pafp Hear the snake charmer | asking for advice

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

Out of all the council, Petalnose might be the one Snakeblink understands the least.

Not the one he’s the least close to: he barely knows Iciclefang, and Lichentail still looks like they would rather eat their remaining ear than talk to him. The less is said about Smokestar’s willingness to deal with him the better. But Petalnose… whenever he thinks he’s got her all figured out, something else comes and pulls the ground from under his paws. Her moods, though not random, seem to him as short-lived as the seasons: they are always changing, and her laughter is as wild as her anger, keeping him always wrong-footed. Unlike other cats in the clan, she has never been inclined to chew him out, but his efforts to understand why that is and keep it that way have not been fruitful so far.

He likes to observe, think, figure it out on his own, like a puzzle; but he is not above asking for advice. And who better to ask than the molly’s own loving partner? Surely, Aspenhaze knows something the rest of them do not.

(Whether Aspenhaze is safer to approach than their mate is an assumption he’s trying not to look at too closely lest he realize it’s entirely false.)

Frost crunches under his paws as he approaches them, inclining his head in greeting. ”Aspenhaze… may I ask you a question? It is a little personal, I am afraid.” Glancing left and right to make sure the object of the discussion isn’t around, he bends a little closer and continues without waiting for their response, ”I was only wondering if you had any… tips. To make Petalnose… like you?” He realizes how stupid it sounds only as he says it, and his mouth twists in an awkward grimace. ”In a warrior way, I mean. Not… well, you can imagine what I mean.”
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——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• @Aspenhaze
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 46 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

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[Aspenhaze]

Snakeblink is a cat that Aspenhaze holds a great deal of respect for. The fact that he was one of the first cats to spot the signs when they had caught Yellowcough and wandered into the middle of camp, mind muddled, and the first cat to greet them when they had recovered, the clearest they’ve ever been, has meant a great deal to them since. They’ve never said it verbally, of course, but they hope that Snakeblink can see how comfortable they are around him at the very least.

They haven’t ever been approached by him casually before, however. Aspenhaze blinks in surprise for a moment when Snakeblink proposes a question to them, but they quickly brush it off and return to their usual look of amusement. “Of course you may. And no worries about it being personal.” They might end up a little closed off on accident depending on what is asked of them, but they’re willing to hear him out either way. Though, they didn’t expect it to be about their mate instead of them.

A lighthearted laugh escapes their lips as Snakeblink fumbles their words. Their quandary is also an entertaining one. “I understand, yes. But that’s something that isn’t easy to answer. They have been told why Petalnose has come to love them so much, but it’s not easy to translate into friendship with others besides them. But Aspenhaze thinks they might have an idea of what to say. “I think the best thing you could do is to be direct. Tell her that you aren’t bothered by her bouts of anger, assuming you’re not. And if you are, let her know it’s not appropriate. She very much values honesty.”​

 

[otterbite]

Otterpaw's relationship with Petalnose had soured the moment they had met. A rambunctious kit with an endless amount of energy and scathing sass, he held none of it back no matter who he spoke to. Unfortunate that the day she had first interacted with him was a particular low day for him- though by now it was safe to say Otterpaw was naturally an apathetic cat to be around.

A twitched ear picked up on Snakeblinks voice but not the question. Curiously he crept closer and thankfully Aspenhaze isn't as careful to keep their voice down. "Who are you guys talking about? Lichentail?" He only assumed the deputy's involvement because so often he bared a rage from her that was not so commonly directed to anyone else. Not that he would know.

"The best thing for you to do is just ignore her and do whatever you want. She's not your mom." That would have gone for Petalnose too, actually. ​

RIVERCLAN APPRENTICE ✦ BLUE-BLACK CHIMERA ✦ 8 MOONS ✦ TAGS​

 

[Aspenhaze]

Aspenhaze blinks when Otterpaw decides to join the two, apparently listening in on their conversation. Though, it’s not like it was a private affair. Still, they can’t help but continue to laugh as he assumes they’re talking about Lichentail. They might have their own opinions on her, but… “Hey now, that’s no way to be talking about your deputy, hmm? She might not be my mom, but she is still above me, and above you even more so, may I remind you.” They’re very aware about how hypocritical they’re being, but it’s one thing to disregard her entirely. Lichentail is still a cat worthy of respect, especially from the younger cats.

