distorted to the bone ⋆⁺₊ ☾ ⁺₊⋆ mirestar

[Swansong]

⋆⁺₊ ☾ ⁺₊⋆ 　"Mire... star..." Swansong's voice comes hesitant and halting. The name feels wrong upon their tongue. "It is... strange, to think of you as such..." they murmur in quiet admission. Their paws hesitate at the entrance to the leader's den, unsure of their welcome.

They were welcome here, not so long ago. Smogstar did not mind, and they hope Mirestar at least understand why they have come. The stars have laid their claim upon Swansong's fragile body, planted visions of wonder within their head. Can the new leader see it in her? They wonder... And their paws cross the threshold, almost unthinkingly. "But... You saw StarClan, yes...? They gave you your lives...?" Something entreating creeps into the gentle tones of the warrior's voice. Her normally impassive tone wavers, and her empty eyes search Mirestar's face.

"My father..." The words trail off, too-heavy in the air of what was once his den. Their voice threatens to break, spidersilk-thin, and they do not let it. "Is he... Was he among them...?" They almost cannot bear to know the answer - and yet they feel as if they already do. If Mirestar is leader now, that can only mean one thing. Smogstar is gone for good.

She just wants to hear them say it, to give them some semblance of closure.

‎‎┌── WE FOUND TWO DEAD SWANS ⋆⁺₊ ☾ ⁺₊⋆ AND FILLED THEIR BODIES WITH FLOWERS ──┐‎

• @MIRESTAR
  
• 
  
  

  "SPEECH"

• 
  SWANSONG　⋆⁺₊ ☾ ⁺₊⋆　she / they, warrior of shadowclan, seventeen moons.
  ➳ a pale, silky-furred cream tabby with tired blue eyes.
  ➳ dreamy and detached, known for her perpetual sleepiness.
  ➳ halfshade x smogstar, littermate to applejaw, garlicheart, & ashenfall.
  ➳ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ➳ penned by SATURNID ↛ saturnids on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[MIRESTAR]

It is inevitable by nature, but Swansong's bold curiosity startles them anyway.

Mirestar does not know which version they prefer. The reality of a lack of Smogstar, knowing that his heart is still beating somewhere out there... or would it have been easier to swallow if they had seen his pelt with all the glitter and shimmer of the stars? That he had not allowed ShadowClan the opportunity to see him draw his last breath?

"Trust me, I feel the same way," they assure Swansong. It is still odd to hear the name Mirestar and have to respond to it. Even if it is bestowed upon them by StarClan, the title feels wrong and ill-placed. They should be Mirepurr, deputy of ShadowClan, under the cunning leadership of Smogstar. None of it sits right within them. It only makes sense for his kin to feel the same way — if not heightened.

A flick of their tail beckons Swansong. Already, Mirestar is worried for what she has in mind for their private discussion... but it is vital for a Clan leader to every thought and concern. It is the better alternative to forcing secrecy and thus the unknowable wrongness that would come in its wake.

My father, she says, and Mirestar braces for impact.

Even Chilledstar themself had urged to veil the truth. What a hypocrite Mirestar is for deeming it the sensible decision. But could they lie to those blue eyes? The ones that want closure, if they cannot land on Smogstar's frame anymore?

Mirestar's heart hammers away within them, and they wonder if Swansong could hear it. "...No. I'm afraid he wasn't there." Discomfort settles into every nook and cranny of Mirestar's body. That is the vaguest of admissions... and certainly unfair, but it gives them the wiggle room of choosing their words only after Swansong's reaction, like they so selfishly want.
​

 

[Swansong]

⋆⁺₊ ☾ ⁺₊⋆ 　It is good that Mirestar feels the wrongness too. The world has been twisted like a tangling of thread, fate contorting itself into knots. This is not how things are meant to be. A leader stolen away after serving as deputy for so many moons, no body even left behind... It reeks of something terrible, StarClan's plan torn to shreds.

They await the answer. Some kind of explanation from the spirits that rest below the earth, bestowed upon their newest vessel.

They do not receive it.

"Wasn't... there...?" Swansong mumurs, confused. Their voice wavers, gentle thread threatening to snap. Their eyes are wide, dual hollows of glassy blue. Smogstar has not joined StarClan, and yet Mirestar has been permitted to take his place. It does not make any sense.

The pit of dread in their stomach does not lighten. Still, they are denied the ability to mourn. "Then..." They lean forward, searching the new leader's eyes. They do not bear the gravitas befit their position, words awkward and wrong-footed - and now, she is beginning to understand why. "Does he live?" she questions breathlessly, heart hammering in time with theirs and tremor finally finding its way fully into her toneless voice.

‎‎┌── BUT NO ONE❜S REALLY THERE ⋆⁺₊ ☾ ⁺₊⋆ DOES THAT MEAN IT❜S DONE IN VAIN? ──┐‎

• 
  
• 
  
  

  "SPEECH"

• 
  SWANSONG　☾　she / they, warrior of shadowclan, eighteen moons.
  ★ a pale, silky-furred cream tabby with droopy blue eyes.
  ★ dreamy and detached, known for her perpetual sleepiness.
  ★ halfshade x smogstar, littermate to applejaw, garlicheart, & ashenfall.
  ★ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ★ penned by SATURNID ↛ saturnids on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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