they don't feel it go to waste ↷ [RETURN]

[smogstar]

The jaded are seldom afforded the luxury of slow suffering. For a whole season's worth of emotional torment to be condensed into an hour, thrusting the woes of denial, anger, and acceptance unto him in a manic onslaught, it stripped the tom of his cynical armor. An unfamiliar softness steeped in his belly - at least in this fleeting moment - as he trudged through the murky tangle in the company of his mate, his kits, and the clanmates who played a heavy part in their salvation. Smogmaw felt thankful. Grateful. Humbled. Indebted, even.

Though he denied himself of putting such sentiments into words, it is not due to reluctance, but rather an incapacity to fully express them. The collective efforts of Chilledstar, Geckoscreech, and Stumpyspots have established a fallacy in his worldview: that, indeed, there are individuals willing to defy their self-interest and lay their lives on the line to simply protect their fellow beings. Never before has he felt so wrong. It's a feeling he certainly opposes the idea of getting comfortable with, but in this instance, there was no denying the overwhelming evidence before him. The brutish bear had been outsmarted and outdone, all thanks to the extraordinary display of selflessness put on by his clanmates.

Smogmaw's shoulders would hunch under the weight of the silence. He had to say something before they returned to the tunnels. Anything. If not an acknowledgement of their bravery, then a token of appreciation at the minimum. Amber hues flutter from face to face, though dodging his leader's icy stare and sidestepping those belonging to the warriors in his midst. Eventually, his focus would drift to a set of stubby legs, dawdling unevenly along the miry terrain.

"I'm, uh... sorry, heh, for dropping you, Applekit."

What a splendid show of articulation, Smogmaw.

Confronting clanmates with gratitude shouldn't pose more difficulty than outpacing a bear, yet here he stood, stumbling over his own words, unable to muster a sincere apology towards his own kit. All he can really do is offer a sheepish smile to his mate, as the group drew within reach of their temporary home in the tunnels.

// continuation of this thread!

// tagging those involved, but no need to wait for them to post >:3 @Halfshade @APPLEKIT @Garlickit @valeriankit @swankit @STUMPYSPOTS @CHILLEDSTAR. @GECKOSCREECH ​

 

[Garlicheart]

Garlickit was still visibly shaken and upset. Everything that had just happened was so much, so terrifying. It was a lot for her to handle. And for it all to happen so suddenly, she barely had time to process what was happening. She can still hear it all in her head. See it all. From the evacuation to holing up in that den to her mothers cry as the bear tried to kill her. Her clanmates had come to help them.

They were all okay. They were safe now.

And yet she couldn't stop crying. They were quiet sniffles, afraid that if she were too loud, the bear would find them again. She was still shaking and felt like she might faint, but she tried to hang in there. She pressed her face into Smogmaw's pelt and told herself repeatedly that everything was okay.

She would go to sleep tonight, and everything will be okay. Everyone will be safe.​

 

[Swansong]

————— ☾ —————
NOW I KNOW WHAT'S REAL, WHAT'S FAKE

Swankit's steps are quiet and slow as he trails after his family into camp. He sticks close to Valeriankit, as he has since they were in the tunnel together, watery blue eyes fixed on the ground. His face is blank, his mind swirling with images of the bear, growing more distorted and terrifying each time he thinks of it. He's still shaking, a little.

Garlickit is crying, he registers distantly. He should comfort her, maybe. She clings to Smogmaw's leg, and Swankit moves closer, limbs feeling as though they're pushing through water to do so. He blinks, once, and then presses his head against her side. "'S okay, Garlickit," he mumbles, voice barely a whisper and filled with tremors. His comfort is hollow, when he himself still feels the same fear. "The monster's gone now..." But will it stay gone? He doesn't know...

