Open to Join Elegant as Ever

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust had been busy, smoothing out some freshly gathered moss for the elder’s den, her paws moving rhythmically as she worked. She was on her way out when a blur of mousy brown caught her attention, and she turned around just in time to see the two mice land unceremoniously between her paws after bouncing off her chest.

Blinking, Emberdust’s green eyes flicked upward to meet Specklenose's mortified yet amused gaze. She raised a brow, trying to stifle a smirk, especially as he made his grand declaration about the "gift." For a moment, she just stared at him, clearly unimpressed but hiding the laughter bubbling beneath the surface.

“Well, well,” Purring, she feigned a deep thought as she nudged one of the mice with a paw. “A gift and a show? I must be the luckiest cat in the clan.” She gave a playful wink, her bobbed tail flicking in amusement with the slightest, goofiest flick.

Watching Specklenose try to hold in his laughter was enough to break her resolve, and she burst into a fit of giggles. As he kicked the mice back onto the pile and tried to recover some semblance of dignity, Emberdust padded up to him, giving him a teasing nudge with her shoulder. "Oh no, I’ll never forget. It’s etched into my memory now, raining mice and all.” She leaned in, her voice dropping to a mock serious whisper. “But don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”

With another flick of her tail, she flopped down beside him, amusement still dancing in her eyes. “So, how was the hunting besides your stellar throw? Smell anything interesting? Didn't trip over any adders in the mud, hopefully?”

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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Specklenose sighed, looking wistfully at his mice on the pile, perhaps imagining what their throw could, and should have been like. They were lucky it was just Emberdust on the other side though. She might not ever forget it, but they had a feeling she knew them well enough to not think them terribly uncoordinated. He nudged her back harder, eyes twinkling as she whispered that his 'secret' was safe. 'Ah, thank you. I much appreciate your kindness.' he snickered, blue eyes shining.

Giving an amused glance at the warriors flop onto the floor, Specklenose joined her, splaying gracelessly onto the ground. Their back legs were outstretched, feathery tail swishing slightly. He opened his maw, ready to answer Emberdust's question until his sibling caught his eye. 'Brackenwing! Come join us!' he called out, not sure if his sibling would actually want to come talk, but it was worth a try anyway. They gave Brackenwing a warm smile, before moving his gaze back to Emberdust. 'Just a quick outing for me, so I wasn't really paying too much attention to, well, anything really. Gettin' colder though. Accidentally stepped into a mud puddle and nearly froze my paw off! And its not even that cold at the moment!' They lifted a front paw, no longer its usual shiny silver, but instead caked with mud. The usual speckled pattern on his paw pad had disappeared. 'I really should go frog hunting before it gets too cold, cause then I won't want to do it anymore. I would much rather stick to the dryer areas in the middle of leafbare.' 

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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Emberdust gave a light snort of laughter as Specklenose flopped down beside her, his words still dripping with sarcasm. She glanced at his mud-caked paw, stifling another giggle. “That’s what you get for not paying attention, frog hunter."

She was about to make another teasing remark when Specklenose called over to Brackenwing. Her green eyes followed his gaze, and she spotted the hesitant warrior circling the fresh-kill pile, tail dragging behind them.

“Come on, Brackenwing!” Emberdust chimed in, her voice warm as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. “There’s enough room here for all of us. And we could use some company."

She then glanced back at Specklenose with a smirk. “And I’m sure Specklenose would love to share his ‘expert’ hunting stories.” Emberdust winked again, her tone filled with mischief. But as the wind picked up and tugged at her fur, Emberdust’s playful demeanor dimmed for a moment. She glanced down at the ground, her thoughts drifting. “Speaking of frogs...I’m not looking forward to the marsh freezing up. No more frogs until newleaf...”

Her bobbed tail gave a slow flick as she continued, her tone laced with disappointment. “I know they’re not everyone’s favorite, but there’s something about chasing frogs through the muck. Once leafbare hits, all we’ve got are the vole and birds - and none of that feels quite the same, you know?” 

