carry me slowly, my sunlight ☾ howlingstar

[LAKEMOON]

.·:*¨༺ ☾ ༻¨*:·. The late new-leaf sun is intense, and brings the promise of a scorching green-leaf. The rays that beat down upon a dense coat are what drive Lakemoon to the river today, even though the water itself is swollen with fresh rain water and still carrying remnants of its leaf-bare chill, cool relief relaxes tense shoulder blades when it swallows her alabaster paws whole. As much as she attempted to avoid the pile of forsaken sun-warmed boulders, it was undeniably one of the more ideal places to hunt, its rocky formation hugging the river from both ends, though Lakemoons side remained under water, it still provided a perfectly submerged edge that extended further than any river bank could, letting her stay somewhat grounded as far as a quarter of the way into the river, an advantage against the fish as they were less likely to slip away from such a close proximity coupled with her extensive reach. Barely has the lanky warrior come to a stop does a noise from the other side of the river catch her attention. By instinct, Lakemoon expects to see a Thunderclan patrol- or possibly another duo coming to lounge and taunt from afar. It is neither of those things. From sprouting undergrowth, a lone black tabby pelt emerges, and as the feline effortlessly picks their way out from shrubbery, recognition clouds Lakemoon’s gaze. Howlingstar. In silence, the warrior watches as the Thunderclan leader continues on, her presence unnoticed. Instinctively, Lakemoon wants to call out to her grandmother- but what could she say? When was the last true conversation between them? Perhaps when the older she-cat had rested a snowy muzzle between her ears and promised that Lakemoon would always have a home, or when a then Lakepaw had snuck over the invisible border lines in a desperate attempt to see her kin. In either scenario, those times were long ago. Lost in thought, by the time Lakemoon blinks herself back to the present, familiarly seasoned ivy hues are staring back at her. Her kin’s expression is worn, heavy with something inexplicable, and Howlingstar suddenly feels as though she is a world away, instead of a river. With her tongue dried, Lakemoon is frozen in her place- as though she had gotten caught doing something she shouldn’t, being somewhere she shouldn’t. Words do not come to her, but the stoic warrior doesn’t stop her face from contorting to reflect the conflicting emotions that swell in her heart.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── SMELLING LIKE A BONFIRE ⋅ ࿏ ⋅ LOST IN A HAZE ──┐‎

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  @HOWLINGSTAR
  
  

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  LAKEMOON ☾ she/her, warrior of riverclan, 27 moons.
  ⭃ lanky blue tabby with low white and navy blue eyes and a slightly twisted right hind leg. A large facial scar stretches from her right brow to her left cheek, and another crosses at her chest and stretches down the length of her stomach.
  ⭃ daughter of Tempestmoon && Lilypad ࿏ sister to Wolfwind ࿏ mate to Lilybloom & mother to Snowkit, Graykit
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Noor ↛ @toyangel on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[HOWLINGSTAR]

It is exhaustion that takes Howlingstar to Sunningrocks today. Camp feels heavy as of late. Border crossings, an ever-lowering fresh-kill pile, squabbles stemming from hungry stomachs. Antlerpaw had been busy with her chores, so the tabby decided to leave by herself to clear her head, get some silence. Her paws take her to the river's edge where she at least plans to find a few mice or shrews among the stones she won from RiverClan all those moons ago. But as she approaches, a silvery pelt on the other side catches her attention, and emerald meets sapphire.

