SunClan
High Position
everything's fine
Posts: 171
Pronouns: He/They
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Rabbitstar on Dec 14, 2022 21:48:15 GMT -6
RABBITSTAR [& HONEYFLARE] The funeral procession of SunClan returning home from the Gathering was as grim and uncertain as any cat may have guessed it would be. Rabbitstar almost dreaded the return to camp as much as he craved being able to drop into his nest. Not like it was very likely they’d get much sleep that night anyway, but the ability to be out of the Clan’s collective eye and process everything on his own was his most valued treasure. Whenever he could get it, that was.
Of course, everything exploded at camp.
The grieving for Shallowpaw took Rabbitstar through motions that were becoming too familiar for such a short time leading, and with their latest tragedy on their paws, he decided to spare the Clan the details of the Gathering until the morning when everyone had been given a little more time to process the most glaring tragedy and prepare themselves for more information. After all, his own body ached with what he could only guess was the exhaustion. Surely, the Clan felt the same. Unfortunately, news always traveled quickly - gossip moreso. As Rabbitstar headed for their den, their nest in sight, they heard the sound of rushing paws followed by the silence of a pounce.
That was all they needed to get themself to move, skidding to the side as Honeyflare’s unsheathed claws scraped at the ground where Rabbitstar once stood, golden fur bristled more than usual, fangs bared to match the sharpness in his glare. He almost does his mother’s old suffix some justice, Rabbitstar mused despite themself, before the severity of the situation seemed to properly register in their mind.
Their curled fur spiked upwards in warning, curled ears swiveling back in preparation. “What are you doing, Honeyflare?,” they hissed. Honefylare had always been a problem kit. Always angry about self-imposed injustices, always bitter about authority, distrustful of the stars, jealous of the favored - but to attack a Clanmate? His leader? They couldn’t fathom what he was thinking.
“You attacked Pansystar! At a Gathering! I’m not going to let you keep guiding us all to ruin just because you’ve got it in your head that MoonClan is the enemy,” Honeyflare hissed with just as much venom. Rabbitstar’s eyes widened and narrowed quickly.
“Traitor.” The mumbled word was hardly audible. No more words were necessary. Honeyflare lunged again, having noticed the opportunity in Rabbitstar’s pause, this time succeeding in knocking over the little cat and forcing the air out of their lungs. Neither were quite sure how long they proceeded to fight - it couldn’t have been long, what with the commotion it caused, but it was long enough for both to garner a few scratches and bites. Long enough for the exhausted ache Rabbitstar had already been struggling with to slow them down that much more, resulting in them using their speed to rush into a charging Honeyflare, knocking the wind out of him and using the momentum to pull their body forward to leave shallow scratches along his flank.
Having created a brief opening of Honeyflare trying to regain his breath, Rabbitstar readied themself for another attack should it prove necessary. “Honeyflare, we can either talk this out in the morning or you can leave SunClan. If your loyalties don’t lie here, then neither should you,” Rabbitstar growled. Their eyes scanned the cats around them, hoping more loyal Clanmates would help de-escalate the situation - at the very least prevent Honeyflare from being able to make it physical again.
“I’d rather die in peace than live in war.”
Rabbitstar’s eyes narrowed, trying to hide their surprise. To hide the sting of betrayal. “Out of respect for Beestar, I won’t kill you - but you are no longer allowed in SunClan’s territory. From this day onward, Honeyflare, you are to live in exile.” With a prickle of unease, they glanced about the camp. “I suggest anyone else who would fight your own Clanmates in favor of MoonClan join him now, and save us all the trouble.” |
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SunClan
Posts: 3
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: Void
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Post by Oatswirl on Dec 14, 2022 22:33:25 GMT -6
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| Sunclan Warrior - 15 moons - he/him
talks like "this" - attacks like this
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Oatswirl, after only a moment's hesitation joined his sibling, though timid as seemed to be typical of him these days, the words he spoke then were genuine, "please, do not pretend to be honoring our parent's legacy. She would never have wanted any of this to happen." He fixed Rabbitstar with a solemn look, "with these recent events, you have fallen too far for me to trust you as my leader. I will be taking my leave as well."
