pafp ISLANDS IN OUR EYES [ lounging ]

[willowroot]

( ☾ ) the river flows steadily through the tranquil landscape, its surface shimmering in the gentle evening light. the air is cool and crisp, filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze. as the sun sinks lower in the sky, the river seems to come alive, the colors of the water shifting from clear blues to deep purples and oranges. a family of ducks paddle leisurely along the current, their cheerful quacks echoing through the stillness. any urge to hunt the birds is lost on the two felines who bask in the setting sun- it's far too much work after a long day. swaying trees along the riverbank cast long shadows, their branches stretching towards the water's edge. the two cats wade into the shallow waters of the river, their paws sinking into the soft sand beneath. the cool water is refreshing against previously sun-warmed pelts, and paws stretch out languidly, letting the gentle current wash across tired muscles. the sun shines softly from the edge of the horizon, and a breeze fills the air with the sweet scent of home. willowroot will admit that she feels quite at ease here, her body relaxed and mind at peace. as she lounges in the shallows of the river, eyelids drooping with exhaustion, she feels a deep sense of camaraderie. beside her, smokethroat paddles about, and she watches him through half closed eyes, a soft smile gracing her maw. it is almost impossible to get the tomcat to relax. she knows he's humoring her, but that's alright.

"smokey, darling," she'll eventually speak, flexing her claws into the sandy pebbles of the riverbed. "now seems like a perfect time to talk about you!" it's ominous sounding, especially because her voice is bright. paddling closer to her friend, the smoke bends her neck to stare into her friend's eyes. "what's happening with you and cicadastar? are you together? oohh, are you in love?" her voice raises in tone as she flicks her tail, sending droplets splashing across the tranquil surface of the river. "tell me puh-leaseee." she bats her eyelashes playfully before pushing away and paddling about again. "everyone's wondering, and we're friends, so you can tell me! i won't even tell anyone else, i just neeeed to know. you guys have been dancing around each other for sooo long."

@Smokethroat in which willow badgers smoke until he tells her his secrets hehe ​

( THE LIGHT YOU GAVE ME )

 

[SMOKESTAR]

He prefers his solitude but as of late he had a leaning preference for the company of the clanmates he found more tolerable. Maybe it was the losses heavy in the air, the unease and the worry, but Smokethroat felt as if he had to keep an eye on everything at once recently and it was exhausting. Especially since he only had the one eye to begin with. It wasn't as though he expected much else to happen, WindClan had their cut of flesh and ThunderClan their slice of land so there should be no further visits from either that would require claws but still...
Still he is uneasy, wary. His fur prickles at every bush rustling and his mind wanders to the worst possible scenarios when things go awry. When Willowroot asks to go swim he obliges, because its needed. He's so strung up he feels he may snap at any moment but the peace of dipping into the water and quietly swimming around near the shore is quickly distrupted by Willowroot herself.
Of course. Of course she didn't want to just swim.

Willowroot pushes her nose into his business, as she often does. "You are menacing me." He warns with a shallow growl and dismissive flick of his tail but she continues. It takes more than that to sway her. Tell her. Please. But he doesn't want to. It's his and his alone and he guards it like a dragon its hoard. It was not shame that kept his silence but possessiveness, the world had taught him that it liked to take from him when he was at his most vulnerable and he would not allow this to be ripped away. "No." It's a passive and curt reply, yet once again he is ignored in favor of more pleading. More pressing.
An irritating woodpecker tapping away at the trunk of a tree until it had formed a hole. Smokethroat felt himself getting more and more annoyed with each syllable uttered after his refusual before finally pushing away to swim closer to the shore and stand; body twisting to turn and voice rising like the inferno of his birth name. "WE'RE TOGETHER, NOT THAT IT'S ANYONE ELSES BUSINESS!"
He can hear his own voice echoing, a pounding starts in his skull. Stars help him...
​

 

[willowroot]

( ☾ ) willowroot likes to think she’s fairly observant about others’ feelings. it’s nothing she feels she can brag about, obviously; who wants someone to brag about how empathetic they are? but still, she feels she is at least not completely incompetent when it comes to emotions. throughout the moons she has known smokethroat, he has always been grumpy, but generally harmless in his attitude. the man dislikes gossip and topics related to himself, but he’s never snapped- certainly never snarled about it. when she sees the dull loathing in her friend’s eye for this topic of conversation, the black smoke halts in her teasing speach, one eyebrow lifting as her heart begins to slam in her chest. her fellow lead is not amused, nor is he even putting on a mask of resignation. there is anger in his eye, fiery and golden within the depths, and a low rumble flows from his chest. willowroot backtracks immediately, ears flattening as she backs away from the stocky man. “o-or we could talk about so-” she begins, but is interrupted by the coal hued tom’s roar. we are together! not that it’s anyone’s business! he shouts, and bird song falls silent along the bank of the river. willowroot can’t help but flinch away.

