private UNTIL THE GLASS BE SHATTERED | mallowtail

[downyfur]

This is their first encounter with DuskClan they'd escaped unscathed. There had been nothing of worth to escape from, so it hadn't been very hard to avoid injuring themself on the way out.

Mostly, they pity the DuskClanner. They seem to end up pitying a lot of them, actually: this Mizzlepaw, Thriftfeather, even Junco. Three didn't seem like a lot, but that was far more than they'd assumed seasons ago. Still, they were supposed to hate most of them, and those feelings weren't hard to reach when they were needed.

They walk side-by-side with Mallowtail instead of in the earth beneath her, dragging a rabbit between their legs and across the frost-laced grasses. She'd seemed more receptive than other WindClanners they could name. Maybe receptive was a weird word for it. Encountering DuskClan didn't happen on every patrol. "Mallowtail," the smaller cat meows, setting down their rabbit. Casually, they ask, "What did you think of Mizzlepaw?"

ooc: takes places right after they leave from meeting mizzlepaw @Mallowtail ​

 

[Mallowtail]

In contrast to their typical encounters with Duskclan, their encounter with Mizzlepaw had been intriguing. The black-and-white Duskclanner's appearance suggested that they were having difficulty, and their questions gave the impression that they did not truly want to be there. There was obviously more happening at Duskclanner than it appeared to be, a former shell of the group that gathered as Sootstar's supporters. The fact that they went to such lengths, including forcing young cats to fight, as was the case prior to the code being created to stop such things, was, to be honest, a little depressing. As they walk alongside Downyfur, a cat she had not known well due to their different roles—Dowy was frequently in the tunnels while she ran the moors with the sun luring her soft coat—a honeyed gaze observes the moors. Their words catch her from her thoughts as she glances over with a raised eyebrow. "Ah, yeah?"

What did she think of Mizzlepaw? She takes a deep breath followed by a sigh before shaking her head in response. "I think Mizzlepaw doesn't want to be there, honestly." Mallowtail would answer as she rubs a paw against her temple before looking back, deciding to see what Downyfur's opinion on the Duskclanner was. "What about you? What did you think of the kid?" The young Duskclanner looked a lot like Rumblerain, but it's been moons since she's last seen the sibling of Scorchstorm, and the thought is quickly brushed away.

take me to the sun, where the light never fails ✩ tell me youre the one, that our loves never fading

• ooc.
• 
• 
  𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍・she/her・moor–runner of windclan
  short-haired cream sepia with high white and honey brown eyes.
  — warrior of windclan | mentoring wasppaw
  — peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  — "speech" ▪ thoughts ▪ actions
  — penned by yeomna ↛ @yeomnaa on discord

​

 

[downyfur]

Mallowtail's breath blooms cloud-like in the wintry air. They can feel the disappointment radiating from it: not due to any personal failings of her own, but just a general weariness, like an older cousin watching a younger one mess up from afar. She can understand why she would care so much. Maybe if they had more room in their heart to spare, it'd hurt more to see a promising youth languish in the wastelands, doomed to a short and brutish life.

But at the end of the day, there was nothing they could do, short of dragging Mizzlepaw back by the tail to be imprisoned in WindClan. In the hopefully-distant future, it would be Mizzlepaw's claws breaking down the gorse walls, Mizzlepaw's teeth lunging for the nursery.

"Thriftfeather left," is her mumbled answer. He was alone. He could have left if he wanted to. Maybe the young one had ties to DuskClan, some love still left. Maybe they thought DuskClan was bad, but WindClan was even worse. Would that explain why they were willing to talk to us in the first place?

They shake their head softly. "I feel bad for him." It's half a lie; they're grappling with it, but it's unnoticeable. "They barely have any food, and no nesting material as far as I can tell. I can't blame him if he really does feel that way." Semiconsciously, she mimics Mallowtail, bringing a paw up to rub at her cheek. "He's too young to have been a part of the original DuskClan. I... you don't think they're still stealing kits, do you?" She glances into hazel eyes, willing a discussion more than an answer.​

 

[Mallowtail]

Interaction with those from Duskclan was generally fraught with caution. The typical interactions that she'd seen with the shattered version of Windclan tended to be young freshblood that were being molded into brainwashed child soldiers. Like Downyfur's predictions about the future, Mizzlepaw might be part of the next Duskclan invasion of Windclan, trying to harm their clan and steal their kits. The fact that nobody knew what the future held and that you could never predict what the next day would bring was one of the reasons Mallowtail chose to live in the present rather than worrying about the future. Her eyes briefly stray to the sky as though they might respond, but silence, adorned with thick clouds and clear skies, greets her.

Thriftfeather left. The words catch her attention as she glances over and nods in agreement. But because Bluefrost was expecting his kittens, Thriftfeather had a way out of Duskclan, even if it meant losing her position as the lead warrior. "You're not wrong, but he had Bluefrost and others at his defense, plus she was carrying his kits. There's too many factors at play for someone wanting, needing, or being forced to stay, you know?" Mallowtail you respond after a moment as she rolls her shoulders in contemplation. Anything from hostages to food to family could be the subject. Aside from fostering the idea that they could always leave if they were not satisfied, it would be risky for them to attempt further investigation.

