private twist and tangles

[SMOKESTAR]

It was not often he was caught in such an embarrasing situation. Ember was a very aware cat even if he didn't seem as such. While his expression was neutral and his gaze often directed off to the side rather than what was going on, he was still very much paying attention with a sharpness almost alarmingly so. While most of his clanmates seemed the boisterous types who jumped into situations immediately, he preferred to observe from a distance before deciding on his course; while emotion drove most he leaned more logical and almost unfeeling but that was not because he lacked feelings but rather he struggled to express them in a meaningful way.
This was a lot to explain that him being caught with his tail wedged between the slots of a waterlodged branch was a big deal. He was usually so careful. The dark tom stood there, the water of the river to his chest and his expression sour as he contemplated how to deal with this. He had dove for a fish in an unusually harried display and paid for it, slipping beneath the branch at the bottom of the water to pursue it he could not even retrace his steps because the taughtness of his tail pulled tight and twisted beneath the limb left him unable to fully twist around.
Maybe with some brute force he could break the branch and free himself, but he risked causing his tail serious harm in the process. All Ember could do now was wait and hope someone came along the shore so he could ask them to push the branch enough he could disentangle himself from it without a fuss.
The ink spill of a tom would have to swallow down his pride, but that's how it was he supposed...

@scar
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riverclan --- warrior--- tags

 

[QUIETSTREAM.]

the young and generally silent feline usually didn't go anywhere by themself. she was very used to just being with someone she trusted, never wanted to be alone for too long after seeing what happened to her parents. this, it seemed, was an exception. they were alone, walking out of camp (even if it wasn't much of a camp just yet) and along the river bank, nose twitching back and forth. they were hungry. she was getting better at hunting fish, after practicing every chance she could, so she figured she could catch something and share with cicadastar. quiet slowly came to a stop as their sensitive nose twitched back and forth at the scent of another. someone they didn't know, and therefore didn't trust. it had nothing to do with that tom, but everything to do with what quiet had been through. taking in a small breath, they stepped closer, narrowing their eyes before their head tilted curiously. what was he just standing there for? was he okay? frowning, quiet looked around, making sure no one else was around before uttering out a hushed response.

"are y-you... okay?"
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[ WISH YOU WERE GAY ]​

 

[SMOKESTAR]

He knew Quiet the way you knew the friend of a friend, not that he was particularly close with anyone, but he was aware of her enough to recognize her as a clanmate and thankfully one who was more concerned than mocking; he didn't think he had it in him to tolerate any jokes at his expense right. The hesitantly spoken inquiry was a relief. Quiet though, well he knew her name in passing and could see where it came from; not exactly a big talker and he could relate to that. Words were hard and sometimes unecessary but right now they were important enough he was down for a chat.
"I'm....well..." Embarrassed, but it wasn't the end of the world really, "Sort of stuck..." Ember shifted his paws where he stood in the water, gently sloshing it around him enough that the branch his tail was stuck in was just visible beneath the surface. It wasn't very deep, he was a decently tall cat and could stand in the water there with his head easily above the surface. "Tail got caught between two branches on this big limb. You wouldn't happen to be uh....comfortable with the water enough to step on this would you?" Even just the extra weight might bow the branch enough he could yank himself out. Worse came to worse, if she wasn't comfortable with it she could find someone who was. Not that he wanted more witnesses to this spectacle he'd gotten himself in, but right now he hadn't the option to be picky. If just pushing down on it didn't work then he'd have to figure out how to pry the branches apart...which meant a lot more splashing around.


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riverclan --- warrior--- tags

 

[QUIETSTREAM.]

listening with their ears twitching back and forth, they gave a small nod of their head. they understood, but wasn't sure the severity of the situation. what if stepping on the lower branch wasn't enough? what if thus required a lot more brute strength, something that quiet had known they did not possess. with a twitch of their nose, they just figured they'd have to do this their own way. first, observation. to do without observing first was reckless. it was irresponsible, and honestly more than anything, it freaked quiet out. they couldn't do anything if they didn't plan correctly. too many factors in this world were against her. she had to do it this way. they knew rhetorical consequences of that, if she didn't. ​

taking in a shallow breath, they leaped into the water, ducking down, and slowly kicking their legs to keep moving. their head tilted as her eyes popped open and with a quickened nod, they resurfaced. making a gesture with their tail, they moved to gently tap against ember three times. they wanted to just say count to three and then pull but they hadnt wanted to talk anymore. spinning their body back, they took another breath in, before diving back down, grabbing onto the branch with their paws, and teeth, using their back paws to kick as they pulled it as far from the top one as they could. stars, they were luckily they'd been practicing how long they could hold their breath for.
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[ WISH YOU WERE GAY ]​

 

[SMOKESTAR]

Quiet was not much of a talker and that was fine, neither was he. That she even agreed to help and not find someone else was admirable and welcomed on its own. The sooner he could be out of the mess the better so when they dove into the water to clumsily inspect he tried to remain as rigidly still as possible; it was hard to properly determine how he was caught given the unfortunate angle and branch in the way, his orange gaze locking onto the quiet feline as she resurfaced with frantic gestures and taps. It took a moment for him to understand, only when he noted the number of times a paw had swatted gently at him for attention did he realize what was being asked. Three? On three? Giving a curt nod in response the dark tom waited, watched the lithe cat dip back down and closed his eyes.
One. He could feel the water move from the other RiverClanner’s thrashing about.
Two. There was a sudden pain in his tail as pressure was briefly applied to it.
Three. He pulled, claws gripping the pebbled bottom of the river and entire body tumbling forward as the branch released him and sent him fumbling about in the water to reorient himself back to the surface with an undignified sputter. He’d snorted water in his lost momentum.
“Oh….StarClan…that was horrid.” The white-speckled warrior waited for the other to resurface before giving a rare, gentle smile, “...thank you.”



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riverclan --- warrior--- tags