papa don't preach | blaze

[Howlfire]

Since the altercation at the border, Howlfire had been uncharacteristically avoiding her father. She didn't really like it much herself, but after having time to reflect, she was rather embarrassed at how she had acted. Of course, she didn't feel too bad for defending herself against Moonpaw, but she wasn't particularly proud of losing her head in front of her father and grandmother.

After reflecting on her thoughts for some days, Howlfire finally decided to break the ice with her father. Seeing him sitting alone in camp, Howlfire decided now was the perfect opportunity. Taking a breath to steady her nerves, Howlfire plucked a fat bird off the fresh-kill pile and proceeded to pad over to her father where she dropped it at his paws. "Hello," She said, giving him a sheepish smile. "Do you have time to talk? I wanted to apologise for probably making things worse at the border..."

@BLAZESTAR ​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Had Howlfire made things worse at the border? Objectively, but Blazestar cannot find it in himself to be upset with her. She’d been just as hurt as he had when Moonpaw had disowned her SkyClan kin, after all. The Ragdoll gives her a tired smile and acknowledges her prey offering and her apology with the twitch of a golden ear. “Thank you.” He prods the black bird and takes a small bite from its breast before pushing it toward her. “I’m not terribly hungry. Why don’t we share?”

He'll wait until she takes a bite herself before continuing. “I think there’s nothing for us to do but respect Moonpaw’s wishes.” It hurts to say. “If she doesn't want to consider us family anymore, then there’s nothing we can do about it.” He lowers his blue gaze to his paws, frowning deeply. “She’s protecting herself, you know.”

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — blaise . blazestar
  — he/him ; leader of skyclan
  — pansexual ; divorced ; single
  — longhaired flame point Ragdoll with blue eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Mercibun

​

 

[Howlfire]

If Blazestar was angry with her, he did not show it outwardly. Howlfire studies his features for a moment as though attempting to seek out some answer, but finds no judgement. He offers to share the meal and Howlfire bobs her head. Like her father, she's not terribly hungry herself, but she supposes it won't be so bad if they share the bird together.

Her father's words are reasonable and fair, much as it pains her to admit it. "Protecting herself by hurting us..." Howlfire says glumly. "I've come to accept she was hurt and did not agree with mine and Fireflypaw's decision to leave. But I cannot stand when she takes her fury out on you or our clan. It hurts I know...but it isn't fair." Howlfire looks down at her paws, shifting them uncomfortable. "I suppose I'm a fine one to talk about misplaced anger...I should not have spoken to Skypaw that way."​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Blazestar listens to Howlfire’s rationale, his eyes clouding. Skypaw. It comes back to Duskpaw and Skypaw, as it often does, and he’s at a loss. Howlfire does not know just how much her blood runs in his veins, even though Blazestar, at the border, had been stricken by how similar the two of them look with the ruffled pelts, brown tabby patches, gleaming eyes narrowed with indignance. “No, you shouldn’t have, and Howlingstar was right to scold you,” he admonishes, but he smiles to take the sting from his words. “Skypaw and Duskpaw are innocent, whatever feelings you may have about… about Little Wolf and I.”

He sweeps the earth behind them with his thick ginger tail, peering into nothing. “You’re a warrior now. You’ve chosen your path, and I’m grateful to StarClan every day I have you here with me. You are a credit to your Clan… and to your father.” He looks at her, that familiar flame of pride licking his ribcage and leaping into his dark blue gaze. “You and Fireflypaw both. But you must understand… Burnstorm and Moonpaw want to be the same for ThunderClan. And ThunderClan is not like SkyClan.” He flicks an ear, unwilling to say anything unsavory about their neighbors—and truly, he does not know if there is anything to say. SkyClan prides itself on accepting those the other Clans would not, but Blazestar is now tired of the narrative that has forced him to comply with.

After a moment, he sighs. “Moonpaw has every right to be angry with me. And so do you.” He reaches to touch her muzzle with his. “I’m lucky you don’t feel the same way she does.”

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — blaise . blazestar
  — he/him ; leader of skyclan
  — pansexual ; divorced ; single
  — longhaired flame point Ragdoll with blue eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Mercibun

​

 

[Howlfire]

She bows her head solemnly when Blazestar agrees that she was wrong. Although he admonishes, the little smile that follows takes the sting from his words, and further assures her he isn't fully angry.