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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'Hey! I pay perfect attention. The puddle was just... camouflaged?' Both uncertaintly and joy shone through their eyes as they stifled yet another laugh, but one look at Emberdust and his whiskers twitched in amusement. They shuffled over, a little closer to Emberdust to make some room for Brackenwing, giving both warriors a lopsided grin, before whipping his head around to flash Emberdust a false look of hurt. 'She meant to say that in a different tone. Promise. I'm actually a master hunter, and she knows it' He said to Brackenwing, kicking out a back leg to whack Emberdust for making fun of him.

As the breeze picked up, Specklenose only really noticed by the cold air that pierced his skin, for his long fur protected him for the most part. 'Not really a lizard or snake sorta cat, but no frogs is quite the disappointment..' They then turned their head back to Emberdust, shaking his head. Her love for mud was so odd. 'What it it with you and muck? It's dirty, cold and makes you look horrendous. If I hadn't known you for so long, I would believe that you were born brown!' he snickered, leaning down to his mud crusted paw, about to start grooming it until the grossness hit his brain and he lifted his head away with a frown, speckled nose wrinkling in disgust. 

Brackenwing still seemed to be looking for a snack, and Specklenose wanted to help their sibling out, so the narrowed their eyes while gazing at the pile, trying to look for some sort of scales. Surprising himself, Specklenose actually spotted a peeking tail from the bottom, pattering their front paws against the ground in satisfaction. 'Brackenwing, over here. There's a lizard down the bottom I think.'

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust snorted with laughter at Specklenose’s defense, shaking her head. She gave him a playful nudge with her shoulder, watching as he scooted over to make room for Brackenwing.

But as the wind gusted through camp, Emberdust’s thoughts drifted again. The sharp chill in the air was a reminder of what was coming. Her gaze softened as she looked out toward the marshes in the distance. She sighed, her ears drooping slightly. “Once leafbare hits, everything’s gone. I hate it.”

Her green eyes met Specklenose’s again as she gave a rueful smile. “I guess you’re lucky, not being a ‘muck cat.’ But I’m going to miss it.” When Specklenose made his comment about her looking horrendous in the mud, Emberdust smirked, her playful spirit returning. “Maybe I was born brown!" 
As Specklenose inspected the pile for Brackenwing, Emberdust turned to their fellow warrior, offering an encouraging nod. “Hey, maybe we’ll catch one last lizard before the freeze. I’ll even share.” She winked, trying to lighten the mood, but was just as pleased once one was spotted at the bottom of the pile. Seems Brackenwing would have his wish after all. </br.

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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Specklnose noticed how Brackenwing gave half of their lizard to Emberdust, flashing them a look of feign upset. 'Brackenwing!, You choose to woo the lovely she-cat instead of feed your starving sibling!' They said, flopping their head on the ground dramatically in fake misery. Specklenose did not mind at all in truth. He wasn't hungry, and hadn't expected Brackenwing to give them any anyway. What they refused to believe though, was that the prey was given just because. They knew they could be entirely wrong, but Specklenose was more than happy to make assumptions about his siblings interests, even more when it came to Emberdust. 

With a smirk he gently nudged Emberdust, looking at the prey and then their sibling. 'Sharing prey so casually... it's clearly a love confession!' they said, before flashing a troublesome smile at Brackenwing. Oh how he loved to mess around with their siblings. He paused for a moment, wanting to take in every moment of Brackenwing's reaction before continuing on like they had said nothing at all. 'I think in leafbare, all the warriors should combine their nests into one. I still practically sleep on top of my brother sometimes, but having one giant nest would make things much warmer. Though I'm not sure some of the older warriors would appreciate it. I dunno if you guys remember or not, or were apart of it, but I remember Pebbleshine would always invite everyone into her nest, and there would be a big puddle of kittens. Never have I had a better sleep since those days.' He laughed fondly, for his days of kittenhood were some of his favourite. He could be carefree and childish with no consequence. Now, he actually had to be careful. 

