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Post by owl on Nov 18, 2023 17:30:08 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/sjZ15BX/nettleprofile~png | nettlefang so let my hope grow cold and atrophy
'cause there is no more room in your heart for me
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The hope of returning to her mate before she woke up for the day made her trot a little faster. Maybe she could check the fresh kill pile and see if any of the young warriors had left a bite to eat. And besides, upping the pace would warm her chilling bones. She made it to camp in little time at all, brushing through the bramble barrier and attempting not to get fresh snow all over her. It'd come down pretty hard the night before, a new coat over the already white landscape. Flicking snow off her head, she made a detour for the fresh kill pile. Or well... it wasn't really a pile right now. There was a fresh rabbit, undoubtedly caught by an early riser. Best leave that for the queens, I think... which left a couple of stale mice. Testing them with her paw, they were no doubt nearly frozen solid. Yeah... leave that for the young'uns who haven't broken a tooth yet on rock hard prey.
Unfortunately still empty-pawed, she made her way now to the warriors den. Nodding at those that had woken up for the day—she hadn't seen Minkfrost yet, which was a good sign. Either she was still asleep, or she'd already gone out on patrol. Nettlefang hoped for the former. And as she ducked into the warm den, letting her eyes adjust for a few moments, she smiled when she spotted the familiar shape still in their shared nest. Thanks for one thing working out this morning. She settled down next to the seal dappled molly, pressing her nose into the other cat's soft fur. She wanted to badly to just fall asleep again, but knew they couldn't. A warrior's work is never done.
With a soft sigh, she focused on grooming her lover's coat. A little roughly, both to rouse her and flatten the fluffy tufts of her fur. She waited until one of Minkfrost's sleepy eyes fluttered open before murmuring a greeting. "Mornin' darlin'," she purred, giving her a lick on the forehead. She resumed grooming until her mate seemed a little more awake, and then leaned back to meet her pale gaze. "Sorry I didn't bring ya breakfast... didn't think y'wanted frozen mouse," she chuckled, blinking affectionately, "So I was thinkin' we could go hunting together... if you didn't have other plans."
tags: absurdjinx
notes: decided nettle gets to be a little southern as a treat
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Post by absurdjinx on Nov 28, 2023 8:40:36 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/PTwRRvv/mink~jpg | minkfrost, "good or bad, it passes
tomorrow's a lifetime of chances"
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Minkfrost hadn’t been chosen for an early morning patrol, but for a midday patrol, allowing her to sleep in a bit longer. She still had a chore or two to complete, but they could wait. She’d had a restless night, mind racing, but had finally managed to fall asleep at some point, though she could still use as much sleep as she could get before starting her day. She’d settled into her nest the night before alongside Nettlefang and listened to her mate’s breathing slow as sleep claimed her, thinking about how lucky she was to have such a wonderful partner. And then her thoughts drifted. All Minkfrost could think about was Nettlefang and Cinderstar. She’d done her best to rid herself of such thoughts, trying to distract herself with happy memories and plans for the following day, but her attempts had been futile. At least she’d managed to avoid tossing and turning, and waking Nettlefang. But the pain in her heart had been close to unbearable as she pictured Cinderstar and Nettlefang together. Her anxiety must’ve been so exhausting that she’d fallen asleep. She woke to the feeling of her fur being smoothed down and instantly knew it was Nettlefang trying to wake her. A small smile found its way onto Minkfrost’s face, but she kept her eyes closed, savoring the moment. As worried as she was about Nettlefang and Cinderstar’s relationship, she still loved her mate very much and enjoyed the affectionate gestures and time spent together. Besides, she tried to remind herself frequently that there was no proof Nettlefang liked Cinderstar in a romantic way. Minkfrost wasn’t fond of the way Nettlefang looked at Cinderstar, but maybe she was seeing something that wasn’t actually there. Surely that was it. Nettlefang loved Minkfrost and