[Ziera]

// @Dipper

Not all cats wanted to share tongues with a stranger in the middle of the night—shocking and how horrible of them - ? Therapeutic behavior…sure. If Frozen was one of the two cats Stormtalon could stomach letting touch him. But they weren’t, and on top of that he trusted Frozen about as far as Iriskit could throw them. So.

Stormtalon’s dead-serious resolve to reopen the stripes in his shoulders if they pushed him—despite the lashing it would earn him from Snakeheart—faltered when Frozenberry’s unwanted ministrations did. Their hi and good day, sir confirmed it; taking out his anger on Frozen would be dissatisfying. Unfortunate. Just five minutes into their first interaction (beyond trading judgmental stares) and the flop-eared feline was already a severe disappointment.

But as much as Stormtalon treated Frozen like they were the embodiment of everything he hated, spawn of this RiverClan beast responsible for the death of his brother, they weren’t. They were just there. A physical being convenient to blame.

It was smart to stop violating boundaries. To remove themself, and with every added inch of distance between them Storm’s bloodlust subsided all the more; at least now there was room enough to breathe. Stormtalon said nothing. Only watched Frozenberry’s pink tongue disappear to where it belonged, his frosty green eyes melting into neutrality or something more like him, for now. Mainly because Frozen started to pique interest.

Frozenleech acknowledged his words but took them in stride with no pushback; it was unclear whether Stormtalon failed creativity-wise or if they were just…familiar with violent promises directed at them. Huh. Storm’s penchant for indulging misplaced curiosity had a temporary numbing effect on his fury. He analyzed Frozen in a different light, distracted himself from the painful sensation of tearing at the seams.

Worse indeed. He would've hurt, not killed them, obviously—the latter too dramatic for his taste. That and Storm already snuffed out enough life to earn him a one-way ticket downstairs when the time came. But he did agree with Frozen: there were worse places to be than a grave like his brother rotted in. For instance, stuck in this damned clearing, where reminders of Brightpaw teased Storm mercilessly, stoked longing in his chest for things he could never have and a voice he’d never hear again.

They didn’t seem much better, now that Storm tried looking at them with slightly less hostility. For science. Perhaps this leech was as miserable as he was. The tabby watched them as they watched the stars, ears perking when Frozen spoke resonating words.

To which he answered: “Pathetic.” Both of them. Not even intending to be personal, Stormtalon just preferred blunt honesty. He shut his eyes against the rhythmic ache of his pulsing shoulders which...was finally starting to grate on him. It still felt like Storm was trapped in some sort of inescapable free-fall, leaving his insides twisted and lurching. “Are you really so apathetic you can’t state a preference?” A hint of dry banter in the words, even if he meant them. “Kills the mood.”