COUNTING STARS [✦] raccoon, berry

[LITTLE WOLF]

Her heart feels heavy with loss the past couple of moons. Graystorm's loss had hit her especially hard, her baby brother gone in the blink of an eye. She remembers helping her mom look after him, after all of them. Back when he and the rest of their litter were kits that toddled about they did not have such structure as they had now. Thus, she had taken a large part in their upbringing as one of the oldest. Even back then, she had been fond of kits. The way they squealed in excitement when they saw her bring a moss ball into the den, the way they fought sleep while she told stories that had been passed down on her from her mother, ones they probably had heard a thousand times from Howlingstar herself. But kits never grew tired of such things. With Graystorm gone it feels like a part of her is missing, though she would like to believe his spirit lives on in her son, It still isn't enough to heal the pain.

With heavy steps she makes her way to the medicine cats den, a particularly large rabbit that she had caught earlier clutched in her jaws. An offering. "Berryheart? Raccoonstripe?" She calls out, her voice soft and close to breaking. She makes her way further inside, picking up her rabbit and putting it down again, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the shadows. "Would you two like to share a meal with me and maybe tongues after?" she looks at them both her eyes hopeful and her thin tail waving in the air.

// @BERRYHEART @RACCOONSTRIPE
​

 

[BERRYHEART]

Scamp had always been the most energetic of the litter. Berryheart, in comparison, had been muted, subdued... quiet, almost strangely so. And now, without a loud counterpart... one would think Berryheart would therefore seem relatively more energised, but in truth he felt even more dulled than ever. Grief had struck him for Wisps, as piercing, painful and lasting as fox-fangs; and now boar-tusk too had pierced his gut, another weight to bear. He knew, at least, his family dwelled up there. Knew that Father was there- that he cared for Wisps, for Scamp now.

It made the lacking earth no less disheartening, though.

Shady's ink-coat slid in, noticeable in its starkness compared to the filtering light. Askew eyes settled upon her- and then, rather immediately afterwards, the rabbit that she set upon the ground. A slow blink overtook his gaze, unmoving from the meal as she spoke- until she finished, and his attention lifted. He nodded, the spirit of a smile upon his lips, scarcely noticeably.

A spare nest was dragged out- perfectly constructed, flower-lined, plush... Berryheart's luxurious tastes were ever extended to his patients and visitors. The fire-flecked tom tapped the nest with a white-toed paw, a silent invitation, before settling back into his own to enjoy the company.​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

The tabby shifts as a hopeful voice breaks comfortable silence. Berryheart is reliable company; Raccoonstripe knows he will never be subjected to uninvited small talk, but if he chooses to engage in it himself, his tortoiseshell brother will engage in his own limited way. Now, though, there is a gray shadow of stale grief fallen over the two of them. So much is a reminder of the littermate they’d lost—the kit he’d been, the brother they’d gestated beside, nursed beside, slept and fought and killed beside.

Little Wolf’s arrival is unexpected. Raccoonstripe has created a lofty distance between himself and his older sister since her daughter had died and half of her first litter had relocated to SkyClan. He still loves her—he loves her as he loves all of her kits, even those fathered by that useless kittypet—but it’s been so long since he’s been in her company outside of the realm of duty that Raccoonstripe is not sure how to proceed. The rabbit she brings them looks fresh and inviting, though, and Berryheart wordlessly invites her inside the den.

He greets his older sister with a brief, rustic purr. “Little Wolf. You must be proud of Burnstorm.” His own apprentice’s ceremony is on the horizon, but her ebony-furred littermate had beaten her after a show of bravery against the last of the boars. He can’t resist adding, “Not much kittypet left in that one.” He smiles to take the sting from his words. “That looks great. Bring some over here—my leg is better, but the more I fuss, the later I leave this musty place. No offense, Berryheart.”

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — raccoon . raccoonstripe
  — he/him ; lead warrior of thunderclan
  — heteroflexible ; single
  — long-haired black tabby with white and dark brown eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Rai

​

 

[LITTLE WOLF]

Her smile brightens when Berryheart wordlessly pulls out a nest for her to settle into. Her brother always had a quiet peace about him, it settled her, made her feel calm and relaxed in his presence despite his lack of words. She had always liked that about him. Gratefully, she picks up the rabbit and heads to the mossy bed that had been laid out for her, settling into it and pushing the prey towards the tortoiseshell medicine cat so that he may have the first bite. From there it would go to Raccoonstripe and then back to her.

