camp pyrrhic victory ☾ camp return

Fireflypaw's anguish is almost his own. Even though they were not related by blood he cared for him as if he were blood. The two of them shared similar opinions of their situation between their parents. To have someone understand. Really understand and could see him for who he was, it was refreshing. No... That is not a proper way to describe it. He can't find the words for it, yet from that moment he knew he loved Fireflypaw. More than his own family, and maybe more than Silversmoke. Although it was debatable at this point. Both toms meant the world to him and he wouldn't know what he would do if his dad or Fireflypaw died. Would I look like Howlfire or... Bobbie? It's difficult to say. Neither Silversmoke or Fireflypaw were dead. If he could, he would kill anyone who took them away from him. Hazel eyes land on his mother's figure. She is somber and bleeding. She's been bleeding for some time, but this is the first time he would actually look at her in a long time.

In the past he would've thrown himself at her and wailed who, what, and why did she return like this? However, the she-cat he stared at was a stranger. A stranger he once knew. Is that why my heart hurts? He can't deny the small sting piercing his heart when he takes her in, yet is not the same compared to Fireflypaw's hiccups. I'm sorry. He's not sure who that sentiment is meant for. Everyone is gathered around, obviously unhappy with the situation. He takes in the news and even glances at Cherrypaw with a small smile when she tells Edenpaw to shut up. Sorry not sorry Edenpaw, but he didn't appreciate the tantrum and demand for answers at a time like this. Although... I was like that once. Everyone would remember him as a kit throwing fits who was he to be pissed that Edenpaw handled this by demanding answers?

He hesitates.

"And though they will be hard in the moment… learning from those things is what makes you strong."

Is this one of those moments Blazest-... He looks once again at the unmoving body that is being prodded by Howlfire. As for Fireflypaw? Crowpaw nearly rushes to his side watching the older tom sniff and leave to fetch what is needed. Firefly... It is gut-wrenching. If his relationship wasn't complicated with his mother, then his relationship is perhaps even more puzzling with Blazestar. They weren't close, but he remembers when the leader would visit him mother. Would offer him a plump squirrel, was patient with his quirks, and talked to him kindly. Ever so slowly he would approach the leader's body. Howlfire is still beside her father. No amount of words would dry her tears and maybe there aren't any. In this moment he leans forward and presses his nose against golden fur. I know you loved Bob- my mom. You wouldn't have wanted to leave her or your kits. Hazel eyes close as he buries his face into golden fur, the smell of iron even more prevalent. Goodbye Dad.

By no means is Blazestar his father and would never be, yet Crowkit had once dreamed of being the leader's son. Who knows? Maybe Blazestar was okay with it? Or miffed, but he felt that it was right to send off the former leader with these unspoken words. Knowing his place, he moves away from the body and makes his way to Cherrypaw who is comforting Edenpaw. Their own relationship is strained, however in moments like these he hopes she'll forgive him. If she looked at him with a questioning gaze, she would be met with a smile. One he that he'd given her all those moons ago before everything went wrong.

He takes a seat beside Edenpaw, rubbing his paw against her back along with Cherrypaw's own. "When. When I was a kit he died and came back to life. I remember crying because I thought he wouldn't wake up. The other eight are gone. He doesn't have anymore." It is an answer, one that Edenpaw will not like. There is no comfort in his words, only truth. He looks at Cherrypaw. Then he would place his paw on top of hers. "You're crying, Cherry." Then, ears flick at the sound of Lupinepaw's voice.

Lupinepaw is approaching them. His paw has not left Cherypaw's. It's bizarre. Why is here with all of these cats he doesn't have a good relationship with? Under normal circumstances he would huff and pad away at the mere sight of Lupinepaw's presence. It's tempting. Yet Blazestar's words echo in the air.

"Making good decisions, and bad ones. Those are all things you may do, Crowpaw."

Good or bad. He's not sure if he is good or bad. If the things he's done are good or bad. I'll try to be good for today. Hazel eyes have been staring a bit too long at Lupinepaw. "Breathe Lupinepaw." Ever so cautiously he flicks his tail to motion for Lupinepaw to join them. "You're not okay. We'll figure it out together later. For now, join us. Please." Am I making a mistake again?
‧₊˚✩彡 nothing compares to the fever dream
  • currently helping cherrypaw comfort edenpaw and is talking to lupinepaw!
  • — crowpaw / skyclan apprentice / masculine pronouns / 9 moons
    — undecided / single / not looking / open to flirting and crushes
    — long haired black smoke with hazel eyes with polydactyly
    — may powerplay minor harm / can powerplay healing
    — biography / @ on discord for plots
    — penned by velou
​
 
  • Crying
  • Sad
Reactions: Fireflyglow, tieirlys and pikaihao

A persistent wrongness clung to everything, everywhere. Twitchbolt found his world darkened tenfold more than he had imagined, whenever he'd let himself think of this inevitable moment. But out of all the catastrophes in the world... this, this had seemed so impossible, so far away, even- even an event he'd never live to see. Because of course one day Blazestar would have had to die- it was the way of it, it was the way of everything, but... it had always been one day. One distant, blinking star of a day, that you had to squint to be able to see. He felt like he was trudging through a dream. Or a nightmare.

