pafp i’d just wander away // sharing tongues

[butterflytuft]

// please wait for @DOEBLAZE

Butterflytuft and Doeblaze are settled side by side in a sunlit patch near the edge of camp, their pelts brushing softly as they begin to groom each other. This is perhaps one of the queen’s favorite times in every day, when she can settle in the warmth of the sun with the soothing, rhythmic task of sharing tongues. It’s a rare moment of peace in the usually busy camp, and she enjoys catching up with all of her clanmates. After being surrounded by kits day in and day out, it’s nice to speak to fellow adults!

As she carefully works through Doeblaze's fur, the tortoiseshell can’t help but feel a surge of nostalgia. "It's still hard to believe your kits are apprentices," She murmurs. "They've grown so fast. Sometimes I miss the days we spent together in the nursery, caring for them." She pauses and blinks gleaming eyes at the older she-cat, someone she’s grown very close to over the moons together as queens. She’s one of her dearest friends now. She reaches forward to nuzzle Doeblaze’s shoulder gently, fondness in her eyes. "How have you been recently?” Ever empathetic, she always wants to check in on her former denmate when she can. Blazestar was dear to both of them, but even more-so to Doeblaze. And grief isn’t easy to move on from, this the queen knows well.
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[DOEBLAZE]

Butterflytuft is one of a smattering of cats, mostly comprised of family, whose touch does not totally unsettle her. As much as she'd love to attribute it to an improvement of the self, her more objective side lays it out cleanly: not only is the tortoiseshell an absolute sweetheart, but casual contact was simply a fact of life in the nursery. Almost instinctively, she'd suspended her discomfort during her tenure, and it seems that suspension has lasted past it in the case of the soft - faced queen. There's nary a brush of discomfort as Butterflytuft works at the scruffy lilac tufts of her coat—if anything, there's a draping of comfort as warm and fuzzy as a thick blanket, a rare surge of relaxation unspooling the tight spires of her shoulders.

" I know, " she mrrows with a brief nod of agreement as she pauses, jade eye roving over the neatened patches of Butterflytuft's coat with a small rush of satisfaction at the completion of the small task. Her gaze flickers back up to meet Butterflytuft's round, sun - soft yellow eyes, and her own crinkles at the edges with a gentle nostalgia—the kind that doesn't sting. Her pale forepaws knead at the pine - carpeted ground below them, and she merely blinks appreciatively when the tortoiseshell nuzzles her shoulder, very nearly leaning into the touch before she stops herself on instinct.

" Better, " she murmurs softly after a moment of silence. It's with a static - crackle rush of surprise that she finds the question doesn't ache nearly as much as it used to; a slight pain throbs in her chest, a reminding flutter of a pulse, and then quickly excuses itself. " A lot better, I think. Things feel—easier, I guess, " Doeblaze continues, her eye round and thoughtful. It's rare she's so forthcoming, but given Butterflytuft had borne firstpaw witness to her struggles . . . well, there's not much to hide from the queen. Her rasp is rounded with fondness when she returns, " And you? How've you been? "

OOC : —

✦

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[Chickbloom]

Chickbloom thought it strange, the notion that he'd known Blazestar as a dead cat longer than a living one. The whelp had met the great leader a scant few times, back when he was just dipping a butter-drenched paw into wild life. Now the tomcat had turned to legend, and each time one of his deeds was passed around to kits like a piece of shared prey Chickbloom wished he'd spent more time with him.

For such an emotional cat, the coward didn't find himself grieving when Blazestar passed. Gratitude and a solemn sense of responsibility filled him, but no tears. For a moment an anxious mind thought of how he'd respond if Orangestar suddenly perished, and the baby bird shivered at the conclusion that he'd be utterly paralyzed.

These were the goings-on inside the milksop as amber eyes languidly watched Doeblaze from a few tail-lengths away, while a yolk-splashed pelt soaked in what remained of the greenleaf warmth. should he approach? Chickbllom hadn't known her mate very well, he didn't know her very well. should the Scottish Fold show the appreciation he never got to give to Blazestar, or would it come off as awkward?

not wanting to spoil the atmosphere, Chickbloom simply stayed where he was, letting perpetually-wide eyes fall closed as he listened idly to the two's conversation.​

 

[butterflytuft]

As Doeblaze speaks, the queen listens intently, her soft yellow eyes filling with understanding. She feels a gentle warmth spread through her chest as her friend opens up to her, something she knows is a rare gift from the reserved she-cat. Of course, she hadn’t always been so reserved…Butterflytuft continues to groom the older warrior, her movements slow and tender, as if trying to soothe away any lingering pain. "I'm so glad to hear that," She murmurs, her voice gentle, sincere. "It's…not easy, I know, but you've always been so strong." The words come naturally to her, because they’re true; she has always admired the strength Doeblaze carries, even when weighed down by grief.

At the question, Butterflytuft pauses, her gaze drifting around the camp. The busy noises of clan-life seem distant in this quiet moment, as if the world has shrunk down to just the two of them. "I've been... busy," The tortoiseshell admits with a soft chuckle, thinking of little Budkit growing bigger and more adventurous. "But it's the good kind of busy.” She wouldn’t trade it for the world. Watching her grow, helping her find the paw steps she’s meant to fill in the world…it’s priceless. She leans in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper, as if sharing a secret. "But sometimes...I do miss the quiet moments, like this one,” She pulls back slightly, her gaze warm as she meets Doeblaze's eye again.

Butterflytuft's ears twitch as she senses another presence nearby, and her soft yellow eyes shift, landing on Chickbloom. She notices the way he sits apart from them, his eyes closed as if lost in thought. "Chickbloom," She calls softly, her voice inviting. "Would you like to join us?" There's no demand in her tone, only warmth. She knows he might feel uncertain about intruding, but she wants him to know he's welcome. The small she-cat shifts slightly, making more room for him in their little sunlit patch. "We were just reminiscing," She adds, her gaze softening as she looks back at Doeblaze.
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