pafp worry-cat, sorry-cat blues ✧ camp clean-up

[lichenstar]

⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆

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A flicking tail ticks the passing seconds, ones passed with baited breath as the crowd of moss-gatherers return with tired eyes and sore hearts- they had won but there was little joy to be sung in that victory. Each nest exchanged marked a silent tally of their dead, scars that bore RiverClan's grief in their depth. The reed-woven dens are disarrayed just like they'd been after the flood but this time, each redirected leaf has a personal cost, the weight of knowing it was living paws that destroyed this place with a maliciousness that could not be ascribed to nature's wildness. Mournful and lead-pawed, the lead warrior slides into step beside a brown and white coat, casting a glance of a thousand unspoken words, an anxious clinging to familiarity for fear it would be stolen again. "I think... you've all earned a rest," she murmurs, glancing back towards the cohort of youth who trudged behind him with equally haunted faces.

Pointing with her nose towards a clear space where disarray had been swept aside, the blue tabby offers a suggestion, "Maybe have them sit down over there and work on nest-making? We can gather the warriors to repair the dens while the apprentices rest their paws doing that..." Last time she'd been set beside someone to repair their sleeping spots, it had been Cindershade she'd annoyed with stupid commentary and poorly-worded observations.... This felt like history repeated but fundamentally wrong. In a more hushed tone, the molly can't help but pry at her 'friend,' "I'm sure Carppaw will be alright... I implore you not to add to our ill-bodied by overworking yourself now." There was not any great labor involved in adjusting some weaving, in threading new leaves and twigs to boost their strength.

Idle work for idle paws... for empty stomachs and empty hearts.


--- please wait for @Snakeblink !! this takes place in riverclan camp <3​

 

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

In battle as in daily life, Snakeblink’s foremost strategy is hide and distract. Slink through shadows and wait for an enemy to turn their back on him, or distract them so another warrior may take advantage and give the killing blow; shove his stress deep, deep down where none may see it, not even himself, and focus on his responsibilities so his overactive brain cannot linger on the thousand things he should have done and didn’t. It works better for him than it should: he has had plenty of training making himself hard to read, easy to overlook. And he has been given his fair share of duties to use as distraction.

But even the smoothest masks crack under pressure, and his has never been all that smooth to begin with. Lichentail’s concern warms him to his core, and fatigue makes his tongue duller and more frank than is characteristic of him in response to that kindness.

”If I stop to rest, I cannot promise to ever start moving again,” he rasps, perfectly earnest even as dark humor bleeds into his words. With a wry smile, he adds, ”But weaving is something to do, and the apprentices will certainly welcome the respite. Thank you.”

Carppaw’s bloodied pelt, Cicadastar’s body broken and buried in a stranger’s land… The images haunt his waking moments. Shaking himself, he calls out to his moss-gathering team: ”Take the moss we gathered and start on these nests -- don’t hesitate to ask for help if you start feeling faint. It has been a long night.” Then, matching Lichentail’s quieter tone: ”Do not concern yourself over me, Lichentail. I do appreciate it, but I assure you: I am more resilient than I look. ”

Then, with another smile and a nod, he takes himself and his aching paws to the nursery -- to fix the gaps he can see in the woven reeds, at least until better repairs can be done at a later date.​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 46 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

​

 

[BITEFLOWER]

bio ₊˚✧ ﾟ. the venture back home has him blinking drowsily, legs long since started protesting. during the stay in shadowclan he's kept busy by antagonizing and being nasty towards the kits of other clans, but finally being home, it's odd.

unable to shake the discomfort that's endorsed by the exhaustion, he approaches litchentail. acknowledges the suffocating weariness that permeates the air, can see it clearly hanging onto snakeblink. the mess underfoot is uncomfortable, he's not sure what he's standing on but something has been crushed under his paws. the rusty color dyed on the floor has his eyes up, flitting to lichentail and snakeblink.

"i want to help too." he whines, his legs can only carry him so far so he's settling on his stomach nearby and making no effort to seek out a task for himself. he's not sure he can manage weaving, levering his ears back. the reminder of the fighting, the destruction has him nauseous. his refusal of sinking into bad dreams despite the tiredness that tugs at his bones, has his eyelids drooping.

"you should all go to sleep and i'll do it." he suggests loudly to snakeblink naïvely, resting his head on his paws and using his tail to slightly push who-knows-what that's been kicked up with his tail, an attempt at a sweep.

​

 

[DAWNSTORM]

die with memories , not dreams .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

The ex-Ripple Colony member was able to use his bulky build to his advantage, helping the RiverClanners with stubborn resilience despite the ache of muscle. It was familiar, thankful even, to fall into familiar habits that made him choke on his breath, wheezing, and body threatening to collapse. He liked it. It was familiar.

