camp A HUNDRED ANGELS ✿ returning home

[DOEBLAZE]

the path to camp is achingly familiar, one walked many times to head out for patrol or return from a successful (or not, in the early days) hunt. it's all bobbie can do not to break into a sprint, but her worn-out paws would hardly permit it, to say nothing of her companions. she glances around the little group—miraculously, they'd all returned, with stormpaw returned to her home to boot. orangeblossom, cherrypaw, duskpool, greeneyes, chalk.....all of them choosing to stay back with stormpaw and flamewhisker. for a moment she's compelled to reflect on the depth of unity the journey had built, so much so that they'd all felt the urge to remain back and see stormpaw safely returned.

pine-scent wreathes them, along with the familiar smell of home, and she forgets all about unity, about her aching paws, about tragedy and danger and death. bobbie can only think of three smoke-furred shapes, perhaps taller than her now. she can think of a soft moss nest to sleep in instead of on rock or in caves or wreathed in snow. she can think of all the familiar pelts and faces she's missed, of the catching-up to do, of the stories to be told to howlfire's new kits, dreaming in their mother's belly when she'd left. surely they're here by now. she can think of these things, and she thinks of them gladly, happy for tragedy's temporary absence.

most of all, though, she thinks about soft golden fur and rich blue eyes, ignoring the thorns of guilt. a moon and a half since they'd spoken, she's counted, and time erases the bitterness of it. who he had looked and why has becomes irrelevant, bobbie realizes, in her absence. she can only find a jittery sort of excitement, a pang of muted worry (about him, about little wolf, about how to tell him). time heals all wounds rings incredibly true for her now and she finds she can't bring herself to be bitter over it.

ferns and bramble appear, banking the holllow of camp, and she pushes her weary paws forward, half-running into camp. it might be a strange sight for those who'd known her—a collarless bobbie, newly blotched with white and sporting a lush mane of lilac, smelling of unfamiliar places. she'd kept herself from crying during every trial and challenge, during little wolf's vigil—tears going unshed and pushed away. now she lets them bead and spill, a smile overtaking her face.

triumphant, she calls, "we're home, all of us!"

only the sun has come this close ✿ ( only the sun )

• the delayed group, bobbie, @orangeblossom, @Cherrypaw, @DUSKPOOL, @GREENEYES, and @CHALK , have returned home!!
  anyone can post, but please do not double post until @BLAZESTAR arrives!

• 

• 

  bobbie ; warrior of skyclan
  x. she/her ; 42 moons ; tags
  x. small, scarred lilac tabby and white she-cat with green eyes
  x. played by dejavu
  x. mother to lupinepaw, crowpaw, and drowsypaw.

​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

When Blazestar dreams now, it’s of snow. It’s of crystal-clear skies that span mountains, of peaks sharp as claws raking its bare blue belly with snow-white tips. He feels wind like ice in his fur; snow crunches under his paws. He’s searching for someone, but it’s aimless. Her scent is lost on the wind, muted by the storm, and when he finds where she’s supposed to be, there is a different body sprawled there, hoisted by a snowbank. He looks for Little Wolf, but he finds Morningpaw, whom he had watched die. He looks for Little Wolf, but he finds his daughter, and just beyond her, there’s a lilac tabby with windblown fur, flecked with ivory, her gives him a long look of mourning before bounding away from him.

In the dream, he curls beside Morningpaw, and slowly, slowly, the fur turns from pale to ebony, and he’s saying his second goodbye to Little Wolf.

It feels like he’s always saying goodbye.

In life, it had been under a full moon, stark and watchful. Their true goodbye had already been bid, and Little Wolf had pressed herself to another warrior before embarking on her journey. Blazestar had reconciled with this, he’d thought. She’d gone to the grave mourned by another tom—and it was that warrior who would go home to grieve with her family, with her children, fathered by Blazestar but as unreachable as ever.

When he hears the delicate singsong of Bobbie’s voice calling him into the clearing, his steps are heavy, guarded. There’s distance between them that spans moons now, but when he rests his blue gaze on her small figure, collarless with new scars and new muscle definition, he knows he has laid Little Wolf to rest in his heart.

Tears prick the corners of his eyes, and he strides forward to rest his muzzle against Bobbie’s. “Welcome back,” he whispers hoarsely. He wants to linger there, to revel in the velvet press of her fur against his, to drink her scent in—the she-cat he can never let go again, the one he will never say goodbye to, the way he had Little Wolf—but he does not. His deputy has returned, his warriors, young Cherrypaw. SkyClan has been reunited in their rightful home at last.

“Welcome back, all of you.” He searches them, ensuring each is accounted for—Orangeblossom, Duskpool, Greeneyes, Chalk, and Cherrypaw—and blinks at them warmly as the sun.

, ”​

​

 

[DOGBITE]

✦ The warrior believed most if not all Skyclanner's had been waiting with bated breath for the remaining journeying cats to return. It was a spark of surprise then a dip of warmth as Dogbite recognized the call. Having been preoccupied in the warriors den he nearly jumped out of his pelt from it. There they are! Hauling themselves out of their napping position, the scarred tabby rushed to greet them.

