{r} alektraphobia for idiots .

[Soul Dreamcatcher]

They seemed so much bigger than they actually were.

"Back away..."

Soul half-growled, half-begged to a chicken as he himself slowly began to inch away, not noticing that the chicken seemed to pick up on his fear and was now thoroughly ignoring him. He had crawled into the small chicken hut without knowing what was inside, and upon inspection the chickens had squawked and screamed, reminding soul just why exactly it was that he had alektraphobia... a fear of chickens.

"I'm warning you..."

He really wasn't as the chicken continued its harsh cold shoulder, and Soul's claws dug into the wood beneath him before retracting to let him run across the hut and huddle in the corner.

"You better not come any closer! I'm watching you!"

He shouted to the chicken, who proceeded to walk away.

"Damn it..." The dark orange tomcat had no ideas- normally he might think of one, but he was panicking. He'd seen what the chickens did to those seeds the farmer tossed at them. They ate them practically whole. That could've been him.

A totally irrational and unrealistic thought, but striking further fear into the already shaking cat as he curled his tail around his front, bristling and trying to appear scary when all the chickens had already seen through his empty threats.

He would've left the building already if the chickens original ruckus hadn't knocked the small wooden sliding door open, locking him inside. Of all the things to be locked in a cramped space with- was there really a God?

One bocked, and Soul responded by nearly having a heart attack.

[Raven Soulreaver]

Maroon pads patted on the ground in an odd un-even rhythm, a habit the solid black female had gotten into. For due to her disorder she hated perfect, and order. Patterns where one of them, she’d learned to walk in un-even rhythms so she would not drive herself mad. Raven Soulreaver was the name of this solid black femme, her disorder? Well it was none other than Schizotypal personality disorder, or simply schizotypal disorder. As the name suggest it is a personality disorder that is characterized by a need for social isolation, odd behavior and thinking, and often unconventional beliefs. She had been born with this unfortunate disorder and because of it she had been isolated most of her life, by both will and un-willingness. She’d been shun from her family, all but from her brother, her loyal beloved brother, the only one who’d ever been an important figure in her family. She missed him dearly.

When Raven left on her own, she’d met Frost, he’d been more than just a friend, however he was now her worst enemy, she’d been used and toyed with. Never again would she let that happen to her. Aside from her disorder, she had this distrust, born from betrayal from the one she loved most. Thus it made it very difficult for her to socialize with others and make friends.

Her mind wandered to the few cats she’d met here in Nenbrook. There was the snowshoe tom, whom had frightening blue eyes like Frost. Well one frightening blue eye. Frost had been what humans called complete heterochromia. Meaning he had two different eye colors, what the feline world called “odd-eyed.”. Then there was a nice male she’d met in town, his name had been Rowan, he was sweet and Raven liked him, more than anyone else she’d met. He’d been nice despite her quietness and awkward silence, except around him the silence hadn’t been all that awkward. It was almost comfortable. Raven hated to admit it but he was someone she’d definitely like to see again.

Then, there was Wolf. The brown tabby tom she’d met a couple times. One she’d met when first coming to Nenbrook, and whom she’d met a time after that when wandering the cherish. He was quiet like herself and unlike with Rowan the silence was indeed awkward. However she felt a sort of connection with him. Like they’d both been through hard times, she felt that they could maybe some day be friends and confide each other.

Raven sighed softly, and looked up from the ground, she’d some how found herself at the chicken coop. It was actually quite convent for her stomach gave a low rumble, signaling that she needed to eat. She licked her black lips and glanced around. She hoped no farmers would see her if she snuck into the coop and stole a chicken or two to eat. Her mouth watered thinking about it. She shook her head and quickly crept up to the chicken coop. Her silver orbs darted around before she snuck inside through the door. However when she entered she did not expect to see what she saw…

"You better not come any closer! I'm watching you!"

