i can hear a lonely operator on the phone [ p ]

[finley !!]

cobwebfern's soft gray paws stepped into a place she hadn't been in a good while. she'd admit: the den had been calling to her ever since mistyshard began her (brief) stay as medicine cat and cobwebpaw, then, left. now she was back, officially, and hope and pride bloomed strong in her chest. she was here. where she was finally meant to be. brief moment of wistfulness over, the newly named medicine cat apprentice got to work, dragging her nest from the warriors den in and placing it in a corner next to berries'. that did remind her: she desperately needed to talk to berryshine.

cobwebfern glanced around, looking for the medicine cat.

[ @squidz - thought I'd get this started !! ]

[squidz]

| BERRYSHINE |

small & nimble dark brown she-cat with darker flecks and light, leafy-green eyes | the collector

[ riverclan medicine cat | she-cat | 12 moons | timid, kind, hardworking ]

—

Berryshine was on the other side of the rock pillar that split their den, organizing some of the remaining herbs. Hm... she'd have to go gather some soon. A few mindless thoughts like that were flittering around her mind when she heard a scraping sound, notably a moss nest being dragged in. Poking her head around, Berryshine smiled, seeing Cobwebfern pulling up her nest next to hers. Wiping some of the excess greenery from her paws, Berryshine padded over, seeing that her best friend (and now colleague) had been looking for her as well.

"Welcome," the medicine cat purred, briefly touching her nose to Cobwebfern's ear in greeting, gesturing to the den with her skinny tail. She could see the proud, content gleam in Cob's blue eyes, and it made Berry all the happier to see how much Cob looked at home already. The ex-warrior had served her Clan faithfully and been a healer when the time had called for it — and now she was in a place that she looked like a natural in. Even if she hadn't directly seen her in action yet, Berryshine was all the more confident of her decision for her apprentice already.

Berryshine glanced around the den for a moment; it still smelled mostly just like stone and water, but soon enough, she knew the den would be permeated by their own scents and the herbs they'd be using. A new camp, a new den, a new name... and now a new apprentice. So many things have changed, but this time, Berry couldn't help but feel that they were all for the better. Even if it was a lot to keep up with.

"I think we'll make a home of it here in no time... a-as long as you help me with the decorations, of course," she added, her whiskers twitching in faint amusement. At least she and Cobwebfern were entering this new stage together, in a way. And there were few other cats that she'd feel as comfortable with by her side.

[ @finley !! ]

[finley !!]

cobwebfern



purrks ; the collector , herbal knowledge t2
she / they . riverclan med cat app
21 moons . missing back leg
tags ; @squidz - berries <3
tws for this post: none

the tips of her ears turned pink and cobwebfern looked away, blushing a little bit. she offered a lick to the other's cheek before turning to circle the den and look around. ' luckily, i have that one down! give me just a second.. ' cobwebfern dashed out of the den and returned dragging a big leaf with ivy and flowers dumped on it. ' redmire and i sort of hung out earlier, 'nd i also grabbed a buncha stuff to decorate your- our.. our. den. so. yeah. i got flowers, 'nd ivy, and some leaves to tuck in and decorate the den. ' the ex-warrior offered, smiling at berryshine.

she considered this for a second, and then love flooded up in her heart and she grinned widely, pressing her face into berryshine's fur. ' i'm so happy we're doing this together. i'm so happy we're safe and we're okay and our clan is okay and everything is okay. ' cobwebfern meowed this and then purred, sitting down. ' i love you. you're my best friend and i love you. ' raw moment of emotion over, she blushed vaguely and looked away.

[squidz]

| BERRYSHINE |

small & nimble dark brown she-cat with darker flecks and light, leafy-green eyes | the collector

[ riverclan medicine cat | she-cat | 12 moons | timid, kind, hardworking ]

—

Berryshine was pleased to see Cob had already been on the case — it didn't entirely surprise her, given that she had a feeling the ex-warrior would already be very much into making the interior of the medicine den homely and cozy. Berry had the same desire, though she was less... talented, in those aspects. She purred as she sifted through the ivy and flowers with a small brown paw, smiling down at them before glancing back up at Cob, her leafy-green eyes glinting in the dim den.

"These are wonderful!" She purred happily, whiskers twitching. "I-I'll go by your guidance, 'cause this... isn't exactly my strength," she added with a small, humble laugh.

Then, when Cobwebfern sported a huge grin and pressed her face into Berry's dark brown fur, she was happy to feel such joy radiating off the new medicine cat apprentice. It made her own heart swell, nodding in agreement to Cob's first words: how grateful they were to be here, to be safe, to be okay... after everything that'd happened, they could finally use a moment of reprieve. To reset, to breathe, to grow... and it finally felt like that was happening.

But Cob's last words made Berryshine's eyes widen a bit. She hadn't ever heard those three words... well, once before, actually. Stagheart had told her when she was really young, terrified over training to be a warrior soon, still a kit in the nursery. ThunderClan had surprise-attacked them, and within a few moments, the entire camp had been swarmed. He'd taken her to safety and said to her: 'No matter what happens... remember that I love ya, kid.' And then he'd been rushing into bloody battle, disappearing into a sea of fur, claws, and teeth.

Those words had been significant to her; no one had ever told her they loved her. Cared about her, sure, but love felt... stronger. And especially with Stagheart, who was a cat of few words and even fewer (outward) emotions. He tended to show his love and care with actions more than words, so Berry always knew he did. Hearing it now from her best friend's mouth made her chest warm in all the right ways, her skin feeling hot under her fur, as if self-conscious. She didn't know any weight that those words might carry other than an intense care for someone's wellbeing, like a familial bond; that's the only way she knew it. So, a warm purr left her throat, touching her tail to Cob's briefly in a gesture of appreciation.

"Ah, I-I'm happy too, Cob... and I love ya too!" She mewed easily and genuinely, happy to see that her care for her friend's wellbeing was reciprocated. If that's what love was, like Stag and now Cob were showing her, she reckoned that she was understanding what it meant. Right? Appreciation swirled in her leafy-green eyes as she met Cobwebfern's blues. "Y-You've been the best friend I've ever had... I'm so, so grateful for it."

[ @finley !! ]