(not so) simple and clean | o, grooming

[Snakeblink]

After days of wet, cold patrols traipsing through belly-high snow, Snakeblink welcomed the pale warmth of leaf-bare sunlight finally shining down on his back with greedy appreciation. He had been tiring of having to dig his way through the forest: another few moonrises of this and he might have started feeling more like one of these Windclan’s rabbit-chasers than a proper Riverclan cat. So when he woke up to an unexpected respite from the freezing spell, the warrior left on his customary dawn hunt with almost a spring in his step, basking in the mild sunlight. If he could have drunk the faint warmth directly from the air, he would have.

That optimism had not held long. This is the third leaf-bare he has lived to see, and yet he'd still been surprised to find that, instead of miraculously disappearing, the snow had melted into puddles of cold water and mud. By the time he came back, paws empty and frustrated by his failure, he was downright soggy. The white of his pelt has been so splattered by mud — or even soaked in it where he crouched to follow a trail — that it’s difficult to distinguish it from the naturally brown fur.

Cranky with hunger and damp fur, Snakeblink sits on a bare, somewhat dry patch of ground in their camp and wonders where he should even start. Stars, how do the rest of them manage it? It’ll take him forever to clean himself up so as to be even slightly presentable, and that’s with his short pelt. For once he’s grateful for it: he can’t imagine the struggle it is for his long-haired clanmates.

He grimly sets to his task, muttering under his breath as he twists himself to get to hard-to-reach spots. ”Accursed weather… Would that I could dive into the river and be done with this—” He nearly loses balance in his eagerness and stops, sighing. Turning to a nearby, clean-looking clanmate, he asks, conversationally, ”At this rate, I feel like I’ll be doing this until sunset, and there’s only so much of me to clean. It feels foolish to ask, but I must: how do you manage it? ”

ooc. information.

• 
  
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 37 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

​

 

[CLAYFUR]

Clayfur is sitting in sort-of-silence, humming absentmindedly to himself. Trying to keep his mind off of things like WindClan and battles and ice. He, like Snakeblink, has lived through his fair share of winters already—though unlike the mud-splattered tom, Clay doesn’t much mind the mud that flecks his already-brown coat. It sucks to clean off, but usually Clay deals with muddy fur by taking a dip into the river water, washing it off as though it was never there. With the icy cold of the water this time of year, though, it’s probably for the best that nobody try cleaning themselves off in it.

There’s more sharing of tongues during this season, he thinks, mostly because there’s no way they can clean their pelts in the river. He doesn’t mind grooming others or being groomed, but Clay doesn’t have the patience to groom his own fur, so lately it’s just been stuck in whatever spiky tufts his restless sleeping has left it in. There are plenty of warriors willing to do it for him, though, and he doesn’t mind sharing tongues as long as he gets a decent conversation out of it.

He hears the Snakeblink’s grumblings, but doesn’t pay much attention to them at first, lost in his own thoughts. But then Snakeblink suddenly turns to him, and Clay nearly jumps out of his skin. He flinches, turns to look at the willowy tom who sits beside him. It takes a heartbeat for the question to register, but he chuckled and shakes his head in response. "Oh, I don’t. Usually Clearsight does it for me. I could, like, do it for you, if you want?" He shuffles closer to the mostly-brown tabby in anticipation, then tips his head to the side slightly. "Also, please don’t jump into the water. You’d freeze and then Beesong would probably blame me," he adds quickly, white eyebrow dots rising in concern.
​

[ WHAT'S MY AGE AGAIN? ]​

​

 

[ashpaw!]

During their conversation Ashpaw has taken up residence nearby, finding a spot and sitting, orange tail curled around white paws. They're talking about sharing tongues — it's been so cold and wet and Ashpaw jumps at the chance to join in.

Because yeah, it gets you warm and dry and clean. Yeah, it has a functional purpose and everything. But it's also... soft. It's close, it's comforting, it's an everyday I love you. Nothing gets her feeling sleepy and relaxed faster than Willowroot or Iciclepaw's tongue rasping over her fur...

She giggles at Clayfur's concession — usually Clearsight does it for me — and can't resist commenting, "Ooooh, you're in loooove ~ " as she scoots in closer to the two of them.