A voice rung out through the coop, causing a few of the chickens to squawk in response and flap their flightless wings rapidly. However that wasn’t what she saw that was unexpected. In the back corner of the chicken coop was a orange tabby, a tom by the looks of it, being corner by a chicken! Raven blinked several times, unsure how to respond to this odd sight. So, naturally instinct took over and short small giggles escaped her muzzle. She crept to the back, and leaped upon the chicken cornering the tom, she growled, scaring the chicken causing it to flail around like a … well chicken. Her small mouth clamped around the chicken’s skinny neck and she bite down, the chicken let out a strangled squawk before it went limp in her mouth. She dropped the chicken, blood staining the boards, and her muzzle along with the front of her chest. Her silver orbs stared down at the obviously frightened tom, her disorder took effect. She uneasily looked at the ground, her throat going dry. “Ah… Uh… Um… Are you… okay?” She asked hesitantly, struggling to speak to the tom, after all she’d just saved him, and he looked pretty shaken up. She should comfort him, right?

[Soul Dreamcatcher]

Ha ha ha...

Soul's amber eyes widened. the chickens were laughing at him? Laughing at him? No! Not okay! He was being taunted by chickens! He had to show them that he wasn't some wimpy chicken, and that he'd take them down without hesitation. He was Soul Dreamcatcher, with a thousand methods of killing to his name (he totally made that up). No chicken would laugh at him.

Meekly, he held up a paw with half-extended claws as if to strike the hen before him, but before he could back down for lack of courage to attack the monster, a black object took it down swiftly. The bird was dead before it could even finish squawking.

“Ah… Uh… Um… Are you… okay?”

Soul stared at her, amber eyes widened for a few seconds longer, close to hyperventilation, before his vicious ego kicked in and he straightened, eyes flickering around the room until he spotted the now-open small wooden latch. With a fleeting glance at the black she-cat, he mumbled,

"Let's get out of here."

It occurred to him at that moment that it might've been the cat before him softly laughing rather than the chickens... too late now.

And then he darted through the door faster than ever, the pathetically traumatizing incident finally over. Oh, how he hated chickens. And the weird part is, he didn't even mind horses or dogs, and was barely fazed when he spotted wolves up the mountain side.

When he was a safe distance away from the chicken hut, the persimmon tom skidded to a stop, turning now to face his rescuer. He stumbled on the introduction.

"Uh, I'm S...Soul Dreamcatcher, but you can call me... Ah, forget it."

He let out a sigh that sounded suspiciously like the word "lame" before trying it again.

"Hi, I'm Soul Dreamcatcher. You might've seen me in your dreams?"

He grinned with a shaky laugh, smiling at the black she-cat and hoping to death she would tell no one of this awkward meeting.

"And you are...?"

[Raven Soulreaver]

The orange tom stared up at ebony female almost stunned, well she would have been too if someone just came up a killed something in front of her. Though, death was nothing new to the black she-cat. Her silver orbs watched him before he finally spoke to her, however the words were not what she’d been expecting. The panic in his voice told her he was serious however. She watched him make a mad dash out of the coop and she looked back at the dead chicken. Her jaws locked around it’s broken neck and she carried it out with her. Leaving loud frantic chickens behind to mourning over their lose.

When they exsit the “Death-trap” Raven started to groom her fur, clearing it of the blood that now stained it. However she did not clean it completely, once again her disorder took over. Her silver orbs turned up to the orange tom, he still looked a bit shaken as he stumbled over his introduction. She could not hold back the slight smile that formed on her lips. But it faded nearly as soon as it formed.

The orange tom seemed to claim down and introduced himself once more but with a lot more confidence than he’d shown before. If she hadn’t known any better she wouldn’t believe he’d been the same scaredy cat in that coop. She blinked at him a couple times, feeling the skin beneath her fur on her cheeks heat slightly. She decided it’d be best to ignore the ending of that sentence.

When he asked for her name, she felt a bit of panic, her long fluffy tail curled around her feet and she really grew hot under her fur with nervousness and embarrassment. She swallowed hardly, clearing the lump in her throat. She sucked in some cool air and forced her name from her lips. “I’m… Raven… Raven Soulreaver…” She introduced herself slowly, her voice soft and shy, almost uncertain about herself. However he eyes lit up slightly, she felt very proud at how well the introduction went, better than any she’d done before. Maybe she was beginning to break from her disorder and distrustfulness. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

[Soul Dreamcatcher]

To Soul's shock, and slight belief, it was her who seemed a little nervous, and with chickens out of mind he gave a warm laugh.

"Rave, love, don't stutter, we're buddies now. You saved my life here, I've gotta repay you somehow!"

