camp espresso // news

[spicepurr]

( spice is looking for & talking to @Orangestar but she is not necessarily quiet about it ;3 so no need to wait!! )

Spicepaw has a slow start to her day. The morning comes with dawnlit rays across the sky, but she doesn't budge from her window sill. Even as wispy clouds crawl across the skies and the temperatures grow warmer, she falters. She only takes her leave when the guilt of not going somehow eats her far faster than the fear of what she must do.

"What am I to say?" She recalls asking Edenberry, dull green eyes unfocused as she picks her way through backyard gardens and across too tall fences. "What if we both just stayed here? Then we'd tell them nothing!"

"They would worry about us, Spice. They would show up here and - and they would know!" Edenberry refuted with hard facts. SkyClan is full of cats that care too much, a sentiment that the apprentice never thought she'd believe in. They would have warriors swarming their humble home, peaking through chipped window glass to check on the pair. Spicepaw has to do everything she possibly can to ensure Edenberry's… safety.

If she thinks of it that way, then the idea of lying doesn't hurt so bad. And yet, the concept of any cat in SkyClan not being safe scared her more, and she cannot lay this thought to rest.

She arrives within SkyClan's camp with no escort, hours late into the day. Her gaze flutters about, and though it's clear she's looking for someone, Spicepaw feels that she's much more looking for cats to avoid. Cats like Cherryblossom, Lupinesong, Butterflytuft… er, any cats connected to them - and then any cats connected to them. Her mouth is dry and she almost spins on her paws, the thought of running away from both her home and SkyClan so tempting.

But if she runs, then Edenberry will be found.

You owe me for this one, Edie.

Spicepaw sees a pelt of white and orange, marred by scars yet still holding the elegance of a leader. She swallows thickly as she slowly makes her way towards Orangestar, firstly worried about all she must do - and then fearful for being late to her day.

"Miss Orangestar," she addresses the she-cat with her lips pulled tight, a wobbly uncertain smile fitting on her face. It's a clear struggle to hold to. "I'm sorry I was not here at dawn, erm - you see…" a pause, and she wills her eyes to mist (which isn't hard, as her throat closes with fear and anxiety,) "Edenberry wasn't feeling good this morning, and - and our twoleg noticed, and took them away to the twoleg medicine cat. They, um… They just got back, but they're… very sick. I - I can't even be in the same room as them, the - our twoleg, she keeps Edenberry locked behind… behind a door, even," do forest cats know what doors are? Does she inflict more fear, trying to explain Edenberry's disappearance, or do they see right through her?

Spicepaw's tail pulls tight around her body. "Yeah, I… I'm… We're sorry, I think. Um… I can still come to SkyClan, I'm feeling fine! But Edenberry… they're recovering now. I don't know when they'll get better or if our twoleg will bring them away again…" She tenses her jaw, hoping it is enough. All the same, as much as she hopes she's secluded Orangestar in a one-on-one conversation, whilst she tries to repeat her practiced lie, her voice pitches uncomfortably and warbles noticeably, likely garnering attention from those around her.
​

 

[Cherryblossom]

It seems as though Cherryblossom takes each call for her mother as one meant for her as well. She's second in command, after all; the one who the reigns would be thrown to should anything happen to all of Orangestar's eight remaining lives. The thought bolsters her but doesn't console her. If anything, she grows a little wearier with each imperious stride she takes towards these things, trying and trying and failing to reach the stature of her shorter mother.

Annoyance settles on her face when she realizes who it is, softly pinching the bridge of her nose and creasing her eyelids. Another tardy daylight apprentice. StarClan knows she lacked the discipline to rouse herself in the mornings as an apprentice. Without a Slate (or similar figure) to aggravate her into wakefulness, she could hardly have become a real warrior. As it stands, she holds the current crowd of daylight apprentices in low regard. Though, she rarely regards her former denmates with anything higher since leaving the ferns, and certainly not after becoming deputy.

Spicepaw apologizes, which does little to change her expression till she offers the reason. Her scowl immediately deepens, then quickly fades into tight concern. "They're sick?" Confusion digs a furrow across her patched brow. "How?" They were here yesterday, er, must have been here yesterday. Cherry can't quite say she knew their previous state exactly; it'd just been one of those days, too busy to talk except for a quick brush of the lips against their ear and a hasty farewell.

Anxiety leaks from the girl's running tongue. Cherryblossom barely understands what she's saying━door? Locked?━but she gets the gist. "Soooo... they're sick, your twoleg noticed, and they trapped them in your nest." Her words are brisk and strung tight, a harrowing walk across a thin branch in high winds.

