time is always in limited supply | open, prompt

Jun 7, 2022
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♡ – fireflies dance through the night sky. Your characters find themselves the only audience to the performance—how do they react?

it's late. far too late for anyone in their right mind to be gallivanting through the darkness that shrouded these woods but huckleberry had been plagued by restlessness these past few days and tonight was no different so instead of laying in his nest listening to the gentle breathings of slumbering companions the smoky warrior had carefully removed himself from the tangle of limbs he shared with baguette before slipping out and making a quiet exit.

upon stepping foot into the territory, he'd take notice of how warm this particular night was which he gladly welcomed with open arms. it was nice reminder that soon the pine forest will be blossoming with life once again, no longer would anyone need to worry about starving or lacking herbs for it'll be in abundance. maybe skyclan could even have a new-leaf celebration? perhaps decorate the camp with the budding flowers while preparing a feast with a few games here and there to keep the apprentices and kits entertained?

massive paws continued to venture further along a semi-worn path but soon something a few tail-lengths away would flicker briefly in his perphierals which caused his gait to falter and slow. a lone firefly. huckleberry blinks a few times before deciding to veer off the path and go after the elusive insect that beckons him to follow.

he's glad he does.

the smoke ended up wandering into a small, open clearing illuminated by the gentle glow of the moon where in the center of it all was about a dozen or more fireflies who danced in a way that mesmerized the warrior but also stirred up a feeling of nostalgia. huckleberry remembers a moment in the past where he had stumbled across old friends observing a performance similar to this one but the only difference is now it was just him who stood alone in the audience. sadness clouds a softening amber gaze as the tom quietly settles down in his spot, daring not to disturb the concert of lights.

for a selfish minute, he wants to pretend friends who have since moved on to the stars or different territories are sitting here besides him enjoying the spectacle like they once have long ago. no fighting. no arguing. just peace.

( i hear the wandering streams and the song of the birds )
 

In his right mind, Twitchpaw was not. His chronic nightmares never really lessened, but since- since the incident they'd gotten a fair amount worse. A lot worse, really. Now he had been witness to something just as bad as his brain could conjure up, if not worse- telling himself it wasn't real barely worked anymore. For all he knew they could be premonitions for the next horrible thing that was going to happen- the next violent death, the next disaster. He barely ever stopped thinking about the worst case scenario, doomed to the cycle, but at least in the daytime it was doable to simply ignore it. Purge it for the mind. Do something else- go find Quillpaw, go find Butterflypaw, something...

Not today. No, he was- tonight, not today. He got to his feet, heavy blinks falling over his vision, never settling for long enough to make him drowsy. A walk would do him good. Just a little one, and if- if anything happened... if anything happened he'd scream as loud as a wolf howled. Foxes couldn't get him in the trees, anyway- his preferred mode of travel. Leaping from branch to branch and feeling the breeze weave through his fur, the apprehension regarding what could happen refused to reach him.

Flickering in the night... a firefly. Several, actually, when he looked down to see them. Below him somewhere, he stood in the branches entirely unaware of Huckleberry- if he'd known he shared an audience, he might not have been so openly interested. But forward did he crane his head, letting his pupils dance around as they picked and chose which fireflies to follow. Some were bright yellow, some white- some even a flicker of chartreuse. They were almost like weather... a rare kind, like a hurricane or a blizzard, but weather nonetheless. Torrential drops of light... he'd never seen it before.
penned by pin ✧
 
Blazestar is silent as he draws closer to Huckleberry and Twitchpaw, settling his pale bulk behind them. Drifting dark blue eyes find the first flicker of light. Magic, emanating from a body so tiny, so nondescript. He is captivated, as he had been long ago, two former kittypets sitting between the pines and longing for housefolk like kin lost to them.

Do they have fireflies in StarClan, Haku? He blinks, gaze following the same firefly throughout its journey. I think they must, if it's paradise.

He closes his eyes, and the lights still burn behind the lids.

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]
 
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You were named after a dear friend, Fireflykit.

His father's voice echoes in his mind on nights like these, watching his namesake flutter through the sky through the reflection of a puddle. His face moves closer, examining the shining figures in the sky with peaceful tranquility. "Pretty," He mumbles softly, suddenly wishing Minty and Mushie were here to witness this. Would they enjoy the sight? He sure hoped so.
 
