Living on a prayer -- joining

[Sorrelsong]

　

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What a cruel thing... love...
It was what created her. It was what created her siblings. It was echoed in each and every beat of her heart. It was what left her here, her clay body broken by the world's never ending furance. Bones hollow, smile hollow, eyes hollow. It was no wonder she imploded.
A gust washed over her. Cold, bitter. She drank it in with a resigned sigh. At least she would die outside.
Her siblings and her - she could still hear them now, all these moons later - used to wonder what kind of life lay beyond their two leg's walls. What adventures. What wonders. She'd made up stories for them, and soon they became mroe then stories. To everyone. They became hope. Those words had leaked out of her just as easily. With each syllabul, the words their parents hurled fell further and further behind. With each warm story of heros and escape artists, their bellies became a little bit fuller. Some days their parents were just gone. Those days, the world beyond their walls comforted them. After all, being a ghost was a good thing there.
Bugs sang Circe a lullaby. She bobed to it's tune. Did they know? Her siblings. Did they know what became of her after she was taken.
It wasn't an unexpected kidnapping. Their parents had told them new twolegs would come and give them new homes. She had always looked forward to that day. Maybe her sibling's new twolegs would give them water with the food. But no. Her two legs loved her so much that there was not room for her siblings. Of course, she knew why they loved her. It was the same reason Father treated her better. She was -had been - pretty.
She was taken to competitions. Housed with other pretty cats. Rich coats and full eyes. The sharper the ears, the more food they got. The longer the whiskers the more water they were presented with. Circe tired. She won some, not as many as she lost, but she needed to be prettier.
She preened and meowed and loved her way to the top. Never making any friends. No one was enough like her siblings for her to really try. But she did talk to them. They were fine. She listened to their wisdom. Clean every day. Clean your paws often. Clean your tail less so. The less fur you have on your face the better. Clean, clean, clean. She loved the attention. It wasn't long before she fell madly in love with it. The mere thought made her shiver. She was so young. She still was. Her heart raced at the memory of the camera lense. Her ears pined back at the slamming of a car door. She looked over her shoulder, down the road. Heart hopeful, eyes sad. They meant to leave her, she knew. But she still hoped.
The sky was darker now. Colder. She would've gotten up if she had the ability. Her body had given up long ago. Her brain.... did she have one? She must've. At some point.
She'd gotten word - a whisper, but that was all she needed - that a cat looking to close to her brother was here. In a place called 'sky clan'. She glanced at the wide sky above her. How were cats in the sky? It sounded like one of her stories from kithood. This was her frist day outside the walls of two legs. Was she right? All these moons. Please tell her she was right.
"Youkai?" Despite the dryness in her mouth, her voice was it's practiced soft and sweet tone. It wabled useless in the wind. "Pollux... Castor...?" She glanced around. The ground beneath her smelled of cat and... and something else. She'd followed the instructions she overheard cats - a few that called themselves 'daylight warriors' or 'kittypet' - give. She was sure she'd memorized them correctly, but perhaps she should've asked the other cat directly? A cool wind buffed the molly in the face. She hissed, the bare skin of her muzzle stinging as she attempted to bat the wind away.
Monster. That's what she was. Maybe this was a mistake. This.. "Sky clan..?" she called, maybe a little louder this time. She couldn't tell. Her belly roared in the late night.
Her siblings and her used to make it a game. Who could go the longest without eating. Circe hadn't been meaning to win. She hadn't meant to compete. But after her fur started to fall...
Please let them be real.
"Sky Clan?"

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// ooc: no need to match muse or anything! I was tired and wanted to post with her so I went all out. This is also pre-dated to before Sky Clan left their territory!​

 

[TATTEREDLIGHT]

just because i carry it so well doesn't mean it's not heavy .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

It was one of those nights where nightmares plagued his sleep and his pelt crawled with imaginary bugs when he went over the warrior code, tapping claws idly into the worn-out dirt just beside the warrior’s den. He perked at the call for a night hunt patrol, figuring he’d better do something than sit about and stew in his past grievances, bouncing on three paws in anticipation.

With that, Lux followed the patrol when he heard the honey-dipped whisper. He blinked. Am I hearing things? Turning to the nearest warrior, Lux’s maw parted to ask when he heard it again, muscles stiffening. Another rogue? Oh, he hoped not. The cream-ticked tabby padded closer to the border, dipped in the familiar SkyClan scent that’d grown on him to see a she-cat. He blinked. Oh. Another one? He glanced at the others. Did they always get this many? No wonder they were so cautious.

