camp heaven and earth -- stargazing

[Orangestar]

Orangeblossom can't sleep. She's lost track of how long she'd been lying in her nest with her eyes closed, trying to ease herself into sleep and get the night over with - all she knows is it doesn't work, and, an indeterminate amount of time later, she rises to her paws carefully and exits the den. Sorrel is, hopefully, asleep; and Dizzymoth too, though there's a non zero chance her companion in the nursery would wake to see what was going on.

In the greater camp it's quieter than her mind, even if one of her Clanmates in the warriors den is snoring again and the incessant song of crickets and cicadas herald the beginning of the warmer seasons. Orangeblossom doesn't hop up on top of the sunning stump, but instead lowers herself to lean against it, chin pointed towards the sky to catch a glimpse of glimmering stars between the branches. It's harder now than it had been three moons ago, the gaps filled further by newly unfurled leaves, but that makes the eyes of StarClan ever more rewarding.

The last time she'd taken a moment like this, turned her attention skyward in an attempt to ease her racing mind, Ashenclaw had been with her. Before the debacle of his confession, before he'd been taken, before she'd found out she was expecting his kits. It felt so long ago, and yet ... StarClan, it was probably only a couple of moons.

As if on cue, a flash of light streaks across the sky between branches and Orangeblossom hums, half asleep but cognisant enough to recognise the shooting star. The third one she's seen. Maybe the blessing of this one would be their missing Clanmates coming home.

— info

•  
• 
  orangeblossom. tags.
  — she/her, skyclan deputy.
  — mentor to eveningpaw.
  — attack in #e08550. uses trees as an integral part of her fighting style.
  — mean enough to note that her thoughts don't reflect my opinions as a writer haha.
  — penned by mercibun; @ me in any official tabbytales discord for plots. :]
  — art by merc!<3
  

​

 

[flowercloud.]

Flowercloud should've been asleep, but the thoughts of Crowmask filled her mind. She shook her head. One would've thought after five months her heart wouldn't feel so barren and would have accepted that Crowmask was far away from her. Even though he was just a few nests from her, sleeping soundly. The rise and fall of his chest, showing he was sleeping soundly.

so why couldn't she?

She shook her amber head, and sniffles her black nose quietly, before leaving the den to have her own peace of mind for just a moment. However, instead she bottled it up again, seeing the deputy slumped against the trump.

She would approach, her eyes curious and following the mollies gaze into the beautiful night sky, spotted with those that skyclan calls starclan warriors.

"It's late, darling," she said softly, keeping space between OrangeBlossom and herself as not to crowd the expecting female. "But the night sky is such a beautiful sight, is it not?" she asked, settling down on her elbows, weary from the long day.

"Or is there more out here than just the night sky?" She wasn't going to push it if the deputy didn't wish to speak her mind to Flower, but she wanted to let the other molly know that Flower would listen if needed.

 

[Fireflyglow]

He wished he could see the sparkle of the stars above, but he is useless in these moments- when he wanders from the medicine den, face caked with herbs and cobwebs. Flowercloud speaks to Orangeblossom, says it's late outside- it must be, because the wind has settled down a little bit more. There was no warmth radiating off of the grass, meaning the sun was far away from them now. Fireflypaw makes his way over to the two mollies, unsure if his presence would be welcomed. Nonetheless, he soon takes his seat atop the stone the Deputy laid against, a low purr rumbling in his chest. If only for now, he could listen to the gathering group talk about the stars- he could imagine everything then.

"Is it pretty tonight?" Fireflypaw asks curiously, head swiveling upwards to face the stars. ​

 

[MALLOWLARK]

Mallowlark did not sit near them, silver eyes set to the expanse above. The flashes of falling stars had snagged his attention before he had retired to his shared nest for the night, and his neck had been craned and eyes stained watchful ever since. The chill of night did not bother him as it crept under his fur, though he did wish for another warmth than that of his blood. Knowing he was nearby, at least... that was soothing. Though he did not want to wake him, just to see the stars... the stars that had stretched above them for many a night, yet had never faltered from their beauty.

Pine-scent painted his pelt now, moorland heather drowned. Soon it would be banished, and yet... the sky never changed. The skeletons still slept, and their souls waltzed through the air, ribbon streaks.

Fireflypaw's question, whispered- it made its way to keen ears, and from there he sat Mallowlark hummed a confirmation, though his attention did not split from the sky. Not even the split-second blankness of a blink obscured his ceaseless stare. "Very pretty. The stars are falling, again..." Giddy, his voice tippled a little over a whisper like jostled water. By some miracle, he kept a cover on his glee. "Does it hurt them when they land...?"

Simple, idle wandering... was their blood silver when their bodies burst at the impact?​

☺PENNED BY PIN​

 

[sparrowsong!]

..╭―――――――――――――――|➹|―――――――――――――――╮

.