Surprisingly, Twitchbolt's wide eyes were without the glaze of tears. It was surprising to himself, most of all, that he hadn't really cried yet. There had been the wobble of incoming tears in his breath as he had helped the patrol home, there had been the gripping feeling of immeasurable sadness stunting his breath since Orangeblossom had muttered it was nine, but he'd shed no tears yet. Or if he had, it certainly had not been enough for the amount of grief that was building up within him. Did it make him look horrendously heartless, like he didn't even care, like- some excuse for a lead warrior, too, because as Silversmoke suggested a patrol, as everyone said they had to do something, all Twitchbolt could do was stare at nothing.

Bobbie needs help, Lupinepaw said, and Twitchbolt nodded, looking emptily at Fireflypaw and Dawnglare. Both- both, of course, hunched in despair over their leader's body. But Fireflypaw was up, then- moving, and relief settled on his scruffy shoulders, and he was aimless again.

To Orangeblossom, then. "I'll stay up. 'Course." His voice was breathless, miserable and hurried. If WindClan were attacking, if that was a plan- if, if, if. He'd do it. He'd do it, he was sure. And maybe he'd cry then, looking at the stars and thinking of Blazestar among them, and worrying that what, who, did this to him would careen out of the shadows and do more harm. ​
penned by pin ✧​
 
4d5460.png
𝐵𝑈𝑇 𝑇𝑂 𝐴 𝑊𝑂𝑀𝐴𝑁, 𝐵𝑌 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐸𝑁𝐷 ✧ 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐋𝐋 𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀
  • 68451166_mY2BOSe6hTLMAcu.png

    — orangeblossom | tags
    — she/her ; deputy of skyclan. mentoring springpaw.
    — scarred white-and-ginger she-cat with brown eyes.
    — "speech" ; thoughts
    — chibi by waluigipinball
    — penned by mercibun. @ me in any official tabbytales discord for plots.
    4d5460.png
​
It doesn't take long. Howlfire crashes to the ground beside her, the she-cat's wail filling the air. Around her, voices spring up: reassurances from some of SkyClan's best that they would stay the night with her in watch, apprehensive murmurs and questions on WindClan's motive. But a young voice lashes out towards her and Orangeblossom blinks at Edenpaw, wincing as if struck. She turns her muzzle away, even as Cherrypaw and Lupinepaw try to calm their denmate down.

"The fox, the one that killed him at ThunderClan's border. It took two of his lives. Blazestar told me not to say anything." Some of their Clanmates had heard the news already. Orangeblossom sees no use in hiding it from the rest of them now, especially after Edenpaw's outburst. Another familiar voice reaches her ear, twitching in acknowledgement. Her gaze flits to Blazestar, and then to his - her - seniormost lead warrior.

"No." She meows, and even though the familiar firmness returns to her voice Orangeblossom regards Silversmoke with a look that has no such ground. "I won't waste a patrol for WindClan to pick off if there are more lurking. If Sootstar wants to weaken SkyClan like the fox-heart she is, she can come to our camp where our strongest will wait."

Her tongue swipes over the scars at her lip, thoughtful. She entertains, briefly, letting their assailant decay like the carrion-food he is. A stain on SkyClan's history, and insignificant as he deserves to be. She doesn't even know his name, though the dark tabby stripes are oddly familiar ... "But Duskpool is right. Silversmoke, I will grant you permission to lead a patrol- get rid of the WindClanner's body. Haul it to the unclaimed border, and come back. It doesn't deserve a burial."
​
 

The news Orangeblossom breaks causes a gasp to spill from Figfeather. Blazestar's wounds from the fox had been severe, its no wonder how it could've snatched two lives away from him. Figfeather wants to yowl in the air and let her grief be heard across the forest, with a shudder she keeps herself composed by a thread.

The white and orange deputy gives permission to Silversmoke to lead a patrol and rid of the body. At an instant, Figfeather looks to the silver lead warrior. She needed to see the warrior who killed Blazestar, she needed to do anything but sit in camp and gaze upon the flame point's still body. "Silversmoke, let me come with you." She meows with a confidence that promised she'd be able to handle the not-so-pleasant task.

