sensitive topics flower chase the sunshine // vigil

[Periwinklebreeze.]

❀​❀ I AM SORRY THIS IS ALWAYS HOW IT GOES ❀❀​

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periwinklebreeze & 13 moons & demi-boy & he/they & windclan moor runner​

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He shouldn't be here.

It shouldn't be periwinklebreeze who carries the cold body back to camp, shouldn't be him who sits beside his friend, shouldn't be him standing beside clambite as they groom the warriors fur in preparation, laying lavender to hide the scent. If starclan were kinder, it'd be him getting buried. But no - they'd stolen another life, another loved one from him, and left him here to rot in his grief. Every motion is caring and gentle, but leaves him feeling hollow - how had things turned out like this?

Snailstride was too young. This sickness, this disease that skyclan had brought - it was going to kill them all, he jut knows it. "You weren't supposed to die first," he mutters absently, grief written clearly upon his face. he'd always thought he'd be dead first - he was weaker, frailer, had the whole clan gunning for his throat some days. And yet - well, this was how things had turned out. Who now will he trust, will he confide in? They'd been the only one the boy could rely on, the only one to even glimpse his thoughts. And not they were gone.

— the wind blows loudest when you've got your eyes closed ❀

• Actions && "Speech," && ' Thoughts/Quotes '
  
  ooc: please wait for @Clambite
  tw/cw: —
  
• 
  — a lithe figured black and white tom with a false-pointed pattern and clear blue eyes that gleam periwinkle in the right lighting. he seems perpetually worn and exhausted, with heavy bags beneath his eyes and a slouched figure. he has a speech impediment which leaves him with a stutter and sometimes even completely non-verbal, and his fluffy tail is adorned with daisies.
  
  — physically medium && mentally easy && pacifist
  — non-violent powerplay allowed && healing powerplay allowed && minor injury powerplay allowed
  — please attack using [b][color=#ccccff]action here[/color][/b] and tag account

 

[Clambite]

Carefully and gently she grooms her brothers fur one last time, weaving lavender into his fur alongside Periwinklebreeze. She is barely holding herself together, tears only stopped by the lingering shock that Snailstride's death brought. He looked as if he were sleeping, she wanted to believe he was. That this was all some elaborate prank.

But she knew in her heart it wasn't. Her brother was gone, and their parents probably didn't even care. She settled down with paws tucked under her to lay her head on his neck one more time. She could easily dissociate and pretend it was just another day, an early morning before it was time to get up. It brought her comfort to pretend, her eyes closed as if she were sleeping. She reflects on their time together, the memories doing little to drown out the reality her mind kept shouting.

He's gone. He's not here anymore.

Tears slip from her eyelids as she opens them, returning to the present. She is too choked for too many words.

"I'll m- miss y..you..." She choked out, burying her face into his fur.

It's not fair. Why him? Why not one of the cats that bullied him? Why not someone who deserved to die?

She can only hope that Starclan is kinder, that he can watch the sunrise and laze around to his hearts content among the stars.​

 

[WOLFSONG]

── .∘°°∘. ── Wolfsong had been gentle with Snailstride. It was not as though their spirit remained to feel the necessary ministrations for a vigil, but nonetheless, Wolfsong had dragged the lavender through their fur with a tenderness. They had not been close— indeed, they had even clashed at times, in a peculiar sort of way. Snailstride was not combative, but they had memorably disrespected WindClan and Wolfsong, alongside Sunstride. But they were young, and he remembers watching them in Sootstar's den, pleading for their life. It was not Sootstar who took it, in the end.

Wolfsong does not conduct the vigil himself, reserving such a right to those who held Snailstride dear: Periwinklebreeze and Clambite. He left them the lavender after masking Snailstride's body with it, assuming they would like to lay it out with them. It is only the first, he cannot help thinking. How many vigils will I oversee before we have fended off this illness?

"Find peace and acceptance in StarClan," he murmurs. "The night sky will be brighter with you there."
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WOLFSONG of WINDCLAN FORMER ROGUE TURNED MEDICINE CAT. 36 MOONS, HE/HIM, NPC X NPC. MATES WITH SUNSTRIDE (07/05/2023). BIOGRAPHY, PINTEREST, & PLAYLIST.

medicinal expertise med. part ii med. part iii med. part iv

• — ★★★☆☆ WOUNDS: You're (mostly) in safe paws. You'll know if he's less experienced if he asks for your permission to try a treatment. No wound can scare him away from knowledge. — ★★★☆☆ INFECTION: He can prevent most infections. If you feel feverish, let him know— he'll hum thoughtfully over herbs and sniff your wound before saying, "With your blessing..."
• — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES & PAINS: If you complain to him of pain, he'll ask where. If it's a headache, you'll likely feel a bit better. For anything else, "Try this, if you'd like, and tell me how you feel." — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES: At best. he can ask you to remain lying down in the den. He may try to distract you with conversation while he considers what herb to feed you.
• — ★★★★★ TRAVELING HERBS: Going somewhere? No worries; Wolfsong knows just what you need to stay hale and healthy during your journey. The rest is up to you. — ☆☆☆☆☆ KITTING: He doesn't remember what it was like to be born. Coincidentally, that is the extent of his familiarity with kitting. At least he won't leave you without moral support.
• — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS: It's best if you avoid eating anything unfamiliar to you— it's probably just as unfamiliar to Wolfsong. The best he can do is offer you yarrow and sit with you. — ★★☆☆☆ ILLNESS: If it's white or greencough, you'll likely recover. Otherwise, prepare for odd concoctions and the usual request that you consent to a little trial-and-error.

