[Jayvines]

 

Originally Posted by Sp00k3z

Now we wait. She said, her plan going perfectly. She hid in the darkest corner of the room
@Jayvines

Padding into her den with a yawn, Sparrowstar barely glanced around the confines of the sandy place as she bee-lined towards her nest. Today had been rather taxing, so she wished only for a brief cat-nap before heading back out for the evening.

There was... a rather odd smell in the den, but it wasn't particularly strong or abrasive so without further ado the tan molly flopped backwards into her nest... However, it wasn't delightfully comfy moss that had been carefully crafted by her friend that her side collided with, rather several uncomfortably pointy things jabbed into her pelt.

With a startled and slightly disgruntled chirp, Sparrowstar attempted to roll off of the uncomfortable things within the moss, only to find that... the moss was sticking to her fur??? Peeling herself (and a good amount of her nest) back into a standing position, she quickly turned back to her ruined bed in confusion.

Had... had someone put... honey in there???

A quick sniff and a prod of her paw confirmed her suspicions, but also uncovered a pawful of pinecones that definitely hadn't been in her nest when she left it at dawn. Green eyes swiftly glanced about the den for clues before landing on a slightly kit-looking shadow in the back corner.

Should she reprimand them? Laugh? Honestly, she was just too tired to muster any anger right now...

Huffing a sigh as she turned back to the entrance, she began to speak slightly louder than normal as she headed back out of the den.

"Stars above, I'm going to have to freeze my paws off in the creek to wash this off. Hopefully whatever prankster decided to trap my nest will be able to enlist some help in replacing the moss before I get back..."

Paws-crossed they would, because she was going to be more than a bit disgruntled if she returned to the spiky, goopy mess that currently resembled a lopsided birds nest still sitting in her den.

Not wasting another moment, the (now coated in honey and moss) molly padded back out and off to attempt to clean herself up.

[ You are welcome to bring in another cat to help replace the nest, or simply leave it and escape ]

 

Originally Posted by jupiter

(did a timeskip to morning, if that was okay?) @Jayvines

For once, the kit slept through the night. No screaming, no crying, no nightmares, nothing. She was warm and comfy, instead laying on her ratty nest out in the cold, she was burrowed up next to Sparrowstar. Fireflykit blinked her dreary eyes. It was a little after dawn- she tended to naturally wake up this early, since she was usually woken up anyways by patrols and stuff.

Waiting until the she saw the leader stir and eventually open her eyes too, the tortie sat up so that she was sitting a little further away from the leader, so that the tabby could... stretch and stuff. "Good morning. T-thank you for letting me sleep here last night." Manners were important. If she didn't have manners, then Sparrow wouldn't like her. And Fireflykit really wanted the kind molly to like her.

She waited for her to wake up a little more before starting to ask where she was going to be sleeping. Please don't make me stay in the nursery. What would she do if the leader made her sleep in there?

Slowly blinking awake as the first of the sun's rays broke through the entrance of her den, Sparrowstar's gaze was immediately met by a small kit moving to sit up next to her. Briefly confusion flashed across her eyes, however they quickly softened as the previous night's events drifted back to her mind.

"Good morning Fireflykit," the tan molly yawned, stretching out as she spoke before rolling into a loaf in her nest. "Did you sleep well last night then?"

Paws-crossed she had, and hopefully the tale she spun before they both slept wasn't too much for the young cat.

 

Originally Posted by Eaglet

Thrushfur ໒꒱

His fur resonated to Sparrowstar's aura like needles as he cast his eyes toward her tan and cream body. As he struggled, he stutter-spoke as best he could, his mouth trembling. He spoke with a strained, vocal cord-cracking regret. "He died, my apprentice, h-h-he died. I tried to save him, he was there, why did he escape from camp, he could've been alive, I-I was t-t-to late. My poor, poor apprentice, I could have saved you in time, it's all my fault, all my fault."" He whimpered out, shaking violently. His mental state has already deteriorated, and he fears that he is currently incapable of performing even basic tasks. Do his tasks to a certain extent.  Yes, every cat has to deal with death at some point in their lives. At least once or twice. However, his death came too quickly; did Starclan not wish for him to rest? It would be preferable to wait two months rather than just a moment. Each moment, his heart was numbing and breaking. It was too disturbing to even think of anyone else that may come across the scent of death. His paws went numb as he shivered. Each breakdown he would have in front of his family would harden his heart even more. He pondered how long it would be before the rusty aroma of death that remained in the air totally numbed him.

In terms of his responsibilities, he would have to act quickly. His clanmates don't need a deputy who is unable of performing his job properly. He shifted his bloodshot gaze to Sparrowstar. Rasping, albeit his mental state didn't seem to be in good shape. He was still in the correct frame of mind to address the issues that his skilled mind could handle. "I-I'll need someone to take care of patrols for a bit.. just someone. I-I just need a little break.." He pondered for a long time to come up with someone who could handle the bare minimum of his responsibilities. "M-My daughter... erm.. Flameheart would be able to. She's quite capable of doing a-lot of things.." He felt as though his heart was healing just by uttering it. He was still surrounded by family, but were they offering him any consolation? Did he deserve the emotional support? Was there an explanation for the enormous amount of death that had swollen his heart? Truly, he didn't give a damn. Simply, he sought a place to hide out. Someplace very, very far away, where no one can see.

[ @Jayvines ]

Letting out a slow exhale, Sparrowstar rested her forehead against Thrushfur's flank as he spoke. Not his kin, but his apprentice... Stars above, what had gotten into those apprentices to make them all leave camp...

"I am so sorry Thrushfur," she stated, tone low as she processed the information he passed on. "You can take up to half a moon if you need it. The Keepers are more than capable of handling patrols and such things while you mourn and recover. Perhaps you could take some time to simply be with Quailfur and your son, and please, don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything."

Green eyes were sympathetic as she turned to look his way.

"We're a team Thrushfur. We will get through this..."