Open Camp well that's not TOTALLY true [nest fail/open]

[WOLFPACK]

AND I AM SORRY MY CONSCIENCE CALLED IN SICK AGAIN​

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This was proving to be harder than Wolf initially anticipated. To the point where he would have been forcing back a laugh if he'd been the one watching this disaster unfold. Unfortunately, he wasn't, and so instead he found himself growing annoyed at the amount of time he'd wasted. Nests. They looked simple enough; some moss and soft bits clumped together all nice and neat– but apparently, if you'd gone more than two years without ever having made one, it was deceptively complicated.

Wolf groaned in defeat as his fourth attempt at making one fell apart halfway through, knowing when to accept that he'd been bested. He was made for a lot of things, but weaving nests wasn't one of them. At least, not the kind these colony cats were so good at making. And he was pretty sure his fellow denmates could tell that as well judging by how he'd stabbed himself twice on thorns he'd failed to notice, shredded most of the moss by mistake, and had covered half of the den in what could loosely be described as 'moss confetti'.

Great first night in their shared space.

Wolf had finally decided to move into what was being referred to as 'the warriors den', which was basically one of the hollowed out spaces beneath a shrub in camp. It was warmer among all the other bodies, and aside from that, the mottle tomcat didn't feel a need to keep himself isolated. The only issue was that he couldn't get his nest to look as nice as theirs. As a nomad he was used to either making due with what he had, or just scraping some soft bits into a pile that usually only lasted a single night– which was fine considering he was used to moving around a lot anyways. But now that he was trying to make something more permanent his paws seemed to be failing him. It was frustrating only because the tom had been excited to enjoy something he could keep as 'his'. He'd even kept the blood-red feathers of the cardinal he'd caught the day Smogmaw fell into that hole piled neatly beside him, waiting to decorate the nest he couldn't seem to build.

"I don't get how you guys are getting yours to stay together like that. Fuck it– I'll give the next bird I catch to whoever can help me fix it."

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OOC- he rolled a nat 1 for nest making.
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loner/future shadowclan - male - a large, monochrome chimera with mismatched eyes and several scars​

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[Marbleshine]

MARBLE OF SHADOWCLAN

Marble sat quietly, her soft blue eyes following Wolf's movements as he worked on building his nest. Her head tilted slightly, curiousity flickering in her gaze as she watched him attempt to weave the pieces together. She didn't say anything at first, after all she didn't want to interrupt. Wolf was clever, strong, and resourceful, and she respected his independence. Perhaps he didn't want her help or saw it as unnecessary. So she remained where she was, her paws absentmindedly kneading at her own nest, adorned with small trinkets she'd collected during her explorations. Each item held meaning, carefully tucked away to gift to others when she felt they needed cheering up.

When his voice finally broke the silence, calling for her attention, Marble hesitated for a moment. Her shy nature tugged at her to stay put, but she pushed herself up, stepping lightly out of her nest. Her ears swiveled back briefly before perking forward again as she approached him, offering a tentative smile. " I, uhm... I could help? " she said softly, her voice almost a whisper. She stopped just beside him, her fluffy tail curling around her paws as she glanced down at his work.

" You're... you're starting well. " she assured, her tone gentle and earnest as she tried to build him up. Carefully, she reached out and began to adjust a few pieces. " It... it just takes a bit of a trick to do it correctly... I mean, you were doing well, just... " Her words stumbled over themselves as her face flushed with warmth, embarrassment creeping in. " Just... "

She bit her lip, her paws working as she fumbled to find the right way to phrase it. The last thing she wanted was to offend him or make him feel inadequate. Stars above, she didn't want to come off as rude. " I just don't think... uhm... either you... you haven't done this in a long while or... or your parent didn't teach you it right. " she finally blurted out in a small, hurried voice.

She kept her eyes fixed on the nest as her paws moved automatically, smoothing out the edges and tucking stray bits into place. After a moment, she dared a shy glance sideways at Wolf, her wide eyes full of worry. She hoped desperately that he wouldn't be upset. Her stomach twisted at the thought of him glaring at her or taking her words the wrong way. " I... I didn't mean to sound mean. " she murmured quickly, her voice barely audible. " I just... I want to help. "

GO ON AND TRY TO TEAR ME DOWN ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I WILL BE RISING FROM THE GROUND

 

[Lowlight]

☼ ✧

Settling into a new place is easier than settling into a new name--Lowlight has done it a few times in his life, and part of him is still convinced he'll have to again soon enough, out of habit. He's quick at it, too, but he'll readily admit that most of that speed is carelessness: he doesn't mind a messy nest, and there's always more moss to gather if he shreds his sleeping place in his sleep.

So Wolf's struggle is something he can relate to. It's still a little funny to watch, because he doesn't think he's ever seen this scarred tom care about something so mundane and that's going so poorly.

"Oh, you're so good at this, Marble,"

he exclaims as he leans in to watch her work magic on Wolf's attempt. As sharp as the tom can be, he did ask; Lowlight doesn't think he'll snap at her for overstepping. Still, he throws her a smile, more as an attempt to bolster her shy behavior with encouragement.

"Was it your parents that taught you, then?"

✧ ° . ☼ . ° ✧

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 

  DUNNY — HE/HIM･ 32 MOONS ･ SHADOWCLAN WARRIOR ･ PENNED BY @Kangoo

  A solidly built flame point/red tabby chimera with golden eyes and a small nick across his lips.

 

[MIREPURR]

Life in the marshes is proving to be challenging, to say the least. Mirepurr decides it is no surprise; regardless of their leader's well-intentions, ShadowClan's existence had been born of betrayal and blood. It is only natural that karma strikes them when they are still getting accustomed to this new life. The Colony's torn into two, and both sides are picking up the pieces in the wake of the battle.