Back to his normal self, Soul found himself falling comfortably back into the routine that came with his let's-cross-every-line--that-was-meant-to-never-be-crossed personality quite easily, Amber eyes hidden as he shot her a happy smile.

But then a scent his his nose, and his eyes whipped open once again, leavving him to glance around frantically. Had one followed them? How had it gotten out of the coop with the door closed?! Questions whipped across his mind as he searched for the source of the smell...

...And found it lying dead at Raven's coal-black paws. Chicken.

"I've... Never had chicken before..."

Soul's puzzled voice broke the quiet that had settled in for the moment. The monsters were edible? He always thought that upon biting them they'd spew black acid or something, or not die altogether. But as his instincts kicked in what with it being dead and his alektraphobia giving him some space... It actually smelled pretty good.

Not that he was about to eat his rescuer's dinner. He should be the one finding her dinner, and after glancing around the area and confirming that there wasn't much for a Tuesday afternoon, he decided to politely step back and let her eat it. Chivalry was part of any charming tom's quota anyways.

[Raven Soulreaver]

Raven couldn't believe the words coming from this tom's mouth. The way he talked, the words he spoke, and how he spoke them, it was baffling. She couldn't grasp the concept that this tom, Soul, was flirting with her. Of all females, her. Why would anyone like her? However, the way he spoke brought back familiar memories, ones that were but sweet and bitter. Bittersweet memories. Memories she both treasured but wished she could forget. Memories of Frost and when she'd first met him...

The pure white cat with one blue eye and one green eye grinned cockily to the black female. “Raven, love, you need to chillax, this isn't no big deal. He had it coming.” The larger but much thinner male said to a younger Raven. Raven bowed her head and frowned, she felt disappointed in herself, how could she just do what Frost asked of her? Like she was a tool. Was that all he thought of her? Crystal clear tears welled into her silver orbs, threatening to slip down her cheeks. Someday she would be able to leave Frost but it would be at a cost...

Raven shook her head, clearing the memories away. She looked at the tabby tom and smiled slightly, “You don't need to owe me anything.” She said softly, and sinercely, she honestly didn't want anything in return. From the way it sounded she might not want to be repaid by someone like him. 'I suppose it's better to be owed than owe.' She thought her silver orbs glancing down at her lunch. She licked her lips, and looked back up at the tom, he seemed to slip out of his comfort zone and back into a state of panic. Raven raised an eye brow and like him glanced around, had a chicken got out?

However when he relaxed she did as well, she saw him staring down at her lunch, and the tom's attacker. When Soul spoke again the words that escaped his maw where ones she'd never heard. She couldn't help but giggle slightly. “Never?” She questioned, her silver orbs sparkled slightly as she nosed the chicken towards him. “Try some.” She said simply, a bit more relaxed, yes, this was her comfort zone, or at lest just outside if. Small baby steps at a time, short sentences, and uncomfortable memories.

[Soul Dreamcatcher]

ooc: I just realized that this thread was named alektraphobia. idiot. rather than what I originally intended to call it, which was 'alektraphobia for idiots .' lol. I'm gonna change that.

"You don't owe me anything."

It was a very kind gesture, and he nodded his head back, happily inclining to beat back the debt. Who was this she-cat anyways? He knew her name, but that was about it. Looking back up at her, he decided to first take in her appearance, which he'd ignored for the most part in his panic, not getting a good look at her.

She had long, silky black fur, and her silver eyes seemed more aged than she appeared, but at the some time reflecting the type of reproachfulness of a kitten.

She also had a variety of scars across her face. As appalled as he was by the thought that such a nice young she-cat had been involved in a fight of this caliber, he had to admit that she still looked pretty good, and that she must've been able to hold her own against whatever it was that had given her the faint injuries.

"Thanks." He breathed gratefully. He already liked her, this Raven, but then again, Soul Dreamcatcher liked everyone he met. Offering a cheesy grin, he was in for a surprise at her next few words.

"Try it."

As tempting as the offer was, Soul had to say no, naturally. He couldn't take a meal from her after favor after favor on her part and him doing nothing to repay them. He'd feel like a freeloader, which he'd be perfectly fine with if the cat before him had been male.

"W-what? No way. It's yours, you earned it! I can grab something later."

Came the cool reply. Besides, poultry was bound to taste strange at first, and if he didn't like it, he'd be reluctant to spit it out on the ground with a girl right beside him.

