Closed Thread Cotton n' Feathers

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 padded into camp with a light bounce in her step, her white fur fluffed slightly against the lingering leaf bare chill. The soft hues of sunset painted the sky in warm pinks and oranges, reflecting in her lime green eyes as she took in the peaceful atmosphere.

As she turned to find a spot to relax, her eyes landed on Goosesong. Cottonbright hesitated for only a heartbeat before padding over, her tail flicking slightly behind her. "L-long day?" She asked softly, her voice as warm as she circled her own nest, not quite intruding but close enough to chat.

Her paws tucked neatly beneath her she questioned her clanmate. "Training g-going well? - You know...with Stormpaw?" she added, her ears twitching in curiosity. She always liked hearing about how the others handled their apprentices - it helped her keep perspective for her own mentoring.

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

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

"Long as always" Goosesong responded, glancing up at Cottonbright for a moment before his aqua eyes drifted back to his nest "I hope leaf-bare will meet its end soon enough, Prey is always more plentiful in New-Leaf and I will be able to practice swimming and fishing with Stormpaw" he added, giving his paws a few licks, as if he had been prompted to clean his paws before even deciding to speak again.

Goosesong's words came slow and even, as if he had been out all day practicing with his apprentice, and if he was being honest with himself, it might as well have been. "She has been honing her battle skills at the moment, she's been doing well all things considered" He answered honestly, wrapping his silver striped tail around himself for extra warmth.

"And same to you, how is Sturgeonpaw doing?" The large tom-cat asked, twitching one of his tufted ears. Goosesong recalled doing some combat training with him at the beginning of the moons, to Coldgaze's orders anyway. "Sturgeonpaw did well in that mock battle with the clan a while ago, but he did have his sister to back him up" Goosesong added, the statement was meant to be in good humor but he wasn't sure if it had come off that way. Whatever Cottonbright portrayed the words as, Goosesong would give his intent more clearly.

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 whiskers twitched with amusement at Goosesong’s slow, deliberate words. He always had that steady, thoughtful air about him - something she found comforting in a clanmate. She let out a soft hum of agreement, her tail curling neatly over her paws.

"Y-yes, New leaf c-can't come soon enough..." The large mostly white she-cat admitted, glancing toward the darkening sky as if willing the seasons to shift. "Swimming will be much easier without the cold and ice biting at y-your fur."

At the mention of her apprentice, her ears perked, a flicker of pride lighting her lime green eyes. "Oh! He’s d-doing well. His hunting is coming along - he’s p-persistent, even when things d-don’t go his way. I think he'll much prefer fishing to h-hunting." Her tone was fond, though a slight stammer edged her words as she thought back to his determination chasing that vole.

Goosesong’s remark about the mock battle made her shy away slightly, shaking her head. "Having a sibling is a gift, o-or so I'm told. I was an only kit. Sturgeonpaw has s-such a large family. They will be his greatest asset, I think..." She tilted her head slightly, a timid amusement shining in her gaze. "B-But he held his own too. All of the apprentices seem to be learning w-well!"

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

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

"You aren't wrong, I like to believe that the coming New-Leaf will bring us good favor" The muscular silver tom stated, his whiskers giving a small twitch in thought, the idea of being able to hunt well for the clan was something the RiverClan tom desired more than anything. Well, more than the dreary occasion of Leaf-Bare that is.

Goosesong gave a nod in response to the status of Strugeonpaw "I thought as much, he's a talented young cat, looks like his sire as well. I wonder if we will one day get a see the days of a Sturgeonstar" Goosesong said, though his tone was that of making a dry attempt of a joke. Though he did wonder if any of the apprentices will go on to achieve something beyond warriorhood, or if they would just slip into the honestly mundane duties of a typical warrior, he didn't have doubts abut any of them though, more warriors are always best suited for the clan no matter if they change status or not.