Some do it more literally than others. A curious gaze flits towards Wolf and his clumsy attempts at making bedding for himself. A pang of pity worms its way into Mirepurr's heart — carefully concealed as to not anger the grumpy tom further —, knowing full well that their own pelt is more than enough to keep themself warm, nest or no nest. With barely any sun to shine through the thick foliage of the wetland's forests, any and all debris from the floor remain gloomy, wet, and just overall falling short of what anyone could consider proper insulation.

"Must be,"

Mirepurr interjects Lowlight's question with a friendly nudge, only after watching Marble fix Wolf's mess. They feel confident enough in their own nest-making so far, but it never hurts to learn.

"All neat and tidy now. Not one of us have to lay on the cold, damp floor if you're around, Marble!"

 

[WOLFPACK]

AND I AM SORRY MY CONSCIENCE CALLED IN SICK AGAIN​

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Wolf couldn't say he was surprised when Marble was the one to accept and approach him. For whatever reason, she usually was. Other cats weren't always as keen to accept his attempts at interaction, and he supposed he couldn't begrudge them that. Wolf was a rogue, a wandering stray who always put himself first. And as sociable as he could occasionally prove to be, he was also dangerous. Walking with him was like walking beside a lion and expecting it not to eventually maul you, and he couldn't tell if Marble were brave or stupid for her pursuit of a friendship with him.

But he didn't hate it. Didn't dislike the way she made life a little easier by patching up his wounds for him or making his nest. And Wolf had to admit, she was good at it, too. Enough so that he never found himself stricken with the contempt he was typically prone to feeling when it came to cats like her. Quite the contrary. Marble was a favorite of his, a walking contradiction to everything he'd been living up until then; a soft cat who wasn't entirely useless.

A cat who would clean his wounds for him, and make his nest softer, and who knew enough of her place to keep out of the way of others when the time came. Yeah, she was definitely an interesting one, and he was beginning to suspect there were others like her living in the marsh as well.

'The truth isn't always kind." he stated, unbothered and dismissing her need to try and tiptoe around him. "And you're right." he added with a smirk as he watched her reshape the mess into something better.

"Dad wasn't around, and my mom never taught me. Not like this at least." he said, reaching out to poke the much sturdier nest. "She was a nomad so nests weren't a big priority. More often than not you just find a comfortable spot and pass out for a few hours before moving on."

He recalled it with the same aloofness one would use to detail what they'd had for dinner the night prior, a piece of information so trivial that it was nothing to let it slip. But that was Wolfs truth. He had no real feelings toward the sire he'd never met or the dam who'd abandoned him young in order to focus on her own life. Held no spite over what his life was or what it became.

Marbles presence must have offered confidence to some of Wolfs new denmates though, because a moment later other cats were approaching to inspect her work, chiming in with compliments and follow-up questions. Braver, after having watched a lamb stand alongside the wolf, unbitten.

"They're right. That bird's all yours Marble, as promised." he added, not the direct line of praise offered by Mirepurr and Lowlight, but proof of his approval all the same.

"Now I can finally add these." he said, scooping the pile of red flight feathers toward him and beginning the process of adorning the edge of his nest with them for a nice shock of red. "I've got to admit, I'm looking forward to having a place where I can show off my trophies like this. I wasn't able to do it before since I was always on the move."

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loner/future shadowclan - male - a large, monochrome chimera with mismatched eyes and several scars​

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[Marbleshine]

MARBLE OF SHADOWCLAN

When Wolfpack mentioned he was happy with her honesty, relief flooded through her, and she squinted her eyes shut with a smile spreading across her face. The truth wasn't always kind, but it was still better than a lie. " Ah, I see. Nomads. " she echoed, tasting the word on her tongue as she tilted her head thoughtfully. It seemed to her that it must mean they traveled often. There wouldn't be much point in making a good nest if you had to leave it behind after a day or two. " It sounds like quite the life you must've led before the colony... Before ShadowClan. " she corrected herself, her brows furrowing slightly.

Her blue eyes flitted upward as Lowlight joined them, and she shifted in place, looking flustered under his attention. She hadn't expected anyone else to notice her earlier actions. " O-oh... Well, uhm... No, not really. " she stammered quickly, answering Lowlight's question about her own parents teaching her how to build a nest. " I mean, I can't remember much about my parents. My mother... she's just a vague memory. " she admitted, her voice tinged with unease. The thought settled uncomfortably in her chest, but she quickly pushed it aside and flashed Lowlight a bright smile. " B-but Copper's mother, Thistle from the Colony, before all this... She helped me. She taught me how to properly make a den. She always said it was something that would come in handy. A good night's rest is important to have enough energy for the day ahead! " she added cheerfully, her tone gaining strength as she turned her gaze to Mirepurr, who had also joined the group.

" Well, you know... I wouldn't mind helping anyone who'd like me to take a look at their nest. I won't say it always turns out perfect. " she admitted with a sheepish laugh. " But if it doesn't, we just try again! " Her voice was encouraging, and she offered Mirepurr a warm look, though it was clear she was still a bit flustered with all the sudden attention.

Eyes wide, she glanced back at Wolfpack, shaking her head slightly but smiling all the same. " I didn't help for the bird, though. " she said, tilting her head as she looked at him. " But we can share it, if you'd like? " she offered, her gaze flicking briefly to the vibrant red feathers he was now using to decorate the edge of his nest. She made a mental note of the adornment, an idea sparking in her mind, perhaps she could find some nice gifts in the forest for Wolfpack to decorate his nest further.

" It looks strikingly good already, Wolfpack! I really like the red feathers! " she added sincerely, her voice bright with approval.

GO ON AND TRY TO TEAR ME DOWN ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I WILL BE RISING FROM THE GROUND