private but i can't turn away || wormwatcher & forestshade

[Wormwatcher]

✧*:.｡. Wormwatcher did any task he possibly could do to occupy his mind, volunteering if he heard even the slightest suggestion of an extra hunting patrol or to check on the state of the camp’s fortifications. He is afraid he may have overdone it, however; his paws feel like they have been dipped in cement and left to dry and he appears to drag them as he pads across camp. He has already made sure all who must eat before him has taken their fair share before nosing at the pile, searching for something that may satisfy his appetite. Wormwatcher frowns at the meager options for himself and decides upon a decently sized snipe, grasping it in his maw and turning on his heel. He surveys the clearing before resting his icy gaze upon an unaccompanied individual, Forestshade. It is not often Wormwatcher approaches a feline first, but he is privy to the loss the she-cat has experienced– Chilledstar was her mentor, afterall. The chimera adjusts the feathery creature in his grasp and then trots towards Forestshade, pausing a tail length away so that he may announce himself to the blind she-cat.

“Would you like to share?” Wormwatcher asks after dropping the snipe. As he waits for her to reply he settles gracefully on his hindquarters and leans downwards to begin plucking the feathers of the lifeless bird, setting them aside carefully– he intends to keep them for his nest. Quite stubborn, Wormwatcher would remain there, just a tail length away, even if his offer is declined. [/color]

✧*:.｡. ~ aren’t i enough? ~

• ooc-- @FORESTSHADE
  
• wormwatcher —— ✧*:.｡.shadowclan warrior, he/him, homosexual, 28 ☾

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[FORESTSHADE]

Forestshade sat quietly, her dark form blending with the shadows of the camp. Normally one so extroverted, it isn’t common at all to see her so…alone. But ever since her mentor’s death she just doesn’t have the energy anymore to seek others out. The world is off-kilter now, and she can’t fix it.

She senses Wormwatcher's presence, the sound of his approach causing her ears to twitch. When he offers to share his snipe, she tilts her head slightly, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "You really think I need your charity, Wormwatcher? I can catch my own meals with my eyes closed." An attempt at a joke. ‘Cause, you know, closing her eyes wouldn’t be any different for her. She huffs softly, amused by herself, before pausing. Her ears pricking, she notices he settles down beside her, and at that point she knows he won’t be going anywhere no matter what she says. "But I'll admit…a little company wouldn't be so bad. Just make sure you don't hog all the good bits." Finally, giving in, she gives a small smile. It feels nice to not be left behind, to be cared about. Another lesson Chilledstar had taught her in life…to let herself be cared about.​

 

[Wormwatcher]

✧*:.｡. “No charity here,” Wormwatcher chuckles. "I don't doubt you." He is well aware of Forestshade’s hunting capabilities. He squints at the she-cat, pleased he already managed to get her to joke with himself and then continues to pluck the feathers from the snipe. Once satisfied he picks it up and moves slightly closer to Forestshade and plops down on his flank, nudging the bird towards her paws. “I wouldn’t dare. You can have the first bites.”

Wormwatcher lounges there on his side watching Forestshade pick the parts of the snipe she preferred, his tail flicking languidly. He was glad to be in her presence– he had nothing else to do around camp and he would do anything in order to not be locked inside his mind. Wormwatcher eyes rest upon the oftentimes disheveled she-cat and cocks his head upwards. After a moment of consideration he murmurs, “I am not too hungry, so have whatever you’d like and I will take the scraps.” It was not true, honestly; he was quite hungry but would prefer Forestshade to eat until she was satisfied. He was unsure if the she was the kind to not eat whilst in mourning, either by choice or due to grief. Before any kind of argument towards his offer can be made he adds roughly, “I insist.” To really emphasize how much he would prefer the snipe to not be passed towards him he rests his gracile head on the sandy ground and stretches his lengthy body out, the perfect imagine of a relaxing feline. “Have you been outside of camp lately?”

