private Let us be brave ♔ Glimmerpaw

[Tawnyclaw]

*+:｡.｡ Ever since Ashenclaw's death the family had felt...different. Orchidpaw couldn't name it but he could feel it like he could taste an ominous scent in the air. The more he tried to follow the trail, the more he was becoming convinced that this reek of storms and ozone ran deeper than just their father's passing and that...that scared him. Because how do you dress a wound, let alone address it when it's been festering beneath the surface for who knows how long! But...more terrifying than that...was it all just Orchidpaw who felt this way? Was he the only one who felt out of sorts? Out of place?

Perhaps that's why he gravitated towards Glimmerpaw today, approaching his sibling with a mouthful of flowers and an invitation for an intimate but bittersweet sibling day. Orchidpaw hadn't been able to visit Ashenclaw's grave since he'd been placed within it. Perhaps if he avoided it, it wouldn't feel so permanent. However, there was no avoiding the fact settling like the stubborn growth of invasive weeds when his dad's presence in camp faded more and more...and more. Orchidpaw shivered as he recalled Ashenclaw's nest being taken apart by apprentices and left in the discarded moss pile with all the other used-up beds - and even then the scent of him had begun to fade...

He sighed, shaking the troubling thought away as best he could before looking sideways at Glimmerpaw as the siblings walked to the gravesite together. "How're you holding up?" he asked them, voice muffled through the blossoms still in his maw. He couldn't imagine it was any easier for them. After the reactions he'd heard they gave during Edenpaw's confession to Cherrypaw, Orchidpaw felt that there was more troubling his sibling than just the passing of their parent. He reaches out with his tail to rest it on his sibling's back, turning his gaze to the gravesite as they came upon in. With a shaky breath, he admitted, "I'm doing shit"

@Glimmerpaw

*+:｡.｡ Updated 3/15/24

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  GENERAL:
  ♔ Orchidpaw
  ♔ DFAB— He/Him — Unsure
  ♔ 11 moons — Ages 1 moon every month 28th
  ♔ Skyclan — Apprentice
  ♔ Son of Orangeblossom and Ashenclaw
  ♔ Brother to Cherrypaw, Eggpaw, Glimmerpaw
  
  
  
  COMBAT:
  ♔Physically medium | mentally medium
  ♔ Attack in bold #bf8924
  injuries: None currently

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[Glimmersun]

How did Glimmerpaw react to the death of their father…it was a mixed bag. They actively went out of their way to avoid being around either parent too much, so it’s not like they could say they were close to Ashenclaw. Even so, it’s not like they expected him to so suddenly drop dead. They didn’t say much when it happened, too paralyzed, and seeing Edenpaw go to comfort Cherrypaw first just made it even worse for them. It’s sad how much they let their sister affect them, huh? Though it’s not like they ever say their true feelings out loud.

The last thing they expected was one of their brothers to approach them, about it all. Glimmerpaw was the last one to give a straightforward answer about what’s plaguing them, so why? But they understand, to an extent. Cherrypaw and Owlpaw still managed to get around despite it all, while they’ve been sulking by themself. Maybe it’s pity, maybe it’s understanding. Either way, they don’t turn Orchidpaw’s words down politely like they might if it were anyone else.

As they approach the grave, they’re asked how they’re feeling about all this. Even with time, it’s still hard to explain. Sad, yes, but also ambivalent. Other things are way more stressful, so it’s not like there’s room to think about it too hard. They only feel the need to pipe up after Orchidpaw swishes his tail against their back, and they give the tiniest of smiles at his admission. “I’m…not great either,” Glimmerpaw admits. “This was just another thing to get me upset, on top of all the others. It’s almost like it never ends.” Their words are bitter, but they ring true.

Their eyes turn back to the grave, in silent contemplation. ”I’m sorry…you’re not doing well either. I don’t think Ashen- that dad would have wanted this.”​