He walked up to her, closing the distance between them now that he knew she wasn't crazy, and lay down closer than most others would dare to with a complete stranger, allowing their sides to touch. Getting comfortable as the sun illuminated his fiery coat, he turned to her and asked,

"So how'd you end up here anyways? I mean, assuming you're a stray, considering your lack of a collar."

[Raven Soulreaver]

When Soul politely declined her offer she smiled slightly and nodded. She was unsure if he was just saying because he was afraid of chickens--which seemed like the more likely reason-- or just to be polite. Raven peered down at her kill with her silver orbs and licked her lips. Her stomach gave a low grumble and her cheeks flared with embarrassment. Pressing her paw on the chicken’s stomach she tore into it’s breast muscles, her favorite part of the chicken.

The still warm meat tasted so good in her mouth before she swallowed it. She felt the warmth slide smoothly down her throat and she took another bite, eating until she was satisfied, nearly half the chicken was ate by the time she finished.

She was so content and busy with eating her dinner she didn’t even notice Soul staring at her. So when he closed the space between them and lied next to her it startled her slightly. Her fur brushed against his, sending warmth across her skin. The warmth was somewhat inviting but uncomfortable. Raven nervously stood up slightly and shuffled a step away, she didn’t go too much father not wanting to offend him. She just wasn’t comfortable enough to be this close to someone else. Not yet.

"So how'd you end up here anyways? I mean, assuming you're a stray, considering your lack of a collar."

Raven blinked her silver orbs at him as she stared into his amber hues. At first Raven was unsure how to respond. There were many ways she could respond, one of them being to not say anything at all like she honestly wanted to but that would be highly rude of her. She had to say something, at lest give him a little tad-bit to satisfy his curiosity. Raven opened her mouth slightly and was utterly embarrassed when nothing came out.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she opened her mouth and tried again, glad words actually came out this time, no matter how shaky. “Nn… I was born a stray, my parents had many kittens, I was from their second litter of three. I ran away from home and ended up here…” She said slowly, choosing her words carefully, and making sure to leave out detail. If he asked or pressed farther she might answer his questions. She’d never had anyone ask of her past before, did he really want to know? He really care about her, was this an odd way of paying her back? Raven was so unsure and hesitant.

[Soul Dreamcatcher]

He didn't push the topic. Soul easily understood her obvious lack of enthusiasm at explaining her past- he didn't like it much either, questions of his history. But the worst part was probably since he couldn't answer them a lot of them, even if he wanted to. He didn't know.

Yawning loudly, he stretched, spreading himself out along the floor and then rolling over onto his back, purring at the warmth the ground had soaked up from the sun. He turned his face so that he could see Raven a few inches away from him.

He had rarely seen silver eyes, they weren't too common. Pretty though- they reminded him of the jewelry that the rich people who came to the circus wore. Although some of the even richer wore gold, the color of his own eyes.

"Raaaaven, chickens are so freaky, how come you can just jump on 'em and I can't?" He complained, shooting an annoyed look at the small hut that currently housed histories most horrifying birds.

"What's your secret? Aren't you afraid?" And then he paused, considering his next question, "And why'd you help me? Weren't you afraid I could've turned around and attacked you too?"

[Raven Soulreaver]

I close my eyes
And the flashback starts

Raven’s silver orbs watched the orange tabby beside her roll onto his back lazily, and purring at the warm sun light that seemed to shine only on him. The sun made his fur stand out more, a bright orange, brighter than she’d ever seen in an orange tabby. She would even say he was rather handsome if she didn’t know any better. A small smile formed on the midnight black she-cat’s lips as she watched him. He was very laid back, like he hadn’t a care in the world, a feeling Raven herself wished she could have. Yes, she wished she could be laid back, be free, without a care in the world. Her brother was like that too. Laidback, a joker, like a kid, even if he was older than her. She loved her brother, and missed him dearly.

Longingly the young black kitten stared in the direction of her parents as they huddled near her younger brother, sky, the chosen one. He would be the one to carry on the family name of Soulreaver. Raven’s nose crinkled, but her eyes lined with tears. She hated her parents, but not as much as she hated herself. Not as much as she hated her disorder, it wasn’t fair, why did she have to be the one to be born with this disease? Had she done something wrong in a past life to deserve punishment in this one?