Noticing Twitchbolt's near frozen form she pads up to him, "Come with us?" She whispers, if the brown splotched tom was anything like her staying here would be no good. They'd be back in time surely, for Twitchbolt to still fulfill his promise to Orangeblossom.
♡ INFO BATTLE
  • » Figfeather
    » SkyClan Warrior
    » She/her . AMAB
    » Mentoring Wolfpaw
    » Mate to Fantastream
    » Sire to Sangriakit & Coffeekit
    » 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 aid to her clan to victory.
    » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing
​
 


The no was understandable, though, his ears twitched backwards all the same at first. More and more he dwelled, and the spotted tabby realised he'd have likely caused a fight should he be the one to deliver the news to WindClan - a bigger fight than they'd already get should the foxhearts still lurk the territory. "Very well." He dipped his head, brows creasing at the twinge of pressure that pulsed at the sides of it. A brief glimmer of excitement shot across his pupils as Ora called him to do something else instead. Silversmoke knew it would take his mind off of things, doing duty after duty, even escorting the killer's corpse if he had to, but... his eyes grew lidded with guilt, and tense shoulders huddled closer together. 'My leader is dead... and all I can think about is wanting to be useful.' The Lead Warrior listened to the orders, his tail flicking in acknowledgment: leave him in the Loner's Lands, let him rot. It seemed almost too pleasant a fate for the one who caused his friends such grief, but he supposed it was a more fitting end for the mouseheart to be forgotten in unclaimed territories.

He turned to Figfeather at her request, blinking rapidly at the offer; hauling a body was not exactly work he'd expected anyone to willingly sign up for, even Silversmoke only wished to do it to spare others the displeasure. "Alright." He craned his neck and straightened his posture. "Duskpool, Figfeather, with me. We'll dispose of the cur and come straight back to camp. Be on the lookout for any rogues or WindClanners." Glances are given to his patrol members, the one who'd suggested they do something in the first place, the one who volunteered (the one whose attention now resided on a squirrely figure). A longer glance is offered to Twitchbolt, who seemed more like a fractured tree trunk the longer Silver stared. One breeze could surely knock him over at this point, it wasn't exactly uncommon for his peer to look like that, but this time, it had meaning that the spotted tabby could understand - that made it scarier, almost. "There's room for one more, if you've the stomach for it," he offered to Twitch after Figfeather, tail lashing impatiently.



​
 

Had he been jittering so noticeably, lost somewhere? Orangeblossom's words were an echo- heard, but far away. It was only when Figfeather neared him did Twitchbolt fully acknowledge what had been said, and he looked to her with a concoction of emotions brewing in his eyes. Relief, unease, grief, all the works- she knew him well, he remembered. Somehow. And it always made him a bit wobbly to remember that he was worth knowing.

Silversmoke mumbled to finish the invitation, and Twitchbolt gave a hurried nod. "Yeah, I'm- I'll come," he said, sounding a little bit too willing, too relieved to be whisked away from the rot of sadness. He'd been the same after a lot of other deaths- busying himself, not dwelling on it, because who knew where his darting mind would take him in dead quiet. Down routes of disaster, he would bet- and he'd been nodding for too long. The brown-and-white tom was on his feet, then- be on the lookout, that would be easy. That was something he was good at, and something that he had to focus on, instead of this- instead of what came next. ​
penned by pin ✧​
 
Cherrypaw remembers what it feels like to be comforted by Crowpaw. Crowkit. They would have been moons away from apprenticeship had they been born now. And back then, he had held her while the battle, so vaguely remembered, raged at their unclaimed borders. She had scoffed at him, internally, at least. She stares uncomprehendingly as he now draws close again, another paw descending to Edenpaw's comfort. She grits her teeth as he spells it out for Edenpaw. She clenches them harder as he does the same for her. "I know." Crowpaw only ever says the obvious. It's all he knows how to say. Puffy-rimmed eyes continue to stare at the smoke-furred paw on top of hers, both unmoving, gaze unmet. She knows he tries.

Lupinepaw almost goes unnoticed in the long shadows cast by the patrol, but Cherrypaw, already looking for her, doesn't think she could ever lose sight of her again. Trapped in her corner with Edenpaw at her mercy and she at Crowpaw's, she watches silently as her best friend stumbles across camp, spinning like a broken record. Her tongue grows dry and heavy. Her jaw slackens to call to her, but she finds she doesn't know what to say when the girl turns towards her anyway. Cherrypaw loses herself in the pool of her eyes as she approaches, spring greens drowned in rain, and her tongue works effortfully to only come up with, "Oh...Lu..."

