sensitive topics good for you [ open/telling about past ]

[Flamewhisker]

( ★ ) It had been several moons since she had asked Emberstar to join. Her life had been the most stable it had ever been. Somedays she thought about what her life would have been like if she hadn't of accidentally stumbled into her new home. She wouldn't have found a new purpose for her life...she would never have met her friends, or even Flycatcher. There wasn't a day that went by that she regretted joining the clan, and after meeting one of the other clan leaders, she was even more thankful it had been Thunderclan.

The sun was beginning to set, and Flamewhisker sat down amongst a group of her fellow clanmates. They were discussing some of the recent joiners, and suddenly one of the NPC's gazes fell upon her. "So, Flamewhisker. You've been with us for awhile now, and still nobody knows where you came from. You just showed up one day in our territory injured. I think we deserve to know what happened." the tom sneered, his gaze flicking to and from each of his comrades.

Flamewhisker's eyes widened in alarm, and she glanced around to each of them. When none of them said anything else, she lowered her gaze to her paws. The tabby shuffled them anxiously, not wanting to bring up those unwanted memories that she had long tried to bury. If this makes them trust you more, then tell them...they deserve to know.

With a deep inhale, the warrior slowly returned her gaze to her fellow clanmates. "If you must know...then I will share." Her voice tried to quiver, but she swallowed it back. "I was born not too far from here, in a forest that is on the other side of the twolegplace here. My mother and father were loners, I was raised by my mother and never met my father. We lived in a cave for the first few moons of my life, but two legs found us, and they took my siblings. My mother and I escaped, and she took me deeper into the forest. During our escape, my mother injured her leg and she wasn't able to hunt anymore. That is why I hunt so well...I fed both of us up until.." Her words caught in her throat, and panic flashed through her eyes. The cries...the howls...Her heart was racing and she began to feel lightheaded. I can't do this...

She clenched her eyes shut for a moment, and when she reopened them, she saw how interested they were. The warrior let out a deep breath, and slowly began again. "I'm not entirely sure where they came from, but somehow three dogs found us. These were not the small scrappy things that two legs occasionally walked in our old home. These were huge, slobbering beasts. I was hunting, and they surrounded me. I was backed into a corner, and I had to fight. The smaller of the three darted towards me, and I managed to fend him off, until the next one grabbed ahold of my shoulder, and threw me against the wall. I would have died, if my mother hadn't of distracted them. She got them to follow her, and that was the last time I saw her." Flamewhisker paused, her blood running cold as the last few words rolled off her tongue.

"I couldn't stay there after....I stumbled through the twolegplace, trying to find...well, I don't know what I was searching for. My wound started to become infected, and a kitty pet put some leaves on it. I didn't know she had no clue what she was talking about until later on. The twolegplace was too busy, there was no way I could stay there. I was almost hit several times by monsters, but I finally made it out. I found this forest, and well, it all becomes hazy after that." ​

( I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD ; YOU CAN BURY ME )

 

[Sparkwing]

Sparkkit had been nearby, doing Sparkkit things. You know, like judging bugs for looking weird. He heard the NPC speak, and his fur fluffed up at the tone. Was someone being mean to his favorite aunt? No way. He continued to listen and frowned at the story Flamewhisker told. Why was everyone....Hurt? Why did everyone have something terrible happen to them? Was life....Really so cruel? He got to his feet and with no grace at all to his step, he rushed over.

"HEY!!! IF SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT THEN SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO!!!" He shouted at the NPCs. And then. At the top of his tiny lungs. He shouted, "ASSHOLE!!!"

Which caused Rabbitnose nearby to choke on his mouse. His head snapped in his direction in shock. He couldn't say anything, he swore too. But. He should scold him. For Sunfreckle.

But it's not like Sparkkit was WRONG....

He trotted over after he stopped choking on the mouse. He had overheard the story thankfully, so he wouldnt look like an idiot for not knowing whats going on. "S-sparkkit, you can't just shout bad words at the top of your lungs!"

"Sorry daaddd...." Sparkkit apologized, still fluffed up.

Rabbitnose smiled at him, then looked to Flamewhisker. "I'm....Sorry that happened to you, Flamewhisker." He started. "I too have experienced....Dogs." He waggled his tail. It used to be nice and bushy, now it ironically resembled a rabbits tail. "But I'm happy to have you here. You're an excellent warrior and a good friend. If you... Ever want to talk, I'm here for you."


​

 

[Flycatcher]

Flycatcher had been among the group of clanmates gathered with Flamewhisker discussing the new arrivals to the clan. After the little incident with Ariella, he was curious to know his other clanmates' thoughts on the matter, especially since Emberstar had permitted her to stay for now. They had all been talking amicably about things when one of the warriors asked Flamewhisker about her own past. Flycatcher blinks in surprise and narrowed his eyes at the warrior. Whilst he too had been curious about Flamewhisker's past and sudden arrival he would have let her tell him on her own terms, not have the truth pried out of her from a nosy clanmate.