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SunClan
Posts: 26
Pronouns: He/She
Played By: artificialradiance
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Post by Rootpaw& on Dec 14, 2022 22:49:18 GMT -6
ROOTPAW& ❥ Rootpaw's pelt bristled with fear the whole trek, funeral, and now scuffle SunClan had been subjected to. Watching Honeyflare attack Rabbitstar was nearly too much for them, was too much for them, and Flowerpaw quickly stepped in for him. The former's attempt to skirt and hide behind warriors and peers alike were stopped, and instead, with a confidence Root never displayed, Flower stepped forward with a narrowed gaze. "Why do we even need to fight? Or do any of this!?" Flower internally cringed at the squeak still present in their voice — it didn't sound like her — but continued anyway. "Why does this need to be a choice right now!?" She dug their claws into the ground a little, willing Root's anxiety back down. "I don't want anyone to leave! No one should want anyone to leave because of some dumb misunderstanding!"
She was almost angrily aware that they were a kid. Why would they get taken seriously? They had hardly started their apprenticeship, they had nothing but stories and lore in their head from a sheltered nursery life. They had no perspective other than the ones Rookbriar and Fawnheart had given them in lullaby voices and songbird tales of bumblebees. Their word was one of peace, of appreciating every little thing where there were heroes rising above the others with words rather than violence. So why did any of this have to happen? was what they were thinking. Because not everything is a fairytale our mother would whisper to us to get us to sleep, warriors think with claws, Stempaw snarked, and Flower wanted nothing more than to shred his tail in the moment. It only made their body's glare all the sharper, standing out on their soft features. sunclan — apprentice — healthy
Rootpaw talks in "bold #eb4468" — attack in bold italic #eb4468
Flowerpaw talks in "bold #eb7444" — attack in bold italic #eb7444
Stempaw talks in "bold #44eb74" — attack in bold italic #44eb74 © Artificial_Radiance |
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SunClan
you know you're the stars in my eyes
Posts: 63
Pronouns: he/they
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Fawnheart on Dec 14, 2022 23:17:38 GMT -6
Everything was happening, and it was much too loud. It was too much. Too much.
Generally, when this sort of chaos ensued, it wasn't that big a deal. Fawnheart could always find somewhere to retreat to and block out the voices that threatened to swam their head like a hive of angry bees. If that made him a coward, he didn't care. None of this was even his business. Out of the corner of their eye, they could already see the nervous prickle of Tinyleaf's orange hackles, limbs drawn inwards until he looked as small and scrawny as his namesake beneath the fallout of Rabbitstar's decree. Normally, it was their job to sooth that prickle, smooth it down and whisk him away with promises of a better tomorrow. But when it got this intense, it wasn't so easy to take up that active role.
At least, it shouldn't have been.
When Rootpaw's voice rang out, crying out against the unfairness of the situation, Fawnheart's gaze snapped to his apprentice in an instant. Rootpaw's voice? There wasn't time for surprise. There wasn't time for even a question to properly condense in his mind before they were shifting through the building crowd, shouldering through clustered pelts without a murmur of their usual formalities, to step closer to the young cat. Because Tinyleaf could handle himself. He always could, even if he didn't believe it sometimes. But a fresh-paw wasn't so fortunate. And somehow, in the moment, the neutral, thoughtless trust that they had in Sunclan's leader up until that point didn't seem so reliable anymore. Not when he was driving out a warrior who hadn't even served a full cycle of the seasons yet. As much as Honeyflare might have deserved it, flashing claws like that around camp like it somehow made him capable of righting Sunclan's wrongs, nobody else deserved the same severity. He realized, very abruptly, that he didn't trust his clanmates, much less his commander.
With that new knowledge, Fawnheart wasn't sure how Rabbitstar would treat an apprentice who yelled out in a similar fashion, even as uncharacteristically as shy Rootpaw. They only knew that they would be prepared for any consequence, should the point go on extending punishment. That was the resolve they arrived at when, at last, their wayward shuffle placed them just near enough to the youth's creamy pelt to draw protectively to her side, albeit with a lowered gaze. The only indication of their intent was the sway of their tail, brushing forward to curl partially around the back of Rootpaw's hind legs. A silent show of defense.
