ShadowClan Life Before Destruction

[Lilac]

Originally Posted by Doodle

(Thank you )

Mousenose tried a small smile, distractedly looking down at the sparrow. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her and she blinked in shock- she'd been so preoccupied with her own problems, she hadn't even thought to ask Timberwish how she'd been doing. Guilt coursed through her and she lowered her head slightly. "Oh, I haven't asked you how you're doing yourself," the molly exclaimed, tail waving behind her- a habit of hers when she was worried or stressed. "How rude of me to dump my problems on you without checking in on you first! I'm sorry, Timberwish. How have you been? You're not working yourself too hard, are you?" Her sister's words replayed over in the she-cat's head- what was Timberwish so preoccupied with when grabbing her meal? Was there something on her mind as well? Mousenose hated knowing she'd been so selfish, not considering her sister and putting her own problems first. No matter how stressed or upset she was feeling, she knew her life wasn't all bad. Surely others out there had it worse- and for all she knew, Timberwish could fall into that category. Mouse hoped she hadn't just added to her sister's problems.

She gave her littermate a quick look-over, trying to detect any signs of distress. Despite the small meal in front of Timberwish, she appeared to have been eating well, so that was a good sign. Mousenose was temporarily relieved, but her worry for her sister wouldn't completely leave her until Timber answered her questions. Distractedly, she tried to continue eating her meal, thinking ahead to their walk in the territory. She'd make sure it wasn't all about herself, that they spent time talking about the brown she-cat's life as well. Hopefully, that would make up for Mousenose's previous selfishness. She was worrying now, fretting about what was running through Timberwish's mind. Had her sister thought she was being downright rude and selfish with her venting? Mouse had to remember to put others first- she couldn't stand disappointing someone she cared for or respected, and her littermate fell into both categories. She shifted in her spot, resisting the urge to apologize for her previous actions again. Too much apologizing, and she'd just get on the other feline's nerves. She kept her maw firmly shut, waiting for Timber to respond so the cream molly could stop her worrying.

After her sister responded, Timberwish felt instantly terrible. Mousenose shouldn’t be worrying about her. That’s the last thing she wanted her to do. She was just adding to her problems. Timber knew she would have to choose her next words carefully. She wanted to tell her sister to not worry about her, but she didn’t want her to think she was pitying Mousenose’s issues. Think before you speak, she told herself. She felt like a kit with telling herself that. It was pathetic. “Nothing much has been going on with me. Just the usual. I stayed up too late last night. This morning I woke up late, and I was so shocked that I started rushing around thinking I was going to miss something. Then I remembered that I have nothing to do today. So it was just me being my usual crazy self, running around like a nut. Making a big deal out of nothing. No more late nights for me. That’s what had me preoccupied, it was no big deal. I’m not working myself to hard.” Timberwish said. She wanted to tell her that any troubles she may have aren’t as important or relevant, but again she didn’t want to offend her sister.

Then she realized she had forgotten to say something that could have made her sister feel better. She was so busy trying to assure Mousenose that nothing was wrong, that she had forgotten to assure her that she wasn’t being rude. Timberwish had to stop getting preoccupied. Maybe she deserved to feel pathetic, to feel like a kit. Her sister probably thought that she was being rude because Timberwish had said nothing. More and more guilt piled as this conversation went on. How much guilt could she stand? Snap out of it, your guilt won’t help her, she scolded herself. The longer you sit here thinking, the longer she feels worse. Again, she tried to pick her words carefully. “Oh and Mousenose, don’t worry. You’re not being one bit rude. And you’re not dumping your problems on me, I’m happy to listen. I’d do anything to help you. You’re my sister. I’ll always be there for you.” She said. She hoped that made her feel a little better. She wished that this was just a normal conversation. They could laugh and just openly talk like they used too. But that was before Tinyfuzz fell in love. Before everyone distanced themselves. Life was so easy back then. Little did they know that things would turn out this way. She wished she could go back, but she knew it wasn’t possible. They’d have to keep going.

