my heart is a ghost town // 1x1

[winx]

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( sixty-seven moons old ✧ tom ✧ sailor ✧ demisexual ✧ location: hold ✧ tags: open)

The rhythmic creaking of the ship blended with the distant crash of waves against the shore, a familiar lull that had rocked Snarl to sleep and, in turn, pulled him begrudgingly back to wakefulness. His nest in the sailors' den was hardly the softest, made of well-worn pelts and a few haphazardly gathered feathers, but it suited him just fine. He stretched, claws unsheathing against the wooden floor as he rolled his shoulders, shaking off the last remnants of sleep. It was morning, but just barely—the pale light filtering through the gaps in the ship’s hull cast long streaks across the den, illuminating dust motes that hung in the air like specters.

With a grunt, Snarl pushed himself to his paws and padded out into the great hall, his presence as unceremonious as ever. The vast chamber still carried the scent of last night's gathering—a mingling of salt, fish, and the musty dampness that forever clung to the ship’s bones. It was quieter now, the early risers filtering in and out, their murmured conversations forming a low hum in the background. Snarl barely spared them a glance. He wasn’t much for idle chatter.

Making his way toward the hold, where the tribe kept their food, he maneuvered past crates and barrels with practiced ease. The maidens' den was just beyond, its entrance nestled into the structure of the ship, but he paid it no mind. He wasn’t one to linger in places he wasn’t needed. Instead, he selected a piece of dried fish from the pile, tearing off a bite with sharp teeth as he settled himself into a relaxed sprawl. He chewed lazily, midnight-blue eyes half-lidded, tail flicking every so often against the wooden planks.

It was just another morning in the Tribe of the Black Pearl. And, as far as Snarl was concerned, that was just fine.

[Spiritstar3]

Shadow Of Burning Fire- f- 48 moons (4 y)- Maiden- scent: Lotus most likely- crush: Snarl Of Angry Dog- kits: two- Flame of the Forest (presumed dead) x Shade of a Tree (presumed dead), Shade in the Forest- Tags: open-> Snarl (mentioned others because I felt like I had to)

The red and black and white calico twitched her ears as she slept. She was having a dream, what seemed a nice dream. However, she soon jerked awake, panting a bit. Shaking her head, she flicked her tail back and forth and raised a paw. She licked quickly at her paw as if flustered, or just…needing something to do. She wouldn’t tell any cat about the dream. She didn’t have to , why should she? For all they needed to know, she’d just been running around with another cat in her dream. The fact of the matter was, she’d dreamed of Snarl. That’s why she wasn’t going to tell any cat she’d had a dream. She felt like her crush on him might be obvious…They’d tease her for sure, just for the fact she’d dreamed of the other cat at all.

She sighed, shaking her head and glancing around at the others. The other two she cats were still sleeping, though maybe they’d wake soon. For now, she seemed to be the only one awake. Even the only kit currently around was sleeping, beside Firelight. She glanced back at them a moment. Then shook her head and looked around the space for a moment. Before heading out into the rest of the ship, though it was mostly just bones. Not that ships had bones, not the way a living thing did anyway.

She saw Snarl was already settling down with some food. She had no idea he’d passed by just a bit ago, that he might have been thinking about them for a moment. She didn’t entertain the thought that he had been…There was no way he’d actually been thinking about her. He had things to do, such as eating. Which he currently was doing, so she walked closer to him. Her belly growled, and she tried to ignore it. Saying “Good morning Snarl,” to him and letting a short, small purr escape from her.

She glanced towards the food pile. Her belly, and kittens, demanded she go get some form of sustenance. She stubbornly refused to move from her spot, however. She was waiting for him to give her some sort of reply, even just a simple good morning back.

[winx]

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( sixty-seven moons old ✧ tom ✧ sailor ✧ demisexual ✧ location: hold ✧ tags: Shadow )

The soft murmur of Shadow's greeting tugged at Snarl's attention, pulling him from his quiet reverie. He flicked his ears, offering a brief grunt in response as he tore into the dried fish. The weight of her gaze didn’t escape him, though, and he couldn't quite ignore the way her presence lingered in the air between them.