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust’s whiskers twitched in amusement as she watched Specklenose’s dramatic display, his teasing hitting its mark. She gave a playful eye-roll, but her gaze flickered to Brackenwing for a brief second, catching the awkward smile on their face. Emberdust shook her head with a snort, clearly unimpressed by the antics.

“Specklenose, if I had to choose between you and a half-eaten lizard, I’d take the lizard any day,” she shot back with a grin, leaning down to take a bite of the offered prey. It had already gotten a bit cool, as it wasn't the freshest being stuck at the bottom of the pile, but she wasn't complaining. “But if this is a love confession, I think Brackenwing could do better than a lizard. You’re lucky I’m not that easy to woo.” Her tone was light and teasing, but she gave Brackenwing a quick wink to let them know she appreciated the gesture.

Emberdust laughed again at the mention of sharing nests. “A giant nest sounds like chaos waiting to happen. But…” There was a hint of fondness in her voice. “I do miss those days when we’d all pile in together. Pebbleshine and Hawkfeather's nest was the warmest spot in camp. It’s been a long time since we’ve had that kind of closeness.”

She gave a playful swat at Specklenose’s ear, her green eyes gleaming with mischief. “Maybe we should bring it back. You know, for old times’ sake. That way you won’t have to sleep on top of your poor brother anymore.”

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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    'Emberdust! How can you say such a thing! I'm a sensitive soul, and take such cruel words to heart. I might have to just leave ShadowClan now... this bullying... it's unacceptable.' They purposely shuffled themselves around so they faced away from Emberdust, whiskers twitching in amusement out of Emberdust's sight. They feigned a sigh before continuing their conversation with Brackenwing (and Emberdust), still looking at their paw with mild disgust. That paw would go nowhere near Specklenose's mouth. It was to be cleaned by water only.

'I think if I actually started combining cats nests Hollyclaw might actually throw me back into the apprentice's den, which is something I definitely don't want. Though I'm sure she'll let us be if it's just us. How about, once the first snow hits, we all squish in together, just like old days.' Their eyes sparkled, containing a specific fondness as their childhood days were mentioned. 'You can have your own nest next to ours Brackenwing, I promise I won't squish you. If no one else wants to join, it's just you and me, Emberdust' they added with a wink, now turned back so they could face both of the warriors. 

Times like this were when Specklenose was happiest. Their siblings and friends meant the entire world to them, and the fact that they could relax and joke around like this was all they could ask for

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust smirked at Specklenose’s dramatic reaction, her green eyes gleaming with playful mischief. “Oh, woe is you, poor Specklenose! ShadowClan will never be the same without you!" She teased, her voice dripping with mock sympathy, clearly not buying into his overblown display.

As Specklenose shifted the conversation back to the idea of squishing together in nests, Emberdust’s smirk softened into a genuine smile. “I don’t know.” She shot back with a wink, her stub tail swishing playfully behind her. “But you know what? Once the snow falls, I’m in. One big nest, just like the old days.”

Her gaze shifted toward Brackenwing, who had been quietly observing. “Don’t worry, Brackenwing, we’ll make sure you have your own little corner of the nest, no squishing required.” She grinned, enjoying the warmth of the camaraderie between them. Moments like this, where they could laugh and joke together, were what made the looming cold of leafbare feel just a little more bearable.

“Don't leave ShadowClan, though, alright? I think I may miss you if you left.” Her teasing was light, but the fondness in her tone was unmistakable as she settled back down, taking another bite of the lizard.

 They break off contact with this hidden rock, as they turn to face back to the warriors with them. They are fond of only sleeping closely with Emberdust and Speckle nose. All while, they chuckled a little when their sibling remarks on promising not to sleep on top of them. 

"Heheh. Fine then, I shall take a chance in this nesting thing with you two. It shouldn't be a difficult task to work with, if we work on that together then, right?" As Brackenwing said. With a slow blink and their body relaxes - slowly the body is in a laying position.

With the way Emberdust said 'No squishing required', it makes them chuckle more loudly. Grinning with amusement. It is something that this warrior doesn't express much of - especially in times, where they don't often stay in place to interact with anyone at camp.

