sensitive topics O, death, o, death 𖧧 Body Discovery (open)

Feb 20, 2024
282
98
28


TW: death (non descript wording used)

As the sun began to steadily rise in the dawn sky, highlighting the forest around them Florabreeze had begun to wonder if she was cursed. The dawning sun was usually a welcoming sight, the walk through the forest towards SkyClan’s camp was usually a peaceful time. Usually she wasn’t alongside a dawn patrol, assisting in carrying two bodies towards camp for a future vigil. As she trudged towards camp in silence she contemplated the events that had led to this grim morning. For once Florabreeze had awoken early to make it to SkyClan before the other daylight warriors, or at least the ones that she normally travelled with. That’s when she stumbled across a familiar scent of iron and rot, she felt her hackles raise as she stumbled across two bodies near the Twolegplace side of the border SkyClan.

Two warriors were laid on the ground, bodies exposed to an uncaring weather, cold and stiff. She had seen them around camp, though she didn’t know them personally she could identify them as Dandelionwish and Applefrost. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene before her, their two bodies near the thunderpath, bloodied and maimed. Yet she couldn't tell exactly what had killed them, there was no weird scents on them. Just the usual smell of pine and ferns that signified them as SkyClan Warriors. Florabreeze couldn't dare look at the scene before her for too long. The sight made her sick, all at once she's reminded of the recent sight of Orangestar's throat being ripped by a fox that stormy dusk evening. For a moment she could swear she feels the droplets of rain from that storm only to blink and realise that the skies were clear.

There was conflict in the maine coon as she stood by the gory scene, didn’t want to leave the bodies around here unattended, yet she reasoned that it would be better to flag the dawn patrol down and reunite them with their home sooner. It was cruel, to die away from home like this, she wanted to rectify that. When she had found the patrol she was in a similar panic as when she ran from the foxes, without kits around she could at least explain what had happened without worrying about scaring them. “T-there's- bodies. Two dead SkyClan warriors by the Twolegplace border. I think- no, I know, they’ve been attacked.” Her words had been choked out in gasps as she tried to stop herself from succumbing to being sick. She was swift to lead the patrol to the scene, able to calm herself down slightly. This time she refused to be unhelpful in the situation, having insisted that the patrol let her help out where she could.

The maine coon is brought out of her recollection of these grizzly memories as she notices the familiar partition of fern and bramble. SkyClan camp, herself and the dawn patrol could now bring these bodies home at least. Somber mourning takes over as she walks into camp, once across the grounds she calls out for @Orangestar , keeping an eye out for the white and orange pelt of the SkyClan leader. “Two SkyClan warriors have been attacked near the border on the Twolegplace side. They- They’re dead, I found them this morning.” she calls out to the leader shakily. At least she was in a far better state then when she had notified the patrol. A solemn movement of her tail gestures towards the bodies that the patrol had helped bring in, she takes a deep breath to steel herself. Guilt ridden that she didn’t even know their names.



  • OOC.
    ❄ Florabreeze is addressing Orangestar at the end of the post but no need to wait!

    ❄ No one was specifically assigned for the dawn patrol so feel to assign your character to the patrol!

    ❄ The timeline of events are as follows: Florabreeze discovered the bodies of Applefrost and Dandelionwish near the twolegplace border and alerted the dawn patrol. In the present moment their bodies have now been brought to SkyClan camp! They have been visibly attacked but there are no clan identifying scents on them

  •  

  • SkyClan Daylight Warrior⏐ She / Her ⏐ Info


    ❄ A large black tabby maine coon with low white and bright green eyes, always wearing her mushroom print collar if she can.
    ❄ 32 moons old { Ages realistically on the 12th per month }
    ❄ Mentored by Sorrelsong
    ❄ “Speech”, thoughts, attacking
    ❄ Penned by Juice ⏐ouijeejuice on discord {open to being dmed for plots}

 

It had been a wonderful morning. It truly had. Sorrelsong had been chosen for the morning patrol, and though the molly usually finds peace in sleep about now, she accepted the responsibility with no fuss. Some part of her was happy, excited even. Getting up early - really staying up - meant the chance to see the daylight warriors, and maybe Florabreeze.
Though she was excited to have a new apprentice, there was a maine coon-sized absence she had tried to ignore while hunting. It was the aforementioned molly's scent that brought energy to the molly's lithe frame. Sleep crusty around her eyes, the molly searched for her friend. The bark gave way to a comforting deep brown and white, and the molly smiles.
"Flora-!" What's wrong? She knows better then to crash through the forest like that
The sun turned dewy as Sorrelsong peeled away from the other cats on the patrol, briefly leaving their line of sight to find the molly. The rest of the patrol caught up to her as Florabreeze starts explaining. Sorrelsong's ears flick, her flank against Florabreeze's as she checks behind the molly, muscles tense. Did she run into another clan's patrol in our territory again? Some nasty rogues? Claws dug into the ground, but as Florabreeze would reveal, it was to late for them to be of use.
Despite the early-day heat, the ground felt sticky and wet as Sorrelsong helps the rest of the patrol bring their clan mates home for the final time. Mottedove's lavender hasn't even dissipated... Her eyes shoot briefly towards the nursery, fur in maw as she tries desperately not to taste her clan mate's rot though the stink fills her nose anyways. She racks her brain, gently setting Applefrost's pelt in the dirt. A small seedling of a flower - she is unsure what kind - stirs in the dust kicked up by the clan as they rise, drawn to Florabreeze's call like moths to flame.
She'd been close enough to the rot to know that Thunder Clan's scent had no part in this atrocity. If they did, the patrol members would've known. Anger still bubbled in her, their recent transgression forefront in her mind. Then another memory - the rogue attacks during Blazestar's raid. Could they be back? Fear bubbles under her pelt, nearly making it stand on end. Her thoughts flick to Florabreeze, then the other daylight warriors. Her heart drops.
Pressing close against Florabreeze as she calls out for Orangestar, Sorrelsong finds her voice. I can't say 'rogues'. That would cause a panic, and I'm not even sure. Didn't smell like fox though... I could've missed something Doubtful, but she didn't want to risk being wrong. Not on something this important.
"No clan scent on them." She reports, her voice unwavering but her eyes dash around, unable to rest on a face for too long. So much death....
  •  