The apprentices' den had gotten much lonelier ever since Blazestar named many of them as warriors. It bothered them, more than they would say aloud, but they kept their tongue between their teeth. They weren't truly alone, not nearly; the sound of even breathing reached their ears even as they laid in the dark.

Yet it was still quieter, an anxiety settling into their heart that seemed keen on preventing their sleep on this night. It was irrational, but the small voice informing them of such was far too quiet, and they clambered to paws that were swift to exit the den. What were they to do, then? They couldn't go to the warrior's den, and they didn't want to disturb Fireflypaw or Dawnglare's sleep.

Gray eyes flitted across the clearing, and lowered ears perked at the sight of the small cluster of cats. Among them they could make out the familiar pointed pelt of their friend, anxieties already dimming to a murmur as they trotted over in time to hear the tail end of Mallowlark's comment. Sure enough, as they lifted their chin to the sky, a light streaked across the sky.

Sparrowpaw lightly bumped Fireflypaw's shoulder with their snout in greeting and settled down beside them. "Falling stars?" they murmured. "Are they cats of StarClan returning home?"​

.

..╰―――――――――――――――|➹|―――――――――――――――╯

 

[ThistleBack]

There wasn’t quite so restless a monster as an overworked beast in a nest of moss and somehow- broken twigs. His patrolling without grooming had paid him in sticks prodding his side as he gives low effort to kick them out or pluck them with tired jaws. Enough was enough, in a fit of brief and quiet rage he snatches the entire nest and chucks it mightily and it bursts from the warrior’s den. In the debris of the floating moss and dust, emerges the tired creature with eyes of steel.

mutterings of the stars fill a cricket song silence, Orangeblossom and a few others- Mallowlark earning a particularly agitated glance but Thistleback is too distracted by the ache in his shoulders and ribs. Muscles tense and twitching in their revolt. He moves forward to settle among them, as he waits for the energy to build a new nest if not sleep outside on the dirt. It mattered little where the hound lie. " who’s to say they fall? Perhaps they fly " he counters the Windclanner with a harsh rasp.

" perhaps that’s the biggest secret we learn when we die " he offers, laying his chin on his knuckles. " I have far more questions beyond the limits of this sky than I do on the dirt. I’ve learned all I need to know about this place " he cherishes the sound of the night.

​

OOC INFO REF

• —
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  Thirty-seven moons EVENT TRACKER | IMPORTANT INFO
  — Lead warrior of Skyclan since 12.22.22
  — Devoted to Deersong 9.29.22 | polyamorous
  — Father of Coyotepaw, Pricklepaw, and Eveningpaw.
  — mentoring Snowpaw graduate(s) Quillstrike
  — very muscular piebald black and white tom with spiky fur and cold silver-grey eyes.
  — voice & accent
  — biography･ﾟ✧​
  OPEN for Dice battles | stine#3004
  
• 
  
  

​

 

[SILVERSMOKE]

The tomcat was silent as the rest of his clan talked among themselves, his fur lying slightly bristled against the cold of the night and his attention cast to the thinly concealed night sky. For a while, it was like he wasn't there at all, a ghost amidst his own clanmates, a weight to his presence but invisible all the same. The days were long when they were spent babysitting those left over from the Twoleg's wrath, the dens emptier as he always seemed to feel a chill on his spine whenever he tried to sleep. It was a sad state, and the spotted tabby was content to be a listener rather than a contributor as the discussion shifted to the stars. His faith was present, it guided his morality and left him feeling bitter in the presence of an ex-WindClanner, yet, it was also weak. With no reciprocation to his prayers, they'd begun to feel lacking in the eyes of the Lead Warrior. He had no answers for Sparrowpaw or rebuttals to Thistleback, and the empty void of knowledge was a nagging one. In a moment of weakness, he moved closer to the gathered group, intensely wishing that Auburnflame was among them.

Without the presence of the calico, his only comfort was that his clanmates were as clueless as him. "It could be StarClanners who break the rules or weren't supposed to be there in the first place," he proposed cynically, his tail slapping against the ground he lay on. "It doesn't help to speculate. Unanswerable questions cause more harm than good, throw enough of them on your spine and see how quickly it cracks. If Dawnglare can't tell us why the stars fall, then we'll never know until we join its pelt ourselves." He thought back to his conversation on ThunderClan's border and curled his paws closer to himself in a tight loaf. Those among them (aside from Mallowlark) were likely to live among the stars one day, but what about the Daylight Warriors? He'd defended their right to exist in the eyes of the code but it was hard to deny that they weren't true clan cats - what would happen to anyone like that? Bicoloured eyes creased shut. Unanswerable questions. He cursed how easy it was to fall victim to the same thinking he'd scorned others for. "But I suppose wishing on them wouldn't hurt." I wish we can find a way to get our clanmates back.

​