SunClan Camp || Open RP Thread

Things had been difficult around Sunclan. More than usual, more than Tinyleaf was used to having to deal with. Normally, in the face of adversity, it made the most sense to him to put on his bravest face and power through, regardless of what his clanmates may think. That's how he'd been handling the whole Moonclan/Starclan tension, and it'd been working just fine in his favor. On those last few patrols, you could honestly come to believe that maybe Sunclan had started to move past the shockwave of the Gathering's initial fear and begun to return to normalcy.

Unfortunately, normalcy didn't seem to like sticking around. Overnight, unexplainably, everything had changed. Now, even when Tinyleaf strolled into camp with the same content smile he was used to bearing, it just didn't work. Feeling the absence of Beestar, the grief of the clan... even with the ginormous squirrel straining his jaw, the pride he'd felt capturing it felt almost offensive. His smile flickered around the kill, becoming more of an awkward grimace as he went to deposit his catch and then, for a few heartbeats, lingered by the center of camp. Avoided direct contact with any of the listless cats milling about in what felt like the eye of the hurricane, standing here by the pile that nobody seemed to have an appetite for.

As Tinyleaf lingered, deciding what he might do next, a familiar voice greeted him, drawing his attention to the side- and then up, to the taller form of Honeyflare hovering nearby. For one initial second, he felt his heart stumble over itself for a second, recognizing the face of perhaps the most burdened cat in the clan. One of three, anyway. But as quick as that twist in his chest came, it just as soon faded, recognizing the casual kindness in the other warrior's words. Relieved by it. He wondered if Honeyflare might be in need of something casual, too.

Green eyes softening, Tinyleaf's tail raised in greeting, swaying slow and amicably and just a little bit proud. "Thank you, Honeyflare!" For once in the recent majority of his life, the patched tom seemed capable of volume control, voice a modest purr instead of the usual bombastic broadcast. Looking up at him with a thoughtful head tilt, Tinyleaf thought for a moment before perking back up. "I was actually by myself... I guess I got a bit sidetracked in my head, chasing imaginary mice and all that. But now you're here! Did you come to get something to eat?" Then, like a last minute realization: "Or, were you looking to talk to me?"

It seemed out of the blue, for the young tabby to take an interest in him. They'd shared a few patrols before, and had always seemed to get along, but it wasn't often any warrior tended to seek out Tinyleaf's companionship off-duty. Possibly because he was almost always on-duty! But here they were, an unexpected pair. The older warrior couldn't help but feel a bit nervous, a bit worried given the context of the camp life recently... but he figured he'd do his best to manage whatever his clanmate needed, even if it was just a good taste of squirrel to help calm his heavy heart.

At the opening joke, Tinyleaf's eyes widened a fraction, having expected a lot of things in response but not... humor, probably? Interesting! A tiny smile adorning his expression as he listened to the clumsy flow of Honeyflare's conversation, not so far removed from talking with someone else he knew. A guilty part of him knew it likely stemmed from the. Everything. But, it still was somewhat gratifying, in a way, to have another cat talk to him like he suddenly mattered for the day. Like Tinyleaf was the kind of cat worth awkward invitations and painfully blunt observations. He hoped all the fumbling was just because he was Honeyflare's senior, and not somehow a strange impression he'd given on their past encounters...

"That's alright," The warrior finally reassured when Honeyflare had voiced his honest intentions, welcoming the other's sincerity in hopes of encouraging it. "Sometimes, even growing up with someone, you can have troubles knowing them very closely. If you don't know me very well, then that must mean I don't know you very well either, so this is an exciting opportunity! After all, we're clanmates." Although he was hardly one to shy away from others, Tinyleaf did take on an air of bashfulness as he beamed at the other cat, raised tail giving another happy swish. "I'm not busy at all, so I don't mind talking. Um-"

For a moment, in spite of the slow rise to his mood, he seemed to recall the circumstances of their meeting, glancing a little anxiously at the surrounding camp. Would it be okay to act so friendly out here in the open, with the looming gloom of everyone else wafting around them like a fog? "Is there a spot you'd like to be? We don't have to stay here if you're not hungry, I was just dropping something off."

Before he knew it, Honeyflare had crossed the clearing, waiting off on the sidelines with a wave of his broad, deeply striped tail. Kind of like a bee, Tinyleaf couldn't help but think, and regret, and immediately forget. His paws seemed to stick to the ground for a moment as he peered after his company for the day, a wave of uncertainty going unacknowledged at his core. Deciding to be prepared for any outcome, he knelt to pluck a small bird from the pile before making his way over to the other cat. That way, should the other change his mind about feeling talkative, there'd be some prey to offer.

