RiverClan Leader's Den

[Fawn]

@Lunacross

"Yeah," he agreed, a scoff in his meow, "that won't be happening literally." Cakeless was fairly sure he couldn't physically move Bucknight at all, much less pick him up if he'd fallen over, though it would be a humorous endeavor.

Stealing him for his heat sounded like the most obvious excuse he'd ever heard, yet he went with it. "Wouldn't you rather have a bigger warrior? Or one with more fluff. In fact, you might have to kick me out, because I think I'm absorbing a larger amount of warmth than what I'm giving you," Cakeless warned. "Might want to considering bringing in someone more suitable for the job.

"This is sufficing," he responded, as it was just as comfortable as his own nest, if not more so given the presence of Bucknight. "My nest isn't as nice as this. I don't have apprentices at my beck and call to reline it with feathers and moss everyday." The idea of late night excursions warranted a questioning glance at him to ask, "You haven't had enough for one evening? No," he snickered, laying his head against Bucknight once again, "I'm not going anywhere unless you're willing to carry me."

[BEAR.]

@Raywood

"I'll just stick to my figurative dreams," Bucknight hummed, brushing his nose against Cakeless's ear. He wasn't a light cat; a trait he attributed due to the near-constant supply of fish RiverClan contained access to, and the most he expected from Cakeless when it came to moving him was maybe being dragged.

"Well," he murmured, "you feel wonderfully cozy right now. I don't think have much body heat to give you at the moment, unfortunately." Dying, even momentarily, had a tendency of robbing one of warmth. It was Cakeless that provided him with welcomed body heat, and he wiggled to wrap his body around his smaller frame. "Nah, you're doing splendidly."

The response merited a chuckle, as normally he didn't waste time by having apprentices make his bed. That was a job better suited for the worthless cats that refused to recognize his rightful leadership. "Nope," he said, "if ThunderClan burns, it can't exactly be done during the day." They'd be spotted instantly. "You're small enough that carrying you shouldn't be an issue. Not that I plan on it anytime soon."

[Fawn]

@Lunacross

While he was glad Bucknight was against the idea of removing him from the premises, it wasn't as if he'd honestly believed he would do so to begin with since it'd be an awkward request to make. "Don't want to be the creepy warrior sitting around camp, hoping a fluffy cat will line your nest and keep you warm until sunhigh?" As terrible as it'd be, he came to the realization he really wanted to see that. Dismissively, Cakeless joked, "Been there, done that, and I can guarantee this is a much better approach."

Allowing his tail to intertwine with Bucknight's, he reveled in the warmth of having his larger companion surrounding him and closed his eyes. "Then we're not going anywhere else," Cakeless mumbled in clarification as Bucknight decided he wouldn't be carrying him anytime soon. "If I started walking for myself, I might lose my status as a the laziest member of RiverClan." Couldn't have that happening.

"Shouldn't you be resting after all that?" he asked, not with a lot of conviction. If Bucknight didn't feel the urge to sleep, he wouldn't force him. Sarcastically, he added, "Unless losing a life just fills you with energy."

[BEAR.]

@Raywood

"Am I not already the creepy warrior sitting around camp, waiting for my next fluffy victim to warm my nest??" Bucknight's expression twisted into something of mock horror. "I must not be trying hard enough." Amused, he responded, "Is it? Apparently you're not on the fluffy side of the spectrum, so I'm not sure this is the best approach to getting a fluffy cat to keep me warm."

Comfortable with the heat of Cake's body, Bucknight rested his chin atop his head. "Wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, we can't have you losing your spot as the laziest RiverClan cat." Or clan cat. He couldn't imagine another cat out-lazing him, and he didn't want to.

"Technically, I am resting," he hummed. "Though, I admittedly do feel exhausted. Losing a life just fills you with fatigue - an' I think I have blood loss to thank for that." Their ancestors couldn't pump the blood he lost back into his body. "Didn't want to cut our discussion short for something I could makeup later." Omitting from sleep now and waking up later in the day was a small price to pay for talking to his partner.

[Fawn]

@Lunacross

Cakeless laughed easily, "You are, but I was trying to be generous for once in my life and give you a chance to deny it." Apparently, the statement was too true for even Bucknight to bother protesting, or maybe the RiverClan leader was reaching similar depths of laziness as himself. At least he had an excuse to be tired. "Yeah, right. You make it sound as if you're choosing me from a pool of eager warriors but be honest, I'm the only one who would share a nest with you."

Ears flattening for a second in mock exasperation, he was annoyed but allowed it to slide when Bucknight claimed that he was technically resting. "I would be here when you wake up, you know. I'm not planning to go anywhere." Bucknight should understand that better than anyone. "But if you would rather talk to me until you pass out from exhaustion, we can do that too," Cakeless offered nonchalantly but briefly nuzzled the other tom, resuming his comfortable, intertwined position with him.

Although Cakeless was physically drained from the encounter with the fox, he wasn't quite ready to sleep (though he figured he could), since doing nothing tended to be the majority of his day and didn't leave him with a desire to sleep come moonhigh.

[BEAR.]

@Raywood

"You're not wrong," Bucknight chuckled. "With how villainous I am for succeeding Otterstar at such a young age. Even though she chose me to be her deputy." A shrug disturbed his otherwise still form, and he was happy to reciprocate the nuzzle. How their clanmates pictured him didn't matter; Bucknight knew the truth, and if they weren't willing to listen, so be it. A lack of support didn't mean he couldn't efficiently lead the clan.

