sensitive topics BUT I TOLD YOU EVEN YOU LOOK SO PRETTY. fight

[POPPYSPLASH.]

major tw for fighting/bullying, misogyny and transphobia. if you have ever been misgendered on purpose, please know that you have every right to do it back!! ily and your pronouns deserve to be respected//

it was a semi-cold night. not too cold for poppy to want to turn away and hide, no, but cold enough that it agitated her. she wasn't the biggest fan of the cold. still, she followed her uncle, head low and gaze glossed over with something unrecognizable. suddenly, however, they are halting to a stop, making poppy nearly hit the tom in front of her, a low hiss escaping from between clenched ivories.

idiot! i could have run into you like that! oh, but you'd like that, wouldn't you? always waiting for me to screw up! tch.

rolling her eyes, she adjusted her flower on her head, as her uncle looked directly in her eyes. she pressed her ears against her skull, tensing within her stomach. why was he looking at her like that?

"take the flower out of your fur."

"why would i ever do that? how about you just tell me the reason we are out here, old man. i have better things to do, and none of those involve babysitting you."

she snapped back quickly, as her uncle snarled in her face, grabbing the flower and smashing it under his paw.

huh?! what the hell is his problem!?

"what's your deal!? did you really bring me out here to just be an ass!? leave me alone!"

she snapped, as he only grunted. his gaze moved to the river, pointing with his tail.

"i brought you out here to hunt, boy. don't think i didnt see that pathetic attempt of a hunting competition you had with that girl. so, we arent leaving until you hunt 3 decently sized fish."

poppy visibly cringed at being called a boy, and she almost said something but she had to keep it together for now. her uncle sat down, tapping his tail impatiently, as poppy snorted, again. this seemed to be a habit of hers, especially around him.

"how do you expect me to hunt very well if you were the one who taught me, hm? if i remember correctly, viper, you can't hunt to save your own tail. it's no wonder i suck at it. and if you think for one breath i'm going to get dirty and disgusting because you want me to feed you, then you've lost your mind just like my mother."

poppy snapped, baring her teeth, as viper stood back up. he didn't say anything, only looking at her one good time before shoving her into the river, making poppy gasp. she ducked underneath the water for a bit, but luckily she had been slightly prepared for something like this to happen. she pulled herself out of the water, gripping onto the bank, her ears drooping as water fell from her pelt.

"you have quite the mouth on you, boy. i raised you. i raised you and that is how you repay me, hm?"

"oh, for fucks sake! i'm not a tom cat! i'm not a 'boy!' i'm sick of this! i'm sick of you! you can ignore it all you fuckin' want, but i'm a she cat! a girl! a molly! damn what you think!"

she snapped, claws unsheathing. her tail swayed back and forth, as she eyed her uncle, as his eyebrow raised.

"challenging me, then? okay, fine. give it your best. you know i don't hold back."

poppy didn't say anything more. she simply made the first move, rushing forward to try and gain the upper paw. she wasn't much thinking right now, however, her rage doing all the talking for her.

she doesnt even know how long this fight had lasted for, but she's exhausted. her body is slammed to the ground, and she's bleeding. large claws rake across her face, before a heavy paw pins her by her throat, her gaze wide and unsure. her uncle was right. he didn't hold back. as well as she fought, and as many wounds as he had, she was worse off. her eye closed as her own blood seeped into it, staining her fur all around.

"should have left well enough alone, pepper."

"f-fuck off... my name... is... poppy..."


// please wait for mudpelt to respond!!

list of injuries: claw marks on her side, bite mark on tail and leg, small scratches on her throat, and a large open wound on her face. none of these are life threatening but they do range from severe level.

​

[ I'LL GIVE YOU THE WORLD ]​

 

[MUDPELT]

Pregnancy cravings were weird, huh? First it was a water vole - no problem, he plucked one right off the fresh-kill pile. Next it was a fish - no sweat, he was a great fisher! Now Ice wants a thrush? Disgusting! If there's one thing a RiverClanner doesn't want, it's anything feathered. But alas, what can he do? The calico queen is about ready to give birth to their kits any day now, and by the stars he will make sure she gets anything she wants! So he's out in the night, in search of any trace of a bird. "Here, birdy, birdy, birdy," He murmurs softly, peering through the shadows as he walks along the riverbank. He's no good at land hunting, so he doesn't exactly have a plan, but a tom's got to try, right?

It isn't until he hears some sort of commotion that he stops, large ears flicking in the direction of the noise. He hears grunts and yelps of pain, and it's a mixture of worry and curiosity that brings him trotting closer. He pushes through the reeds, blinking to see better in the night before coming across the scene. Viper, pinning a much younger Poppy to the ground. He's wounded, but she is beaten and bloody. It's very clear who had the upper paw in this fight. "Hey! Hey, hey, hey!" He shouts, climbing out of the reeds. The protective instincts of a father take over, and the hulking tom is snarling out a warning before bounding forward. He pounces, knocking Viper to the ground and grappling with him as they roll. When they release from each other, Viper lands in one direction and Mud is standing between him and his niece, teeth bared and the short fur along his shoulders standing on end. "Cool off!" He barks, posture squared and ready to attack if needed. If there's one thing on this planet he was born to do, it is to fight and to protect. His muscles twitch in preparation before he glances behind him at Poppy. "Are you okay?" He pants, praying to the stars that Beesong knows how to treat her.