  • pagedoll-png.1774

    — A chocolate point tabby molly with icy blue eyes and a slightly uneven pelt. She has small scars on her back, her shoulders and a slightly crocked tail.
    — 44 moons old; ages the 1st of every month
    — aro/ace. ; currently not looking
    — child of NPC and NPC :: sibling to Duskpool, Shadowfire and Smokefang
    — Mentoring Weedpaw : Mentored Florabreeze
    — Sky Clan; warrior since 3/11/24 ; loyal to Orangestar, Florabreeze, and Duskpool
    — Not hard to befriend ; trusts easily
    — "speech", thoughts, attacking
    — peaceful powerplay allowed[/tab
 

Figfeather had been assigned to a dusk patrol later this day, so she was spending this morning helping out with minor things across camp. @Daisypaw had been instructed to assist in apprentice chores, last Figfeather had seen the young Tom he was helping reinforce the gorse tunnel. If Figfeather could’ve predicted the future, she would’ve never left him there. It put him in the perfect spot to be among the first to see the gore-y bodies of Applefrost and his father. Dandelionwish.

A loud gasp escapes her maw as the bodies are laid in camp. Florabreeze heads right for Orangestar with Sorrelsong on her tail. Through the shock, Figfeather’s first thoughts are of @butterflytuft . ”Don’t let her see! Don’t let my sister see!” Figfeather yowls at the top of her lungs.

What good would hiding this do? Figfeather doesn’t know- but if she could delay her pain for just a few more heart-beats
 If she could save her sister from the burning memory of Dandelionwish bloodied and torn body she would. Let Fireflypaw clean him up first
 let his cream pelt be sprinkled with lavender, clean his pelt of the blood. Make him look peaceful, something Butterflytuft won’t have to shudder from in memory.

Figfeather hurries to the nursery, inside she can see Butterflytuft looking out wide-eyed and confused by the sudden chaos. Urgently Figfeather blocks the exit of the den. She can hardly look her older sister in the eyes. ”Don’t look- not yet” She couldn’t save Daisypaw from it, she’d save Butterflytuft if the orange and black she-cat allowed her.

They share a look, and when gazing into her eyes Figfeather can feel tears swell inside her own. Her heartbreaks for Dandelionwish, but it shatters for Butterflytuft. Their love was strong, it was pure and it was true. Yet again her sister was about to face a devastating loss, and there was nothing Figfeather could do to help it. ”Dandelionwish- I’m sorry
 I’m so sorry, Butterflytuft.” Already she moves to be a shoulder for the permanent-queen, Figfeather wouldn’t let her live this nightmare alone.
  • » Figfeather
    » SkyClan Lead Warrior
    » She/her . AMAB
    » Sire to Sangriakit & Coffeekit
    » Mentoring Daisypaw
    » 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
 
Orangestar had always stood firm against the deaths of her Clanmates, unfettered pine against the raging winds of grief that howl around her. She had not crashed to the forest floor when Blazestar had died and left her in charge of so many, nor had she when Ashenclaw had died just sunrises before their kits were named warriors. She had thought first of her Clan in those moments, of her kits in turn. She thinks of neither, now.

Florabreeze sounds shaken, calling for her so urgently that Orangestar's paws are moving before her mind can catch up. She emerges from her den and conversation with another warrior, pupils slit at the mention of bodies as the camp stirs to chaos.

The keen that erupts from Orangestar at the sight of Applefrost's unmoving, bloodied body is involuntary. She rushes across the clearing as the patrol lowers her, the wail that escapes her muffled by bloody, ginger fur as she presses her nose into the cold pelt. Cold. Dead at least overnight ... she hadn't noticed that the two warriors hadn't returned home at all, thinking they had been caught up hunting. Guilt rises like a lump in her throat, another pained noise escaping unbidden. She wants her sister back. Her littermate, the only one who had known her since birth and stayed all the same (StarClan ... should she tell Apricotflower about this?), a loving and loyal daylight warrior turned full-time SkyClanner to better take care of her family.

To lose Dandelionwish in the same fell swoop is ghastly. Orangestar recalls a time where she had resented Blazestar for taking him in, yet those feelings had long since faded; he was a good warrior. A good SkyClanner. His kits had only just been apprenticed, and he leaves behind a loving mate. He shouldn't be. She shouldn't be speaking of him in the past tense. Bitterness coats Orangestar's tongue, though she does not yet move from her place at her littermate's side.

"I love you." She whispers, only for Applefrost to hear. "I'll see you in StarClan."
 
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-ˋˏ àŒ»âàŒș ˎˊ- Camp had been quiet, everything moving on as normal and they had been sitting around the warriors' den. Their nerves picked at their chest and stomach as they contemplated what to do next. They didnt know what to do to keep their paws from being idle for too long. She was a busy body and things were different now and it felt like when she was trapped to the medicine den again. Though this time with less Dawnglare and more boredom as she must move to the nursery in a few weeks now. Maybe three? They didnt try to keep track cause it only pulled at their heart strings.

Though then the voice of Florabreeze came through the air and pulled them from their ever turning thoughts. She was calling for Orangestar and they furrowed their brow as to why. Was something wrong? Then the chocolate warrior spoke shakily and said two bodies had been found at the border. Bodies? Who? They felt worry strike their chest and they got up from their spot on the ground to pad closer for a moment. Then felt this cold shatter strike their heart like an icicile to the chest.

Their paws felt like they had cemented themselves to the ground for a long moment and this distant ringing formed in their ear. The ginger fur, the bloodied pelt- no it couldn't be. Mossy hues watched as Orangestar walked from her den, and there was this strong urge to run to her. To beg for it to not be true, for it to be a sick, fucked up joke, but the way her sister reacted- the way she touched her nose to fur- Honeysplash felt horror crash through her like a raging river against the shore.