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98 
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Dec 14, 2022 23:43:50 GMT -6
The only sign of Tinyleaf's terror was the starting quaver of his voice as he spoke up in the silence following Rootpaw's outburst, filling the gap as surely as he might volunteer for a patrol. "Hey, I'm sure a lot happened at the Gathering-" Already, the emergency shutdown of his brain was shifting gears, pursuing immediate recovery. Pursuing distraction from the dissent, because this was all definitely getting blown out of proportion, that's for sure- but maybe Rabbitstar might just feel better if they had a proper discussion about it, like proper clanmates always did! A council, of sorts! "-but, isn't it a bit late in the night for cats to be making these sort of decisions all of a sudden? Right?" Desperately, his eyes picked out Honeyflare's yellowed pelt before darting back to Rabbitstar in search of appeasement. "Everyone's acting rash because a lot has happened. It's only natural to lash out when we've lost someone as special as Shallowpaw. Even I feel- you know, I feel a little tense, too! But a little bit of rest goes a long way, I always hear!" It's not as if he wasn't aware, on some level. That as bad a crime as Honeyflare had just commit, that Rabbitstar hadn't commit an equally severe one against another leader only a short while ago. If that was the truth, anyway, it really can't have been- But Sunclan.. had always been Sunclan, even in times of turmoil. Even if cats were starting to grate on one another, hadn't they all served loyally alongside one another, even in the midst of attack upon attack? Hadn't the all stood together and protected one another, even playfully competed together under the autumn leaves like littermates? And it'd been happy, the whole while. Everyone had been okay. If Honeyflare hadn't acted out, an uncomfortable thought whispered. Then none of this would have to happen. This is why we follow the rules!But Honeyflare had been his friend. At least for a little while. And a warrior he'd been proud to work alongside. A warrior who definitely wouldn't have, would never have attacked Rabbitstar with a clear head, it just didn't make sense. Because he wouldn't. Good cats would never. And all of Sunclan was good, always! So why? |
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SunClan
don't call me nice; i'm gonna eat your heart out
Posts: 150
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Turtlefang on Dec 15, 2022 0:06:45 GMT -6
Turtlefang could hardly afford his brother the usual scowl. Nothing seemed to matter but Honeyflare's bristling figure, scratched and battered by a righteous defense, but no more repenting than he'd ever been. A stubborn, stupid little warrior who only knew how to stick his nose where it didn't belong. Yowling and babbling about living in war when Pansystar hadn't even had the spirit to lay a claw on Sunclan's leader, much less declared any public hostility. What war? And what peace, for that matter? As if it were any safer outside the clans than within them, when their enemies stalked around them completely unknown and undetected. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Were young warriors always so incompetent? So incapable of reading any atmosphere without the lens of black and white heroism that didn't exist outside of kit tales? Perhaps it'd been his mistake to ever even humor such a reactive cat, not even clever enough play an ambush in private. In a way, he was almost impressed. It took a lot of idiocy to kick up a fuss like this instead of leaving quietly when you didn't agree with things. Starclan forbid any of us get a good night's rest, for once. As if he'd slept a wink since D And yet, hadn't there been a time he'd made a promise of justice to the other? It'd be pretty difficult to ensure that payback on the behalf of a newly declared criminal. What a pain.Honestly, what did Honeyflare even expect? What did anyone get out of attacking someone in the middle of camp, except stirring up more trouble? What was the goal? To desecrate Shallowpaw's grave, not even a day cold? To force a division that literally nobody needed? On that matter, what was Rabbitstar even doing inviting warriors out of clan membership at a time when Sunclan was most vulnerable? Am I the only one who can think? Like, ever? Nose scrunched only in the slightest show of distaste, Turtlefang pulled his eyes from the exile, lifting them instead towards in the stars in a thoughtless misdirect. I suppose if cats are going to leave so easily, they would have inevitably done so. Better to cut those bonds sooner than later. Maybe, if he were lucky, Tinyleaf might freak out and go with them, as if Turtlefang wouldn't claw his pelt to shreds dragging him back to safety if he even dared, the fool.
Ah, but the moon remained clear.
So either way, it didn't matter.
Let Tinyleaf play Sunclan's biggest idiot, always focusing on the most irrelevant details and clinging onto cats who didn't deserve his worrying. Turtlefang would pick up the slack for the both of them.
He wouldn't care at all.