His good eye shining with curiosity, elation, and most of all relief. Once he took in the familiar but different form of Bobbie and Blazestar a rapturous purr rolled in his throat just as it had for the first round of cats. Well this is news to me. Politely, he waited a heartbeat. Letting the two have their moment before deciding to speak with his returning clanmates.

This time he'd been able to clean himself up more and their earlier dirtied and mucked pelt returned to its softer form. Of course new scrapes and scars were added on to his existing plethora but all insecurity was wiped when they saw Orangeblossom. Lifting their chin up they grinned wide and brilliantly, broken fang peering from beneath his pink lips.

Trotting over, tail raised invitingly, they addressed the group with an uncharacteristically vibrant meow. One that didn't quite mirror his initial reaction when they'd gotten news of the first group's arrival. "Welcome home! We've missed you, all of you, sorely. There's so much to catch up on." His change in tone didn't matter at the end of the day.

All that really mattered to the tabby was more cats were safe and accounted for. Cherrypaw, Green eyes, Chalk, and Duskpool seemed equally as changed. It looks like everyone has gone through some incredible experiences the last few moons. Dogbite allowed a small flicker of hope to well within. That things just might change around the clans for the better.

•°.⋆ INFO

• ooc ; excited mobile post!!
• 
  
  
  
  ✧ 29 moons old
  ✧ skyclan warrior
  ✧ he/they ; single
  ✧ child of npc x npc
  ✧ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ✧ peaceful powerplay allowed
  ✧ penned by tasmagoric

​

 

[Fireflyglow]

Fireflypaw is quick to stick his head out of the medicine den when he hears Bobbie's voice, eyes wide with excitement as his paws pitter-patter in place happily. His hulking form rushes out instantly, searching for the scent of the tom he'd missed so greatly since he left- Greeneyes. Where is he? Where is he? There. His nose pinpoints him, behind Bobbie, and he rushes forward, aiming to crash right into @GREENEYES and tackle him into a hug, though he's unsure if he'd even aim right. If successful, loud purring would sound from his chest as he reunites with his best friend.

"You're alright! Oh, stars! How was the journey? Did you experience anything new? Find anything interesting? You must have a million stories!" He squawks out happily, a big smile on his face. The arrival of Orangeblossom, Cherrypaw, Duskpool, and Chalk are all welcome as well- his eyes blinking towards the direction of the Deputy's scent proudly. He would hug them too, for returning so bravely. ​

SKYCLAN MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE ✦ 15 MOONS ✦ CHUNKY, BIG-FOOTED SEAL POINT ✦ TAGS​

 

[DUSKPOOL]

anger makes you stupid . stupid gets you killed .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

He had paused then, staring at the camp’s entrance with narrowed, deadpan hues, wondering just what he’d face when he padded through. Sighing, Duskpool urged tired limbs forward, tiredness weighing heavily on battered limbs that made his vision sway. His shoulder groaned in protest, bubbling with white-hot pain while it spasmed, drawing a pained grunt from the warrior until he made it through, peering at familiar faces with a few languid blinks.

Don’t give up on me now, ya damn fool. Eating the bare minimum made his bones visible, but not dauntingly so. He had barely slept a wink since the start, playin’ a dangerous game when he faced off rapid beasts, nearly meetin’ his end. The only thing noticeable was the missing fur wrapped around his neck, cobwebs, and herbs slathered on. It’d scar, no doubt.

Watchin’ Bobbie and Blazestar, the injured warrior shook his helm in amusement, lips peeling back in a well-hidden grin to stare at his clanmates. “Good to be back.” He rumbled, voice hoarse, but unwavering. He expected to see Lostmoon peeking out from the nursery walls, but not once did he see a lick of ghostly fur or pinkish hues. His breath stuttered, limping forward to crane his neck, ignoring the blossoming pain. “Where’s Lostmoon?” ​

​

thought speech​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

Oddly, more of them returning was more unbelievable. Every single one of them, unharmed- it was so relieving Twitchbolt felt as if he might throw up all of his organs on the spot. Which... was likely not a normal reaction to relief, but he couldn't deny that was what he felt. That his eyes might melt out of his head and become puddles of tears. He grinned, shaky but genuine- his friends, his Clanmates, they were home. All of them. The lungwort had beat them home, but the cure hadn't been the end of their worries until now. Now, now, finally everything could feel as if it was going to be sort-of okay.

No longer did Twitchbolt look to his future and see a blackness, spurring him into now-or-never actions. He saw SkyClan, its flooding light, what all of it meant to him- he saw his life with Quillstrike at his side, unhindered by plague and battle. It was all thanks to the journeying cats, the blood and tears that they'd all shed.