They give a big, dramatic ‘humph’ before continuing the conversation. “No, we are talking about my mate, Petalnose. And while she might not be the…nicest feline out there, she still deserves respect, too. So I don’t want to hear you saying to ignore her as well, you hear?” Aspenhaze’s smirk widens, face darkening for a moment as they come off slightly intimidating. “But maybe I’m just biased because I love her. That’s up for you to decide.” They return to their usual nonchalant disposition after that.​

 

[SASHA]

Riverclanners are weird. Cedarblaze had been planning on just passing by the group, but sue her for being interested! The answer the small one gives is amusing. I like the way this kid thinks. Give him a nice fish or something. Riverclan cats love fish right? Lichentail being made deputy isn't anything special for her. Considering she doesn't even know the cat. Lichentail is just a Riverclanner who got promoted to second in command nothing more. While they weren't exactly friends she would follow the orders Lichentail would give her, but she couldn't quite understand why you needed to speak differently with Lichentail.

A scoff escapes her maw as she decides to butt her head into this conversation, "And why does Lichentail bein' deputy mean we have to speak any differently? She's just a cat like the rest of us, only reason I'd speak any differently to her is if she's ordering me around. I'm not gonna kiss the ground her paws have touched." Hopefully that is not something controversial to say. If Lichentail herself popped up and demanded respect she wouldn't give it because why so butt hurt? There wasn't a rule that she had to love their leader or deputy. Tolerance at best. And if she disliked them she shouldn't be punished for that as long as she did her work.

Onto the subject of Petalnose. She can't quite say she hates the feline's presence. They can get along is what she feels, but she's never really bonded with the lead warrior to say much. Ignoring a bad thing, but there's got to be a good reason for it. If there's no reason then it's stupid. Telling ol' Snakey here ignore suddenly is just dumb. "Yea, it's bad to tell Snakey to just ignore Petalnose. It's only good to ignore someone when there's a good reason. Unless Petalnose made him cry or somethin', then I'd say he can ignore her." Okay maybe she wasn't the best when it came to things like these, but isn't this great? Some bonding moments with cats that are supposed to be clanmates.

〤 take a good look

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  — cedarblaze / riverclan warrior / feminine pronouns / 24 moons
  — pansexual / single / looking / open to flirting and crushes
  — may powerplay minor harm / can powerplay healing
  — biography / @ on discord for plots

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[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

”Be direct and honest… I can manage that much,” Snakeblink hums pensively. He glances around, cracks a small smile, opens his mouth to add something--

And is immediately interrupted mid-thought by Otterpaw. The abrasive apprentice easily shares his opinion about Lichentail -- not the subject of this discussion, but an interesting insight into the younger cat’s mind nonetheless. Snakeblink’s tail flicks as he narrows his eyes; his relationship with their deputy has had its ups and downs, but he still respects her enormously. But he holds his tongue and lets Aspenhaze handle the conversation with an ease he envies. He tilts his head to cover a fond smile at their open declaration of love for the prickly lead; the affection clear in their voice entirely offsets the menace in their expression, to him.

It also covers the flash of wariness on his face as Cedarblaze joins the conversation, just there-and-gone; he never knows when one of the colony cats is about to say something he will have to spend the next few rotations of the sky correcting.

Nothing terrible this time, only the usual Ripple disregard for their strict hierarchy. ”Petalnose did not make me cry.” Yet. ”I was only-- it does not matter. What Aspenhaze meant, about Lichentail, is that we owe her respect in regard to her position as deputy. If we cannot even talk about them respectfully, how can they trust that we will follow their lead when it matters?”

Finally he turns to Otterpaw and affects a disinterested tone in the hope of making the mild lecture more palatable to the younger cat’s ears. ”I do not recommend ignoring anyone, as a general advice. Not only is it extremely rude, but it will leave you with a blind spot that can easily be taken advantage of. First and foremost by the person you are ignoring, who might be tempted to box you over the ears when you refuse to listen to verbal directions.”
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——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 47 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

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