The cream and white warrior flicked back their ears and slowly approached as Sorrelsong was speaking about no scent on their bodies. So rogues had done this? Loners? Some random cat from the twolegplace? Honeysplash felt her face tighten, her lower lip quiver and she stood on the other side of Applefrost. Across from Orangestar but there was at least five pawsteps between them. She stared at the body of her sister. The thoughts of her sisters' annoyed voice and Honeysplash pestering fresh in her mind from what felt like days before. Like hours ago.

A few tears spilled from her mossy green eyes, but she refused to let her shoulders shake or sniffle. They just flicked their gaze to Dandelionwish as he too had suffered the same fate. Who couldve done this?


  • SPEECH
  • HONEYSPLASH ✩ she/they, Warrior of Skyclan, 29 moons.
    ⭃A lithe, cream tabby cat with high white and green eyes.
    ⭃Younger siister to Orangestar, Applefrost and Apritcotflower and littermates with Cloudberrythorn // Former mate to; Quillstrike // Crushing on; Chrysaliswing and Flora
    ⭃peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
    ↛ see battle info here
    ⭃ penned by you ↛ wolf_1997 on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 
*+:ïœĄ.ïœĄ Thunderclanners. The name is thought of with such vitriol, Tawnyclaw would be surprised if there wasn't visible fire behind his too-green hazel eyes. Of course, there is no evidence - more so leaning for it not to be thunderclan, actually, so Tawnyclaw keeps his mouth carefully sealed. Still, he thinks about the words those filthy thieves at sputtered - would it kill you to spare? and suddenly he wishes for nothing less than to see two of their bodies as collateral for the losses before him.

But that wouldn't bring Dandelionwish or Applefrost back to life, now would it?

Woodenly, the young man would make his way over with heavy steps, the stone around his eyes crumbling away enough to betray his grief as he listened to Figfeather wail. He can only imagine what Butterflyskip's reaction will be...Grief catches in his throat as he looks upon his dead aunt. His thoughts grind to a halt, nothing else existing but those dreadful wounds and that all too stillness to her features. He can't stand to look upon her lifeless body. But he feels as though it would be a betrayal to look away.

It would be his mother's heartbroken howl that adds a burst of energy to his step. Pushing forward, he drops to his knees next to Orangestar and shoves his face into her shoulder. He doesn't know what to say, so he says nothing at all. Instead, he lets tears soak his cheeks as he purposelessly grooms his mother's fur.
May your travel to Starclan be easy and safe, Auntie Applefrost, Dandelionwish Tawnyclaw thinks, gritting his teeth at the lump in his throat.
The thought is as useless as his paws.





  • GENERAL:
    ♔ Tawnyclaw
    ♔ DFAB— He/Him — Unsure
    ♔ 12 moons — Ages 1 moon every month 28th
    ♔ Skyclan — Warrior
    ♔ Son of Orangestar and Ashenclaw
    ♔ Brother to Cherryblossom, Eggbounce, Glimmersun and Owlheart

    COMBAT:
    ♔Physically hard | mentally medium
    ♔ Attack in bold #bf8924
    injuries: None currently
 
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Honeyed eyes blink away the halos of morning light, and alabaster paws throw outwards in a deep, long stretch. A yawn splits the porcelain of her maw as Cherryblossom readies herself for another day of deputyship. The dawn patrols should be returning soon, she notes, mixed chagrin and satisfaction slipping through her at the thought. She hadn't forgotten to send any of the patrols out last sunrise, though she shouldn't have forgotten at all. She imagines her clanmates won't let her forget it anytime soon too. Gaze hardening ever so slightly, she lifts her head towards the bramble parting, already rustling with presence.

The burly form of Florabreeze traipses through the undergrowth. Cherryblossom frowns. Usually so spirited, the warrior's face is oddly shadowed, even after ducking out of the tunnel entrance. Her mother's name flies from her great mouth, shot with something deeper than concern. The deputy quickens her pace to join with Orangestar━when the rest of the patrol emerges.

The whimper that trickles out of her is humiliating. She recognizes Applefrost first, the warmth of her fur visible even through slashes of crimson. Dandelionwish, so graciously deposited besides her, seems the same. "No..." Her jaw gapes. “Two SkyClan warriors have been attacked near the border on the Twolegplace side." Flora's voice is appropriately grave, yet Cherryblossom can't help the bite of her croaked correction: "Applefrost and Dandelionwish." She is numb. It creeps up her paws, chilling to the bone, and freezes her jaw shut. They have names, you know.

Sorrelsong adds to the report, and Cherryblossom just stares at her. Then... Her eyes snap to the wounds lining their bodies, the red weeping from a too-many holes and soaking the Greenleaf earth. Figfeather's howl is tree-lengths away. She barely registers her mother leaving her side to join her sister over the blood rushing to her ears. It boils in her veins, rage bubbling and bursting till it shatters the shell of grief.

A snarl tears from her chest. She was useless in the face of Ashenclaw's death. Mottledove had been slaughtered by a fox before her children━the same fox that took a part of Orangestar from Cherryblossom? They should've driven out the foxes for good when they had the chance. So many things they should've done, should've, should've, should've.

"I'm gonna━I'm gonna kill them." she bellows, glare swinging past the bodies to where she imagines they died. Her head snaps up, commands erupting from her jaws: "We're gonna find them. Slate, Duskpool, Sorrelsong, Florabreeze━to me!" She strides towards the entrance without looking, tail high and bristling. Half-snarled, half-choked: "We-we're going hunting."

ooc: @SLATE @DUSKPOOL @Sorrelsong @Florabreeze i'll tag you guys again when i get the thread up!

TAGS
 
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Following orders without complaint was something Daisypaw had gotten good at over the past two moons, listening to his mother as she told him and his siblings that it was time to bed, listening to the warriors if he was told to get out of the way or to stay away from something, and now he got to practice this with his mentor, doing as he was tasked with helping to reinforce the gorse wall to the entrance of camp. He was clumsy, paws not yet used to weaving through the gorse, but despite this it was easier work and something he was glad to be a part of. It meant he got to look through the camp and into the territory, see the patrols coming and going, and though it had mostly been patrols going out for now due to how early it was, he knew the daylight warriors would be joining them soon and he could see Sangriapaw and Coffeepaw - maybe they'd get to go out on a patrol together.