"Bobbie! Greeneyes!" His closest friends of the lot were greeted first with enthusiasm, which instantly rebounded his thoughts, spinning them off into a place where they could easily spiral. What if the rest of them thought he was an idiot for saying that? Thought he was reprehensible for showing favouritism, or something?

He physically shook his head, getting those thoughts out in the only way he could- forcing them. "Orangeblossom, Chalk, Cherrypaw- Duskpool, all of you, you're alright," Twitchbolt said, and he laughed- not hysterically of course, but it was a hoarse little squeak of a sound that was so seldom heard from him that it could only betray complete happiness.

Short-lived, of course. Duskpool asked a difficult question, where's Lostmoon, and the brown-and-white tom's face fell very suddenly. Oh, and that was giving it away- he'd all the tact and grace of a monster tumbling down a cliff, but he couldn't just stare at Duskpool now, could he? "Stars, Duskpool... I'm... I'm so sorry. Lostmoon, he didn't..." His throat was arid, thickened all of a sudden. Raw and scraping- he couldn't look at the hulking tom. He would hate him for breaking this news, surely. "He didn't make it. I'm... I'm sorry." He said it again, I'm sorry, like it helped. And maybe it would help, but... probably not. It had never really helped him. But what else was there to say? ​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[GREENEYES]

For the first time in moons, familiar grounds lay beneath his feet. No longer is he in open fields, under thick orange canopies, or traversing mountain top - but under the cover of pine trees, walking evergreen paths he'd known practically all his life.

He is home - Greeneyes is home.

The scent of pine is thicker than he remembers it being. His own is scent washed down, muddied by the mountains, by Thunder, River, Wind, and Shadow. Is this what other clans smell when they approach their border? It's strange, how new the smell feels, yet once being all he'd known.

And though his limbs are exhausted from constant travel, from a slowed pace, Greeneyes feels his own legs bursting forward behind Bobbie as the camp grows closer in his line of sight - as the ability to see Fireflypaw and Falconpaw, Butterflytuft and Violetnose again becomes more possible with each step. Of seeing Figfeather, he hopes, as orange limbs catch up to Bobbie, his form pushing through the camp's entrance.

He's home, he's home, he's home. Relief washes over him, and tears blur his vision at Bobbie's call, at words he'd half-expected to never hear. He takes in the view of the camp, a deep inhale following as Blazestar emerges to greet them: to greet Bobbie. Greeneyes watches, an amused gaze at the two of them that hardly gives notice to the force that collides into him.

"Oof!" Acute pain shoots up his neck, biting at the still-healing wound he carries. He lets out a small hiss in alarm as he shifts to look at his attacker - but any anger towards the attack is quickly dissolved at the sight of pointed fur and large paws, replaced with happiness instead.

"Fi!" he cries, pushing his head against the healer's chest. He's okay, Fireflypaw is okay - just as Greeneyes is. The tom asks of the journey, and his joy stutters, his smile faltering, if only for a moment. Did... did Fireflypaw know? He isn't certain, tries to find an answer to his own question in the flurry of inquiries from his best friend. Nonetheless, his smile grows, and he leans into the tom's side.

"It was long," Greeneyes tells him with a grin, "I'll have to tell you all about it!" If he hadn't been already, hadn't heard tales from Figfeather, from Slate.

His gaze brightens at Twitchbolt's approach - though Duskpool's question reaches his ears, and Twitchbolt's answer follows. Lostmoon is gone. His ears flatten at the news, recalling the excitement the older warrior had to reunite with his kin. At that, Greeneyes finds himself searching the camp, trying to catch sight of the marmalade-twisted littermate he'd been separated from.

"Figfeather... Is she here? Slate too?" he asks, turning to look at Twitchbolt, to Blazestar.

✦ ABOUT

• 
  

  
  
  GREENKIT ‣ GREENPAW ‣ GREENEYES, Warrior of SkyClan
  — Daisyflight x Raven Ramble
  — AMAB; He/Him
  — A red tabby and white tom with bright green eyes.
  — Mentored by Sheepcurl; Currently mentoring Falconpaw
  — "Speech"; Attack
  
  ✦･ﾟ: * — Among SkyClan's first born, Greeneyes is a bright tom with an affinity for the world around him. Despite always seeking to be kind to others, the warrior believes he's cursed - a belief brought on by rhetoric that green is a deadly color.

​

 

[Orangestar]

𝐵𝑈𝑇 𝑇𝑂 𝐴 𝑊𝑂𝑀𝐴𝑁, 𝐵𝑌 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐸𝑁𝐷 ✧ 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐋𝐋 𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀

• 
  
  — orangeblossom | tags
  — she/her ; deputy of skyclan, mentoring eveningpaw.
  — scarred white-and-ginger she-cat with brown eyes.
  — "speech" ; thoughts
  — chibi by waluigipinball
  — penned by mercibun. @ me in any official tabbytales discord for plots.
  
