HOLD ON / ★ / O; POSSIBLE JOINER?

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He hadn't meant to end up like this again. The child had been doing alright on his own, for a little bit. Visiting a few places in search of Marauder, but then things went wrong again, and healing injuries were split open, new ones drawn on a pale silver hide. He hasn't grown since the last time he had injuries much like these ones, but at least these ones aren't so bad. Just some cuts, a few bruises hidden under thicker fur, and unlike how he'd taken it last time — putting on a brave face and limping onward, it doesn't take Perseus long to figure out that he can't do this anymore. Tears prickle in muddy blue eyes, and though his paws were now calloused and worn with months of steady waling, he no longer moves. At the edge of the moor, on the somewhat scratchy grass that loved to survive until the depth of winter, sits a lone clouded leopard, head low in defeat and breathing quickly in an attempt to hold back tears. Though Percy had hesitantly called out for someone when he'd found himself at the other borders, he doesn't feel as if he has the strength for it, now. He doesn't smell Marauder here, however faint it would be from time, and if he was being entirely honest, he only wants to sleep. But the boy keeps his feet for another moment instead of curling up, and swallows through a throat tight from wanting to cry. "Is anyone here?"
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Perseus had to agree that this was a pretty place. Even in winter, he could see why people liked it. Well, he would, if he were to look at it. Instead, the child can't seem to focus on the world around him. It had been such a high point back in ShadowClan, when he hadn't had anything to care about except the territory. Now he misses Marauder, and he can't seem to go anywhere without someone trying to hurt him. After the hunger games, he hadn't been able to find a real home. Maybe he should have just gone back to SunClan, but since he'd been captured there, it was just — ruined, sorta. Rounded ears instinctively flatten at the sight of another child, his head still stuck in a loop of run, run, run. It was only other kids that had hurt him, except for the person who left the more recent injuries, and truth be told, he was confused. Marauder always acted like he was protecting him from something, and it would seem that Perc finally knows what it was. Even if it was everything.

"I'm not a mister," he says, sounding sullen for what might well be the first time in his life. Still, he tries to keep himself from looking terrified, and instead sniffs and swipes a paw over his ear. There are two other adults, now. Only one of them talks to him, and Perseus instantly finds himself gravitating towards the one who didn't simply because he didn't. Soft people were okay, but people who were big and unkind reminded him of Marauder, and maybe he likes that. He looks between all of them slowly, and offers a short nod even though his breath seems to quicken further. "I just —" Tears well up again, and the clouded leopard hates that, hates that he's always so close to crying in front of people that he doesn't even know. "Do you guys know someone named Marauder?" He allows the words to rush out unchecked, because he'd long since given up hope on finding him on accident. And it was getting colder, and lonelier, and he missed the weird smell that clung to the caracal, reminding him solely of the word red.

"He's black and his ears have things" — the boy adds length to his ears with a paw to signify tufts — "and he's not gonna be in a good mood." Desperation and frustration both well higher in his chest and a few tears do manage to spill before he shakes his head harshly to clear them. There's no point in crying over this. He promised that he'd never cry, and even if he's not here, Marauder will find him eventually. "I can't keep looking for him."
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He knows that this is ridiculous, all of this. He watched Mina with a sad sort of frown, the kind that only pulls down on one side, and tries not to get his hopes up for her response. He shouldn't, of course, because Marauder wouldn't have come here unless he came here, right? He thinks that that's what's going on right now, at least. He thought that he'd smelled him back at DarkClan, but nobody there had been much help. In fact, there had only been one person there that talked to him at all. That was alright, because so far everyone in HawkClan and WindClan had seemed ready to help, and that was all that he needed. The clouded leopard doesn't allow himself to sink back down in defeat when the other young animal doesn't remember him. Even if he wasn't here, well — they were nice, right? "No, not really. I just — I need to find him, he's —" Perseus didn't even know what he was to him, really. Sometimes his brain messed up and called him "dad", but he tried to ignore that a little bit. Marauder probably didn't want to be his dad anyway. "Is it okay if I stay anyway? I can't — my paws hurt and it's cold and —" Truth be told, he had never joined anywhere without Marauder around, at least not since ShadowClan, and that had been something of an accident, so this is obviously quite new to him. Hopefully they would let him stay, though.
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