Ears pricked and head turned to look out as the sound of rustling caught his attention, the soft familiar smell of the daylight warriors wafting towards him, and he almost didn't notice the scent of something else mingling within it, but it was hard not to notice the metallic twang of the blood that weaved in and out through them, the way the rustling turned quickly louder and more urgent as Florabreeze bound forward to make it to camp before the dawn patrol that would soon follow after. He watched as the warrior quickly moved to Orangestar, paws moving slightly so he could strain to listen better and that's when he heard it. Two warriors were dead, killed by... something without a clan scent. Head quickly whipped around to see out once more, eyes widening as a choked sob erupted from the apprentice's throat.

His dad, his dad was there, bloodied and unmoving, body carried by the cats that had come upon the scene and helped to bring them home. His task was now ignored, he was a kit again, crying and following along with those carrying the now blurry form of his father. Tears fell down his face as hiccups began to move through the boy, ugly would be the scene had it not been for the events that led up to him. When Dandelionwish was finally put down in the camp next to Applefrost he'd curl up next to it and bury his face into his broken body. He didn't care about the scent of blood that filled his nose, didn't care about the way his tears would re-wet anything that was dry and get it on himself. The only thing he cared about was that his father was gone, that he didn't want to leave his side, and that he wanted his mother all at the same time.
  • 77846082_BNFJiMhnYwpfeBr.png
    ♡ SH blue w/low white & blue eyes
    ♡ cannot properly control emotions
    ♡ born november 8, 2023. ages realistically
    ♡ sexuality unknown ; interested in no one
    ♡ adopted by Butterflytuft and Dandelionwish
    ♡ brother to Weedpaw and Fluffypaw
    ♡ easy to befriend ; easy to upset
    ♡ "speech", thoughts, attacking
    ♡ peaceful powerplay allowed
 
  • Crying
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✩ TW Grief, Death, and feeling Sick

Idly, the spotted patrol lead was hunched over, nose rooting around the overgrown weeds and assorted wild plants tangled together. His clanmates spread out but close enough he could still spot snippets of their coloration. Eventually, they stopped and nipped the stalk of a tall purple flower. I bet she'll like this one. Happy with said find they stood up and bunted against a neighboring tree. Sounds of paws crashing through undergrowth snap the scraggly cat into attention. Pretty find falling soundlessly from their grasp. Listening intently as the moggy detailed what she had seen his pelt prickled with horror.

Two dead and no scent? How is that possible? A million thoughts and faces flickered by and a dark pit dragged at the chords of his heart. Burying his fear they hollered out to their group. "Come on everyone we have to go now! Florabreeze, lead the way!" Without another word, he motioned his feathery tail forward, darting through the familiar trees and closer to Twolegplace territory.

___

Once the scarred feline spotted the newcomer's chocolate and white pelt stopping ahead of them, he skittered to a halt, eye wide with concern and tattered ears raised high in alarm. Catching his breath, Dogbite shouts hurriedly to the patrol. "Keep a look out for any-" Before he has a chance to speak further, their panicked gaze lead's him to the bodies in question. Like a strike of lightning, their legs stiffened, muscles freezing abruptly as blood roars inside torn ears. Tufted head shaking side to side, as his good eye trailed over each corpse, heartbeat thrumming louder and louder. Their world suddenly felt suffocating and head full of senseless noises.

His fleshy left cheek and nose scrunch in terror and their jaw falls slack. "NO!" A terrible scream rips through their throat. Nausea churning within as the Skyclanner barely stays upright. Agonized, Dogbite recognizes the soft dappled pelt of Applefrost's. A coat he had brushed against and stared at longingly in the twilight of many moonlit nights. He could spot it several mountains away and still know every strand by name. Dashing past Florabreeze, he nearly trips over the heap of orange and white in haste. His frame shakes with each ragged breath, jaw clenching from each shockwave. Falling to offwhite haunches, they hover over Applefrost. All the surrounding buzz felt even more distant than the backdrop of outlying mountains.

Throat raw with loss, he rasps brokenly at her stiff side. "Please..." Don't leave me. Not like this. Reaching out a pale paw, he tenderly caresses what he believes is her cheek, then retracts it as though bitten by some invisible force.

Inhaling sharply, he bows to the ground, and a familiar choking sensation takes hold. All he could manage to do in that moment was weep like a helpless kit. She's gone. A heavier sob wracks from the depths of his chest. It wasn't meant to end like this. Why? Why? They soon register Sorrelsong's presence as she lifts his beloved's bloodied scruff. Just yesterday Applefrost had walked alongside him. Alive and well and brilliant. Sharing a meal with him and free of all worries. Laughing sweetly at his wily nest-head. The unforgiving pit in his chest grows deeper, swallowing him as the world blurred at the corners of their vision. Honing in on what was left of a she-cat they'd come to cherish.

Swallowing the urgency to lose his breakfast, he robotically followed the others' lead, latching his fangs delicately into Applefrost's back, lifting her from the ground and ensuring her tail didn't drag. Bearing the weight, Dogbite's mind lagged, and he no longer could register the stench. Again. Again. Again. It keeps happening. Tears burn hot and molten down his right cheek. Soft hiccups strangle them at every muffled gasp. You didn't even get to tell me how - Each step felt like trudging through mud, but Dogbite didn't care anymore. - you really felt. Dutifully, he marched alongside Sorrelsong, following after the patrol, weary eyes muddled and worn from bottomless tears. Thankful to not have to speak and utilizing the walk home to compose themselves.

