private YOUR HEART IS SO WARM he says I WISH I COULD REACH IN AND TOUCH IT a longing so innocent he doesn’t remember the times he's tried

When it comes to the matters of the heart, Roaringsun is as dense as the foliage of ThunderClan's territory. So he cannot put a name to this funny feeling that comes over him sometimes; several funny feelings - like he's being shocked by lightning, or he gets all warm as if fire rages on inside him. There are many things he feels when he's with Hawkspine but none of them are ever bad ( while the topic of conversation isn't always pleasant, nothing Hawkspine has ever done has made him feel bad ).

He's strolling through the forest when he spots Stormywing in one of her favorite places — which wasn't at Thundergleam's side this time — perched atop a branch. The lion-like tom makes sure he's not interrupting a solo hunting session before greeting the gray she-cat. He studies her movements carefully ( maybe she smells something he doesn't ) but nothing comes; she's just lounging.

"Stormywing!" Roaringsun calls to the she-cat, leaping onto the tree to join her. They had never been particularly close, not in the way she is to Thundergleam or Roeflame, but they were friendly to each other. And when it comes to feelings he figures there's no one better: from Iciclefang to Thundergleam, Stormywing had. . . experience, so to speak. "Uh," He begins with a clear of his throat, sitting beside her. "I know this is out of nowhere," The tom dry-laughs, obviously nervous and awkward. There was something embarrassing about asking the warrior about emotions when they aren't particularly on the friends level. "How did you know you were in love?" To whom he does not specify. If she spoke on her previous feelings for Iciclefang or her current ones for Thundergleam he wouldn't care, as long as his question wasn't taken as a joke.

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  • ooc. @STORMYWING
  • ROARINGSUN —— warrior of thunderclan , mentor to berrypaw . npc x npc . littermate to npcs ✦ penned by nocthymia
    male / he/him / 15 moons & ages every 14ᵗʰ
    single / orientation & poly or mono / open/closed to romance
    peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline & tag account when attacking
    —— combat details here / battle notes

    "speech", 'thoughts', all opinions are in character
    tags — msg on discord (hypmic) for plots — toyhouse
  • reference image here
    a longhaired flame sepia with low white and amber-brown eyes.
 

Stormywing dozes on the branch, her tail draped lazily over the edge, until Roaringsun's voice jolts her awake. Her golden eyes blink open, dazed for a moment, before settling on the golden tom climbing toward her. "Roaringsun?" She greets, stretching out her forelegs before sitting up and shaking off the remnants of her nap. It's not unusual for clanmates to interrupt her alone time, but it is unusual for him to seek her out. Her whiskers twitch with mild curiosity.

As he settles beside her, she raises a brow at his awkward tone. Roaringsun isn't the nervous type - at least, not that she's ever seen. She tilts her head, waiting, and his next question hits her like a rogue gust of wind. "How did I know I was-" She starts, then cuts herself off with a laugh as her head is tossed back, equal parts surprised and amused. "You're really asking me about love?" Her tail flicks behind her as she gives him a playful side-eye. "Bold choice. You know my track record isn't exactly spotless." But she knows he's one of the few clanmates that hasn't been giving her weird looks or a wide berth since her secret came out. He hasn't really shown her any judgment at all, so perhaps that's why she's so relaxed about the inquiry.

She stretches again, leaning back against the sturdy trunk of the tree. "But hey, if you're asking, I'll bite." Her tone softens, and her teasing grin gives way to something more thoughtful. "It's not really something you know right away. It sneaks up on you. One day you're just hanging out with someone, and the next you're...I don't know, thinking about them all the time. Wondering what they're doing. Feeling like the sun shines a little brighter when they're around." She'd felt it in the mountains, going from despising that arrogant RiverClanner to hoping she could twine her tail with hers a little tighter. She'd sought her out every day, offered the pair of them up for hunts, and in the darkness of night they'd curl up pressed against each other. She feels it now with Thundergleam; the albino is always on her mind, and Stormywing knows she'd take any opportunity to see her, talk to her, ask her how her day was. Whenever she's around, her day gets a million times better.