Sniffling the young solid long-haired kitten looked up from her resting place as her elder brother, Sprite. He looked similar to their father, short-haired, solid black with white splotches along his body. He was a handsome cat, and the best big brother anyone could have ever asked for. Upon seeing her brother the solid black she-cat picked herself up from the ground and walked up to him, her tear-filled eyes pleaded up at him pathetically.

"Does... god hate me?" She asked him looking down at the ugly black chipped road of the ally way as if she had never seen it before. This was far from the truth however, she had gazed down at this surface millions of times before.

Blinking confused like the older black and white tom gave a wide goofy grin. "Silly girl, of course not, he just has something special for you planned." He meowed coolly without hesitation. She envied his ability to be so blunt and confident with his words. She was so insecure and hesitant, she lacked major confidence and inexperience in a conversation.

"Something... Special...?"

Raven shook the memory from her head and rested her silver orbs on Soul as he complained to her about the chickens, she thought it was silly but he was serious. She opened her mouth slightly ready to answer his question as she thought it over. ‘Well…’ She thought unsure how to answer it before his next question was thrown out. She listened intently, and was thrown into confusion at what he’d asked. She furrowed her brows slightly and let his voice ring through her ears over and over, mulling over the questions he’d thrown at her.

"What's your secret? Aren't' you afraid it'll turn around and attack you?" And then he paused, then asked his next question, "And why'd you help me? Weren't you afraid I could've turned around and attacked you too?"

She looked down at her paws, and thought deeply. Why had she helped him? Truthfully she’d come to the cope to get a bite to eat and he just happened to be there. The condition he looked like he was in she couldn’t just leave him like that. So why not kill two birds with one stone? Help him and capture her meal. He’d posed a nice distraction for the chicken, she took it out without problems.

“I…” She spoke softly, her silver orbs looking up into his golden ones. “I guess… I couldn’t leave you like that, you looked like you could use some help… Besides I was hungry… that is all.” She said, her words coming out slowly, like always, however unlike before, she spoke from her heart, truthfully, something she found hard to do, however the questions he’d asked, got her thinking, thinking deeply, these where questions she couldn’t just answer by thinking about it, these where answers that had to come from the heart.

“I suppose… I was afraid, but I didn’t think of it because you needed help, and if you’d had turned on me, I’m not sure what I would have done.” She said more softly than before, her silver orbs still gazed into his golden ones as she lost herself in a deep thought. What would she have done? Her first option would have been to fight back, she’d been trained that way, however she could have ran as well.

Lyrics; Love Story by Taylor Swift

[Soul Dreamcatcher]

Orange fur fluffed up as the light breeze blew through the farm, giving his warm fur a break from the heat. He couldn't imagine how Raven felt with her long black fur- he'd be boiling if he was her.

Said she-cat was currently looking lost in thought, as if she was remembering something from long ago. His smile faltered slightly- Soul wished he could do that too, bring up childhood memories. At least he had good ones from his time with the maestro though, discounting the time he spent in the abusive shelter. Who knows what this cat was thinking of. She was hard to read.

Which was actually a rarity for Soul; most she-cats were quite easy to figure out, he could find most of their insecurities and shrug them off, leaving them speechless. It was mildly surprising he wasn't able to figure out what this cat was thinking, even if they'd only known each other for a few minutes. So, tipping his head to the side, he asked her.

"What are you thinking about?"

It was abrupt, yes, slightly rude even. But was anything the orange tom said anything less? Not commonly.

His orange tail flicked back in forth in a hypnotizingly lazy motion, eyes half shut as he smiled lightly, enjoying the day. Finally, summer was coming in for the kill. Soul didn't like spring very much- too much water- but summer was another deal. Great food, nice places to sleep, bringing in new people to meet- what's not to like?

And of course, my birthday is in the summertime.

...

The amber eyes shot open and his claws instinctively flashed into life at the sudden wall of shock that hit him. No, he didn't know his birthday. He'd merely made one up, one in October, in autumn. Where had that thought come from?

Besides that, there was something haunting about it that didn't let him doubt it at all. Definitely born in the summertime, for sure- how did he know that? How did he remember it? It was the first time in the year he could remember that he'd been able to recall something like that- it couldn't be true... But it was, it so, so was.