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SunClan
High Position
everything's fine
Posts: 171
Pronouns: He/They
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Rabbitstar on Dec 15, 2022 20:56:52 GMT -6
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Rabbitstar *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ His eyes narrowed with Oatswirl's approach and words. A silent fury with an almost calming effect. Another of Beestar's kits so willing to leave SunClan, to act as if MoonClan wasn't their oldest enemy... Still, he regarded Rootpaw's unusual outburst and Tinyleaf's desperate efforts with little more than a curious glance. He looked at the golden brothers one last time. “If you'd really rather leave tonight than wait until morning to talk things over in a more civil manner, then so be it. I'm not going to stop you from throwing your lives away.”With that, Rabbitstar looked to Rootpaw and Tinyleaf. “I understand wanting to wait until morning, I'd prefer if we let things have some time to settle before ultimatums, but it's their choice to make. If their heart doesn't lie in SunClan, there's nothing we can do to change that.” Subconsciously, his eyes scanned the crowd for Wheatbee. He couldn't imagine being in her position. “For those who stick around, we'll discuss matters related to tonight's Gathering and this incident in the morning. No need to strain for sleep deprivation.” |
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Dec 15, 2022 21:03:54 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« g Honeyflare kept his scowl trained on Rabbitstar, only briefly interrupted by Oatswirl's decision to join him. With what sounded to be Rabbitstar's conclusion, Honeyflare softened his gaze to look inquisitively at his brother. “Are you sure about this? You don't have to leave just for me, I'll be okay,” he insisted softly, words spoken for Oatswirl's ears alone. “I won't be straying too far. I've got too much to do here to abandon the Clans, and I've never really fit in anyway.” It was strange to acknowledge that lifelong feeling out loud. Strange to confess to another cat that he had never belonged in a Clan, least of all in SunClan. Though he tried to hide it, he couldn't help but hope that Oatswirl - and maybe Wheatbee in turn - would join him, that they'd be freed of the restrictions that had strained their relationships to begin with, that this was their chance to really be a happy family. Though, he would never want to rob either of his siblings of feeling that they did belong. “It's up to you,” he concluded silently. |
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SunClan
Posts: 3
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: Void
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Post by Oatswirl on Dec 15, 2022 22:01:50 GMT -6
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| Sunclan Warrior - 15 moons - he/him
talks like "this" - attacks like this
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He offered him nought but a small, tired smile in response. "I made my choice back at the gathering place, though I was planning for my exit to be much... Quieter than this." He explained, then turned his gaze back to Rabbitstar.
"You speak of civility, and yet show none such courtesey in your words, Rabbitstar, nor did you to Moonclan under the peace the full moon should otherwise bring." His words held a strange coldness to them compared to his typical demeanor, though his expression stayed one of solemn disappointment, "I am willing to stay till you have explained your behavior at the gathering, but my choice is long since made. I will not be a part of this clan so long as you lead it."
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SunClan
don't call me nice; i'm gonna eat your heart out
Posts: 150
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Turtlefang on Dec 15, 2022 22:25:08 GMT -6
"I'm sorry," Turtlefang's voice at last broke out, an uncomfortably pleasant sound in stark contrast to the frigid, frantic tones of the cats who'd spoken prior. "But did we all collectively hallucinate Shallowpaw's burial?" As easy as discussing the weather, he raised his tail in rhetoric questioning, hooked with faux uncertainty. It contrasted the steely glint of his eyes, glowing just as cold as Oatswirl in the shadows of the watching moon. "Have you forgotten that Rabbitstar was the first of us to discover her body? Do you really expect someone to act with perfect clarity when they've witnessed the aftermath of that sort of atrocity? Honestly, Oatswirl, you've truly impressed me. You must be a real saint to be so flawlessly inclined towards clan law... so I wonder why you'd defend the truce's rule while totally dismissing the rule of internal peace."
While the tortoiseshell did not rise to his paws, he lifted his chin in a gentle, careless motion. Holding himself more or less above the mood, above the hypocrisy.. but unable not to speak his piece. Turtlefang wasn't generally the type to speak out, and he prided himself on that restraint. But personally witnessing the fallacies of two mindless warriors tweaked that smug, defensive fragment of his former self which lived and breathed for correction. A part of himself which, in a way, could not forget the scamper of apprentice's paws on his tail all those moons ago, when the brothers had been just a notch or two less intelligent than they were now. All this talk of peace from such new warriors, as if they'd forgotten what the word warrior even meant. "You'll blame anyone for making a mistake skewed by grief. Even a leader is as mortal and prone to despair as any of us." The tom's voice lost its sweetness as his voice flattened into a final, monotonous statement. "I'd have thought Beestar's kits would know greater empathy."
