Destress and Fluff [closed]

It was finally all over.

Her paws once more carried her about the forest with the signature bounce that they always had. She yet again radiated the joy, the relief that she did early in her apprenticeship. The naivety that youth had offered her towards the Dark Forest cats that loomed was one she had taken for granted, but now the warrior could truly say that she felt at peace. Even with her precious kit that slept peacefully in the nursery, she no longer worried about letting another queen watch over them. It was an unspoken gesture between the queens - if you watched another's young, they'd gladly pay the favor to allow you a break.

Her golden tail twitched with excitement as she spotted the tom she often enjoyed the company of. "Care to join me for a hunt?" She purred, practically hopping on her paws with excitement.

Lavenderdrop found himself feeling rather good this morning. The soft glow of sunlight touched the moorlands and warmed his pale coat. It was an adjustment to find comfort in his own pelt and he wasn't sure he ever really would but he was slowly beginning to realize that it was more natural to not have dark gazes burning into his coat. Maplespring's familiar pelt caught his eye from the nursery and shook him from this dreamy state. A smile touched the sides of his maw.

Becoming a father was something that seemed so impossibly surreal. Together the pair had created another being and that fact both thrilled and terrified him at the same time. Perhaps several more moons would cure him of his confusion, or maybe it would grow easier with time. Regardless, he was happy to have the she-cat as his side. His feathery tail whisked back and forth and he drew close to rub his head against the length of her shoulder, "I'd love to. Lead the way."

A purr sounded from the molly the moment his head rubbed in greeting against her shoulder. Her head twisted to press her nose to his ear as he did, just barely catching his pale golden fur before she could no longer easily contort to reciprocate the affecitonate gesture. Lavenderdrop's agreement to joining her widened the smile that already seemed permanently attached to her face, and she had to keep her toes planted to the ground to keep from bouncing around him. Even with all that came from motherhood, she still had limitless energy. It made her a great playmate for all of the kits, and also meant she slept rather soundly at the end of every day.

Maplespring's signature small bounce of a start led them into the moors of Windclan. Newleaf had brought such a vibrancy with it that matched her own, it was as if she was perfectly at home. Small patches of white flowers blossomed with the sections of longer grasses, the songs of birds flying overhead easy to hear no matter where they were. A signature breeze billowed across the flat lands, and the golden molly's head tilted upwards, as if to let it ripple through her fur easier. "I feel like I haven't been out here in ages... I feel like I haven't seen you in ages." She commented, slowing her leading pace to align herself side-by-side with the tom. It had only been since the battle that they'd last seen each other, but that felt both like it was just yesterday and moons ago at the same time. "I've missed you." Maplespring admitted, her side pressing comfortably against his own for just a moment.

Her paws carried them deep into the moors, even near the flower fields where they'd been able to spar together. "There's bound to be some hares here... right?" She thought out loud. It had been awhile since she'd last been hunting, having mostly been in the nursery, and only ever getting up to wander around camp before returning to Birchkit. It was still such a mystical thing to her, knowing that she was the mother of the small ball of life. Truth be told, it was actually quite terrifying - even leaving camp now, there was the constant thought whispering in the back of her mind that she was doing something wrong. That somehow, in some way, she was failing Birchkit. But they were whispers she simply had to silence, or at the very least try to, if only just for the moments she was with Lavenderdrop.

He flushed immediately, feeling the warmth of the she-cat. Even though the pair of them were close enough to be raising a kit together, Lavenderdrop couldn't prevent the blood that pounded in his ears every time that he looked over the queen. She was gorgeous. The patterns of her coat was one that the warrior swore he could lose himself in forever. A contented smile crossed the tom's maw. To know such peace and contentedness slowed his paws with uncertainty. And yet, the pale-pelted tom swore he could do anything with her at his side. Anxiety seemed to fade away and became replaced with reassurance.

"I've missed you too." He meowed, ears no doubt growing even more pink. As he fell into step, his tail flickered easily back and forth. When Maplespring spoke, he nodded, "There has to be. Without the Dark Forest taking them out, there's bound to be plenty. I'm going to find one, I'm sure of it." It was more a fanciful desire than genuine confidence. Eyes raked the open moorlands in hopes of catching sight of something. And there it was, a flash of fur. He took off at once, quickly covering ground. But the hare was fast and threatened to slip from his claws.

Lavenderdrop tumbled into the creature, rolling over a couple of times before finally coming to a stop. Slender limbs splayed awkwardly around the prey and it squeaked for a moment before his teeth sunk into the soft throat. Dirt clung to his coat and he realized he had stopped close to the hidden entrance of one of the tunnels. His side rose and fell as he caught his breath and rolled onto his stomach. Flashing a sheepish grin to his companion, the tom panted, "Not the best kill, huh? We might need to do this more often... you ever been in the tunnels?" Remembering when he and Whisperpaw had explored them before, the idea was a tempting one now.

The member 'Ripped' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 8

Maplespring couldn't help the reassuring purr that came from her chest in response to seeing Lavenderdrop being so flushed. It was a natural gesture for her at this point, but one that she always was conscious of. After all, she would hate to attempt to show that she was there for him, only for it to end up lost in translation. Never did she ever want to make the tom feel bad for his shyness or his emotions in general, as they were a great part of what drew the she-cat to him in the first place. The smile on her maw spread at the mutual feelings, the comfort of the warmth blossoming in her chest one that she relished in, and her next few steps seemed to have an extra bounce to them.

She observed as he went off finding his own piece of prey, and she searched about the moors for the signs of her own. In the opposite direction there were a cluster of small hares, her attention snapping back to the pale tom at his catch. A small giggle was her first response to his words. "I would be more than happy to. But hey, you still caught it!" She cheered, her head tilting with the smile that flashed on her face.

Once more, her attention turned back towards where she had spotted the long-eared creatures. Memories of what her mentor had taught her long ago flooded her mind as she felt unassured in her hunting abilities, remembering the crucial thing: Outrun, don't jump after. It was a hard habit for her to have trained out, as her natural gait could easily be a pounce at long speeds. Her run was much more like the bounds the hares made, and perhaps that was an advantage all on its own. A small wiggle of her rump, and she was off, chasing down the creature. It didn't seem to stand a chance against her own speeds, as a golden paw flashed out to knock the hare off balance before she cut off the rest of its path, then ending its life. She'd almost missed her swipe, or so she thought, but it was a much better kill than she had anticipated.

Bringing her catch back to where the pair had been, her tail flicked with curiosity. "Phno, I hafn't been." She spoke through the fur of her catch, and it seemed it clicked for her to simply set it down to finish speaking. "No, I haven't been. Sorry, I forgot I could just... Set this thing down."

Mottlerose successfully caught a hare! -3 SP.

The member 'Kitty' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 3