"Yeah, don't jump in," she agrees, and she has to fight back a grin as she adds, "I would have to lie and say it was Clayfur's fault so Beesong doesn't get mad at me..."

"Here. Let me help too. Iciclepaw says I'm good at this."

She'll aim to start grooming Snakeblink's flank, purring contentedly at the familiar RiverClan scent and the warmth of a clanmate so close.
​

—— " i found gold in the wreckage "

✦ ooc ✦ character information ✦ recent events

• ooc text goes here
  
  
• - 6 month old orange tabby with green eyes
  - apprenticed to lead warrior willowroot
  - happy-go-lucky, mischievous, hardworking
  - very friendly, but defensive of riverclan!
  - "speech"
• - disclosed being physically and psychologically abused by Spiderfall, who was exiled & who then killed her best friend
  
  - temporarily apprenticed to npc pebbleskip due to willowroot moving into the nursery
  

​

 

[Snakeblink]

He feels a little self-conscious for having startled Clayfur. It wasn’t his intention, and he worries, briefly, that it’s his presence rather than the suddenness of his words that had that effect. Is he making the other tom uneasy? Would Clayfur tell him if he was?

The offer that follows dispels that fear somewhat — and replaces it with nervousness. Snakeblink is not what one may call… accustomed to physical contact, or closeness of any kind really. He knows he enjoys it — having been born in a family of cuddlers, he had better — but it’s always seemed to him like something reserved to, well. Cats that are close. Friends, at least. He’s tried to keep himself well within his own bubble of personal space for that reason, careful not to touch others without their express consent. And he likes Clayfur well enough, mind you, but he doesn’t think anyone would call them friends. Not that he’d mind if they did.

Suffice to say the casual offer takes him aback. In the same breath that Clayfur mentions his mate (or are there merely close friends? No consensus seems to exist on the subject) doing it for him, no less! What is he even supposed to say to that? He doesn’t know whether to jump on the offer or run away.

Flustered, Snakeblink lowers his head, torn between the warring instincts to lean closer to and away from Clayfur at the same time. ”Well, if I resort to an ice bath, you have my word that I’ll make it look like an accident. Or fool play that incriminates someone else…” Clearing his throat, he adds, ”I— wouldn’t want to impose, but I can’t deny that I could use the help—”

Busy with Clayfur on one side, he entirely misses Ashpaw approaching from the other until she’s right next to him, teasing Clayfur with a grin. He's become much too comfortable with her if she can sneak up on him like this.

A single sentence from her is all the warning he gets before he feels the warmth of her raspy tongue on his flank.

He might as well have jumped in the river, seeing how his entire body freezes all at once at the contact. He feels his fur stand on ends where it’s not weighed down by the mud… and just as soon smooths back down, wide eyed and a purr already building deep in his chest. He tries to stifle it, to no avail: besides a faint hiccup, the sound persists against his will. Despite his embarrassment, he can't seem to make his brain come up with an appropriate response — only a faintly panicked look thrown Clayfur's way, and then around camp.
​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 37 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

​

 

[Cindershade]

The pale sunlight adorns the swampy clearing, it's trace of warmth beginning to distinguish the powdered snow. Though, as always, instead of it simply disappearing as one would wish, the snow-melt becomes rather messy. Thawing reeds and ferns were now damp, water droplets falling off their now unweighted branches; the streams began to grow more rampant and the ground was now soggy. Mud caked upon the paws of the shaded RiverClan warrior as she emerged from the skeletal cat tails with a mouse in tow. Prey seemed to be a more out and about, scurrying around for scraps of food and enjoying the thaw as much as the clans seemed to be.
Her silent gaze traces over the clearing, the buzz of camp causing her black ears to twitch. It seemed that everyone was soaking up the rays of sunlight thst had been restricted for what felt like moons, greedily absorbing the bleak warmth of Leaf-Bare. Cindershade's dark pelt warmed her skin, absorbing the light like a dry sponge and feeding into her chilled muscles. She stifled a yawn, exhaustion plaguing her shaded features as she settled down after dropping off her mouse. Sleep gripped at her tightly, threatening to take her at any moment. Wouldn't that be heavenly? Basking in the rarity of the sun during this chilled winter?
Distinguished voices pulled at her ears, a half narrowed gaze pulling towards the csuse if the commotion. Snakeblink had a rather—uncomfortable expression as Clayfur and Ashpaw took turns cleaning his tabby fur. She raised a brow, confusion sweeping over her adorned face. Why does he look like he's in pain? Was it the sudden contact? Of course, she shared at least that with him. Cindershade wasn't the most pleased with physical touch either—it made her tense up like a coil ready to spring up at any given moment. Her dark lips twitch into a smile, enjoying the awkward expression on his face until—he smiled?
Snakeblink began to purr rather loudly; so loud in fact, that the vibrations permeated the air like currents. His eyes flashed in panic as he looked around, falling victim to the pleasures of platonic intimacy. "Snakebite—why, you look like you're really enjoying yourself." The female taunts the tabby, remnants of a devious smile placed upon her maw. "Don't look as if a fox has you in it's jaws." She sauntered over to the trio of cats, her thick tail swaying behind her. Cindershade sits near them—not so close as to conversate, but rather get a better look for her own entertainment. She also begins to clean the mud from her obsidian pelt, revealing faint rosette markings on her flank with a glossed over texture that so many RiverClan cats shared. Until, she found a spot where her not so lengthy torso could bend to reach. Shit.
​

