TW: Death Open Camp TC good things always come to an end ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ______ intro

[Daisynose]

DAISYNOSE

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Daisynose finished her meal with a satisfied lick of her lips. After a morning border patrol, her paws were tired, and a nice chipmunk had hit the spot. She was contemplating what she wanted to do for the rest of her day. She supposed the most responsible thing to do would be go hunting, or volunteer for another patrol, maybe check up on the elders. There was the distant sound of a dog barking, but the other patrols would surely alert the camp if there was any sort of danger. She opted to ignore the sound, though it did make her tailtip twitch anxiously.

She was tempted to go visit her sister in the nursery, but she hoped that she was spending time with some of the other kits. Her fathers had decided to go out on a hunt with each other - one of their first moments of alone time since Pineconekit had been born. She purred at the thought of them stealing away to spend time together. She hoped that, when she was older, she found someone she loved as much as her fathers loved each other. Someone she simply couldn't get enough of.

Getting to her paws, Daisynose stretched her achy limbs, first the front, then the back. She had just turned towards the warriors' den when shuffling pawsteps made her ear swivel towards the entrance to camp. Before she could even turn her head, a sharp gasp made her jump. "Cedarsnap!"

Daisynose felt her blood run cold. Time seemed to slow to a stop as she turned towards the sound, eyes widening with horror as her blue gaze landed upon the ragged form of her father. He was bleeding heavily, though she had trouble pinpointing specific wounds against his dark pelt. "Dad!" She yowled, propelling herself forward just in time to catch him as he lost his balance and toppled forward. Gently lowering him to the ground, she tried to get a better look, to see how dire his wounds were. There was so much blood - "Dad, what happened?"

"Dog-" Cedarsnap choked out. His eyes were lidded, sides heaving with the effort of taking in short, desperate breaths. Around her she was vaguely aware of a great commotion in camp, cats gathering and calling for a healer, asking questions, voicing concerns, but in that moment all she could focus on was her father, laying bleeding at her paws.

"Dog...?" Daisynose dug her claws into the earth. The dog she'd heard barking? "Dad, Dad, where's Papa?" Cedarsnap's eyes were falling further closed. She thought she detected a slight shake of his head. "Is he hurt?" Cedarsnap's eyes, opened just a sliver, grew unfocused. His ragged breathing was growing slower, shallower.

"I'm sor- sorry," Cedarsnap wheezed, so softly Daisynose almost didn't hear it. Blood had begun to trickle from between his lips.

"Dad, please... Dad, you'll be okay," Daisynose couldn't contain the quiver in her voice. She pressed her paws against his shoulder, trying to gently get his attention, prompt him to open his eyes. Blood seeped between her toes. He didn't react. "Dad...?" His final breath was so weak she couldn't even feel it vibrate through his broken frame. He was just... gone.

She stared down at her father, the cat who had nursed her. He'd comforted her at night when she had nightmares, tidied her fur for her apprentice ceremony, soothed her anxieties as she struggled to find her place in the clan. Where Sweetpetal was a strong, bold warrior, Cedarsnap had been her caretaker. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her paws under her. Her father was dead, and he other father was in danger. What could she do? What should she do? Tears pricked her eyes. She felt like she couldn't move; her mind chased itself in circles. Should she go out into the territory, look for Sweetpetal? What about Pineconekit?

"Pinecone," her head shot up upon remembering her little sister, hopefully blissfully unaware of what had just happened in camp. She whirled towards the nursery. She couldn't let her sister see their father like that.

ooc: will mark this thread open when its time :3 sweetpetal and cedarsnap are npcs!

dreamers dream until they don't

seal point she-cat with low white and blue eyes
she/her
warrior of Thunderclan
17 moons, ages every 30th
"speech", thoughts, attempted action, "other character's speech"

 

[Pineconekit]

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⸙ PINECONEKIT ⸙

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Pineconekit wasn't used to dad leaving her, his warmth a near constant in her life. But even at such a young age she understood he sometimes wanted some alone time with her papa, even if it left her colder for a while. She wasn't abandoned, she was left with the other caregivers of the clan, with the other kittens in the nursery. It was just that no one could replace her dad.