She sets her eyes on her brown striped kin now. Lily Pad, Hollow Tree, and Raccoonstripe had always shared their mothers same brown fur, black stripes swirling around their pelts in similar fashions. She takes comfort there too, in the known. Raccoonstripe is the sibling that has most drifted away from her, his views on her and her children she knows but underneath it all still lies that familial bond, unbreakable and tied with love. She smiles as he inquires about her son, Burnstorm. "Yes very" she says with a nod of her head. Burnstorm was a hard worker, desperate to prove he was worthy when to her and many others he already had been. The kittypet comment gives her pause but she does not say anything, just simply nods her head, wanting to keep the peace. "He and Moonpaw have proven to be fine warriors of their own merit. It helps that they both have had such amazing mentors" she says, the smile returning to her face. Raccoonstripe could be hard on others, she knows, but it is what had shaped Moonpaw into the cat she was today and for that she is grateful.

Raccoonstripe makes a comment about not wanting to be cooped up in the warriors den for any longer than he has to and she lets out a small laugh, agreeing "Ah but just think how much Berryheart would miss you when you're gone" she teases lightly, a small laugh escaping her maw and then, more seriously she asks "What is the first thing you plan on doing when you're free?" Would he tear through the forest as Flamewhisker had when her time in the nursery had been up? Or would he simply continue life as normal?
​

 

[BERRYHEART]

Quiet observation occupied him for the moment- Berryheart, as eagerly as such mellow temperament could manage, leant forward to take first bite. Satisfied, he passed the meal along- though the chunk taken out of its flesh was considerably larger than most would take. Prey-blood smudged a halo around his awry more before he licked it off, attention languidly moving between his siblings. Little-little, a warrior... it was difficult to fathom, but a reality he had to face, now. The entire family did- and Whispers would not be long after. It was strange to remember, but fond all the same.

"None taken," he murmured in response to Stripes, a scarce peppering of humour slumbering in the depths of his tone's oceanic neutrality. Any warrior would be restless, he was sure... his first few moons working here, Berryheart had often felt an urge to do something else. Once or twice, he had succumbed to that want... though, he supposed there was something else within him that pulled him back.

And now, his responsibility to stay was larger than ever. Not only did he have patients, but a student, too. Shady's question further amused him, olive-green gaze shifting to settle upon his brother. "I imagine you can't wait to get eyes back on Whispers."A white-toed paw motioned to his brother, before he ran a sandpaper tongue across it. He had toiled hard at her apprenticeship... in the same position, Berryheart would be concerned someone might stand in the way of his hard work. ​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

Raccoonstripe’s whiskers quiver with amusement at the enormous portion of Little Wolf’s prey Berryheart helps himself to. “Leave some for the sick and dying, would you?” Playfully, he flicks an errant leaf in his speckled brother. He eagerly takes a mouthful, listening to the pride creep into their older sister’s voice as she sings her children’s praises. He can sense her diplomatic choice to ignore his kittypet remark—part of him even respects her for it, though he can never truly respect her. Not when he knows she’d mothered a kittypet’s children and had gone back for seconds.

Still, the tabby loves Little Wolf, and no matter her mousebrained decisions she makes, he always will. He blinks warmly at her when she mentions Moonpaw. “That one’ll have my fur off for making her miss an early ceremony.” He flicks his ear in Berryheart’s direction. “Oh, yes. She’s itching to finish her training so she doesn’t have to fix my nests up for me anymore.” His grin is full of good humor, even though both of his siblings will know how little he’s joking. “First thing on my agenda is making sure Moonpaw is ready to get her warrior name.”

Little Wolf’s comment about his plans has him thinking, though. “I can only imagine how bored and cooped up you must have been in the nursery.” He tilts his head. Though his tone is cheeky, there’s a serious question buried like a gemstone in the landfall of his follow up remark. “Not thinking of having more kits, are you?” Not breaking the warrior code again, are you? is what he really means.

He chuffs softly at Little Wolf’s joke—“Think of how much Berryheart will miss you!” “Sister, dear, do you know any cat who can stand to spend this much quality time with me? Beautiful she-cats aside, of course.” He props himself up on a fluffy elbow. “Berryheart has the patience of a well-weathered stone, but even he has his limits.” Ebony gaze travels to his littermate after a moment. “Does Lichenpaw talk your ear off?”

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — raccoon . raccoonstripe
  — he/him ; lead warrior of thunderclan
  — heteroflexible ; single
  — long-haired black tabby with white and dark brown eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Rai

​