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Post by Erose on Oct 20, 2023 14:26:43 GMT -6
#s://i~pinimg~com/564x/b9/13/78/b913780a7eabe89c1b34912f1bff7556~jpg | briarpelt, for you there'll be no more crying
for you the sun will be shining
and i feel that when i'm with you
it's alright, i know it's right
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Leafbare never seemed to get any easier. It was his second since Hailstar named him as deputy, and thus far it had been better than the first, if only by dint of the fact that their neighbors weren't actively waging war against them. Still, when he looked around at his clanmates' scrawny bodies and hungry eyes, he couldn't help but worry. Hunger clawing at his own belly, he found it difficult to unfasten his teeth from the squirrel once he'd caught it. It was a skinny thing, mostly fur, but the taste of was sorely tempting to pursue. He buried it beneath frost-rimmed leaves and continued hunting. It was becoming more difficult to ignore the weight he himself had lost this leaf-bare; between worrying for his home, watching over his clanmates, and working hard to keep them fed, Briarpelt had been neglecting his own needs. The dips in his hips were certainly new, as was the shakiness in his legs when he barely managed to bring down a mourning dove. He spat out a feather crossly. The whistle of its wings would have certainly scared off any other prey in this section of woods. Resigned, he gathered his two meager catches and took them back to camp. He'd started to step away from the small pile when he caught sight of Mothdapple and, heart clenching at the sight of her ribs showing beneath her fur, picked up the squirrel and trotted over to her. "Come eat with me," he said, muffled around its fur, and settled into a patch of weak sunlight; it was barely warmer than the shade, but he'd take what he could get. Setting down the squirrel, he tucked his paws neatly under his chest, giving his former apprentice a slow blink as she joined him. "First bite's yours, mouse." |
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Post by venus on Oct 20, 2023 22:24:04 GMT -6
#s://i~pinimg~com/564x/43/3e/4d/433e4de7d6ce71f6cf53ed367aaa6f57~jpg mothdapple | | re: 'the songbirds are singing' |
Her eyes opened when she caught the scent of Briarpelt, seeing the umber deputy arrive from his own solo patrol. Mothdapple was pleased that he turned toward her, a squirrel clamped tightly in his jaws. She purred and got to her paws as he told her to join him, not hesitating to take the opportunity to eat. She'd missed his company as well, some days almost wishing she were an apprentice again.
"First bite's yours, mouse." he would say as she settled down across from him, her heart warming at his use of her pet name. "Thank you, Briarpelt." she mewed sweetly with a grateful look as she reached forward to take a bite from the kill. Gentle purrs would sound from the she-cat as the warm juices bathed her tongue and her belly growled for more. Her green gaze would meet his curiously as she swallowed. "How are you?" A simple question, but asked with the undertone of love and regard. As deputy, Briarpelt was under a lot of stress - even more so during leaf-bare, she imagined. Mothdapple could assume the tom wasn't frequently asked such a thing as he busied himself keeping cats in line and patrols running.
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Post by Erose on Nov 16, 2023 12:51:52 GMT -6
#s://i~pinimg~com/564x/b9/13/78/b913780a7eabe89c1b34912f1bff7556~jpg | briarpelt, for you there'll be no more crying
for you the sun will be shining
and i feel that when i'm with you
it's alright, i know it's right
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As his former apprentice leaned forward to take a bite from the offered prey, Briarpelt's eyes lingered over her form, taking note of the duller color of her pelt and, again, the slim cut of her sides. Worry darkened his gaze. But when Mothdapple spoke, it was with the same gentle cheer that typically graced her words; her eyes hadn't lost their sparkle. The question, taking him by surprise, fell flat between them. He flicked an ear, suddenly at a loss and discomforted by it. How was he? Tensions were high between the clans, but it seemed to have reached its plateau, maintaining a steady pulse of skittishness on each border patrol. Irritation often crackled on their ridge-side border, hisses exchanged more often than pleasantries, and on the prairie side, their brief sense of camaraderie had turned stiff and uncomfortable; none had quite forgotten the hasty accusations thrown across their border when Irisfrost's litter had gone missing. Sometimes, when Lotusfire looked at him, he wasn't quite sure if the cat's general iciness had taken on a more malicious edge. Briarpelt was tired. "Not bad," was his answer. He took a small bite from the squirrel, savoring the warmth of its flavor. When it was gone, he sighed. Not wanting to dwell on the stress of his work, he pushed in the opposite direction. "What about you?" he countered, nudging the squirrel back at Mothdapple. "I noticed you've been hanging around with Swallowflame's boy. Wispfang. He's not giving you any trouble, is he?" |
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Post by venus on Nov 19, 2023 18:35:53 GMT -6
#s://i~pinimg~com/564x/43/3e/4d/433e4de7d6ce71f6cf53ed367aaa6f57~jpg mothdapple | | re: 'the songbirds are singing' |
She was caught by surprise when he brought up Wispfang, nearly choking on the meat she was chewing. So he did notice! Heat turned her skin a bright pink beneath her pelt, as she looked down at her paws. When she finished chewing, she gave him a small, sheepish smile. "Bothering me? No, Wispfang is...nice." she said shyly. I wonder what he would say about me. Feeling a bit bold, she nudged the squirrel back to him. "Did you pair us up for guard duty on purpose?" It seemed they both had a sneaking suspicion he had. Briarpelt had never seemed the type to play match-maker, but maybe he saw something they didn't.
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