TW: Sensitive Content Open Camp ANYWAY I DIE WILL SUFFICE ➤ ] reflection [

Please review the more detailed TW summary at the top of the post.
This thread takes place inside the clan's camp.

COUGARKIT

STUCK IN THE GROUND
3
1
Freshkill
30
Pronouns
he/him
Profile
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Played by
laevatein
{$title} tw: reflection on parental death, blood, and grief surrounding the topic!
Sick.

That's how he's been waking up lately. It's only been... it's only been so many days. But his stomach churns and he thinks time is dragging out longer just to toy with him. He doesn't touch his siblings if he can help it, forcing his large body to the corner of the nest. As far as possible. He couldn't bear touch right now. He thinks the way that his stomach feels, he's actually lose it. But it's the middle of the night again and his eyes crack open- only one having progressively gotten more yellow, the other remaining the kitten blue. Cougarkit doesn't know that, though, he hasn't been able to look in a puddle since it was mentioned to him.

Right, the middle of the night. Cougarkit pushes to his paws, wobbles out into camp. Surely there were cats awake. There were always cats awake. It wasn't like Cougarkit could just escape camp either. He swallows lightly, vision turning across the moon-soaked camp to where his body was. Coalstrike. His father, or one of them, anyways. Cougarkit's paws slowly take him across camp. This is one of the rare times where he isn't hunched down, his full size towering for his age. Large paws press against mudded ground, and he draws to a stop in front of the spot that barely smells like his blood anymore.

It eases his stomach, the way it was churning. To know that he had been real. That Coalstrike had lived and breathed, died like a warrior. To know that his father wasn't some stupid coward that was eaten by a monster. No, it was Thunderclan's fault, right? That... That Copper whoever. He thinks to turn and march into the warrior's den to demand Wolfpack's explanation on all of that, because he doesn't think that Jadethorn would tell him. Maybe Fleafire would. He doubts it. Doubt starts to cling to the idea, and it's quickly scrapped. Instead, he slowly moves to sit, breathing quietly with all of the quiet nervousness of a kit out of bed past curfew. That was catching up to him, at least, but he was sure at least one face would try to convince him to go back to sleep.

Cougarkit couldn't bear the idea right now. He hopes that no one bothers him, but he knows that's stupid to ask of them, too. Mismatched eyes stare at the bloodstained mud, where the color has dulled further and further with each days. He remembers the words his father spoke. They weren't spat out, like orders or commands, but rather true instructions. To grow strong. To be better then the rest. To become somecat he could be proud of. Could Cougarkit really do that? Was he able to accomplish that? His siblings had seemed so sure of themselves when he had said it right then and there. But the way his father's eyes looked- devoid of emotion. The light flickering out and dying, as if it was the last of a torch being passed to them... he's not sure he can keep the flame alive.

He swallows again, saliva in his mouth. His stomach hurt to think about that look, devoid of anything, moments before Coalstrike turned his head and bared his neck to his other father. Cougarkit couldn't think about that. He tears his eyes away from where he had been staring at that spot, right into the very close gaze of whoever had been calling his name for probably a whole minute now.

  • "speech"
    // feel free to be whoever was trying to get his attention!
  • COUGARKIT
    he/him, shadowclan kit, two moons.
    a lh lilac rosette/chocolate chimera with low white and mismatched blue and yellow eyes. extremely large, with big paws and long legs and a broad build. tries to hide himself by hunching down
    mentored by who / mentoring no one
    coalstrike xx jadethorn (xx wolfpack) | brother to obsidiankit, amberkit, silentkit, silverkit, and ghostkit
    peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
    penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
 
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That's the price you pay
Leave behind your heart and cast away
Just another product of today
Rather be the hunter than the prey
And you're standing on the edge, face up

.


He spoke not, only watched... His golden gaze unblinking, intense, merciless. The young one struggled, sickly and small, but he would recover. Coalstrike willed it to be so. He lingered, as promised. Lingered in the world of the living far longer than most ever could after their death. The season's power gave him strength, or so the whispers said, he cared little for such talk. Remaining took strength, that was all that mattered. Death itself was one thing. Remaining after death, forcing himself into the mortal veil to haunt the living... That required will. It drained him, yes, little by little… but he endured.

A rumble gathered deep within his throat as he observed the kit stumble. His eyes narrowed, the darkness folding tighter around him. " Cougarkit. " The name left his tongue as a whisper on the wind, part promise, part command. But even as his voice slipped through the shadows, another called the kit's name from the living world.

All of them, his brood. His, Jadethorn's, Wolfpack's. His legacy of strength.

His tail lashed once in irritation; time was running short. He stepped from the shadows at last, moonlight brushing over the scarred darkness of his form, the blood forever matted into his fur. His eyes found the form of the young tom and held him, heavy, demanding, immovable. Whatever haunted the boy, he must learn to bury it. To live. To grow. To become more than what the weak ever could.

He was not given a strong name to wither beneath it.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis


69 MOONS
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DARK FOREST
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SONG
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bio
 

Silentkit watches her brother from the mouth of the nursery den, having been woken up by his leaving. He walks on unsteady paws, but she feels no desire to coddle or to steady. Her brother would be strong, this would make them stronger. So she merely observes for now, not exactly curious, but not able to just go back to sleep either. Suddenly, somebody says Cougarkits name. The voice is familiar, garbled but brooding. She does not like it. Does not like it even if she recognizes it, and does not fear it. Why did he cling so? Why didn't he just let go? Wasn't that the strength he'd told her to strive for?

Still, she does not move. She was fairly certain he could not do much but talk in this form, still dripping blood, barely tangible. And she'd now grown genuinely curious, wanting to see Cougarkit's reaction.