  

​

They're home. Orangeblossom breathes in the scent of pines, of SkyClan, and notices things she had not before. Little intricacies, overwhelming when she had once taken them for granted. The trees above her head are filled with familiar birdsong, no eagles in sight, and the undergrowth here she can actually weave through without it snagging at her fur. An overwhelming feeling that she has no name for rises in her chest, choking her breath, as the familiar bramble-and-log confines of camp come into view and Orangeblossom pushes on despite the ache in her paws and the weakness in her leg.

In lieu of being greeted by Blazestar, though his immediate beeline for Bobbie makes her wonder if he had already been told about Little Wolf's demise, her ears flick backward and her gaze roves around their camp. SkyClanners peer out of their dens, familiar faces coming to greet them, and Orangeblossom cranes her neck to try and catch sight of four familiar pelts in particular. Where are my kits? Cherrypaw is close by, no doubt, but amidst the chaos of their camp she struggles to sight the familiar forms.

"Did a storm roll through?" She asks the nearest cat - this happens to be Dogbite, eyes flicking over their form. He looks exhausted, skinnier than before, but there's an optimistic sparkle in his eye that reflects on the slight curl of Orangeblossom's maw. She blinks at them, though her gaze sharpens somewhat. "You look like death, Dog. Is everyone alright?"
​

 

[Glimmersun]

Glimmerpaw was not too surprised when they heard that both their mother and sister decided to stay behind to help. Well, maybe Cherrypaw was a bit of a shock, but it was a nice surprise nonetheless. Maybe the journey really did affect her… though, the death of Little Wolf being partially on her certainly didn’t help. They hope that she has been able to cope, but if need be they would stay by her side.

The chatter of cats all welcoming a return makes them leap towards the camp entrance as quickly as possible, and their eyes light up at the sight of their family. Glimmerpaw goes towards their mother first, getting immediately emotional. “M-Mama!” They cry, bunting her and taking notice of how much taller they’ve gotten since they last saw her. They then turn their head towards Cherrypaw, giving her a soft smile. “Sis…I’m so glad both of you are okay.”

Orangeblossom asks what happened while they were gone, and their expression immediately sours. “Rogues. They took over the camp, almost all the camps, save for ShadowClan. Everyone was over there before we handed together and drove them out. We’ve only had so much time to clean up, and we’ve all been having to deal with a prey shortage. Hopefully that’ll change now.” There shouldn’t be much trouble, but no one can be certain.

“O-Oh, and…while you were gone, I decided that I wasn’t a she-cat anymore, or a tom. So I use they now…just to let you know,” they sheepishly tack on after. Better to just get it out of the way, though they’re a little less worried after the acceptance they got when they first came out.​

 

[SLATE]

"Figfeather... Is she here? Slate too?"

Right on cue, the Maine Coon arrives just in time to deliver a quip of a somewhat lighthearted nature, "Don't worry, we got your magic leaves home safely." Slate still does not understand the logic of random plants being able to cure a strange, deadly illness but he figures he won't question it much. They seemed to work, and if bringing back the lungwort would be enough to put a swift end to this plague sweeping over the territories, then so be it. Slate's work was done.

He looks more rested than he had been on the journey, as he could now sleep protected by the comfort of home and the surroundings of the pine trees. No badgers, no eagles, no dogs ( most of the time ). Now that the delayed party had returned to camp all in one piece, there was even less for the clan to worry about. Slate had not been afraid to express his reservations about the other SkyClanners staying behind to aid ThunderClan, knowing that staying out in the wilds any longer would heighten the risk of danger.

SkyClan was finally all together again. Cats rushed to greet their kin, their friends. The rather bold display from Blazestar to Bobbie did not pass Slate by, earning them a lingering side glance as he briefly wondered what was going on there. Duskpool, Greeneyes, and Chalk were all accounted for, good. Then his gaze finds Cherrypaw; no new injuries, thankfully. Slate cannot help the sinking feeling in his gut as he remembers what happened on the journey. It was hard not to think about the tragic death that was Little Wolf's and the role that Cherrypaw herself had in it. Would Cherrypaw be able to resume her training, to resume a sense of normalcy? He had not directly spoken to his trainee since the incident but he supposes he'd have to in the coming days.

Flaming amber hues meet a pair of soft browns, undoubtedly the eyes he had been most eager to see amongst the crowd. "Welcome home." Although, mere moments later, Glimmerpaw is the first of her kits to come rushing to meet her. Oh, right. Orangeblossom had a whole brood of children awaiting her return. While on the journey, when they both sat back and gazed at the stars like they once had, it had been easy to forget that Orangeblossom had an entirely new life. The moments they had shared were... They were nice. Slate had not been able to spend that much time with the red and white she-cat since before the clans had been founded. Now, things were back to the way they were. Ora had her priorities to focus on, and Slate would be an idiot to think that he was even anywhere near the top of that list.

A wave of awkwardness washes over him as he tentatively steps back, averting his gaze and searching for something else to focus on. Maybe he'd get a chance to talk to Orangeblossom later... or not. She was the deputy and had a lot to catch up on, understandably.