// powerplay approved!​

 

[willowroot]

( ♬ ) since the embarrassing conversation of a few days ago, willowroot hasn't kept as close an eye on poppy. it's not that she doesn't want to- something about the mottled woman still draws her attention in ways that she's not sure how to handle, but the sudden bashfulness that has overtaken her at the thought of the warrior is confusing. she's seen signs of the other in camp, offered smiles and small talk, but she's not engaged in a real conversation, promising herself that she'll figure herself out before she confronts the feelings. the night air is cool on her pelt as she shuffles through the low grasses on the edge of the rushing river. she finds the night time comforting- easier to understand than the harsh daylight. she and the night are kindred spirits, she thinks, both cast aside in favor of brighter things, both patiently waiting for their moment. she's always stalked the night by the river, and tonight is no different. it's a peacefully chilly atmosphere, and smoke fur is fluffed up slightly as willowroot gazes out across the water, basking in the solitude. for once her heart is not beating out of her chest, the air is calm and still... until it's not.

the long tail puffs up instinctively as the yowls and snarls of a fight echo in the near distance. on their paws in a heartbeat, the warrior glances wildly around before pinpointing the source and darting away towards it. as they approach they slow, scenting the air, sending a silent prayer to the stars that it's not a clanmate locked in battle with some beast, be it fox, dog, or badger. but no, there is no musky scent of wild animal, only the smell they've grown to recognize- riverclan. as their eyes widen, commotion ahead sends them off again, and they hear the yowled voice of mudpelt and the pause in the fight. emerging quickly to back the man up should the fight continue, willowroot finds themself just behind poppy, facing the torn and bloodied form of the young woman's uncle as he spits towards their clanmate. "stars above, what is happening here?" they cry, gaze flitting between each feline. stomach flipping at the scene, the slender femme paces closer, crouching down to rest at eye level of poppy. "oh love," they breathe, worry clear in their eyes. tufted ears flick back towards mudpelt while they allow their gaze to travel every injury. "we should take her back to camp. beesong can help her, right?" verdant eyes search the injured femme. "thank the stars you arrived when you did, mudpelt." they flash him a greatful look before turning a baleful stare upon viper. "but you... what did you do to her? isn't she supposed to be your family? what kind of family attacks their own?" ​

( THE LIGHT YOU GAVE ME )

 

[BEESONG]

Beesong's sleep had been troubled, so he'd taken to practicing battle moves outside of the camp. His cinnamon fur gleams underneath the moonlight, muscles bracing as he lunges towards the willow tree which served as his enemy with claws aimed to score down it's bark. He's a medicine cat now, with a star-sworn duty to heal... But he must always prepare for the worst. He couldn't let his battle skills grow rusty.

The screeching of a fight brings their workout to a sudden halt. Their pupils constrict as they suck in a breath, and on instinct, they're responding to the cries. Small legs carry them as fast as possible towards the noise, claws unsheathed in preparation to defend their clan. An overactive mind has already begun listing what they would possibly need... Cobwebs, dock leaves, thyme, poppy seeds...

The tang of blood grows thick in the air, although the screeching has stopped... Beesong could only hope that he is not too late, but he's already mentally preparing himself for the possibility of another burial.

He bursts through the reeds, skidding to a stop in front of the small group of cats. Mudpelt and Willowroot confronting a bloodied Viper, with a wounded Poppy sprawled across the ground. It doesn't take a stroke of genius for Beesong to guess what had happened. His eyes narrow, a dangerous expression darkening his features. What kind of family attacks their own? What a naive question. Shared blood does not guarantee safety from the claws and teeth of a family member. Old scars hidden beneath his thick fur sting as if on cue, his claws tearing themselves as he scrapes them against the earth.

He believes that violence as a response is a byproduct of the environment one is raised in... That everyone is inherently good, that they want what is best for everyone around them... He knows that everyone does abhorrent shit, that he's done abhorrent shit. But violence would never be the first solution to a problem.

Seeing as Mudpelt is the one who is separating the two, Beesong turns to Willowroot. "Willowroot, find me some cobwebs," They order with an agitated flick of their tail. Then, they slink to Poppy's side with narrowed eyes focused on Viper "What happened." It is not a question, but a demand uttered through gritted teeth. They would not judge the situation without hearing the explanation, nor would they deny medical care to the wounded regardless of who unsheathed their claws first.

Their first priority right now is staunching the heavy bleeding from the large gashes on Poppy's face. They would worry about cleaning her up and offering her pain relief once she's not in immediate danger of blood loss.​

 

[POPPYSPLASH.]

the shock of the sudden release of weight makes poppy breath out a breath of relief. honestly, she doesn't know what's happening, and it takes her a minute to gather her bearings. she manages to roll onto her stomach, claws gently digging into the ground. her gaze watches mudpelt and though she's grateful, more than she can even recognize, she's angry. poppy is angry, and she is quick to lash out.

"i'm fine! i didn't need your help!"

poppy hissed in his direction, squeezing both of her eyes closed. i could have handled it by myself. i didnt need your help. or anyone's help. i'm fine. i'm perfectly fine. her inner voice argues but she knows the truth. she knows just how much she needed help. she knew that if mud hadn't gotten there, she would have been dead. she saw the look in her uncle's eyes.

she doesn't want to think about this anymore. willowroot comes up and the words of worry makes her frown. l-love...? her ears flattened against her skull, her gaze falling to the floor.

"leave me alone... and don't... don't pretend you know what every family is like. not all of us are sunshine and rainbows."

she doesnt even know if caraway hears her, but she doesnt care. she isnt staying around to be dotted on. with a few huffs, poppy forces herself on her paws, not casting a single glance in anyone else's direction. she turned away, heading back to camp, biting her tongue with every step. she was done.

// techincally she is leaving to go back to camp but feel free to stop her! she will end up in the new meddie den anyways
​

[ I'LL GIVE YOU THE WORLD ]​