There was never any doubt Cakeless wouldn't be by his side when he awoke, but he appreciated the assurance regardless. The fight had left him drained, exhaustion dragging him down, and with his head on his, Bucknight's eyes slipped closed. Being with the other male brought a sense of tranquility, and the young leader knew there was no one else he'd rather spend his life with.

"Mm, would rather talk to you until I'm engulfed." His words were becoming slow, languid as drowsiness crept over his still-bloodied form. "Was - kinda close today." Bucknight was referring to how Cake had been in the fox's grasp, struggling to break free from its jaws. It would've been easy for that fox to puncture a major vein. "I don't know what I'd do if that fox hadn't let you go."

[Fawn]

@Lunacross

"Maybe you just looked old to her," Cakeless muttered, however he figured Bucknight would know he was teasing since it wasn't as if he truly believed it'd been an error on Otterstar's part to leave RiverClan to Bucknight. He was young, but that didn't mean he wasn't doing well in the position. There seemed to be hushed whispers and quick gripes about his supposed lack of ability circulating around the camp, yet he hadn't demonstrated anything of the sort, instead strengthening RiverClan's power as a whole.

Comforted by the way Bucknight's form relaxed and his breathing slowed, Cakeless let his body conform, melting against his companion's until his sleepy mind didn't know--or care--where he stopped and where Bucknight began.

The drowsiness was endearing, and he found a similar urge to rest seeping into his bones, even though he hadn't done much to warrant exhaustion. "Yeah, it was pretty close," he replied before knowing what he was referring to. "You almost got romantically involved with a lazy, incompetent warrior. Good thing you side-stepped that. ..Oh, wait."

When Bucknight clarified what he was talking about, Cakeless thought for a moment. "Any normal cat would run, but a mouse-brain like you probably would have tried to rescue me."

[BEAR.]

@Raywood

"Nah," he murmured, although he was fully aware of his teasing. "Well. She was gettin' a bit up there, so who knows, maybe her eyesight was going out of whack." There was some affection to his words, a distant memory of the former leader visiting the nursery as deputy. Otterstar's friendship with Wateredge brought along several visits, the brown havana taking on an honorary aunt role. It had been a surprise when she selected him to be her deputy, but he had accepted the private proposition without a second thought. With her demise soon following, he was glad he did. Aukstrike had been a failure of a deputy; abandoning his clan and family, and leaving Otterstar with little cats she could trust.

Faintly chortling at his mate's comment, he nuzzled his head. "You're far from incompetent, dear." Without Cakeless being by his side, Bucknight was aware he wouldn't have survived the fox. The moment he'd been thrown off had been the end. "And you say the rest like it's a bad thing. I already knew you were lazy before -- it doesn't change how I feel."

Weariness was overcoming him, and he could feel himself drifting away to the edges of sleep. ".. wouldn't have done much, would it? .." he sighed into him, voice somewhat slurred from the urge to rest. Try as he might to save Cakeless, there wasn't much he could do if the fox refused to release its grip. Relaxed and content beside Cakeless, Bucknight settled, finally enveloped by the depths of sleep.

[Fawn]

@Lunacross

When Bucknight called him "far from incompetent," Cakeless couldn't help but reflexively retort, "Obviously you haven't spent enough time with me." If Bucknight honestly believed he had an ounce of competence in him, he either walked around with his eyes closed or only chose to see the positive in his more-than-friend. Thinking back to his comment, he supposed there was no set amount of time as "enough" when it came to Bucknight, as it always seemed their conversations were cut short even if they had lasted hours. It was a strange sort of yearning that he lacked the vocabulary describe, but he reminded himself they could carry on where they'd left off later after they'd gotten some much-deserved sleep.

"Oh, thanks," he snickered sarcastically but it was subdued with the desire to nap drifting into him, "I'm so appreciative of how you look past my laziness to cherish the cat I am inside." Already, his focus was wandering aimlessly, and he was becoming less aware of what he was saying by the minute. "Prob'ly not." A tired mind tried to picture the scenario but upon realizing he didn't want to witness that gruesome event, he shifted his attention solely to Bucknight.

But that was proving to be a challenge as drowsiness lapped at him, soon washing over Cakeless completely and dragging him under in its wake. His breathing became deeper, chest rising and falling rhythmically as the young feline succumbed to the increasing urge to rest.

[Empress Of Evil]

@fenic!
Cloudrain approached the leader's den slowly, hoping Russetstar would be in there. Peering through the entrance, her icy hues searched through the dimness of the den, looking for the tabby cat. She had seen her friend walking into the leaders den earlier and had decided to go have a chat with him. "Hey Russet, you there?", Cloudrain asked, searching for a figure through the darkness. Not being able to spot anything, she decided to just pad forward and sit down, wrapping her tail around her paws neatly. She wondered how long sh would have to wait till her friend came, or maybe he was in the den and just blending in with the dark. Cloudrain planned on congratulating her best friend on his well earnt position. She knew he deserved it and he would lead RiverClan to be the great clan it once was. The clan it was before Bucknight came along and ruined everything. Things seemed more peaceful then it was before and every clan was rising up to the status that they were once at. Cloudrain's mind started to wander off to some thoughts that included the new clan. SkyClan. Was SkyClan new? Or had it been a clan for ages? She had many questions about the new clan, but she wasn't going to get much info on them from her clanmates.