The Retreat Part 4

“Alright, so, when starting a conversation, try just… easing into it. Saying everything that’s on your mind immediately can scare some cats,” Shearwaterskip said, reorganizing the herbs as Raspberry went to trying to finish up the building process as quickly as possible. He suspected it was her trying to make sure he didn’t spend the entire night working, but he found himself rather happy to finally have someone to talk to after everything that had been going on. 

“And when Sturgeon said ‘mansplaining’, he was talking about how it sounds when you were trying to give building advice.” 

“But you said you weren’t really good at building,” he pointed out, looking over at her in confusion. 

“Yes, but as Sturgeon pointed out, we do have our clans to help us with that. Also, while we’re at this, you’re kind of… dramatic?” 

“Yeah, well, the rest of you are ‘kind of’ act unaffected despite your problems,” he grumbled, looking away. 

“‘Us’ as in our group of friends or ‘us’ as in literally everyone else?” the she-cat raised a brow before relaxing at the tom slouching over. 

“... Yes?” he responded. “This probably sounds hypocritical given the situation but… I actually don’t like hiding stuff.” Shearwaterskip paused in her sorting as she stared at him. “... But it’s not really as if anyone in Moonclan really listened? Probably the only point I ever really agreed with Jaegerswoop on when we were kits.” 

“What about Skull, or Coyote? Urchin? Birch? I know I’ve seen you talking with them at times.” 

“... Not really…” Raspberry said, staring at the thicket wall he finished patching up. “I never really talked to any of them outside of the gathering, if at all, and Urchin and Birch are relatively new as far as knowing them are and… I don’t think we’re friends? I mean, they don’t need me like your friends seem to need you” He sat down, keeping his back to her. She froze for a moment, taking in the russet tom’s observation. 

“Raspberry, you don’t need to be needed by someone in order for you to be friends. And if it counts for anything, Urchinpaw seems to think you two are friends,” Shearwater pointed out, earning a surprised and hopeful look from her brother before his expression flinched into confliction. 

“I’m… I’m not turning into Balsamfrost, am I?” 

Shearwaterskip flinched at that comparison before responding. “I think you’re safe given the situation. Just take the talking easy and remember to pause. You’ve managed to learn practically every other skills, I’m sure you’ll master communication with some help in no time.”