Ask to Join Twilight, Trout and Tidings

Pressure like a drip, drip, drip that'll never stop, whoa. Pressure that'll tip, tip tip 'till you just go pop, whoa.
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Cottonbright had every intention of eating earlier but instead she spent her whole day wandering from patrol to camp, unable to decide if she was hungry, tired, irritated...or all three. Lately her emotions had become impossible to predict and it was exhausting.

By the time dusk settled over camp, she finally admitted to herself that the hollow feeling in her stomach wasn't going away. Her paws ended up following the scent of trout and blinked when she saw Goosesong about to tuck into his meal.

A small embarrassed smile crossed her muzzle. "H-Hi Goosesong." She padded over more slowly than usual, easing herself down beside him with a quiet sigh. Maybe she should ask Nettleplume about it...

Her green eyes drifted toward the trout and blinked sheepishly at him. "I've been hungry all day...except every time I look at food, I somehow convinced myself that I wasn't." She frowned at herself, tucking her front paws distractedly underneath her chest. "Does that make any s-sense?"

What are you afraid of losing if nothing in the world actually belongs to you.

˜”*°• 🐚 •°*”˜

"Evening, Cottonbright." Goosesong answered with a soft mrrp-ing sound as he continued pulling the scales from the trout. "It makes perfect sense, but the other cats have eaten. You're welcome to share with me." He offered as he turned the fish to de-scale the other side, taking his time to make sure he didn't unnecessarily score the trout with his claws. "I just returned from hunting, Skypaw promised to sort out the pile in the morning, I believe." Goosesong added before taking the first bite from the trout.

The silver tom tapped the spot beside him with his tail. His mind still teetered back and forth from the day she had offered him to sire a litter for her until now, it had been some time since then, he wondered if everything was going well, not that Cottonbright would know that, at least... not that he was aware of. 

Goosesong nudged the trout over to Cottonbright, offering for her to have a share, if she was baring kits, she would need to eat to keep them healthy, perhaps he was assuming again, but if he was right, she would rather Cottonbright be healthy during this time than to go without. So his offer stood like stone.

Pressure like a drip, drip, drip that'll never stop, whoa. Pressure that'll tip, tip tip 'till you just go pop, whoa.
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Cottonbright's ears perked at the invitation and settled beside her friend. The fish, when presented, seemed everything she ever wanted... "Thanks..." Without really thinking, she hooked one paw into the fish and pulled it a little closer to herself.

After a moment she carefully nosed past the first bite Goosesong had taken and immediately began picking at the rich flesh at the belly line where the meat was most rich. She peeled away generous mouthfuls while barely noticing she had claimed what most cats would've considered the choicest portions. Even the offal.

She was halway to plucking out an eye when she froze and glanced sheepishly over at him. With a hasty swat she nudged the fish back to him, shuddering as if a bit mortified. "I d-didn't even think - I just..." Her voice grew smaller as she continued. "I saw the belly and..and." Without really knowing why it had been so important to her, a small nervous chuckle escaped her maw as a front paw swiped over her muzzle and began grooming the oils from her fur.

"I don't know what's wrong with me lately...I've been acting... awfully selfish....But...U-Uh, anyway...How have you been?"

What are you afraid of losing if nothing in the world actually belongs to you.

˜”*°• 🐚 •°*”˜

Goosesong's ears pricked ever so slightly as Cottonbright dug into the prey like she hadn't eaten in moons, his ears twitched, he had suspicions but he didn't want to bother Cottonbright and least of all Nettleplume with what could very well be nothing but a bit of hunger ebbing at Cottonbright. "Nothing selfish about taking what's been offered. I offered it to you, you could have eaten it all and I wouldn't have been upset with you." He replied, the white tip of his tail twitching ever so slightly.

"I've been well." Goosesong replied, he hadn't really recalled much exciting things happening as of too recently, just warrior duties if not anything else. "I can't really think of things that have been very exciting recently. However, Skypaw and Galepaw are apprentices now, that's something I suppose. It hasn't felt that long since they were newborns." Goosesong let out a soft chuckle, something a little more than the hearty breaths he usually makes.

