sensitive topics your blood drool attracts the flies / attacked

[nettlepaw.]

His world had never been so cold before.

Snow started to blanket the earth, soon to freeze over water and harden the ground with frost. Yet as the weather plummeted into an icy chill, he was impervious to the outer bite of the cold. No, this frigid sensation was far more internal. It was the emptiness surrounding him, his sides exposed to the night air when two warm bodies once snuggled up to him. The silence when months before, his sisters once whispered and snickered into the early hours of the morning about their mentors or other clan gossips, with Nettle shushing them every so often yet smiling to himself anyway. There was no mother with her tired but gentle eyes to soothe their nightmares and fuss over their cowlicked fur, there was no proud father to chuckle fondly at their antics or deliver advice through a well-woven tale ― when Sedgepaw was buried, her wheezing breath cut short in the night, Lilypaw pressed against his shoulder and wept. He wrapped his paws around her, biting back tears and muttering nonsense through his own grief to comfort her. And when Lilypaw was laid to rest right beside their sister, there was no one at his side. There was no one left for him. The thought chilled him to the very bone, far more than the faintest flakes dappling the sleeping cats around him.

Nettlepaw couldn't sleep. Not for another night, not all alone. Oliveshade wouldn't miss him. In fact, she'd be glad to get rid of him, regardless of how she slowly began to train him. Quietly and wordlessly, as he stared at nothing at all, his mind decided that he had enough. He would leave the moorlands, without looking back, to start anew somewhere better. Away from the clans, far past the horseplace. The rogues had come from beyond there, and while it was dangerous, it would be better than another day of being pitied yet shunned.

Cautiously, he pushed himself to stand, creeping from his spot on the outskirts of the huddled cats, careful to not disturb a single soul. His pawsteps were barely a murmur as he snuck away toward the camp's exit, muted by the accumulating layer of snow. Trembling and holding his breath, Nettlepaw slipped through the tunnel without a second glance. And once distant enough to be safe, his pace quickened to a hasty trot heading north; the gorse wall shrunk and shrunk with every step until it was swallowed by the white glistening hills. The little grey-and-white apprentice stood out like a sore paw in the vast expanse of snow-covered grass, head kept low and legs mindlessly carrying him to the border. He stopped briefly to pant, his breath fogging the air in uneven puffs.

private until further notice!​

 

[kuiper]

[CW: blood, violence]


Hearsay runs rampant among the loners and rogues who are detached from the clans' make-believe. Their game of self-deception has persisted for so long, the forest-bound miscreants have gone and developed their own religion and customs, and with them, a faux sense of moral righteousness. Thus whenever one of the colonisers inflicted themselves on an uninvolved cat, it became a point of contention for individuals like Kuiper. He detests the clans. He sees through their dysfunctional principles and the flawed foundations on which they're built. And he wants to watch them tear apart at the seams before they claim even more land and expand outwards.

WindClan is a topic of conversation he's somewhat caught up on. Their leader is a brash one, so he has heard, for she ventured beyond her own borders in an attempt to recruit a batch of loners. Thankfully, Kuiper keeps to himself and doesn't associate with Gin to any extent, hence he didn't have to witness such a scatterbrained situation. It disgusts him that one of the clan fiends would be so outward in their indoctrination efforts, however, and the tom takes it upon himself to do something about it.

Blades of grass tickled his underside as he prowled the moor's outskirts. Icy blues are peeled, skimming over the scenery as he kept low to the soil. His breathing is held steady, his heart rate deliberate. And when an ashen outline emerges into view just a fair scope away, the rogue takes the plunge.

Breaking into a full sprint, he launches himself onto the apprentice's back the moment he comes within distance. Teeth wedge into the boy's neck as Kuiper's weight causes his skull to crack against a solid surface below. The sickening noise is satisfying to him, and it makes up for the lack of bloodshed during his visit to ThunderClan. While the kid remains defenceless under his grip, his honed claws tear through skin along his shoulders and chest, drawing crimson liquid which stains fur and the ground below.​

 

[nettlepaw.]

cw: blood

As he huffed to catch his breath, the delusion of his midnight escape also caught up to him in time. An eerie silence draped his surroundings, without birds or insects to warble and chitter throughout the night. Nettlepaw blinked downward at his paws, soon wiping away the watery film settling in his vision. What was he even doing out here? His thoughts were far too fractured to piece together, the edges of his mind darkening with a panicked fuzz. With his chest tightening and throat closing shut, his tiny claws curled into the snow, a miserable attempt to ground himself.

