Private Thread Herding Cats (FG6'21)

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon sprawled dramatically on his back to mirror his cousin, tail flopped sideways like a lazy stream current, while his back legs stuck up in the air. He was watching Coldgaze work with the same expression one might give a beetle trying to escape a puddle. He was in no rush to intervene and extertained himself by copying him.

"Mintwhisker...conditioning with the apprentices? Ebonyflare might be more his speed." With a groan that was more for flair than discomfort, he rolled upright and shook out his dense curls, fluffing up like a dandelion. "You always get like this...Gotta whip us all into shape like we’re about to march into ThunderClan and take their forest."

But before Coldgaze could scold him, he turned toward Cinderwisp and grinned. "You believe in all this training business, sister? Or are you just here to make sure I don’t talk our deputy's ears off?"

He sat down beside her, still wearing that lazy smile, but his gaze flicked back to Coldgaze with a touch more seriousness now. He slowly batted at one of the dead leaves, wondering if he had once represented a leaf. He felt like a leaf.

"...Light re-training’s fine. But only if you let me spar with someone...fun." Stormpaw and Hailpaw were a bit too serious for his liking...Well, most cats in RiverClan were - and he felt like a kit stuck in the den.

"Run. That is an order."

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Cinderwisp watched Coldgaze with her usual stoic, unblinking expression, the molly sitting so close to Tangleloon that their pelts were touching. She didn't say anything when he spoke, simply listening patiently, occasionally giving a brief nod to show that she was listening.

"It's certainly not a bad idea." Cinderwisp began, tail twitching. "Elders are retired because they have worked hard and deserve the rest but that does not mean they shouldn't be able to defend themselves." The molly meowed, reinforcing Coldgaze's idea to show that she agreed. She couldn't have Tangleloon in danger in the chance she wasn't there. Her brother had to know how to defend himself.

When Tangleloon made a comment about Coldgaze's tactics, the she-cat couldn't resist letting a rare snicker escape. He wasn't wrong. Coldgaze was always finding excuses to make RiverClan work harder though the warrior wasn't against it. "Tangle... I don't think Coldgaze is expecting us to become as strong as tigers. He's just worried for the general health of the clan which is valid considering the cats dropping dead left, right, and centre."

Cinderwisp stretched before sitting back down, her ears and eyes turned towards Coldgaze.

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I identify as a threat. My pronouns are Try/Me.

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Coldgaze's ears twitched at Tangleloon's ramblings. He wasn't wrong, but throwing that idea out at them might be a bit of a shock. Then again they were his cousins. He had heard them say a lot worse ideas throughout their apprenticeships. 

"Someone... fun." Fun had not been on his radar in terms of making training partners. But Tangleloon always knew how to throw him for a loop. He would sort it out when he got to it. "Mintwhisker seems to forget he is a warrior - I think giving him a chance to lead a training session would do wonders for his confidence." Pausing for a moment he gave slight grin. "I could pair you with Bloomfire." He wouldn't call that fun. But it would certainly be interesting. 

"When that rouge is gone... who says we can't? They don't defend their borders well anyways. Riverclan found their murdered clan member at the same time they did." He phrased the statement more like a challenge - as something to get a rise out of Cinderwisp. But there was something sincere in his eyes when he said it. 

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
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Tangleloon’s whiskers twitched as Coldgaze spoke, the grin on his face deepening at the deputy’s dry delivery. "Blooooomfire? You want me to get buried under a pile of flame colored fury and walk away limping? Try full resuscitation."

Still, there was a gleam in his eye that betrayed his amusement more than complaint. He liked Bloomfire in the way you liked spicy berries you shouldn’t eat twice: cautiously, with mild admiration, and only from a safe distance. He leaned gently into Cinderwisp's side, comforted by her quiet presence and steadiness. "She's right, you know!"

Then Coldgaze’s last comment hit the air like a stone skipping too far across still water.Tangleloon straightened slightly, ears angling toward his cousin. "That... sounds suspiciously like something a villain would say...." But his eyes were alight with interest, studying Coldgaze now more closely, like trying to decide if he was joking. "And here I thought I was the dramatic one." His voice lowered a touch, speculative. "What would you even do with it?" He chuckled, but the idea was still clearly simmering somewhere in the back of his mind.