Taking caution, the cream-ticked tabby inched closer. He remembered what Silversmoke asked, although Lux wasn’t an official member, he hoped he showed them he was learning. “I don’t recognize those names, but—” He blinked, gaze wrinkled. “This is SkyClan territory. What are you doing out here? It’s not safe.” He decided on, shifting awkwardly to give the other warriors the spotlight. ​

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thought speech​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

◇────────────【☆】★【☆】────────────◇​

XXXXXBlazestar pads at Lux’s side, his whiskers trembling as he prepares to give him some directive, when the white-splashed golden tabby’s attention is diverted. The Ragdoll’s gaze flicks to where Lux is drawn, to the border. A thin she-cat looks at their patrol with eyes swimming with some emotion like hope. Pollux, she says. Castor. The names are hauntingly familiar, but somehow Blazestar cannot place them—not immediately, anyway, though when she breathes, “Youkai,” the leader’s ears flick forward in surprise.

XXXXXLux tells the she-cat she’s strayed close to SkyClan territory, and Blazestar regards her wearily. “Those names you spoke…” She must know Duskpool, and that causes his hackles to lay flat. “Duskpool was once called Youkai,” he tells Lux. “The other two… who are you, and why do you seek SkyClan?”

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[Sorrelsong]

　

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Eyes. Circe hated them. They stared. She forgot how much she hated the staring.
She jumped at the cream tom's appearance. Had he come from the sky? She glanced behind him. Wings maybe? She frowned slightly at the lack of feathers on the tom.
"Sky Clan... territory? Wouldn't your home be the sky since -" Her eyes met his. He was... well it was easier to shift her gaze than stare. Hot shame rushed through her. Another cold wind shoved her frame. I do not suppose I am one to talk. She shifted her paws under her in a small attempt to hide her bare flesh. Her tail covered half her muzzle. She dipped her head and attempted to meet his eyes.
"Ah - I -uh, I'm so sorry, I will go. I was looking for my, um," The word 'brothers' danced outside her reach. Siblings. Littermates. Just the thought tore a hole through her. She needed to see them again. Her throat tightened with emotion she was far too familiar with.
"My apologies." If there is not safe, then where is it? Her stomach dropped at the thought. If the sky is not safe, what about the air?
"I will go now," She mewed breathily, attempting to use her words to hide the effort it took to stand. Still, she had her pride.
"Those names you spoke…" Large blue eyes snapped to the newcomer. How had he arrived so quickly without her noticing? Her chest felt tight. This one was similar to others she'd seen before. Competition cats. His eyes were different, kind almost, but she still didn't like the way they touched her bare coat. She shifted, attempting to show off more of her fur than flesh. Then... his name. His fate. At least one of them.
She glanced between the two. Her chest was still tight, but everything else was released. Her brother...
"He- Duskpool." Her eyes watered more than she'd allowed. "My, my brother." It felt like she'd coughed up a rib in exchange for those syllables. She'd do it again in a heartbeat.
"Castor and Pollux too. We got separated. I - I'm-" Her name sounded weak and wrong. Now more than ever. Her maw tightened, nose flared. "Circe. I want - well, I was hoping to see him. If that would be alright? I'd like to fly too if you could teach me. I can learn things fast, and - and," Oh, what else is she good at? Without her coat, she was useless. What did their life look like in the clouds? How was it different? Could she even be of use?
"I can scare kits?"
Rocking anxiously on her back paws, the molly tried to think of something - anything - that could help.

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// ooc:​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

◇────────────【☆】★【☆】────────────◇​

XXXXXThe loner is polite, hesitant—Blazestar takes a moment to examine her, the way she avoids eye contact, the chewed bits on her body. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she’d plucked away the fur in some spots herself, but it’s hard for him to tell, really. The Ragdoll’s gaze softens, and he allows himself a tiny snort of amusement at her inquisition. “I’d like to fly too if you could teach me.” He exhales. “Nice to meet you, Circe. I am Blazestar, SkyClan’s leader, and this is Lux, one of our warriors-in-training. We are a Clan of warriors, not birds! But we do have some cats who climb trees so well, it seems they have wings. Perhaps you could learn that.” He wraps his tail around his paws. “SkyClan lives in this forest with four other Clans. We compete for resources, but also we defend our borders from outside cats. Warriors are expected to follow a code of laws regarding loyalty… you will be expected to do all of this, and you will be expected to learn quickly, or you will be turned away.”

XXXXXAfter a few heartbeats, he dips his head. “But once, Duskpool, Shadowfire and Smokefang were like you, and they learned.” His eyes softens—he does not want to be the bearer of bad news, but… “Before you make your decision, you should know that Shadowfire and Smokefang—erm, Pollux and Castor—walk with StarClan. Duskpool still lives, but he is away, on a journey in the mountains.”

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[TATTEREDLIGHT]

just because i carry it so well doesn't mean it's not heavy .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

Laughing softly at Circe’s description of SkyClan, silly as it was, Lux couldn’t help but think the same when he had first been introduced to the name. He blinked, smiling sheepishly.