She needed a way to change the subject. Timberwish needed another way to make her feel better. She needed one desperately. Then she had an idea for what else to talk about. Maybe it could even help Mousenose’s spirits! She just hoped she wouldn’t make things worse. She couldn’t bear doing that. This subject had the potential to either make her feel better, or make things worse. “Besides your problem, how are things going? I know this problem is huge for you, and I still won’t pry, but you have to be doing other things too. There’s so much more to you and your life.” She said. She stopped for a minute before adding on. “Oh and whenever you’re ready to go, I am. That sparrow was as terrible as I thought it’d be, just so you know.” She finished with a laugh. Her hope was that by getting Mousenose to talk she could remind her of all the good things in her life. Show her that her life was still great. And she hoped to make her laugh with the sparrow bit. But she wasn’t just lying about the last part, that sparrow was terrible.

[Arie]

Originally Posted by Doodle

Tuftbreeze shifted her eyes from the tom to the spider, then back to the tom again. Ravenvine. Now that he'd introduced himself, she was sure she'd at least heard his name before. "Well..." she paused, not sure how to respond to the tom's words. Before the molly could think of something to say in reassurance, as she was sure one was supposed to in this situation, Ravenvine spoke again. She nodded quickly, glad that he was moving behind her- while she could feel his presence behind her, at least he wasn't pressed up against her anymore. The molly reached a paw out, using it to squash the tiny spider. She wiped the dead thing from her paw, shaking it out afterwards to ensure it was clean. Tuft didn't exactly want to cleanse it with her tongue, as she knew the taste of spider and it wasn't desirable. "All gone," she announced, shifting to face the tom once more. "And I guess my introduction should match yours better, so let me try again. Tuftbreeze- the antisocial outcast." She tried a smile again, the gesture coming out more as a grimace. Still, she was proud of herself for that line. It sounded pretty clever, at least to her.

{I'm already fawning over these two is it weird?}

Ravenvine pulled a grimace as well. "Guess we're the clan outcasts I guess?" He tried to put a bit of amusement into it yet his voice went flat, anger flashing in his tired voice. He nodded towards the tree, "Thank you for cleaning off the pest. I'll sleep more comfortable under the cover of trees now." He stood up from behind her and padded towards the spot he had sat at. He then nodded towards the prey that Tuftbreeze still hadn't eaten. "You wanna share that? I can get out and get something else if not, it's fine." His last words were rushed and he looked down embarrassed and started to get back to his work of weaving the branches around his nest, and shelter for a few days, until it broke down and he would have to find a new spot and make a new plan.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Lilac

After her sister responded, Timberwish felt instantly terrible. Mousenose shouldn’t be worrying about her. That’s the last thing she wanted her to do. She was just adding to her problems. Timber knew she would have to choose her next words carefully. She wanted to tell her sister to not worry about her, but she didn’t want her to think she was pitying Mousenose’s issues. Think before you speak, she told herself. She felt like a kit with telling herself that. It was pathetic. “Nothing much has been going on with me. Just the usual. I stayed up too late last night. This morning I woke up late, and I was so shocked that I started rushing around thinking I was going to miss something. Then I remembered that I have nothing to do today. So it was just me being my usual crazy self, running around like a nut. Making a big deal out of nothing. No more late nights for me. That’s what had me preoccupied, it was no big deal. I’m not working myself to hard.” Timberwish said. She wanted to tell her that any troubles she may have aren’t as important or relevant, but again she didn’t want to offend her sister.

