A Little Bit Of Help Goes A Long Way (For Buttercup)

Buttercup purred with amusement and affectionately nuzzled her nose against Mange's cheek. He was beginning to feel like one of her own already. "Okay, then. Just be careful of squirrels and rabbits, they can be pretty nasty opponents for a cat of any size for prey."

Mange puffed out his chest and smirked, "I can handle it!" the tom assured her, "I live in the twolegplace, nothing can stop an alley cat !" he grinned as he spoke, he'd always seen tough cats who made a life in their stony home, there was nothing better to him.

Buttercup playfully nuzzled her nose against his belly, tickling him, purring happily. "Alright, then, I'll take your word for it."

"Wa! Hey!" Mange's 'tough' look faltered quickly once he was tickled, shrinking away from her as he laughed, his paws pushing her nose away.

Buttercup ceased her attack, her eyes shimmering with laughter. "What would you say if I told you I may have a much warmer and drier place for us to sleep tonight?"

His ears perked up "That would be amazing!" He said, eyes round, "Where would we stay?"

"Well, it's somewhere in the forest, but it's not exactly in Clan territory," the queen explained. "I sleep now in an abandoned Twoleg den, but it's so very warming and filled with mice. The ShadowClan warrior I mentioned before who will help me learn how to hunt will help me be able to hunt them, and perhaps I could pass what I've learned down to you as well."

"That sounds like a great place to stay!" He thought for a second, it was in the forest... From what Buttercup had said about her kits, it didn't seem like a good idea for a kit to go along on this. Besides, he loved the twolegplace even with its quirks. "Is it far?" He asked. The tom had a bit of excitement despite the idea of leaving his home, an adventure, he slightly hoped it was far in a distant part of the forest.

"Well... It is on the other side of the forest, so it will take roughly half the day to make it, but it's much safer and warmer than here," she confessed. "Of course if you don't want to live there, I won't force you, but that's where I'm going to live. And if I have to travel all the way to the other side of the forest every day to visit you and make sure you're doing okay, so be it."

(OOC: Oops, the place Buttercup mentioned was on the moor, not in the forest, my bad! XD)

"I'll go! I wanna see this place." he piped up. "When can we go?" the tomcat smiled. He hoped they left before the weather got any worse.

No sweat, I actually have a big connection to the Abandoned Barn, funnily enough. I had two medicine cat loners that stayed there for nearly a year!)

Buttercup purred loudly, pleased that the kit chose to come with him. "We can leave right now if you wish. I know a safe way back, and there's plenty of prey to eat and warm hay to sleep in once we get there."

(OOC: That's cool! Also, would you wish for this topic here to take place before or after Mange goes to the barn with Buttercup?)

I guess that should happen before he gets there)

Mange nodded, fur spiking up more than it usually did out of excitement. "Lead the way!"

Short, braindead from doing two hours of AP history hw)

(OOC: Ooo, sounds like fun... XD)

Buttercup stood up and began walking out of the alleyway, then stopped and looked back at the kit. "As a matter of fact... Seeing as your mother isn't anywhere to be found, and considering I'm already going to be helping you along anyway... would it be okay if... if I could be your mother from now on? Or at least a motherly figure to you?" She would give anything to have a kit of her own to take care of again, and she couldn't just let Mange stay motherless if she could help it.

Mange thought for a moment, he wasn't sure. His mother had been purely blurred memories. All he knew now was that she was leaving. He didn't know why she'd say that, she lived with twolegs. As he caught up with her he looked up. "I... I think that'd be alright." He said at last, he wasn't replacing his mother, he'd just have two now!

Buttercup purred happily and licked his ears. "This means a great deal to me. Thank you. Perhaps I could even help you find your true mother if that's what you wish. But for now, let's head off to the barn." Feeling happier than she had in a very long time, she began the long trek back to her temporary home with the little kit by her side, secretly vowing to protect him with her life if need be.

...Just as she should have done with Heather.