Stormywing glances at him out of the corner of her eye, her tone turning light again. "But it's also not all butterflies and sunbeams, y'know. If you're really in love, you'll feel it even when things aren't perfect. When they annoy you, or when you argue…or when you're scared of losing them. You'll still want to stick by them." And that had been the difference between them, hadn't it? When Iciclefang chose the Code, Stormywing still wanted to choose her. Over and over and over again. The memory causes her heart to squeeze. She pauses to shake her head, trying to rid herself of bitter thoughts before giving him a sly smile. "So, who's got you padding after them? Or am I supposed to pretend you're asking for 'a friend?'"
 
The laugh that follows his question isn't unexpected, but it still makes his ears flop and his eyes stare down at his paws in pure embarrassment. He shuffles awkwardly where he sits, very obviously flustered by the teasing in her tone."But you clearly have experience," He adds with a look, deciding to treat this as any other conversation. . . albeit this one is much more humiliating than anything else.

Roaringsun listens quietly, thoughtfully, pondering every single thing Stormywing tells him. He wonders if what she felt with Iciclefang during the journey is the same he feels toward Hawkspine now. There were no borders then, he recalls her saying - and, stars, part of him wishes it were true now. If the Clans never split, if they all lived in the same big group. . . that would make everything so much easier. Roaringsun loves ThunderClan, but a tiny voice in his head can't help but long for that perfect world.

Everything Stormywing says ring true, and he's afraid of what it means for him, for Hawkspine, for them. He is hopeless, and maybe a bit stubborn, but he doesn't want to give it up. Inhaling sharply, Roaringsun wonders if Hawkspine thinks of him as often as the SkyClanner is running around in his mind. The warm fuzzy feeling creeps back, and he has to resist the smile that threatens to form on his face.

So, who's got you padding after them? The gray warrior asks, and he suddenly straightens up. Well. . . he can't really say "the handsome cat accross the border", unless he wants a scolding. "Ummmm," It drags on forever as he franctically searches for something decent to say. "Secret?" He offers with a lopsided grin, hoping he isn't pressed further for a name.

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  • ooc.
  • ROARINGSUN —— warrior of thunderclan , mentor to berrypaw . npc x npc . littermate to npcs ✦ penned by nocthymia
    male / he/him / 16 moons & ages every 14ᵗʰ
    single / orientation & poly or mono / open/closed to romance
    peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline & tag account when attacking
    —— combat details here / battle notes

    "speech", 'thoughts', all opinions are in character
    tags — msg on discord (hypmic) for plots — toyhouse
  • reference image here
    a longhaired flame sepia with low white and amber-brown eyes.
 

Stormywing watches Roaringsun flounder with an amused glint in her golden eyes, her tail curling lazily over her paws as she leans forward slightly. Her tone drips with playful skepticism as she trills, "Secret? That's all I get?" She narrows her eyes at him, studying his face for any telltale signs - a flick of an ear, the twitch of his whiskers, anything that might give him away. Who could it be? Addersnap? Bugchaser? Orangeheart?

She tilts her head after drawing a blank and smirks as she stretches out a paw to give him a light shove. "Alright, fine. Keep your little secret, for now. But don't think for a second I won't figure it out eventually. You're not exactly subtle, Roaringsun." She winks teasingly. With a sigh, she leans back against the tree trunk again, eyes falling shut as she goes back to relaxing. "Whoever it is, they're a lucky cat." The young warrior's got a good heart, and though he may be a tad foolish, he's a fine tom. He'll make someone very happy someday. Her smile grows a little softer, a little more wistful, as her mind drifts to Thundergleam. "Just…don't wait too long to tell them how you feel, okay? Life's too short for regrets." Follow your own advice, mouse-brain.