It is considered entertaining indeed, to hang around two talkative warriors. With Specklenose's playful antics they find amusing, and the funny responses Brackenwing hears from Emberdust. At this moment though, now they are unsure about what to say next. Other than to keep gazing at one of them with a calm expression. 

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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  'Well, seems like I've got my leafbare nights sorted then!' Specklenose flashed Brackenwing an appreciative look, happy to see that their sibling warmed up to the idea of sharing a nest again. 'Oh, I guess I won't leave then.. to think that a she-cat might miss me! A very lucky cat I am.' They flashed Emberdust a grin before pausing to let his two friends take some bites from their prey. 

Watching as Emberdust's stub of a tail swished around, Specklenose turned around to look at his own while he swished it slightly, which was very much the opposite of his companion's. Large, plumed and fluffy. A short tail looked cute on Emberdust, but Specklenose would be very disappointed if their own tail was like so. He much preferred a feathery one. Then there was Brackenwing's tail. Pretty ordinary if you asked Specklenose, but it suited the feline nonetheless. Thinking about it, all their tails did. It was an odd thought, but the silvery feline smiled a little at their own stupid thoughts before turning his attention away from tails. 

'Lizard not too cold? It could be quite old seeing as it was at the bottom, but you both seem to be enjoying yourselves at least?' Watching his friends eat made Specklenose realise his own hunger. He had eaten not that long ago, but it was hard not to be hungry when watching other chow down. They glanced at the pile warily. It seemed full enough that he could take something, but he didn't want to overeat either, not when Leafbare was beginning to arrive. 

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust chuckled at Specklenose’s remark, her eyes gleaming with amusement. Her stubby tail twitching again as she glanced between her companions. The thought of sharing a nest during leafbare with her closest friends was a welcome one, filling her with warmth even as the cold season approached.

She caught Specklenose's glance toward the prey pile and gave him a knowing look. “The lizard’s not bad, just a bit on the cooler side, but that’s nothing new for ShadowClan.” Emberdust took another small bite before nudging the remains toward Brackenwing. “You two should grab something else if you’re hungry. Can’t let our best warrior waste away before leafbare even hits.” Came her little tease, her tone playful but with an undercurrent of genuine care.

Turning to Brackenwing, she added with a small purr. “I’m glad you’re joining us." Her grin returned as she leaned back, enjoying the moment of camaraderie.

Brackenwing nods when they are indeed 'joining' with her and Specklenose for the nesting plan. As for the suggestions from Emberdust, they do take another look at the pile. Maybe one more prey will be enough for its belly - their eye caught a brown mouse on the side. 

As they get up, to walk over the side of the pile, their teeth sank on that mouse prey, and then bring it over to the others. The warmth coming from this mouse's body seemed likely fresh. Brackenwing sits down again with the two, getting themselves comfortable as their tail curls closely to their body. 

The warrior glances at specklenose for the moment and then looks at their selected prey food. Brackenwing decides to encourage their sibling to get some prey too - nudging Specklenose's shoulder with their muzzle. "Hey, Specklenose, got this warm mouse from the side of that pile. So I think there's more other prey that's maybe warm as well." As Brackenwing said to him while eyeing the area they suggest Specklenose to check out at.

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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  As Brackenwing showed him their mouse, Specklenose's eyes lit up with amusement. 'Hey, that's the mouse that came from the sky! Maybe I'll just eat the other one. The sky did gift them to us after all' they said with a little grin. Specklenose didn't exactly want to get up, but really wanted that mouse, so instead of standing up like most cats would, they slowly shuffled around to face the pile before dragging themselves forward, paws outstretched. His back legs didn't move, sliding across the ground as he slowly came nearer to the pile. The mouse was at the top, a hard reach for the poor warrior, but he had to continue his mission. With an outstretched paw they managed to knock the mouse towards themself. Satisfied with his maneuver, Specklenose turned back around, dragging himself back to his spot from before. 