"Morning," he mumbled, his tone gruff but not unfriendly. He wasn’t good with words or feelings, but he could tell something about her energy today was... different. The quiet hum of her purring caught his ear, and despite his usual reluctance to acknowledge it, he couldn’t help but glance at her once.

After another beat of silence, he flicked his tail toward the food pile, his gaze momentarily softening.

"You're welcome to join me if you're hungry. There’s plenty," he said, a hint of something warm buried under his usual gruff exterior. He couldn’t help but feel a small relief at the idea of having her close, even if it was just sharing a meal. Something in him—something that didn’t make sense—wanted to make space for her. But it was easier, far easier, to offer her food than to voice what was really on his mind.

He settled back on his haunches, half-turning his body in her direction, eyes drifting back toward his meal as he tried not to think too hard about the unspoken invitation hanging in the air.

[Spiritstar3]

Shadow Of Burning Fire- f- 48 moons (4 y)- Maiden- scent: Lotus most likely- crush: Snarl Of Angry Dog- kits: two- Flame of the Forest (presumed dead) x Shade of a Tree (presumed dead), Shade in the Forest- Tags: Snarl

The red and black and white calico flicked her tail gently. Her pretty eyes glanced to the male cat, whom was a sailor. She admired him a lot, she’d always admired him since meeting him. Shaking the thoughts away, she had started that gentle purring, and she looked at him.

She nodded her head to him, when he said morning back, or rather he mumbled it. It was still a greeting to her, either way. She twitched and perked her ears, and her whiskers twitched a bit. She stopped purring a moment to say “I hope you had a good night’s sleep,” because she really did hope so.

Then she felt dumb…because what if he hadn’t? He and Tempest had had that fight, or rather it was more of an argument really. They hadn’t come to blows or anything. She shook her head a couple times, and looked to him again to see him flicking his tail towards the food pile.

She saw his softened gaze, and froze a moment. She didn’t dare to hope it might mean something.

She blinked a couple times, then quickly nodded her head at him. She said “Y-Yeah…Yeah, I’ll join you for breakfast.” She stood and shook herself, as she’d sat down when she’d come over to him. She grabbed a dried fish as well, because most of their prey consisted of types of fish, and she walked back to him.

[winx]

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( sixty-seven moons old ✧ tom ✧ sailor ✧ demisexual ✧ location: hold ✧ tags: Shadow )

Snarl didn’t look up immediately when Shadow settled beside him, but he flicked an ear in acknowledgment, his tail giving a slow, thoughtful twitch. He wasn’t sure what he had expected—maybe for her to hesitate longer, or for her to politely decline—but the quiet acceptance of his offer settled something in him.

He tore off another bite of fish, chewing in silence as she spoke. At the mention of sleep, he let out a short huff, more amused than anything.

“Didn’t get much,” he admitted gruffly. “Not the first time, won’t be the last.”

It wasn’t a complaint, just a fact. If the argument with Tempest had worn on him, he wasn’t about to say it outright. There was no sense in dwelling. But the way Shadow had caught herself—shaking her head like she regretted asking—made something tighten in his chest. She always thought too much, like she was walking on thin ice even when no one had set it beneath her paws.

His gaze flicked toward her for a moment, sharp but not unkind.

“Did you?” The question was blunt, but there was a weight to it, a quiet offering beneath the surface. He wasn’t sure why he asked. Maybe because it wasn’t often that anyone asked, and hearing it now made him notice it more.

As she settled in with her own meal, he let the silence stretch between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it felt… steady. Familiar. He wasn’t used to this—not exactly—but he didn’t mind it.

After a beat, he nodded toward her fish.

“Hope you got a good one,” he said, voice still rough around the edges, but carrying a rare touch of warmth.