✰ INFO

• 
  
• 

  ✰ SLATE
  —— he/him; lead warrior of skyclan; former rogue
  —— bisexual; single; not looking
  —— hulking, scarred charcoal-black colored maine coon with amber eyes
  —— "speech", thoughts, attack
  —— link to full tags; @ on discord for plots.
  —— penned by beatles

​

 

[DUSKPOOL]

anger makes you stupid . stupid gets you killed .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

He didn’t make it. A high-pitched sound rang, shattering his eardrums. He couldn’t hear a damn thing over the roar of his heart thudding against his ribcage. He didn’t make it. His lips peeled into a bitter grimace, blinking languidly as he turned, staring at the ground with an empty hue.

Duskpool refused to break down in front of everyone, instead lifting his helm with a singular nod in thanks, offering a comforting rumble to the lead warrior. “Thank ya for telling me.” He kept the shakiness out of his voice, calmer than the maelstrom of emotions running rampant through his mind. “No point in apologizing, kid.” He grinned weakly. “Ain’t ever gonna bring back the dead.”

He had left—Duskpool’s haunches gave out drawing a painted huff from the war-torn warrior, teeth gritting at the sharp twinge of his shoulder, forelimb quivering. He settled then, sitting awkwardly amongst clanmates he hadn’t seen in over a moon. His obsidian fur ran hot and itchy, feeling vulnerable beneath prying eyes that he nearly turned tail and left to the comforts of an old next tucked away in an old tree, but he refrained.

“Drizzlepelt? Pearlpaw?” He rumbled, lifting his helm, keeping his voice steady. Do not take anyone else from me. Please. My heart cannot take it. At the mention, it gave a painful squeeze. My children. His mangled ear flattened against his head, tucked against a mesh of smokey fur. “Are they alright?” He glanced across the sea of cats, molten copper narrowing. I was too late. ​

​

thought speech​

 

[Drizzlepelt]

Most of Drizzlepelt’s time has been taken up by helping around camp, despite how much his body has been screaming. Nevertheless, he has been spending most of the day getting rest. Pushing himself to his limit helps no one, after all. Plus, he wants to be at his best when the rest of those who journeyed return. He’s excited to see Greeneyes and Bobbie back, but most importantly…Duskpool. From what he can tell, he’s still living, which has eased some of his tension. Especially after their last interaction…so hopefully, nothing went wrong in the past few days.

Luckily, when Drizzlepelt finally joins the crowd a little later than most, Duskpool is one of the first faces that he sees. Unfortunately, he comes at a bad time, as he can tell that the smoky tom is trying not to break down. He almost forgot that Duskpool had lost family while away, in the chaos of everything SkyClan has been through. But he can’t begin to imagine what he must be thinking right now. He’s taken away from his thoughts when Duskpool asks about him specifically, and he makes his way to his side swiftly.

“I’m alright, Dad! I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, I promise…” It’s an empty promise, he’s aware, as he cannot assure something like that. But he doesn’t care. He’ll be doing everything he can to assure StarClan does not take him any time soon. Drizzlepelt brushes against Duskpool’s body, tearing up as he pushes his head into his adopted father’s fur. “I promise…”​

 

[wolfpaw!]

Wow, there's a lot of cats in camp now! Wolfkit doesn't recognize any of them. Not a single one! Maybe they're intruders, like Mama had talked about, and they're the reason that Wolfkit hadn't been able to sleep in new-and-awesome-home for so long, and also the reason she liked the mud back at ShadowClan so much. Was ShadowClan right? She doesn't remember. She's in SkyClan, now, and the mud's gone, but apparently the rogues aren't. Are these cats rogues? Some of the other warriors she knows actually seem eager to meet these ones, so maybe she's wrong?

Wolfkit decides that if everyone else is happy, then she should probably be happy, too. "Yayyy! Wooo!" the girl yowls, less a cheer and more an exercise in how loud she could possibly be. There's a bunch of cats, now, so this probably means there's a bunch of new playmates. So long as they aren't rogues. Maybe Blazingkit or Hawk-kit would know better than she would.... But she doesn't really mind, 'cause it looks like these cats aren't gonna kitnap her or anything scary like that, so she'll keep playing.

"Who are you? I'm Wolfkit. Who are you? I'm Wolfkit. Who are–"
She goes on like this, floating between each new arrival home, until she is sure that she's met them all. She thinks. Did she meet them all? She doesn't really know. Oh well! Wolfkit just hopes they'll like her, and hopefully they'll all want to play with her, too.

𝐈 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄 ☾ 𝐈 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃

• 

• 
  
  — wolfkit
  — she / they / he ; kit of skyclan
  — longhaired lilac torbie with piercing yellow eyes
  — "speech" ; thoughts
  — chibi & reference by me
  — penned by meghan

​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

"Greeneyes! I'm here!" Figfeather shrills, rushing to greet him after Fireflypaw had blown him over. Being home the last few days had flooded her with immense guilt knowing Greeneyes and the others were still out there working their way home. She prayed to the stars every night that they'd return safely, she's overjoyed that she was heard.