Then she realized she had forgotten to say something that could have made her sister feel better. She was so busy trying to assure Mousenose that nothing was wrong, that she had forgotten to assure her that she wasn’t being rude. Timberwish had to stop getting preoccupied. Maybe she deserved to feel pathetic, to feel like a kit. Her sister probably thought that she was being rude because Timberwish had said nothing. More and more guilt piled as this conversation went on. How much guilt could she stand? Snap out of it, your guilt won’t help her, she scolded herself. The longer you sit here thinking, the longer she feels worse. Again, she tried to pick her words carefully. “Oh and Mousenose, don’t worry. You’re not being one bit rude. And you’re not dumping your problems on me, I’m happy to listen. I’d do anything to help you. You’re my sister. I’ll always be there for you.” She said. She hoped that made her feel a little better. She wished that this was just a normal conversation. They could laugh and just openly talk like they used too. But that was before Tinyfuzz fell in love. Before everyone distanced themselves. Life was so easy back then. Little did they know that things would turn out this way. She wished she could go back, but she knew it wasn’t possible. They’d have to keep going.

She needed a way to change the subject. Timberwish needed another way to make her feel better. She needed one desperately. Then she had an idea for what else to talk about. Maybe it could even help Mousenose’s spirits! She just hoped she wouldn’t make things worse. She couldn’t bear doing that. This subject had the potential to either make her feel better, or make things worse. “Besides your problem, how are things going? I know this problem is huge for you, and I still won’t pry, but you have to be doing other things too. There’s so much more to you and your life.” She said. She stopped for a minute before adding on. “Oh and whenever you’re ready to go, I am. That sparrow was as terrible as I thought it’d be, just so you know.” She finished with a laugh. Her hope was that by getting Mousenose to talk she could remind her of all the good things in her life. Show her that her life was still great. And she hoped to make her laugh with the sparrow bit. But she wasn’t just lying about the last part, that sparrow was terrible.

Mousenose listened carefully, gaze almost too intent on Timberwish as she had promised herself to pay more attention to her sister and put less on herself. She actually managed a smile at her sister's story. "Sounds just like you, Timber," she teased with a slight purr. "I'm glad you're alright, though." She wouldn't tell her sister not to stay out late anymore, because for one she didn't want to nag, and secondly the brown molly had already said herself she wouldn't be doing that again. Mousenose understood why she'd want to stay out so late, though. At night, everything was quieter and had the illusion of being peaceful. It soothed her nerves, cleared her normally occupied mind. Mouse was never able to stay up too late, though, always afraid of doing exactly what Timber had done and oversleeping. She'd feel awful, neglecting her duties because of her own leisure time, so it was rare for her to be found out of camp late.

At her sister's next words, mouse gave an appreciative smile. "Thank you. It means a lot, really." For the moment, she'd allow herself to believe that Timberwish really would be beside her forever. The awful voice in the back of her head still managed to whisper it's evil thoughts, however, the thoughts that reminded Mouse of her sister's agreeance to Peachfuzz's ideals when the whole ordeal had started. Timberwish might not feel the same way after their walk as she did now, and Mousenose became even more determined to make the most of their chat now. If this was her last time where she'd be on good terms with her sister, then the grey molly would make it a lovely experience- up until the spilling of her secret. "It's the same way for you to me, you know. I'm always here for you, no matter what." Even if Timber did decide to shut her out after finding out Mouse's attraction to mollies, she'd still happily be there for her should she ever decide to rebuild the bridge between them. Mousenose could never turn her back on her littermate- she'd always felt more so close to Timberwish than her other siblings. But it wasn't just Timber; the molly didn't think she'd have it in her to turn away from any of her family- her blood relatives, of course. Icing Peachfuzz out would be too easy for Mouse to do.

At Timber's further inquiry, the molly found herself frowning again. How was she doing? "Honestly... life's been a wreck. Crow and I haven't been speaking." To everyone in the clan, Crowheart was Mousenose's known mate. To her, though, he was her best friend, the only cat she'd told her secret to. He'd accepted her then, but Mouse couldn't help but wonder if his silence and avoidance of her was a way to tell her that he really wasn't fine. It made no sense to her, as when she'd first came out, he'd vowed to support her no matter who she liked, and he'd seemed to genuinely mean it. What could've changed his views so suddenly? The molly had no clue, only knowing that things for sure weren't fine between the two best friends. Could she even call him her best friend anymore? Mousenose turned her attention back onto Timber's meal, mustering up a small laugh. "It does look pretty awful," she agreed, stretching her paws in front of her before pushing herself up off the ground. Her green eyes glanced down at her sister, tilting her head in the direction of the camp's exit. "Let's go, then?