Edenberry's sick... Edenberry's sick. "Are you sure you're feeling fine?" The question is harsher than she means for it to be, not helped by her taking a step backwards. Yellowcough had happened when she was barely an apprentice. Spicepaw wouldn't have been old enough to remember, or even been born at the time. "You might be contagious." Cherryblossom had not been immune to the rumors; she had welcomed them with open ears, even sought them out herself. SkyClan ground had been the origin of Yellowcough, and a daylight warrior had been the first to die. Acrid yellow eyes sharpen upon the poor apprentice, a concentrated frown pressing hard at her jaw. "What were you even thinking, coming into camp with it?"

skyclan deputy | "speech." | tags​

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[Chickbloom]

In some other reality, one where Orangestar picked Eggshellbloom as deputy (and likely had some form of stupidity herself to make such a decision), Spicepaw’s plan would work flawlessly. Folded ears flick up at the mention of Edenberry’s name, and instantly amber eyes go wide with worry. “Is - Is he r-really getting better? Or…Or…” Eggshell asks as he scrambles over, clearly panicked.

Yes, the whelp’s worry for his friend and tendency to assume the worst had caused him to fall for the lie hook, line, and sinker. Eggshell was - or had been - a kittypet. He knew how serious an illness must be to warrant a trip to the twoleg medicine cat (the coward was also acutely aware of just how scary it was, far too many needles.) Instantly, amber eyes rounded on Orangestar and Cherryblossom, ignoring the latter’s concerns thanks to his own ignorance. “W-We should send someone. F-Fireflypaw, Dawnglare, m-maybe both! I don’t - y’know - I d-don’t want Edenberry to die!” Spicepaw was lucky the catastrophizing cat held no real authority or else every medicine cat in the forest would be descending on their abode.​

 

[DAWNGLARE]

Dawnglare does not deny himself of occasional nosiness. If he is honest, he believes that is part of what has kept SkyClan alive all this time... Not everyone readily sought out the attention they needed. There was not always a need to, if Dawnglare was feeling charitable enough to listen, and then, charitable enough to care. These things were not always paired together, you see. A wondering ear catches on frantic conversation. A report... or somesuch. Not the ordinary kind. Dawnglare never bothered to listen to those. A spiteful eye is angled toward suns rays. Does that upset you, I wonder?

Edenberry fallen ill... This sounds quite unremarkable, really. He would think it a blessing that they are ill in their twoleg home, rather than here where diseases only barrier is holly bushes, and kits making a welcome and willing vessel for miasma to hitch a ride on.

Of course, it is always the naive that pitch fits about nothing. He approaches on large, sluggish paws, the curve of his face almost impressed by the absolute delirium these two are keen to fly into. " I see nothing wrong with Spicepaw, " he says, and such an assessment is as good as fact. " Edenberry will not die, either. For the price of it's traitorous nature, Twoleg Medicine is quite adept. " Adept enough that No SkyClanner should ever have to worry about sickness... Adept enough to make him obsolette... Is his whole being - Whole purpose built on the suffering and stubbornness of these cats? If only they all put down their noses and grazed whiskers with a twoleg paw, there'd be no reason for any of this... There hardly is one already.

While typically, Eggshellbloom's skittishness would likely make him want to claw his whiskers off - and perhaps, in the middle of the night, he would remember this and wish he had - in the moment, he is feeling... kind. A plume tail would briefly flick against the tom's side, though it quickly flinches away as if burned, with a wince to match. " They will be... fine. "​

 

[LUPINESONG]

❀‿ "That's a relief to hear, Dawnglare," Lupinesong mews quietly in her approach, and she means it. Despite the toms... unique and often uhm, intimidating personality, she trusted their medicine cat's judgment. She knew he was one of the most experienced medicine cats in the forest, and so far in the course of her whole life in the clan, he had healed them time and time again. So, even if his personality left her with a ruffled pelt and thrums of anxiety, she accepted his wisdom as fact, or something that came close to that, anyway.

She pads up to find a familiar place by Cherryblossom's side and mirroring the medicine cat, brushes her tail upon calico fur. Unlike Dawnglare, though, her touch lingers, an anchored point of connection between the two. She couldn't blame the deputy for tensing up at the thought of another mysterious bought of illness, stars knew how much it was capable of taking away.

"I'm glad you're feeling okay, Spicepaw," She hummed, identifying a look on the apprentice's face that she recognized all too well, " but don't feel like you have to overwork yourself to like, compensate. I'm sure Edenberry will be better soon, it'll be fine..."