"I'm so glad you're safe- I'm so happy we're all home again!" She continues to celebrate with a thunderous purr, her heart pounding against her chest. "How was the rest of your trip? Did everyone make it home alright? Is Stormpaw...?" 'Is she okay...? the words fail to roll of her tongue, Stormpaw had been expectantly miserable when Slate and Figfeather had departed. ​

♡ INFO BATTLE

• 
  » Figfeather
  » SkyClan Warrior
  » She/her . AMAB
  » A red tabby she-cat with a mangled leg.
  » ”Speech”․ thoughts ․ attack
  
• 
  » A foe in battle whose ability to strategize can shift tides.
  » Excels in strategizing and pre-planning her battles.
  » Fights defensively and aid her clan to victory.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

​

​

 

[CROWSIGHT]

It was his mother and Cherrypaw. He hadn't seen them in moons, yet he doesn't feel the need to run up to them. Would he look strange to them? After they had left he had gone through quite a growth spurt and his features became more sharp. He is not the same apprentice they once knew. The young tom has scratches that will heal on their own, the one on across his lip is the only pressing one. Otherwise he is fine. Lupinepaw is not present yet and he is grateful. The pair had a falling out and he refuses to speak to her. Now that he sees his mother, not an ounce of love remains when he takes in her figure. Hazel eyes squint at their leader being chummy with Bobbie who he notes no longer has her collar.

Everyone is cheerful that they are back and he supposes he is somewhat glad none of them died. He makes no move to rush towards his mother nor Cherrypaw, instead opting to loom over Wolfkit. The very same Wolfkit who is full of energy and asks each who they are. He puts out a paw to stop Wolfkit from jumping into their faces. "Come on, let's play." In truth he doesn't want to play, but he wants to get away from here. His mother and Cherrypaw have seen him. No longer the small tom they once knew. He nudges Wolfkit away from the group and adds "I'll tell you about them later. For now let's play with a mossball."

 

[edenberry ?!]

Hadn't even been a doubt in their mind the day the SkyClan travelers had left... They'd been mostly too focused on their first chance at seeing a Gathering and Cherrypaw wasn't like those other big loser softies... She didn't need any big hugs or threats of double-killing if she died out there. And Edenpaw had been right... she'd come back. A little late but...

The black and white cat couldn't complain about that (it would've been like, super embarrassing if Cherrypaw had seen them cry when the rogues had come... no thanks). Cheerfully standing amongst the gathering crowd to welcome home their wayward friends, they smiled with a toothy grin towards the pale-furred she-cat they'd missed so much... They'd have time to properly catch up when Cherrypaw wasn't being uber-famous for the super-mega-heroic thing she'd done.

Seeing her after this long felt like cobwebs were coming clean, knocked down by the energy and excitement of what it all meant. They'd been successful and now.. they could go back to being just regular apprentices again. No more heroics.... at least, not until they could afford to be part of the action. Sheepish since they'd returned to SkyClan with a cowardly bobbed-tail tucked between their legs, it felt daunting to be in the presence of someone so accomplished at their same age.

"Welcome back Orangeblossom," they scrunch up their nose to be sure that kill-joy deputy knows their (playful) feud remains in tact. She'd been kind enough not to die and curse Edenpaw with her final breath but that was honestly just a bare minimum kindness, yea? "And the rest of yas too!" Wouldn't want to show hate-ritism (see: the opposite of favoritism).​

 

[butterflytuft]

Finally! Butterflytuft pushes her way out of the nursery, following Wolfkit with a smile on her face. It had been funny to see Figfeather's reaction to her pregnancy, and now she's eager for her brother to find out. "Greeneyes!" She calls to him in her typical soft voice, not very loud despite how she shouts (her version of a shout, that is). The round queen picks her way through the crowd towards her brother, relief washing over her. Both of her siblings have returned safely, and she will thank StarClan every day for that.

// super quick post, talking to @GREENEYES​

 

[LUPINESONG]

❀‿ Lupinepaw had been praying for this day to arrive when the journeying cats she missed so dearly returned to her side and the cats trapped in sickness could finally have their dose of the cure she had selfishly stolen from them. She nearly wailed in anguish at the sight of Slate and Figfeather's early arrival those couple of days passed, and her worst nightmares came to life for a torturous few moments. Fortunately, it was only a blip, and Lupinepaw could await the arrival of her loved ones with impatience, but without the heavy stone of 'What if they don't come back at all?' burdening her mind.

She watched everyone bound in with shiny eyes—she was determined not to cry about it, she'd spent the past two days preparing herself for it—and watched the others have their reunions. Some were more fraught than others, and her brother did not escape her brief scrutiny as he turned his face away from Bobbie and Cherrypaw to focus on scooting Wolfkit out from under everyone's paws. Was he simply being a diligent kitsitter? Or was his shunning as pointed as it seemed? She didn't know what he was thinking... the Crowpaw that walked through camp today seemed alien to the Crowkit that slept beside her in the nursery only a few moons ago.