___

His sides brush past camp's bramble entrance, everything growing less bleary. Cats file in left and right, but Dogbite cannot find it in himself to scrounge up a single sentence. Unable to acknowledge the petrified and destroyed faces of his friends. Numbed by grief, he ever so gently lays his hold of the corpse to the ground, neatly nudging Applefrost beside Dandelionwish. Blinking away tears, they stare as Sorrelsong places the front half of Applefrost down. Shakily, he scoots further up, nuzzling next to his loved one's neck. Through salty and watery mouthfuls he whispers against her ear. "By the stars, I love you. I love you. I love you so much."

Sickness twists in their guts as he leans back. Looking upon her and Dandelionwish once more, another violent wave of misery thrashes their heart to ribbons. This is all fucked up. Neither of you deserved this. In slow motion, figures move about them, as the ache inside grows. Applefrost, we never got to be more. I-I lacked the courage to tell you just how much you really mean to me. I'm sorry. Figfeather's rising wails are enough for him to subconsciously walk backwards.

Just as Orangestar's thundering steps approach, they changed course from the crowd. Tuning out the sorrow unfolding just behind him. Standing up onto unsteady paws their forehead tilts low and their wiry build visibly slouches. Sightlessly he pulls himself away and out of the growing silhouettes. I can't. I can't do this. Stumbling mindlessly outside of camp, Dogbite refused to face this new reality. That their only love in life was now dead. Yet again, he hadn't been there to stop it, or taken the chance and maybe encouraged her to stay in bed. How could they look Orangestar or her other kin in the eyes, and know they too will suffer immeasurably. I was right there and heard nothing. Saw nothing.

They lacked the strength to stay poised for much longer. Not after Blazestar. Not after Mottledove. Not after... The cinnamon Skyclanner's tail vanishes into the tree line as he wanders off to be anywhere but here.

  • in and out!

  • ✧ LH cinnamon tabby high white blue eye
    ✧ npc x npc ; sibling to crescent and bear
    ✧ skyclan lead warrior ; ex-loner
    ✧ 34 moons old ; birthday 07/01
    ✧ AFAB ; nonbinary ; he/they
    ✧ pansexual ; polyromantic ; single
    ✧ "speech", thought, attack, powerplay
    ✧ peaceful powerplay allowed
    ✧ penned by tasmagoric
 
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There is never a shortage of tragedy in SkyClan. Even when there appears to be a period of peace and tranquility, something unfortunate is bound to happen in due time. SkyClan had lost one of their warriors, Mottledove, to a fox so soon after a pair had attacked a patrol and taken one of their leader's lives. An apprentice had been taken by twolegs, likely never to be seen again ( at least in Slate's opinion, with what he knew of those bipedal beasts ). And, for once, just when there seemed to be a calm in the air...

Frantic murmurs—wails even—begin echoing throughout the pine-lined hollow, the metallic stench of blood wafting through the air as well. Amber eyes track Orangestar as she rushes forward, emitting a pained cry from her maw. Alarmed, Slate frowns and shoulders forward through the crowd to catch a glimpse at the fallen warriors — Dandelionwish and Applefrost. There was nothing that Fireflypaw could do for them now. They were as cold as stone, eyes empty and lifeless. The smell of their ichor was overpowering; he could not pick up a scent, not one of a predator or rogue or otherwise.

He had not known either of them particularly well; Dandelionwish had been a WindClan exile taken in by Blazestar, one Slate hadn't trusted at first. He had dedicated the rest of his days to serving SkyClan and raising a family. Slate had knocked heads with Applefrost a couple of times before, and had even lightly bantered, but he obviously had not known her as well as Orangestar. The ginger-splashed leader is devastated, crouched at her littermate's side, and all Slate could do at that moment was watch. A frown tugs on the edges of his maw as he looks on, a pang beginning to take hold of his chest as he watches others mourn their fallen comrades and comfort their leader.

The scarred Maine Coon's head snaps up when a younger voice barks out his name along with a few others. Cherryblossom is leading the charge, jumping to action almost immediately and leaving no time to waste. Slate does not think about his former apprentice's new status of deputy now, not as he had been over the past couple of days. What she was doing now was correct. There could be a scent that they could pick up; perhaps the murderer was still in the area.

Slate begins moving, hefty paws hurriedly carrying him toward the camp's exit. He takes a last glance toward the hunched form of Orangestar, brows furrowing slightly. He wonders for a brief moment... had this murderer known that they had killed the littermate of SkyClan's leader? Or had it been the work of a fox, the same one who had taken Orangestar's life? Either way, Slate vowed to gather as many leads as he could. They had to move fast.

Without a word, the lead warrior ducks out into the pines and follows his former apprentice toward the border.

  •  
  • ₊ ⋆ * âŠč ₊ ☟
    slate
    — he/him; lead warrior of skyclan
    — a hulking, scarred charcoal-black colored maine coon with amber eyes
    — "speech", thoughts, attack
    — link to full tags; @ on discord or dm @beaaats for plots!​
    ​
 
Commission_-_Fireflypaw_IcarusFell3.png
He could never grow used to it, the wails of agony that ripped through the camp like a hurricane. Of grief, sickening and paralyzing. He's already reaching for his stock of lavender before he knows it, grasping a moss ball full of water and a leaf to carry it all with. It's all wrapped up snugly, and as he walks over to the scene laid out before him, he realizes that it's two cats that he knows. Dandelionwish, a cat he had related to- Once a medicine cat for a dangerous Queen, redeemed in the eyes of the stars when he chose to leave her. To join SkyClan, to make his life something different- something better than it was before. Then there was Applestem, Orangestar's littermate, whom he wished he had known better. Orangestar loved Applestem, just like she had loved all of her family. Tears begin to well up in his eyes, and he's thankful that they don't blur his vision anymore.

"May the stars welcome them with open arms." He mumbles past the leaf and herbs in his mouth, though he can smell subtly the ichor of blood and the lack of clan scent. This was an isolated incident, outside of the clans. Cherryblossom sounds the alarm to hunt for the perpetrator, and as cats begin to leave the bodies sides, Fireflypaw takes it upon himself to gently usher himself in beside the others. He touches his nose to Dandelionwish's spine, then Applestem's, before he says a soft prayer to the Mother beneath him.

May you take them gently. Give them time.

