. And….I never meant to chance away those cats….really I didn’t. I suppose I come out to strong sometimes.” Maple said. She jumped and climbed up the tree, resting beside her best friend, leaning forward to groom her pelt. “Please….come back to me” she whispered.

[leafygreenss]

Juhi didn't move much, but her ears pricked upwards a bit. Her tail loosened a bit. She cracked open her eyes. The branch swayed a bit under the weight of them both as Maple jumped up besides her. "I never left Maple." She whispered as her best friend groomed her pelt, the movement soothing. "I never left." She let herself relax a bit, and she leaned into Maple, pressing her muzzle to her fur. "I'm sorry. About your mom. Your littermates." She mewed, her voice soft, tentative. "I bet Clover would understand too. She's been through more than you'd expect. It's not my story to tell, but you should ask her." She tilted her head slightly, "Farrah too, and Minthe. Maybe Sabra. Rocky." She added, a doleful look on her face, "Nobody shows up at the Vale by chance Maple. Everyone here is broken, at least bit."

[Abbster]

“I know” maple said. “Do you understand how much you mean to me?” Maple asked, breathing in her best friends sweet and comforting scent. “I promise, I’ll be better.” Maple purred. “And, to do so….do you want to share a nest tonight?” Maple asked, snuggling comfortingly against her best friend. She continued to groom her pelt and her eyes were in slits. “Juhi….” Maple whispered. “You know I love you, right?” Maple asked. “Do you forgive me?” She asked.

[leafygreenss]

Juhi froze, her heart racing. "Yes." She whispered, "I know." She swallowed once, twice. Blinked. She couldn't bring herself to say the words she wanted to, so instead she just mewed, "I forgive you Maple." She leaned even more into her friend's fur. "We should probably go back." She murmured, voice slightly muffled, "I'd like to show you something. Something in the trees. I never showed you it when we were treehunting. I think you'll like it." The sun was nearly at its peak. "Then, will you come treehunting with Clover and I today?"
(can i play clover during treehunting??)

[Abbster]

(Ofc)

Maple smiled. “I would love to come treehunting!” Maple purred, licking her best friend as she hopped off the tree. She waited for her friend to jump down as well, and when she did, Maple padded after her. “Juhi! Wait up!” Maple purred, racing after her friend. “Ok! Ok!” She said, “where we going?” She asked, slowing a bit as Juhi slowed down as well. She nudged her gently. “Do you want to share a nest tonight?” Maple asked. “You never did answer my question”

[leafygreenss]

Juhi blinked, freezing again. "Not tonight Maple." She said, her voice quiet, "Not because of you. Not because of you. I just can't." Her eyes were a sea of fear and pleading and memories, and she hated herself for it. She didn't elaborate any further. They had nearly reached the barn when she stopped, nodding at a tree. "Up we go." She mewed happily, a bit of her spark sliding back into her eyes, stiffness leaving. "Better keep up." She smiled and shot up the tree without any hesitation, climbing was her freedom, her claws always knew where to go, her paws always falling in the right place. She dashed along the oak branches, jumping down onto the roof of the barn. "This way!" She called, slowing her pace, guiding her friend to the gap in the roof. "My little secret." She said, "It leads right to the rafters. The rafters to the loft."

[Abbster]

Maple felt her heart drop. She looked down at her paws. “You always say no” she mumbled a bit, as she followed after her friend. But she ignored the thought, still feeling it had something to do with her. Juhi always said no…and Maple never knew why. When she climbed up aster her friend, her eyes sparkled. “Woah…” she breathed, looking around. “This is amazing!” Maple said. Then she suddenly looked at Juhi. “I told you my story….why do you always say no?” Maple asked. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to, but I’ll always be your friend.” Maplepromised.

[leafygreenss]

Juhi glanced back at Maple, "You don't want to know my story. Only Sabra has ever heard most of it." She shifted on her paws, "My story is long and sad and too much for now, at least. Perhaps tonight. After treehunting." She resolved, "If you still want to know, i'll tell you then." The sun had finally reached its full height, and Clover came bounding down an oak branch and onto the roof, excitement glowing in her eyes. She didn't falter at Maple's presence, even nodding at the she-cat. "Hello Clover." Juhi smiled, "Maple's going to come with us, let's start at the juniper tree." She had barely finished talking before Clover darted as fast as she could up the oak branch. "Slower!" She called after the she-cat, "You'll twist a paw if you keep rushing. Impress me with steadiness not speed!" Clover checked her pace a bit, and Juhi looked back at Maple, leaping back onto the oak tree, "Race?"

[Abbster]

“You know I always beat you” Maple teased, crouching a bit before she bolted up the tree. “Come n Clover!” She called to the she cat. “We need to beet Juhi,” she said, her eyes glowing as she bolted up the oak tree. When she got to where they needed, she stopped and sat perched on a branch. “You can do this Clover!!” Maple encouraged her, purring as her best friend, and the young cat bolted up the tree.

[leafygreenss]

Juhi didn't hold back, she never did. She never would. Nocat would ever improve if she let them win all the time. So she ran up the branch, catching up to Clover easily, the juniper tree was only about a hundred tail-lengths from the barn. And Juhi flew. She always knew where to put a paw, where to retract her claws or switch branches. She knew when the wood began to creak she needed to find a new place to run. The trees had always made her feel free. Bird-like. Flying over the land below. Maple and Clover were still behind, so she fell back, slowing a bit. Fifty tail-lengths left. She let them catch up, when they were ahead, she leaped up. Up into the thin, lenient branches. She reached the Juniper tree far before them, though they never saw her overhead. When Maple and Clover bolted up the tree, she could see their confusion. They'd though she was behind them. "Hello slowslugs." She teased lightly from above, jumping down onto their branch. Clover practically leaped out of her fur, "How did you do that!?" She demanded.

[Abbster]

Maple blinked. “What?” She exclaimed. “Juhi! How on earth?!?” She said, looking mildly confused. She blinked, utterly confused. “W…what?” Was all she managed to say. “Ok. What are we catching first?” She asked, her eyes landing on a squirrel. Her eyes began glowing. “I’ll be back” she said, crouching down low and stalking up to where the squirrel was sitting on the branch. Her mouth watered, and she kept creeping up on it. She jumped and leapt on top of the squirrel, killing it with a bite to the neck. She picked it up it her mouth, and padded back to where her friends were.

[leafygreenss]

Juhi grinned at them, "I don't particularly enjoy losing. You'll learn how to get through the trees like me one day. Hopefully." She tilted her head as Maple began stalking something. Her smile dimmed at the sight of the squirrel, but she watched anyways. When Maple returned she tried her best not to wrinkle her nose. "Ew, but well done. You lean slightly on your left when you stalk. If you balance yourself, you'll be less likely to fall off when you jump." She turned to Clover. "Your turn." She mewed simply. Clover didn't hesitate, she went up two branches and began leaping between trees. Her training was paying off, the small she-cat was fast on her paws. She stumbled once, getting over confidant, but she picked her pace up quickly. She was aiming towards a female robin, perched a branch below her. Clover's mistake had began as soon as she'd started though, going the same direction as the wind. The bird easily scented her, and flew off, giving a warning call. Clover returned, her tail low. "Maple." Juhi asked patiently, "What do you think she did wrong?"

[Abbster]

Maple sat down. “You went with the wind” Maple said. “So the bird was able to scent you coming.” Maple said simply. “Try again, but this time, go away from the wind.” She encouraged her, flicking her tail behind her as Clover darted off to hunt again. “Oh come on, can’t you try squirrel for once?” Maple joked, already knowing the answer.