private trapped yourself inside // hyacinth

STEADY THE RIGHTS AND THE WRONGS
periwinklepaw | 08 months | demi-boy | he/they | physically easy (pacifist) | mentally easy | attack in bold #ccccff

He wants to run.

He wants to run, to hide, to find a hole and curl up in a little ball and hide away from allhis problems. He is a coward - it has never been more painfully clear to him before now. Until he stands upon the riverclan border, tucked within the tall reeds, hiding. From her, from him, from them. From everyone and everything. Perhaps vulturemask was right - perhaps he should just give up, give in. Fight to survive. But to do so would be to give up a peice of himself - would be to carve out a peice of his soul and sacrifice it for a goddess who does not see them as anything more than worms. He'd thought it'd be enough - his percarious little balancing act, always on the fence. Meek and meager, a pitiful creature but a useful one - a cat who would provide food for the hungry mouths his leader had brought into the world if nothing else. And yet he cannot escape their judgment - if he does not fight back, he is a coward. If he does - he'll be branded as dangerous, a tratior.

It's all her fault. He has no doubt that Juniperfrost had done soemthing to deserve his dath.. but really, why now? Why her? Couldn't she have bit her tongue and turned the other cheek? Or at least... at least been less obvious in her actions? That thought alone is enough to churn his stomach, and yet he is too relived that it was him and not her who died to truly care. Clear blue gaze stares at the heavens over head - starclan themselves had waged war last night, had struck fear and awe into the hearts of those present. Was it a warning or a blessing? If he was smart, he'd have fled long ago. But he had dug his own grave when he'd chosen to stay. He cannot trust riverclan - cannot trust anyone. Not anymore.

... perhaps that isn't true, but he's feeling pathetic and selfish, so he steadfastly ignores that fact.

Pawsteps and and all to familiar scent arrive more swiftly than he could have ever hoped - and yet all to soon nonetheless. The stench of blood and the river are heady and sickening - another reminder that this is not the hyacinthbretah he grew up with. And he is no longer the frail child hiding away in the medicine den. "... they all h-hate me b-b-b-bec-cause of you," he says quietly - voice lacking any and all heat. He's tired of it all. "... sootstar has b-b-branded you a t-traitor, th-they're all out for y-y-your blood," He doesn't know why he bothers to warn her - they've already made their message loud and clear in their actions, and it's not as though they've ever truly been close. She'd been gone to soon for that to ever happen.

The boy leaves his hiding place, long limbs popping loudly from disuse. He's still sore - fragile frame littered in bruises and cuts, his neck still covered in cobwebs. A strangled noise leaves his throat when he looks at his mother, and it's only then that he realizes he's crying again, though he doesn't even know why. It's all he seems to do these days.

// @hyacinthbreath

 
Living in RiverClan wasn't Heaven. No, it was a situationship she could deal with. Even through all the prejudice, through all the struggle, she could deal with it. If it meant she stayed alive, if it meant she survived, she could do anything. But the circumstances that brought her here still haunts her to this day.

The sound of rustling in the distance catches her attention, still-healing jaw twinging at the smell of WindClan. Her fur rises along her spine, pupils narrowed into slits as she makes her way over- only for a familiar face to poke its way out of the reeds and into the open. "Peri?" Surprised, Hyacinthbreath takes a step towards her son, fur lying flat against her spine. He was injured; a possessive feeling overwhelms her in that moment. Who dares to hurt her baby?

She begins to walk closer to her son, but his words stop her in her tracks. ... they all h-hate me b-b-b-bec-cause of you, Her face drops then, guilt eating at her skin. "I'm sorry," She whispers, feeling the overwhelming emotions begin to envelop her again. Why did it always do this? It snuck up on her like a shadow, overwhelming her until she couldn't breathe anymore. ... sootstar has b-b-branded you a t-traitor, th-they're all out for y-y-your blood, "I know, liebling." You reap what you sow, so they say. Her decision led to war, brought her Clan into something totally unnecessary. But now, she had to deal with it. This was her fault, and she had to deal with the consequences of her actions.

As he steps further from the reeds, Hyacinthbreath puts her body between him and the rest of the border- protective of her son. "I'm sorry that I caused so much anguish for you, liebling.." She mutters loud enough for him to hear, hesitantly taking a step towards him. Her paw reaches out, as she attempts to smooth it across his cheek affectionately. "My baby boy.. I'm so sorry, Peri. I should have done better. I should have been better for you." She sobs, seating herself finally. "When I was exiled, things went downhill from there.. I needed a place to stay. I can't.. I can't survive alone. I've.. Never been good at being by myself."

Flashbacks to her birthplace, the bodies of her family lying dead on the ground- foaming out of their mouth. Hyacinth seems distant for a moment, as if in another galaxy entirely- dazing off into space. It isn't until seconds later does she come back to reality, snapping back to look at her son. She blinks, a soft breath leaving her lips. "I missed you.. So, so much.. I wish I could take you away from WindClan, bring you here with me. I wish I could have done things differently, I wish I could have been a better mother for you.. But I can't change the past, my love." She leans forward, shoulders slouching as she rests.