When Cottonbright mentioned siblings, there was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes, his mind flickered to Reedpaw, as she was taken from them far too soon, swept away by the river when she was only an apprentice, it was never a good thought to remember, not as her own littermate. "Siblings are a gift until they aren't like all things" Goosesong responded, looking down at his nest, there was a flicker of longing and sorrow behind his normally stoic gaze. He missed his sister, and he grieved the warrior she should have become and there was no hope of getting those moments spent back.

"You were only a mere kit when Reedpaw was swept away weren't you?" He asked with a twitch of his ear "Not even old enough to leave the camp with an escort. Though I don't expect you to have much memory of her. She wasn't your littermate after all"

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 twitched slightly at Goosesong’s dry remark about Sturgeonpaw’s future, her whiskers giving a thoughtful flick. "Maybe o-one day. He's got a long way before n-nine lives."  Her tone was light, but she truly did believe in her apprentice’s potential. Whether he became leader or not, she only wanted him to be a good, capable warrior. One the clan could rely on.

At the shift in Goosesong’s voice, her gaze softened. She hadn’t missed the way his words carried an ache beneath their even tone. When he spoke of his sister, she ducked her head slightly, her tail curling tighter around herself. "I... I was s-small..." She admitted, the usual stammer in her voice more subdued now. "I d-don't remember much, just... A feeling of loss I d-didn’t quite understand at the time."

She hesitated for a moment before glancing up at him again. "Sometimes I t-think of those we've lost... when I watch the river." Her voice was quiet, gentle. She didn’t want to pry or reopen wounds, but she also didn’t want to ignore the grief that still lingered in her clanmate’s heart. Cottonbright kneaded her nest absently with her paws, searching for the right words. "She w-would have been a fine warrior. A-And I bet she watches over you still, proud of who you've b-become." 

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

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

Goosesong listened to Cottonbright and his aquamarine eyes glanced at his with a hint of confusion. Why would she feel obligated to comfort him? He didn't need comfort, from what he knew, Goosesong was perfectly fine on his own, he was sure of it. He had dealt with Reedpaw's death by himself up until now. Why was she helping him?

"It's alright, it was a long time ago" Goosesong replied, still staring off, nearly blankly, his head anchored slightly downwards. "But I agree, she would have made a fine warrior if she had lived" he added, he gaze lifted back to Cottonbright, staring back into her lime eyes for a brief moment before he broke the eye contact.

"I must ask though" He began, inspecting his claws for a moment before sheathing them again. "Why choose to offer me comfort, no other cats have. I've been dealing with her death on my own since it happened. Not even Stoneclaw, my own sire, chose to comfort me. So why you?"

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 blinked at Goosesong’s question, her ears angling back slightly as she searched for an answer. She hadn’t thought about it - not really. It had just felt… right. Felt natural.

Her gaze dropped to her paws as she kneaded the soft moss of her nest, her tail curling closer around her before she softly admitted. "I d-don't know if I chose to... You had asked about Reedpaw, and...and I just... I h-heard it in your voice."

She flicked her ear, glancing at him again, though her gaze was hesitant. "Loss d-doesn’t just disappear b-because no one speaks of it. And j-just because others d-didn’t offer comfort… d-doesn’t mean you never d-deserved it." Her voice was gentle, steady, though the familiar stammer wove through her words even though she felt more sure of herself while comforting a clanmate.

Cottonbright exhaled lightly, her gaze warm but uncertain. "I d-don’t know what’s right to say. I just know that p-pain is heavier when you carry it alone." She hesitated, then offered the smallest, unsure smile. "Y-you don’t have to. Not all the time. We're s-senior warriors now - and we have apprentices who look up to us for guidance..."

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

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

"It's quite noble of you" Goosesong explained gently, giving his paws a casual few licks to clean the white fur on the two front paws that were in the open air. "Not all cats take the time out of their day to offer comfort when another cat needs it" He explained, he knew he had admitted that he needed the comfort, but at this point, it was something worth admitting, he had been hiding the pain for such a long time out of fear of his sire's judgement, but it wasn't as if his words could really hurt Goosesong, not anymore.

