BITTER WATER [ cleanup + 𓆟 ]

[willowroot]

( ☾ ) willowroot doesn't often feel helpless. enraged? yes. griefstricken? absolutely. lost? oh for sure. but helplessness is something she saves for special occasions. twoleg kidnapping warrants such special circumstances. there's a dull ache in her bones that tells of exhaustion bordering on a breakdown, the realization that there is very little she can do at the moment weighing on her heart. the only hope in her heart is the memory of meeting with the kittypets, the knowledge that they, at least, recognize the wrongdoing of their owners. lichenstar and the council are formulating a plan, but the deaths of two loved ones, the stealing of clanmates... it's all too much. so, willowroot does the only thing she can do- she keeps busy.

dark toned paws filter carefully through pebbles that line the river's shore, catching on bright bits of twoleg trash and setting them aside in a pile. the feline has made quick work of the section they've selected for themself, and vibrant green eyes cast over the rest of the shoreline, where other clanmates pick through trash too. sharp metallic containers and sky colored woven nets litter the beach, pile high on the bank where they've set them. stars that's just the land... the river's clear water is spotted with trash as well, something they haven't even begun to tackle. the familiar bundle of exhaustion threatens to choke them and they swallow it, rolling their shoulders and stretching. "how is everyone doing?" they'll call, ears swiveling to catch the soft conversations on either side of them from other working cats.

THE ECHOING HYMN ☾ OF MY FELLOW PASSERINE

• // a quick lil beach cleanup thread for anyone, especially those who need a crappie thread! "#91A26C"
  
• 
  
  
  
• 
  WILLOWROOT ☾ SHE / THEY, WARRIOR OF RIVERCLAN. MENTORING MIDNIGHTPAW. PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  a long-haired black smoke oriental with sage-green eyes. smoky long fur coats the length of willowroot's lithe body, cut through with dark ghost stripes. friendly sage green eyes that narrow in an almond shape, and her muzzle and limbs are thin and long due to her oriental heritage.
  
  
  
  

​

 

[Mosspool]

𓆝 . ° ✦ As always, Mosspool was her mother's daughter. When it was all too much she too had a habit of throwing herself into her work. While Willowroot's dark toned paws filtered carefully through pebbles that line the river's shore, a matching pair of paws worked at the same task nearby.

As a kit she had dreamed of following in Willowroot's pawsteps, and she had succeeded. Now she was a lead warrior, just as her mother had been. She had all the respect and responsibility that her mother had once had, and weighed heavily on her shoulders. The clan was depending on the council, on her, to come up with a plan to rescue their clanmates. She did not want to let them down, but she did not know how much it was realistic to hope for. The kittypet's aid she was more optimistic than she otherwise would have been, but any encounter with twolegs was risky. Her mind was awash with all that might go wrong.

She stepped onto a clear, cylindrical piece of twoleg trash, and her claws sunk right in.

It was her mother's words that drew her from her thoughts. Her eyes wandered over to the tiny, tidy pile she had assembled. Pulling her claws out of the twoleg trash, she batted it toward the rest of the pile. "I have managed to gather a bit of the twoleg's mess. If we keep up this pace we should be able to..." Her gaze wandered over all the rubbish floating in the river and her expression soured. "...at least get the beach cleared off, I suppose." If her mother had meant something more by the question, Mosspool did not realize it. She glanced toward the other working cats, curious how everyone else was faring with the work.

✧　°　.　✶　.　°　✧​

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 

  MOSSPOOL — SHE/HER ･ 17 MOONS ･ WARRIOR of RIVERCLAN ･ PENNED BY @empyrean !

  Longhair black tabby with deep green eyes. Mosspaw is a very tall molly, standing a head above most cats her age. She has a slim, willowy physique with subtle musculature built up from a lifetime of constant training that lends itself well to swimming and running. Long, thick brown fur falls over her form with tabby patterning across it. Her eyes are a vibrant green, and shine with a bright intelligence and confidence.

​

 

[BUMBLENOSE]

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Bumblepaw's ears perked up at Willowroot's call, her paws pausing in their work to gather more trash from the riverbank. The young apprentice had been working tirelessly alongside her mentor @ROOKFANG , determined to prove her worth and help in any way she could. Yes there was a tension she felt when around her older sibling but Willowroot was always a soothing presence. The weight of recent events pressed far more heavily on her heart, and like her mentors, she found solace in keeping busy. "Doing okay!" Bumblepaw replied, her voice slightly strained but filled with resolve. She glanced over at Mosspool and then back at their mom, noticing the similar looks of exhaustion on their faces. Bumblepaw could only imagine the stress they were both under.