“You’re small.” He bluntly stated, staring at the odd-named kit with a wrinkled brow. A kit. The dual-furred tom was never good with words. It wasn’t out of malice, but it wasn’t hard to see Bitekit’s tiredness. The kit wouldn’t be able to do anything. His gaze shifted, searching amongst the clan cats in search of sharp yellow orbs. He found none. “You need more sleep.” He decided to say, glancing at the kit with deadpan hues. ​

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thought speech​

 

[lichenstar]

⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆

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A sense of morbid amusement pulls a tiny huff of a laugh from the lead. She could agree-- adrenaline was surely the only thing keeping her muscles moving at this point and to stop would be an easy sign of her delayed death. He is quick to redirect orders, probably eager for the chance to see RiverClan returned to normalcy... Pale eyes watch after him thoughtfully, coming to the realization of their similarity with post-war clarity to make it more obvious. How stupid then... that they could never seem to get past themselves mirrored in each other.

A soft hissing reply urges a lack of worry, a reassurance that his skin might in fact be as hardy as the scales of a snake. It wasn't really his body she worried about- he had never been the type to display a 'physical' prowess if she were being honest. His tongue's lack of stinging barbs said enough to her about his mental exhaustion. An inconvenience mostly, that he wouldn't acknowledge it willingly. "That isn't-"

Bitekit's shrill voice proclaims a demand to be involved. Tiny paws eager to be put to work-- he has been aged by this experience, a childhood lost so instantly. And she thinks to tell him to go rest, to enjoy what victory there was to celebrate (one fought for with blood and not completely without losses) but one of their newest members projects her thoughts far more plainly.

She frowns ever so slightly, finding him to be exceedingly tactless. Kittens did not enjoy facts or reality. It was an easy way to spiral right into a tantrum... "Bitekit," they mew, giving Kaede the smallest of appreciative glances (he would get better talking to children in time... hopefully?), "We will all sleep soon enough now that we're home. Why don't you take some more of this moss and follow Snakeblink to the nursery? He's great with explanations, I'm sure you'll figure out den patching really fast. And that way you can take a nap when you get tired- you had a long trip back to RiverClan too."​

 

[BITEFLOWER]

bio ₊˚✧ ﾟ. he protests kaede at first with a scowl, and then with a vigorous shake of his head, trying to rid himself of the tiredness. "you should. and 'm gonna be taller than you, 'nd tidy more than you." bitekit grouses, affronted by the factual statement. something like delight sends a shiver through him at the instruction from lichentail, the option to move instead of stopping enticing, "i can do it." he insists, nods planting his eyes firmly on lichentail to show he's listening, proving the whole affair is very serious.

he rises to his paws, scooping as much moss he can manage, which is not a sizeable amount and battering some more with him paws, heading in the nursery as directed. it takes a notable concentration. he grasps all he can manage to carry over to snakeblink. as he creeps in the direction of the den, the destruction of the area presses his ears back against his own volition, "snakeblink?" it's a hushed whisper, but despite the exhaustion likely dredging on everyone something playful sparks in him, similarly whispered is a threat, deciding the older feline needs a bit of motivation: "i'm going to fix more than you." is boasted, despite not knowing how to fix it as to fortify the den, it's followed up with a bad intentioned: "you're not going to fall over are you?" he tries to prod at snakeblink with his words, some of the discomfort and attitude clinging from shadowclan, wherein he has attempted to bully the kitten population as much as possible.

​

 

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

Bitekit’s determination is endearing, and more than a little familiar. Though he fully agrees with Kaede’s assessment, Snakeblink understands the urge to keep going not just in spite of the fatigue but because of it; a distraction from sleep and what it brings along. He can relate. He also wishes Bitekit would pipe down: that kittenish thrill is doing murder on his poor exhausted ears.

Thankfully, Lichentail intervenes and quickly directs Bitekit somewhere he won’t risk getting trampled the second he dozes off. Playing along, Snakeblink nods gratefully to the kit as he brings along a bundle of moss. ”Thank you for your help,” he says with utmost seriousness, and ”I would like to see you try,” in response to his competitive claim.

Though Bitekit may be trying to get a rise out of him, or any sort of reaction, Snakeblink takes his concern at face value and hums reassuringly as he sets to building proper nests for the queens (and this very kit). ”I am fine,” he replies, noncommittal. ”Then again, maybe I will — do you think your nest will be sturdy enough to cushion my fall? Here, show me how you do it.”​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 46 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

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