Goosesong's aqua gaze quickly flicked up to Cottonbright for a moment, he offered her a very rare, somewhat forged smile, but there was something genuine there, and perhaps Goosesong didn't even know what it was. "A lot of cats will appreciate you for that, loss is something every cat will feel at some stage, and they will need at least one cat to be there for them when they need it. You being that cat is doing a good thing Cottonbright" he added, his normally even and level voice now coated with some sort of genuine kindness that isn't as common as he would have liked.

Cottonbright's words ran though Goosesong's mind for a few agonizingly slow moments, 'Pain is heavier when you carry it along' 'we have apprentices that look to us for guidance...' both some well worded responses that earned her a respected nod from the large silver tom "You're right, You can stay and chat to me if you'd like. It's about time I set an example for Stormpaw to form positive relations with her clanmates, I could start with.. a friendship with you Cottonbright?" the question felt almost wrong coming out of his mouth. The only real friend he had in his past was his littermate and that had not ended well, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to make a friend instead of just acquaintances 

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 twitched in surprise at Goosesong’s words, her lime green eyes widening slightly before softening. She wasn’t used to being called noble - or having her efforts acknowledged so openly. A smoldering warmth settled in her chest at the rare smile he offered, however slight, and for a moment, she simply studied him.

"I d-don't do it for appreciation..." There was no bitterness in her voice, only understanding. Yet when the grey tabby continued to speak, her small rounded ears perked. A friendship? Goosesong wasn’t exactly known for seeking companionship. Then again, neither was she. Not really...

A small,nervous smile found its way onto her face. "I’d like that." She shifted slightly, a tad anxious that she might ruin the moment. "So… what d-do friends talk about, then?". It was a genuine question, but she couldn’t help the playful lilt in her tone.

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

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

Goosesong thought about the question for a moment, his ears twitching ever so slightly in thought of the question, he had never really had a real friend aside from Reedpaw, so it most certainly has been a while. "When Reedpaw and I used to spend time with one another, we.. well mostly she, spoke of what was on her mind, I was more of a quiet listener, but the bond was always there" he explained, glancing down at his paws.

The small smile had faded but so did the sadness in his voice, instead it was replaced with something unreadable and distant, though the grief had been hidden away for now, it wasn't something he liked to dwell on for too long, especially when another warrior could step in at any given moment.

"So, Cottonbright" Goosesong said, moving his aqua gaze back over to the mostly white she-cat, he perked his ears as if awaiting an answer before he even finished his sentence. "Is there anything on your mind that you need to share? This warrior has his ears open and his mouth shut for anything needing to be shared" he explained with an earnest nod. Whatever may be on Cottonbright's mind, Goosesong wasn't going anyway to avoid it.

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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"Y-you might regret that..." Cottonbright warned lightly, though there was an unmistakable relief in her voice. He was giving her a space to speak, to really speak, and StarClan help her, she was going to take it.

Her tail twitched anxiously before she finally exhaled and let her shoulders relax. "I w-want to be a good mentor. I w-want to teach Sturgeonpaw what he needs to know, but I also d-don't want to encourage a timidness that M-Mintwhisker still bares..."

She hesitated, her gaze dropping slightly. "H-he was my first apprentice. So quiet. So t-thoughtful. I w-was so worried about doing everything right, about teaching him properly. I d-did my best, but sometimes I wonder if my best w-wasn’t enough. He became a warrior, but… I still c-catch him hesitating sometimes. Second guessing. And I wonder if that's my fault. Taking after me."

her body slowly sank into her nest as he paws had kneaded the moss balls into a dissatisfying flatness. "I know it’s p-pointless to dwell on it, but I can’t help it. I just… I don’t want to fail them. I don’t want to fail anyone." Cottonbright let out a breathy chuckle, though there was little humor in it. "S-sorry, that was… a lot. I d-did warn you."

She glanced up at him, her lime eyes unsure but hopeful. "D-do you ever wonder if you’re doing enough?"

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

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

Goosesong's ears twitched and he watched his clanmate with a gentle but still stoic and distant gaze as she explained her woes to him. He knew that he wouldn't be able to convince her quickly of what he thought, but it was worth a short for the sake of this new friendship. "Sometimes. But most cats feel like that silently, you had the courage to tell me without any convincing. Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes, admitting that to me is one of the smaller acts of bravery, Cottonbright" the large silver tom explained, wrapping his tail around himself, he wasn't much for sentimental comfort, but he was still willing to offer a good word.

