RiverClan Leader's Den

[Fawn]

Originally Posted by Starfall

(woa color change uwu )
He continued to attempt at taming his fur, giving the warrior a glace before lifting his head. "If you'd like." he mumbled. He wouldn't say 'yes please.' Or anything of the sort, his pelt was a mess, even he didn't want to work on it. He didn't even notice it was so messy up until he heard Cedarsprint walk in, now it was like he could spot every single thing that was wrong. The tangles, the knots, tufts sticking up. Why so sudden? He had never really cared about how he looked, unless he was going to the gathering or making an announcement. Now, apparently, he can add something else to that list.

He didn't get it. Well of course he wouldn't get it he didn't deliver it well. Of course, that didn't mean it made it any less embarassing. He hid his face in the warriors shoulder, fur fluffing out a bit. Maybe he just did it wrong, he'd never complimented back really before. "Just happen to catch my eye." he mumbled out. What was he supposed to say? This wasn't good for his health, he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Why was this so nerve wracking? They were just talking about pelts and sun and swimming. It wasn't like he was swimming up stream or anything. Why was he so out of breath?

As he began to give his reasons for the lack of participation during the New Leaf Celebration Fallenstar looked up at him, amusement danced across his features. "I'm sure you swim just fine. Drowning, on the other hand, I would rather you not do. Ended up saving Lionstorm because Minnowscreech thought it'd be funny to throw a stick." he sighed, leaning more into Cedarsprint. He may have been exaggerating right there, he didn't really hop in and save the, at the time, warrior. "But...I wouldn't mind going in again." his words got quieter and quieter, mashed together as he shifted to look down at his paws. Maybe this one would work? Did he say it...clear enough? He couldn't tell his mind was going a million miles a minute. Of course he'd experianced something similar...sleepless nights and buzzing voices. This was different, it was warmer.

By the second time his head bumped, rather harshly, against the brown felines shoulder he looked back up, giving him a confused look. What was so funny? Was it something he said? Maybe it was how he said it? The leader narrowed his eyes and flattened his ears. It wasn't that funny, what he said. But than the tabby finally said what was on his mind. He took a second to register just what exactly he had said. After a solid minute a smile tugged at his lips. "Beauty contest?" he echoed, a hint of laughter in his voice. "Like, who can bring the prettiest shell?"

Because Fallen-speak was a specialty of his, Cedarsprint inwardly translated his response to, 'yes I would love that' since 'if you'd like' was as close as he was going to get to that. "Could always find a thorny bush and do away with it," he jokingly suggested as he began to straight a few of the tangles and licking other spots back into place. It wasn't a judgmental endeavor when he doubted he could manage the upkeep of fur that was as long as this. "I don't think it'd matter too much since it's greenleaf and everything would grow back before leafbare comes around again, but I do suppose you'd get a lot of chuckles over it. They wouldn't be laughing if they knew how much work this was." It was something Cedarsprint was quickly learning in the couple minutes he'd been attempting to sift through Fallenstar's fur. "You might want to stay away from the nursery for a while, I think it's possible that small kits might get lost in it."

He brightened at the comment. "They should consider themselves lucky," he said easily, a small laugh trailing after. "I guess not every cat would consider themselves lucky to have the attention of the leader on them, but still. Might as well live up to the conceited RiverClan stereotype, right? We wouldn't want to disappoint the other Clans by coming up short." Cedarsprint had no complaints, just when Fallenstar was too busy with other things or wrapped in his own concerns to be sharing with him. That's when they had a problem because Vitamin Cedarsprint wasn't optional.

"That's not a bad suggestion, I'd rather I not drown either. Do I get a personal escort to make sure that doesn't happen?" Before Fallenstar could reply, he was humming, contemplating. "But who could it be? A strong swimmer is required, so maybe... someone who's had a lot of practice and moons of experience, a real take-charge attitude. I might know a tom." Cedarsprint finished his spiel with a knowing look cast at Fallenstar, his thoughtful expression melting into something softer, amused. "Minnowscreech thought that'd be funny?" he said in mock exasperation, shaking his head before grinning. "Well, he was right." His interactions with Lionstorm hadn't been negative per se, but they were enough to prevent him from feeling badly about this particular tragic event in the golden feline's life.