Hardly needing to be told to get comfortable, Tinyleaf hunkered down as soon as he met Honeyflare, getting nice and cozy against the den walls as he propped the bird between his paws- some sort of pigeon, maybe, although he wasn't as good at telling birds apart from the feathers so much as he was familiar with their flavors. Beginning the arduous task of plucking those very feathers from his meal, he reengaged his fellow warrior with another easy smile, looking just pleased as punch to be there. They'd never spoken one on one like this, not without another warrior like the now-deputy Swanmask around... "How should we get started? If you had something on your mind, I mean. I'm okay talking about most anything!"

Maybe not exactly anything. But, given the weird, nervous way Honeyflare was already behaving, Tinyleaf bet it wouldn't be anything too crazy. He bet that it was more likely that the less restrictive he was, the more comfortable the poor guy might get. Ah- Not poor. He was just as much a warrior as anyone else, and didn't deserve to have any assumptions made against him. Keeping an open mind, Tinyleaf searched his expression for something to go off of, tail whisking idly across the ground and brushing the back edge of the den.

"A good warrior?" Tinyleaf looked stunned for a moment, as if the question hadn't occurred to him as one to ask. For him, being an asset to Sunclan came as naturally as breathing, every hair on his hide always acutely attuned to the needs of the clan, even if his words didn't always carry him in the right direction. Actions spoke louder, after all. Blinking at Honeyflare, all puffed up and antsy, he didn't understand the fuss. After all, passing your assessment is what proved you had the capacity for a warrior's lifestyle... Just by practicing those abilities every day, you were a warrior! Right? Somehow... I get a weird feeling that's not what he's asking.


The tense moment passed as Tinyleaf got a better grasp of the situation- This was less about technicalities and more about a young warrior still growing into his paws. Something he could empathize with, if he thought hard enough. "I'm sure all new warriors have the same concerns as you... and a good part of that is self doubt. After all, you've just begun your service, so it's normal to feel a bit out of place, I think. But you're right- You do have the skills!"

Adjusting a little, the warrior's chattier side started to shine as he continued with a personal example. To some, it may seem cocky, but Honeyflare wouldn't be asking him if the tabby didn't see him as a reliable source. "I guess for me, it's about not just waiting around to be told what to do. We serve our leaders and deputies, but you always have Sunclan on your mind and heart, then you'll be wanting to do stuff before you're even told to do it. Like... initiative! Taking the extra steps! Like, when I brought in that squirrel. I wasn't assigned to hunt today, but I felt good enough to do it, so I did it! Or, if you notice your clanmates are uncomfortable with their nests, maybe you'll pick through them for grit and thorns just because you can... Being observant is good, too! Observance and initiative. Independence!"


With each adjective, Tinyleaf puffed up a little more, voice raised as if teaching a seminar. Beaming bright at Honeyflare, he gave a strong nod to affirm his points, before raising a paw to swipe the air. "Focus on what you can do! Notice things that need to be done and take them in your paws! It helps the leadership to see warriors are capable of supporting the clan without them. So, it helps everyone!"

For all his passion, Tinyleaf seemed to short-out when he noticed his enthusiasm was just that- his own. Smile wavering hesitantly, he blinked a few times as if to make sense of Honeyflare's uneasy expression. What was there to be disappointed about? "Yes, uh-" Tinyleaf rebrightened, a flare of determination lighting his gaze. "Service is important! It's the backbone of our clan. Sunclan couldn't survive if there weren't cats performing these necessary duties, however mundane. But, not all warriors have to contribute in the same way!" Convinced that he'd found the source of the problem, he tilted his head in the direction of the nursery.

"For instance, there's work to be done here in the camp, too! Like... queens spend a lot of time rearing their kits, and sometimes they need help, so there are some cats who take up the mantle of watching over the nursery. Or, cats like elders who pass on their knowledge and help enrich our lives through their companionship... a home can't be a home without cats you care about! So sometimes, contributing to the clan is more passive, in terms of leaving a positive impact just by interacting with those around you. My brother is a little like that! He's shy about patrols, so they spend more of their time here in camp with cleaning up or doing personal favors... he doesn't hunt and patrol as much as me, but he's just as useful. Do.. you think that's more your kind of thing?"

It was visibly difficult for Tinyleaf to contemplate Honeyflare's discontent, the dissonance between their perspectives grating uncomfortable at his core beliefs. But for all that discomfort, he still wanted to try and help. After all, that was exactly what he'd just described; being a warrior meant handling even questions like this, helping other warriors to feel at ease in their positions. Softer, he mewed, "Being a warrior means being a guardian of the clan, and what that means per cat can vary, but... there's always some way to benefit the clan."

The compliment was normally a good note to end on, a clear closure of the conversation so both parties could walk away content. But Honeyflare's prior words had shot ice into Tinyleaf's veins. They were dangerous.