"Every apprentice is different, like every cat is different. You are a brilliant mentor and he leapt at me, a cat who is much larger than him, without fear. Mintwhisker being timid has little to nothing to do with you" Goosesong added, placing his tail on Cottonbright's back in a soft method of comfort. As much as Goosesong wasn't great at comfort, he didn't want Cottonbright to walk around thinking that her abilities were mediocre. "You can't change a cat's personality, that thoughtfulness is something Mintwhisker will carry for his whole life. Much like you have, mentor or not."

Goosesong paused for a second, studying Cottonbright's lime eyes steadily before continuing. "Your job as mentor is to guide and teach, to discipline and motivate, you will still do that after Mintwhisker and even Sturgeonpaw has become a warrior." he added, his voice was even toned but still filled with a hint of genuine intent, somewhere deep down, Goosesong wanted to make sure that Cottonbright knew she was enough as both a warrior, a mentor and especially, a friend.

"Your best is all you can do, doing things you aren't capable of sets you up for failure, if you don't overwork yourself you don't risk as much failure. Even if you do fail every once in a while, that teaches your apprentice that it is okay to make mistakes and that failure is only a small part of growing and changing. Our shortcomings make us stronger, I want to make sure you know that" Goosesong added rubbing his tail comfortingly on Cottonbright's white back.

"You are a warrior, that means you can make mistakes, you're allowed to be afraid and anxious, you're allowed to change. The changes that some see as obstacles make our life what it is, and there's a certain beauty in that isn't there?" his voice held a certain sentiment that wasn't often there, especially from Goosesong, but that just meant that he believed what he was saying, and he wanted to share his words with Cottonbright in hopes she understood as well.

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 listened intently, her lime green eyes searching Goosesong’s face as he spoke. His words were steady, even, but they held weight and she found herself clinging to them like moss to river stones. She had never thought of herself as brave. Cautious, careful, hesitant, yes - but brave? It was strange to hear, and even stranger to consider.

Her ears flicked slightly when she felt the touch of his tail on her back. It was soft, subtle, but enough to ground her in the moment. A part of her wanted to protest but Goosesong’s steady reassurance settled those fears, at least for now.

She exhaled, letting her body sink further into the moss of her nest, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "You make it sound so simple. J-just do my best, accept mistakes, and keep moving forward…" A soft chuckle escaped her, breathy but real. "Maybe I sh-should start sending my apprentices to you when they worry about things."

But there was truth in his words, and she wanted to believe him. If that was enough for Goosesong, maybe it could be enough for her too. She lifted her gaze back to him, her smile still slight but no longer wavering. "I think… I’d like to believe that."

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

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

"I can suggest you do things, but it up to you if you choose to follow them" He explained, giving the tip of his tail an absent flick. Cottonbright was thoughtful and kind, a good cat, but that hesitance could hold her back, Goosesong just wanted her to succeed. "But I do agree, it's much easier said then done, however, I was certainly able to, with time. Most if not all things take time to perfect, that is why we learn even after we become warriors, we learn things constantly, and sometimes we ever learn from our apprentices."

At Cottonbright's comment of sending her apprentices to him, Goosesong hummed with amusement, twitching one of his ears. "You can but don't expect me to train them for you" he said, his drawl having a spark of amusement underneath the calculated tone as he gave a playful wink at her, well... as playful as a cat like Goosesong could be in that moment anyway.

The large silver tom-cat scanned the warriors hollow with his aqua eyes, as if scanning to see if any other cats would be interrupting them, however there didn't seem to be many cats in the warriors hollow, and the cats that were there were, from what Goosesong could tell, were comfortably asleep, so he felt no need to conceal himself from Cottonbright.