As Downyfur begins to answer her inquiries, she glances at them to watch how they react. There isn't much disdain, anger, or much in their body language compared to someone such as Thistlepaw, who blazes into anger at the mention of them. "I see," she murmurs as she listens to Downyfur's observation. Their last statement makes delicate features crease at the thought and distant memory of Duskclanners raiding their nursery, stealing Vulturekit and almost Thistlepaw. "Honestly... I don't know. I know I shouldn't say anything because it could be a toss at the stars, but... Mizzlepaw looked like Rumblerain a little." What was she saying, but she couldn't help but see a reflection of Scorchstorm's brother in them.

Maybe worrying about Scorchstorm since Frostwind's death had gotten to her head a little, and she shakes her head. "I don't know what I'm saying; forget what I said." Mallowtail quickly interjects before glancing behind her in the direction where the young Duskclan apprentice went off before looking back at their home. Could he have been a stolen kit? "The last couple of times I've seen Duskclanners, they all looked frail and ready to break at any moment. I can only hope that they're not stealing kits; I don't want them to be forced into the days of bloodshed like we were." The cream sepia would admit after with her personal opinion, pity flashing in her eyes. No child deserved to face what Sootstar made them go through; they deserved to grow happy and healthy with their loved ones and friends until they were old enough to leave the nest.

take me to the sun, where the light never fails ✩ tell me youre the one, that our loves never fading

• ooc.
• 
• 
  𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍・she/her・moor–runner of windclan
  short-haired cream sepia with high white and honey brown eyes.
  — warrior of windclan | mentoring wasppaw
  — peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  — "speech" ▪ thoughts ▪ actions
  — penned by yeomna ↛ @yeomnaa on discord

​

 

[downyfur]

It's nice to talk to someone who's not so easily polarized. Yet, they don't want to be talked off their ledge. Everything she lists off, they already know. Loyalty is a difficult thing, change even harder. Her face remains pleasantly tranquil as a fresh wave of irritation blazes through her, and she replaces the, "I know," with a gentle, "That's true."

But there was always a way out: it only needed to be found. Cats left all the time; there's always something that drove them out, known to them or not. Downyfur couldn't fathom the idea of just picking up their life and leaving with it just because they felt like it that day. (It couldn't have just been the stress of leadership for Sunstride and Wolfsong. They refuse to believe they were that weak, or it was just that hard.)

Shadows ripple over Mallowtail's sweet face. They tip their head. "Ah... alright," the tiny feline hums. That she so easily dismisses the idea makes them wonder if she knows something they don't. She tries to remember if she's close with Scorchstorm, but it's difficult because she's close with everyone. Maybe she just doesn't want to come close to slandering the deputy's name, something she can sympathize with. Still, they tuck the idea into the folds of their brain, hiding it beneath breezy agreement.

The days of bloodshed. Realistically, Mallowtail had lived through more of them than Downyfur. She doesn't know why it still nags at her; she'd still be in the nursery if it'd happened today. She frowns with her, ears drooping a bit. "Well, let's hope," she sighs. That's all they could do. Should do.

"Is it only the kits you feel sorry for?" They stare at the rabbit between their paws, round features dull with neutrality.​

 

[Mallowtail]

Downyfur seems to agree with her statement as her ears give an idle flick in the moment of silence. There were always too many reasons why someone would abandon everything and disappear from your life, but Mallowtail was incapable of doing it. She had grown up, loved, and remained faithful to Windclan. Nothing could ever make her wish to sever her ties to the moorlands, which was why she stayed even when Sootstar became a mad queen. How could she run with her tail between her legs while everyone she cared for suffered under the reign of a tyrant? She would rather bear the burden instead of running from it. Perhaps despite her passive demeanor and her desire to believe the best of everyone, she inwardly thinks of Wolfsong and Sunstar as cowards for running. Many people who looked up to them were devastated by their actions, which did more harm than good. They chose to do this rather than talk to their council or anybody else.

The other thankfully seems to ignore her rambling of the children looking like Scorchstar's grandchildren, and she partly wishes to blow a sigh of relief. It was the last thing that she wanted to do was cause drama for Scorchstar or Scorchstorm when they both had their mantle full. Even though it seemed so small, hope was a powerful word that she lived by. "Mmh. It's all that we can do without getting hurt." Mallowtail would mrrow quietly as she glanced in the direction Mizzlepaw had disappeared off too. May Starclan watch over you, Mizzlepaw. Be free of your bindings and find happiness. As she finishes her silent prayer, Downy's words catch her attention.

Only the kits that she felt pity for? "No... I feel bad for them all. I think they really believe they're doing something right but are inwardly causing their own downfall and bringing more into the chaos to fill a false dream." The kittens and apprentice received more of her pity as they were brainwashed to believe a false narrative where they would grow starving and act just like feral dogs instead of learning to know about love, happiness, and freedom. They had to dread each coming day, unlike if they were an actual clan cat, barn cat, or even a kittypet. They only experienced pain, famine, animosity, and violence in Duskclan.

take me to the sun, where the light never fails ✩ tell me youre the one, that our loves never fading

• ooc.
• 
• 
  𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍・she/her・moor–runner of windclan
  short-haired cream sepia with high white and honey brown eyes.
  — warrior of windclan | mentoring wasppaw
  — peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  — "speech" ▪ thoughts ▪ actions
  — penned by yeomna ↛ @yeomnaa on discord

​