Not even looking at their friends, Specklenose began to carefully rip some of the fur from the mouse. He probably could eat it with it on, but Specklenose was a little fussy, preferring as little texture as possible. With some of the mouse's fur sitting atop his nose, and a mouth also full of fur, he looked up at his companions, 'Think the kit'sll want this stuff?' Specklenose usually just discards the fur with the bones and uneaten parts, but he remembered how Clovershine had mentioned her wanting him to spend more time with the kits, maybe they might like some.. fluff?

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust watched with barely concealed amusement as Specklenose shuffled dramatically across the ground, clearly more interested in getting to the mouse without actually standing up. She shook her head, letting out a soft chuckle, her green eyes gleaming with humor.

When he finally got the mouse and started picking off the fur, Emberdust’s whiskers twitched in response to his question about the kits. “Fluff for the kits?” She mused, tilting her head in thought. “I’m sure they’d have a blast with it. You know how they’ll turn anything into a toy.”

Turning back to Brackenwing, she glanced at the mouse they had chosen and nodded approvingly. “Good find. We’ll all need to keep our strength up for leafbare. I swear the prey's already starting to get a bit scarce.” .

They've glanced at Specklenose and the way he reaches out to his chosen prey. Brackenwing raises a brow as their sibling lastly brings down a mouse from the pile, all while finding it amusing too. They look down at their mouse under its paw and to Specklenose's mouse. But the comparison stopped as soon as the silver warrior started tearing off the fur on that mouse.

"Sure sure. Any of them would've minded anyways of that fur your getting out of that mouse" as Brackenwing said, with them nodding. They once again turned back to their mouse, decided to take a bite at it, and savor the fluffy textures with a hint of warmth under all of that. 

Brackenwing wipes their maw as they pause their eating on its mouse. Their ears picked up with Emberdust's comment about Leafbare and they turned to her with an agreeable nod. "Suppose so it is...well uh, might as well grab some too from the pile Emberdust. Later on after we eat, I'll wanna head out there to hunt more prey before the sun goes down. That's a promise." Either it's a pretty good idea or a foolish one. Brackenwing doubts there will be any prey easy enough to hunt, but they're determined to keep everyone fed enough during leafbare.

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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Specklenose crunched into their mouse wit satisfaction, the freshly caught prey exactly what they needed. It was warm and juicy, giving Specklenose's body that little bit of extra heat. He did his best to gather the fluff, curling his tail around the little pile. They would drop it off to Clovershine later, and whether she wanted it or not, they didn't care. 'One of my favourite toy as a kit was the plain, but classic mossball. For a game, it does a pretty good job at waring out kits. Gets 'em stronger too. Pebbleshine made us go out and play soooo much. Tiring, but I can see now that it was worth it.' 

They bite into their prey again, already nearly done with their meal. Seemed as though Specklenose was hungrier than they realised... He flicks his tongue around their jaw, cleaning up an scraps before reaching out a paw to lightly play with one of the bones. 'Goin' out later aint a bad idea, but don't expect to bring too much home. I was out all morning and all I could bring back was two mice. Though I wouldn't be surprised if it was just my terrible hunting skills getting in the way...' Specklenose smiled at their sibling, proud to see them taking initiative and wanting to keep the camp fed. Specklenose was luckily to have a cat like Brackenwing as a sibling. 

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust gave a warm nod, watching Specklenose’s satisfaction as he devoured the mouse. The sight of his playful spirit, curling his tail around the little pile of fur, brought a soft chuckle from her. "Mossball was always a classic!" she agreed, whiskers twitching with amusement.

Her eyes flicked over to Brackenwing as they spoke about heading out for another hunt. She admired their determination, but with leafbare closing in, it was easy to be cautious. "You’re right. Even if it's just a couple more mice or something small, every bit helps."

She took a thoughtful glance at the fresh-kill pile. "I’ll grab something in a bit, but I’ll join you two on that hunt if you want." Emberdust's tone was light, though, at this point, she'd rather get cozy and take a nap in her nest.