✧*:.｡. ~ aren’t i enough? ~

• ooc
  
• wormwatcher —— ✧*:.｡.shadowclan warrior, he/him, homosexual, 28 ☾

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[FORESTSHADE]

At Wormwatcher’s insistence, she huffs and flicks her tail. “Yeah, yeah, alright…I won’t eat it all, I promise.” Snorting, she leans down and takes a few bites in silence. Her ears flick as she ears, listening to her clanmate’s words. She leans down, tearing away another bite from the bones before she pushes it towards the tom. There’s a tilt to her head as she shrugs nonchalantly. “I’ve wandered here and there.” Her paws can’t stand staying still for long, after all. “The fresh air makes me feel better…” it reminds her that life goes on, even without Chilledstar here, the ever-present in her life in ShadowClan.

She tilts her muzzle towards Wormwatcher, suddenly eager to get the attention off her. “How about you? You been out hunting lately?” How have you been holding up? Are you taking the loss hard? She wants to say. Losing a mentor is hard, but so is losing a leader. All of ShadowClan should be feeling the lack of Chilledstar’s presence. ​

 

[Wormwatcher]

✧*:.｡. Wormwatcher watches Forestshade eat her share, pleased to see her eating what she would like. Forestshade passes the snipe along and he pulls it closer with a dark paw, his ears careened forward so he may still listen to her speak as he eats. He takes a couple tentative bites from the cold flesh before swallowing quickly, nearly choking. He realizes he no longer has the appetite he just hadmoments ago. Wormwatcher stares down at the ravaged remains, half-listening to Forestshade's reply to his prior question about leaving camp. His stomach suddenly twists as he became hyperaware of the twisted angle of the snipe's head when it had been lolling in the prey pile. Now it lays at his paws, broken and bloodied. Much like that of Chilledstar's body after the attack, he could imagine. He pushes it away dismissively. "Full," he mumbles, nausea rising in his esophagus. Selfishly, Wormwatcher's grateful in this moment that Forestshade could not see the unsettled expression that has settled like fog.

Wormwatcher pulls his paws closer to himself and clicks his tongue. "Ehem, not really. Mostly just been on patrols--" Wormwatcher has not been able to hunt successfully since that fateful day when they loss their leader, for the same reasons of why he could not stomach the snipe. "--and the odd tasks around camp. Just trying to be wherever I am needed." He purses his lips and squints at Forestshade. He feels idiotic for dancing around the real reason he visited Forestshade. He grumbles, sitting up from his crouched position so that he may speak with Forestshade on even ground.

"You're fine?" He asks this unceremoniously, ignoring any kind of unspoken rules about how to address grief. So far, Wormwatcher has been dancing around the fact he was concerned for the she-cat. Unfortunately, he knew his signature directness he has been been avoiding may be completely overstepping the line, but he is so sick of everyone acting so strong, for he is a hypocrite as his finest, and if there's one thing he would know, it is that everyone is a pretender.

✧*:.｡. ~ aren’t i enough? ~

• ooc–
  
• wormwatcher —— ✧*:.｡.shadowclan warrior, he/him, homosexual, 28 ☾

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[FORESTSHADE]

Forestshade sits silently as her companion takes his fill. When it’s pushed back to her, she pauses mid-bite, sensing the shift in Wormwatcher's mood. His struggle to keep his composure doesn't go unnoticed. She swallows slowly, her ears fixed on him as she contemplates his words. His blunt question catches her off guard, and she takes a moment to gather her thoughts before responding.

"Fine?" She echoes, her tone more reflective than defensive. "I guess that's one way to put it." She angles her ears outwards to listen to the sounds of camp, her expression softening as she considers her next words. "It's…strange, you know. There are days when I feel like I'm wading through thick mud, and then there are moments like this where it's almost bearable. Everyone seemed to move on so quickly. Smogmaw especially. But, I suppose I’m ‘fine.'" She points her muzzle at Wormwatcher, unseeing eyes staring at the ground before him. Her voice is steady despite the rare moment of vulnerability as she mews, "And you? You're not fooling anyone with that 'full' act. I can hear it in your voice." But she won’t force him to eat, not if he can’t. With a sigh, she nudges the rest of the bits of food closer to her and takes another bite.
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