It was clear that they were all pushing themselves to their limits, driven by a shared sense of duty, or maybe grizzled by harsher times.

Her paws were already sore from digging through the pebbles and debris, but she refused to let it slow her down. She dipped into the water, pulling out a tangled mess of two-leg netting and adding it to the growing pile. "We'll get through this." She murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "We have to." Flashes of Cicadastar's death still echo like a chamber around her now mirrored by a vivid imagination of Smokestar's mangled body. I hope Lichenstar can guide us through it all.

Sight of the trash-strewn river and shoreline filled her with a mixture of anger and sadness. The two-legs had no regard for the world around them, and it was up to Riverclan to clean up their mess. It's always some kind of mess... Our lives. Trying to ignore her sinking mood the molly tried to think more optimistically. Yet, we're all still here and working together. That has to count for something. Glancing at Mosspool, Bumblepaw offered a small, encouraging smile. "We're definitely making progress." She said, her voice a bit louder this time. "It might take a while, but we'll get this place looking like home again." Her youthful optimism was a stark contrast to the weariness she saw in her kin, but it was a genuine attempt.

Returning to her task, Bumblepaw dug her claws into the muddy riverbank, pulling out a particularly stubborn piece of two-leg trash. She was determined to make a difference, no matter how small it might seem. And as she worked, she felt a sense of unity with her clanmates, knowing that together, they could overcome any challenge.

Her mind briefly wandered to the missing clanmates, and she sent a silent prayer to StarClan, hoping for their safe return. The thought fueled her efforts, and she pressed on with renewed vigor, ready to face whatever came next alongside her beloved clan.
​

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

 

[splashdance]

Splashpaw cannot help but look over the trio of mollies with a solemn case of envy. A mother and two of her daughters, working tirelessly alongside one another to maintain the beauty of their home. She could've had that, certainly - but ShadowClan cats are more likely to play with the garbage around the marsh than try and clear it away. And in truth, she doesn't mind that. That is their way of living, and she is desperately trying to unlearn that. Still, she cannot help but miss her siblings and mothers...

She has Pikesplash now, and he is just as, if not more, dutiful as her mothers were. She has a sibling, too, but the tom doesn't seem to keen about her. Regardless the apprentice tries to scrub her jealousy, piping up with, "Thanks for letting me help, Wil-low-root!" she sounds out the older she-cat's name around the wad of plastic in her mouth, her grin almost infectious. She's tempted to boast about how well versed she is with rubbish, given her former proximity to the carrionplace - but she holds it to her chest instead. Soon, it will be a forgotten memory.

"Hey, uh -" she struggles in recalling Bumblepaw's name. Her catch is placed away from the water's edge and she joins the other's side, "I can help you, if you'd like? It looks super stuck...!"​

 

[PIKESPLASH]

Mosspool is here which is a little concerning, but he is here for Riverclan. Not to mention Snakeblink who is keeping an eye on him as he aids the other in cleaning their home from twoleg trash. The silver tom keeps his distance from his daughter, catching glimpses of her as she works with their clanmates in clearing the trash. As much as he would love to help her and stick beside her to bond with her, he isn't keen on Mosspool becoming enraged. After all, she was one of the many cats who was displeased at his actions. She may have hesitated in exiling him because of his daughter, but she made it known that making him an apprentice as Moonbeam suggested was too light.

He has hope. Belief that Mosspool will in time enjoy his daughters presence. During the council meeting, she had stated that Splashpaw was more warrior than he was. Even though it was meant as an insult towards him, he grasped onto those words. Unlike Iciclefang, Mosspool didn't deny his daughter or ever being a Riverclanner. It would be a tough battle for both of them, but if he must endure greater punishments for his daughter then he would gladly take them on. Anyhow, while he sorts through the trash he yells, "Sorting the trash!" Maybe the others would roll their eyes, but while there was added work in organizing the trash he gathered, if another clanmate haphazardly tried to carry a pile or push it away they wouldn't be mat with something sharp. Something that caused them to bleed.

When will this end? Ugh, it's a little warm today. How's Splashpaw doing? A smile curls from his maw as he watches his daughter run off to help Bumblepaw. Maybe they didn't require his help, but he padded towards the two apprentices. "I can help too! T-there's a lot of trash, so let's save as much strength as we can." Let's work together.​