SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98 
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Aug 1, 2022 3:34:21 GMT -6
Strange. It wasn't often there was another cat trying to comfort him, not when he was generally the beacon of unwanted positivity. Regarding the other warrior as if he were revealing the secrets of the stars, Tinyleaf gave the suggestion all the seriousness it deserved. "Convince Rabbitstar..?" When he echoed it aloud, it sounded so impossible. After all, he wasn't even sure how Turtlefang had done it. What did you do to talk to Rabbitstar at all? It'd been easy to trounce up for patrol distribution back when they were still deputy, but somehow, knowing that Starclan had descended just to bless his clanmate with a holy nine lives... it complicated the casual feelings from before. After all, a leader was one of Sunclan's main bridges to the divine. Someone picked out especially for the job, approved of by all the ancestors, and given power beyond that of any normal cat... A degree of reverence almost felt necessary, even though they'd only been a second-in-command just a little while prior.
But. Turtlefang had done it, by some miracle. If that's the case, then it's clearly not impossible. But.. what do I offer? It was the same sort of question Honeyflare himself had asked, and Tinyleaf contemplated it now not as self doubt towards his abilities- he knew for a fact he worked hard and could handle most any task. But... unlike his current companion, thinking up new ideas didn't come naturally to him. His honed skills allowed him to follow orders, not conceptualize his own. And that was how it should be, as a warrior, right? To do what you're told, mostly, and leave the ideas to the clever cats. The cats in charge. Indeed, Tinyleaf was a special and skilled warrior, but that was the beginning and end for him. Just being a warrior. Somehow, he doubted any amount of impressive climbing would convince anyone to change their mind on that front.
When had he let himself get so uneasy? All just because his brother had done something he couldn't? With a slight shiver, he gave a slow nod with his mew of affirmation. "That's perfectly understandable. We've done things in the sun so long, I can't really fathom all that night time stuff. I mean- We're Sunclan for a reason, and if everyone were on night patrol, who'd be there during the day?" Ah. Ah! The puzzle had been cracked. The solution to his misery broke through his icy veins, flooded his muscles back with sunlight as he could practically just spring up right then and there! Oh! But not with the feathers, of course. Tinyleaf forcibly paused the quaver of his limbs before he could leap about like his first instinct entailed, instead settling to knead his paws against the earth in a quick, excited churn. "That must be why it's so selective. Warriors like us are already thriving on the usual schedule, and they know they can rely on us to keep things together! I guess I pounced a bit further ahead than I should have, getting so ambitious like that. If night patrol's an experiment, cats like us need to be maintaining the expected standard for our usual work. It's actually more of an honor than I thought!"
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Aug 1, 2022 20:44:16 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« Huh? What? Huh?Honeyflare's mind ran blank as he listened to Tinyleaf's process of validating... not being on the night patrol? Being a normal warrior? He thought he'd been getting somewhere, seeing the moon rapidly flash through phases in the other warrior's head, thinking his feelings and the prodding would take him to the full moon Honeyflare searched so desperately for, but instead he seemed to be happier than ever to bask in the new moon. One of us is a fool, but I'm not sure who it is.Well, maybe they were both fools in their own rights. Nonetheless, this led their conversation in a direction he hadn't planned for and now he had to figure out how to bring things back to a place where their conversation could either be helpful, or at the very least normal. He couldn't refute Tinyleaf's points - he'd seemed so upset before coming to this strange place of consolation, or, maybe, congratulation? Pride...? Whatever was happening in there, it made Tinyleaf so happy that he couldn't keep his paws still. Honeyflare couldn't readily chase him back into the shadows, morality eyeing him like he was a rowdy kit trying to escape the nursery. I