For what feels like seasons, the two stare at one another. Lakemoon's expression betrays something unreadable, and Howlingstar finally takes it upon herself to break the suffocating silence. "It's been a long time since I've gotten to see you," She calls across the river, slowly padding to the edge just before her toes touch the lapping waves. There is something in her eyes, and if her granddaughter would look closely it could perhaps be called something akin to longing. "How are you?" She ventures, unsure if her metaphorical olive branch would be well received.​

 

[LAKEMOON]

.·:*¨༺ ☾ ༻¨*:·. After a few lingering moments of ripe silence, her grandmother is at last kind enough to break it. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to see you. As the brown tabby steps closer to the edge, Lakemoon feels her toes flex against the edge of her underwater support, knowing if she wished to step any further, she would be made to try and stay afloat and talk at the same time.
Besides, at what point did her clans side of the river become Thunderclan’s? Her grandmothers? Whether it be a vague middle point or the opposite shore, Lakemoon knew better than to risk crossing a line, even if it made something in her chest twist, just a little.
“I go to the gatherings, but you always seem busy. It makes sense, though.” The moon-kissed tabby hums back, velvet voice raised only slightly to ensure her message traveled smoothly across the river. It was a lie, Lakemoon had gotten plenty of opportunities to approach, but something had shifted after the battle of Sunningrocks, to no fault of anyone. “A lot has changed. I have kits of my own, now.” Lakemoon answers truthfully, though the warrior is sure her grandmother knows, Smokestar would have announced their birth alongside Lilybloom’s death, their names. “How… are all of you? I’ve heard Little Wolf’s kits have their own now, too.” the Riverclanner pauses, small talk was never her strong suite, though that’s one thing that hasn’t changed since her adolescence. Her maw parts, as though she almost says more, how she’s heard many things, such as Berryheart’s death, and the wolves that had raged through their territory, but ultimately the blue tabby decides against it.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── SMELLING LIKE A BONFIRE ⋅ ࿏ ⋅ LOST IN A HAZE ──┐‎

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• 

• 
  LAKEMOON ☾ she/her, warrior of riverclan, 27 moons.
  ⭃ lanky blue tabby with low white and navy blue eyes and a slightly twisted right hind leg. A large facial scar stretches from her right brow to her left cheek, and another crosses at her chest and stretches down the length of her stomach.
  ⭃ daughter of Tempestmoon && Lilypad ࿏ sister to Wolfwind ࿏ mate to Lilybloom & mother to Snowkit, Graykit
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Noor ↛ @toyangel on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[HOWLINGSTAR]

Her ears angle backwards. She's unsure if her granddaughter's statement is meant to place blame on her for the distance that's grown between them, being busy. A frown crosses her muzzle as she pauses, not certain of what to say to that. Fortunately, Lakemoon carries the conversation along, bringing up her kits. Her heart aches for the kin she will never get to know but forces herself to smile, because really she is happy for the tabby. "Yes, Burnstorm and Moonwhisper both have healthy litters - six kits, between the three of them if you can believe it!" She laughs softly, before her eyes soften and she tilts her head slightly. "How are yours? Snowkit and Graykit...right?" Her stomach twists at the mention of the latter. Her mate's name, her son's name, now worn by a RiverClan cat. She tries her best to shake the thought away. She doesn't want to think of it as traitorous. She wants to love her granddaughter unconditionally, and tries her remind herself that she only chose the name out of legacy, even if it's not the legacy she wanted for her mate and child.​

 

[LAKEMOON]

.·:*¨༺ ☾ ༻¨*:·. Six kits, her grandmother says, and Lakemoon nods, that is what she had heard… though information spread through the grapevine was hardly reliable, and even when it was, Lakemoon was only able to pick up bits and pieces of the full picture, when she could not attend a gathering herself and speak with Wolfwind- who was always more than happy to blabber on about everything trivial. Lakemoon misses it.
Something shifts when Howlingstar recites her children’s names, and again Lakemoon is struck with the feeling of being caught under a seasoned verdant gaze. Caught somewhere she shouldn’t be. “Yes. Graykit… looks a bit like me, actually. It's still kind of strange to think about at times, but Snowkit takes after her-“ In her meager attempt to somehow justify her choice in names, Lakemoon’s words hitch in her throat, and she has to force them out. “Mother.”
Claws flex under the churning water. It was easy, to justify her claim to her legacy in the safety of her island camp, away from a softened gaze that she cannot read. “How are Lily Pad and Wolfwind?” Again, she is hit with a small pang of something bitter. Still, Lakemoon knew she could never have lived her life in the thick of the oak forest, but she could never have a paw in two worlds, either.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── SMELLING LIKE A BONFIRE ⋅ ࿏ ⋅ LOST IN A HAZE ──┐‎

