camp I'LL BE BETTER ON SATURN ;; mottledove's vigil

[Fireflyglow]

// Dated to before the May meeting!

Fireflypaw carries a stem of lavender from the medicine den solemnly, eyes closed and wispy tail waving behind him to clear his clanmates from his path. In this moment, he has taken the high priest's place, but this was just temporary. Rubbing the flowers over Mottledove's body to leave behind the scent, he finally settles the flower on top of her body so she may rest in the middle of camp. She is long gone now, StarClan having claimed her and Mother taking her body home soon. She would return to the ground, where all creatures started.

"Mottledove was a wonderful mother, a sister to many of us, and loved by all. May we all join together to grieve her death, and celebrate her life together."

His voice is deep, yet rang with a sympathy for his clanmates whom still lived and walked this earth. The loss would never stop, life was an ever-turning circle that repeated, and repeated, and repeated- and would never stop until time itself paused. He steps back to let his clanmates say goodbye to Mottledove once more, head bowed in respect to the molly.​

SKYCLAN MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE ✦ 21 MOONS ✦ CHUNKY, BIG-FOOTED SEAL POINT ✦ TAGS​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

Figfeather makes the cautious first move to share-tongues one final time with Mottledove. The she-cats fur was carefully groomed and lavender sprinkled her pelt. It's calming scent is taken in with a deep inhale. Sitting down she leans over to push her nose into the queen's fur, breathing in her warm and comforting scent one last time. They had run into each other lots over the past six moons, first with Butterflytuft kitting and then when visiting Figfeather's own while they played in the nursery.

"It's cruel the next generation of kits will never feel the warmth of your presence in the nursery." She whispers to the queen, hoping that she may hear from StarClan. "You'll be missed by us all." Rising up onto her paws, she moves out of the way so that the next cat may visit with the queen.

♡ INFO BATTLE

• 
  » Figfeather
  » SkyClan Warrior
  » She/her . AMAB
  » Mate to Fantastream
  » Sire to Sangriakit & Coffeekit
  » Mentoring Wolfpaw
  » A red tabby she-cat with a mangled leg.
  » ”Speech”․ thoughts ․ attack
  
• 
  » A foe in battle whose ability to strategize can shift tides.
  » Excels in strategizing and pre-planning her battles.
  » Fights defensively and to aid her clan to victory.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

​

 

[POLLENCLAW.]

SO WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS? — It was actually sort of incredible, how quickly things could change.

For the last moon, Pollenpaw had been so happy. Skipping through each day with renewed enthusiasm, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as every step forward brought her closer to the meeting where Orangestar would give her her warrior name. Yet now, she found that she couldn't summon up any of that happiness. Couldn't even force a ghost of a smile onto her muzzle, each movement so slow and heavy that the apprentice felt like she would collapse under the weight of her own grief. A heartache that felt sickeningly intense, regardless of the fact that she found she couldn't believe any of this was even real yet. She couldn't accept that Mottledove had been snatched away from her and her siblings so suddenly, there one moment and gone the next.

Especially when she hadn't even been around to see what had happened. Instead she had been forced into the shock of her entire existence, greeted by the limp body of her mother and the horrified, grief-stricken face of Pipitpaw as she had come into camp.

Since then it had felt like she was merely drifting listlessly through life, actions automatic. Up until now. The scent of lavender hit her and she could hold in the pain no longer, a horrible sob wrenching itself up from her chest as she approached Mottledove's body. The voices of Fireflypaw and Figfeather hardly registered, overpowered by the roaring static in her mind as she hunched over the cold, limp form of her mother. Each breath brought with it another horrible round of weeping, her tears pouring forth to stain her fallen mother's pelt. "Mama, please... please. This isn't fair. You were supposed to see us become warriors. You were supposed to... why?" Each word was strangled and full of pain, hardly the kind of put together and warm eulogy that she had imagined herself one day giving.

Then again, she had always thought she would only be giving such a thing moons from now. When her mother had lived even more of a full, rich life. Not when a horrid beast decided to come and tear them all apart.

THIS STRAY ITALIAN GREYHOUND : ̗̀➛ THESE INCONVENIENT FIREWORKS

• ➽ shorthaired cream tabby with low white and green eyes flecked with brown
  ➽ 12 moons old; ages the 25th every month
  ➽ lesbian; currently not looking but open to crushes
  ➽ daughter of mottledove and beetleback
  ➽ littermate to aspenpaw and pipitpaw
  ➽ currently being mentored by twitchbolt
  ➽ easy to befriend and laidback; quick to childish anger
  ➽ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ➽ peaceful powerplay allowed

​

 

[BEETLEBACK]

Did he deserve to pay respects? He had been watching Fireflypaw prepare the Mottledove's body. Watching the medicine cat cover his former mate in flowers, rubbing them against her lifeless body. It was strange. He couldn't muster even a tear for her, but there was an ache in his heart. As if he had been walking in a snow storm. This makes no sense. We stopped being mates a long time ago. Then, he watches as his daughter approaches their mother, following along Figfeather. The last conversation he had with Mottledove sears his brain.