[ SILENCE IS DEAFENING ]​

 

[CLAYFUR]

The ginger tabby who speaks up next is a sweet girl, and Clayfur treasures her as a part of RiverClan. She’s brave and friendly and has gone through way too much for any child, and she might as well be another of his sibling’s kits for how he views her. Then she comments that he’s in loooove, all teasing and mischievous, and he has to duck his head for a moment to hide his expression. Maybe he is in love, but she doesn’t have to say it out in front of everyone! "I’m—I," he sputters, trying to find a response but only ending up tongue-tied and flustered. He looks to Snakeblink for help—he’s not usually the victim of the apprentices’ teasing.

Before he can formulate a carefully worded reply, Ashpaw has moved on with a discussion of blaming Clayfur for the dunk in the river that he’s sure Snakeblink is going to attempt. Snakeblink assures them that he’ll make it look like an accident if he does end up taking a dip in the water, though—thank the stars. "Just give me a warning if you decide to hop in," he sighs, shaking his head. He can’t really tell whether Snakeblink is joking—he really hopes that he is.

It isn’t until he takes after Ashpaw, licking at a particularly unruly patch of Snakeblink’s fur, that he hears the stifled noise the other tom attempts to hide. "Dude, are you purring?" He grins at the wide-eyed, almost panicked look that Snakeblink gives him, and coughs back a giggle in response to Cindershade’s description of the tom’s expression. The other tom looks like he’s touched one of those shock fences that Clay touched that one time.
​

[ WHAT'S MY AGE AGAIN? ]​

​

 

[willowroot]

( ☾ ) motherhood is truly exhausting, the queen has decided. of course she's known this for some time now, witnessing first buck's attempts to mother raccoon, and then, later, her very own struggles to bring boar to safety. still, one would think that in a clan, it would be somewhat easier to manage the disasters that her children emerged to be. today, the kids are in the paws of their own imaginations, and she glances at them fondly, tussling and squabbling as she slips from the nursery. sage bright eyes adjust to the light and it's with a purr that the lead warrior recognizes several of her clanmates gathered in a cluster of fur and warmth. seeking her apprentice's bright fur amongst the clump, she notes the others as well, stifling a huff of laughter at snakeblink's awkward spotlight. the muddy tabby is not one willowroot would take for being into sharing tongues, yet there he is, still as a statue (or perhaps simply frozen to the spot), allowing his assailant, an eager ashpaw, to aid him in washing.

padding over on gentle paws, the oriental femme bends with grace to touch their nose to ashpaw's head in greeting before blinking at the rest of their clanmates. "stars, leaf-bare is not a pleasant time for keeping clean," they remark, feathery tail flicking along their flank as they settle somewhat hesitantly beside cindershade. the other molly isn't someone the queen has had the pleasure of interacting much with, but they offer their aid anyway. "need some help reaching that spot, cindershade?" ​

( THE LIGHT YOU GAVE ME )

 

[ashpaw!]