Lupinepaw tugged eyes away from the dark shape that troubled her existence to find someone to greet, peering around for pale tabby or orange-and-black-petaled ivory. Her brief search found Bobbie within a few heartbeats, and she rose to her paws to meet her mother before she realized who had come to meet her first. Once again she was brought into a star-sparkled forest, sharing tongues and chatting with a girl she only knew from bleary kit-memory, and then to a clear-skyed night where that same golden-hued tom sat casting his prayers into the ether, begging to be allowed this very moment. Lupinepaw halted her steps, she would let them have their reunion to themselves.

She would only have to look around a minute longer to find the other cat she had spent sleepless nights thinking after. Well, technically it had been Glimmerpaw she spotted first weaving through the crowd to meet two orange and white individuals. She was fast on their heels, and skipped over with enthusiasm to touch her nose to Cherrypaw's ear affectionately, "I've missed you!"

She sat back sheepishly beside Glimmerpaw as they explained to them a brief synopsis of the chaos that was the past moon and a half, nodding in agreement. "There's a lot to catch up on..." she mewed toward Orangeblossom almost apologetically. The deputy probably had a lot of work in her paws ahead of her, she didn't envy her in the least. But a purr trilled her speech soon after, "But I'm so happy you're all home now."

JUST LIKE THAT ⊹₊°❀‿ THE MOON GOES FLAT

• OOC: greeting @orangeblossom and @Cherrypaw
• 
• 
  — lupinekit . lupinepaw
  — trans she/her. 6mo apprentice of skyclan
  — ??? ; single
  — tall, long-haired black smoke with low white and green eyes
  — smells like sweet lupine flowers and young pine needles
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — icon by saturnid, fullbody and chibi by nya
  — penned by eezy

​

 

[Cherryblossom]

Cherrypaw had thought about her reunion with everyone as much as she didn't think about it and tried to not think about it, because what was the point of thinking about it when she could live it for real the first time instead of doing it all in her head? As their party dwindled at ThunderClan, then at RiverClan, and as the bristly heads of her home lines had lurched into view, her thoughtscape had remained as barren as the icebound wastelands the very same paws once traipsed through.

Ears flattened, she pushes her way through the bramble tunnel with practiced motions gaining confidence with every step, as though she hadn't strided beneath the watchful eyes of the old pines all the way here. When she emerges, she expects the SkyClanners to fall upon them like wolves. And fall...they don't quite do.

Bobbie goes to Blazestar. No, does Blazestar make for her first? Either way, her eyes clearly don't belong to her children. Funny, that. Lupinepaw and Crowpaw had been among even Cherrypaw's foremost thoughts, Crowpaw maybe a little less so. And she supposes Drowsypaw was somewhere among the tangle, their kithood spat somehow still not resolved. Maybe had been her fault all along, that argument that she couldn't even remember now. Suddenly stricken with the thought that she wouldn't want that to have lingered into her death on the mountains, she thinks of Little Wolf. And then, bitterly, that it was a good thing that Bobbie might be getting so cozy with—she looks away.

Unlike Dogbite, Fireflypaw and Twitchbolt make it clear who specifically they wouldn't have minded not seeing return so long as Greeneyes and Bobbie did. Okay, rationally, they probably would've been as upset as the next cat if Cherrypaw, Orangeblossom, Duskpool, and Chalk all died. Still, somehow everything irks her in this moment. She should be happy. They're home, finally, as safe and sound as a wildcat could be. She should be happy! Surrounded by everyone and everything she's ever known and loved (or tolerated), having cast aside those who had kept her alive for more than a moon, abandoning all those experiences to the mercy of her own memory...she should be happy.

Relieved, yes. Elated, no. The frustration and guilt mute for a moment upon the arrival of Glimmerpaw and Edenpaw. "Hey, Glim," she purrs, moving forwards to brush her cheek affectionately against her littermate's. In Dogbite's stead Glimmerpaw offers a full rundown of why the camp looked the way it does, something Cherrypaw had been too preoccupied with her clanmates to notice. "Oh, rogues? Seriously?" She frowns, scruntinizing camp with renewed annoyance. "You guys at home didn't just sit on your tails the whole time, I guess. That sucks." Whether she's talking about the devastation of camp or the rogues, it isn't clear. It didn't seem like SkyClan had been too hurt by it anyway, except maybe their prides.

Edenpaw flounces up to them in the same-old Edenpaw manner, and Cherrypaw reflects their grin with an ease she's for a moment surprised by. "Not even gonna say my name too?" she teases, aiming to lightly flick their pale side with her tail. They glance back at Glimmerpaw, who had something else to say. "Oh. Cool. Did Edenpaw, like, rub off on you or something?" she jokes, smirking at both apprentices. Based on one of her last conversations with her sibling, she couldn't say she didn't expect this. At least one of them was happy with themself, she supposes.