"Why are you all up so late?" Orangeblossom meows to nobody in particular, voice rough with sleep. She'd followed at a distance, blinking groggy brown eyes at the clearing as the first fireflies blink into existence. Dancing, freewheeling through the air. Much like the flowers she'd shown Hailstone, they're a sign of the changing times - a sign of hope, a show just for SkyClan, twinkling stars given shape to visit them in the forest. The ginger-and-white molly closes her eyes for a moment, committing the vision to memory. A murmur catches her ear and her attention turns towards Fireflypaw, placidly watching him interact with his namesake for a few moments before it's drawn into the twirling dance of the glowing insects.​

  • Prompt 12

  • orangeblossom, deputy of skyclan
    — mentor to eveningpaw
    ✦ 26 moons, she/her
    ✦ fluffy white and ginger cat with brown eyes. torn ear, scarred muzzle, scarred right legs. walks with a limp.
    ✦ bi, single. @ on discord for plots.
    "speech"thoughts

 
The tom was a bit of a night owl, so to speak, tending to stay out past twilight and making an excuse to journey through the pines by his lonesome, whether said excuse was taking care of his business or needing to stretch his legs or whatever else. Slate didn't like to lounge about in camp, especially when half of the clan reeked of twoleg nests and kibble. Besides, the wilds were what Slate had always been drawn to even as a kit — the fresh air, the crunching of leaves under your step, the seemingly endless rows of evergreens flanking you left and right. Slate misses the hustle and bustle of the city sometimes; he had grown so accustomed to hearing the rumbling of monsters and smelling the odor of rubbish wafting from the alleys.

However, this was not a sight he would find back in his old home.

Slate had a similar inquiry to Orangeblossom, admittedly, as he curiously tracked the scents of multiple SkyClanners toward an open clearing. He is quick to stop in his tracks and lift his gaze to fix upon the dance of flickering lights. "... What are these?" The burly tom rumbles, figuring that these forest cats would possess much more knowledge of the natural happenings here than he does.

A firefly dared to venture too close toward the former rogue, even so much as briefly landing on the tip of his nose. Startled by this, the scarred tom let out a low growl and swatted at it, sending it tumbling out into the air only to resume its dance.



  • SLATE
    —— amab, uses he/him pronouns. twenty-nine moons old. warrior of skyclan; former rogue.
    —— unrefined, rough and tumble rogue who is not accustomed to clan life.
    —— link to tags. @ on discord for plots.

    quite the hulk of a cat, slate stands above the average clanmate with an arrogant gait. he has a dark gray ( bordering on black ) colored pelt with a pale-brown-tinged underbelly and whisps of tan at the tips of his chest hairs. amber-colored eyes contrast against his dark palette. notable features include a jagged scar across his right eye, a torn left ear, and two small scratches across the bridge of his nose.
  • —— decided to officially remain in skyclan as a warrior
    —— lost tip of his left ear to a fox


 
It seems everyone had the same idea of being up late and as she stumbles upon the group she lets herself blink in affection. It’s nice seeing some of her clanmates faces look so peaceful, but concern etches itself in her gaze as she notes the look in Huckleberry’s eyes. She dares not to pry as she settles down to her haunches, wrapping her tail around her.

Pretty, Firefly says, but she thinks its a bit of an understatement. Words could not describe the spectacle, little miniature stars, but Ora asks why everyone is up so late and Sheep only lets out a quiet chuckle at this. Shes fixated on the bugs, but was that a word to describe such creatures like those? A bug seemed to be a term for the pesky little ones…. Secretly, as the fireflies dance in the shadows and illuminate them, Sheep wishes that Redstorm would stumble across the group so they could share this moment together as well. She thinks he’d like to see it.

Fireflies, they’re harmless.” she blinks to Slate, tilting her head and letting out a laugh as she swats at the firefly. All seems right in the world, if only for just tonight.
 


It was times like tonight when the blue tabby realised how lonely he was. He had friends and acquaintances, enemies and apprentices, but staring up at the light-dappled sky, he had no one who he could truly say was by his side. No family, no lovers, no platonic love, it set him apart from the rest of his home, and there was a nagging pit in his heart that just seemed to get deeper and deeper the more he considered his isolation. The spectacle was one the tom would've ignored had it not been for the swaths of clanmates, who sat with tails entwined and banter aplenty emerging from their smiling muzzles. Some spoke of the fireflies, reminiscing about their ethereal beauty or talking as if they were an existential horror, whilst others stayed silent, enjoying the sentiment all the same. Silversmoke looked upwards, little amber glows appearing in his mismatched eyes where little bugs dancing in the moonlight reflected off of them. They were like stars, moving more randomly than the ancestors and bringing with them the promise of a greater tomorrow.

