My Anxiety Keeps Me Silent || Open, Joiner

[PenumbraRunner]

Penumbra. A warrior. A mentor. A hunter. A scout. And a deserter.

Penumbra was apart of a family no longer and hadn’t been for some time now. A threat much larger than her clan could ever handle had attacked and while Penumbra was a fighter, she was no match for her many foes. It was a wipe and as much as she wanted to go down with her other clan mates, she was afraid. So she ran.

A survivor. But at what cost? Penumbra lived in regret. It caused her to wanna forget her memories. It caused her to live in a daze. PenumbraTalon had fled from her family. She would keep Penumbra as part of her name. It would serve as a reminder of her family. But Talon? That was a title that no longer belonged to her. It was all that remained of her spitfire childhood and that was gone. A cat skilled at hunting and swift of claw.

Now she was the prey and she was afraid. She wanted a new home, a new family, a new life. She loathed her mistakes, but she would make sure she never forget them. A new name, making her title her own. PenumbraRunner.

It took entirely too long for Penumbra to realise that she was already neck deep in another Clan‘s territory. She slunk forward with a false sense of swift strength. She was used to using the shade to cast a shadowy cover over herself that made her seem more powerful and mysterious then she actually was.

After all, despite her inner turmoil, Penumbra had been searching for a new home for days. First impressions were important and she wasn’t going to just let this opportunity go.

[RHINESTONE.]

Although he would more than likely never admit it to anyone, Rhinestone was honestly a bit surprised with how he had acted after the hurricane. Had he been just a bit younger or a bit more cowardly, he probably would've abandoned everything at the first sign that he was the only senior warrior left. However, he had grown, and the hurricane wasn't something that Palmclan was unable to overcome. It wasn't some massive attacking force, like in Penumbra's case. No, instead, it was just a disaster. Horrible, but something they could recover from, and they were already well on their way to that recovery. It made him proud, and it also made him surprised about his own confidence, even if he did have secrets he still couldn't share with anyone else.

In the back of his mind, the leader had always figured that they weren't the only clan out there. After all, it wasn't as if their founders were the only felines that had gotten the thought to band together. However, aside from Sugarspice, he had yet to meet a joiner who bore a clan name, let alone someone with a past such as Penumbra. When the mixed and musty scent of Penumbra's group and her travels reached Rhinestonestar's nose, he was struck with a mixture of curiosity, and worry. He could only hope that, whoever Penumbrarunner was, she didn't represent a threat to his clan. Taking a deep breath inwards, the sunset colored tom moved off towards the scent, having to stop himself when he noticed Penumbra's form slinking forward through the trees, towards their inner territory. He hesitated a moment before he spoke, voice firm, "Hey! I mean... hello. Sorry, I just... needed your attention. You're on the territory of Palmclan right now. Would you mind telling me your name, and why you're here?" The male kept his muscles tensed, ready to stand his ground or leap forward, claws out, if the other feline turned out to be an enemy.

RHINESTONESTAR - PALMCLAN - PENNED BY STILLY

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[PenumbraRunner]

Penumbra had to stop herself from getting too excited when she heard someone else’s voice. She had actually found another clan!

PalmClan. That was the name of the territory huh? It’s a fitting name considering the fact that Umbra could already smell the salty water from where they stood.

She glanced at the Tom before stepping forward so as to insure he saw her. “I’m not here on any business except my own...” It’s not like she has any clan business to convey anyway. However she quickly realised that what she said could sound to sinister. “I...mean I’m not here to hurt anyone either! I’m here to join. If at all possible...”

She sighed in resignation as she thought of her first impressions being absolutely shot. Not to mention that she didn’t know how strict this clan was with newcomers. If they were anything like her old one, she would have no chance to become a full member of this new clan.

“My name is PenumbraT- uh...PenumbraRunner...I’ve got nowhere else to go.” She cringed at how desperate she sounded. Her only hope was that this group didn’t take people like her as prisoners. If they didn’t? Well she’ll certainly try her best to prove herself to the group.

[trojan g.]

Luckily for Penumbra and every other joiner this group had - Sugarspice included - they didn't take prisoners. If that had been something that had been asked out loud, Sugar probably would have laughed at the thought of it. Why would a group take in prisoners when they could just take in joiners and have a good reputation?