[Spiritstar3]

Shadow Of Burning Fire- f- 48 moons (4 y)- Maiden- scent: Lotus most likely- crush: Snarl Of Angry Dog- kits: two- Flame of the Forest (presumed dead) x Shade of a Tree (presumed dead), Shade in the Forest- Tags: Snarl

The red and black and white calico flicked her tail back and forth again. She’d often flick her tail a lot if she was unsure. She’d also do it when she was happy though. One could never really tell what she was feeling, unless they sensed unease or unsureness from her, which wasn’t that hard to sense, honestly.

She watched him as he tore off another bit of the fish, and ate it. Her ears moved around a bit, as she thought she heard some of the others.

She shook her head a bit. Saying “Oh, I…well, I won’t say sorry then, since you probably don’t want to hear that.

Besides, it wasn’t her fault so she shouldn’t apologize. She tilted her head a bit as she looked at him, and decided. It must have been because of the argument with Tempest…She could assume that was at least part of the reason, anyway. She glanced around the area for just a moment. Then turned her attention back to the male.

She watched as his sharp gaze flicked to her then.

She said “I slept a bit but not much…the kits were active.” She didn’t know why they’d been so active in her belly last night. She said “I don’t know what was going on…They definitely should have been sleeping too, even if they aren’t out in the world yet.

She then placed down the fish between her paws. She’d managed to find a bigger one, which should feed the two kits she was having. She had been told she’d be having two or maybe four. Honestly, it felt to her like there might be only two of them in there.

She took a bite of fish, then looked at Snarl.

She made an amused sound, saying “Oh, I definitely got a good one I think; it seems to be on the bigger side, too.”

[winx]

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( sixty-seven moons old ✧ tom ✧ sailor ✧ demisexual ✧ location: hold ✧ tags: Shadow )

Snarl’s ears flicked at the mention of the kits, and his gaze softened ever so slightly, though his usual gruffness remained. The mention of their restlessness caught his attention more than it might have for anyone else. He knew the feeling—there was something about it, something that felt both irritating and inevitable, like the world demanding more than you could give.

He gave a low, approving hum at her mention of the fish.

“A bigger one, huh?” He leaned forward slightly, his voice more thoughtful than usual. “Good catch. You’ve got more than enough to keep yourself and the kits fed for the next few days, I reckon.” He took another bite of his own fish, his sharp eyes never straying far from her. “But those kits... they’ve got minds of their own already, huh?” He grunted quietly, clearly amused but with a tinge of understanding. “You’ll be wishing they’d sleep soon enough.”

His tail gave a lazy flick. “I’m sure you’ll do fine with them. Kits always seem to know how to get what they want, whether anyone’s ready for it or not.” He shrugged slightly, as if the matter didn’t concern him, but there was an undercurrent of respect in his tone. Shadow had always been one to quietly shoulder responsibility without complaint.

“Just make sure you’re looking after yourself too,” he added, the words coming out more like a command than a suggestion. “Wouldn’t do to let yourself run down.”

There was a brief pause in the conversation, as the steady, familiar rhythm of the quiet filled the space between them. Snarl didn’t mind the silence, not with Shadow. But after a moment, the thought struck him—he knew so little about her, not much beyond the surface. And though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, a quiet curiosity had taken root in him.

“I never asked…” His voice was quieter now, though still gruff, almost hesitant. He shifted his weight slightly, his gaze flicking to her. “You’ve got a lot of strength in you, Shadow. But you’ve also got those kits on the way... I’ve never asked about their father.”

He let the words hang in the air, not pushing, just giving her space to answer or to avoid it, whatever she chose. His gaze was steady but not prying. Snarl wasn’t one to ask about such things—it wasn’t his business, usually. But there was something about Shadow, something that made him want to know more, even if he didn’t quite understand why.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” he added quickly, his voice softer than it had been. “I just... don’t know much about you, is all.” His tone was more open now, vulnerable in a way that Snarl rarely allowed himself to be.

He cleared his throat, feeling the weight of the moment. His tail twitched, brushing against the wooden floor. “Doesn’t mean I need to know everything. Just... just if you want to talk about it.” He wasn’t sure what exactly he was expecting—he had no idea if Shadow even wanted to speak about the past, or if she would even trust him with it. But he had asked.