• 
  
  
  

• 

• 
  LAKEMOON ☾ she/her, warrior of riverclan, 27 moons.
  ⭃ lanky blue tabby with low white and navy blue eyes and a slightly twisted right hind leg. A large facial scar stretches from her right brow to her left cheek, and another crosses at her chest and stretches down the length of her stomach.
  ⭃ daughter of Tempestmoon && Lilypad ࿏ sister to Wolfwind ࿏ mate to Lilybloom & mother to Snowkit, Graykit
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Noor ↛ @toyangel on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

Howlingstar nods, attempting to shove down any negativity she feels. She doesn't want to ruin what little time she gets to spend one on one with the granddaughter she was once so close to. "I wish I could meet them," She mews, a sad smile crossing her face. I wish I could know them, but I never will. Because you chose RiverClan. She grimaces as the negative thoughts keep coming, but she finds it harder and harder to stave them off. Her family grows more complicated by the day because of matters such as loyalty.

When Wolfwind's name leaves the she-cat's mouth, her eyes round slightly in shock, her ears pricking as if confused. Had no one in RiverClan told her the news? "You...don't know?" She finally mews, a new tone of mourning entering her voice. It's obvious now that she doesn't. Her chest aches as she swallows, searching Lakemoon's face before realizing she'll have to share the news again, here and now. "Wolfwind is with StarClan," The words come softer, choked. Sometimes, it still doesn't feel real. The world is a darker place without her granddaughter's contagious energy and ferocity. ThunderClan is worse off with her absence. "I'm so sorry." Her head dips, eyes falling to the ground.​

 

[LAKEMOON]

.·:*¨༺ ☾ ༻¨*:·. Sharp features pinch with suspicion when something shifts in her grandmother at the mention of her mother and sister. Instinctively, storm-lit ears bend back. Howlingstar seems surprised she would ask such a thing, and Lakemoons she is missing a piece of a puzzle, one that she suddenly isn’t sure she wanted to seek. Wolfwind is with Starclan.
It stings more than Lakemoon had expected it to, and she shifts in the water, feeling like she may suddenly tip.
Her littermate is dead, buried somewhere in Thunderclan’s territory. How long had she not known? “How?” The word is thick, forced from her throat to put an end to the quiet. The blood shed over a pile of rocks, family bound by blood maiming found love, Lakemoon had not questioned her loyalty then, she had fought her grandmothers council, she would have slain Raccoonstripe right there and then had he not backed down with her mates blood on his claws.
So, was this her true divine testament? Did Wolfwind and Lilybloom look down on her for the choices she had made? Her sister had never hidden her disappointment in Lakemoon running for the meadowlands, but those memories are searing. Her sister was dead, and she would never be able to say goodbye. Did young Azalea consider that? Or perhaps her mothers and her sister had been immortal to her back then. “I don’t-” The words burn, and Lakemoon puts a halt to them before they can splinter in her throat, her chin tilts slightly upwards to swallow back the cracks, a sigh breathing a small “Dammit.”

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── SMELLING LIKE A BONFIRE ⋅ ࿏ ⋅ LOST IN A HAZE ──┐‎

• 
  
  
  

• 

• 
  LAKEMOON ☾ she/her, warrior of riverclan, 27 moons.
  ⭃ lanky blue tabby with low white and navy blue eyes and a slightly twisted right hind leg. A large facial scar stretches from her right brow to her left cheek, and another crosses at her chest and stretches down the length of her stomach.
  ⭃ daughter of Tempestmoon && Lilypad ࿏ sister to Wolfwind ࿏ mate to Lilybloom & mother to Snowkit, Graykit
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Noor ↛ @toyangel on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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