It was the first time she said their kits. How she wouldn't intrude any longer. How he could be close to their children, and her desire for both of them to cheer for their children becoming warriors. A desire that could never become true anymore. I wonder what you're thinking now up in the stars. He remains seated a good distance away, watching his daughter trembles breaking into sobs for her mother. He's unsure of what to do. It would be disrespectful, wouldn't it? After all, he left her, left their children, and it was no secret they avoided each other.

However, he finds himself padded over behind his daughter. I hope you can forgive this Mottledove. You probably don't want me anywhere near you, but our daughter needs me right now. A blue paw slowly and gently settles on her back. "Your mother loved you, Pollenpaw. All of you. Each and everyone one of you. And she will always be watching you. She'll be watching from Starclan, I'm sure of it." He rubs his paw in soothing circular motions for their wailing child. "We spoke Pollenpaw. We wanted to see all of you become warriors and cheer, together. She'll be watching you. Never forget that your mother loved all of you with all her heart."

 

[Orangestar]

For a moment, Orangestar rests her nose against the queen's cheek. Throat cleaned of blood as best it can be and fox-reek hidden by the lavender, she almost looks like she's asleep; but the shroud of mourning that hangs over SkyClan's camp says otherwise. Another fox, this time closer to Twolegplace than ThunderClan, haunts SkyClan. Had it been one of the ones they'd fought already? A different fox entirely?

It's sobering for Orangestar, who had so recently faced something similar and come back. Mottledove would never get that chance. She can't tear her eyes from the she-cat's throat, mind swirling with ambivalent possibility.

You should say a few words, meows a voice in her head that sounds suspiciously akin to Blazestar. You're leader now.

"Mottledove was ..." she trails off, eyes searching the air for a sign on what to say. Anything she said now would ring hollow to her kin, but she has to say something. "A brave, loved SkyClanner, who was stolen from us too soon. May StarClan welcome her into their ranks so that we can see her again someday."

Torn ear twitches, swivels to listen to the conversation unfold between Mottledove's daughter and the sire of their litter. It's been so long now since Beetleback joined that she'd almost forgotten the drama that had unfolded around the circumstances. Orangestar spares him a glance. They've both found themselves in the same situation, haven't they? The second parent of their kits gone, just heartbeats before their offspring's ceremonies.​

 

[Howlfire]

Howlfire could not claim to have been particularly close with Mottledove, but she has memories of the queen in the nursery with her. Sharing tongues, sharing stories, doing their best to manage under the circumstances of the great sickness that had plagued the clans.

Mottledove has been cleaned and groomed well, looking as though she were peacefully asleep, rather than drawing attention to the grim manner in which her life had been snuffed out. Howlfire steps forward to press her nose against the queen's flank, closing her eyes as she takes a breath. When she steps away, she bows her head solemnly. "Rest easy, Mottledove," She mewed softly. "I hope you find warmth and peace in StarClan."​

 

[COMETPAW]

This is the first time that Cometpaw has witnessed a cold, lifeless husk of a cat with his bare eyes. It's... eye-opening, and a reminder of how fragile life really was. Clan cats did not have it easy out in the wild where they were easily picked off by predators. Orangestar had lost a life to a fox as well and it had injured several other warriors. He twitches the tip of his tail perhaps a bit nervously; he'd better not head home alone tonight.

He glances toward the grieving apprentice, Pollenpaw, nearly a warrior herself though never to meet her mother's warm embrace and pride ever again. A sympathetic sorrow dulls his stare, ears folding against his head. Poor Pollenpaw. Beetleback was consoling her; it just now occurred to him that the warrior and Mottledove must have been mates... at least at one point. That was too bad. Beetleback and his children didn't deserve to have a family member stripped away from them. A sad pang swells in Cometpaw's chest as he tries to envision the feeling of losing his own mother; he couldn't imagine what it would be like, knowing that he'd never touch noses with her again.

The lilac tabby tom hangs back while the other SkyClanners step forth to pay their respects. He isn't sure if he should... he was not close to the fallen she-cat. Plus, it is jarring enough for Cometpaw to view Mottledove's body; he doesn't know if he can bring himself to approach it. For now, he offers a silent parting sentiment — Rest peacefully.

₊ ⋆ * ⊹ ₊ ☾ —— 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐲

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  ₊ ⋆ * ⊹ ₊ ☾

  comet
  
  

  — he/him; daylight apprentice
  — shorthaired lilac tabby with green eyes and low white; wears a gray collar and usually a sweater
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — link to full tags; @ on discord or dm @beaaats for plots!​

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