RATHER SLEEP THAN STAY AWAKE
————— ☾ —————

☾⋆⁺₊⋆ info ; visual

• //
  ​
• SWANKIT named for his pale fur, after his maternal grandmother.
  — he/him. 2 moons.
  — shadowclan kit.
  — quiet and dreamy.
  
  penned by saturnid.​
• "SPEECH"
  ​
• 

​

 

[Halfshade]

She is tired. Moreso than she expected to be but what else could you feel when you spent most the day in absolute panic and then the chaos of having to climb for your life and sprint to safety the moment she had an opening. Halfshade's paws drag, her tail a limp and curly furred droop of an appendage being pulled along behind her through muck and leaves; the grooming would be a nightmare, she is too exhausted to care. The torbie keeps her head low, pausing every so often to nudge a kit and ensure they were all still accounted for before lifting her mismatched gaze up into the distance of where they traveled. She is not very impressed by the roadside mess they are forced to live in, but when faced with the uncertainty of death back at their camp she finds she can live with it. The alternative was far worse than she could imagine.
"Keep walking, darlings. We'll find a nice spot to set up a nest..." As nice as you could get living on the roadside like this; the very idea of being near the thunderpath made her fur prickle, especially with her kits so unfamiliar with the danger. They'd need a lesson on it immediately, something their mentors would've taught them in a moon or so, but now something she was forced to in order to keep them safe.
​

 

[GECKOSCREECH]

with everyone successfully escaping the clutches of the ursine, the adrenaline that pumped through her bloodstream began to wane leaving behind a feeling of slow settling exhaustion. green-leaf has certainly been nothing but trouble for shadowclan and one could only hope it will start to get better soon but stars know the second they get a lick of peace something just comes along to disturb it. geckoscreech waves off the pessimistic thoughts that cling stubbornly to her brain, right now they should be glad that they found and saved halfshade and her kits from suffering a terrible fate. "everyone is alright, yes?" she mews, shifting her gaze towards the family that walked ahead.​

∘₊✧ ONE LAST LIFELINE, I'M HANGING HIGH. ✧₊∘​

 

[APPLEJAW]

Applekit is quiet as they return. The place they are brought to is dark and ugly– Ugglier than the mud that already coated their usual camp's floor. The cats inside are dreary, and Applekit is too, maw fixed in a frown that hasn't moved since Chilledstar set her by Smogmaw's side. The world seemed so much scarier, now that she knew monsters like those were out there, and that Smogmaw might drop her into them if he stumbles. Applekit stays huddled beside her mother. She'd pout at her father's apology in response. She's mad at him.

She watches Garlickit sniff and cry and nuzzle her way into Smogmaw's fur. Of course she would. He saved her. Applekit would blink by Halfsahde's legs, watching Swankit attempt to comfort their usually loudmouthed sister. For a moment, Applekit is jealous. But she didn't need to be comforted. She didn't. Applekit thinks they wouldn't be in this dumb tunnel if the monsters are really gone. Her lip wobbles and it hurts from her biting it.

" I hate this place, " she suddenly says, swiveling her head as if looking for any redeemable part of it all. It could mean the tunnels, or the swamp as a whole. It was all bad. She sniffs at Geckoscreech's words. " I guess. "​

 

[S A B L E T U F T]

can we leave it behind? — Remaining underneath the tunnels while he recovered from the impact against his skull was much more infuriating than he had anticipated. A horrid collision of feeling utterly defeated by his own body and bitter stubbornness of wanting to do everything. There were patrols to attend, cats to regroup with still, mouths to feed most importantly. He despised being kept in the 'safety' of the tunnel now that he was actually forced to stay within it. Starlingheart had surprised him with how much authority she could hold in that voice.

He heard a collection of familiar voices outside the maw of the tunnel. Ears perked, angled back to listen. He recognized a few, mainly Halfshade and Geckoscreech. The dark tom blinked, standing to his paws and steadying himself as the spinning began. Sabletuft stood still, watching as the kittens ambled into the dark cave, followed by their parents and the warriors that had found them.

When the ground felt steady again, Sabletuft moved to approach them, huffing in agreement with the temperamental one. "Me too." Maybe he shouldn't say it, considering it was his idea, but no one had offered a better one anyway. "You look hungry, I'll find something dry for you all to eat." They looked a bit more than hungry, but he wanted to be polite. Head ducked as he departed, in a few moments he would return with a plover, mostly dry thanks to its feathers.

"I'm glad to see you all safe, I don't think Smogmaw's slept for days." Sabletuft was guilty of the same, if only the damned wind hadn't sent that branch down on him. — tags​