Originally Posted by Arié

{I'm already fawning over these two is it weird?}

Ravenvine pulled a grimace as well. "Guess we're the clan outcasts I guess?" He tried to put a bit of amusement into it yet his voice went flat, anger flashing in his tired voice. He nodded towards the tree, "Thank you for cleaning off the pest. I'll sleep more comfortable under the cover of trees now." He stood up from behind her and padded towards the spot he had sat at. He then nodded towards the prey that Tuftbreeze still hadn't eaten. "You wanna share that? I can get out and get something else if not, it's fine." His last words were rushed and he looked down embarrassed and started to get back to his work of weaving the branches around his nest, and shelter for a few days, until it broke down and he would have to find a new spot and make a new plan.

(Hehe not at all! I'm right there with you!)

"I guess so," Tuftbreeze agreed, voice having just around the same amount of enthusiasm about the fact that the tom's had. Not exactly something for the two to celebrate, but they could pull some jokes out of it. Jokes made situations better, didn't they? Tuftbreeze thought they did- or, at least, when she was around others they seemed to giggle more in awkward or uncomfortable situations. So surely a good laugh was important in making a conversation better. The molly blinked, watching Ravenvine as he walked back to his previous spot. She simply nodded at his thanks, mind caught up in what he had said- he'd sleep more comfortable? He didn't sleep in the warrior den, like everyone else? She didn't comment, at least not yet, despite the curiosity burning her mind. "Oh! Sure- here, you can have the first bite." Was she rude for not offering the prey to him, first? She wasn't sure how the etiquette was when approaching another with food, and it wasn't like she'd purposely approached the black cat anyways. She tried not to let herself worry about it- he didn't seem offended, at least. Instead, she focused herself back on the nest that Ravenvine seemed to be making. "You sleep out here?" She questioned, though not in a judging tone, because she wasn't judging him for not wanting to sleep in the warriors den. It was crowded in there, the amount of cats inside making it even hotter during Greenleaf and even more uncomfortable for Tuftbreeze, who didn't like being around cats anyways. She wasn't sure why she hadn't thought of sleeping somewhere else instead, maybe because she hadn't seen any other warrior sleeping anywhere else until now.

[Arie]

Originally Posted by Doodle

(Hehe not at all! I'm right there with you!)

"I guess so," Tuftbreeze agreed, voice having just around the same amount of enthusiasm about the fact that the tom's had. Not exactly something for the two to celebrate, but they could pull some jokes out of it. Jokes made situations better, didn't they? Tuftbreeze thought they did- or, at least, when she was around others they seemed to giggle more in awkward or uncomfortable situations. So surely a good laugh was important in making a conversation better. The molly blinked, watching Ravenvine as he walked back to his previous spot. She simply nodded at his thanks, mind caught up in what he had said- he'd sleep more comfortable? He didn't sleep in the warrior den, like everyone else? She didn't comment, at least not yet, despite the curiosity burning her mind. "Oh! Sure- here, you can have the first bite." Was she rude for not offering the prey to him, first? She wasn't sure how the etiquette was when approaching another with food, and it wasn't like she'd purposely approached the black cat anyways. She tried not to let herself worry about it- he didn't seem offended, at least. Instead, she focused herself back on the nest that Ravenvine seemed to be making. "You sleep out here?" She questioned, though not in a judging tone, because she wasn't judging him for not wanting to sleep in the warriors den. It was crowded in there, the amount of cats inside making it even hotter during Greenleaf and even more uncomfortable for Tuftbreeze, who didn't like being around cats anyways. She wasn't sure why she hadn't thought of sleeping somewhere else instead, maybe because she hadn't seen any other warrior sleeping anywhere else until now.

