[Rose]

Originally Posted by silverwynds

eveningdance // he/him // 43 moons

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When his former apprentice joins him, he glances over out of the corner of his eyes and offers a polite nod in her direction. At this point he was used to her playful jests and lets them roll off of his shoulders. His expression eases into one of neutrality once more but there's still a seriousness in his gaze as Bumblestar begins to speak. The passive expression becomes one of grim understanding, and though his eyes don't leave the leader his long tail moves to curl around the younger cat at his side protectively.

"... Though I have distaste for Riverclan, I only wish Starclan looks upon them kindly." He speaks quietly to the queen, eyes narrowing. "How... Unjust. If they were in no position to battle then we shouldn't have done so."

Gaze finally torn away from the leader and crowd beginning to disperse, his ears perk at the playful giggling of his daughter. A glance from her innocent wiggling to the body in which she tangled herself up in, he heaves a quiet sigh and raises his voice.

"Poppykit, come now." He calls, glancing over his shoulder. "Papa would like to see you."

mapleface | @Rose // poppykit | @Estelle // mudhound | @Rani

Mapleface
She/Her

Quite bemused with the sight in front of her, that was what the Red Queen was in this instant.

Buuuuuuut.. letting that amusement show on her face was a big no-no. If anything, Mapleface only let her lips twitch slightly, hinting at a smile that wouldn't appear while her former mentor was around to see it. Surely, laughing at his predicament -- where his daughter had literally been whisked right from under his nose and into the waiting arms of an octopus-cat -- she wasn't to laugh at that. Maybe a giggle. Maybe a chuckle. Maybe a hidden, mischief-filled grin.

But before any of that... Mapleface ought to recall what she'd said in response to Eveningdance's curt words; "You and me both, Ev." She'd long since fallen out of the habit of calling people nicknames - aside from Cracklepaw - but it only felt fitting here. "Bumblestar isn't the best leader. She isn't a Cinderstar, not a Sparrowstar, and not a Thrushstar." Mouth tightening, the Red Queen exhaled softly. "But we shan't overlook her other qualities. Bumblestar is doing what she deems right for ThunderClan's survival, and that's credible, at the very least."

Now, Mapleface fixed her gaze on Poppykit, eyes glimmering with mirth. "I've never met your kits." She mentioned as an afterthought, casting Eveningdance a curious side-glance. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in thought. Mapleface usually didn't interfere in familial affairs and intimate relationships, but she was rather miffed to realize that she'd been so busy caring for her own kin that she hadn't even congratulated him.. and was failing to recall the name of his mate.

Floundering a moment, the brash queen barely kept the grimace off her face as she wracked her mind for -- ah! "Raspberrysplotch!" Mapleface proclaimed, voice undeniably proud -- until she realized she'd spoken out loud, and turned sheepish instead. Raspberrysplotch had had a litter of jovial kits recently. "Oh, I meant- Congratulations. On the kit. Kits. And the mate." She squinted at her mentor again. "Mate?" Mapleface grinned at Eveningdance knowingly. "Never took my stoic, uptight, very bossy mentor for a romantic." She snorted with amusement, tone teasing. "But congratulations anyway."

With that out of the way, the red and white feline let out a quiet hum. "Maybe you can kitsit Rosekit and Redkit for me sometime." She murmured conversationally, not entirely serious. Hell would freeze over before she let any of her remaining kin out of her sight.