private NEARLY DAFFODILS \ doeblaze

[TWITCHBOLT]

Though he'd often visited the queen's den to say hello to Butterflytuft and Doeblaze both, the wound of Blazestar's death had been too fresh to fathom doing much else but being there- but dodging the question how are you, because of how terrible it would be undoubtedly to hear. Time did not heal wounds, he knew that well with Daisyflight - but it bruised them instead, and since receiving her new name there had seemed something less fragile about his friend. Part of him was worried she was distracting herself, but ... with a name so overtly in honour of her late mate, how much distraction could you really manage?

Now she had returned to warrior duties, it was easier to find time to spend with Doeblaze- today, Twitchbolt had invited her to eat together, to watch the sky purple into dusk and to spot the stars peek from the cotton-soft edges of the clouds. It had been a busy day ... of much tracking, of startingon sparring ... Candorpaw certainly had him running ragged with it all. The thought, in a sigh of tiredness, reminded him ...

"C-Candorpaw's a delight to teach, by the way..." Although after his history of apprentices, he supposed the bar was quite low. At the memory, Twitchbolt felt a lurch in his stomach... Doompaw wasn't dead, he knew that now ... but he was probably miles and miles away by now. "Very enthusiastic. Have you ..." Shaky pupils looked to her, gauged her expression. "... got any particular hopes for him?" Maybe he could focus on those things... tell her how he was getting on, stuff like that.

And there was an ember on kindling, within him, that wanted to see a parent who truly wanted something for their child. Twitchkit, huddled within him, stared through adult eyes.

\ @DOEBLAZE ​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[DOEBLAZE]

Her love of her children is a thing much like the ancient piles of Venice—submerged and silent, unmoving and unnoticed. Steadfast and unflinching in its presence, holding up all that she stands for, all the motion that drives heavy paws and strong limbs. Quiet under the velvet water, unseen by roving eyes, only drawn into view when it fails. But it is there, very much there, waterlogged but stalwart, the sturdy center of white - dipped legs and curving neck.

" That's good to hear, " she mrrows, dipping her head slightly, ivory forepaws sprawled before her. The sky is dappling itself into sunset, swathes of muscadine depth ribboning their way between smeary clouds and towards the dying sun. Stars glitter at the horizon's edges, their lost ones coming out to play in the shapes of twinkling silver, hung on the velvet tapestry of Silverpelt, its dark embroidery concealing things she could only half - see. The jay laid before her is partially eaten when she nudges it away, verdant eye meeting Twitchbolt's shuddering ones without the hesitant flick - dance that had once defined her gaze.

" I'm sure he is, " she mrrows, sun - warmth suffusing itself into her voice unprompted. Enthusiastic he'd always been, helming games of pretend alongside Hollypaw, leading his denmates in valiant charges against countless " enemies ". She'd watched these things lost amidst a private haze, but, unbeknownst to her children, she'd seen them nonetheless—treasured them, even, as a precious jewel clasped glowing between her forepaws, a guiding light in the greatest darkness she'd yet faced ( and, she suspects, ever will ). " He always has been. "

" Hopes? " she repeats, curiosity bleeding into her voice and slipping over her face as a drawn curtain. " I guess I just want him to be happy, you know? And someone I can be proud of, but that comes second, " she admits, forepaw tracing idle shapes in the dirt. Privately, she thinks, it comes second because I'll always be proud of him. " Although I guess that's not quite the answer you're looking for . . . "

She makes this remark with some humor, head canting sideways as she tries to think. Success has never been a tight stipulation placed on her assorted children; happiness, rather, has always been her aim, however misguided her paws ended up, straying onto paths she'd never intended. " I suppose . . . you know, I think it would make him happy to be a good climber. Though, I'd never doubt your teaching ability there. "

OOC : —

♥︎

​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

He watched the tired lines of her face lighten a little at the mention of her children. Distance and grief had spread between them, he'd seen it as a frequenter of the nursery for Butterflytuft since Dandelionwish had died- but she loved them fiercely, and had shown it when Lionpaw's face had been marked by a Thunderclanner. Eyes he'd usually found warmth within had turned cold, then ... but they were, truly, copper-flame now. Burning green. It was good to see, brought something wobbly and sincere to his own face.

I just want him to be happy. And that was it, really ... that was the most important thing. It slammed into Twitchbolt like it was some ridiculous foreign revelation, but in truth it made sense when he thought about it for more than two seconds. There was nothing she expected from him but happiness. Wasn't that just the way it was all supposed to be? His paws fidgeted.

She was wrong to say it wasn't the answer he was looking for- but tattered ears angled to listen to her other thoughts, nonetheless. It would make him happy to be a good climber. Even when talking of ability, she was really talking about contentment. Twitchbolt's smile grew a little more certain, though it kept its ever-there dithering. "If you want him happy ... then I'll make sure he's happy." A nod of affirmation followed. "But he'll also be able to give Tallpine a good go."

The tip of his tail twitched. "It's nice to hear that, y'know..." A sigh slipped from him, a long and thoughtful thing. He wasn't going to try and make her sad for him, or anything like that... he was far from a pathetic kit begging for pity, but maybe it'd ecplain the small flicker of surprise that had surely touched his gaze when she'd spoken simply of happiness. "That you want for him at all ... and especially that it's happiness. I don't think... m-mmm-my parents thought about it."

He was more amused by the thought than anything. They didn't care if he was sad ... but they didn't really care if he was happy, either. "I don't think ambition was a word they knew." he snorted. ​

penned by pin ✧​