Camp WindClan How Does Nothing seem to Last ✪ After the fire ✪

[Dustystar]

{$title} After the blaze overtakes the barn, the cats flee to the moors. Title is from "This too Shall Pass" by Danny Schmidt

✪ Align my Heart, my Body, my Mind​

indentThere's no place for them at the farm anymore. The barn, their largest shelter, was already becoming crowded with new arrivals before the fire, and now the growing group of cats had no place to rest. With the stormy season approaching, shelter was sorely needed. There was no choice but to set out and find somewhere new.

indentBy some miraculous twist of fate, they manage to find a place to stay before the sun rises. An area of flat ground upon the moorland, surrounded by tall grass on all sides, sheltering it. It's far from perfect - nowhere near the sturdy walls and soft haybales of the barn - but it will do for tonight. The cats are tired, their paws weak. They need rest now, more than anything. A place to lick their wounds and grieve their losses.

indent"We'll stay here for tonight." Despite the hoarseness in her voice, Dusty speaks with authority. They'll all need guidance if they want to survive, and she doesn't trust any other cat to provide it. It was complacency and lackadaisical attitudes that caused the fire, that took so many lives away from them. Dusty won't allow it to happen again. Not on her watch.

indentWith aching legs, Dusty allows herself to settle on a patch of soft, short grass, and lays her head upon her paws. Although her eyes are heavy, she doesn't allow them to close. Closing her eyes would mean leaving the cats around her unobserved, unaccounted for. All manner or disaster could befall them while her gaze was averted. Although she would be loathe to admit it, safety isn't the only reason she remains awake. Closing her eyes would mean succumbing to sleep, and the nightmares that would surely come with it. Even now, when she lets her mind wander, she can see Chicken's lifeless body, hear her final breaths ring in her ears. The grief wrings at her heart, but she pushes it aside. No time for that now. She could wallow in it later, when everyone's safety was assured.

Dustystar - 25 moons - Windclan Leader

 

[Meadowpaw]

Pulses push the limits, testing my resistance
Cameras that capture, moments that enrapture

.

Meadow twitched, crackly groans emanating from her throat as she stirred. There was only heat—dull and deep, buried in her bones—searing pain that wracked her body in sharp waves. Her so tight, like there was something trapped inside.

Meadow's eyelids twitched, eyelids sticking together. Opening them was a struggle, but surely, she did. Shapes moved around her, but they blurred together. Meadow tried to lift her head, but sharp pains spread through her like a wildfire—the ache sharpened, focusing suddenly on her lower body. Something didn't feel right—hot and swollen—lighter than she remembered.

Fire. There had been a fire… But it was gone now. The crackle was replaced by the rustling of wind, far-off voices, and the rumbling of someone close. Her mind spun with fragments of what occurred—fire and screams, faces in the smoke, the weight of the beam crashing down on her, unbearable heat. Every breath a struggle, straining...

Where is Mama… and…

"Me—ggie?" She rasped softly, wincing at the soreness of her throat—far too raw to produce words, mouth drier than dust.

She turned her head with effort, puffy eyes searching for her sister's pelt. Her breath snagged, and she tried to speak again, but all that came out was a rasping cough that rattled through her. The pain was so intense that it was almost numbing. Tears welled in her eyes, stinging against the burns that mottled her cheeks.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

6 MOONS

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BARNCAT

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SONG

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bio

 

[GOLDENROAR]

The walk had been... mostly silent.

He keeps his shoulder free for Red to lean upon, for Merry to find support in. He doesn't bear anyone else if he doesn't need to- but he could, and would, carry any kits or young ones in his jaws if asked. Goldy's eyes burned from the leftover smoke, the limp from his paw obvious with each step, but he persisted. Eyes, every now and again, had shifted and counted the group around him, making sure those who were there when they left were still here, were not left behind, did not collapse. Goldy exhales softly when Dusty calls the movement to a halt, and as much as he doesn't like someone assuming themselves a leader, he has to agree with her.

Goldy murmurs an apology to his brother and his charge before finding his way towards Dusty. Her eyes are open, but that doesn't mean she's open to discussion. No, he doesn't particularly care at the moment. Things were more important then rest, first. He turns, standing next to her and staring at the group of cats. When he gathers his words, Goldy finally drags his vision from them to look at the self-appointed leader. "Guess you want the mantle of responsibly, then?" He questions, and doesn't hesitate in his words, continuing on as if he knows the answer- "We should set watches. We're in the open with no cover." Goldy suggests.