Only, he felt neither the promise of future days or the laments of those who couldn't be hear the witness it. It wasn't beautiful, it simply... existed. He caught the peak of his clanmates out the corner of an emerald pupil and blinked away sorrow upon seeing their joy - why couldn't he see what they saw? Silversmoke's mouth formed a thin line as he prowled away from the bulk of the gathered group, finding a solitary spot on the outskirts to sit and sulk. Fireflies wouldn't help their survival, but at a time like the present, he couldn't help but lament his own pragmatism. He needed it like a tree needed its trunk, if only he could be rid of it for a night to find comfort in another's perspective.


 
( 𓆣 ) Termitepaw is no stranger to staying up late. They prefer the nights, when fewer cats are out, when birds don't taunt them from the treetops. The placid glittering of the stars like eyes watching from above sets them on edge, but at least it is preferable to the blinding brilliance of the sun. Night is when the moths and roaches come out too, a sight the apprentice is well accustomed too, and quite fond of. This, though, this is different.

Termitepaw's memories of green-leaf are fuzzy, half-formed kit-memories of long days and short legs. They've seen fireflies before, in the heat-hazy days of their bygone kithood, but it feels more like a dream than reality. Little glowing lights dancing along the sky like stars pulled from above, insects like their namesake with a beauty like they couldn't fathom. It's no surprise that they thought they had simply imagined it -- it seemed more like a scene from Termitepaw's fanciful thoughts than something real. Sure, fireflies were real, Fireflypaw was named after them after all, but that many at once? It couldn't be right.

Yet here they are.

A dazzling, dancing spectacle alights itself before Termitepaw's eyes. They find themself speechless in the face of it, eyes wide and pupils dilated. Cats have gathered, other night-wanderers watching the show, yet Termitepaw finds itself drifting apart from them. Their words flit through its ears: Slate's confusion, Sheepcurl's response, Orangeblossom's questioning. "Pretty," says Fireflypaw, and it feels inadequate. Termitepaw is transfixed, mesmerized by the gathering of glowing insects.

Their paws trail listlessly back and forth among the fireflies, following one before getting distracted by another. They lift a paw beneath a lone firefly, low to the ground, and find that it does not fly away. Balanced on three legs, Termitepaw stares at the firefly now settled on their paw, not daring to move. She lets out a soft chuckle. It tickles a bit. "He-ello there, little friend," she sing-songs, every word threaded through with a warmth, a joy which cannot quite be expressed by words, all traces of her usual nervousness gone.
 
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Orangeblossom’s voice draws Thistleback’s perked ears, passed the bramble walls of camp the silhouettes of few. Dancing around them are lights, tricking his eyes. The warmer breath of air, is comfortable enough to lull his vigilant sweep over the camp and its edges.

Lantern-like glimpses, the hum of tiny, winged creatures in the dark. Thistleback’s halflidded eyes flicker toward the light swallowing void and falls transfixed upon the little orbs now. Distracting him from his challenge upon the abyss. He is at first, absently curling his paw into a fist of bony knuckles. Lips crescent over jagged grimy teeth tasting the air, as he simply watches the awe peeling over his clanmate’s faces. Slate, given the chance to actually discover such a creature. He hadn’t seen these bugs, since Pricklepaw and Eveningpaw were newborns.

Silversmoke is spotted by Thistleback, eyes glinting nocturnally by the kiss of fragile silver light as he watches the man padding off to isolate himself. The piebald lifts, ambling now to settle next to the silver bloke. " Birds have it quite easy. If only our prey lit up for us once in a while " he jests quietly but settles his chin on his paw and shuts his eyes.





  • MqZ0nzd.png

    Thirty-three moons EVENT TRACKER | IMPORTANT INFO
    — Lead warrior of Skyclan since 12.22.22
    Devoted to Deersong 9.29.22 | polyamorous
    Father of Coyotepaw, Pricklepaw, and Eveningpaw.
    — mentoring quillpaw & Snowpaw
    — very muscular piebald black and white tom with spiky fur and cold silver-grey eyes.
    voice & accent
    biography・゚✧
    OPEN for Dice battles | 🎲 stine#3004
  • bVBPWus.png

 


Fireflies always make him think of his father, of better days and times when SkyClan did not yet exist, when Rain was alive and breathing and here. He is glad for all the friends he had made, for his mate. He comes to stand next to her now, pressing his nose to the top of her head in a gentle but loving greeting. Subconsciously he feels guilty for doing this in front of Blazestar, acutely aware that he cannot do the same with the cat he loves. Redstorm would rather die. "You're up late" he murmurs to her softly before he turns his blue eyes back to the spectacle before them. His heart twists like it always does whenever he thinks of his father, and his brother, but what he had gained outweighed the loss. He is glad to have met everyone here.
 