Suddenly, at her paws is a kitten. A little mousy one, with fur so long it probably serves more as a dirt-collector than a source of warmth for her, and Cherrypaw instinctively crinkles her nose with disgust. "Who are you?" the girl asks. "I'm Wolfkit," she adds without so much as a breath between, and Cherrypaw's heart skips a beat. Wolfkit? Who would name their child Wolfkit? Not after Little Wolf, surely, even though Howlfire and Fireflypaw were probably old enough to have kits now that she thinks about it... "Hi." Short and sweet, and said while leaning away. Whose child was this, anyway? They had better come fetch her before she started putting her grimy paws all over her fur. She hadn't stopped to groom herself ever since they got to Highstones; she didn't need any more work coming between this and a long nap.

Fortunately, something (or someone) else catches her attention and off she scampers. Cherrypaw takes the moment to blink away from her family and friends, just in time to catch the familiar shapes of two towering shadows. Slate's gaze against her cheek is an all-too familiar burn, and she returns it pettily and unflinchingly. What? she silently taunts. Not gonna call my ma 'Ora' again? She's not all that surprised he's not joining in on the festivities though. She'd get worried if he started to care about anyone other than Orangeblossom.

What Cherrypaw is surprised by though, is Crowpaw staying behind. She blinks at him from afar, in the midst of her loved ones, confusion and then irritation darkening her brows. The look on her face groans, What's your deal? Sunlit eyes dart across his form, the same unruly mess of smoky fur she's known since kithood, give or take a few muzzle-lengths taller and sporting a new cut on his lip.

Instead of crushing into her with the rest of them, he instead goes to corral Wolfkit and take her with him in his exit. Fleeting disappointment soon sours into anger, the beginnings of a sneer curling into her lip at the turn of his sooty tail. She loathes the clear look of neutrality on his face, so foreign directed at her. Should she not be bothered that one of her oldest friends couldn't care less about the fact that she almost died? Nevermind the way Cherrypaw couldn't even remember the last thing she said to him before she left, or even the last time they had spoken, like she did with his sister.

What guilt Cherrypaw might've noticed is swept away by the appearance of Lupinepaw herself. Her best friend is upon her in what feels like an instant, jade eyes flashing like the brilliant underside of leaves in Greenleaf. "I missed you too!" Her return purr so loud she swears she feels it rumble through her ear and into Lupinepaw's nose. She returns the gesture by aiming to brush her ivory cheek against her smoky one, just as she had done with Glimmerpaw. An unabashed grin stains her face when she pulls away, gaze alighting upon the other girl's face for a moment longer. Even through rogues and yellowcough and the trek to ShadowClan, she hadn't lost an ounce of her luster.

Cherrypaw doesn't feel as though she could claim the same. She just hopes she doesn't notice the odd way her flank fur ripples before she can tell her, beneath which hide the long straight souvenirs of the journey. With a pang she recalls some of their parting words—"I don't want you to come back with any ugly scars or anything, mmkay?"—and abruptly blinks away. She has nothing in her jaws to give her, no pretty highland flowers nor exotic bird feathers, nothing but hideous flesh drawn up and down her flanks. For another moment she's wordless. How would she tell her? Would she tell her? Would she swiftly reject Cherrypaw's presence just as her brother had, when she realized all of this?

She hadn't abandoned Cherrypaw when she was sniveling and shaking in that thunderstorm, when they both returned to camp looking more like sopping wet rats than apprentices. Lupinepaw couldn't just leave over this either. "I'm happy to be home too," she replies, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

tl;dr: talking with orangeblossom, glimmerpaw, edenpaw, and lupinepaw, plus staring at and judging a few others!​

 

[edenberry ?!]

Cherrypaw is... in a word, perfect. Edenpaw cannot recognize the difference in the way she carries herself, the way her journey has hardened her is carefully tucked between soft lengths of plush fur. Her smile comes to her face so naturally, it is as if no time has passed at all... and the bicolor apprentice can not describe how relieving that is. They'd spent warm nights at home thinking about how things wouldn't be the same... that Cherrypaw would've soared miles above her and might never come back down to a level she could be grasped at. The rogues had made that much clear, how different they were.. how far behind their kittypet background had dragged them. She was special... just.. built better from the foundations of her birth.

And Edenpaw cannot help but laugh as her flame-colored tail flicks at them, "My mistake," they return in tease, "Didn't realize you missed my voice so much, Cherrrrrryyyyyypawwwwwww." Her greetings extend on to her siblings.. her other friends... and Glimmerpaw finds their confidence again to tell her how much has changed. Not just in SkyClan but... for them. Their chest puffs out with pride, hoping the other feline has not forgotten the fierce support of their friends.

The calico princess takes it well, suggesting it a trait inherited from the daylight apprentice-- Edenpaw had said much the same thing! "We're practically twins now" Seemed great minds thought alike...

Now that everyone was home... everything was sure to be perfect again! Every piece back in place where it belonged... Nothing could mess this up.​