Whereas it may've been nerve-wracking before to sit in the stone cold gaze of Fallenstar, Cedarsprint couldn't say that he minded it anymore or felt the sting of intimidation gnawing at him. This was... comfortable, oddly enough, and he wanted to keep it that way after previously drifting apart. "Sure," he agreed flippantly, "or who can grow the prettiest pelt, that was more along the lines of my thinking." Beauty came in plenty of forms that he could only imagine were infinite, but he was humored by the thought especially since he was currently working through the pelt of a certain fluffy black cat who had enough fur to keep the entire Clan warm for at least two leaf bares.

[lio]

Rosewater slid into Fallenstar's den, looking around in awe. Despite it being just a regular den, she had never been in it before, and it felt like an honor to even look inside of it. The pressure of making it look nice was weighing on her shoulders even more now. Even so, she padded into the dim den and looked around, searching for needed repairs. She found a few places that she could easily fix with a few reeds, but otherwise, there wasn't much else to do. The den was in great shape after all. Her tail swished and she walked back over to the entrance, poking her head out and calling to Palmdrop. "There's not much that needs to be done in here, but after reeds are collected, I'm going to need help placing them. I can collect them, though. I'm just not strong enough to make sure they're in place correctly." Rosewater stated, ears flattening sheepishly.


@ItsATryp

[appariitiion]

Originally Posted by lacumaru

Rosewater slid into Fallenstar's den, looking around in awe. Despite it being just a regular den, she had never been in it before, and it felt like an honor to even look inside of it. The pressure of making it look nice was weighing on her shoulders even more now. Even so, she padded into the dim den and looked around, searching for needed repairs. She found a few places that she could easily fix with a few reeds, but otherwise, there wasn't much else to do. The den was in great shape after all. Her tail swished and she walked back over to the entrance, poking her head out and calling to Palmdrop. "There's not much that needs to be done in here, but after reeds are collected, I'm going to need help placing them. I can collect them, though. I'm just not strong enough to make sure they're in place correctly." Rosewater stated, ears flattening sheepishly.

Palmdrop continued to eye the outside of the den as Rosewater peeked her head out. "Same on the outside, really. There's a few rough spots but they're small, and some places that need touching up," he meowed in response, giving her a nod. "Oh, no, I understand! I'll help you in any way you'd like me to. Say, there may be some reeds ready and up for grabs already 'cause I think some cats went out to collect, although I don't know for sure. If not, I'd be happy to help you get some. We can bring back more together."

[lio]

Originally Posted by ItsATryp

Palmdrop continued to eye the outside of the den as Rosewater peeked her head out. "Same on the outside, really. There's a few rough spots but they're small, and some places that need touching up," he meowed in response, giving her a nod. "Oh, no, I understand! I'll help you in any way you'd like me to. Say, there may be some reeds ready and up for grabs already 'cause I think some cats went out to collect, although I don't know for sure. If not, I'd be happy to help you get some. We can bring back more together."

Nodding, she smiled and looked toward the center of the clearing where a small pile of reeds had been build. She stepped from the den and made her way over, grabbing a few in her maw and padding back to Fallenstar's den. "Alright, this should be enough," Rosewater mewed, dropping them, "I can show you what places need filled and then you can place 'em? Does that work?" Her paws dug into the ground, claws scraping against it with embarrassment. "I'm sorry you'll need to do it, I'm not much help in the strength department." She smiled shyly and looked toward her paws.

[appariitiion]

Originally Posted by lacumaru

Nodding, she smiled and looked toward the center of the clearing where a small pile of reeds had been build. She stepped from the den and made her way over, grabbing a few in her maw and padding back to Fallenstar's den. "Alright, this should be enough," Rosewater mewed, dropping them, "I can show you what places need filled and then you can place 'em? Does that work?" Her paws dug into the ground, claws scraping against it with embarrassment. "I'm sorry you'll need to do it, I'm not much help in the strength department." She smiled shyly and looked toward her paws.

