pafp UNDER THE KNIFE I SURRENDER - toothache

[BURNSTORM]

Dinner.

The idea of eating right now made his stomach turn, already anticipating the pain that his inflicted tooth would cause him when he bit into the flesh of prey, how difficult it would be to rip meat from bones when every time he put any pressure at all on that damned canine it send a stabbing sensation through his whole mouth. It all can be traced back to yesterday, he had forgotten to eat before going out hunting, and unfortunately they had gone to Sunning Rocks, and unfortunately he had seen that fox-hearted coward who had taken his grandmother's life across the way. He had grabbed a piece of prey off the fresh-kill pile, grumbling to whoever was near enough to hear that he was going to go eat alone, and found a corner to devour his meal in. But he couldn't dispel the anger from his mind and he had torn into that poor mouse with such a ferocity and when he was done absolutely ravaging his meal he moved on to the bones. He had taken one of those little bones in his mouth and bit down, and in his mind he imagined it was the bones of that pathetic excuse for a warrior. Grandma killer extraordinaire. Or perhaps it was his cousin who still stayed there, among the monsters. He had thought his siblings the true pariahs' but he sees now he was wrong. It had been her.

The bone had splintered in his mouth, breaking apart easily with a crunch. The taste of marrow floods his mouth and for a moment it feels good, powerful even. And then the pain hits. One of the splinters had broken off and buried itself right into the gums above his canine, his mouth had bled a little and he had let out a sharp cry in pain and surprise. He had lifted his paw up to his mouth, pulled the offending thorn out and inspected it, a frown on his ebony features and then he had discarded it, along with all the other bones. Anger sated, replaced by pain and a deep pit of sadness and grief and loss.

Now, he stares absently at the squirrel between his feet, not entirely certain he wants to try eating again. He had already made an attempt this morning and had quickly decided he would try again later and gave his prey to his mother, who was very grateful to be brought breakfast by her son, and he had gone out to do his assigned duties. His stomach grumbles loudly which causes his frown to deepen but still he cannot bring himself to bow his head and take a bite.

// @BERRYHEART
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[BERRYHEART]

Little-little was not quite so little anymore, but he would never grow out of Berryheart's affectionate name for him. When he had been born he had looked like his sister's newborn shadow... sun-shrunk. Now he was fully-grown, almost- approaching warrior age, and how strange that reality felt. But even when a new name was given to him, to Berryheart his nephew would always be Little-little. A smaller reflection of his sibling.

The day glared pallid, half-heartedly warm, and Berryheart would be remiss to overlook the odd expression etched upon the ebony tom's face. Flame-flecked features furrowed in a momentary display of puzzlement, studying Little-little's face for a long few moments. His meal- a squirrel- sat untouched at his paws, and that was when the tortoiseshell tom surmised that something must be wrong. No sane cat would be nauseated by the most delicious of prey-types... there had to be some external force intervening, here.

"Something wrong?" he asked, direct as ever- though his baritone remained a soft, tranquil hum. ​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​

 

[Shinebug]

Shinekit had been studying Burnpaw since he’d sat down, sky-blue eyes not-so-subtly staring from a few fox-lengths away. The tomcat’s own training would begin soon enough, after all, and he wanted to know the proper way to act. So far it seemed like the apprentice was practicing some form of self-discipline, placing a succulent meal before himself and resisting the urge to take a bite. Perhaps it was to train mental fortitude, or patience? Or…

Soon enough, wandering eyes had moved away from Burnpaw and towards the squirrel itself. It did look really good, after all. If the apprentice wasn’t going to eat it, maybe he wouldn’t mind if Shinekit took a bite or five? It could help with his training, too. Everyone knew that watching someone else tear into a delicious meal was practically torture, so he’d be satiating his hunger whole challenging Burnpaw at the same time!

Padding forwards, avarice-filled eyes were so set on the squirrel that Shinekit didn’t notice Berryheart’s arrival, stopping just short of crashing into the other. Snapped out of his prey-induced craze, Shinekit now got a good look at Burnpaw, and sky-blue eyes began to warble with worry. Was he…grimacing? “You okay? Are you scared of squirrels or something?” ​

 

[Acornwish.]

ACORNKIT — the cow jumped over the moon .
Acornkit had a toothache once, but now she was missing a molar- left only to take the advice of an elderly cat who’s only solution was to knock it out, comforted by the knowledge that it was just a kitten tooth anyways, or at least that’s what the old guy had told her.
Shinekit had been watching Burnpaw, but Acornkit had been watching Shinekit, having half a mind to ask him to scavenge with her.
Yet, the other walks off and only then does Acornkit noticed the scowling on Burnpaw’s face.
She trots after her denmate, head tilted in curiosity. Eyes flicker between the squirrels once-bitten state and the ebony tom. She hopes it isn’t a teeth problem, dental matters make her queasy.
"speech"

tags​

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[BURNSTORM]

Burnpaw looks up from his meal as his uncle approaches, followed immediately by two kits, all looking at him, all wanting to know what was wrong, why he wasn't eating. He adverts his gaze "I'm not afraid of a squirrel" he murmurs. mostly under his breath but still, he does not make any move to eat it further. He finally tears his gaze away from the ground to look up at his uncle. Berryheart looked the same as ever, the tortoiseshell tom had been a constant in the young apprentice's life. He was always there for him when he was a kit, assuring him and his siblings that they weren't going to die after scraping themselves while playing. He knew he would always be there to patch up his wounds and for a moment, he feels grateful to have that in his life. He finds comfort in that murky blue gaze and he lets out a soft sigh.

"A couple of days ago I uh- I bit down on a bone and it splintered and now my tooth hurts" he explains, his gaze once again turning to the ground. It was a little bit embarrassing to admit to his little outburst but he had left out the details as to why he had bit down on that bone and he would not be explaining any further. "It hurts to eat"
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[BERRYHEART]

As with anything of interest, a crowd soon flocked- Cheery and Mousy, both kittens with likely nothing better to do. No hostility occupied his demeanour, though- no, a fond gaze blinked down at them and their wide, blinking curiosity. It was his nephew who had the most of his attention, though; especially as he began to elaborate on what unseen force was bothering him enough for it to show upon his face. His skewed jaw hung ajar, dull forest eyes watching thoughtfully.

A damaged tooth? If it was anything like a damaged bone, Berryheart was without much clue for how to deal with it. But... he had plenty of herbs in storage, none of them poisonous.

"Hmm... toothache," he hummed, knowing the issue at hand- though the whirring gears in his brain working at how to deal with it could almost be audible with how feverish he thought. The tortoiseshell could not imagine why Little-little had chosen to bits down so furiously upon a bone that he had caused damage, but he would not pry. It was not his duty to attempt to solve problems that were not physical. "Come to my den. We can find the cure."​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​