Ravenvine nodded and sighed, "I do sleep outside, I don't see to well in the den with all the others. And I won't risk my good eye getting poked out by an accident." As he looked at the prey and smelled it he pushed it toward Tuftbreeze, exaggerating the movement. "You caught it, you get first bite." He paused and looked at the woven nest and a smile crossed his muzzle. He was happy, it seemed well done and it would allow him to gaze at the stars of the Silverbelt. "I prefer it out here... so free, calm and no noise. To add to the fact being claustrophobic doesn't exactly help me either, so this is the best solution that doesn't cut me completely off from the clan." He stepped in the nest and laid down, and then looked up at the stiff sitting female, "Get in here...If you want. I just think, that maybe.." he paused and then continued, "it would be more comfortable for you and that I owe you for killing the spider and sharing your prey. If you ever need help to build something, find me. I don't want to brag but I think its likely that I'm the best nest weaver in the clan."

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Arié

Ravenvine nodded and sighed, "I do sleep outside, I don't see to well in the den with all the others. And I won't risk my good eye getting poked out by an accident." As he looked at the prey and smelled it he pushed it toward Tuftbreeze, exaggerating the movement. "You caught it, you get first bite." He paused and looked at the woven nest and a smile crossed his muzzle. He was happy, it seemed well done and it would allow him to gaze at the stars of the Silverbelt. "I prefer it out here... so free, calm and no noise. To add to the fact being claustrophobic doesn't exactly help me either, so this is the best solution that doesn't cut me completely off from the clan." He stepped in the nest and laid down, and then looked up at the stiff sitting female, "Get in here...If you want. I just think, that maybe.." he paused and then continued, "it would be more comfortable for you and that I owe you for killing the spider and sharing your prey. If you ever need help to build something, find me. I don't want to brag but I think its likely that I'm the best nest weaver in the clan."

Tuftbreeze paused, staring down at the cardinal before plucking a few feathers to take a bite. She chewed, pushing the bird back over to Ravenvine before swallowing her bite. "I didn't catch this one," she admitted with a flick of her tail. "I feel... weird? Or maybe just uncomfortable... eating prey that I catch. It's like, anything I catch I feel I should give to the clan, so I don't eat what I catch." She tried to explain herself, hoping she wouldn't come off as weird to the tom. Though, if there was anyone she shouldn't worry about being different around, it was probably the half-blind, spider-fearing cat next to her. The molly nodded when Raven explained himself. "I get it." And she did. She almost wanted to sleep out here as well, but she wasn't sure if Ravenvine would be upset with her taking over his place. She'd hate to be a bother. At the tom's next suggestion, her ears perked in surprise. Tuftbreeze eyed the nest- it did look well made, but she wasn't sure if he'd be uncomfortable with her so close to him. Never one to refuse anything asked of her, though, the molly nodded. "Alright," she murmured, moving to settle in beside Raven. "Let me know if you get claustrophobic, though. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable." She paused for a few heartbeats, before commenting on something the tom had said. "Perhaps you could help me, actually. I think it'd be nice to be out here rather than the warriors den... I get uncomfortable around so many cats, and the heat is almost unbearable." She turned her head to the black tom, gaze resting on him for a moment before flitting away once more. "Only if you wouldn't mind, though. I wouldn't want to intrude."

[Arie]

Originally Posted by Doodle

Tuftbreeze paused, staring down at the cardinal before plucking a few feathers to take a bite. She chewed, pushing the bird back over to Ravenvine before swallowing her bite. "I didn't catch this one," she admitted with a flick of her tail. "I feel... weird? Or maybe just uncomfortable... eating prey that I catch. It's like, anything I catch I feel I should give to the clan, so I don't eat what I catch." She tried to explain herself, hoping she wouldn't come off as weird to the tom. Though, if there was anyone she shouldn't worry about being different around, it was probably the half-blind, spider-fearing cat next to her. The molly nodded when Raven explained himself. "I get it." And she did. She almost wanted to sleep out here as well, but she wasn't sure if Ravenvine would be upset with her taking over his place. She'd hate to be a bother. At the tom's next suggestion, her ears perked in surprise. Tuftbreeze eyed the nest- it did look well made, but she wasn't sure if he'd be uncomfortable with her so close to him. Never one to refuse anything asked of her, though, the molly nodded. "Alright," she murmured, moving to settle in beside Raven. "Let me know if you get claustrophobic, though. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable." She paused for a few heartbeats, before commenting on something the tom had said. "Perhaps you could help me, actually. I think it'd be nice to be out here rather than the warriors den... I get uncomfortable around so many cats, and the heat is almost unbearable." She turned her head to the black tom, gaze resting on him for a moment before flitting away once more. "Only if you wouldn't mind, though. I wouldn't want to intrude."

