pafp LIGHTNING STRIKES // thunderstorm

[VULTUREMASK]

A thunderstorm, again. How many more of those would they have before starclan was satisfied?. Vulturemask couldn't remember that thunderstorms had come these often, too young to perhaps remember any of it. Vulturemask would listen from his nest as the storm raged on from outside, listening to the thunder and watching the lightning as it briefly lit up the sky. He was not afraid of finding himself safe in here. He hated that he couldn't go outside though but with his clanmates hovering in the big tunnel together it gave alot of space to himself in the medicine cat den. He liked it that way. However, just when he had closed his eyes to take another nap the medicine cat heard rushing pawsteps entering his den along with the sound of dripping. Vulturemask opened his eyes again only to find one of his clanmates at the other corner. It was too dark for him to see who it was from here and the stank of rain made it difficult for him to detect their personal scent.

Half a mind he had to just ignore it but he could smell fear on them. Alot of things he was but not heartless. Vulturemask would force himself to stand so he could approch cautiously whoever had ended up in his den. " It's just a thunderstorm no need to be..." he cut himself off, eyes going briefly wide as a lightning strike down to lit up the sky again and when it did that light entered his den as well to show the face on who exactly had ended up in his den. Sootstar. Well...this was a sight he had not been expecting. Never had he thought the leader out of all cats would pick his den to hide in.

// prompt - thunderstorm
@SOOTSTAR


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[SOOTSTAR]

SOOTSTAR ♀​

A price would one day have to be paid for her defiance towards StarClan. Everytime it stormed, Sootstar swore a reckoning was upon her. Rain clings heavy to her pelt, a jagged-edged claw splits and lights up the sky, illuminating her fur and brightening her petrified facial features. The blue feline cannot compose herself, with tail bristling and positioned low in a submissive manner she crawls into the medicine cats den. Her belly fur brushes against the earth as she spins around and gazes upwards, paranoid eyes watching the ongoing storm, wondering if this time StarClan would lash out and hit. Were not afraid of rain, though, are we? Her daughter's question comes to mind. Cats like me should be, should have been her reply. In anticipation of StarClan's judgement she hardly notices Vulturemask's presence, his dark eyes boring into her pelt. Hackles bristle as another loud BOOM shakes the earth.

 

[Petalpaw ★]

Petalpaw has been quiet since being made an apprentice, but he's always been quiet so perhaps it was hard to tell; but he had let his presence be a ghost on the edge of visions, a lilac figure just barely out of sight. He was afraid. He'd always been afraid of this day, the day he would be pulled from the nursery and set out into the world with only a mentor to guide him. No longer would his failings and struggles be viewed as kitten whim and growth, but instead with a more critical eye as the clan pushed to have each of its cats carry their own weight and show no weakness. WindClan was strong. He was not.
He had spent most of the time in the tunnels with Lambcurl, but never too deep in he could not still see the entrance, his small form let him maneuver easier but there was an ominous feeling that filled him at being beneath the earth; buried like a body. Like his mother, like his father...
The tunnels reminded him of mass graves, he couldn't shake it from his mind but he was meant to explore them all the same. Too small to be a moor runner, too timid to be much use on patrols and otherwise. He hunted in holes, he secured in holes, he explored in holes.
Holes. So many holes. Like his heart, they riddled through everything and left him aching for something with which to fill them; he had not felt so lost since the sickness outbreak, he had not felt so alone.
A crash overhead pulled him from his morose musings, his eyes wide and blue opening and his pupil a pinprick of alarm. Petalpaw panicked and shot for the nearest safety, the closest cover he could find that was not a tunnel; lilac paws carried him forward and propelled him directly into Sootstar's side where he frantically pushed himself until he could cower behind the ashen leader without much thought.
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[SUNFLOWERMASK]

.°☀ AND IF IT EVER STARTS TO FEEL BAD, LITTLE FANG

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There's been far too many thunderstorms lately for Sunflowerpaw's liking. The price of the blooming flowers maybe, snow traded out for roaring rain, cold swapped for water and sounds just as harsh and unrelenting. Never a fan of loud noises, the apprentice always finds themself running for cover at the first sound of thunder. They're in camp this time, luckily.

