Open Camp ashes to ashes, dust to dust | guilt

[Petalpaw]

Dearly departed - Dig to find where my heart is

Petal, now Petalpaw, had remained more distant than usual as the clan found its footing an cats settled into the new routine. Every glance his way set his heart pounding, every murmuring whisper made his blood race hot and his pelt prickle with unease; he couldn't shake the idea that cats knew. That cats knew he and Peonypaw were the cause of the fire. It made him want to run away but where could they even go? He liked the barn and liked the cats and now here this was the closest they had come to a home. But did they deserve it? Petalpaw didn't think so. The small lilac tabby felt nothing but dread as he went about his days, following along after the tunnelers to explore the new burrows and finding himself enjoying the monotony of the tedium of digging - he wanted nothing more than to stay in the cool dark underground away from prying eyes forever. But he had to surface for food, water, to see his brother, to see if any cat approached him with a knowing look to take him by the scruff and throw him out alongside Peony - fire starters, he can hear them say, killers they would condemn. It was enough to make him want to just admit they had been the source, but how did he even go about that? He couldn't explain, not in a way that would be well articulated and his brother sure as the sun wasn't going to come clean. As he clambered from his hole to move through the tall grass the tiny tom walked headlong into another cat and bounced back with a spring, tail up and hackles raised-this was it, it was over! They were going to get rid of him!
But as he bristled in a panic he realized the other cat was just as concerned by his display as he was and he relaxed slowly, head tilting to awkwardly brush his tongue over his shoulder fur to smooth it down before nodding his head in a low bow and slapping a paw down onto the ground between them with a sheepish smile.

OOC- Any cat can be the one he walked into!

Sign Translation- Bowing head patting the ground with one paw in an almost reverent posture = An apology.

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Cause I'm buried beneath all the dirt & debris - the only flower left in your garden.

✿ Petalpaw

—⊱ Tunneler Apprentice of WindClan
—⊱ He/Him
—⊱ SH Lilac Tabby w/blue eyes - Is Mute.

 

[MAREMANE]

Maremane never paid much attention to the tunnels, and their importance to those who wanted to be in the dark. She was much too tall to ever consider going into them, so she used the expanse above ground to hide from her issues. Tinytail seemed to enjoy her work beneath the surface, though. The structure of their tunnels sounded stable -- Maremane hadn't caught news of anyone dying in one, so she shoved any of her worry about them collapsing on the dog-like molly away.

The grass covered her sight from the entrance of the tunnel. Petalpaw hit her legs, earning a halfhearted oof from the warrior. Expecting an awkward apology, Maremane stayed put. Instead, Petalpaw's anxious display caught her off-guard, leaning away with her own lips threatening to curl over her teeth, forehead tensed with confusion, holding back just enough to see him... snap out of it.

She determined his apology quickly, but her befuddlement didn't fade from her face. "Damn, boy, didn't mean to scare you." Is this what too much time in the tunnels did? "...Are you good?" Maybe something had happened along the cold, earthy routes, and he was just disoriented.

 

[Cricketkit Cricketkit]

Cricketkit toddled along the path, a smooth pebble clutched proudly in her maw. She stopped, turning to glance over her shoulder at Petalpaw and Maremane. With a slow blink of her good eye, she gently placed the pebble down, scuffed a bit of earth over it with her paw, and gave it one last glance... Safe and sound in its secret spot. Then, without hesitation, she bounced back toward the pair with a beaming smile, broken tooth glinting and tail high. " Hey, Pets! Lu-- erm, Mare! " she chirped brightly, skidding to a soft stop beside them before plopping down on her haunches. Her eye sparkled with amusement as she purred loudly.

" What's up? Did the pretty girl startle ya, Pets? " she meowed with theatrical curiosity, eye flicking from one to the other. Then, as if sensing tension in the air, her expression softened and her voice grew just a little more earnest. " Hey, it's okay! The place we all found isn't scary at all! It's a nice place! We don't have to be afraid! " she assured, nodding with conviction as if that alone could chase away the fear. As if that alone could be a light in the dark.

WITH SHORTNESS OF BREATH ☆ YOU EXPLAINED THE INFINITE

• "speech"
  

• 

• CRICKET she/her, windclan, five moons.
  ☆ a lh diluted tortie with blue eyes and unruly fur / petite and scarred
  ☆ mentored by nobody yet
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / always tag @lionharted
  ☆ penned by lionharted↛ LionheartedPhoenix on discord, feel free to dm for plots / click for toyhou.se