His attention snapped behind him only mere seconds too late. Claws dig into his lower back ― pinned beneath the stranger's weight, his muzzle collides with a rock buried in a thin layer of snow, instantly drawing blood. His world exploded into red and pain, real pain. No battering from a mentor or thorn in his paw could compare to the rogue's claws raking down his shoulder, the teeth lodged in his neck. A shriek tore from his throat, hoarse and spitting blood from his busted lip and aching fang. Instinct served him well, better than any training could do as his head whipped around and snapped back at the loner, biting down onto the rogue's forearm and clenching down as hard as he could. His top canine, loosened from the blow against the rock, would remain stuck fast in the flesh it pierced, tearing tooth from gum once Kuiper finally shook free from the apprentice's jaws. Nettlepaw writhed and thrashed in a frenzy, managing to twist himself enough to kick upward at the rogue's underbelly in a desperate effort to escape.​

 

[kuiper]

[CW: BLOOD, BAD VIOLENCE]



Muscles instinctively contract as the apprentice's melodic wails fill the air. Added to the exhilaration pumping through his veins is a sense of raw urgency, an energy to terminate the whelp's distress and give the slip. There's no chance in hell the pained cries went unheard, and if his brief stint in RiverClan was anything to abide by, he has but a smattering of time before displeased clanmates made the scene.

Before he can bring claw to artery, the kid rebounds. Acute pain splits through his front right leg once the child's oozing gums clamp down upon it, prompting a guttural snarl out of the rogue. Furiously, he attempts to jostle the limb free, thrashing it into the depths of Nettlepaw's maw so as to pry it free. The effort to extract his arm results in a similar level of stinging as the initial attack, and pain lingers in his tissue even after its inevitable removal. In the fleeting moment he has afterwards, he spots a puny off-white object protruding from his bloodsoaked foreleg.

He is kicked in the gut, and air rushes out from his gullet. Kuiper has no difficulty in quickly regaining his bearings, however, and within moments he continues the onslaught as planned.

Agonised and nearly-broken, the adolescent contorts himself in a desperate struggle to flee. He doesn't get very far. Outstretched arms force the wretch's skull unto the same rock as before, only for his cranium to ricochet harshly after the collision. Watching such a violent impact up close invigorates the assailant. It's as though he could identify the exact moment the clan cat's life-force began to ebb away.

Kuiper doesn't allow a moment to waste. He readjusts his victim's position, pinning his shoulders onto the ground so that the back of his head lay flat on the ground. "Should have kept an eye out for danger at this hour," he purrs softly, pressing his forehead into the other's abraded chest. "Look before you leap, next time."

There is no remorse to be found within his system. Not a drop of hesitation, either. It matters little to him that he bleeds the same blood as this cat. The mauling he provided isn't cruelty, but rather a just treatment of a settler's spawn. Claws descend on the poor soul's face, carving into orifices and tearing through flesh, streaking down from his cheek to the top of his neck. Red replaces white in the powder below, and it paints both of the toms' pelts a grisly colour.

The assault is finally put to an end, on the grounds of exhaustion more so than mercy. Heavy exhales part from his chest, and he stands up to view his work. Now with only one eye to his name, Nettlepaw clings to life by a whisker. Kuiper determines he deserves the slow death, and takes off into the night without looking back. Limping, of course, because there's still a tooth in his fucking leg.

Had there been no layer of snow to reveal his attacker's pawprints, the apprentice would have resembled the result of a dog attack.