Fireflypaw begins to groom the bloodied forms, dreading when Butterflytuft would discover this. Her son was curled up at his father's side, crying into his form- and Fireflypaw.. Fireflypaw thinks of his own dad in that moment. A paw reaches out, attempting to lift Daisypaw's chin up as gently as he could. "Your father loved you very much. He loved you, and your mama, and your siblings- all very much. He will watch you from the stars now, young Daisypaw." He tries to reassure him, "You must comfort your mama in this time, alright? She'll need you more than ever when she sees this." His eyes grow soft, milky blues staring owlishly in the direction of the apprentice. But as time goes, everything must begin the process sooner or later.

"I'll need to clean these two up, get them ready for their vigil. Your grieving will have to wait for now, my friends. I apologize."

// briefly interacted with @Daisypaw , addressing anyone still present that he needs to clean the bodies and to back away.​
SKYCLAN MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE ✩ 21 MOONS ✩ CHUNKY, BIG-FOOTED SEAL POINT ✩ TAGS
 
don't raise your voice . improve your argument .
ïž¶ê’Šê’·â™Ąê’·ê’Šïž¶
Two more lives joined StarClan. Nothin’ more than lifeless heaps of flesh and stale blood. He figured that was insensitive, but Duskpool barely blinked at the sight of rotting corpses, not since the stars had taken Yukio and his younger siblings — far too young to have tasted death’s icy fingers, but that was the misfortune of living. He breathed, the stench of ichor assaulting his tongue, bitter tasting in every way, Duskpool peeled his gaze away from the grieving figures of Orangestar and Figfeather’s frazzled words giving Butterflytuft a few precious seconds of naivety.

Molten-colored hues slide across lifeless heaps, flesh and stale blood laid bare against the ground. He hummed, hues falling shut in brief solitude. It made his heart squeeze painfully. His face was carefully blank at the grief saturating the ground until it reeked of sorrow and young lives lost.

Neverending. Death. It was all around ‘em and he doubted Applefrost and Dandelionwish would be the last to die. His gut churned, worry flaring upward at the thought of Sorrelsong succumbing to death’s calls. His muzzle wrinkled, hues taking on a harsher tint, barely noticeable against the splay of mangled flesh and obsidian fur, lips angled downward.

What the hell happened? He inquired, only able to smell the dull throb of ichor. He rumbled quietly, noise barely heard over the wails. Its commotion will bring those out to the surface, curiosity or panic taking over.

Peace was a finicky thing. That’s for sure.

Cherryblossom’s appearance exploded, anger radiating off of her form, commanding for a patrol, calling Sorrelsong and his name amongst the few. He grunted, molten-honeyed hues narrowing. The scarred warrior understood her anger ( all too well ), but it ain’t the time to act impulsively — not when they hadn’t a clue what killed ‘em and he sure as hell didn’t want to add the risk of more deaths. If it came to it, Duskpool was a willing victim. He sure ain’t gonna risk Sorrelsong’s life.

On hefty paws, Duskpool surged forward with quick steps, wooly fur brushing against his sister’s frame in silent comfort as he passed through the entrance with a swish of his wooly tail. His dark-hued lips curled, scowl deepening with a flash of copper hues, mangled ear swerving.

For once, Duskpool hoped. A finicky, selfish thing when all life did was take, unwilling to give back but to rip everything out beneath you. He huffed a bitter-some laugh, more like a muffled huff, barely heard over the sound of undergrowth crunching beneath their paws.
thought speech
 

SkyClan has lost too much lately and it seems their troubles are not at an end just yet.

The dawn patrol had been due back anytime now, though they appeared to be delayed for some reason. It was probably nothing but with the issues with foxes and ThunderClan as of late there was bound to be a bit of worry creeping over a few worried clanmates. Howlfire isn't nearby when the patrol returns, bringing the bodies of fallen clanmates with them too. If she had been wise, she might have stayed away, but shocked gasps from her clanmates pique her curiosity.

Her mouth hangs open when she appears on the scene, amber eyes staring at the unmoving bodies of Applefrost and Dandelionwish. For a moment, she does not quite believe what she was seeing, and then suddenly it becomes all too real. "Applefrost...Dandelionwish..." Howlfire's voice quivers as she speaks their names. It seemed like only yesterday she had seen the two of them in camp and now the warmth and life had been ripped out of them. Her gaze flits towards Daisypaw's briefly, watching as her brother offers the young cat comforting words at this difficult time, smiling softly at the scene. It reminded her vaguely of her own father. "Who could have done such a vile thing?" She pondered out loud, though with a low enough tone that only those in her immediate vicinity would have heard her.
 


It's real. It's real. Of course it is.

Most of all, the once friendly faces pressed to the ground are conformation. His worst situations that visit him in his dreams, hasn't the thought Dog and Crescent, and mother would die, leaving was supposed to be the solution, it has always been the solution. He muses so distantly something hysteric settles in his chest, it makes sense in a funny kind of way.

When Dogbite leaves he knows he should go be a good big brother, but something has been scooped out, he's never witnessed the younger so upset. Had it been so long ago that Bear's world was grey and he was rotting, rotting away by himself in the dower, shitty alleyways. He'd made the decision to go looking for Dogbite, he'd dragged himself away from snacking on crowfood, going claws first into every encounter. That was it, he had intended to live on the streets until the day he died. Couldn't imagine anything worse than company, faces he knew would meet the same fate he had nearly met time and time again from other rogues.

Stiffly, he rises to his paws, shoulders pressed close to his body and removes himself to the entrance.


In the early days, patrols around the territory earnt his mentor a suspicious glare, and moons later he still maintained his comfort in his two paces behind, but it was easy to be fond of Applefrost. She had put her trust in Bear as a warrior, they had fought together. When he regarded every other clanmate with fear she had never been far. She was the strong tether to Bear and SkyClan when he was dirtied and aggravated. He can't be here anymore, can't bear the crushing realization that the terror that constantly plagued him is justified. He can't be around anyone. He shouldn't've been here in the first place, what did he think was going to happen? He's all too aware of the presence of everyone in the camp, the bodies around. They'll be bodies too. He's tired of death, has seen enough of it on bloodstained alleyways to last a lifetime.