Ravenvine nodded, a soft smile playing as he leaned over and took a bite out of the bird. For some reason, it did not bother him, being this close to another. It could have to do with the half open walls, allowing for the breeze to flow in and out without it getting moist and humid inside. As she took him up on the offer he actually smiled. "It would be my pleasure. Few asks for help when they need it and you, you seem independent, and..." he poked at her, his eyes for once glittering with amusement, "I hope it did not wound your pride too much." His eyes were still glittering as he took yet another bite and then started to groom himself, only to realise that he had somehow mistaken the fur, - his good eye being turned away - and quickly stopped and lifted his head, looking into her eyes for some time. He then, to hide his embarrassment began to lick at his own fur - this time, making sure that it was his own.

{I'm off for bed, but just reply :3 I love these soo much, just like I loved RPing my Breezefeather (who sadly is in a pause unless I decide to pick him up again and start a new family) - but their dynamic just seem to work, the soft hints and the careful prodding}

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Arié

Ravenvine nodded, a soft smile playing as he leaned over and took a bite out of the bird. For some reason, it did not bother him, being this close to another. It could have to do with the half open walls, allowing for the breeze to flow in and out without it getting moist and humid inside. As she took him up on the offer he actually smiled. "It would be my pleasure. Few asks for help when they need it and you, you seem independent, and..." he poked at her, his eyes for once glittering with amusement, "I hope it did not wound your pride too much." His eyes were still glittering as he took yet another bite and then started to groom himself, only to realise that he had somehow mistaken the fur, - his good eye being turned away - and quickly stopped and lifted his head, looking into her eyes for some time. He then, to hide his embarrassment began to lick at his own fur - this time, making sure that it was his own.

{I'm off for bed, but just reply :3 I love these soo much, just like I loved RPing my Breezefeather (who sadly is in a pause unless I decide to pick him up again and start a new family) - but their dynamic just seem to work, the soft hints and the careful prodding}

(Sleep well! Yes they definitely seem to work well together )

Tuftbreeze gave a bit of an embarrassed laugh. "Oh! No, not at all. It's not pride that keeps me from asking for help, more like..." Once more, she scrambled to find the right word. Her ears had flicked back in her flustered state. Ravenvine thought she was independent? That was a good thing, at least she thought so, and she wondered if the rest of the clan saw her this way as well or if they only saw her as awkward and quiet. "Too embarrassed, or shy." She smiled at the tom, this time not grimacing as she did so despite the fact that she was aware of how awkward she had been in her explanation. She felt more easy around the tom, mostly because he seemed to be at ease with her as well. The molly blinked when he began to groom her fur, but it became apparent to her that he'd mistaken her own fur for his- which she couldn't blame him for, given his bad eye and the fact that the black bits of her coat did blend into his. Tuft picked up on the fact that her newfound friend was embarrassed, despite the fact that he was trying to hide it. She made a risky move in the effort to make him feel relaxed once more, not wanting it to become weird between the two- it had just become smooth, and she didn't want to loose this feeling of ease between them. Stooping her head down, she gave his fur a few licks before glancing up at him with humor swirling in her eyes, leaning back and lifting a paw to groom it, happy that it didn't taste of the spider she'd killed for Ravenvine earlier.