​

 

[nettlepaw.]

cw: even more blood and mauling, eye trauma under spoiler

The instant the rogue's weight lifted off of him, Nettlepaw stumbled to stand ― claws scrabbled to find purchase in the bloodied snow, only to be swiftly yanked back. Before he could gasp, the rogue pinned him once more, his temple bashed against the same stony surface that split his lip. A flash of darkness overtook his vision. The boy, thoroughly dazed, could only recoil from the face near his torn chest, trembling beneath his paws. A glint of claws outstretched in the moonlight soon raked across his face, the first of many. Nettlepaw weakly kicked and flailed beneath the rogue, unable to turn his head enough to avoid the onslaught of slashing claws. One point snagged a scrunched-shut eyelid, piercing through the soft tissue and pulling. Too agonized to even scream, his head snapped back, knocking against the ground as Kuiper's claws plucked his eye from its socket like it was nothing more than a stone in his skull.

The apprentice flopped back as the final gouging blow was delivered, face scored as though he tripped chin first into the thorned wiring surrounding the horseplace he sought before. Grey and white fur had been rendered to shredded patches across his cheeks and snout, barely recognizable through the gore. Half of his world collapsed into an excruciating pit of black, one ear still ringing as he fell limp in the reddened snow. The rogue's retreating pawsteps did not register, not for a long while. It hurt, it hurt so badly. One remaining eye pried open through the blood trickling down his brow, seeing nothing but the far-off pinpricks of light above him. Adrenaline pumping fast through his veins and only causing blood to well faster, Nettlepaw rolled onto his side with a pitifully large amount of effort. The frozen ground spun beneath him, nauseatingly so. He couldn't find his balance if he even tried. In a fading moment of clarity, he shoved his mangled face into the snow, writhing against the cold sting it brought before any numbing relief.

Briefly, a familiar flicker of mortal terror for the realm beyond struck him. Was he going to die like this? Would he be allowed into Starclan, would his family be waiting for him? His fear swelled at the thought, only to subside into a somber acceptance. His family... would he see them descending from the night sky, stars twinkling in their fur as they waited to guide him? Steadily losing his alertness, his head wobbled to rear itself, single eye half-lidded and peering into the empty fields. A croak escaped him as he choked on his own blood, unable to call for his parents, to take him from the agony of his body struggling to stay awake. A shuddering sigh, and his head dropped back to the snow. Figures in the distance, he could barely see the outlines. His dilated eye slid closed, surrendering himself to the darkness encroaching on his halved vision. Nettlepaw was dead to the world, only a defeated fluttering of his narrow chest serving as any sign of life to the clanmates that would find the gruesome scene.

and the thread is now open for anyone to reply!​

 

[spiritpaw]

Oh Stars, they know she didn't mean it. They know her curiosity could only be satiated by figuring things out herself and so when Nettle disappeared she dragged her ass up to her paws and stumbled after him. She couldn't sleep, another restless night and so why not go for a walk? Or at least thats what she thought he was doing and she was going to catch up to him and ask if she could walk too but he got lost in the swirling flakes of misery and despair. She was... Not the best tracker.

It took her too long to find him after she lost him. Her breath hitches in her throat. Theres red covering, fuck, theres red covering EVERYWHERE. She dry heaves, nothing comes up, holy shit- "Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" how the hell did he get so... injured? She was gone for what felt like just a minute. "Oh fucking- stars- I-" she stutters and for the first time she had joined Windclan she feels unbridled terror. What does she even do? Shes like a statue and theres blood everywhere and her heart is thumping in her chest and her vision is blurring (is that tears or fear) and she cannot imagine the agony he is in-

She does the one thing she was taught to do. "HYACINTH!" her voice rises in a frenzied screech and finally the gears begin working and shes jerking herself out of her trance, over to the body, oh, please please please don't be dead. "MOON! ASPEN! ANYONE!" she wails because as she steps forwards to grab his scruff the blood just stains her white paws red and shes almost gagging at the metallic scent. "Fuck, fuck, come on, I got you, please don't die on me that wouldn't- heh, that wouldn't be very nice!" panicked she yanks on his scruff but shes not strong enough shes so tiny shes weak. "Fuck, I'm sorry!" tears bubble out of her eyes as she hovers him like a dog with prey, but shes trying her best to search for the deepest wound but they're all so bloody. "Dandelion!" her voice is now a hoarse whisper-scream because she can't find it in her to yell anymore. She presses her paws down on whatever she can but she cant do it alone. "We're gonna get you- get you back okay? Please say something, say anything!" she chokes again. If she leaves him here then he'll bleed out alone, if she stays at least he won't be as lonely. A grim thought but... She releases the wounds and yanks on the scruff again. Hes budging, at least, feels like dead weight but shes determined not to let him die out here. "Gonna beeeeee fine!" and so she starts her way back to camp with him in tow. Please, she begs inwardly, let someone more equipped come by and handle this.​