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SunClan
Posts: 3
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: Void
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Post by Oatswirl on Dec 15, 2022 22:41:36 GMT -6
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| Sunclan Warrior - 15 moons - he/him
talks like "this" - attacks like this
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"Had it been anyone else to strike Pansystar, they would surely have been exiled, Turtlefang, you know this." Oatswirl responded, dipping his head in mock sympathy, "why should we not treat our leader with the same scrutiny, pray tell? Or is your vision too stained by grief to see the reality of the situation?"
He lifted his head again, maintaining eye contact, steady as he was, "I am empathetic. But unlike you, my empathy extends to Moonclan as well. To the distress expressed expressed by a cat finding the dead at their feet." He elaborated, "you seem to forget that Moonclan is a collection of individual cats, just as we are, not some concept you can simply point to and blame for any issue that could just as easily have been caused by a wandering dog."
He took a breath to keep his calm, "I will not be debating my stance with you. My choice is made. You are free to continue to think as you are, as I am powerless to stop you, but I am allowed the autonomy to leave if I so please." He cast a glance at the rest of the clan, before turning back to Turtlefang, "or am I not allowed to think for myself any longer?"
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SunClan
don't call me nice; i'm gonna eat your heart out
Posts: 150
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Turtlefang on Dec 15, 2022 23:05:16 GMT -6
Turtlefang said nothing more, merely rolled his eyes pointedly. Far be it his position to beg and grovel for the continued membership of a cat who clearly had forgotten what it meant to be a clanmate. Empathy for Moonclan.. and what have they lost? What have they done but take from us? It was insulting. Shadepool didn't die so that Sunclan's new generation could coo over Moonclan like a litter of kits. A collective didn't need empathy- they were nothing but a configuration of wild, sloppy variables, none of which could congeal into a singular whole. To speak of empathy for a group when you hardly knew the nature of anyone on the other side... it was nothing but a dream. Nothing but a fairy tale.
As stupid as Daisyfire had been.
If cats like Oatswirl and Honeyflare cared more about wailing every time Pansystar so much as frowned, then they had better luck rolling around in the swamp like the slimy frogs they'd revealed themselves to be. Cowards who wanted to solve problems that had always existed and always would, instead of focusing on what actually mattered, like the dismal state of Sunclan as they lost clanmate after clanmate to Starclan knows what while Moonclan sat around without so much as a hair disturbed since the initial attack. Beestar had never afforded other clans that sort of needless pity, and neither should anyone else. As if a whole group, utterly untorn by Sunclan's suffering, needed the defense of a few selfish idiots.
Turtlefang only hoped they'd get out of here sooner than later, before he had half the mind to give Honeyflare a matching ear. What an eyesore.
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SunClan
Posts: 26
Pronouns: He/She
Played By: artificialradiance
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Post by Rootpaw& on Dec 15, 2022 23:42:12 GMT -6
ROOTPAW& ❥ Flowerpaw nearly stepped away when Fawnheart came to their side, almost wanted to chew him out and say they didn't need protecting, but really, Rootpaw needed him. Needed that reassurance for a beat before Flower kept up speaking her mind. "Why's everyone so stupid about this!?" she called out, listening to the chatter and claims and arguments and- this was the most mouse-brained stuff she ever heard of. "Shallowpaw died but we can't blame MoonClan for it! We don't even know what happened-!" Her glare was directed at Turtlefang.
"What if it was you that saw her first? Would you go claws or words at the first outsider you saw? What would you think if you were MoonClan? Do you even care about anyone or anything? When we were a kit we always saw you mope and get all angry looking at nothing at all!" And, she scarcely realized she said it out loud, running on a train of thought that made Rootpaw's fur stand on end in their mindscape: "How are you even related to Fawnheart?"