"I've.. Accepted my fate, whatever may happen."
❝ there are wounds inside me, gaping holes of disconnect.
can you drown inside your own body? can you suffocate within this mind? ❞

dasj6kh-fcc362f4-4eae-4ea0-ab51-566d06091b70.png
 
STEADY THE RIGHTS AND THE WRONGS
periwinklepaw | 08 months | demi-boy | he/they | physically easy (pacifist) | mentally easy | attack in bold #ccccff
Despite his best efforts, the boy cannot help but lean into the warmth of his mothers touch. It has been so long since he's felt his parents love - not sicne hyacinth had been exiled, not since moonshadow had up and vanished without a word. Selfloathing scratches and tears at his heart as he listens to her words - how can he blame her for her actions when he is doing just the same on the otherside?

They both know that it is not entirely her fault - but to blame sootstar aloud, let alone within the confines of his own mind, is a dangerous thing. If he lets the walls he's built slip for even a moment, he fears they'll all come crashing down beneath the weight of his choices. "I know..." he whispers - and he does. The thought of exile, of being chased out from his home, of truly being alone it utterly terrifying. He cannot say he wouldn't beg for soostar to end his life instead of cursing him to such a fate. To be forced out of her home so suddenly, he suposes riverclan was her only choice.

As she continues to speak, he listens - really listens. Its soemthing he's alwaysturggled with - truly understanding those around them. Be it his sleeping sickness or his own cursed mind or simply because he didn't want to, he rarely sees things from others point of view. And what he hears hurts as though it is his own pain.

This time it is him who moves first, pushing forwards to press his face into her neck and breath in her scent, his limbs shaking lightly from his grief. They both know the likely outcome of all of this after all. "... y-you wern't a b-bad mom," he mumbles. Even before he'd known who she was to him, despite her stiltedness he'd looked up to her. He was still proud to call her his mother, even after all was said and done.

He knows he shouldn't stay out to long - he needs to hide his activities behind his excuse, and to do so will likely take time. But still... he's reluctant to leave the warm embrace he'd almost forgotten.

 
What is grief, if not love? Twisted in this way and that, reminding one of the pain they went through constantly. It's a stabbing pain, grief- right in the heart. Hyacinthbreath leans into her child's touch almost instantly, shoulders quaking as reality begins to settle between them both. He tells her she wasn't a bad mom. He knows that she loves him more than anything, right? More than the breaths that dare leave her chest. More than the tides, than anything around her- but she has to make a choice, and it was life or death.

She would much rather live to see her son grow up from a distance.

"I love you," She exhales in a shaky breath, preparing herself for the words she was about to say. This was a short moment, but loving. "..But after this, you must not come close to the borders again, okay, Peri?" She hiccups through her tears, feels her flesh tearing with the truth. "You are WindClan, more than half of the cats in your Clan. Do you understand me? Your mothers are WindClan grown, and you are WindClan born. Nobody can tell you who you are, Peri. Not even Sootstar herself."

She pulls away from her son then, examining his face. So pretty, it reminded her of a mix between Moonshadow and herself. She wondered idly if Moon would ever return. If the world would ever allow her to smile again. Life had it's ways of screwing them over, after all. "I have to stay loyal to my Clan, and so do you. So avoid fights at all cost, and keep your head down. Take care of yourself, and take all of the herbs for your illness when needed. Don't miss a single treatment. Ja? I love you. Mama loves you more than anything in the world." Even herself.

With that, Hyacinthbreath stands from her place and backs up, beckoning him to return to his side of the border. He mustn't get caught. "Goodbye, my love. Please take care of yourself for me."
❝ there are wounds inside me, gaping holes of disconnect.
can you drown inside your own body? can you suffocate within this mind? ❞

dasj6kh-fcc362f4-4eae-4ea0-ab51-566d06091b70.png
 
STEADY THE RIGHTS AND THE WRONGS
periwinklepaw | 08 months | demi-boy | he/they | physically easy (pacifist) | mentally easy | attack in bold #ccccff
Its nice, he thinks, to bask in her love. It's warm and bright just like the sun.

'You are WindClan, more than half of the cats in your Clan'

Is he really? Even with how broken he is? He's not so certain anymore, not after everything that has happened. He's suddenly reminded of hs his conversation with gravelpaw, despite it all finding the words comforting. 'You should be worthless but you're not.' That's what he'd said. It seems hyacinthbreath must agree.

A watery smile and stifled sniffle are his only response for a moment - he's finding it hard to speak, as though there is prey caught in his throat. Swallowing harshly and breathing in deep he pulls away, shuffling himself those painful few pawsteps until they are separated once more.

She tells him to be good. To be strong. To not fight. "O-okay... I- I will," he hears himself say, and he knows it is a lie. He knows it the way he knows that the next time he sees his mother they will be enemies, because that it was sootstar has declared. Because there is already something dark and twisted inside of him, something that wanted to kill firefang the same way sootstar was so determined to kill hyacinthbreath, wants to watch her bleed. Because there was something not-right with his head, and his heart, and his mind.

But its okay - because this is goodbye forever. And he doesn't want to let anything ruin this moment - the one he wants to commit to memory for as long as he lives. He wants to treasure this, to think back upon it with a smile and not such a heavy burdensome heart.

"I l-love you t-too," he says softly - voice heavy with exhaustion as he gives her one last bright smile. As though there is nothing wrong - as though this isn't goodbye. as though he's still that little boy who was safe and happy inside the nursery, naïve to the horrors of this earth.

He doesn't say goodbye - he never can. He simply slips off into the night. He does not look back, no matter how much he wants to. If he does, he might crumbles.

Not a goodbye but a see you later.

 
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