collecting herself as smokethroat breathes heavily, the lead warrior ducks sheepishly, making herself small. “stars, smokethroat, i’m sorry,” she begins, embarrassment catching her words in her throat. “i didn’t mean to provoke you, genuinely. i know there are bigger things to worry about.” she snaps her jaws shut and calms her breathing, hot under her fur at the circumstance. he’s hotheaded- he’s always been, but there’s a protective anger in his eye that she hasn’t seen before. “i’m sorry, i should've let it lie,” she murmurs yet again, and there is genuine shame in her verdant gaze as she looks up at him, standing upon the shore. “i won’t bring it up again. congratulations, though. i think you two will be very happy together.” stepping back to slip into the water again, the long furred femme swallows her embarrassment away.
// eek smokey is feisty hehe
​

( THE LIGHT YOU GAVE ME )

 

[iciclefang]

Iciclefang knows Smokethroat better than she knows her own parents. She'd spent only two and a half moons in their care before being trusted to the RiverClan lead warrior, and it was at his flank she resided ever since. She feels she knows the tempestuous sway of his moods, though she has been in Willowroot's position before -- sometimes, poking and prodding and provoking can be fun.

Still... The tortoiseshell has to hide her disbelief when Willowroot continues after Smokethroat's warning. After he finally explodes -- confirming her line of questioning -- Willowroot visibly recoils. Iciclefang's eyes widen. Oh. So she hadn't been doing this deliberately. She has to snort to herself as she pads over to join them.

"What a lovely day for idle conversation," she says, expression neutral but a glint of humor twinkling in her eyes.

Without another word, she slips into the water, swimming out to where Willowroot has trudged back into the river after being verbally shredded.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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[Crawlingroach]

SKY HIGH —"Um... I feel like I walked over at a bad time." Crawlingroach visibly cringed as he stalked along the bank towards where the others were located. Just what had Willowroot done to warrant such a strong reaction from Smokethroat? Wait! He knew why, because she could be pushy and a pest. No doubt it was a case of poking the tiger too much and then feeling the effect of the roar and claws. Ouch! At least it wasn't him being yelled at this time.

The allure of the water proves too much for the tom and he finds himself sliding into the river to join Willowroot and Iciclefang. "So... what's the current news? Anything good?" His query wasn't directed at anyone in particular, and he certainly didn't need to hear about Smokethroat and Cicadastar given that he'd heard about that already when walking over.​

 

[Cindershade]

Placed not too far from the gathering crowd, the lead warrior is poised just at the edge of the shore. Foliage wraps around her stocky frame, swathing her in camouflage with her shaded pelt. She had taken a solo hunting trip to clear her mind, to have some time to herself. So there she said, a clear focused gaze trained upon the rippling and ever moving surface of the water—waiting patiently for her time to strike. It felt like ages, time grew to a crawl as she waited...and waited...and waited.
Her patience was beginning to throw thin, irritation flaring within her chest and her jaw sets. This area was always a feeding pool for fish, plenty of roots and plants to feed on while providing ample cover for her to snatch an unsuspecting fish into her claws. Where were they? She swallowed back an agitated growl, tried to hold out a bit longer before finally calling it quits. C'mon, just one. She holds herself still, waiting just a moment longer—just one more chance. As if StarClan had answered her plea, a large flash of silver catches her eye. Exhilaration flares through her and she shoots her shot, aiming a well timed paw. The tips of her claws graze smooth scales and she goes to grab at her kill—

WE'RE TOGETHER, NOT THAT IT'S ANYONE ELSES BUSINESS!

The sudden booming voice shocks her initially, causing her to drop nearly into the air. Her fur bristles along her spine and her sudden wrench loses her fish immediately as it darts farther downstream. "Dammit!" She hisses, slamming a soddened paw down onto the pebbles below her. Who was out here screaming like a blundering idiot? Whoever it was—may StarClan have mercy on them. She moves quickly, with a purpose to her gait and her ire radiating off of her in waves. The source of the noise was close, but the echo of the voice had her a bit perplexed to exactly who it was. She had a hunch, but wanted to be sure. Though, there was only one hot-headed tom that she could think of with an explosive temper like that.
Her hunch was correct as she emerged from the reeds, coming to stand just behind Smokethroat and a visibly upset Willowroot that wades into the depths of the river. Iciclefang follows suit, though the dosetted molly didn't hear what she had said previously or Crawlingroach. She wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but evidently Willowroot had been on the receiving end of it from the way she looked. Verdant eyes narrow as she looks pointedly at the spotted tom, shaded tail lashing with annoyance. "One would think with yelling like that, that prey would have no ears." She mews cooly, though there's a twinge of venom laced in her tone. Apart of her wants to give Smokethroat a verbal lashing of her own for scaring off her prey, but that would lead to only more malice. Pick and choose your battles. It wouldn't be the last fish she caught, there was an plethora of more within this river. Albeit, she was still rather vexed over it.
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[ SILENCE IS DEAFENING ]​