And so when she heard his name be called, blissfully unaware of the tone in which his name had been called, she excitedly got to her paws, ready to greet him outside. The caregiver who was in charge of her was taking a nap and so she slipped silently from the nursery with her tail held high. The sight she was met with was chaos - cats mingling all around, or frozen, so many voices and shuffling paws. She thought she heard her older sister somewhere, but couldn't pinpoint where. "What's going on?" she asked no one in particular.

Pineconekit was met with no answer, but an unfamiliar scent hit her nose - metallic and salty. A smell she could not recognise, though it intrigued her. For a moment, silence fell over the clearing, as if something significant had happened, something Pineconekit was not aware of. And then it was chaos again, noises of cats talking or moving. Someone yelled something, but Pineconekit wasn't listening.

Her sister's face appeared out of the crowd, eyes wild, paws red. Pineconekit didn't understand. "Are you hurt?" she asked innocently. "Don't worry, dad will clean it out of your fur now that he's back!"

There was something intense in Daisynose's gaze, but Pineconekit wasn't aware of its meaning. "Where is he? I know he's back, I heard his name being called!" she giggled, impatiently waiting for his appearance. She couldn't wait for her source of warmth and safety to be close again, to comfort her and lay with her when she's sleepy. The other caregivers were alright, but none of them were Cedarsnap. He was the only one she could fall asleep next to.

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☘︎ OOC: Only open to @Daisynose and @Boarthorn for now!​

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[Boarthorn Boarthorn]

He had come out of camp to hunt, to seek extra prey for his mother; now he had free rein to leave camp when he wanted. But he never expected his expedition to turn into something so dire.

The air hung with something peculiar; he couldn't put a paw on it, but the prey seemed especially skittish. It was hard to hunt as it was, the deep cool in the earth as leafbare approached made the prey populations grow thinner by the day. He had been out there for some time, sneaking in the undergrowth for anything he could snag alone. But something was in the air, foul and bitter. An unease rested in his bones, part of him longed to return to camp, dread building in his chest the longer he lingered.

In the end, he resigned to return to camp; he could try another hunt in time. Patrols had left near the same time he had, but with that breath of freedom, he had decided to snatch it up.

And only as the mottled scent of blood, dogs and something else hung in the air did Boarthorn's blood run ice cold. On instinct, he pressed his body to the ground, let his senses catch up before striking into action. Off in the distance, the barking of dogs seemed to fade, as with the strange tongue of twolegs. The young warrior's face fell, he hadn't heard the strange tongue of twoleg since he and his sibling had been left for dead at the Thunderpath, why now had they passed by... The bitter scent of blood that didn't fade put him in a worsening unease. He hoped one of the dogs had been injured, but as he snuck towards the scent, his jaw tightened as a dreadful scene unfolded before him.

Blood and fur were scattered in the area. Far too much to be from just one dog. The scent of dog and human faded, their cacophony far enough for Boarthorn to feel safe to investigate. "Hello? Iths anyone- Here..." His voice faltered, expression falling as what he could only assume was the source of the blood had been found. Between marred flesh and seeping blood, the unmistakable brown tabby, Sweetpetal, or what remained of him.

Boarthorn dashed ahead, heart racing. He and Cedarsnap had a kit at home; he had to be okay. He stood before the bloodied fur of the tom, throat tightening. "Sweetpetal?" The name spoken as nothing but a whisper, the tom bowing his head and pressing a nose to the warrior's face. The tom's face twisted in a stifled anguish. He was still warm, but not a breath came from the opened maw, and where there should have been the rhythmic beat of his chest, there was silence. Boarthorn stared at the mangled corpse, praying desperately to see the slightest rise and fall of his chest. But Sweetpetal was still.

The new warrior had to tighten his jaw; tears threatened to prick his eyes. Never before had he been so close to death; he had been at Serpentberry's vigil, but Rowanpaw had decorated her with flowers with love and care. She had just appeared to be asleep. But Sweetpetal, oh poor Sweetpetal. Boarthorn bowed his head and gave himself a moment to steady himself as tears slipped down his cheeks. "May Starclan welcome you sthafely, Sweetpetal." He took a long, deep breath. Boarthorn couldn't leave him here, not when creatures of the forest were just as desperate as the cats to eat; he had to bring him to camp. To his family. To be buried safely amongst their fallen clanmates.