Ashpaw is purring now, too, as steadily as Snakeblink. She's surrounded by clanmates who love her and what more could she ask for, really? She tips her head up, leaning into the contact from Willowroot with a happy sigh — "Hi," she chirps toward her mentor.

She giggles at Cindershade's comment toward Snakeblink — you look like you're really enjoying yourself — and can't help but tack on, a little more softly, "Yeah. You do." Green eyes gentle and fond, the apprentice keeps up grooming the startled warrior, her own purr rumbling from beneath ginger fur.

Everyone deserves this, she thinks firmly to herself ... and is suddenly sad at the realization that Snakeblink must not have gotten it for a long, long time.
​

—— " i found gold in the wreckage "

✦ ooc ✦ character information ✦ recent events

• she loves him sm ??
  
  
• - 6 month old orange tabby with green eyes
  - apprenticed to lead warrior willowroot
  - happy-go-lucky, mischievous, hardworking
  - very friendly, but defensive of riverclan!
  - "speech"
• - disclosed being physically and psychologically abused by Spiderfall, who was exiled & who then killed her best friend
  
  - temporarily apprenticed to npc pebbleskip due to willowroot moving into the nursery
  

​

 

[Snakeblink]

His impromptu vocalization was embarrassing enough as it is, but when other clanmates start flocking to their little group Snakeblink wishes the river would surge over the camp and carry him away. Stars know nothing less will have him moving from this spot: the scratchy feel of a tongue upon his fur has rooted him in place as surely as if a fox had him pinned by its maw. Going by Cindershade’s jab, he’s openly broadcasting that feeling — if his expression didn’t clue them in already, the purring surely will.

He almost — almost! — finds a companion of misfortune in Clayfur when they share a flustered look, Snakeblink by virtue of his situation and Clayfur because of Ashpaw’s comment. The girl is a menace. But then the other tom notices the sound and starts grooming him as well and Snakeblink has to wonder if he wouldn’t have been better off doing like a boar and committing to a mud bath after all.

No, no he really wouldn’t have been. Try as he might, he cannot pretend he isn’t enjoying this. His body has thoroughly betrayed him already. And it is nice — achingly, desperately nice — to be warm, and clean (or getting there), and close to other cats. It feels safe, but also a little like he’s getting away with something. His initial frozen shock has morphed into a different kind of tension, an irrational worry that, if he moved, his clanmates would wise up and leave him be. He cannot imagine anything worse at that moment.

Emboldened by Willowroot’s approach, her gentle and easy offer to help Cindershade, and Ashpaw’s rumbling purr at his side, Snakeblink falls back on what he knows best: talking.

”Clearly I am enjoying myself, thank you very much,” he tells Cindershade snidely. ”Maybe you should take after me, actually: you don’t look much better than I do.” Sighing dejectedly, he adds, ”It’s a shame not all of us are blessed with someone to clean and cuddle us at the drop of a whisker… How did you manage to get Clearsight all to yourself, Clayfur? I’d love to reproduce your method…”

He throws the tom a look he hopes pass for apologetic, for bringing the attention back on him, but hopefully the opportunity to gossip will distract the others from his own awkwardness.
​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 37 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

​

 

[CLAYFUR]

Clayfur listens to the others chat, blissfully quiet as he rasps his tongue over surprisingly soft brown fur. With his mouth occupied, he doesn’t have much to say, but he hums along, amused. He doesn’t turn his head, but the voice of Willowroot floats past his ears—he lets the feeling of closeness wash over him. It’s calming, quiets his racing thoughts like nothing else. Spending time with his clanmates makes him feel the happiest he’s ever been.

He thinks they’re past his companionship with Clearsight, letting it rest since Ashpaw doesn’t bring it up again. But then Snake, ever helpful, turns to him after speaking to Cindershade. "This isn’t about me, Snakeblink," he says gently, teasing the other tom. He doesn’t have the slate blue tom all to himself—Clearsight has an apprentice and friends and his own life outside of Clay. Maybe Clear has passing interest in romance, even. Not that… not that it would matter to the brown tabby warrior, of course. "Maybe if you’re nice you’ll find a best friend to share tongues and cuddle with, too. Purring… is a good start." He tips his chin down to continue licking over some unruly strands of fur, grinning up at the green-eyed tom.
​

[ WHAT'S MY AGE AGAIN? ]​

​