Though typically high-energy, Greenpaw tends to value his sleep.

But, tonight, his energy seems to just keep going - an inability to keep his eyes shut long enough to get some rest quickly becoming a problem. It isn't long before he gives up on even trying, the apprentice quietly slipping out of his nest to leave the den. A walk would surely tire him out.

As he strays from camp, he soon learns that he isn't the only one awake. And, it's the flickering glow of star-like bugs that leads Greenpaw toward the group with a curious gaze. "Woah..."

Fireflies. Greenpaw's never seen his friend's namesake before. Speaking of --

"Hey," he greets the medicine apprentice as he settles in beside him, tail wrapping around his paws. Viridescent gaze stares up at the sight before the lot of them, fireflies dancing in the night. Shining, glowing. Greenpaw thinks he's starting to understand why Fireflypaw was named after them.
 
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Fireflypaw feels the touch of fur against his side, his eyes squinted against the bright light the little bugs give off. He can barely see them, blurry and fuzzy yellows and oranges merging together in the dark of the night. His head drops instantly, a sheepish smile on his lips as Greenpaw greets him. "Hi," He mutters in return, waiting for the tom to settle down before he leans his head onto his friend's shoulder. He's sleepy, groggy against the night air- but his namesake is so beautiful.

With the color green merged with it, the grass swaying against his paws- Mother's voice preaching in his ears of her creation. Firefly chuckles softly. "It's pretty, isn't it?" He murmurs, closing his eyes to listen to the buzzing of the bugs in the air. He doesn't mind it. This is comfortable. Orangeblossom asks why they're awake, and Firefly hums his amusement. "She has her ways of drawing you towards her," He preaches, nodding his head in agreement with himself. Dawnglare would love this sight, wouldn't he? He wished his mentor was here already. What's taking him so long? Nonetheless, Firefly keeps himself quiet after that. He could appreciate this sight with Greenpaw next to him as long as needed.
 

So many voices murmuring and shifting within the darkness. Truly he is a bit late to wake up and figure out what is going on. It takes him even longer to move but when the chimera does he arches his back and shifts his paws to leave his nest. With a simple ease he wanders toward the voices and lets out a soft gasp as he is engulfed in the lights of the fireflies and their dance. For a moment he just stands there staring and he allows his eyes to roam over them. Seeing them move and blink makes this moment almost feel magical. Like perhaps the stars are down to visit them, their ancestors in insect form come to see them. Their ancestors? A frown pulls at his muzzle them at the sudden disconnect he feels. They aren't really his ancestors but perhaps he can still cherish them almost as such. Just like his twoleg. A part of him wishes and hopes that his counterpart can also be found in Starclan so that they can reunite. But...maybe he is asking too much. With a small frown he glances at the others that are mingling, one figure off to the side. At the moment he has nothing to say.

He wishes to keep the silence. Even as other mutter he settles down and just watches with a small faraway look. Time has been moving for him but he feels stuck in place. Always struggling to keep up, but he hopes to one day move forward. To not mourn but he grateful and happy for the time he had with him.
 
Little thieves buzz about the sky.

He could see how you can find them innocent. They were so much unlike the other mites of this world. Like moths and butterflies, they hid their malodorous shells beneath a gleaming surface, be that the bright silk they surrounded themselves in, or the very light of the sun, hauled upon their backs. It was nearly impossible to see them for what they really were, like this. Stars can blind any soul, and this was no exception. Even he, for but a moment, can forget about the horrors they truly were. And to think...

His eyes finds those so much like his own. Those like his father's, too, blue smothered beneath the darkness of night. To think he was named for something like this. Nearly, it was cruel, seemingly designated him to a life of crawling he had not asked for. Joined by his blood-cursed friend, Dawnglare could not join him.Though, as the lights dance in the sky and flit between paws...

"Sun-stealers," he would answer with his own chatter. Strangely enough, he cares so much less than he once had. Even if it is built on sin, it is still... nice. When you did not pay attention, at least.

He breathes a gusty sigh, and beside Blaise, he settles, a willowy tail brushing against his side, quiet hello. He tries to understand what had possessed him, the day Firefly was born. Still, he would bat at a little devil that neared to close, a hiss lodged in his throat. ...But he tries to understand, nonetheless.