[SuspiciousMindz]

@Calgary

Pearldance listened with intently to the tom's words. She'd never heard of the Jaybird story before. This was the first time for her and it left her a little astonished. She looked away momentarily to think about that idea. While it was just an Elders' tale, she found it interesting. Her icy hues looked back up towards the tom as the bird was passed back towards her. She blinked at him gratefully before the emotions in her eyes shifted dramatically.

Her mate. Onyxheart. He'd gone missing from the clan recently and it wasn't unnoticed considering he happened to be the son of the evil leader, Blazingnight. Her choice of mate wasn't very approved, but he was a kind tom compared to his family members. She met a sad gaze to that of his before looking away at the defeathered bird before her. Pearldance gave him a soft shrug of her shoulders, sniffing at the bird.

[SuspiciousMindz]

Originally Posted by king kaleb!

daydream eyed flashpaw,"theres nothing to prepare, the queen just chews it into a thick pulp and swallows it. just trim the stems so its just the flower." the medicine cat explained. he trusted flashpaw to be able to prepare it, turning to pearldance with a gentle smile. they always had a soft spot for queens, their sarcastic nature seems to have never existed when around them. they placed their paw gently on her stomach at first, seeing if they could feel any movement against heir paws before pressing in. and they could, they felt little jolts of kicks. "Im going to guess you have maybe..less than a moon before your kits are born. when its to the point that you can feel movement of the kits without pushing too much pressure they are soon to be born." daydream explained out loud so flashpaw could catch their words. they pressed their paw a bit harder,"sorry if you feel any pressure, just nod if it hurts at all."

Originally Posted by blue jellie

Growing a little embarrassed by the reply from her mentor, Flashpaw flicked her tail in response and began to clip the stems from the base of the flower so they dropped to the floor and into a meager pile. She felt a bit discouraged by her rookie mistake, but she shoved it away, focusing instead on the task at hand. Despite her growing knowledge, she wasn't an expert yet, especially considering her slower learning style. The feline was also a little confused as to why Daydream didn't answer her last question. She would have to ask them later, if they weren't busy.

The queen's eyes shone at Daydream's words. Less than a moon! The excitement, but the anticipation! She couldn't wait. She didn't mind the feline pressing down on her stomach, just as long as they didn't hurt her kits, she would hold still and do as said. As her head turned towards Flashpaw, she blinked a few times listening to them talk for a moment. Flashpaw was busy doing as Daydream asked so she waited until the herbs were dropped before her to chew them like Daydream had said.

[Lilac]

Originally Posted by Doodle

Mousenose listened carefully, gaze almost too intent on Timberwish as she had promised herself to pay more attention to her sister and put less on herself. She actually managed a smile at her sister's story. "Sounds just like you, Timber," she teased with a slight purr. "I'm glad you're alright, though." She wouldn't tell her sister not to stay out late anymore, because for one she didn't want to nag, and secondly the brown molly had already said herself she wouldn't be doing that again. Mousenose understood why she'd want to stay out so late, though. At night, everything was quieter and had the illusion of being peaceful. It soothed her nerves, cleared her normally occupied mind. Mouse was never able to stay up too late, though, always afraid of doing exactly what Timber had done and oversleeping. She'd feel awful, neglecting her duties because of her own leisure time, so it was rare for her to be found out of camp late.

At her sister's next words, mouse gave an appreciative smile. "Thank you. It means a lot, really." For the moment, she'd allow herself to believe that Timberwish really would be beside her forever. The awful voice in the back of her head still managed to whisper it's evil thoughts, however, the thoughts that reminded Mouse of her sister's agreeance to Peachfuzz's ideals when the whole ordeal had started. Timberwish might not feel the same way after their walk as she did now, and Mousenose became even more determined to make the most of their chat now. If this was her last time where she'd be on good terms with her sister, then the grey molly would make it a lovely experience- up until the spilling of her secret. "It's the same way for you to me, you know. I'm always here for you, no matter what." Even if Timber did decide to shut her out after finding out Mouse's attraction to mollies, she'd still happily be there for her should she ever decide to rebuild the bridge between them. Mousenose could never turn her back on her littermate- she'd always felt more so close to Timberwish than her other siblings. But it wasn't just Timber; the molly didn't think she'd have it in her to turn away from any of her family- her blood relatives, of course. Icing Peachfuzz out would be too easy for Mouse to do.

