out of place [open]

Thalia felt as strange and out of place in ThunderClan's camp as she did in their territory. It was a place she knew had once been her home, however briefly, but now it was foreign land beneath her paws; filled with strangers, and none who seemed to know her face. It was a comfort in some ways, that she was Thalia and that in all ways that mattered Laurelkit was dead. but it was also somewhat bitter. She had been loved here, once. Someone had wanted her. More than someone, if she believed Beecloud's words by the river.

And those who had loved her, had missed her, were gone. Much like her blood kin or her Asylum family, they were dead or scattered to the wind. To stand in a land that one part of her might still half-remember in a dreamlike haze, not knowing how to explain how or why. It was a place that had been her home, once upon a time- but it wasn't, because home was beneath a towering stone, home was in the muddy hollow of ShadowClan's marsh, home was with the cats she knew and loved.

And yet she was here, surrounded by strangers she didn't know how to talk to. She was excitable, if awkward, in her dealings with ShadowClan; but they were used to her and her oddities, for the most part. The name she'd kept, the flowers she wore.

She had wanted to gather more, but hadn't known how to ask one of the ThunderClan cats to accompany her.

The days since Webshadow had returned to ThunderClan had been quiet. As quiet as they could be, he supposed– they were still filled with the endless chatter of Clan life, now nearly doubled with ShadowClan's presence. It irked him deeply, but most times, he'd been too tired to care much about it. What had been quiet was the lack of information. Though he'd spent most of his time asleep– and barring that, uncomfortable and sick with worry –he was sure something would have carried to him in his waking hours. He'd heard that the rest of ShadowClan was with SkyClan, Froststar apparently among them. That was all, though. It did little to assuage his fears.

Tired of the unquiet rattling of his thoughts, and the prodding of ThunderClan's medicine cats, the dark tabby heaved himself to his paws. It was difficult, and it pained him; now that he was comfortable again, there was no instinctual force driving him along through the pain in his leg. It was well enough that he could walk, at least, but his steps were gradual and he winced with them. But he was standing at all, and that was good enough. If he had to drag himself through the dirt by his forepaws, he refused to stay in the medicine den any longer.

Carefully padding into the camp proper, Webshadow held back a grimace against the sunlight and scanned the gathered cats for any sign of someone familiar. Mostly the faces surrounding him were foreign, and those of his Clanmates looked already occupied. He wilted at that, briefly. Whether or not he was keen on talking, he'd wanted the company of something known and stable. But they were talking with the cats of ThunderClan, or amongst each other, or readying themselves for a patrol. Dimly, Webshadow longed to join them. To help.

At that moment, he'd turned his head fully and noticed Thalia, sitting by herself. He hadn't spoken to her, except maybe once, but she looked about how he felt in a way he couldn't phrase. His whiskers twitched, and he wavered, eye narrowed in thought. Eventually, his tail twitched solidly with his decision. Limping over, Webshadow bowed his head to the older she-cat as she approached. "Hello, Thalia," he mewed, low and quiet. "Are you busy? If you are not, would you be bothered if I joined you?"

"I'm not busy at all," Thalia shook her head, gesturing for Webshadow to join her. "I sort of thought everyone else was, though. Or at least that they had things to do. Well, that's the same thing anyway, right...? Um, sorry. Either way, I'm not busy at all!"

It was strange, really, how being here made her so restless. "I was just thinking. About things."

Like how I would have lived here, in another life. Maybe I wouldn't feel so out of place then. Or would it still be like this, just... Different?

Absently, she moved her paws as if weaving flowers before remembering that she had none.

Everything she'd learned, all the ways she'd managed to- well, manage- her restless anxiety seemed entirely useless now. Her words were coming out as scattered thoughts again, more than usual, though she'd generally gotten better at just having conversations even with cats she didn't know too well. "Have you seen any flowers around, Webshadow? I'm sure there are plenty, but.. I wasn't sure how to ask one of the ThunderClan cats to help me look."