"...When...?" He murmured breathlessly, slowly relaxing his tensed muscles as he regarded the grass intently, trying to remember anything else. The exact date, who his parents were, siblings, home, anything. But that had been it.

My own memory is teasing me, he thought bewilderedly, until something he could remember came back to him. Raven was still right besides him.

Head snapping back up, he grinned widely, although something was off on it, like he was faking.

"Haha sorry, just a stray thought," He tried to explain his random behavior before pausing and breathing out.

No one in Nenbrook is allowed to be normal, are they? He thought cynically. Well, I wanted a change, I guess. Careful what you wish for.

[Raven Soulreaver]

Raven closed her eyes as the wind picked up and softly blew through her tick black coat. It felt nice, specially since the weather was so warm. Sometimes she’d wished she’d been born as a shorthaired cat instead of a longhaired. ‘Beggars can’t be choosers I suppose.’ She thought closing her silvery orbs enjoying the lazy breeze that softly blew by. It was relaxing, fitting for how hot and lazy the evenings was. She believed Soul had the right idea, just rolling over and relaxing. Her silver orbs opened slightly, she looked at Soul, she couldn’t help but smile. She felt happy, and felt for the first time in a long time that she’d made a friend. Friends was that what they where? ‘Hm, maybe.’ She thought with a softened look in her silver hues.

Stretching her legs out slightly, the ebony she-cat decided she would relax too. She flopped onto her side and stretched her body out as far as it would aloud. She felt comfortable in the grass. Comfortable with Soul, the heat from the sun and the light breeze from mother nature. She felt so at ease, like all her worries where being carried away with the wind. However it was short lived when Soul’s voice entered her mind.

"What are you thinking about?"

She opened her silver hues, staring straight into his amber ones. For a moment she felt very confused and shocked. Then her eyes fell almost sadly, thinking about her brother Sprite again. Again her voice of her younger years and her brother’s filtered her mind.

"Does... god hate me?"

"Silly girl, of course not, he just has something special for you planned."

"Something... Special...?"

Raven shook her head slightly, and rolled onto her back, pulling her paws close to her chest. She looked up at the soft clouds that floated by. “I was thinking… about my brother.” She admitted truthfully. Silence filled the air between them, Raven wasn’t sure if it was a comfortable silence or not. It felt comfortable but then again with a side of unease. Then suddenly, Soul shot up, startling Raven. Her silver hues stared at him in shock as he looked just as shocked as she did. “Wha…?” She questioned so softly she could barely hear herself. What had him so worked up about?

He relaxed, causing her to relax as well. She’d been startled by his sudden uproar of surprise. ‘Wonder what that was about… maybe there’s more to this tom than a handsome face?’ She thought with a slight smile. She felt a little excited to know there was more to this tom than what he gave onto the surface, maybe she could find out. Being as they where friends and all right? Friends knew each other well and shared things, right? Raven wasn’t positive she’d never had a really good friend. Only her brother… and Frost…

When Soul apologized she couldn’t help but stare at him, blankly. Her mind wandered to different thoughts as his words barely registered into her mind. She wanted to talk to him, ask him what was wrong, what was on his mind, what kind of tom was he really? She blinked slowly and opened her short muzzle. “What are you thinking about?” She shot his earlier question back at him, her expression still blank. She wanted to know. She wanted to have a friend, and wanted to know more about this Soul and who he was. She wanted him to get to know her as well… She wanted acceptance, she wanted to ride of her social isolation.

[Soul Dreamcatcher]

"My brother..."

He blinked, silently watching her paws. Anyone could hide what they were thinking in their eyes, but no one every though to watch how their paws reacted. Unease led to twitching, confidence led to relaxation, distrust meant for unsheathed claws. Another way to follow peoples thoughts.

Do I have any siblings? He wondered briefly, tail waving back in forth as he contemplated it. Probably not.

"What are you thinking about?"

His eyes shot up to meet hers in surprise as she repeated his earlier question, and his mouth opened, about to blurt out the answer, until he paused. Why push his problems on the girl? She looked liked she had enough on her plate. Plus, Raven seemed so relaxed. He didn't want to stir her up. So he tried again with,

"Nothing. Did it look like I was thinking? Cause I don't do that too often. Not really my thing,"

He answered, forming the mild lie into a joke. Smiling, he stretched out on the grass.