"You are free to come to me if you ever feel like you need some cat to talk to, I have ears for a reason, listening is what they're there for" He offered with a respectful nod to the other senior warrior. There was truth in his words, no matter what cat came to him, he would always offer whatever advice he could, no matter who the cat might be. Though there isn't many that would have the courage or be humble enough to even ask any cat for help so he wanted to make sure Cottonbright knew he was there if she needed him. "Your belief gives me hope that you are more confident than you think you are"

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 let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head as she tucked her paws beneath her chest. "I w-wouldn’t expect you to train them for me. But I th-think your words might help more than you realize."

She appreciated his straightforwardness - there was no coddling, no empty reassurances, just truth. And while part of her still wrestled with self doubt, it was oddly comforting to know that Goosesong had struggled too once. That all warriors were still learning, still growing, no matter how much experience they had. Cottonbright still felt she had a long way to go.

Her ears twitched as he continued, offering her a place to come should she need it. It wasn’t a grand declaration, nor did it need to be. Just a simple statement, steady and solid, like the cat himself. Cottonbright dipped her head slightly, warmth creeping into her gaze. "Th-thank you, Goosesong. I d-don’t always know how to say it but… I appreciate it."

The weight in her chest wasn’t completely gone, but it felt lighter. More bearable. She didn’t have all the answers, and maybe she never would - but perhaps that was okay. Perhaps learning was enough. Her tail curled around her paws, and for the first time in a long while, she felt something close to peace. Lime eyes washed over him lightly. "A-And if you ever need to talk too - I'll be here. I'm a pretty good l-listener. I'm an alright hunter too... I guess the invitation is a-also open for hunting. It's tough when the r-river is still frozen."

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

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

"I'm always willing to help, you don't need to thank me. I do this to ensure my clanmates are reaching their best, and if not their best, at least feel like they're enough for RiverClan" Goosesong explained, the tone in his voice, even and stoic but honest. If he could, he would help his clanmates with whatever they needed, especially ones who are suffering with their own self-doubt as he experienced something similar and had to deal with it himself, no other cat should go through that alone.

Goosesong listened to the offer given out by Cottonbright, but he didn't say a lot in response, however he did return the offer with a dutiful nod. He'd be happy to go to Cottonbright if he was in need, since she seemed like a good clanmate. "If I do have anything on my mind, you will be the first to know Cottonbright" he confirmed before giving the white fur on his chest a prompt cleaning, rasping his tongue through his long fur.

After cleaning his fur, he took another glance at Cottonbright, the idea of hunting with her would be nice, he hadn't really been out in that way very much aside from patrols and Stormpaw's training. "I'm not opposed to that" He responded, curling his tail around his comfortably laid body. "And perhaps our apprentices could come along, It would be quite nice to have a day with the two of them yes?"

Goosesong scrunched up his nose and parted his jaws into a yawn, the colder night had fallen onto the clans, the stars glittering faintly in Silverpelt, it seems that Goosesong had lost track of his time a little, and now it was time for the two to rest. The large senior warrior let out a short chuckle and glanced over to Cottonbright "Would you be free tomorrow? I'd say it's a little late now" he said, his voice mostly flat but a hint of amusement hidden beneath it.

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 flicked back in embarrassment as she glanced toward the sky, only now realizing how much time had slipped away. Had they really been talking that long? The stars shimmered faintly overhead, and with them came the weight of the late hour settling over her like a heavy moss blanket.

"Oh! I - I d-didn’t even realize how late it was,..."The mostly white she-cat admitted, her lime-green eyes widening slightly before she gave a sheepish flutter of a nervous purr. "I’m s-sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you up."

She tucked her paws closer, feeling a touch of warmth creep into her pelt despite the chill of the night air. It had been nice, talking like this. Easy, in a way she hadn’t expected.

At his question, she gave a small nod, her tail flicking lightly over the moss of her nest without disturbing it too much. She ignored one that slipped from the rim. "T-tomorrow sounds good. And I think our apprentices w-would enjoy it too. It’ll be nice to hunt without the pressure of a p-patrol or assessment."

She stole one last glance at Goosesong before letting out a breath, settling deeper into the moss. "I hope you have a good sleep."