"speech"​

 

[Galeforce]

↞ RACE THE WINDS

Galeforce had been out patrolling the territory, unfortunately starting in all the wrong places. Otherwise he might have stood a chance at preventing the horrific scene that had come to be. Snow dusted his thick pelt as he carried himself along the route he had devised earlier in his mind, and he had expected all to remain quiet as he reached the concluding stretch that would take him back to the warmth and security of the camp. But that was not to be.

Spiritpaw's voice was the thing that caught his attention and he felt the surge of alarm rise up within him as he erupted into a sprint in order to reach her. But nothing would ever prepare him for what he saw. The sight of Nettlepaw... it would be burned into his memory forever. The young warrior knew he had to act... to do something! Spiritpaw was trying to drag the wounded apprentice back to camp, but would she even make it in time? Was Nettlepaw even alive? Galeforce summarised that he wouldn't stand a chance unless they reached Dandelionwish, and given the nature of the weather and the time trickling away from them with every drop of blood lost they stood the best chance if they reached camp.

The tom hurried forward and he aimed to grab hold of Nettlepaw's thigh in his mouth with the intentions of lifting him higher off the ground and taking some of the strain off of Spiritpaw. By working together perhaps they could get to the camp faster, and maybe then Nettlepaw would get the help he so desperately needed sooner. "Move quickly! We need to reach the camp."
​

 

[hyacinthbreath]

♚ Children were meant to be safe in their borders, to learn their territory without the worries of dying so early. So soon. Hyacinth never gets used to the wails of her name, even now; though her apprentice is quick to remind her of it. She expects Spiritpaw to be hurt, for something stupid to have happened. But that wasn't Spiritpaw by nature; she was too independent to call out for Hyacinth when it was something minor. So, she expected the worst. Hyacinthbreath rises to her paws, racing towards the source of the sound on tiny yet swift paws. She was no Moor Runner.

When she arrives, the blood that soaks into the ground and air around them is intoxicating. Hyacinth turns her gaze away from poor Nettlepaw, a simmering fury in the once lead warrior's gaze. "Take him to Dandelionwish. Once he's with him, Spiritpaw, I want you to stay by his side until he wakes up." Hyacinthbreath orders her apprentice, a look of pity there- it was a harsh lesson to learn, but Spiritpaw needed to see what happened when you roamed alone. Borders didn't keep you protected, it only warned cats off. "Galeforce, when Nettlepaw's all settled in with Dandelionwish, meet me at the borders. Get Duskfire, Jaggedoak, and Shrewtuft. I want this fucker caught. Dead or alive." Hyacinthbreath snarls beneath her breath, her usual stoic expression warped with agonizing fury. Nettlepaw was innocent. Helpful, caring. He deserved better than this. "Go, hurry!"

She knew her responsibility was to keep everyone safe. Duskfire would do his job, wouldn't he? She grinds her teeth together, examining the crime scene momentarily. Blood in the snow. Nettlepaw got a few nicks in, too. Footsteps, cat-sized.. Leading away from camp. She sniffed at the pawprints, tail flicking irritably behind her. She would soothe her apprentice's worry after this was all over. "Just one.. Who would do something like this?" She mutters softly, making her way back over to the border to wait for the patrol of cats. She only hoped Duskfire would understand the urgency.