don't know how you did it, Turtlefang, but if you can convince Rabbitstar, then surely I can convince Tinyleaf.It helped a little to have some sort of self imposed challenge added. Smiling and failing to mask any of that concerned energy, he kept his eyes on Tinyleaf's face. “Well, I'm glad you could find some sense to make of it all. If night patrols are a successful idea, though, I'm sure suggesting training more cats for the trees would be more likely to go well. That'd be a more day-centric task, I think, and since you're good at both of those things, why not give you a chance too? Leaders have it rough, I'm sure Rabbitstar would appreciate any extra help. Anything to make everyone's lives better? That's what warriors and leaders alike are for, right? What Clans are for, really.” Not the most compelling pitch, but it was genuine enough for all the little details and intentions that he hadn't confessed to. |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Aug 3, 2022 22:33:06 GMT -6
"Hmm.." Tinyleaf's earlier doubts came back to haunt him as he remembered the look on his brothers' faces as they watched him jump across branches overhead, two different forms of fear as they waited for a crash that never came. In spite of having claws, so many warriors seemed scared to go too high. There'd been more than one cat across history, certainly, who'd had their fair share of broken bones falling from arboreal heights, where the canopy could choke you out or the bark at your paws might give beneath your weight. Not to mention the skinny parts of the tree, or the jumps you had to maintain momentum to clear, and... Well, there was a lot to climbing around up high. It wasn't as easy as just going up and walking around. There was an importance in knowing the trees as you navigated them, just like knowing the terrain below. Where it was safe to step, where it wasn't, which branches were getting old, so on and so forth. Those were all things he'd learned through nothing but time and trial, and he wasn't sure how he'd even begin to go about explaining that sort of stuff to cats who didn't already understand. Not to mention, the more cats there were up high, the more chances there'd be to crash into each other or put too much weight on a given branch, and... Well. If he couldn't even get his own siblings up there with him, why would anyone else go? Why would Rabbitstar risk undue injuries just to catch a few extra squirrels? "I'm... not sure," Tinyleaf slowly mewed. It was good to see Honeyflare in higher, hopeful spirits, but he still didn't necessarily see himself as the kind of cat who was good at guiding others. Everyone had a little bit of leadership training when placed on patrols, but... "I don't know if it's a skill that would pay off. If it were, then I'm sure smarter cats than me would have already set up a system around it. I mean- Would you want to?" Perhaps the reason for the fixation was the tabby's own investment in climbing around. It was intimidating to think of leading a whole patrol up a set of trees, but if it were someone he were more adjusted to, someone like Honeyflare... well, maybe it wouldn't be too bad. One on one practice seemed much more practical than trying to teach everyone in the clan, anyway.
Suddenly wondering if he had encountered a cat eager to join him, Tinyleaf perked up somewhat, blinking wide at the other. "If that's the reason you'd encourage me, you know I don't need the excuse of a big plan for it. If it were you, we could go explore together whenever you wanted!" The excited tension in Tinyleaf's whiskers lent a quaver to his form, but one that suddenly edged into nervousness as he realized how much of an assumption he was making. "Oh- That's just an offer, though, I don't expect you to. I know you.. don't know me all that well. Except as your patrol partner, of course!" The last way to make friends was to force them into that friendship. That's a bit silly, he couldn't help but ridicule privately, beating down the fluttery part of him that got so worked up over nothing. Just because Honeyflare was talking to him voluntarily, tolerating his company, it didn't make them friends. Or... a part of him hoped it could, but getting his hopes up was notoriously disappointing. Disappointing? Geez, so gloomy! Behind him, Tinyleaf's tail danced restlessly a few inches. If he kept letting himself pout over lost prey, over trivial things like his personal feelings, he'd lose focus of what really mattered- Sunclan!