Cherrypaw doesn't even feel herself leaving Edenpaw and Crowpaw to sit besides Lupinepaw. At one moment, she is paw-in-paw with Crowpaw, hunched over her friend; in the next she has her tail wrapped around his sister, pressing her leg and flank and shoulder against hers. "It's..." It's not okay. Blazestar is dead, and Bobbie...Bobbie probably wishes she was. Cherrypaw's gaze flicks over Dawnglare and Fireflypaw, both among the line of weeping willows that had sprouted over the unmoving golden bank. "I..." What does she even say? The world, as they know it, is ending.

She studies her mismatched paws, the way her tail is coiled so tightly around them as though she's holding herself back from physically shattering. And maybe she is. Maybe all she can do is help her hold herself together, or at least gather the pieces of her in one place to put together again. Crowpaw calls to them, an unreadable expression on his face. "They'll...they'll go help her," she quietly adds, glancing up. "They have to." She lets her gaze stray towards the adults in charge, their arguments and commands whizzing overhead like warplanes, as she waits for whether Lupinepaw gets up or not.

ooc: interacting with edenpaw, crowpaw, & lupinepaw​
 
anger makes you stupid . stupid gets you killed .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
Falling silent, Duskpool couldn’t help the tremble in his whiskers, tension building high into the arcs of his shoulders. Dropping the body would only lead to a fight and that was something the warrior hoped to avoid, even if his lips wanted to curl into a bitter scowl, but remained pressed, thinning with a casual brush of his tail against the ground bathed with the tears of grieving clanmates. His heart ached for them, burning too close to the sun and left to collect the ashes, slipping through trembling paws and left to the wind to carry. The satisfaction ain’t worth a battle, kid. He thought, peeling his gaze away from Orangeblossom, lips thinning, causing his muzzle's marred flesh to wrinkle.

His body urged to comfort his child, and another part wanted to seek Drowsypaw. Still, at the call of his name, a mangled ear flickered in response, burning molten lifting upward to stare at Silversmoke, wooly tail shifting idly against the ground with a drawn-out grunt, helm nodding subtly. He would seek Drizzlepelt and Drowsypaw upon return, willing his palpitating heart at bay, the desire to comfort, to do something brimming at the back of his mind like a relentless itch.

With a grunt, Duskpool pulled away from everything, heart heavy inside his chest, paws even heavier than before, he slipped out of the camp’s entrance. ​
​
thought speech​
 
𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 〰 Her hissing comes at such a shock to them that Edenpaw's sniveling is all but ended- stupefied by Cherrypaw's demands that they shut. up. They look at her with such confusion it'd be like she spoke another language. Cherrypaw didn't get along with a lot of cats but not Edenpaw... they were friends. Good friends, even! And she'd never directed such flat-hearted words in their direction before. Ears pin back in silent protest to have even heard it at all and even though Crowpaw offers another gentle paw at their back, explains in short summary he's witnessed StarClan's accursed 'gift' in action... it does nothing.

There is still a hole there... there is still an knot raveled tightly in their guts that refuses to settle. Just because he'd seen it didn't mean anything. They refused to believe this idiot that thought Otterpaw was a good friend knew what the hell he was talking about! They refused to believe Blazestar had been murdered nine entire times. What kind of life was that for anyone? How unfair was that, to be killed over and over and over and at the end of it... he won nothing. He lost everything instead.

They think to smack him, to tell him to stop lying and go away. But the calico she-cat withdraws her tender touch from their alabaster fur, murmurs a fragment of their friend's name and the pieces click.

I am... so selfish...

Turning to Lupinepaw, who looks so shaken she might burst into tiny, fractured pieces at the slightest touch, the bi-color apprentice feels suffocated by the amount of guilt that washes over them. "Lupi...." Gingerly, they peel themself from the puddle they'd become on the ground, casting Crowpaw a glance... Why was he.... So calm?

This was his family too.

"She's..... gonna be okay," they offer quietly, swallowing past the bubbling sick feeling in their chest. Her face... looked pretty damaged but.... but it wasn't much worse than theirs... or Flowercloud's really. Dawnglare and Fireflypaw they'd... they'd taken care of both of them. Made sure they were alive. "Are..... you?"

Bobbie had friends, had the other lead warriors, had Orangeblossom, even! Surely... she had enough support for this right now. But who cared about the little sopping messes that were the older apprentices, who had to witness and wait and just shove it down that this was their reality. This was the future they had to look forward to in less than a few months? It'd be them out there next time. And maybe... one of them would lay on the ground like sunshine and dandelions instead.

Quiet..... and still......​
 
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