Again, Howlfire listens as Blazestar speaks. He is right about the siblings all choosing their own paths and all wanting to be the best for their clans. Howlfire nods with him in agreement, but she still can't find it in her heart to agree. "I know but-" Howlfire's lips purse together. No, she will not try and argue and claim that her siblings are in the wrong, because ultimately her father is right. "I just wish they had more respect for us," Howlfire admitted with a sign. "Or at the very least try to be more civil when they see us."

When Blazestar says that Moonpaw has every reason to be angry with him, Howlfire frowns but does not speak. A smile only returns when he places his muzzle to hers, and expressed relief that she didn't feel the same way about him as Moonpaw did. "I'd never be angry at you," Howlfire says earnestly, bumping her head against his broad shoulder. "Not unless you did something incredibly reckless or stupid. Which I don't imagine you ever would. But consider that a warning." She added a playful little wink for effect.​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Blazestar nods at her wistfulness. “I wish so too, but… I don’t have the power to change that, and right now, neither do you, Little Howl.” He smiles sadly at her, even as she bumps against his shoulder and expresses that she could never be mad at him—unless he were to act recklessly. The Ragdoll purrs at her. “What would that entail, hmm? Give your old man a clue, at least.” Dawnglare’s anger and Bobbie’s concern flash behind his eyes, but he does not presume to prescribe it to Howlfire.

He leans down to take a bite from the blackbird’s breast, his thoughts racing. “I suppose I’ve never asked you… maybe it’s time I did.” He draws away, licking his lips. “How do you feel—how do you really feel about your mother’s kits? Skypaw and Duskpaw?” Clearly, there is anger there, but Blazestar does not know why or what she thinks. Does she suspect those are her full-blooded siblings, or is she assuming Little Wolf took another mate? And if she does think that, he wonders, how opposed is she to seeing her parents move on with their lives? Are all four living kits of the same mindset?

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — blaise . blazestar
  — he/him ; leader of skyclan
  — pansexual ; divorced ; single
  — longhaired flame point Ragdoll with blue eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Mercibun

​

 

[Howlfire]

"Oh no I couldn't possibly tell you!" Howlfire responded with a laugh. "Because then you'd try to be on your best behaviour." She lets the laughter fade for a moment before giving his question some thought. "Don't worry it wouldn't be anything too serious. Perhaps some of the more boring tasks around camp and wrangling our most adventurous kits for a few hours."

After her father takes a bite, Howflire does the same, almost choking on her food when he asks for her thoughts about Skypaw and Duskpaw. She swallows sharply and looks away for a moment. She and Blazestar had not really spoken of this before, though Howlfire knew her feelings were probably quite obvious to judge from her father's perspective. "To be honest, I don't really know what my feelings are towards them. I hardly know them after all," Howlfire admitted with a shrug. Such was the case when much of her kin resided in ThunderClan. "Despite what I said at the border, I do not hate Skypaw and Duskpaw. I could not hate any of my siblings...no matter how stubborn or frustrating they may be." There is a laugh that follows but it sounds awkward in the context of the conversation. "I don't even fault Little Wolf for having more kits. I wouldn't even fault you if you took a new mate and had more kits. If that's what made both of you happy, I wouldn't be mad," Howlfire assured him, honesty shining in the depths of her amber eyes. "I just wish it hadn't happened so soon. When Howlingstar announced it at that gathering so soon after Fireflypaw and myself joined SkyClan I couldn't help but get upset. It just felt like they were almost a replacement for the kits she lost." Howlfire lowered her head solemnly for a moment, a further addition to her response floating in her mind. She was hesitant about saying it, worried her father might be upset if he knew the truth. "My emotions got the better of me when I found out they were born. My mind was racing with emotions and thoughts about the whole situation and how it had been revealed to us. I wanted to speak to you and Fireflypaw about it but I wasn't sure how to approach that subject with either of you," Howlfire admitted. "I needed to clear my head, so I snuck out of camp for a while when no one was looking. That was when the twolegs caught me and took me to the shelter."​