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Aug 4, 2022 2:43:30 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« Got you.While the proposal hadn’t been expected, it wasn’t bad, either. MoonClan had so many trees, should he ever need to return to their territory, he might actually be safe up there. Assuming, of course, that being forest dwelling hadn’t necessitated skills like Tinyleaf’s. He himself would never look for a warrior up in the trees. Aside from that unintentional positive, though, it put the conversation somewhere Honeyflare felt he could work with. Reassurance, a potential hope, and then a simple promise to try something new. He didn’t even have to lie, he just had to be careful about his words. As if even the slightest bit of carelessness would snap Tinyleaf’s trust in him like the uncertain branches he’d offered. “Well, something like that is a good way to get to know a cat, right?” Three simple steps, three carefully placed truths. “I liked talking to you on patrol, so exploring some time might be cool. I’ve never really considered getting used to the trees, but it sounds like it could be fun.” He adjusted his position again, shifting weight to his other side in a little excuse for him to think. To put a pause in the moment. “Hey, y’know - if night patrols were worth incorporating, you’d think we’d have them by now. Maybe we’re all just a little stuck focusing at the mice at our paws instead of the rabbits up ahead, you know?,” he added nonchalantly, settling properly into his redistributed position. “Anyway, when would you want to go explore like that? I feel like we haven’t been very busy lately in terms of hunting and stuff. MoonClan has been quiet and prey runs well this time of year, so we have some more free time.” |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Aug 5, 2022 11:56:21 GMT -6
Oh! Tinyleaf rebounded from his state of insecurity like a squirrel bounced off bark, tail fluffing excitedly as he did not in fact run off his potential treemate. With a bashful paw at his ears, like testing the reality of the situation, he peered at Honeyflare with thinly veiled elation, green eyes sparking like the sun through a leafy overhang. Considering the possibilities of sharing something he knew and liked with a cat who was getting to know and like him... seemed like the appropriate sort of progress. But at the same time, his sensibility wasn't lost in his enthusiasm. As open as the other was to climbing around, it'd still be his first time, and Honeyflare was still a younger cat. Ambition could be a dangerous trait to have when you were high enough for the sky to knock you over should you get too lightheaded off your own ego. Similarly... through the tilt of his chin to meet the other's yellow gaze, it was also a reminder that he was also quite a bit bigger than him! That would be important to factor in, too, depending on how heavy his pawsteps ran...
Tactfully avoiding expressing his own opinion on the tabby's patrol comment- after all, it was no good to question the priorities of the cats keeping you directed- Tinyleaf blinked at his paws now. It was easy to invite someone out, but harder to handle the details once they actually said yes. Outside of patrols, he didn't think any of his clanmates had really voluntarily spent time with him off-duty. Mainly because he was never off-duty! Even among the trees, he made a point to return with prey to show for it. But this time.. devoting his attention to Honeyflare's safety and guidance, he couldn't very well treat it like his own little hunting excursion anymore. Instead, it was. Hanging out, maybe? That was certainly new to him. Fawnheart always shared off-time with him when it was afforded, but Fawnheart also didn't go up in the trees or talk much. They never needed words to communicate with one another, but that just made it more difficult to figure out how to talk to someone like Honeyflare, who was volunteering himself for an activity so easily.
The first step was the best place to start. He'd figure out how to hang out while he was doing it, like he improvised most all of his work. For now, timing was the immediate concern. "Well..." With a glance to the sky for weather (not a stormcloud in sight, of course, in the encompassing heat of greenleaf), Tinyleaf gave a thoughtful sweep of his tail, the tip dragging as if to start tracing timetables. "I mean. I'm not scheduled for any evening patrols, but I think it'd be better to go when there's daylight to spare so you can see where you're going better. And... right now probably isn't the best either, since, well. It's kind of hot! The trees trap a lot of heat!" It was awkward to think of asking someone to clear their plans for him, but there wasn't another choice. Tentatively, he peeked back up at Honeyflare, paws drawing together in a sheepish overlap. "Well. Are you busy tomorrow morning?"