The crippling fear of something terrible happening is true - everything that held him back from his family, from everyone, the sole reason life outside the clan had been so isolated. He has to leave camp the moment his eyes dampen, walks and walks, and walks away.

 
𓆝 . ° ✩ The screaming of his aunt Figfeather is what first draws Weedpaw out of the nursery. He nearly misses all the commotion outside and the coppery smell of blood that thickens the air, focused on the monotonous clean-up tasks assigned to him that he's come to enjoy. The yowls from his aunt pull him from his concentration though, and he nearly faceplants from the way he lurches towards the entrance of the nursery. Everything moves in slow motion as he scrambles into the chaos, finding Daisypaw in the agonizing crowd as he tries to spot what- or rather who- has been brought to camp.

By some terrible stroke of luck, this is not even Weedpaw's first encounter with death. By even worse luck, his second encounter with death comes in the form of his father.

He spots the crumpled up and bloodied form of Dandelionwish. For a long moment, it is as if someone has stuffed his ears full of cotton. The world around him narrows down to a pinhole, and he is not entirely aware of his surroundings. A sour taste coats the inside of his mouth. Weedpaw is sick with horror. His paws tingle. Perhaps this is just some terribly vivid nightmare that he will awaken from; his eyes will open to warmth and light and both of his parents will be there. And yet, when he squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head... The scene is still there when he opens them again. His father is still there. His father is still dead. This is a new reality that Weedpaw will have to learn to live with.

His jaws open and shut again, but no noise comes out but the awful clacking together of his teeth. Weedpaw crumples to the ground beside Daisypaw. He buries his face in Dandelionwish's fur and his throat tightens as if he is strangling every cry that bubbles in his chest. Through all the blood and the coldness of death, a pang of grief rings through him when Weedpaw recognizes that despite it all his father still smells like himself. The young apprentice weeps silently into his brown fur before letting out a guttural wail, unable to contain his agony any longer.
✧ ° .ă€€âœ¶ă€€. ° ✧
  • ooc: —

  • WEEDPAW — HE/HIM  6 MOONS  SKYCLAN APPRENTICE  PENNED BY CARAT!
    longhaired black tomcat with low white spotting. born 11/9/23 and ages realistically 1 week every Thursday. Follow along with his growth here!
 
For the first time in many moons, Butterflytuft is able to comfortably sleep in. With no energetic kits waking up at the crack of dawn to play and demand breakfast, she is left to her own devices, snuggled up in a nest that feels too empty with three familiar bodies missing from it. She misses her kits - six moons of sleeping with them are not easily forgotten, and though she still shares the den with Bobbie and her kits, she feels lonely. Forepaws hold a feathery tail close to her chest as she sleeps, that earlier loneliness briefly forgotten and replaced with fear as a wail pierces through the camp. Butterflytuft’s head jerks up, sunflower eyes round with surprise and confusion. Weedpaw is in the den, dirty moss rolled up at his paws before he bolts from the nursery, abandoning his chores. She looks to her denmates as her ears fall back in terror, a silent expression of ‘what’s going on?’ written across her face. Tentatively, she gets to her paws and pokes her head outside, and at first all she can see is a few cats running towards the camp entrance before yellow fur blocks her vision. “Figfeather?” She mews in a wavering voice, worried gaze snapping to her sister. She can see tears forming in her eyes and her heart sinks. Don’t look, She says, and the queen is already fearing the worst. “Figfeather?” She repeats, louder with worry as her stomach works itself into knots. “Daisypaw?” She then whispers, staring pleadingly at her little sister as tears begin to form in her own eyes, a scream already building in her throat. Her son is Figfeather’s apprentice - is that why she is here to comfort her? Has something happened to her son?

Dandelionwish.

Horror finds its way into her expression as she stares at Figfeather for a moment before her legs buckle. She falls into her, her body weight supported by her sister as she breaks into sobs, face contorting in grief. “No!” She wails, tears soaking her cheeks before they fall to the ground below. It can’t be true. It just can’t! Dandelionwish has been by her side for as long as they’ve been friends. She’d been one of his first companions in SkyClan, after which they’d spend most days together taking walks or sharing tongues. She still remembers the day he clumsily confessed his feelings to her out in the forest, a confession she hadn’t been meant to hear. The memory is a knife that twists itself in her gut as she laments, her grieving screams pouring from gaping jaws. “Figfeather, please,” She begs through her sobs, but she doesn’t know what she’s asking for. She wants the impossible. She wants this to not be true, and that’s something no one can give her now.

Today, she was to ask him if he wanted to have more kits.

“My kits. Where are my kits?” She cries out suddenly in realization, lifting her head from her sister’s shoulder. She has lost her mate, but they have lost their father.
 

He didn't fight it when a paw moved it's way under his face, chin lifted and blurry vision was greeted with Fireflypaw's face, he listened to wise words through hiccups and sniffles, head nodding at last when it was said and done. He needed to find his mother, needed to protect her and make sure that she was okay, and carefully he would stand, carefully he would nudge Weedpaw to come with him and move towards the nursery, hopeful that his brother would be following closely, their sister soon to follow.

He'd shove his way past his mentor without realizing, numb paws working of their own accord before face would plant into Butterflytuft's side, pressing into his mother before quiet words would spill. "We're here mama." Muffled by fur it might not be heard but it could be felt, and that's all that would matter. They were here, and they would get through this together.
  • 77846082_BNFJiMhnYwpfeBr.png
    ♡ SH blue w/low white & blue eyes
    ♡ cannot properly control emotions
    ♡ born november 8, 2023. ages realistically
    ♡ sexuality unknown ; interested in no one
    ♡ adopted by Butterflytuft and Dandelionwish
    ♡ brother to Weedpaw and Fluffypaw
    ♡ easy to befriend ; easy to upset
    ♡ "speech", thoughts, attacking
    ♡ peaceful powerplay allowed
 
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Wailing- what a horrible sound, and warranted for once. In WindClan often clamour rose with little reason- a narrowed eye earned screeching ire from that rot-prone leader. He remembered his aunt, hauling herself atop the rock, demanding they be given back their home. He remembered Dandelionwish, taking his leave in a blaze of glory- remembered dogs chasing after him. Funny, wasn't it, that somehow they'd both ended up here; somehow. Taken mates here, too! And Dandelionwish had fathered SkyClan kits! Well, Mallowlark wasn't gonna do that, but ... it was all so funny, so funny, how different cats could find themselves in similar places.