she’d proved it over and over. She often felt ashamed for thinking her mate had feelings for someone else when Nettlefang had been nothing but a loving significant other. Minkfrost just had to remember that all those flowers they’d gifted each other, all those ‘I love you’s they’d exchanged, and all those warm embraces meant something. Unfortunately, she couldn’t stay in her nest forever and so after several heartbeats, she blinked open weary eyes, meeting Nettlefang’s gaze. “ Mornin’ darlin’,” Nettlefang greeted as Minkfrost stretched her jaws wide in a silent yawn. Once she’d closed her mouth, she hummed in response and shut her eyes for a lengthy moment as Nettlefang continued to groom her, as if she could summon what energy she needed for the day. It must’ve worked, because when she opened her eyes again, she felt more awake. Upon noticing Minkfrost looked a tad more energized, Nettlefang went on and Minkfrost purred happily at the sound of her mate’s quiet chuckle. “ No need to apologize, love. I’d gladly trade some frozen mice and more to have you wake me up like you did today.” Another yawn interrupted Minkfrost, but she quickly picked up where she left off. “ I wish we could stay here forever, but hunting with you is the next best thing.” “ We’d better get going now, though, before I change my mind and keep you here with me until the end of time,” Minkfrost meowed. There was a hint of amusement in her tone, but she was partially serious. She’d love nothing more than to curl around Nettlefang and stay in their nest for as long as possible, though she knew it wasn’t even an option. Clan cats had duties, after all, and Minkfrost couldn’t imagine skipping them. Plus, hunting with her mate sounded like lots of fun. So she forced herself to her paws, the warmth Nettlefang’s closeness provided swiftly fading away. After a brief stretch to wake the rest of her body, Minkfrost led Nettlefang out of the den and into the clearing, pausing only to adjust to the lighting as well as the cold. She glanced over at her mate and asked, “ You’re the better hunter, so I think you should decide where in the territory we go.” Minkfrost was fast enough to keep up with a rabbit, but she wasn’t as talented a hunter as her mate. She was, however, better at fishing, but in the midst of leaf-bare, that was a useless skill. |
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Post by owl on Apr 10, 2024 19:03:01 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/sjZ15BX/nettleprofile~png | nettlefang so kiss me quick. steal every secret i keep
you can have anything that you want from me
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The grooming and comfort in closeness with another cat had started to make her sleepy—the bengal's second yawn had made her yawn in response before she was able to speak. "You'll just have t'sleep in more often," she teased, pressing her tongue against a stubborn tuft of her mate's fur. They both knew Minkfrost was more often the early riser, as Nettlefang was quick to offer herself for the late-night patrols other warriors were too tired to do after a day's worm. And thus, she tended not to wake up with the sun. Sometimes I do wish we could spend more mornin's together... but it's hard to leave patrols without their needed paws.
"We'd better get going now, though, before I change my mind and keep you here with me until the end of time," The grey molly let out a laugh at that, slowly shifting herself into a stretch before standing and looking back down at her mate. "It's temptin'... I don't know about your stomach, but mine's been rumblin' like a badger." Right as she finished talking, her belly emitted a grumble, as if to tell them to hurry up and get going already. She chuckled good-naturedly, "B'sides, I'm sure someone would notice and get on our asses about it."
She watched her mate with fond eyes as the molly slowly drew herself to her feet, stretching, waking. Now that her eyes were more adjusted to the dim lighting she could make out all the beautiful rosettes on her pelt. Stars, how lucky am I to have my best friend and such a pretty cat as my mate? The tabby followed Minkfrost out of the den, happy to take her lead. She was surprised when the other cat stopped and turned to her before they had even exited camp. "You're the better hunter, so I think you should decide where in the territory we go." "Lies n' slander," she huffed, gently knocking the molly's hip with her own. "I can't run nowhere near as fast as you. Rabbit huntin' is equal parts chasing an' killing, and I'm no good at the chasin' part."