Palmdrop hummed, watching her bring some reeds back. "Awesome, thanks," he meowed, offering her a smile. He glanced over at the den, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "Of course, that's alright!" He replied, gaze turning back to her. "No need to apologize, it isn't your fault. Besides, I've got a lotta energy in me. It'll be good to get some of it out." His tone was friendly and his tail swished back and forth. "Where first, then? We can start with the inside!"

[lio]

Originally Posted by ItsATryp

Palmdrop hummed, watching her bring some reeds back. "Awesome, thanks," he meowed, offering her a smile. He glanced over at the den, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "Of course, that's alright!" He replied, gaze turning back to her. "No need to apologize, it isn't your fault. Besides, I've got a lotta energy in me. It'll be good to get some of it out." His tone was friendly and his tail swished back and forth. "Where first, then? We can start with the inside!"

Swishing her tail, she nodded and lead Palmdrop into the den. Immediately, she made her way toward the far back of the den, reaching up and placing a paw on the wall. Her paw moved around until she felt a small crack higher up on the wall. Rosewater smiled and said, "Here," before stepping down and allowing Palmdrop to do his work. As he did so, she went off to find more cracks and places that needed to be repaired, a spark of delight in her chest as she felt helpful to her Clan.

[Starfall]

@Dipper

He shifted as Cedarsprint began to help in his attempt to tame his fur. When the warrior started grooming, all of the leaders responses became nothing but a pile of 'Mhm's and head nods. This was peaceful. It was nice, relaxing. He began to drown in it. But, it wasn't the lung filling, fear endusing, panic stricken drowning. No, this wrapped around him and warmed him up, from the inside out, type drown. He stopped his own grooming as he began to lean into Cedarsprints subconciously. He could get used to this. But Starclan forbid he say that out loud.

He didn't realize the brown tabby was actually talking. He didn't realize he closed his eyes, and he didn't realize he had stopped licking. Emberassed, he began to focus heavily on one spot in particular on his chest. It was already groomed and nice, there was no need to lick it. But it was on the opposite side of where the warrior was facing. He came back into reality while his companion began to explain what he meant by 'fashion show.' The concept alone puzzled the leader, 'Who could grow the prettiest pelt? Were they not all pretty?' "Grow hm? That seems like an odd competition." He mumbled to himself.

Fallenstar was about to go further into the strange competition the warrior brought up, but the padding of paws caught his attention. A pair of pawsteps to be exact. 'LIONSTORM!' he yelled internally. Thats right. The deputy was doing camp expansions. Making a decision based off his emberassment, the heat of the moment, and his brain not actually functioning correctly (but when is it ever when Cedarsprint is involved?) the leader gave the poor warrior a kick in the site, scrambled up and managed to get up just in time. Just as Palmdrop and Rosewater poked their heads in. His fur was fluffed up even more so than usual, and his heart was pounding so fast he was almost positive the others could hear it to. "May I suggest announcing your coming rather than just waltzing in?" he snapped, still trying to calm himself down.

Why was it so bad for them to come in while he was being groomed? It was just Cedarsprint, his apprenticehood friend. It was nothing new, nothing anyone else doesn't do. After a minute the burly feline let out a sigh and shook his head. "Though I appreciate the work you are putting in. Let me know if help is needed and I'll help right away. I'm sure Cedarsprint wont mind either...no?" he asked, turning to his, probably rather annoyed, compantion. Giving him an apologetic look. Ears folded to the sides of his head.

@lacumaru @ItsATryp

[appariitiion]

@lacumaru @Starfall
Palmdrop's face turned hot from embarrassment, gaze turning to Fallenstar. "Um... yeah, sorry. We didn't think..." The tom trailed off, wanting to curl up and hide forever at that moment. He sighed in relief when the leader's tone seemed to relax a bit, though. "Oh, thank you, but we don't need any help, I don't think," he meowed, glancing over at Rosewater for confirmation. "If you'd like, we can work on the outside first, so we don't, er... disturb you as much at the moment?"

