Dark Side of the Moon [OPEN]

Moondancer dropped the prey she'd caught earlier in the night onto the fresh-kill pile, then made her way toward the driest part of camp that she could find. It was warmer outside than she ever remembered, and with the sudden lack of bitter chill came the stench of the marsh, the smell of rotting things near carrionplace and the deep marshes, and a general unpleasantness about Shadowclan territory. And she had stepped in mud, because the night hadn't been unpleasant enough. With a disgusted huff, the tabby began to groom her pelt, trying to focus more on that than whatever clanmates were milling about camp still.

Badgermask had been resting in a little corner of the camp, paws tucked neatly beneath her as she lazily kept an eye on her Clanmates wandering about. However, her head promptly shot up as she spotted her sister step into the camp - freshly returned from a hunt. Her eyes trailed her as Moondancer placed it in the fresh-kill pile and headed to her own corner to rest - and the warrior was on her paws within an instant. "Did you have a good hunt?" she asked as she approached, taking a seat a tail-length away to give her sister some space, before her eyes fell onto her mud-stained sister's pelt. Her nose scrunched up in a grimace of sympathy as she realized why Moondancer was so keen on cleaning herself. "...Do you want a helping paw with that?" she questioned, tilting her head. It was never a fun time trying to get mud from ones pelt - she hated the taste and it ruined eating nearly any prey for the rest of the night. "You just came back from a hunt - you gotta be tired, I am more than happy to try to help get the mud off."

Swiftheart was so glad the grip of the cold season was finally loosening. It would be nice to have prey more often and not have their land covered in snow and ice. She spotted her niece a little ways away having just gotten back from a patrol it looked like. The chatty and peppy extravert didn't know Moon as well as she would have liked but no time like the present she figured happily.

Trotting over to her with her usual excitement and kit/apprentice levels of energy she sat beside her. "Oh my stars, I can't wait for springtime: more daylight, more prey, less snow!"

sorry! I again didnt see Badgers post till I had mine written lol this happened to me earlier too on kj's open post in wc...

ok let me add on real quick so that swift isnt ignoring badger))



Swiftheart gave Badger a friendly greeting purr as well, she loved meeting new clanmates and making new friends so this was great! and yes of course, they could help moon clean her pelt out too

"Badgermask!" A purr rumbled in Moondancer's chest at her littermate's approach. One of the few cats whose company she truly enjoyed, though she remained focused on cleaning the mud from her tabby pelt. Which Badgermask, star-sent saint, was offering to help with. "Oh please, you're the best. I was chasing after a frog and, well. Didn't think the puddle was going to be that deep." And the splash it had made... Eugh. The frog had paid for the trouble it caused though, now sitting on the fresh-kill pile, where it would feed someone in camp.

"I never want to see snow again. I'm not sure all this mud is much better, though." She responded to Swiftheart as the white warrior sat beside them. She was her... aunt, Moondancer thought, though the two had spent very little time together. Moondancer was mostly focused on herself and her training, while Swiftheart... She didn't know. She was old enough to be an elder, anyways.

Badgermask shifted closer to Moondancer to start help clearing the mud when pawsteps caught her ear, turning to see Swiftheart approaching - celebrating the changing of the season. While Badgermask's eager excitement to spend time with her sister dwindled a little at the arrival of another, she knew Swiftheart was family and had been kind enough when Badgermask had been a timid apprentice and unwilling to join in the spar...

Slowly, she eased a little more as her sister spoke up, causing an amused huff. "I didn't mind the snow that much but it was a pain to blend into... The mud is an annoyance, but one I guess we ought to get used to. Maybe mom or dad would have advice on how to deal with it?" she questioned, before she finally leaned forward to start helping Moondancer clean her pelt - grimacing at the work to be done. Then, she paused, sparing a glance at Swiftheart. "Or you, I suppose. You have any advice on how to deal with mud if we don't want to get our pelts that dirty?" she questioned between licks.