She hoped that Spicepaw wasn't getting overwhelmed with everything on her mind, it wasn't like it was her fault Edenberry got sick. "Poor thing," she sighs, "That bad bit of prey they ate the other day probably didn't help, either... When you see them, tell them that we hope they get well soon..!" Cherryblossom's lack of instinct to ask after her girlfriend did not escape Lupinesong, and perhaps it emboldened her to flick her tail around the other's ankles for a brief moment.

LOVE ME MORE, ⊹₊°❀‿ LOVE ENOUGH TO DROWN ME OUT.

• OOC:
• 
• 
  — lupinekit . lupinepaw . lupinesong
  — trans she/her. 15mo warrior of skyclan. formerly mentored by dandelionwish, single
  — bobbie x duke. littermate to crowsight & drowsynose. older half-sister of hollykit, lionkit, and candorkit
  — a tall, pretty, long-haired black smoke with low white and green eyes
  — smells like sweet lupine flowers and young pine needles
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — fullbody by pikaihao and funnyguy by pin
  — penned by eezy

​

 

[SLATESNARL]

〔✦〕The tom could often not help pricking his ears when a cat approaches Orangestar with news. It is personal affairs that Slate does not care to indulge in, as it is none of his business, but when someone makes their voice loud enough for those within the vicinity to hear... well, he supposes he cannot help but listen in. Plus, many concerns brought directly to Orangestar's attention are typically the business of the entire clan. It was not news of rogues or foxes today, but instead, an update on the status of Edenberry. They had abruptly fallen ill and were now under the care of their housefolk, even so much as receiving attention from the twoleg healers. A brief memory of his time in the animal shelter prods the back of his mind; pointy objects, foul-smelling sap, the stench of their paws shoving him against a cold steely surface. A frown tugs at the corners of his lips.

Cherryblossom was within her right to be concerned about the contagious nature of an illness, but Spicepaw was standing here looking healthy and well. Not all cats caught a spreading sickness, just as he had dodged Yellowcough when it was first taking over the clans. However, that did not mean that Spicepaw couldn't eventually track anything back to SkyClan's camp. The lead warrior issues a stern reminder to the daylight apprentice, "Just don't bring whatever they caught here. We can't afford another sickness like Yellowcough." He certainly was not journeying across raging rapids, into claustrophobic caves, and through massive mountains again. One journey had been enough to remind Slate that he belonged in the forest.

He flicks his amber hues toward Eggshellbloom, maw parting in preparation to shut his frantic suggestions down — the medicine cats would surely get trapped themselves if they dared step paw in the twoleg den. That, or they'd risk catching Edenberry's sickness too. However, Dawnglare is quick to assure them that the daylight warrior would be okay; he seems to have faith in twoleg medicine. Slate, albeit hesitant to admit it, agrees. They had cured his infested ear ( for whatever reason ) and had helped other daylight warriors heal their ailments. Other times, they would swiftly take the lives of innocent cats who had never done them any harm. They were confusing creatures, ones he would never understand.

oh no, ive said too much ( i havent said enough ) //

• ooc.
  
• SLATE —— lead warrior of skyclan , mentoring coffeepaw ✦ penned by beatles
  ✦ cismale / he/him pronouns / 39 moons & ages every 1st
  ✦ single / bisexual & monogamous / closed to romance
  ✦ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline & tag account when attacking
  —— hard combat difficulty & weak to agile, quick fighters / will start fights, will kill if necessary
  
  ✦ "speech", thoughts, all opinions are ic
  ✦ biography — msg on discord for plots — toyhouse
  
• 
  
  

  a scarred longhaired maine coon with amber eyes. a large, 20lb tom with thick locks of fur. his chest and underbelly is ruddy from sun exposure. notable scars decorate his face and his ears are both torn with one being folded over.

​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

Twitchbolt did a poor job of hiding the flick of worry in his eye- even upon Dawnglare's diagnosis (which he should trust, when for once the tom was speaking plainly), he couldn't retain the same cold composure that Slate displayed, nor Lupinesong's gentle understanding. The scar across his neck pulsed as he swallowed, nervous tics skittering all across a patchwork body. Paws tapped an uncertain melody, and tattered mahogany ears swivelled wildly to attention. To any attention, anything at all...

Bad prey. He hoped it wsn't that- poison, or something... something embedded in the flesh of that squirrel, bird, whatever it had been that Edenberry would never recover from. Oh, he should have checked, should have... shoved it into any apprentice's head! His tail swatted at an invisible thing- an amber-struck eye spasmed shut. No, it'd be alright... it had to be alright.