Dandelionwish's blood would soon spatter on the floor- it was only a matter of time. The near miss, from slipping away from Sootstar's claws... that karma caught up to him, eventually. It didn't make the sight any less saddening- like thunderstorm the puling rose and swirled around, pain raked through each gawking face. Applefrost, too. It made no sense, that one... what had she done to earn nature's ire?

Watching on, Mallowlark could not help but shudder with a sudden onslaugh of sobs- for once, their severity felt fitting. He choked on the cascading tears, bubbling up in his throat, forcing air to narrowly rake through in saddened gasps. With violence, snowy mountains of shoulders shook... an earthquake of sorrow, of grief. Nature was wise, and killed for a reason, surely... no one died upon the earth if it was not their time. But the sight of death was raw and raking, everlasting... when it was someone you knew, someone you would have to say goodbye to.

Mallowlark did not blame the earth for embracing these corpses- he cried not for injustice, but simply that he missed them both already.
â˜șPENNED BY PIN
 
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Fluffypaw is in the apprentice’s den, taking what she believes is a well-deserved nap in between training sessions, when a cry splits the air. Florabreeze has returned from a patrol, and Figfeather yowls, Don’t let my sister see! Her tufted ears swivel, and she blinks sleep from dazed green eyes. Her heart quickens in her chest at the urgency in her aunt’s voice—something has happened. She pushes herself to her paws and exits the den, and then her world shatters and splinters into shards before her. Two bodies of SkyClan warriors are lowered to the earth. One is Applefrost, Orangestar’s littermate, and the other—the other is—

“PAPA!” She shrieks, her paws thudding against the camp floor as she races toward Dandelionwish’s body. Daisypaw and Weedpaw are there, their noses pressed into cream-colored fur as they try and suppress their grief. Fluffypaw does no such thing—her wails of sorrow crack with the weight of her feelings. The tortoiseshell chimera presses her face into her father’s pelt, and her guts twist when she realizes how off he smells. Decay has begun to stiffen his flesh, chill his fur, and blood-scent invades her nostrils. “Papa, no,” she hiccups, kneading his flank with her paws.

Who would bring her feathers to play with and sleep with now? Who would call her darlin’, who would do that? Who would be there to watch her grow, warm and smiling, full of the sunshine that warms her fur?

Fluffypaw’s tears dampen Dandelionwish’s coat. “No, no, no,” she sobs. Butterflytuft is near, her own cries of grief sending claws into Fluffypaw’s heart. That’s who she wants most of all now—she wants her mother. Butterflytuft nears them, and Fluffypaw twists herself into her mother’s chest, crying hysterically. “Mama, please,” the cream-colored she-cat cries, though like her mother, she does not know what she’s pleading for.

Except she does. Take it all back. Bring him back to me. I want my Papa.


  • ooc: —
  • imfwvC1.jpg
  • Fluffykit . Fluffypaw, she/her w/ feminine terms.
    — “speech”, thoughts, attack
    — 6 moons old, ages realistically on the 8th.
    — mentored by Greeneyes ; mentoring n/a ; previously mentored n/a.
    — skyclan apprentice. butterflytuft x dandelionwish, gen 3.
    — penned by Marquette.
    lh chocolate tortie/cream chimera with jade eyes. frightened, clingy, anxious, gentle.


 

✧ . It’s never too long, the waiting period between tragedy and tragedy, these days. Chaos breaks into camp once more, hardly a warning to its arrival, save for a copper tinge in the air that he fears he’s grown used to hitting his nostrils as he steps out of the warrior den in preparation for another semblance of a training session with Fluffypaw — though the sinking dread that drops from his chest to his stomach, the verdant wave that washes over him, are nothing he can ever be used to.

Don’t let her see!

It’s Figfeather’s shouts that cause his paws to move toward the scene, eyes wide as cogs twist in his mind, as his gaze follows a marmalade sister toward a flame-splotched sister huddled in the nursery, as her cries ring in his ears, as Daisypaw, as Weedpaw, as Fluffypaw’s shouts hit his ears. As he realizes, as he nears. Two warriors lost, one in Applefrost, the other in
 Dandelionwish.

Papa! his apprentice shouts for a family member lost, for her father, for his sister’s mate. For
 for a friend, another friend, gone, marred and blood-torn, a sight none of them should’ve faced. And he
 Greeneyes hadn’t been able to shield them from it, his niece and his nephews, his sisters. None of them should’ve had to seen this — this shouldn’t have happened in the first place, to Dandelionwish or to Applefrost. His stomach twists at happiness, at true love destroyed, tears pricking his eyes as he searches for his family once more.

Mountain-chilled paws push forward to join the huddle, a snow-masked face pressing into Butterflytuft’s side where he can find space.

“ I’m
 I’m so sorry, “ he croaks into her fur as his own tears threaten to fall, in a scene reminiscent of news of another fallen parent, a fate he’d prayed his youngest kin would never have to deal with. I’m sorry this happened again.
EpC61GT.png
  • 74596946_rY2pLJ2YZGmQ0CI.png
    GREENEYES ✩ AMAB. He / Him. Lead Warrior of SkyClan.
    ✧ . A red tabby and white tom with bright green eyes.
    ✧ . Daisyflight x Raven Ramble
    ✧ . Mentored by Sheepcurl ; Mentor to Fluffypaw, formerly Falcongaze
    ✧ . Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted!
    ✧ . Penned by Abri ‣ @_abri_ on discord, feel free to dm for plots!
    ✧ . " Speech " ; Attack
 
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