Nettlefang let out a thoughtful hum, whiskers twitching. "Though speaking of rabbits... the warren north a' camp looked pretty untouched when we passed it this mornin'. How d'ya feel about trying our luck up there?" She met the eyes of the other molly conspiratorially, and then watched as their breaths plumed in the cold air. Hmm... we'll get cold walkin' all the way up there... and a good run would get us there in the shake of a kit's tail. A twinkle came to her gaze at the idea of some friendly competition—even knowing she'd lose. "An' maybe we could warm up with a little race on th' way..."
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Post by absurdjinx on Apr 17, 2024 1:26:03 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/PTwRRvv/mink~jpg | minkfrost, "good or bad, it passes
tomorrow's a lifetime of chances" |
“ Lies n’ slander,” Nettlefang said as she lightly bumped Minkfrost, drawing soft, breathy laughter past her lips. Her concerns about Nettlefang and Cinderstar always lingered near the front of her mind, whether she was alone or with friends - it was always there. She constantly wondered how Nettlefang could bring her so much joy, but also so much pain? Minkfrost liked to think she was quite astute, which allowed her to notice Nettlefang and Cinderstar’s growing closeness, but what if she was making something out of nothing? Was she just being possessive? What if their rivalry was simply finally giving way to a mutual friendship? But as she met her mate’s warm gaze, her fears were quickly forgotten and her blue eyes brightened with happiness. “ I can’t run nowhere near as fast as you.” Minkfrost rolled her eyes at Nettlefang’s words, but the small, bashful smile on her face proved there was no animosity behind the gesture, but instead, there was an abundance of fondness in the act. Minkfrost was much smaller than Nettlefang and far more agile, allowing her to chase down rabbits and hares with ease. But Nettlefang wasn’t given the suffix -fang for nothing. Sure, maybe pursuing rabbits wasn’t her forte, but that wasn’t all PrairieClan cats ate. Besides, Nettlefang was a skilled fighter, which was just as valuable a strength as being a proficient hunter. She sent a playful grin Nettlefang’s way and said, “ Well, rabbits can be difficult to take down, so I’m going to need my big, strong mate to deliver the killing blow for me.” Nettlefang hummed as she thought of a good hunting spot and Minkfrost didn’t have to wait long for one to cross her mind. As far as she was aware, nobody had been to the rabbit warren that Nettlefang mentioned in a while - probably so the rabbits could start feeling safe there again, which would result in them becoming less vigilant and make them easier for PrairieClan cats to hunt. Rabbits were most active in the morning and the evening, too, and seeing how it was still early in the day, well, they’d have to be very poor hunters if they returned to camp empty-pawed. “ Sounds good to me,” Minkfrost chirped just as something flashed in Nettlefang’s eyes. She tilted her head slightly in curiosity, but before she could ask what was on her mate’s mind, Nettlefang was sharing her thoughts with her. A race? Immediately, Minkfrost’s lips curled upward into an elated grin. “ Well, if you insist,” she purred, leading Nettlefang out of camp. She halted just outside the camp’s entrance, the thin layer of snow on the ground threatening to freeze her toes, and looked over at her mate to make sure she stood beside her. “ Keep up if you can!” With that, Minkfrost took off, kicking up a cloud of snow as she went. She knew it wasn’t fair not to give Nettlefang notice, but honestly… would a signal even make a difference? Plus, it was more fun this way. She briefly glanced back over her shoulder to see the expression on her mate’s face before throwing her head back to release a bark of laughter. She’d started off fast, bolting ahead like a hare running for its life, but slowed as the distance between her and Nettlefang increased. Minkfrost was going to win. There was no doubt about that. But where was the fun in reaching the finish line long before Nettlefang did? And she couldn’t give it her all in the beginning or else she’d run out of energy near the end of the race. Unwilling to leave Nettlefang far behind, she would slow down every few moments and then pick up the pace up again, but she never reduced her speed enough to allow her mate to move ahead of her. With the finish line in sight, Minkfrost sprinted forward and decelerated only once she’d reached her destination. She even made sure to stop before she was close enough to the warren so as to avoid warning the rabbits of a threat nearby. She glanced over at Nettlefang as she caught up, flashing her mate a playful grin even as she tried to catch her breath. “ I win. Not that that’s surprising, though.” |
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