At Timber's further inquiry, the molly found herself frowning again. How was she doing? "Honestly... life's been a wreck. Crow and I haven't been speaking." To everyone in the clan, Crowheart was Mousenose's known mate. To her, though, he was her best friend, the only cat she'd told her secret to. He'd accepted her then, but Mouse couldn't help but wonder if his silence and avoidance of her was a way to tell her that he really wasn't fine. It made no sense to her, as when she'd first came out, he'd vowed to support her no matter who she liked, and he'd seemed to genuinely mean it. What could've changed his views so suddenly? The molly had no clue, only knowing that things for sure weren't fine between the two best friends. Could she even call him her best friend anymore? Mousenose turned her attention back onto Timber's meal, mustering up a small laugh. "It does look pretty awful," she agreed, stretching her paws in front of her before pushing herself up off the ground. Her green eyes glanced down at her sister, tilting her head in the direction of the camp's exit. "Let's go, then?

Timberwish laughed at her sister’s response. That was just like her. She was always up late doing something. She kept up with her warrior duties, but in her free time she was always out wandering the territory. Sometimes with a friend, but most of the time alone. She never got tired of it, there was always something new to see. It was her way of clearing her head, letting off any steam. It was her happy place, where she could let her imagine run wild. She never thought she was too old to be who she was. Then time would get away from her. But she needed to learn when to stop before it started affecting her warrior duties. It had happened this morning, and who was to say something like it wouldn’t happen again? “I know. I need to work on my time management skills. And I suppose my responsibility in this case. Be happy you got the good-at-time-management gene. Who’d I get the bad one from?” She said with a laugh.

When Mousenose mentioned her mate, Timberwish’s heart sunk. Her heart ached for her. She wanted to personally deal with Crowheart for making her sister feel this way. On top of her troubles, this couldn’t be helping her state. She had always remembered them being together. She had always been jealous of how great of a friendship Mousenose had, and wished she had one just as good. For so long they had been best friends, and Timberwish had been ecstatic when they had announced that they had become mates. For the first time, it occurred to her that they must’ve never really been mates in the first place. It had been an act all along. Timberwish understood why she had lied, but she was a little hurt by the deception. She tried not to take it seriously. She realized too that Crowheart had known about Mousenoseks sexuality all along. Again she understood why her and her family hadn’t been the first to know, but she couldn’t help but feel jealous. She wished she could’ve been that first shoulder to lean on, to help her sister. “Oh, Mousenose, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. He’ll come back around though. You guys have been friends for so long, and he wouldn’t throw that away. And if he doesn’t come back to you, he’s just missing out.” She pondered why he had so suddenly stopped talking to to her though. It baffled her, given their history. But if it was because of her sexuality, she have a hard time not raking her claws against his pelt the next time she saw him.

As her sister spoke again, she laughed. She probably thought Timberwish was being ridiculous, but it really wasn’t good. “It was not good, no exaggeration. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get that taste out of my mouth. What are the birds eating these days? They need a better diet.” She said. As soon as Mousenose finished her food, Timberwish felt energy flowing through her veins. She couldn’t wait to get out of camp and into the territory. She would have to resist losing herself in the landscape. And better yet, she got to take her sister with her. Could it get any better? “I’ll have to show you all of my favorite spots. I’m out there so much, and there’s so much to see!” She said, excitement radiating off of her. She was anxious to get going. Quickly, she was up and on her paws. “Come on, come on! Get up, no time to waste! We’re burning daylight here!” She said. She was practically bouncing. She knew she was probably acting and looking like a kit, but she couldn’t care less what anyone watching was thinking. “Let’s go!” She said. She tried to contain her excitement as she started towards the entrance, but couldn’t. She broke into a run and was soon out of camp.

(I guess we switch to the territory now?)