"It's silly..." Goosesong began, curling his tail around himself "Part of me wishes I could have spoken to them more, perhaps taken time away from my duties to play with the kits, perhaps the next litter will be different." He twitched his ears, the implication was there, but no necessarily obvious to any possible overseers from the clearing. To any curious ears, it might very well seem like casual conversation.

Pressure like a drip, drip, drip that'll never stop, whoa. Pressure that'll tip, tip tip 'till you just go pop, whoa.
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Cottonbright relaxed, if only a little, when he assured her he wasn't upset. A slight breath left her, ears still tinged with embarassment. Thankfully, the distraction about the new apprentices was welcome. "They've grown so fast..." Chin waggling up and down with agreement, she licked her muzzle.

However...as Goosesong mentioned the next litter her smile wavered, stomach giving an odd little flutter. Surely...Surely he wasn't talking about her? She was just tired...just a little extra hungry. Fussy, picky... She'd been whining like a kit about ridiculous things. Gosh, it all was starting to add up and her small ears flattened briefly against her head.

"O-Oh...Oh, Stars." Her tail was puffing out in alarm. "I hadn't thought really of that...W-Well, sure it crossed my mind, but already?" Another frantic thought struck her like a bolt of lightning before she could contain it. "What is...What if I'm not okay?" Cottonbright's heart was hammering so loudly she was certain the entire camp could hear it.

What are you afraid of losing if nothing in the world actually belongs to you.

˜”*°• 🐚 •°*”˜

When Cottonbright began to rapidly panic, Goosesong wasted no time. He placed his paws atop of Cottonbright and looked at her with that steady presence that he warried with him consistently. "Look at me, Cottonbright." he stated, stern but soft enough to be a possible comfort to the she-cat in front of him. "You're alright. Queens don't kit this early, and even if they did, I'd be here, so would Nettleplume, so would RiverClan. You wouldn't be alone, you're never alone when you're with your clanmates." He meant to be comforting, but he admittedly came to the terms that it has been a while since he needed to.

Goosesong then laid his broad head on top of Cottonbright's letting his own warmth press against her. "And even if you didn't have RiverClan, you would have me." He added, flicking his dark ringed tail until it curled around his friend. Hopefully this was working. He knew Cottonbright could be like this but it hadn't happened in some time. But she would be fine, she had to be.

"Nettleplume could help you find out if anything is wrong. And, not to overstep, but if you want, I can be there with you, you'll have my fur to lean on whatever it is you need Cottonbright." Goosesong's voice didn't falter, not one, the truth was also strong in his eyes, he just had to trust that Cottonbright could see it. "You trusted me enough to do this for you, I need you to trust me again when I say you'll be fine, Cottonbright." He added, letting his muzzle rest a little lighter on Cottonbright, if this didn't work, Goosesong wasn't quite sure what would.

Pressure like a drip, drip, drip that'll never stop, whoa. Pressure that'll tip, tip tip 'till you just go pop, whoa.
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Cottonbright's breathing came quick and shallow for another few seconds then she felt the weight of his paws and his breath stirring her fur. Sure her frantic thoughts didn't stop all at once... but they stumbled enough for his voice to reach her.

Her wide green eyes found his own, searching them. "I-I know..." She tried to draw comfort from the familiar weight on her and could feel the frantic pounding of her own heart begin to settle.

His promise lingered louder than anything else. "Thank you...I've been such a mousebrain..." She reached up, gently pressing her nose beneath his chin. Ears feeling red with embarassment, she sighed through her nose. "I've spent days wondering why everything feels different...A-And then because I thought I might have been lonely." It was only a moment when she buried her head in his chest.

"Please don't tell anyone...Not until I confirm it with Nettleplume...b-but I'd like that...If you come with me. When I ask...Not now. Maybe I should just eat more of your trout." Her expression melted, gratitude warming her features despite the uncertainty still gripped like talons in her chest.