[Fawn]

Although his efforts were split equally between taming the wild mane of Fallenstar and ignoring how much he enjoyed this, Cedarsprint was finding himself in the midst of the same tranquil serenity that his companion was experiencing from the soothing interaction. Which was for practical reasons, he assured himself, but they could still relish in the other joys that it produced. He didn't mind that the conversation drifted and stalled as Fallenstar gave mindless replies, hardly able to care at all when he was happy to fill the silence in between brushing a rough tongue over silky black fluff. As his mind wandered, he couldn't exactly recall if things had been like this before the divide in their relationship--a thought that had his stomach churned with slight unease--but he was pretty sure they hadn't been bathing one another. That was new.

"Does it?" he questioned idly as Fallenstar seemed puzzled by his idea of the pelts. "I guess you'd have to tell me, considering you're the one who prefers the brown pelts." That was with a quizzical look that bordered on playful, but he didn't continue that train of thought when he started to hear shuffling, then voices entering the den. Curiosity had him paused in his ministrations but not quite to the point of abandoning his task since he was rather fond of this activity; if it was simple commotion in the clearing, it'd pass momentarily. But it seemed his better judgment had eluded him: for one, the noise was in the den and coming closer and secondly, he really should've moved since he suffered the consequences of inaction through a kick. A 'hmph!' of discomfort burst from Cedarsprint as the impact delivered a sharp pain into his side, and he clumsily scrambled away from Fallenstar. Yet his hasty retreat had very little to do with being assaulted, much more to do with the additional pair of cats in the den.

Quickly picking himself up, Cedarsprint was similarly on edge as he stared at them through pinpricked pupils, a wide gaze that was a silent demand to know why they'd entered. It took a special kind of courage to bound into a leaders' den, but he was more concerned with the fact they'd interrupted him and Fallenstar. That thought alone had heat burning under the surface of his pelt since it implied their exchange had been that of an intimately private sort, and it was-- especially for them, but he was reluctant to perceive it as such when grooming was an incredibly widespread activity that everyone partook in. Nothing unusual, except the fact that it was them. Yeah, okay, that was unusual.

The flustered and mildly embarrassed daze eventually wore off enough that Cedarsprint could focus on the present, realizing he was being spoken to as Fallenstar extended their assistance. "Sure," he agreed on instinct, albeit shakily. "I'd be happy to lend a paw. Whose den are we invading next? I'm not sure how we'll fit in Blazingstar's since he has half WindClan's she-cats in there." The statement was sputtered out in a nervous chuckle, his eyes averted. Already, he was scooting toward the mouth of the den with intentions of leaving and probably hiding somewhere for the next hundred moons. "Anyway, I'll get on that, working on the other dens." As if it needed an awkward clarification. Brushing it off, Cedarsprint scooted the remaining distance to hurriedly disappear into the camp.

@Starfall ; @lacumaru ; @ItsATryp

[lio]

Rosewater squeaked as she heard Fallenstar's voice booming throughout the den. Her tail fluffed up, fur bristling from being both startled and embarrassment. Turning around, she looked at Fallenstar and Cedarsprint, though the warrior rushed from the den quickly. Her ears flattened down and she looked to her paws, pelt hot. "S-Sorry- We just thought- I didn't mean to- I'm sorry-" Rosewater shuffled her paws, gulping down the thickening lump in her throat. She felt herself want to sink into the ground and disappear, feeling the Leader's gaze on her. Having already felt embarrassed due to her not being able to help because of her condition, being yelled at by the highest power of her Clan after breaking a rule only made it worse. "I won't do it again, I'm sorry." She lifted her gaze slightly, cowering into herself as she awaited Fallenstar's next bout of yelling, if there was one. Right now, it was only her and Fallenstar's glare in her mind.
"I only wanted to help..."

@Starfall @ItsATryp