private WIDOWS, GHOSTS, AND LOVERS ♥︎ ORANGESTAR

[DOEBLAZE]

The sunflower rests safely in her nest, sun - baked and already growing fragile and papery to the touch in the cool shade of the warriors' den, nestled carefully alongside her other memories. She'd returned sore - pawed and windswept, traces of oil and brick - dust clinging to a tangled lilac pelt, but happy . . . happy with the glowing blossom resting in her nest, casting a dim glow, and happy with the abrupt realization that had caught her even as she cleaved it from its stem with moon - curving claws. Unfiltered contentment is a rarity for her, and she clutches it close to her chest with the frayed petals of the sunflower, following the soft golden path it outlines.

She makes a significantly shorter journey today, following the well - worn camp walkway that winds its way down to the leader's den. Bobbie peers around the corner of the elderberry bush, heart twisting at the painfully familiar scent until she very nearly has to blink tears from the corners of her vision. @Orangestar's auburn - brushed white form waits within, and the lilac tabby cants her head, breathing slowly in as if to gather her courage. She reminds herself of their deputy's needling, of the six children that bear Clan names, of the way her own has shifted on her shoulders, an uncomfortable mantle, for seasons now . . . Cherryblossom's questioning had merely brought that discomfort to the forefront.

" Orangestar? " she murmurs respectfully as she lingers at the edge of the leaf - fringed mouth of the den, tattered ears twitching. A quick inhale of elderberry - perfumed air and a glance to the vacant blue spot in the sky where she knows an unseen star goes to rest clinches her decision. Bobbie creeps forward on velvety white paws, awaiting the leader's assent when she rasps, " May I come in? I wanted to ask you about something. "

OOC : —

♥︎

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[Orangestar]

Orangestar's mind, today, dwells on Owlheart. Their conversation replays in her head, fragments on repeat: not the most recent one about the unfathomably hot weather, but one of the ones prior; the one about knowing when the right time to take a mate is. Her eyes dart to the second, empty nest among the relative shade of her den. The advice she'd given was for Owlheart to follow her heart, but how could Orangestar take that same advice when all she knows is turbulence? She's used to the elderberry leaves that dapple their nests now, but even among that ...

"Orangestar?"

The sunkissed leader doesn't turn her head fully at first, though looks at the warrior from the corner of her eye as Bobbie confesses she has a question. Dimly, she wonders, does Bobbie know about the trio of young warriors and their devotion to each other? Two of them are their own kits, but Orangestar doesn't see her share tongues with Crowsight very often.

"As did I." She meows, quiet, before her mind catches up with what she's just said. Orangestar blinks once, focusing on the other she-cat properly now, a faint flush of embarrassment warming torn ears. Her usual frown becomes more pronounced, ears twitching backwards for a heartbeat, before she shuffles back to allow Bobbie more room to sit in her den. "Your question?"

ooc ✧ 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦

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  [ art by pin ]
• ORANGESTAR ✧ she/her, leader of skyclan | eight lives
  
  
  — "a scarred white-and-ginger she-cat with brown eyes."
  — single ; mentoring springpaw & ashpaw
  — speech is in #F18C47
  — tags | penned by mercibun, contact on discord for plots.
  
  
  
  

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[DOEBLAZE]

Being in this den again twists her heart, as it always has and, she suspects, always will. The scent of elderberries and crushed pine is as familiar as ever, a perfume of unwelcome nostalgia . . . the two nests tucked within are not, and Bobbie steps carefully around the second, keeping her distaste off her face for her leader's sake. A dusty scrap of the old nest still resides in her simple one back in the warrior's den, long lost its distinctive scent of spiced elderberry and pinesap, but its sentiment remains alongside tufts of gold. She keeps her own nest spare now, almost excessively so, her own poorly done handwork relegated to the back of the warrior's den, crammed in with the young warriors who retain more of their usefulness than she.

" Oh— " Her white jaws part in a moment of startled undisguise, the surprise on her face unhidden for a moment before she smooths it over . . . it's not difficult, letting exhaustion retake the hollows of her cheeks and low dips of her eyes. What question might Orangestar have for her? She'd forsaken her place on the ginger - and - white leader's council willingly, freeing it up for more deserving paws, and thus she is, of course, no longer one to step to for counsel. She very nearly beckons the other she - cat to ask first out of respect as she slots herself into the den, a comfortable distance from Orangestar, but the leader beats her to it.

" Ah—well, I was thinking . . . " Slow as her words come, half habit and half discomfort, she cuts quickly to the crux of her questioning with little pretense. The actual asking of the thing feels a little like a confessional, exposing more sentiment to Orangestar than she'd like, but it is necessary and she knows it. A small white paw traces nonsense shapes on the floor of the den, but with some effort, she meets the leader's level brown gaze. " I was thinking I'd like to take a warrior name. "

She pauses a moment so that her more indirect ask might register, jade eye searching the other cat's face for any trace of distaste . . . although she'd hardly blame her. The comments of her Clanmates have made her painfully aware of the way she sticks out; though it hadn't been their pressure, but that of a golden star, that had decided the long - slumbering issue for her. " And—if you'd permit it, I'd like one that . . . " A momentary pause as she searches for the right word. " . . . honors Blazestar's memory. "

The speaking of his name is a painful sort of prayer, one she typically avoids. Bobbie hurries to assure her decision to the leader's ever - stern white and ginger face; often, she feels that Orangestar senses some innate weakness in her. Her actions now do nothing favorable to dissuade such an impression, she knows. Her husky voice is genuine in brief syllables, " If you'd allow it, anyways. I'd not want to trouble you. "

OOC : —

♥︎

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