Flamewhisker did start to tell her story and Flycatcher falls silent, his eyes focused on her as she shares her past. His heart aches for her when she concludes her story. The loss of a parent was never easy, he knew that first-hand, but the implication of how her mother had died was painful to think about even for him, he didn't dare think of how it would have hurt her. "I'm sorry you had to go through that Flamewhisker," Flycatcher mewed, echoing Rabbitnose's sentiments. "But I'm glad you're here with us now. It feels like you were meant to be here." The lead warrior ducked his head away shyly after saying that. "And if you ever want to talk about things you know I'm always here for you." ​

 

[JAYWISH]

All of the words around him are starting to slur together for Jaypaw, the lull of sleep beginning to take him when suddenly he hears the conversation turn to his mentor. The apprentice blinks away his sleep and swivels his ears at full attention at first with optimism but with the way Flame looks, his face is quick to fall. Unlike Sparkkit shortly after, he only thinks to give them a piece of his mind. Though his chest puffs with the want to do it, he doesn't have the moxie to stand up to a bunch of warriors like that. He only listens and despite the unfavorable circumstances, he's secretly excited to hear about his mentor's life. His mind temporarily edits out that expression and instead expects some swashbuckling, bombastic tale leading up to her life as a warrior only to hear she wasn't born a clan cat either. Regardless she's better suited than a kittypet like him but similarly to the orange splotched youth, her father is an enigma. At least she knows that he certainly existed.

As she opens up about her sibling's kidnapping, he wants to assure her that maybe they're all okay. Twolegs, in his experience, are nice and maybe they're all living happily as kittypets like his mom did. He knows she probably misses them but he's trying to be hopeful. Wide-eyed hopes with accidental insensitivity. There's admiration for Flamewhisker's stepping up to take care of her mom and he's expecting at any moment for her to mention that she still lives nearby or is even in Thunderclan itself. If Flame worked really hard to keep them both afloat and became a really good hunter for it, she must have succeeded right. She should be rewarded for working hard. He's not expecting the next part to hit him like a brick. Jay's eyes bloom like the moon and he feels his breath stick to his throat. At first it felt comforting to have a thing or two in common with his mentor but now it's too real.

Dogs took both their mothers and so he knows that pain too well, how raw and festering it feels, but he's too afraid to tell the whole truth himself. But Flamewhisker is bearing it openly. How she was chewed up and spit out by unforgiving nature but safe by her mom's sacrifice. To disgusting dogs. This type of sympathy in understanding is new to Jay and he feels absolutely gutted for her. His vision starts to blur and his first instinct is to flee but he can't will his paws to move. Condolences of his clanmates blur through his mind as the tale closes, even Sparkkit's loud defiance with a cherry on top. Somehow, he swallows hard enough to keep his face dry. "I'm sorry, Flame... Your mom really loved you." He's sure she knows that but he wants her to extra know that, even though his voice is as wobbly as a newborn.​

[ I'M THE HERO THAT SAVES ME ]​

 

[Flamewhisker]

( ★ ) Moments after the last words left her mouth, she hardly had any time to think before Sparkkit rushed over to the group. What he said however, there was no way Flamewhisker could have predicted what would escape the little tom's mouth. She felt her eyes widen in alarm, and she opened her jaws to speak, but what could she say? An accidental chuckle slipped from her maw, but how could she not chuckle? Calling a clanmate an asshole was not okay, but hearing that come from a kit...Thankfully she didn't have to say anything, because soon Rabbitnose joined them.

The NPC who had initially asked Flamewhisker about her past let out a disbelieving huff at Sparkkit's outburst. The tom's fur bristled, but he knew better than to respond. Instead, he would stalk away, flicking his tail irritatedly.

Flamewhisker watched the tom leave, then she would get up and pad over to Sparkkit, touching her nose to his forehead. "You can't call your clanmates bad words...but I appreciate you sticking up for me. Don't let me catch you saying that again though!" she said warmly before padding over to sit beside Flycatcher.

Rabbitnose and Flycatcher both apologize, and she feels her fur prickling embarrassedly. "Thank you Rabbitnose" her gaze shifts to his tail as he wagged it, wincing as she imagined what the dogs had done to it. The slobbering fiends had taken something from both of them. At Flycatcher's words, her cheeks grew warm, and she pressed against his pelt for a few moments. "It feels like I was supposed to be here too...thank you." She then licked her chest fur a few times in embarrassment.

The last to speak was her own apprentice, and the wobbliness of his voice caused her own throat to swell. She stood up, padding over to in front of Jaypaw, and she would touch his forehead with her nose. "I'm alright, I promise. It actually feels better getting this off my chest." It was a lie, but she said it confidently enough to possibly persuade herself that's how she felt. Telling the story had only reopened a healing wound, but she was determined to stay strong. Her mother was gone, and there was nothing she could do to change it. ​

( I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD ; YOU CAN BURY ME )