And then Stempaw took hold, wrangling her back as Rootpaw got access to their limbs and vocal cords again. "I- Sorry, I didn't mean it," is what he managed before he hurried away from the rest of the crowd before more eyes were on him — them? — and hid off in the sidelines so he didn't have to face any possible ire Flower had summoned. He didn't even want to look at Fawnheart; really if anyone heard what she had said through him, then they certainly did and that alone terrified him. Yes, Fawnheart was kind, almost an extended branch of his family in his eyes, but they just said that about his brother. Fawnheart had the authority of being his mentor, Rootpaw was supposed to reflect them and he didn't want to show any kind of "bad" in the eyes of everyone he ever knew even through passing. sunclan — apprentice — healthy
Rootpaw talks in "bold #eb4468" — attack in bold italic #eb4468
Flowerpaw talks in "bold #eb7444" — attack in bold italic #eb7444
Stempaw talks in "bold #44eb74" — attack in bold italic #44eb74 © Artificial_Radiance |
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SunClan
don't call me nice; i'm gonna eat your heart out
Posts: 150
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Turtlefang on Dec 16, 2022 1:25:29 GMT -6
What?A deep cold settled in Turtlefang's stomach, dropping like a chunk of half thawed ice with Rootpaw's strange rantings. For what it was worth, he didn't react. Not really. He hadn't turned to look at her when she started yelling and he had no interest in acknowledging her even now. If there's one thing he'd learned from living with a nuisance like Firepaw, it was never to feed into the proddings of trainees; They'd grow into their paws in time. And yet... The unaffected uptilt to his muzzle could not conceal the flash of his eyes as they instinctively met Fawnheart's, before sharply tearing away- Away from that panic in those emerald depths, reaching back for him as if it meant anything. It was sick. It was feverish. The burn of his outer pelt with hot shame, the frost of his core prickling against the heat, all the while his head spinning on the brink of total collapse. Because everyone knew. Knew. Even Fawnheart knew. His lungs inflamed, desperate to take even the slightest breath to fuel a haughty comeback, some sort of empty gesture, even if just to scold his sibling into getting their apprentice back under control. But he couldn't. It was like the Moonpond, it was like a nightmare, and maybe if he stayed as still and steady as always, he could stop time itself alongside him. Stop everything. Because the outrage of the prior accusations could not match the deep, aching abyss that cracked wider every time he caught a glimpse of that face, even worse knowing it was on public display, in full view, everyone is watching you, so don't mess this up don't look at me like that!
Because it was true.
He didn't care. Not about Fawnheart's baseless pity. Not about Honeyflare, impulsive and misguided. Not about stupid Oatswirl, certainly not about a fledgling's perception of his character. And the more he thought about it, the more he knew there was nothing left to do. There was no changing who he was, and there was no reason to apologize for it. Not to cats who'd never felt Moonclan claws to know their danger.
Turtlefang pointedly dodged the stares, harder still as Tinyleaf's joined the procession, and said nothing.
He changed his mind. He'd rather Beestar's kits kick up a fuss till dawn if it meant erasing every second of his immediate memory.
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SunClan
you know you're the stars in my eyes
Posts: 63
Pronouns: he/they
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Fawnheart on Dec 16, 2022 1:26:13 GMT -6
There was a distinct edge to the posturing Fawnheart had grown accustomed to, revealed in that fleeting glance. No amount of cold shouldering could do away with that moment of truth. The exchange was brief, and Fawnheart could only search so hard- looking over at their brother with wide, worried eyes that met nothing but the same immobile patches of Turtlefang's rigid pelt, deliberately poised so that no point of connection could be reached again. It was hardly a new occurrence. The two of them didn't talk much. Hadn't talked very much in a while, at least. But it was never like this. Not pulled out like a burrowed maggot and spat to the ground for everyone to ogle at. And- Oh- Were others watching, even now?
The realization was enough to bow his head, even as his pupils danced skittishly after Rootpaw's retreating figure. Do I follow? Do I.. What do I do? I don't.. understand...
The fuss about the exiles seemed like nothing but background noise, now. A deeper damage had been done, and they had no idea how to even begin amending it. Turtlefang, sitting there like it meant nothing, always signaling that it definitely meant something, and then Rookbriar's kit scurrying off from the scene like a wasp morphing into a clumsy bumblebee- And, oh, Rookbriar, what could he even say- And wasn't Tinyleaf still upset, too? All the while, too many cats, none of which he even knew outside of faces, turned his way to look, look, look!
In the time since becoming a mentor, a hesitant courage had been instilled in the meek warrior, at least for a given period. Now, that courage seemed to shrink right back into their pelt, tucked away like the claws always sheathed, always hidden, within their white digits. Hidden. Wouldn't that be nice, right about now?
With a silent, sinking motion, they slunk backwards, lowering with every step to disappear back into the crowd. Anything to still the shaking of their heart, sputtering along like a dying insect in winter's encroaching grasp.
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