"Let's not talk about me," he yawned out, amber eyes clinging to her warm, drowsy figure. No worry or unease evident on her face- just as it should be.

"Let's talk a little more about you. You need to unwind anyway, you've hardly spoken at all, avoiding questions like the plague." He teased her, completely ignoring the hypocrisy of the statement.

"What are you scared of?" Was the first question, intruding and personal as it was. Talking was a great way of relieving stress, and sometimes you even learned a little more about yourself along the way.

[Raven Soulreaver]

"Oh..." Was the first word to leave her mouth when he said that he wasn't thinking, she might not have known much about him or others or how motives worked but she could tell that it was a lie. He'd been thinking about something, thinking hard at that so hard he'd hardly heard a word she'd said earlier which was a little discouraging considering for herself she didn't speak often and to have her words how little they where go unheard. Her silver hues downcast themselves as she felt herself sink a little back inside herself, yes, how discouraging she felt now.

Raven let out a soft sigh when he asked her what she was afraid of. She honestly didn't want to talk about herself, why couldn't they share together? That seemed more logical and fair to her. She frowned slightly, her silver hues met with his amber ones for a moment. 'I guess I shouldn't make him feel uncomfortable with it though... I should understand that better than anyone.' She thought sighing in defeat, before her eyes narrowed as she mulled over the question. What was she afraid of?

Then it hit her, her most feared thing in the world. Yes, this is what she was afraid of. Her eyes turned down and she sighed deeply. "Perfection... and being alone..." Her voice trailed off she felt afraid now as well her heart sped rapidly in her chest. Another fear came to mind, rejection and isolation, although she was already isolated and her disorder caused it, she longed for her own freedom she didn't want to be alone.

ooc: sorry short post. D: muse low.

[Soul Dreamcatcher]

At his words, the she-cat seemed to deflate a little, which confused him. He'd been trying to carefully omit anything that might upset her- damn, why was this cat so complicated?

She answered his question in her soft, timid voice, but the answer was nothing he would have predicted on his own.

"Perfection... And being alone."

He blinked back his surprise. They were two things that were never really said, but were feared by many others. Perfection was an intimidating thought, but loneliness... He'd rather die than be alone.

"Interesting." He said unexpectedly. The sway of his tail had a hypnotic feel to it. And then he smiled.

"Then why aren't you hiding?" He joked, "I'm pretty damn perfect, aren't I?"

Pawing at the ground, something in mind spoke up.

Stop it.

He paused, confused.

Stop what?

Pretending. You're hurting her. Look at her- at her face.

He obeyed the inner command, and looked up, meeting her gaze. She looked nervous, discouraged, and generally uncomfortable. And for the first time in a long time, mental panic hit.

What? He stressed, she's still unhappy? She doesn't respond at all... She won't talk, she refuses close physical contact, she's rejected any kind of joking around. I'm making things worse!

His own face betrayed none of this though, but he knew that he was just trying to fool himself now. She was looking through him. It wasn't working- she would not open up.

"Being alone, huh...?" He left the musing hanging in the air, and the air around them adopted a more melancholy feel to it. Now it seemed both cats were discouraged. Here they were, both trying to impress, with both making the other feel the opposite of their intentions.

He looked up, amber eyes for once, hiding nothing. He'd leave it to her to figure out what she saw there.

"Sometimes I don't think it exists, Rave... Sometimes it's suffocating." He was tired.

"I think... We shouldn't let each other go."

Soul had no idea where that had come from- speaking from the heart was a frustrating and confusing business. He kept talking, slowly beginning to explain what he was thinking. It was like trying to speak an unfamiliar language. He was so used to smiling all the time that it almost ached not to, yet at the same time, it was almost relieving.

"We're total opposites, Rave, but at the same time I think we also have a bunch in common. Talk to me. I'll talk to you too, okay?"

He was sick of acting, anyway.

"Besides. You can only move on with acceptance and determination. And you'll always be alone unless you decide to be together. Who's stopping you? Think about it. The only one standing in your way is yourself." He took a deep breath, ending the anxious speech with a single suggestion.

"Let's stop pretending."

ooc: Muse much burst? Almost 500 words They make a cool pair, huh? Raven is making him think. He doesn't usually do too much of that