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Aug 5, 2022 22:45:22 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« “Not at all,” he answered honestly, tilting his head slightly as if to close the height difference just slightly. It was weird to see Tinyleaf like this. Awkward and sort of nervous - it made him seem a lot more like Fawnheart. There was nothing more for him to note than that it was just… weird. “Honestly, I think Swanmask might have forgotten I exist, I haven’t really been scheduled for anything lately.” It was half a joke. For a brief moment, he was once again aware of just how many eyes were on him at all times. Watching from every shadow like in his assessment, seeing if he was good enough to earn what he’d been born into. Now those very same frustrated eyes that could never seem to mold him into the right shape watched him warily like he might break at any moment. It made his pelt prickle. Not a good joke.Honeyflare would simply do his best to ignore the creeping of reality into his consciousness again, just as he’d avoid mentioning Tinyleaf not acknowledging everything he’d said. It bothered him a little, but he could only hope that a seed had been planted in the other cat’s head. Not every idea had been explored. Honeyflare would go so far as to say that most ideas hadn’t been given the consideration that they deserved to preserve the sort of thoughts that kept Tinyleaf shrunken in on himself. The things that kept him tiny. “If you want to go tomorrow morning, I’d be glad to join you.” His words designed to drag himself back to the matter at paw. “Don’t be afraid to wake me up if I start sleeping in, I’ve always gotten too comfortable for my own good.” |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Aug 6, 2022 3:01:13 GMT -6
It wasn't much like Swanmask to forget much of anything. Although Tinyleaf wasn't the best at reading other cats, the short excursions he'd had with their now-deputy convinced him that something else must be afoot. Maybe, a little part of him fussed, she's having a hard time with the new position? It was hard to live up to a deputy like Rabbitstar had been, seemingly always on top of it and always busy. Although he wasn't in any position to go around questioning leadership about their decisions, he made a mental note to offer some extra paws in the next few days. Maybe volunteering more readily would help Swanmask have an easier time organizing patrols, with one warrior already guaranteed for most every slot. Admittedly, he'd been slacking lately, what with. The change in leadership, his mind helpfully filled in, avoiding the double meaning at its core. Quick to want to assure his now partner, Tinyleaf's tail tapped the ground thoughtfully. "As glad as I am to have you, I'm sure the scheduling issue probably has less to do with any of us and more to do with adjusting to the new job!" Then, smiling pointedly, he presented the positive spin, as was his habit. "But while Swanmask is still working out the pebbles underfoot, I'll make the most of your time before she snatches you back up! After all, we were both witness to your utility on patrols. I'm sure it won't be long before we're fighting back and forth to keep you." It was a joke, of course. If Honeyflare had to be assigned to clan duties, that would always be more important than hanging out in the trees. But maybe they'd make enough progress that eventually, the other warrior would be able to carry out his duties be it on the ground or in the branches. For now, though...
Tinyleaf lowered his head to make a nudge towards the abandoned bird between the other cat's golden paws, brushing the air above it but taking care not to make contact. He'd swapped the meal over, after all. "You should eat while you're still here, though. You'll need the energy! Especially if I do wake you up."
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Aug 6, 2022 16:44:23 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« … So Tinyleaf hadn’t understood the implication at all. That was good. It was sort of a downer anyway. More than that, though, it gave Honeyflare a subtle implication. The thought that Tinyleaf didn’t think he was now too fragile to be ordered to hunt or patrol or whatever. It had seemed to him that neither of his littermates had been given duties lately, either, making him certain that that was the reason - but he wasn’t going to bring it up. Not to Tinyleaf, especially, but not to any other cat. Why should he? If Tinyleaf hadn’t already had the idea in his mind, Honeyflare certainly wasn’t going to plant it there. He wasn’t sure how he went from the stubborn and headstrong rebel to just a kit excluded from the realities of Clan life, but he wasn’t remotely a fan. Other cats lost their family. He wasn’t sure if they were so often given this sort of distance. Those thoughts didn’t matter once Tinyleaf nudged at the bird, surprising Honeyflare. He’d forgotten about it. Was Tinyleaf really giving up his meal? It brought that uneasy feeling back. I can still get food for myself- but the older warrior wasn’t really like that, was he? This was just… confusing. “But- didn’t you get this bird for yourself? Aren’t you hungry? You haven’t eaten any of it.” |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Aug 8, 2022 2:31:34 GMT -6
"Hm?" As if he'd forgotten the whole context of their initial meeting, Tinyleaf regarded Honeyflare blankly, smile going vacant with the recesses of his mind- until it brightened back up with memory! "Oh!" He had picked up the bird on a whim, but even at that point in time, he had only done so as a social gesture more than anything else. He wasn't well fed by any means, fresh back from his own excursion, but neither was he starved or anything. The other warrior mentioned lacking appetite, too, but it hadn't stopped him from accepting some of the bird when Tinyleaf had offered it. And yet... after spending so long talking about such suddenly serious and then suddenly lighthearted topics, slinging back and forth from uneasy to relieved in an unstable oscillation, he found he'd lost what hunger had existed before they'd laid down here together. The only feeling in his stomach was the thin prick of feathers on his outer skin, a reminder of tasks much more important to come.
