wc rebels A HAUNTING FACE ; morning sickness

[cygnetstare]

// retro to attack ; tw for emetophobia

The sickness has been going on for somewhere around a half-moon now. As Cygnetstare's stomach had swollen slowly, through the utter chaos and the blood and the tears of the past sunrises, she had expected the nausea to abate. Not so. When they'd spoken to Gooseberry, only a few short turns of the moon before their life had been plunged into all...this, they'd been retaining their trim figure well enough. As she'd fled with the rest of the so-called rebels to this place, nothing had really impeded her long strides.

She recalls those times longingly now. Pregnancy, she's quickly found, is about as joyous and comfortable as a tunnel collapse. How could one not pay homage to death and ghosts, when this was the other side of the pelt? Nauseous (yet somehow hungry), about as mobile as a dead frog—and that was to say nothing of the rather unfortunate timing of these kits.

Not that she wasn't excited—quite the opposite. The prospect of some little things to teach, to bring on trips to old graves when they were old enough, to tell stories and show around the tunnels, was rather appealing. They wouldn't be born of some great love story, and Cygnetstare didn't plan to lie to them about that—Gooseberry had been a short-lived mistake, plain and simple, and she'd left him back with his tyrant queen.

Hopefully they'll be worth it, she thinks idly with another gag.

"speech"

​

 

[WOLFSONG]

──ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ᨒ↟↟ᨒ── It does not bode well when Wolfsong finds the tunneler emptying her stomach. He has little by way of herbs, save for what he can find growing near the Horseplace— and they are not suited to illnesses of this caliber. In truth, he hesitates to name what ails Cygnetstare as a sickness, as the changes to their body are reminiscent of those he experienced himself not so many moons ago. But she has not come to him for his opinion as Harbingermoon had, and so he wonders whether they mean to try and...hide her condition, for one reason or another.

These are not the safest of times, after all, but surely it would be best for her loyal clanmates to be forewarned? However long they may be here, a pregnant cat requires a bit more energy than one who is not supporting new lives, and with snow still muting the landscape, prey remains elusive. Perhaps Cygnetstare is simply unaware, but Wolfsong refuses to believe that is the case. They have never struck him as being that oblivious.

"How often have you taken ill lately?" He asks, his sole eye watchful and shrewd.
​

WOLFSONG of WINDCLAN FORMER ROGUE TURNED MEDICINE CAT. 41 MOONS, HE/HIM, NPC X NPC. MATES WITH SUNSTRIDE (07/05/2023). BIOGRAPHY, PINTEREST, & PLAYLIST.

medicinal expertise med. part ii med. part iii med. part iv

• — ★★★☆☆ WOUNDS: You're (mostly) in safe paws. You'll know if he's less experienced if he asks for your permission to try a treatment. No wound can scare him away from knowledge.
  — ★★★☆☆ INFECTION: He can prevent most infections. If you feel feverish, let him know; he'll hum thoughtfully over herbs and sniff your wound before saying, "With your blessing..."
• — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES & PAINS: If you complain to him of pain, he'll ask where. If it's a headache, you'll likely feel a bit better. For anything else, "Try this, if you'd like, and tell me how you feel."
  — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES: At best. he can ask you to remain lying down in the den. He may try to distract you with conversation while he considers what herb to feed you.
• — ★★★★★ TRAVELING HERBS: Going somewhere? No worries; Wolfsong knows just what you need to stay hale and healthy during your journey. The rest is up to you.
  — ★★★☆☆ KITTING: Thanks to Starlingheart and his own pregnancy, he's better prepared for the arrival of kits, but any complications will need a little faith and a lot of luck.
• — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS: It's best if you avoid eating anything unfamiliar to you— it's probably just as unfamiliar to Wolfsong. The best he can do is offer you yarrow and sit with you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ ILLNESS: If it's white or greencough, you'll likely recover. Otherwise, prepare for odd concoctions and the usual request that you consent to a little trial-and-error.

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[FEATHERSPINE]

Despite being the son of the medicine cat, Featherpaw in truth knew very little about ailments. In fact... as much as it displaced his visage of toughness, deftly and diligently upkept, he found symptoms quite disgusting. As with every negative emotion Featherpaw felt, it found obvious place on her face- a crumpling scowl that contained no honey-eyed drop of sympathy. Wolfsong had managed that on her behalf; it was his duty, after all. And Featherpaw's duty was to serve his Clan best he could, even if his home now didn't resemble a Clan very much.

It would do no good for her to fall ill, now- how was she meant to prove herself as useful to WindClan, as a worthy fighter- as someone who could and should protect her home? To be on the battlefield was the only way he could ensure the safety of those closest to his heart, Featherpaw was sure of it.

"Just don't buh... b-buh... b-bring it anywhere near me," Featherpaw said, voice barbed and expression unsympathetic. She had to guard herself, had to stay strong... and Cygnetstare, as a warrior, would surely understand why. ​

✦ penned by pin​

 

[LILYPAW ✞]

✞ The kit wobbles as it walks, pale paws unsteady. It is cold everywhere, now that it has dragged itself from the warmth of someone else’s nest, face tucked into a coat of thick fur. Settling into the world of these cats, strangers who care about it for some reason, has taken time, but the small albino has at last found itself capable of wandering about of its own volition. It still does not know the names of most of the other cats—but it does know Cygnetstare and Wolfsong. The two are adults that it sees often inside of the barn, and so as it strides over it is drawn into their conversation easily.

The brown apprentice who also moves to observe Cygnetstare’s predicament is unfamiliar, name lost to the blank void of their memory, and so the kit does not respond to her stuttering words. They do, however, repeat a snippet of the question that Wolfsong asks of the she-cat. "Taken ill, taken ill…" The comment slides from their tongue with a tone wholly devoid of emotion. It is not a particularly moving scene, seeing the older feline emptying her stomach—rather, it is a simply repulsive sight. "Ew," they mutter, shifting uncomfortably upon their paws.​

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[RATTLEHEART]

It's almost amusing, the capacity to feel envy over something so unpleasant to an outside observer. After all, most wouldn't feel any kind of envy over seeing a clanmate in pain, especially when they were hunched over and coughing up their guts. However, judging by the nausea that clearly had Cygnetstare in an iron grip, along with the rather sudden swelling of her stomach - there was really only one conclusion Rattleheart could draw. He might not have been a medicine cat, but he did have eyes, at the very least. If the circumstances were better, he likely would have found himself pushing down jealousy over the fact that she had little ones on the way, and he didn't. Even now it was an effort to brush away light feelings of envy, though he didn't find himself wanting to be in her paws that much.

It would've been different, had they not been in the middle of a civil war.

As it was, her fellow tunneler wore a sympathetic look on his face as he approached. He chuckled upon hearing Featherpaw, looking between both Cygnetstare and Wolfsong before he shook his head. "Don't worry, Featherpaw. I have a feeling that what's ailing Cygnetstare isn't exactly something that you can catch." At least, not in a conventional sense. As he looked back towards Cygnetstare, he couldn't help his eyes from drifting down to their stomach - this time with no small amount of anxiety. "I take it this means we won't be having you involved in any battling soon? Hopefully?" The circumstances weren't good, sure, but Rattleheart refused to let any little unborn kits get hurt because of stubbornness - though he doubted his fellow tunneler would allow that either.
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[ PENNED BY EO ]​