camp THE FIRE WITHIN / restless

[WILDHEART]

With the colder weather rolling in it would make sense for the residents of the forest to be winding down and retreating back into warm bunkers, letting the bustle of life come to a slow pace until the warm days returned. But slowing down seemed to be the last thing on Wildheart's mind. The calico tom seemed to be growing more irritable as the days grew shorter, and he had little outlet for the brewing mixture of emotions swelling within him. If Patchpaw had still been in his life then perhaps he wouldn't have reached such a state, but here he was on the cusp of snapping at a passing clanmate who had clumsily bumped against his flank. There was a flash of teeth from the warrior but he managed to swallow back the words that had collected in his throat. Abruptly he stood up and stormed out of the camp.

It was a while before he returned and he still looked more than a little ruffled despite having a run to help burn off the negative feelings. Alas, it still felt like a fire was trying to burn in his muscles. The tom sat himself down again but the twitching of his tail stump and the drumming of a back paw upon the ground gave away that he needed something else to do. If he didn't find an outlet for his excessive energy then it was likely going to end in someone getting their head bitten off.
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[Marigoldpaw]

If there is anyone who entirely understands what it’s like to have boundless energy that you never seem to be able to extinguish, it’s Marigoldpaw. It was the same when he was younger, and it has not gotten better over the moons he’s been alive. He usually tries to steer it towards burning out through his apprentice training and tasks, but it only helps so much. It also comes out in his anger towards others, whether it be in or outside the clan. He has not lashed out rashly yet, but he only sees it as a matter of time.

He can recognize the signs, and when Wildheart finally ends up back in camp, the apprentice heads over with a slight look of concern. He is not a cat that Marigoldpaw has interacted with much, but that doesn’t stop him for once. “Hey. You still seem restless. Did running not help?” He’s not sure what to offer in terms of helping, so he waits for a response from the tortoiseshell first.​

 

[FALCONHEART]

The cream tabby’s racing thoughts rarely slow, and pale paws hardly come to a full stop. Since becoming an apprentice and now a warrior, he’s found himself with a seemingly endless well of energy that simply can’t be burned off. He understands the frustrations that plague Wildheart even if he doesn’t know the older tom well—he can see it in the tense line of his shoulders, the glinting snap of sharp teeth. He doesn’t want to think of his clanmate as someone to be feared, but Falconheart has never been a particularly brave cat. He doesn’t approach Wildheart until Marigoldpaw already has; he waits until there is another clanmate, a buffer for aggression, before he attempts to speak to the calico.

The apprentice states the obvious, that Wildheart appears restless, and Falconheart flicks an ear with a small sigh of amusement. "I’ve been gathering feathers for the nursery nests," he offers, "you could help me, if you want something more to do." He remembers being born in the cold, and remembers the nest being stuffed with warm feathers to keep himself and Stormfeather warm. He wonders if his sister’s nest in Berryheart’s den could also use some more feathers—his face falls at the thought of his sister being cold once again, but he attempts to brush away the thought, plastering a too-tight smile onto his muzzle.​

[ find me way out there ]​

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[WILDHEART]

Company wasn't what he wanted, but deep down he knew that it was what he needed. Burning off his energy alone had done little to alleviate the problem, so with a sigh of defeat he turned his head to look at Marigoldpaw, and in turned Falconheart. "The run didn't help, no. I need something that'll keep me busy both physically and mentally I think." Maybe he could invite the apprentice to spar, then again he didn't want to risk being too rough and causing harm. He really didn't want to become another Sunnyday.

The invitation to assist with plumping the nursery with more feathers was met with a stern stare from the calico, though it was soon followed by a grunt of resignation. "You know what, sure, I'll help you. Better than nothin'. Who knows, maybe the kits might want to play whilst we're in there." Normally he stayed away from the nursery, or rather the queens wanted him to stay away given his habit for being snappy and for teaching the kits bad words, but work was work. "Joining us, Marigoldpaw?"
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[Marigoldpaw]

He expected some frustration, and he was ready to take it. However, Wildheart actually managed to hold himself together, and Marigoldpaw breathes a quiet sigh of relief. Not getting beaten up is nice, you know, unless he asks for it. He thought about offering to play fight at the very least, but decided against it. Falconheart immediately offers something better, and he hopes that it’ll be the answer that Wildheart is looking for.

When he’s asked if he wants to help decorate the nursery, Marigoldpaw dips his head. “Of course. And after we’re finished, if you feel like you still need help, I’m down to spar.” He offers it with a smug smile, before returning to his usual resting annoyed expression. Brawling matches are always a fun prospect to him, but he honestly doesn’t mind helping out the queens either. He’s been wanting a reason to search through feathers, anyways…​

 

[FALCONHEART]

Falconheart doesn’t suppress his wince when the older tom’s gaze is turned on him, stern and tough. But he does manage to keep from shrinking in on himself when Wildheart grunts at him, unfriendly in his agreement—but agreeing nonetheless. "Maybe you could teach the kits some new games, too," he suggests. Maybe packing nests with feathers won’t be enough to sate whatever energy is welling up inside of Wildheart, but even the older warrior suggests that playing with the kits could be fun. Falconheart is only a bit worried about how good an idea it is for someone as clearly frustrated as Wildheart to be around the clan’s youngest. But overall, it’s better to put him to work than it is to leave him to pace around and continue snapping at clanmates, right?

The younger apprentice offers to spar afterward, if Wildheart still has energy to burn, and the cream tabby smiles carefully. It’s kind of Marigoldpaw to offer, and as he starts off in the direction of the nursery he wonders whether the apprentice has much experience in fighting. "Have you ever sparred before, Marigoldpaw? I’ve never been good at it, maybe you and Wildheart could show me some cool moves." He gives a light flicker of his tail and glances back at the two, picking up a stray feather that he planned on taking back to tuck into some nests.​

[ find me way out there ]​

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[Marigoldpaw]

Marigoldpaw’s eyes suddenly light up at the mention of teaching fighting skills to Falconheart when he offers. It’s a topic that he’s super passionate about, and it shows in the way his entire body starts to radiate. “I have! It’s what my mentor teaches me the most about, since it’s what I wanted to learn the most. I’d like to think I’m pretty good at it now,” he boasts, puffing his chest. “I’d be happy to show you some of my moves!” He gives a genuine smile, very much unlike his usual scowl.

The creme point searches around for any stray feathers, and his eyes happen to come upon ones that are grey, white, and yellow in color. He’s immediately enamored, feeling them through his paws. He delicately picks them up with his mouth, placing them in his fur on his sides. “Do you think these suit me?” He asks, turning in a circle for both of the cats accompanying him. “I’ve been thinking about using some feathers as accessories for a little while…”​

 

[WILDHEART]

"We shall see, but understand that I can be rather rough." The offer to spar was becoming hard to resist, but he knew he had to. Perhaps later he would be in greater control of himself and less likely to cause an incident. As they're heading for the nursery he takes note of the conversation arising and it begins to peak his interest. "I can show you more than a few moves. Sparring is something that I'm good at, I intend to become the strongest warrior in the clan." He had to be, especially if horrors ever descended upon the clan again, like an invading clan or, StarClan forbid, more dogs.

Briefly Wildheart ducked away from Marigoldpaw and Falconheart in order to gather the loose feathers from the ground near the freshkill pile before hurrying back in time to hear the apprentice talk about using feathers as accessories. "They make you look like a bird." He had never been one for accessories like feathers, weeds or flowers, he much preferred scars and marks of battle in regards to what he found appealing.

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