The tom bowed his head and ever so carefully moved Sweetpetal's body. It was frighteningly easy, but perhaps it was a kindness that he could carry Sweetpetal alone, shortening how long the trek back to camp would be. The tabby rested across his shoulders, and a tightness formed in his throat. He had recalled the tom's kindness, how fondly he regarded all kittens, even when he and Cindersnap's oldest had long become an apprentice, and their joy upon having Pineconekit.

Boarthorn steeled himself; how his heart broke for the sisters and mate, he did not want to be the one to shatter their worlds, but the world was never kind to good cats. He just prayed Sweetpetal's suffering had been short, and he could remain safe in Starclan to watch his kin, and Cedarsnap could brave his future without his mate.

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OOC - Boarthorn isn't in the main bulk of the thread yet, I'll add a note when he's part of it properly joined the thread! Anything I post with him is occurring at the same time, though, hence being in the same thread!

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BOARTHORN He/They, Thunderclan Ranger, 12 moons.
A long-haired, blue ticked tabby tom with a prominent underbite, blue eyes and growing vitiligo.
mentored by Loonstar // mentoring no one
littermate to Saltpaw // sibling to Leveretkit
Copperstorm x Dewshine // parent to none // mated to no one
"SPEECH" // "THOUGHTS" // ATTEMPTED ACTION
penned by Pheo ↛ phoenixwashere on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Daisynose]

DAISYNOSE

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Daisynose felt her heart leap to her throat as Pineconekit approached her, very much outside of the safety and comfort of the nursery. Based on her bright expression, they hadn't yet made sense of the tragedy behind her, and for that Daisynose was grateful. Her gratitude quickly died, however. Her dear, sweet little sister, so innocent, so perfect... Cheerfully mewed that their father could help her wash the blood from her paws. The blood. Her own father's blood. None of it felt real. She desperately wished it wasn't. She felt ill, like she was going to be sick.

But she couldn't. She couldn't be weak when Pinecone needed her. She glanced over her shoulder quickly, seeing the swarm of warriors trying to make sense of what had just happened. Gritting her teeth against her rising nausea, she nosed Pineconekit back towards the nursery. Leaving bloody footprints in her wake, she did everything she could to prod her sister to safety. "Dad is uh... He's busy," she mewed weakly. How could she even begin to explain death to a child? How could she, when she herself had never experienced such a personal tragedy before? She was at a loss. A complete and utter... loss. All she could hope was that Sweetpetal would return soon, and safely, and that he would help her. Cedarsnap was their dad, but Sweetpetal was their papa. He was strong, and he would know what to do. "Why don't we wait for him inside, in your nest?" She tried to sound cheery, to keep Pineconekit's innocence just a little longer.

dreamers dream until they don't

seal point she-cat with low white and blue eyes
she/her
warrior of Thunderclan
17 moons, ages every 30th
"speech", thoughts, attempted action, "other character's speech"

 

[Pineconekit]

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⸙ PINECONEKIT ⸙

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Her sister seemed a little confused, a little fazed. Probably disturbed by the same thing dad was busy with.

"Okay, Daisy!" she beamed up at the warrior, tail still high. "But tell him I'll be mad if he doesn't come for our daily nap! He knows I can't fall asleep without him." fae said grumpily, though there was a hint of a joke in faer tone. Of course she wouldn't be mad for real, just fake grumpy until he rubbed her belly and made her giggle. It was their little ritual.

On short paws they turned back towards the nursery, though they stole one last glance towards the entrance of the camp, hoping to spot their dad. Something dark red glinted spilled on the ground. Pineconekit blinked and shook faer head - no dad in sight. Just the light playing tricks on faer mind, making faer see things that weren't actually there.

Safely back inside the nursery, Pineconekit started cleaning up her nest, tucking loose debris back into the form of their bodies. "I made a little bit of a mess..." fae admitted, looking at the scattered moss and twigs. "Better clean this up before dad comes back! Surely he'll be tired from going out for so long..." fae nodded to faeself diligently. "I bet he'll appreciate this!"

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☘︎ OOC: n/a​

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[Boarthorn Boarthorn]

Heavy is the weight of knowledge. Knowing Boarthorn was only breaths away from camp. Knowing he would be the one to break the news. Nothing was to be done. Every heavy step towards camp, Sweetpetal grew colder; the air of leaf-fall sapped what remained of his warmth.