"Well," He blinked at his clanmate, all wide eyed and honest. "I guess I did pick it up, originally... but after talking, it feels like I don't really need to eat anymore? I suppose that means I'm all full of conversation! I feel as satisfied as I would be after a big meal, somehow!" It was an earnest explanation, regardless of how ridiculous it may sound to an outside perspective. Tinyleaf was just like that- a little bit abstract at times, but no less sincere. And surely right now, in this moment, he was no less sincere, not with the smog of lethargy slowing his senses bit by bit. That tired feeling... was just like taking a big, long nap on a fully belly! Ah, but- "Oh, I don't mean you have to eat it all if you don't want to, though. I just mean you can have more if you'd like! If neither of us can finish it, I'll make sure it doesn't go to waste." Fawnheart would accept any leftovers, certainly.
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Aug 8, 2022 22:23:10 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« Was that actually possible? He maybe wasn’t the cat to deem whether something was or wasn’t possible, especially not with a cat with more experience. Especially in social terms. Maybe Honeyflare had just never talked to other cats enough to be… “full of conversation”, as Tinyleaf described it. In any case, he watched the bird almost cautiously. “Oh, uh, well… to be honest, I wasn’t really hungry even before we started talking and that hasn’t changed, really. I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.” … well. There was a a pretty blatant reason for that, but it’d been made clear to Honeyflare that Tinyleaf didn’t regard him the way everyone else did. They could probably move on fairly easily from that little statement. He glanced back to Tinyleaf. “Oh! Should I go run to the medicine cats’ den to get one of those leaves, then? For the feathers? It must be a little frustrating not being able to move too much just to keep the feathers safe.” |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Aug 9, 2022 4:45:38 GMT -6
"Ohh..." So not even the freeing taste of a bird's powerful wing could convince the other cat to tuck into a meal. It'd be hypocritical to push any further, so Tinyleaf didn't. His main goal was to bring happiness to others, after all, and trying to pressure someone into food they didn't want certainly fell under the category of inspiring negativity, if not outright hostility. In the midst of a clan lost to grief and gloom, Honeyflare was the only shot he might have at not making a bad situation worse. And so, in spite of how badly he wanted to offer up his charity, he retracted it without another word on the topic, allowing the other to switch focus with a tiny shift of his haunches over the feathers in question. They weren't necessarily uncomfortable, and they were small enough that lying that had mostly pinned them without much trouble, but if the two of them weren't really going to eat right now... it might be best to handle the feathers while there was a lull in action. Maybe they could even offer the rest of the bird to the nursery as well!
"Hmm, well!" Tinyleaf wiggled a little more prominently now, as if to display the security of their secret snowfall from earlier. "I'm not in a hurry to get up and jump around, but you might have a point! The sooner they're safer, then... well, it keeps accidents from happening, I guess. Precautions! That's what I was thinking of." Then, peering at Honeyflare's position, he added, "But if you're comfortable where you are, you don't have to rush to go out of your way for me. I promise I can stay still as long as we need! Like a warrior's first vigil, right?" If he could sit on silent watch from dusk to dawn, laying on some feathers was no problem. It hadn't been in the first place, really, but he'd give the other an out if he for some reason needed to get up and stretch his paws. That was social tact, wasn't it? A small swell of pride lapped at his heart contentedly- I'm learning a lot!
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Aug 10, 2022 2:30:07 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« It hadn’t been long since his own first vigil, and Honeyflare smile wryly thinking back on it. “Yeah, I guess so. I can’t say that that was a lot of fun, though. At least now you don’t have to be quiet the whole time. It might make the whole conversation thing kind of awkward,” he mused. For once, other agendas and sinking feelings were out of Honeyflare’s mind’s line of sight. A brief moment of truly clear air. “Precaution’s a good point, though. You never know if a cat’s going to trip over you or if one of the kits will come trying to ambush you for their games. I’ll go grab the leaf real quick, make your vigil a little easier.”With that humored note, he got up and sped to the medicine den. It hardly took any time, the leaf quick and easy to procure - no one was really getting sick or injured these days - and he felt that he was rushing back just about as soon as he’d left. Dropping the leaf gently by Tinyleaf’s stomach, he looked at the simple thing with pride. “There! Now we just have to put the feathers in and fold up the leaf, and it’ll be all safe! They even gave me some bindweed in case we wanted to tie up the leaf! I think it’ll be okay, but better safe than sorry, I guess.” It was a level of good mood he was unaccustomed to. Jokes without double meanings, nothing to prove at the time, pity and expectations aside - such a little moment to make him feel so comfortable in his own pelt. Not that he noticed in the moment, but later on when he was moping again he’d be able to hold onto the incident like the last ray of sunlight before storms rolled in. |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Aug 11, 2022 4:17:29 GMT -6
Before Tinyleaf knew it, the golden pelt beside him had shimmered away, off to fetch a bundle for their precious feathers. For a moment, he could almost feel guilty- had it really been okay to send someone else to fulfill such a simple task? But the, Fawnheart had often told him it made other cats happy to be able to help one another... and maybe, in the midst of Honeyflare's recent doubts about helping the clan, something as slight as delivering a leaf may offer a bit of fulfillment. Besides, it was safer than leaving the little feathers out in the open, the way the breeze pushed and pulled unpredictably. Nestled so close to the mountains overlooking the clans, Sunclan's camp mostly broke the winds as they carried over from the pass, but the effect wasn't always perfect. As such, he stayed loyally where he was left, guarding the bedding beneath him like a nestful of incubated eggs.