As Blazestar spoke, clearing up the confusion. The cream-ticked tabby hummed softly in tandem with the soft bob of his helm. Right. He figured Duskpool was on the journey. Long before Lux ever joined. It was the only thing that made sense, but the other two—Lux frowned, staring at Blazestar, masking his expression with one of curiosity.

It was the last statement, Circe proclaiming she could scare kits did it draw a muffled laugh. I can scare kits. Lux was an expert in that department, wasn’t it? He looks as if he jumped straight out of a horror film with creepy eyes and a bony figure.

At the sound of his name, Lux offered the stranger a wide-grin, odd-eyes downcast while offering a silent ‘hello’ by waving his tail. “You’ll like it here!” He chirped from behind Blazestar, having stumbled back a suitable length away, now leaning sideways to watch their surroundings, muscles twitching. “I’m still learning, but I can show you what I know!” He added, glancing at Blazestar as he said this. He was still learning, but he liked to think he was picking up everything quickly.

At the heavy statement, Lux smiled sadly. Oh. He suspected that the other two died, and it seemed Blazestar confirmed that. He glanced at the stranger, padding up to her with a soft smile, keeping eyes downcast, Lux would offer his shoulder to her. “If you accept, I can help you! Just lean on me a bit.” ​

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thought speech​

 

[Sorrelsong]

　

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"Warriors are expected to follow a code of laws regarding loyalty… you will be expected to do all of this, and you will be expected to learn quickly, or you will be turned away."
Circe staggered. Taken aback, her maw dropped in a little 'o' shape. They wanted her! Her. Like this. She could tell why her brothers came here. There was kindness and warmth. She nodded, almost involuntarily.
Loyalty is what brought her here. Her loyalty to her brothers. Her vow to find them again was echoed in this cat - Blazestar's- speech. It felt practiced, yes, but many cats probably want to join. She was just happy to be included.
To think, her! Circe in the trees like a bird! Her gaze flitted to the nearby tree line. Would she be able to climb that tree? Or perhaps that one? Energy seeped into her slowly. She could learn. She could be taught. She'd like to - even. It was hard without those two-legs giving her food, she had tried to hunt a mouse but it was meaner than she'd expected. When she finally caught it, another, more street-wise cat swooped down and took it from her claws. I can help cats like that! She smiled at the thought.
That warmth poured out of her in an instant. Her brow furrowed.
"Star... clan?" Her eyes snapped to the two toms in front of her. Was that another clan? There were more clans than Sky Clan? Her eyes shot to the sky above them. They were stars now?
"Can I... visit them?" Though, if Sky Clan weren't literal cats with wings, did that mean Star Clan was just... a clan that only came out during the night? And Sky Clan was their daytime equivalent? Why did Blazestar say it like that? Like it was a bad thing. And a journey? "Where to? The journey? Are there more clans? Are Pollux and Cas- uh, um. Shadow..fire, and Smokefang? Are they not on the journey as well? How many clans..." She paused. ", are there? Oh. They're dead. You mean." That last bit came out quickly, like water released from a faucet. She felt cold. She felt numb. She felt tired.
Lux mummered something and moved forward. The molly's frame leaned on his a bit more heavily than she intended. "Thank you." She mewed to him, shoving air back into her throat. She wouldn't cry... she wouldn't cry...
Memories danced behind her eyes. Laughter clogged her throat. Her family.
"They're dead." She repeated like she was practicing the phrase. She lifted her head a bit and puffed up her chest a bit too much. She would not cry. She was made of stronger things than that and her brothers... They would not want her to mourn. So she wouldn't. Not now. She made no effort to move from Lux's shoulder, though.
She remembered Castor - or Shadowfire, now she supposed. He was older than her, but she so desperately wanted to be like him. He was her closest friend since... since ever. No one ever came close.
"Did they die for Sky Clan? Did they do it for you?" There was no anger in her throat or her words, just curiosity. She looked between the two toms, eyes sad and hopeful. Did they at least have a warrior's death?

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// ooc: Late after work but wanted to make sure I posted this! Apologies for any weird sentence structures :)​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Blazestar winces at his poor choice of words—kittypets and loners don’t worship StarClan, he reminds himself sharply. Still, Circe seems to work it out for herself, uttering, “They’re dead.” He nods, sorrow soft in his blue eyes. “Yes, I will take you to visit their graves, but first… you should get to camp.” He nods towards Lux, who had offered his flank for assistance.

“Did they die for SkyClan? Did they die for you?” Blazestar searches her milky blue gaze, finding no anger there. “We all do, in one way or another,” he replies simply. “They were fine warriors who fell into some mishap with Twolegs. I’ll let Duskpool tell you more about it, when he returns.” If he returns. “Lean on Lux and follow me. I’ll show you our camp.”

[ she’s officially accepted! you can start posting her around the board now :3 ]

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