​

 

[SCORCHSTAR]

The gray tabby had not been a clanmate who Scorchstreak would call herself close to, but the loss hits her all the same. The young warrior may have been a suspected traitor for a time during their apprenticeship, but Snailstride had proven themself a loyal member of the clan, and the calico grieves them the same as she would any other lost warrior. They hadn’t even gotten the honor of dying in battle, of being felled by claws and teeth. They had instead fallen to a sickness that offered no sympathy, no guilt for such a murder. The thought of another illness sweeping across the moorland turns her stomach.

The clan will not survive another plague, she’s certain. This is only the beginning, and with Wolfsong pregnant as he is, it is only a matter of time before more warriors succumb to the illness that Blazestar brought upon them all. This is winter all over again. Typical SkyClan, she thinks, putting every clan in danger and offering no solution. Those tree-climbing fools probably have the cure already, are hiding it from the other clans just as they hid away the catmint in their healer’s den.

Her expression twists into a grimace, but she says nothing. She has no place to speak, after Periwinklebreeze and Clambite have already spoken to the fallen body of a friend and a sibling. Each of the younger cats looks distraught—no, devastated—and the tunneler cannot offer either of the young warriors any kind of meaningful support. "I’ll begin on their grave," she states, voice dripping with exhaustion. She may not be of any use here, where the scent of lavender fills her nose like wildfire smoke, but she can be useful elsewhere. Her paws are made for digging graves, not offering comfort. She turns away from the vigil with a heavy sigh, a glance toward each of the gathered cats before her.​

[ LIKE A RATTLESNAKE ]​

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[BLUEFROST]

Bluepaw does not drape herself across Snailstride’s body like their sister and closest friend do; she sits a few foxlengths away, idly wondering if the illness still clings to his lavender-laced fur. She looks to Wolfsong, whose words hopefully guide their fallen Clanmate to StarClan where they belong. Does he worry the rest of the Clan will follow suit? She had not gone to this most recent Gathering, but the dramatic posturing and sighing from Blazestar had been on every attendee’s lips. Every cat it touches will die, he’d said—and so far, it appears he’s correct.

“May you walk peacefully with StarClan.” Her voice is formal, devoid of warmth she would not have been able to muster. She has seen death before, and every time it had been bloodier than this. She knows she will see it again—perhaps sooner rather than later.

She pushes herself to her paws, gaze trailing after Scorchstreak. The lead warrior mutters aloud that she will begin digging his grave. Bluepaw follows her. “I’ll assist you,” she says. Like Scorchstreak, it is something she can contribute—her paws were crafted by the stars for many things, but also for digging.

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — bluekit . bluepaw
  — she/her, apprentice of windclan
  — bisexual ; single
  — long-haired blue she-cat with white and green eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — art by Meg

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[REDHEART]

Death remained a foreign reality to Redkit, even with the knowledge of an illness plaguing the clans. He had been mostly shielded from it all, but he understood that it meant someone had gone away. Apparently, to a safe place called StarClan. Who exactly StarClan was remained a mystery to Redkit, but from what he'd heard, it seemed like a very good place.

So, why does everyone in camp look so gloomy?

A round head, adorned with stringy locks, poked out from the nursery entrance, peering toward the somber crowd. The sadness radiated through the camp in palpable waves, and Redkit couldn't help but notice the stark difference in everyone's moods. He quietly joined the gathering of cats in the camp, maintaining a respectful distance to observe.

A mixture of fear and morbid curiosity made him brave enough to look at the body surrounded in lavender. His heart skipped a beat as he gazed upon Snailstride. For a moment, Snailstride appeared as if asleep, but closer inspection revealed the loss of luster in their coat, sunken eyes, and the absence of life. A numbing sensation crept from Redkit's paws up his spine as he struggled to fully grasp the gravity of the situation.

His gaze shifted to Clambite and Periwinklebreeze, two younger warriors who seemed deeply affected by the loss. Tears welled in Redkit's eyes at the sight of their grief. It's just so miserable... Why did they have to go to StarClan? Can't they stay here? Uncertainty mingled with his budding thoughts, and he looked to the motionless sky, seeking answers that remained elusive.

Frowning, he quickly blinked away the tears, trying to make sense of a world that suddenly felt heavier and lonelier than ever before.​

 

[Bluepool]

Death is not a foreign concept to the blue-furred warrior. She had seen plenty of it in her life but no more than any normal cat living in this reality would. Life in the wild was hard, it was dangerous. But at least they are free. At least while she is here she can race across the moors with the wind brushing its warm fingers through her fur and she can hunt her own prey. She could sleep under the stars. Kittypets led safer lives but it was so dull. What is the point of living if you could not truly ever feel alive?

Her former apprentice had been friends with this cat and her heart does go out to him but it is a lesson that he needs to learn if he hadn't already. Every life had to come to an end eventually. It is sad, but it is true. Snailstride was in the stars now, he would no longer know hunger or pain, cold or hot. He was at peace.

She comes to stand next to Periwinklebreeze, regarding the point tom for a moment before her golden eyes rest on the body before her. "May you find rest in the stars" she murmurs softly to the body ,finding herself wondering if he was looking down from the stars and watching over them even now. She looks up as her friend and her niece go off to start the preparations for his gave but she makes no move to join them.

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