When Honeyflare returned, all proud eyed and eager to get wrapping, it immediately affirmed Tinyleaf's earlier consideration. It'd been a good idea after all to entrust the task to him- Maybe it'd make him even happier to continue being given those kind of responsibilities. A sense of purpose in the middle of such meaningless chaos. Although he wasn't as tactful as most other warriors when it came to figuring those kinds of things out, Tinyleaf commit the idea to heart as he reared up on his haunches, letting the feathers clinging to his fur slide off of him like rain in the fluid movement. As he'd predicted, quite a few remained stuck to his underbelly, speckling the white fur with more fluff than was supposed to be there! "Sounds like a plan!" Gently beginning to bat at his pelt to shake the remaining feathers free, he smiled towards Honeyflare, a small and simple one that reflected the other warrior's new sense of positivity. "I'll let you handle the folding while I get the last of these out- At this rate, I guess we can be certain they'll adhere pretty easily!"
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Aug 14, 2022 21:23:46 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« He chuckled at Tinyleaf’s comment, nodding as he made delicate movements with his paws to fold the feathers into the leaf. “At least we won’t have to worry about them floating out of nests, then! Good trait for them, since they float so easily.” Gently, gently, he packed the feathers into one unified shape. Not too stiffly, lest they become too crumpled, but enough so that he had a clear goal of how to fold the leaf. From there it was little motions, folding the leaf so that there was one last obvious fold to be made where they could insert the remaining feathers, then close it for security. Simple work, but nonetheless Honeyflare was satisfied with it. “I don’t think I’d be too surprised to find feathers in your nest one of these days.” |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Aug 16, 2022 1:45:38 GMT -6
Like bunnies sealed away in a burrow, the cottony feathers were wrapped beneath the gloss of the leaf, bundled in the same way herbs had been for generations before. Although they wouldn't supply the same healing benefits as something like tansy or feverfew, they could at least soothe the minds of restless kits and queens, tucked around them like cushions to soak all the bad dreams away when cats laid down to sleep. Honeyflare's paws, although he was bigger than Tinyleaf by a bit as is, seemed to totally engulf the span of the pile, bringing to mind how delicate the little package's contents truly were. Small things, easily blown to the winds and lost to time. Here in the clans, would they serve a greater purpose? Was it better to be trapped in one place, yet secure? To give up the thrill of freedom, of travel, for the sake of serving a set, enduring purpose?
Such little feathers would be plucked up for bird's nests anyway. They didn't get to choose their fate, nor did the paws that now wrapped them. Nothing was truly chosen, when it was fate that guided you to a set of outcomes. You were only given limited pick.
Tinyleaf stopped floating away.
"My nest, huh?" With what he hoped was the final few swats to clear his pelt, he hunched over himself to give a swift lick over his underbelly, using the hooks of his tongue to probe for any remaining shafts before pulling back, then pulling off the ground to meet Honeyflare's stand as he whisked the remaining feathers towards the open fold. "Here's hoping to good luck! If I find anymore, I'll just have to report straight to you to get them placed in a brand new wrap!" Using a tucking motion to slide the rest out of sight within the leaf tissue, Tinyleaf finally gave him a readied wave of the tail, the two of them at last escaping the throes of social convention sprawled out with untouched prey. "When do you think we should work on distributing them? Assuming right now we're just holding onto them for the right time."
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