@Duskfire @JaggedOak @SHREWTUFT ​

 

[VULTUREMASK]

What on the burning stars had happend here!. Leechpaw was left speechless for once as he come across the goresome scene with Nettlepaw being the victim to what looked to be a dog attack. It had to be..right?. What else could have caused such brutal damage like this. He had seen what a dog could do with his own eyes when Bumblepaw had got attacked months ago. So that was his instant guess but the stench and paw prints that followed said a different story. Rogues. A deep snarl would rumble in his throat, his long fangs that pointed out from his upper jaw getting clearly revealed as he turned the lips up into a furious disgust. This was beyond just being an rogue attack who just wanted to mess with them or to steal prey. This crime was vile and brutal, done by a cat who had enjoyed causing unecessery pain. It was making his blood boil. Evil. This was pure evil.

Hyacinthbreath voice caught him up from his horrified trance by the scene, and his eyes would quickly search out the former lead warrior. " Tch, i'm coming too. " he would snarl his calling after them still feeling sick. There was nothing he could do here, trusting Galeforce for once to bring Nettlepaw back to camp so Dandelionwish could attend to thier injures. Spiritpaw would follow along the brute as well. The two would be fine making it back, but him?. Leechpaw did not wanted to seat back and being useless. He wanted to capture this rogue and make them pay for hurting Nettlepaw like this who had done nothing to deserve this cruelity.

So he followed them not going to let Hyacinthbreath face the rogue on her own if she captured them before the patrol Galeforce was going to gather caught up to them. " Someone who enjoys causing this sort of harm on another cat. A sick fucking bastard." he would hiss underneath his breath in reply to Hyacinthbreath, not looking at them while he searched for traces after where that rogue had went. He clenched his teeth. A cat like that deserved to die.


​

 

[Jasperglare]

And he thought he was sick.... Jasperglare looked at Nettlepaw with what some would say uncharacteristic shock and horror. The red tom always had a shitty grin on, it was amazing he was capable of moving his face muscles.

"That's fucked up." He muttered.

These cats were his family now. He figured he should care. So, he did.

He looked to Hyacinthbreath. " I'll join you. I'm a good tracker and I'm certainly good at payback." He said, taking note of the damage done to Nettlepaw.

That was a lot.....He would have fun with this.

"You're a real tough kid to survive that." He said to Nettlepaw. "You're gonna be okay."

He wasn't good at comforting. He tried.

The malicious grin returned as he set his eyes on the tracks Kuiper left, his claws flexing in anticipation and excitement.

He was glad he got up when Spiderbloom went to sleep. He had no leash....No muzzle. He was a feral hound on the loose and going to cause problems on purpose.

​

 

[Duskfire]

I WANT SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS​

---

It didnt take Duskfire long to meet up with the shecat.

The moment Galeforce and Spiritpaw stumbled into camp with a mangled Nettlepaw in tow, the bengal had demanded answers as he helped them along to Dandelion. As soon as the apprentice had been laid in a nest for the medicine cat to tend to, the copper tom had turned on his heels and left camp to find his friend. While Hyacinth was no longer a lead warrior, she was still among the cats the Deputy trusted most, and while the situation wasnt the kind of thing any cat should have to deal with he was glad that that she had been there to get control of things so quickly.

"Hyacinth, Leech!" he called as the pair come into view along the border, his strides hastening to cover the last of the distance between them uickly. "Have you got the trail still? I dont care if they've left the territory already, this cat isn't getting away with this unpunished!"

He was clearly agitated, the idea of some fucking random walking into their territory and savaging a child enough to make the fur along his spine bristle, and if the patrol had the luck of finding the cat responsible for it there was every chance in the world they wouldn't be left alive to victimize another.

​

---

windclan deputy - male - 22 months - single - tall, strong bengal tomcat

 

[Galeforce]

↞ RACE THE WINDS

Galeforce heeded Hyacinthbreath's instruction and kept it on his mind as he headed off with Nettlepaw and Spiritpaw. Naturally when he made it back to camp he got the wounded apprentice to Dandelionwish before seeking out Duskfire and Shrewtuft. After that he hurried to rejoin the patrol. He eyed Leechpaw when he noticed that his rival was among the number, but rather than look on with spite or anger he instead offered an understanding nod of approval. Today pettiness would be set aside in favour of seeking justice for a young clanmate who had been gruesomely wronged by a faceless stranger.
​