Daisyflight wailing into somewhere unseen flashed bright and burning in his memory, then. Had she been sick? Was that why the Twolegs had taken her away? "Is- Edenberry's Twolegs, are they..." He didn't like them still, those tall, gangling things... and he'd never understand what the Daylight Warriors saw in them, even if he didn't begrudge that attachment. Distrust would forever lie dormant, though. "They're definitely helping them recover?" Not just... giving up, sending her to StarClan, just like with Daisyflight... whatever, whatever had gone wrong there... ​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[Orangestar]

"Enough." Orangestar silences the questions that spring to life around her, shooting the other SkyClanners sharp looks for their thinly veiled accusations and comments. Her stare, particularly, lingers on Cherryblossom and Slate for a moment, darting next to Dawnglare and Eggshellbloom, and then returning to Spicepaw by the way of Twitchbolt and Lupinesong's concerned murmurs.

"Do you know their symptoms, Spicepaw?" Her own suspicion comes to light in the question, but despite the lingering sternness in her meow Orangetar regards the daylight apprentice with somewhat less of a furrow to her brow than usual. She thinks back to the yellowcough outbreak despite herself, to the way Tallulahwing had practically died overnight. Her maw tightens. "I trust that you're fine, but we - I - need to know what to look out for."

ooc ✧ 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦

•  
• 
  
  [ art by pin ]
• ORANGESTAR ✧ she/her, leader of skyclan | eight lives
  
  
  — "a scarred white-and-ginger she-cat with brown eyes."
  — single ; mentoring springpaw & ashpaw
  — speech is in #F18C47
  — tags | penned by mercibun, contact on discord for plots.
  
  
  
  

​

 

[spicepurr]

She should've asked for Orangestar alone. Spicepaw feels every inch of her pelt itch as cats approach in on every side - there's levels of panic, confusion, accusation that she has no regard for the safety of SkyClan and...! The cinnamon and cream apprentice feels her already unsteady heartbeat pick up, even as Dawnglare does his best to quell worries and Lupinesong acts impartial yet caring. The crowd alone makes her shiver like a kitten left in the rain, and Spicepaw again damns Edenberry (all before rescinding the near idea.)

Orangestar attempts to silence her worried subjects and the apprentice swallows thickly. Questions were pinned against her, by her leader, by the many warriors and even the deputy, and she's cold. So cold. She debates acting sick herself, but pretending it's contagious would only land them in deeper water.

"They're -" she looks to the jittery form of their former deputy, first, almost taking solace in his similar nature. She hates to lie to him, though, for his fear is real and tangible (all of theirs is.) Worry plagues them because of her continued decision to tell untruths, because of her dedication to her sibling. She swallows thickly. "They're home. Our twoleg really really likes Eden-berry," an awkward slip to their full name, comfort in the lack of formality finding its way into her tone. "She'd give up everything for Edie - I think... in time, they will be okay," Spicepaw hitches her voice, slides her gaze to the wayside, slumps her shoulders. The apprentice mimics what she imagines is how one with a dying sibling would react. Her misted gaze from her anxiety is utilized for the moment and she blinks, once or twice, "... I hope."

And to Orangestar herself. She holds fast to the tremor in her shoulders, the very real fear in her gaze being forcefully utilized. Her chest hurts, her throat hurts. To lie to the leader... Lupinesong's words repeat in her mind's eye and she dips her head, "We thought - we thought it was just the prey. They said that their stomach hurt, and that they've just... not been able to eat, for a while now..." It's not a lie. Edenberry's appetite had disappeared, though Hazelbeam says it will return with a vengeance soon enough. "They're not... warm to the touch? I don't think. I can't... I can't see them, miss Orangestar," a lie, cloaked with the previous, clustered with ten more. She shivers. Will she keep track of these? Will Edenberry's friends - she looks at Cherryblossom, then sideways to Lupinesong, then to the distance where many more likely are... Will they leave her family alone, for moons to come until Edenberry has figured out what they want to do? Oh, she feels sick.

"I -" she starts, another trembling swallow, "If I'm allowed, I would like to stay here a few nights a week. I know - I know I mustn't worry about overworking myself, but -" Spicepaw clenches her jaw, her claws scraping the topsoil. "I'd like to serve more in the absence of my sibling. Please, Orangestar, it's... the least I can do. Work will help keep me... occupied," I would like to not think of my dying sibling, Spicepaw thinks. And in another, following thought, They're not dying. What am I doing?​