TW: Sensitive Content Open Holding on too tight // POST GATHERING EULOGY

[flowercloud]

{$title} The night following roses death and the gathering.

They had prettied you up real well, hadn't they, Rosebelly? He had always been handsome to Flowercloud. His one floppy ear, his soft fur that she had nestled her nose into, her paws rested underneath her. Her throat burned. Her eyes rested close, as if they were both just sleeping. It had been some time since they returned from the gathering, but Flowercloud could not find her voice to speak, and bodies came and rested beside them, yet, she found no solace. Her body still unkempt, still unclean. Shed find the energy to do that soon, but not now. Never now.

Remember when you were younger? Wed tussle in the camp, and you'd always been so fierce, but you know that. My little rosebud- your thorns were always so sharp. A soft exhale, one that Rosebelly could never take again- her eyes opened, but they burned. Everything felt like fire. Rose was such a perfect name for the young name he had become. And she questioned still- the mockery of the warrior name he was given. But she did not blame Hawkstar. They wouldn't have known. They couldn't have.

Her large body shook, and tears brimmed, so she shut her eyes again. Pressed her nose harder into chocolate fur. Too young, she thought. She repeated in her head as her teeth clenched. Fighting that feeling of breaking.

He did not wear the crown they made him, Cygnetscratch had wanted to keep it, and she would not deny her that. She could not deny them what they wanted, she never could. The late nights up, the many questions they asked, even as their voices faded to soft snores, to kicking paws deep into her pelt. All five kits- so strong, so bold, so courageous. In their own ways.

Painted in flowers, and herbs that hid his scent, but she could still smell him, her muzzle deep into his fur, teeth clenched to prevent the tears of pain. But she couldn't hold back anymore. The sky was changing colours now, and she knew soon, the time would come she would have to bury him. Her chest heaved, tears flooding down her cheeks as she pressed her nose harder in the sobs to roses shoulder, if that was even possible. Quiet sobs escaped and racked her body.

"My handsome son," she breathed, paws moving to wrap over him. "Im so sorry." I'm sorry, that you weren't home. I'm sorry, you felt home wasn't here. I'm sorry, for everything you went through. I'm sorry, you didn't have a better father. I'm sorry, that I failed you. Her breath was breaking and shaking. Her words escaping into sobs. She wasn't supposed to be mourning over her son. She wasn't supposed to be holding his dead body. And yet she was. She had been too late, seconds too late.

And yet, after this morning, and night- she would find herself working to fill the void in her heart. Because, she couldn't stop. She wouldn't let herself fall like this in front of her clan again. Tonight, this morning, right now- that was all they would see, and she would swear that.

"I'll... see you again, my little rosebud. I hope your courage stays, and, I hope, your belly stays full- as they say it will. I hope. You are near when your siblings need you- cause, I know you've always protected them. I'll always love you, I always will." Her words weren't neat. They weren't orderly. They failed their meaning, they failed their intention. But they got the point across. "I'm so proud of you," she murmured, finally pulling a bit looser away from the corpse, but still kept her nose pressed against his cold shoulder.

flowercloud - 35 moons - skyclan warrior - mentoring none

 

[Mulberryburst]

So much had happened in the prior day, murmured excitement over a gathering that SkyClan had only ever heard stories about turning to angry and frustrated hissing instead as Rosebelly was killed by a member of the same clan that had offered to bring them all together - on the same day as the gathering no less. With how quickly things had been moving, how quickly things had happened, it had felt like there had been no room to breathe and mourn the loss of Rosebelly as quickly as Mulberryburst would have liked. Instead cats had still filed out of the camp to go to the gathering, the body of the younger warrior worked on carefully by the queens throughout the rest of the day and into the night as they tried their best to clean him up and make him presentable to the ancestors.

In the wake of the news of the gathering it felt as though they were mourning more than just Rosebelly's death. They were mourning the loss of the hope that they were moving to a better place, where the clans would be together once more because instead SkyClan had found itself in enemy territory surrounded by rogues, brutish things led by a StarClan that knew not what they were doing as the StarClan of the past had, who knew not of the codes of the clans or the history of how they were made and why they were so important. He had heard the frustrated words spoken by clanmates as they filtered back into camp of the ThunderClan deputy - could he call himself that, a deputy when the group of cats that called themself ThunderClan couldn't be a clan with how they behaved? - accusing Rosebelly of tresspassing, of attacking first, and even if that had been true it still gave no reason to kill.

Frustration ripped through the tom's pelt as he pressed his nose against his clanmate's cold body, eyes closing for but a moment as he let his mind clear and think of only good things, think of only the best for his fellow warrior that was ripped from them too soon. He was no stranger to death - none here were really - but this one so far was starting to sting the most.

