private rockabye baby don't you cry // private

[Ternstar.]

FROM COFFIN TO THE CRADLE
I GOT DEMONS, I GOT ANGELS​

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ternfrost ♛ 24 moons ♛ female ♛ she/her ♛ shadowclan queen ​

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Of all her clanmates concerns, there is only one that Ternfrost takes seriously. Before white-socked paws will carry her anywhere, she has one last thing to do - and it isn't eating whatever foul herbs starlingheart has put together for strength.

Frosty figure dips her way back into the nursery - a place that, despite her breif time, has once more grown familiar enough to consider her own. eyes flit across those laying in their nest - not everyone had gathered, despite marblepaws cries, and even many of those who had had returned to their daily activities. But she has only one cat in mind - paws carrying her swiftly towards shadowclans resident perma-queen, a flick of her tail beckoning her kits before she speaks.

" Moltface, " she speaks quietly, end though tone is even for once eyes are truly expressive - a ferocity she does not bother to hide. She's wondered more then once, what life might've been like if she'd been handed not to her mothers friend, but to the permaqueen of her time - perhaps Bramblebelly would not have allowed her to go unfed, uncared for. No matter her stilt version of affection, she'd never wish the same fate upon another - certainly not her own kits.

" You have had many kits under your care. Your charges are to leave the nursery soon themselves... would you be willing to take on more? No mater what starclan thinks, I cannot be there for my children every second if I am to follow their path... they can stay with me and I will care for them at night, but if I am truly to lead... then during the day I must care for the clan as a whole, " she says, tail swishing stubbornly.

In truth, she is unsure what their response will be - or her own, should the request be denied. Her kits her miracles - would she really give up destiny for them? She cannot answer, and that in of itself is more terrifying then any weight of responsibility upon her shoulders.

━ actions & " speech, " & 'thoughts/quotes' ━

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I - S H O U L D- H A V E- B E E N- B O R N- W I T H-
A -W A R N I N G- L A B E L

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// @MOLTFACE @CORNFLOWERKIT @RAINBOWKIT @Ivorykit - in no particular order, though shes directly interacting with molt rn <3

 

[MOLTFACE]

Moltface isn't one to miss out on commotion, no... Even if her jaws to not speak, her ears certainly do, aiming toward murmurs on instinct with the keenness of a hound. The slobbering sort — kept on a lead's end with no other purpose to seek and find. Oh yes, he'd heard it all, and thereafter had waited patiently for some inevitable talk. He might feign ignorance if it would not be so very predictable of him... Oh, he's growing old. He fears his pile of tricks has been all but picked over, already...

Still, she's grooming herself when Ternfrost comes to find her, nose-lowered to her pale shoulder. She can allow her eyes a wideness that they could never quite find outside the shade of the nursery. The heavy-leather of their eyes is all presumption, not necessity, today... " Ternfrost, " mewed with some unique innocence, as if she hadn't a clue what the fire in her eyes could be for...

Moltface tips his head, and it hasn't a thing to do with she is asking of him, in sincerity. To say they've made up their mind would be an overstatement, really... It is as mindless as it comes. What could his answer ever be besides yes? No... it is everything else that prompts further question. Perhaps Ternfrost works with such efficiency in hopes of avoiding them, altogether.

She had been like her once. A soldier. It had not done much for her. " You know.... " Their grin is lazy; close-lipped. " It's rather valuable, what you're giving up. The chance for you and your kits to have a certain... security. " A guauntee that the both of you will be alive, come next sunrise, of course... With dainty paws, Moltface toes the edge of subtlety and harsh reality. He smiles as if they may as well be discussing the weather. " Is it worth it to you? " To recieve some odd amount of lives... To disappear, a moon or so later...?​

 

[CORNFLOWERKIT]

LEARNED MY LESSON, WAY TOO LONG AGO​

---

cornflower has always been a reflection of her mother– if not for appearance then in pure vitriol that runs through her veins. it only burns brighter every single day, and the more she grows, the more she finds to be upset about. there is very few that actually matters to her in this life– such is the life of a kitten. nothing really matters to the kit but getting her way, her mom, and her siblings. that's it. that's all that she's ever had. but this did not sound the same. this was not the same at all. her tail lashes as she narrows her eyes. it doesn't take much to realize what her mother is saying.