The tom had settled his heart enough, clenched his jaw to the point it hurt. He would have to be strong; it's the least the family deserved. But that didn't mean Boarthorn's heart didn't ache. For the family torn apart, for the loss of a good warrior, for a clan that only seemed to suffer.

Taking a breath, shaky and uneven, the new warrior steadied himself as much as he could as he pressed his way into camp.

It seemed there was already a commotion within camp, cats talking loudly, and there was already a blood scent, which made the warrior's stomach churn. He had dread why Sweetpetal was alone, but it seemed the whole patrol had been attacked, and they couldn't have safely stopped to retrieve him. Boarthorn tightened his jaw, trying desperately to ignore the nauseating sensation of someone else's blood dripping down his shoulders.

"Where is Cedarsnap, I-" His voice waivered, hoping to see the other to break the news first, but Boarthorn's blood ran cold as his eyes instead fell on a horrifying sight. Just as bloodied, splayed on the ground like he had been desperately searching for someone. Cedarsnap. Limp and bloodied. His chest did not rise and fall, and his eyes were vacant and unfocused. "N-no. Cedar's not- He can't be- They're both..."

Boarthorn felt like the world might collapse beneath him. The sickening realisation that a family had been torn apart, two young mollies left without their fathers. "Oh, Starclan no..." His eyes cast to the ground as his ears rang, fear crept up his spine, guilt writhed in his chest. If he had just gotten there sooner, maybe Sweetpetal could have lived. He could have seen his daughters grow, but now... He tightened his jaw, looking to the nearest cat. "Sthomeone find Daisynose.. A-and Rowanpaw." The warrior's voice waivered, but his voice was sharp, desperate. How he hoped Pineconekit was asleep or distracted, she didn't need to see her fathers in such a state, not at such a young age.

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OOC - Boarthorn in camp with Sweetpetal's body :( He can now be interacted with

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BOARTHORN He/They, Thunderclan Ranger, 12 moons.
A long-haired, blue ticked tabby tom with a prominent underbite, blue eyes and growing vitiligo.
mentored by Loonstar // mentoring no one
littermate to Saltpaw // sibling to Leveretkit
Copperstorm x Dewshine // parent to none // mated to no one
"SPEECH" // "THOUGHTS" // ATTEMPTED ACTION
penned by Pheo ↛ phoenixwashere on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Copperstorm]

You walk along the edge of danger
AND IT WILL CHANGE YOU

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There was a commotion in camp, sharp voices, the scent of blood and Copperstorm was quick to respond. His paws carried him toward the growing crowd, golden eyes narrowing until the sight before him stole the breath from his lungs. Cedarsnap. The tom lay crumpled in the center of camp, his breaths shallow, ragged. Copperstorm's chest tightened at the sight, the wounds were too deep, too cruel. Not even Rowanpaw's skill could chase death back this time.

His gaze flicked toward Daisynose, Cedarsnap's daughter, who knelt beside her father, pressing her muzzle into his fur as his last breath escaped, no more than a whisper on the wind. Then she was gone, bolting toward the nursery. More likely than not to go to her little sister, Pineconekit... And Sweetpetal... He would need to know. But hadn't Sweetpetal been with Cedarsnap? The two fathers, hadn't they been together or...? The thought clawed through his mind as worry twisted in his gut. He dipped his head, touching his nose gently to the warrior's cooling forehead. " Rest, Cedarsnap... " he murmured lowly. " Your children will be looked after. "

Duty steadied his paws when grief wanted to take them. " We'll clean him. " he ordered, voice hoarse but firm. " Prepare him for burial before sunset. " Then Boarthorn's scent hit him. His head snapped up. There was the sharp tinge of blood on the wind too... His son was staggering into camp, Sweetpetal's limp form slung across his shoulders. The sight froze Copperstorm in place. For a heartbeat, the world tilted, two lives gone, a family shattered. He forced himself to move forward, the ache in his chest growing with each step. " He's gone. " he managed, voice low, glancing back at Cedarsnap's still form before meeting Boarthorn's eyes. " And Sweetpetal...? "

He swallowed hard, already knowing the answer that waited behind his son's silence. " Daisynose is with her sister, she knows that Cedarsnap is gone. " he said quietly, the words breaking at the edge. Both fathers gone...