​

MULBERRYBURST he/him, skyclan 24 moons old.
chocolate x cinnamon mink chimera with low white
mentored by none // mentoring Jaypaw
littermate to Maple
NPC x NPC / father to none / mated to none
"speech" // "thoughts"
penned by tikki ↛ rabbitcake on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[DUSKPOOL]

DUSKPOOL​

Duskpool remained rooted where he was, shoulders held back, stiff and likely unsteady if he hadn't locked his joints. He dared not move forward except to dip his head in quiet grief, unwillin' to allow clanmates to see the prickle of tears dot his waterline. He failed 'em. That was somethin' he carry till the end of time. For someone made to protect and shield, Duskpool ought to be one of the worst. 'M sorry, squirt. His lips quirked into somethin' bittersweet, hidden beneath smokey obsidian wool. Got caught up in this mess, now, did ya? He thought sourly. Makes me wonder if this was what ya would've wanted.

His head lifted to the stars, quiet like always. Shadowfire and Smokefang will take good care of ya. He ain't got a doubt Shadowfire would be pullin' pranks with Smokefang in tow, silent and grumpy as ever, lips quirked in a sarcastic sneer. Look out for yer mother, alright?

His molten iris narrowed. Real idiot, ya know that, kid? He chuffed lowly, shakin' a massive helm. Ya were just a pipsqueak. Time flies by, ain't it? Before I knew it, all of ya were becomin' warriors. His pawsteps withdrawin' after a heartbeat, watchin' Flowercloud and Rosebelly with a grief-stricken heart before leavin' camp.

we're only haunted by the things we refuse to accept

ooc

information

main ref

• out ^^
• 

  DUSKPOOL he/him a storm carved in flesh and smoke, duskpool towers with the bulk of a maine coon and norwegin forest cat. his wooly black pelt bristles with ghost-stripes and scars—old wounds etched like lightning through dusk. one copper eye burns like molten steel and the other a mangled ruin of war. every step is heavy, thunderous—war-born, death-burdened, and unflinchingly alive.
  
  ᯓ★ sun guard of skyclan during coffeestar and hawkstar's reign (mentor to sweetpaw)
  ᯓ★ father to almondpaw and cinderpaw
  ᯓ★ brother to outlawbite & thistlestrike, half-brother to flowercloud
  ᯓ★ eighty-three moons; ages on the 1st of every month
  ᯓ★ speech thought action
  ᯓ★ peaceful/healing powerplay permitted
• ​

 

[Teaselfeather Teaselfeather]

TEASELFEATHER

Over hill, over dale, through the valley and vale do not weep, do not wail, I am coming home to you

Teaselfeather stepped quietly toward the still form of his brother, each pawstep feeling heavier than the last. They swallowed thickly as they reached Flowercloud's side, brushing against her with a gentle nuzzle before settling down beside her. Slowly, they leaned in, pressing their nose into Rosebelly's fur. It didn't smell like him anymore. There was something different in the scent now, something that sent a chill racing down Teaselfeather's spine. Their fur prickled, and they pressed closer, as if sheer will and closeness could call the spirit back into Rosebelly's body. As if love could mend what death had taken.

As if Rosebelly might still rise and come home to SkyClan.

Each heartbeat burned in their chest like fire, the silence deafening, broken only by the quiet sound of their mother's grief. Her words were soft, but they echoed inside them like thunder. They had lost a brother. But Flowercloud... She had lost a son. A kit she had once carried beneath her heart. A life she had watched grow, blossom, and harden. What pain that must be… to lose a child. A sob clawed its way up their throat, and they forced it down, eyes squeezed tightly shut. they buried their face in the familiar fur one last time, heart breaking all over again.

' I'm sorry I could never be the sibling you wanted me to be... I'm sorry I wasn't louder. Stronger. Braver... But you were loved, Rosebelly. Thorns and all. You were loved... ' Their jaw clenched, and a final tear slipped down their cheek. ' Until we meet again, in the stars above... brother... '

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[Hawkstar]

LEADER OF SKYCLAN

.

Rosebelly should not have died. Ivory claws score the earth, pulling up small, dried-out roots in the wake of cold, carefully managed fury. Their warrior code allowed for cats to defend their territory, and if Rosebelly had truly trespassed across ThunderClan's borders to attack their deputy …

It just didn't make any sense though. Where were the tufts of Owlbark's fur from the scuffle? Where were the cuts and scratches and bitemarks around his throat and belly? Where were the signs that Owlbark had to defend himself to the death rather than sound an alarm to his clanmates and Rosebelly's? Where was the honor?

He had no right … no honor … no accountability… but she was here, staring down at her former apprentice's flopped ear and red-brow coat, now cleaned and prepared to be lowered into the ground. Staring down at this little cat that not three seasons ago, she had picked out from the nursery and decided "he will be my next apprentice."

Three seasons ago, she had still thought the ancient clans to be something to be admired.

She couldn't sit here, she couldn't allow her paws near Rosebelly's wounds again, not when her own paws were tainted a shade of blood that Hawkstar was sure that Owlbark's wouldn't be if she slit him like he did to her warrior.

Hawkstar bends her neck, and allows herself to flick her tongue out over Rosebelly's cold, cold ears. It was so warm and humid. His ears shouldn't have been so cold … "Guide me, my warrior. Watch my paws, let me know where to point my flames. I'll burn down this forest if you ask. That fire in your belly will be wielded, I promise you."

I promised you a good life. Do you hate me for lying now?

pointed torbie

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64 moons

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she / they

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bio