[Spiritstar3]

Shadow Of Burning Fire- f- 48 moons (4 y)- Maiden- scent: Lotus most likely- crush: Snarl Of Angry Dog- mate: open- ex mate: Black Dolphin Swimming By- kits: two- Flame of the Forest (presumed dead) x Shade of a Tree (presumed dead), Shade in the Forest- Tags: Snarl

The red and black and white calico watched his ears move when she mentioned the kits. She also noticed how his gaze softened. It was only slightly, but she definitely saw his gaze soften. She purred quietly a bit over this fact, then shook her head at herself. She tilted her head a bit as she watched the scarred male. His gray and darker fur was so nice to look at.

She blinked at herself, and silently scolded herself.

She then watched her ears, a she heard the hum from him. She nodded as she looked at him, and said “Yup. I managed to find a bigger one, which sure is nice. It will keep me fed, but will definitely keep the kittens in my belly happy as well.” She settled there, and ate some of the fish. Pausing a moment when he spoke again, and she nodded as she looked at him. She said “It seems so, it definitely seems like they do. Truthfully, they’ve been active at night the past couple days, and I don’t even know why.”

“Maybe it’s some sort of sign they’re going to be born soon? I’ve never been pregnant before, so I don’t have anything to go off of. It’s as good a guess as any, though.” She flicked her tail back and forth, then said “Thank you,” when she realized he’d said she’d do fine with them.

She said “Thank you for your confidence. Honestly though…you’re probably right, I’ll probably do just fine with them.” She purred quietly a bit more, and looked at her fish. She lowered her muzzle to it once more, taking a few more bites of the meat.

She noticed when the conversation seemed to lull, when it took pause. She tilted her head a bit, eyes going to him. She’d crouched down, so she was look up towards him. He was sitting up, thus when she put her eyes on him she was looking up towards him. She flicked her tail once more. Not disliking the silence, but it almost got awkward.

She said “yes?” when he spoke again, for he trailed off for a moment. She noticed he seemed hesitant, and he’d shifted his weight. She nodded at him, as if to tell him to go on. She then purred again, when he said she had a lot of strength in her, and she said “True.”

“I’ve got strength, but I’ve also got kits on the way; this is all true.” She then paused when he brought up the father of the kits. She said “Oh…him,” and shook her head. She said “It’s fine, it’s fine; it’s not like I actually have any reason to want to avoid talking about the male that got me pregnant,” she finished.

She said “His name was, or is, since maybe he’s out there, Black Dolphin Swimming By. We called him Blackie, and some called him Dolphin. That name was more rare, as most just called him Blackie. He was a nice cat, really he was, but one day he went out and didn’t come back.”

She noticed how his tail flicked and brushed against the floor. She gave him a kind look, and said “I don’t mind if you know everything. Well, everything there is to know…There’s not much we do know, he went out and never came back so we thought the waves got him. That or maybe a rogue had gotten him.” Maybe she shouldn’t be bringing up rogues so soon. “It’s probably stupid, but in the back of my mind there’s a nagging thought. What if he decided for some reason that he wanted to join the rogues?”

[winx]

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( sixty-seven moons old ✧ tom ✧ sailor ✧ demisexual ✧ location: hold ✧ tags: Shadow )

Snarl’s ear twitched again as she spoke the name—Black Dolphin Swimming By. It was a name like any other in the tribe, but something about it rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was the casual way she said "Oh…him," or the little shake of her head. Maybe it was the fact that he left, and never came back. Or maybe—just maybe—it was the way she said it didn’t matter, when it clearly did.

He didn’t interrupt her, just listened, chewing slowly through another bite of fish as her words filled the quiet. It wasn’t often Snarl let himself just sit and listen like this. Most of the time, he didn’t care to. But now, his thoughts drifted.

“Black Dolphin Swimming By,” he echoed lowly once she finished, almost testing the sound of the name on his tongue. “Hmph. Long name for a short stay.”

It wasn’t meant to be cruel—just the truth, the kind Snarl always dealt in.

His gaze softened again, only briefly, as he looked at her. The way she crouched, looking up at him like that—it made something in his chest tug, something he couldn’t quite name. “You’re not stupid,” he muttered firmly, “for wondering if he left by choice. Anyone would wonder, after all that.”