It did throw her off, the first words she heard Penumbra speak, though once she continued her words, Sugarspice found herself coming closer to the other, head tilted as she did and as she listened. "I don't see why she shouldn't be able to join, Rhinestonestar." Sugarspice would offer her words to the male as she came forward, eyes flicking to the leader for a moment. Was she allowed to accept new joiners? They seemed to have an open door policy so long as the joiner wasn't trying to kill someone, but Rhinestonestar was already here, so it wasn't as if she was going to underminde him, especially considering her own rank within the group. "speech"

[glow=black,2,300]— ✘ —[/glow]

[RHINESTONE.]

Palmclan had never been the type of group to take prisoners, not unless they were dealing with an enemy group, and needed some kind of bargaining chip. Luckily, it had been some time since any enemies had popped up for the relatively small group, so no prisoners had been taken in a long time either. Even if the group had been taking prisoners, Rhine wouldn't have stooped so low as to capture Penumbrarunner. It was obvious that she was scared and needed a new home, and he could understand that feeling, even if he had never experienced it himself. Her tone alone was enough to tug at the heartstrings, and it wasn't as if she was exactly a stretch to let into the group. Unlike someone like Stormspine, Penumbrarunner was just a feline, and she had already come with a two part name – not to mention her obvious clan roots. It would've been cruel to turn her away, and it seemed as though at least one of his warriors agreed. Tilting his head when he heard Sugarspice, he blinked and nodded, speaking simply, "You're right. She seems perfectly safe, and capable, if she has a warrior name." She had the faint scent of another clan still clinging to her fur, but it was clear that it was fading fast. It also wasn't anything that he recognized, which meant that it wasn't one of their past enemies.

Turning his pale gaze back to the newcomer in question, Rhine's tail flicked back and forth behind him before he purred, "As we were just saying... you're accepted, Penumbrarunner. We're glad to welcome you into Palmclan, and hope that you will enjoy your time in your new home. Would you like a guide back to our camp, or would you rather explore for a while?" He knew that their camp could be somewhat hard to find, at least at first. Joiners had a habit of falling down into the shallow dune that held their various dens, rather than actually intentionally coming into it. The rust colored feline had decided to make it a habit to provide guidance, just so that future injuries could be prevented.

RHINESTONESTAR - PALMCLAN - PENNED BY STILLY

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[PenumbraRunner]

Penumbra let out a sigh of relief. There was a sense of pride that she got at the acknowledgement of her warrior name. She had worked hard for it after all! However that was quickly squished at the fact that she would need her work hard for her newer name just as much as her old one.

So his name was Rhinestonestar? Rhinestonestar...star...Star!? "Wait, you're the leader?" She supposed that she could've figured it out earlier considering the she-cat that had first said something about her staying (Of which Umbra was immensely grateful.) basically asking him. Not to mention his tone of voice indicated the finality of his decision. It was just a little bit embarrassing that she had speaking to the leader without realizing.

Clearing her throat with an awkward cough, Umbra finally got over her own embarrassment. "Uh. Yea...a guide would be great." Wonderful. There was absolutely no salvaging this to make her not seem like an absolute wreck anymore. This would be her new life it seems!

[RHINESTONE.]

On one hand, it was natural that not everyone would know that he was leader just by looking at him. That would be ridiculous. After all, he hadn't suddenly gained any particular markings that very obviously made him a star to everyone who passed, so he could forgive Penumbra's confusion. However, it was simply the way that Penumbra expressed herself that made Rhine smile a bit, his shoulders shaking with soft laughter he only barely managed to hold back. He didn't want to laugh in her face and embarrass her any further, but the entire situation was just so amusing that he couldn't help a couple of chuckles bubbling out. Once he was done, he pressed a gentle paw against his own muzzle to silence himself, muttering with a nod of his head, "Yes, I would be the leader of Palmclan. I've been the leader ever since a recent hurricane struck us." Perhaps talking about the hurricane wasn't the best thing to do with a fresh-faced new joiner, but it wasn't as if it couldn't happen again. Best for her to know what she was getting herself into.

When the other feline expressed that she would need a guide, he found himself nodding once again, a calm smile appearing on his face. He muttered as he turned, tail flicking to let Penumbra know that she could follow him, "Alright, come, I'll lead you to camp. Sugarspice, if you'd like to accompany us, feel free to do so." He didn't know if the other warrior had anything she needed to get to, but either way, he provided her with the option. He led Penumbra away from the forest part of their territory, away from the sparse grass spread across the earth and towards the sand that so many Palmclanners were used to.

RHINESTONESTAR - PALMCLAN - PENNED BY STILLY

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