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Clover had to give a heart chuckle at the two males' goading and teasing. For all the noise and shaking of the wind and rain, she felt almost comfortable, content with these rakish fellows. "I keep parus, like I said. Both my parents were keepers, so I just...you know. Felt drawn to it I suppose." she shifted a litte, flinging rain about. "I breed for musical abillity, actually. I know it's odd, but many elites and uppers will trade a pretty feast for a good bit of entertainment. My choir group is one of the best, and that's straight from the Warden's mouth!"

“A parus choir! Now that does sound interesting. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anyone say they bred for musical ability… I have to hear it sometime.” His blue eyes turned to face the deep woods male and he seemed to hesitate slightly while pondering his answer. After sighing heavily, Chase eyed the opening above them and spoke slowly, trying not to look too serious. “I think… I became a gatherer for the wrong reasons. I told myself that I was good at carrying heavy loads and I do feel more comfortable on the ground than most but I think the biggest reason was to stray from… someone’s expectations of me. I love gathering really but… with some of the things that have been happening lately, I started wondering where my proper place in the Clan was.”

Oh, it did sound too serious. So the shadow turned to the female abruptly and bowed slightly, ignoring the unpleasant feeling of the cold wind under his wings and giving her a small playful wink while beaming mischievously. “I was considering the Ranger task but with so many lovely ladies around, who in his right mind can choose a life of solitude?!”

“Munching on something that can talk back to me just creeps me out."

Vinch’s words lingered in Chase’s mind and the shadow eyed his fellow watcher with a hint of surprise. “Oddly enough, I feel the same way. Most seem to think of it as a weakness. I’ve never had a companion of my own but I do believe I would never have the heart to eat someone else’s… ah… what do you mean with “experiment on”? Like… trying out medicines?” His thoughts went out to the western borders and the aberrant apothecary Drywood he had met there as well as his wicked serpe whose mere thought sent shivers down his spine.

Vinch laughed heartily at Chase's reasoning of the Ranger lifestyle. "You got that right! Seriously though, just take your time and try some things out. It's important to be happy with what you're doing, Chase. If you're unhappy doing your job then you won't want to do it and that won't help the Clan, now will it? Better to love what you do so you want to do it as best you can. Then you're really getting somewhere." Vinch nodded emphatically. The idea of doing something you don't like just doesn't make much sense to him. Why be unhappy when there are alternatives?

"Naw, not medicines. My parents are Artisans, not Apothecaries. Since they weren't in a combatant profession I was raised by them and not Minders, luckily or unluckily as it turned out. When I was young, they would get all these crazy ideas about new color dyes and combinations and would want to try it out on me. I'd have to make up reasons why their Mus would make a prettier dye job than me or would want a change of color or some other crazy thing just to get them to leave my feathers alone." Vinch shook his head. "Dyes are great and all, I just don't want to look my parents. And if I'd let them have their way, I'd look like some ultra-bright rainbow thing. Yeesh. I just prefer a simple look for myself. My good looks don't need to be hidden, right?" Vinch grinned wide.

Vinch turned to Clover. "Maybe being a Ranger called to her. There are some things in this Forest that just can't be explained." Vinch thinks about that for a moment before continuing, "...wow, that sounds deep. I CAN be profound sometimes!" Vinch laughed again. He really can't stay serious for very long. It just isn't in him to be.

Clover nodded at Vinch's words. She had often guessed that Hazel had a real passion for her work. Now that she was mated though, she wondered how long that would last. Oh, she hoped the poor little deep woods wasn't out in this bluster!

"Ah, thank you. I saw a songbird with it once. I mean, it was the bird's natural color. I have no idea where that bird was from, I don't think it was native, and it left shortly after and I never saw it again, but it did sing so prettily...That's why I picked to breed for music. I was dyed that day so I could always remember how the little bird inspired me." She giggled a little, flicking water off in the process. "Looks like we're all a little deep tonight!"

"Looks like we're all a little deep tonight!"

“I do believe the weather calls for it. And I like the way you think, Vinch. It will be the perfect excuse to go bother everyone I know. I haven’t talked to a lot of my friends in a while and it would be a shame if we grew apart…”

Vinch’s words however drove the shadow’s blue eyes to the opening from which the three sentinels had entered the shelter. Had his friends noticed the changing weather? Did his parents find shelter? Would he go back to find someone injured… missing…?

“It must’ve been a beautiful bird.” He said slowly lifting his head to look over the female to the opening almost as if expecting to see a familiar face pass by.

Vinch followed Chase's gaze to...outside? "Did you see something out there Chase?" Vinch tried to peer into the storm, but it didn't seem like anything was out there. He couldn't think of what would still be outside this far into the storm, anyway.

Vinch is quickly distracted from what could be outside by Clover's question. "Woooah! Nonono, no eggs for me. I don't think it's time to settle down yet for me. There's so many women left to...experience," Vinch winked suggestively. "Every lady is so wonderful each in a different way; I don't know if just one could hold my heart captive."

Clover would have cooed or awwed at Chase's sentiment, had she been one able, or two the type. Instead she simply averted her eyes, allowing him some amount of privacy to regain himself in their cramped conditions. "I can understand that. No sense getting into something as potentially challenging and trying as eggs when you're unsure of the one you're doing it with. It's better for everyone that way, yes. Myself, I agree. No eggs here, not now, or possibly ever. Don't get me wrong, hatchlings are cute, but they're also noisy, grouchy, demanding little things. I'm not sure I have the patience for them after the parus. I suppose for now those are my children."

A rather large drip of rain splashed down onto Clover's beak, and she let out a startled [insert Sentinel version of a sneeze here]. "Pfhe! That one got in my nose alright!" She hacked a bit, though she smiled and joked through it, rather as one would when they breathe while drinking water.

“Ah, hatchlings… I love them but I admit the responsibility overwhelms a bit. I think that when I find the right lady, all the doubts will disappear though. It’s another thing that makes a bit weary of the ranger task. Not sure how well one can balance that kind of work and family.” The shadow’s eartufts perked up excitedly. He was expecting some light teasing and when that didn’t happen, it was as if his whole body had found some secret source of energy he didn’t even know he had.

He was about to say something when Vinch offered to take Clover’s place. “He’s right. We can take shifts. You must be freezing.” Chase started moving as well, slowly taking Vinch’s spot “Where was I…? I know I was going to say something… I can’t believe I forgot what I was about to say. Oh, right! The theatre! Did you mean the Crownleaf? I went there once. They’re phenomenal! There’s this bard who made the funniest song! And he’s a pretty good story-teller, too! And there’s an older story-teller (very good!) and I met another bard at the Longest Night and I was lucky enough to see him perform there. His pica also performs with him.”