So Sunflowerpaw heads to the den they feel most comfortable in, now that the nursery's grown too small: the medicine den. Vulturemask will be there, and he's always ready to protect them. Should whatever roars among the clouds come hunting on the moors, they'd feel safer by his side. They're surprised to find themself not alone in the den, greeted by the sight of -- Sootstar? The leader's wide and fearful eyes are illuminated by flashing thunder, her pelt clearly bushed out. Oh, is she... scared of thunder too?

It seems uncharacteristic, for such a powerful cat. They blink a bit in surprise. Before they can think more on it, though, they catch sight of a smaller form tucked behind her own. Petalpaw: a face that's been more and more scarce these days, always tucked away in some tunnel or another. He cowers now, behind the leader, radiating pure fear in comparison to her paranoid hostility.

Sunflowerpaw skirts around Sootstar, creeps over to Petalpaw's side. They settle beside him, just barely brushing his flank. Their ears still lay flat against their head, tail still lashing, but at least they -- and Petalpaw -- aren't scared alone.

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IT'S EASY TO EXPLAIN 'CAUSE THIS WORLD'S NOT TAME .°☀

⟪ OOC ⟫ ⟪ INFO ⟫ ⟪ REF ⟫

• //​
• SUNFLOWERPAW named by their half-brother vulturemask after his friend and mentor.
  — they/them, 5 moons.
  — windclan apprentice, mentored by wolfsong.
  — reserved yet loyal, distrusts most.
  — mild limp.
  
  primary character, high activity. penned by saturnid.​
• 

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[VULTUREMASK]

Vulturemask stared long enough at his leader for Petalpaw to come rushing into the den without the medicine cat even noticing them. Not until they already had covered themselves behind Sootstar herself. Oh he rememberd that lil brat who had have the nerve to attack and bite one of his paws when he had been saving Moorpaw from choking to death for eating a worm. Twice he had saved their queens kits now. Vulturemask would just narrow his orbs at Petalpaw over that memory. His paw had been sour for days after that.

Sunflowerpaw would be next to follow and them appearing into his den in a time like this was not unexpected. They always seemed to be seeking out his den whenever something was wrong. The fact how attached their sibling actually was to them had never crossed the medicine cats mind. Vulturemask was oblivious to how importand he actually was to his siblings lives. Their sibling would take cover behind Sootstars too right beside Petalpaw which was something he only could internally protest against. Vulturemask did not wish for Sunflowerpaw to be anywhere near a biting parasite like that brat.

Back to Sootstar who was still laying there trembling. Like this she looked nothing like the leader he saw every single day. If anything she looked like a fragile vulnerable kit. He was quite sure he should feel some sort of glee over to see her like this right now to feel satisfied to see her suffering for once. After everything she had put him through he shouldn't feel anything but bitterness towards her. He should take moments like this and enjoy them to get to see their leader in a such disgraceful state. He should be laughting at her right now. But, for some reason he didn't enjoy it like he thought he would. It was easy to forget when feeling mistreated and angry but the memories would still remain there. He could remember the times when Sootstar had stood up for him or done him the biggest favor of them all by allowing his siblings to stay and get raised in this clan. Although he believed by saving two of her kits lives and her own mate should have made up for that by now he still couldn't completely ignore them.

Maybe he was nothing but a fool. Because what he decided to do in this situation was something he would regret later. It would haunt him in his sleep for sure. Vulturemask lay himself down beside his leader, not close for their fur to touch one another but close enough that Sootstar could touch him if she really wanted too. Awkwardly his head was turned away to not look at her. This was the best comfort he could give her coming from someone who didn't even like to be close to others.


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