He fell quiet a beat, tail tapping the floor beside him. Then added:
“But if he did choose to walk out—rogues or not—that tells me all I need to know about him.” His tone wasn’t sharp, but it held a quiet certainty.

Snarl wasn’t one for gossip, and he wasn’t one for empty comforts either. But Shadow deserved the truth as he saw it.

“You’ve got kits to raise now. That’s real. He’s not.” He looked away then, toward the wall for a moment, before flicking his gaze back to her. “Doesn’t matter what name he had if he ain’t here to live up to it.”

There was a moment’s pause again. This time, the silence felt different—warmer, like a blanket instead of a wall. He let it stretch, but only just.

“If they’re born soon… they’ll need someone steady. You’ll give ’em that.” He gave a slow, low breath. “But if you ever need an extra set of eyes, or someone to drive off the dark when it gets too loud, well… I’m around.”

His ears twitched once more, clearly uncomfortable offering that much, but it was said.

“And when they’re born… you should name ’em something strong.” He gave a short grunt, almost like a laugh, though his face didn’t quite smile. “Something sharp. Like their mother.”

He didn’t say what he was thinking—that if they had her fire, they’d turn out just fine. He didn’t have to.

[Spiritstar3]

Shadow Of Burning Fire- f- 48 moons (4 y)- Maiden- scent: Lotus most likely- crush: Snarl Of Angry Dog- mate: open- ex mate: Black Dolphin Swimming By- kits: two- Flame of the Forest (presumed dead) x Shade of a Tree (presumed dead), Shade in the Forest- Tags: Snarl

The red and black and white calico shook her head a couple times. She’d loved Black Dolphin Swimming By, or she’d thought she did. She’d thought he’d loved her too, but the fact he just disappeared…now she wasn’t sure. If he’d been swept away by the ocean, that was one thing. Deciding to join rogues was a whole matter. She couldn’t fathom why he’d ever do that, but it was possible.

She noticed how Snarl hadn’t interrupted her as she’d spoken. She wished her former mate hadn’t left, but maybe it was better. She had a crush on Snarl, and it would have been bad if Dolphin were there. Then again, she wouldn’t have developed a crush on Snarl if Dolphin were there.

She made an amused sound, when Snarl spoke his words. She nodded and said “Yeah…definitely a long name for a short stay.”

She knew he wasn’t trying to be cruel; she knew he always spoke truth.

She noticed how his gaze softened, and she felt warm. Her heartbeat sped up, and she scolded herself silently for that. She pawed at the ground or boards a moment, then shook her head. She nodded and let out a sigh of relief, saying “Thank you for that.”

She then noticed how his tail tapped the floor beside him. She tilted her head as she watched, then focused on his words. She nodded once more, saying “I know…and maybe I shouldn’t have fallen for him. I couldn’t help it though, so here I am.”

She knew Snarl didn’t like gossip, she’d noticed that about him. This wasn’t gossiping though, this was real and true.

She nodded, saying “Yeah, and I’m going to do it without him. I don’t need him to help me raise my kits,” she said, her kits…Not his kits, because if he had left them he didn’t deserve to be a father. She then nodded as he said it didn’t matter what his name had been, if he wasn’t there to live up to it.

The moment of pause, a moment of silence, that happened after was warm. It wasn’t awkward or too quiet, it was more like a blanket over the two of them.

She said “I think they will be born pretty soon. They’ve gotten pretty big in there, and as a result my belly has gotten big.” She then nodded as she looked at him. A big purr erupted from her and she seemed startled by it, but she didn’t stop purring.

Her ears twitched as she noticed his ears twitch, and she nodded at him as she said “Thank you.”

She said “I actually already decided to name one Fin of the Orca. If I have a black and white male kit, I’ll name him Fin of the Orca. We could call him Finn or Orca, or switch between those. That’s a strong sounding and sharp name though, right?”

She knew what he wanted to say, or she could guess. If they were anything like her, they’d be just fine.