juniper
"and this time, she won't be forgiving"
sea foam rushes to meet the earthy tones of the shore, sparkling with a silent contentment with the games she plays. she is only half-revealed whenever Juniperstar draws near, not unlike a beach dressed up in the high tide, only stripped away when she departs to be vulnerable and honest in the loneliness of solitude. but she doesn't mind... she's happy to reach the wave as far as it can if only to embrace those hidden parts, even if it means pretending they aren't covered by her closeness. "I've missed you," she admits on a breath that rumbles with a purr that doesn't seem quite comfortable enough to crescendo in its volume. "I feel like, with so many little ones to watch after, we've both been distracted." it wouldn't be the first time... curled up in a shared space to wrap tightly around small bodies. at least these nights, it is with sleeping faces not pulled taut by grief, not dampened by another night spent mourning. every morning means another chance to gaze upon the softness of her features not neatly held into a scheming glower. she is almost peaceful... but for the subtle, impatient flick of her tail. even in her sleep, she seems frustrated... but what haunts her eludes the spotted tabby. the distance is tangible, though it is willfully ignored in favor of hoping that everything is right in the world for once. that things can move forward and grow. she's learned not to try and pry, keeps herself tucked in the shadows if that's what makes Serpentberry happiest.
because her happiness is happiness enough for both of them... but... maybe... it cracks today. the nagging little voice that says she was missing something important, that her embrace wasn't sunken into as whole-heartedly as it once had. or maybe it was just that day that still prickles at the back of her neck- she hadn't included her in her decision to adopt those kittens. was it spite? was it anger?
"I didn't really think you would want another litter so soon," she comments, careful but probing. "What... made you pick these ones?"
- @serpentberry
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juniperstar
leader of thunderclan
seven lives remain