private BEST INTEREST ⋆ RACCOONSTRIPE

[WOLFWIND]

They had some to talk about, Wolfwind thinks. For once, last she really her uncle, she had both her eyes in. Had more fur on her face. For another — she remembers talkin' to him, and he had spoken about being deputy someday. Bein' leader someday, even. What would have to happen for that to come evidentially didn't bother him so much as it bothered her. And maybe, she had thought, with Flycatcher down to look after his family, Howlingstar would've turned her face upon her son. The one that's essentially her clone. With the leadership skills, the bossing... Thing is: that didn't happen.

And not to mention – they were down one more member. She hopes Raccoonstripe wouldn't hate him for still seemin' chipper. It just... hasn't hit her hard yet. Wolfwind feels like its all okay.

N' for all that, Wolfwind thinks its plenty reasonable to approach with somethin' general. Somethin' all - encompassing. Wolfwind drops a thin squirrel before his paws, and she cranes her sole eye down at him N' asks, " You ok? "

[ ooc: @RACCOONSTRIPE ]​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

He has withdrawn some, but there’s only so much moping a warrior can do before he has to shove himself back onto his paws and continue providing for his Clan. There’s still a cloud of grief hanging over his head, misting his steps and his thick pelt, but during the day, Raccoonstripe is… managing, he supposes. His brother is ultimately at peace in StarClan—he’s met their father, he’s with Graystorm and Morningpaw, he gets to laze about in sunshine and gorge himself on a tasty bit of fresh-kill without having to worry about blood and death and illness’ refuse splattering his tortoiseshell paws.

It doesn’t lessen the selfish desire to keep him in this world, but it relieves the pain. A little. It makes it easier to wake up in the mornings. A little.

A squirrel thuds at his paws. Raccoonstripe lifts his dark gaze to meet the single ember that shines back from Wolfwind’s tattered face. “You okay?” It’s inane, the question, but Raccoonstripe feels his whiskers trembling slightly as a smile creases his muzzle. He leans down to take a bite from the squirrel’s stomach and pushes it lightly over to his niece. “I’m…” He exhales, “…I’m okay, yeah.” He studies her, the interesting web of scars that stretches across one cheekbone, the pit where her other eye had once been. His smile thins, but only slightly. “…Are you?”

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Raccoon . Raccoonstripe, he/him w/ masculine terms.
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — 37 moons old, ages realistically on the 5th.
  — mentored by n/a ; mentoring none ; previously mentored Wildheart, Moonwhisper
  — thunderclan lead warrior. gray wolf x howlingstar, gen 2.
  — currently mated to Nightbird.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh black tabby with white and dark brown eyes. charismatic, charming, calculating, ambitious, shallow, manipulative.
  
  

​

 

[WOLFWIND]

Raccoonstripe smiles. So she thinks that's a good sign. Not one of a warrior so broken that he could only mope around...flashing cats that pass him by gloomy looks. That had been her, once. Never again. " You'd never lie to me, would'ja? " Not like she was the best at talkin'... Not like Raccoonstripe didn't have about a million cats better than her to talk to, like their wiser - than - anyone leader. Like his mate... which... was a thing he had...

Out of courtesy, more than anything, she takes a bite too. It's stringy. Unsatisfying. Ah, Leaf-bare. And the bounty is his again, being hsoved back at him with mitted paws. " I'm cool. " She says eventually. She almost makes a joke then — Not like you needed to be told, but she talks herself out of it. Too much on the line... or something. She winks, and Raccoonstripe disappears. " It hasn't really hit me yet. And by it, I mean everything, " she clarifies in advanced. " Sorta hope it never does. "

Wolfwind turns her head so that she could angle her eye at him, like a creepy bird on its perch." Ack, you've got me talkin' about myself. " she sniffs, wrinkling her nose. " I'm here for you, y'know. " Not like she expected him to spill his guts or nothin'... " I'm here for you. " Different inflection, different meaning. Being here didn't mean they have some sappy cry session, or anything. She's more than happy to do the opposite, even.

Maybe it was disrespectful, to talk about somethin' so important instead of honoring Berryheart's memory. But she thinks they've honored it plenty. She thinks he'd like to see them carry on with nothing - conversations; only he'd eavesdrop from the stars, rather than from his den. "So... What's the first thing deputy Raccoonstripe would've done, huh? "​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

“You’d never lie to me, would’ja?” Raccoonstripe lifts his white forepaw, begins to haphazardly groom its pristine surface. “Not without purpose,” he purrs to her. His dark eyes narrow as he watches Wolfwind bend to nibble at her squirrel offering. She tells him she’s cool—perhaps the opposite of what he is, hotheaded and steam-pawed, plowing through the scoured, blackened field of his thoughts.

She tells him it hasn’t hit her yet—any of it, the loss of her eye, Berryheart. Raccoonstripe’s mouth twitches again. “I hope it never does.” He speaks earnestly enough. If he had the choice, he’d never let ‘it’ hit him, either. Berryheart could walk beside him on phantom’s feet, and he could dreamwalk without the grief that seizes his belly when he closes his eyes at night, face nestled in Nightbird’s fur.

Wolfwind tells him she’s here for him—and Raccoonstripe feels some of the tension leave his shoulders. She isn’t here to commiserate, not really. Wolfwind isn’t the type, not since that fateful day she’d lost Morningpaw in blood-splashed snow. His niece was made of grittier stuff, the sort of stuff Raccoonstripe himself is made of. “I’m glad.” His whiskers tremble as he dips his head. “After all, I’ll need warriors like you when I’m leader,” he says, his teeth flashing in another grin.

Their conversation twists, then—to the deputy position Flamewhisker had filled, rather than him. He ponders her question, tucking his tail over his paws. “Think I’ll reveal all my plans to you just because you’ve brought me a squirrel, eh? You should know better.” His eyes shimmer. “But… if you must know… I’d be organizing more patrols on the RiverClan border.” He blinks. “You don’t think it’s been a little too quiet over there, too, do you? They want what we took, and now that newleaf is coming…” His nose twitches. “We should be prepared.”

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Raccoon . Raccoonstripe, he/him w/ masculine terms.
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — 37 moons old, ages realistically on the 5th.
  — mentored by n/a ; mentoring none ; previously mentored Wildheart, Moonwhisper
  — thunderclan lead warrior. gray wolf x howlingstar, gen 2.
  — currently mated to Nightbird.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh black tabby with white and dark brown eyes. charismatic, charming, calculating, ambitious, shallow, manipulative.
  
  

​