"you... want to... leave us with moltface?"

her tail lashes, and her lip curls back. no. no way in the stars. not happening. never not once. she doesn't care about the clan. she only cares about getting what she wants and what she wants at the base of her instincts, is her mother.

"no! I don't want moltface! i want you! i don't care what shadowclan needs– what about us?! what about me?"

what is a kit if she is not selfish and unaware that the world does not revolve around her? why wouldn't it? it always seemed to have before.

​

 

[Ternstar.]

FROM COFFIN TO THE CRADLE
I GOT DEMONS, I GOT ANGELS​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

ternfrost ♛ 24 moons ♛ female ♛ she/her ♛ shadowclan queen ​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Moltface does not ask why - why him, why bear this responsibility at all. But she asks if it is worth it - to risk it all. To lose it. " It is, " she says slowly - for a moment, ignoring cornflowerkit's mounting horor as she stares into pale gaze, unblinking.

" If nothing else, then for them," Her goals have never been so selfless - and yet, as she speaks them she realizes the words are no less true. How many nights had she gone hungry in leafbare? How many kits after her, or even before had gone through the same? She has kept her children safe - prepared the best she can, and yet sheltered from the worst of it. Could she really continue to do the same, if Shadowclan falls beneath the weight of another useless leader.

Her daughters insistence draws vibrant gaze to her at last, and there is a gentleness that she does not bother to hide as she speaks - a warmth only ever meant for them. " I know my love, I know, " she says, meaning to shush and to soothe. But the hardset look in her eyes does not falter - and neither does she bend. " But it is time for you to grow - to be strong. Shadowclan... shadowclan cannot protect you, not like this. But I will, "

She thinks of raging winds and the piles of snow that still litter the world outside the dens walls - of fleeing prey and a soon to be empty pile. Tongue rasps across tabby fur, tugging at silver fur that reminds her so much of her own - an attempt to soothe them both. " I cannot argue with the stars, " she probably could, if only she'd wanted too - she'd never been keen to try, no matter the hurt or pain they'd brought her. " But I will always be your mother - and you will still have me... just less, "

━ actions & " speech, " & 'thoughts/quotes' ━

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I - S H O U L D- H A V E- B E E N- B O R N- W I T H-
A -W A R N I N G- L A B E L

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[MOLTFACE]

She hadn't expected any other answer, really... If cats did not continue to answer yes, ShadowClan would be long gone by now... A system like this could never have worked in any one Clan. Whether such a system was worth keeping... No one important enough has not bothered to question. It was likely that they never would.

Oh yes, they see the little lash of Cornflowerkit's tail, even as her mother lifts her head, that voice of hers resolute. Moltface is not unwilling to admit when he does not understand something. Always, he is polite enough. Always, he would keep to himself... For them, she says. Ah, she must have big dreams, must inexplicably deem herself different for those that came before her... And perhaps she would be right, someday. That would not keep Moltface from thinking her a fool to do so. Of course, the Clans could not exist without their fools...

Cornflowerkit's piping up was due. The queen takes no offense... No, she thinks in Cornflowerkit's place, she would do the same... From her perch as a watchful dove, they nearly do in their own way... Of course, Ternfrost softens. The sight is not as rare for Moltface as it would be to the rest of their Clanmates. He pities the child. Truly he does.

" I could never make as brave a choice as you, " eventually, they say. His smile is steadfast. His words— though not kind in their entirety, are true. Such is a life that Moltface eagerly avoids. Gently, his tail flicks against Cornflowerkit's flank. " I will never replace your mother, dear, " she assures her. " I'll only be keeping you warm while she's gone. "​