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

36 MOONS

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THUNDERCLAN

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SONG

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bio

 

[Daisynose]

DAISYNOSE

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Daisynose followed her sister slowly, trying to convince herself that this was just a fit of anxiety, her brain taking her in wild directions, that when she turned around her fathers would be laughing and smiling as they return from their hunt. One glimpse down at her paws, sticky with Cedarsnap's blood, dropped her back down into reality. This was no anxious thought spiral. This had truly happened - was happening.

Pineconekit returned to the nursery without complaint, and for that she was glad. They immediately set about tidying their nest, so it would be nice when their father returned. A fresh wave of grief rolled over her, sharp claws of anguish raking through her chest until she thought she might bleed out on the nursery floor. "Th-that's right, good thinking," Daisynose forced herself to mew. "I'll be back in a little bit."

She dipped her head to gently press her nose to Pineconekit's head; fae were nothing but kittenfluff and love and the injustice of it all made her want to scream. Taking a deep breath to steel herself against what she knew awaited her outside, she turned and padded from the den.

Outside, she could see the activity near the entrance to camp had intensified. She saw Copperstorm and felt a small shred of relief that there was someone to take charge of the situation. He would know what to do to find Sweetpetal, she was sure. She padded a few steps forward before she noticed Boarthorn talking to the Storm Guard. The newly appointed warrior looked weary. She supposed it made sense, considering her father's corpse laying on the ground a few taillengths away but... She noticed something hanging from his shoulders. Something bloodied and broken and sporting a familiar tabby pelt.

"No," she croaked. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. She took a few more steps, close enough to confirm what she already knew in her heart. Something snapped inside of her. Her fathers were dead. Her dad and her papa. They were gone, and her and her little sister were alone. They were orphans.

Daisynose lurched forward, just managing to catch herself before her nose made contact with the earth. A caterwaul pried her jaws apart, cutting through the commotion in camp as tears begin to stream down her face. She knew she should approach Boarthorn, thank them for bringing her father home, help her clanmates clean the blood from her father's pelts, but she couldn't. That would make it real. "This can't be happening," she sobbed, unaware if anyone was nearby.

dreamers dream until they don't

seal point she-cat with low white and blue eyes
she/her
warrior of Thunderclan
17 moons, ages every 30th
"speech", thoughts, attempted action, "other character's speech"

 

[Pineconekit]

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⸙ PINECONEKIT ⸙

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Pineconekit stayed a little while longer in the nursery, making sure the nest looked as neat as ever. Her paws were still too clumsy and twigs still stuck out from the nest, but, in her opinion, it was good enough. They stared at the nest for a while, admiring their work, when a gut-wrenching cry echoed through the camp - Daisynose?

Pineconekit immediately rose to her feet, ready to help her sister. Had she been more injured than Pineconekit thought? Is that why she acted so strange? The young kitten didn't linger on these thoughts for long, faer paws stumbling over each other as fae ran out of the nursery, rushing to faer sister. The molly lay curled on the ground, tears streaming down her face and Pineconekit ran on short paws to meet her, to comfort her, though they weren't sure what was wrong. Until, a few pawsteps away from Daisynose, Pineconekit looked up, frozen in her tracks. The mass of clanmates rushing around parted to reveal a sight Pineconekit wouldn't get out of her mind any time soon.

"Dad?" her voice was unnaturaly quiet for the loud kitten, staring at the scene unfolding in front of her. Her mind couldn't comprehend what was going on just yet, her young body refusing to accept what the heart already knew. A heartbeat passed, then another. And then - "Dad!"

Not waiting on anyone to stop her, the young kitten ran faster than she's ever ran before, towards her father's body in the middle of the camp, dark red liquid staining her tiny paws. She nosed at the cold body of Cedarsnap, unaware of what the lack of warmth meant. "Dad wake up!" then she turned her head angrily towards her clanmates. "Do something! Someone do something!" she yelled at them. "ROWANPAW!"

And then the kitten's gaze fell towards Boarthorn, the tall warrior's shoulders slumped and a bundle of fur at his paws. "Papa!"

Pineconekit did not understand what was happening, why no one was helping. She buried her face in Cedarsnap's cold fur, ignoring everyone else around her, the voices and pawsteps and touches. She held onto her father, refusing to let him go. If she let him go, what would happen then?

Pineconekit refused to think about the what if. Her fathers were here and she was not leaving them. Not now, not ever.

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☘︎ OOC: This thread is now open! Will be marked as such once Hawkins wakes up :)​

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