Well, it's less of a suggestion and more of a need in his mind. Predators, hawks and badgers and foxes, all stalk these moors- loose dogs from the barn fire, too, could come after them. "I'm fine, to take the first. You should rest, if you're intent on the reins." This last sentence is uttered towards her, vision shifting towards Dusty once. If she doesn't have anything to say, then he's stepping away, still favoring his back paw while finding a good vantage point to keep watch on the group- and the horizon.

_______________________ I KEEP RUNNIN' BUT ☼ I'M STANDING STILL _______________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• GOLDY he/him, to-be-windclanner, thirty three moons.
  ☆ a lh golden red marbled tabby with low white and glimmering aqua eyes. often seen with a smirk, confidence oozing from him in heaps, but always the ever-helpful guy.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ older brother to merry
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

/code]

 

[Hollowmumble]

Hollow, -- 34 Moons / Barn Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Cloverpaw

---

Hollow's weary, exhausted paws almost gave out under her as the colony of cats finally stopped for the night and found a place to rest. She glanced down at Clover, before looking around the area. She spotted a relatively soft looking patch of grass in the inner circle of cats, and her ear flicked as she listened to everyone around her slowly settle in. After a moment she carefully guided Clover over to it, limping and wincing at the pain in her paws, but not letting out a sound.

Tail on Clover's shoulder, she encouraged her to lay down. Hollow practically collapsed into the grass once Clover was comfortable, curling around her protectively. They were out in the open now, even more vulnerable than they had been in the barn. It unsettled Hollow in a way that made her skin crawl. At least she knew that Clover would be relatively safe, with the older and larger cats on the outskirts of the small hollow in the grass. Regardless, anything could happen at any moment, and it set her fur on edge. She tried to calm herself though, breathe through the panic still lingering from the chaos of earlier.

Glancing down at Clover again, her ears fell back and she let out a long sigh, concern tugging at her. She didn't know what to say, or do, to make this better. There wasn't anything you could do, after this, except make sure she was safe.

"...You should get some rest." She mumbled to her, studying the exaustion on her face.

 

[Dustystar]

✪ Align my Heart, my Body, my Mind​

indentDusty shoots Goldy a withering look. She doesn't know the tomcat particularly well, but his reputation proceeds him. She's heard more than enough tales of his romantic misdeeds to have formed a less-than-admirable impression of him. She's not the sort to brush aside much-needed help at a moment like this, but she's not about to place all her trust on a known scoundrel.

indent"I'll keep watch with you. Just for the first shift is all. Two sets of eyes are better than one. 'More like one and a half sets.', she thinks, bitterly. Her right eye has swollen shut since the fire. Not much good for keeping watch. But the one working eye she has is more than enough to make sure Goldy isn't slacking.

Dustystar - 25 moons - Windclan Leader

 

[Merrystalk]

—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦

It felt as if his mind was a blur like hay stuffed in every crevice of his brain. Every step was pain, when he and the rest of the cats were told to leave the smoldering barn, the cats dead within, the cats that might still be alive in the rubble? Just the thought sent a wave of nausea through his very being. Instead, he tried to focus on walking. A feat in itself, with his paws in pain from the stunt he saved Cherrie. But that was a small price to pay, he would survive with some pain for now rather than the agony of Cherrie's kin losing him. Though his heart ached for the poor tom, his burns were extreme, some of the worst among the barn cats- Could he even call all of them that anymore? Merry sighed, heart aching. It was all so much to process.

There were many times Merry faltered in the trek to... Wherever they were all being led. Thankfully Goldy, the ever-present rock for Merry, was there for him to literally lean on. It was a comfort all in itself. So much had been lost, Chicken never made it out of the fire, nor did Bunny. So many cats were hurt or dead, too many he was fond of- To say, he held a closeness in his heart for all the barncats. Even with those he butted heads with, he found relief learning Sassafrass wasn't in the fire. He pissed him off on the worst of days, but never would Merry wish what happened to the barn cats that night to his worst enemy.

They made it to an opening after a good long while, short grass surrounded by much taller, towering grass. Merry's tail flicked, discomfort coming to rest in his chest. He was grateful for them to stop, but this place? It wasn't safe. It didn't feel that way at least. It was too open overhead and the grass could be hiding anything. Just as he turned to voice his worries to his brother, the older muttered an apology and walked to talk with Dusty. She'd taken some kind of leadership. It was... Strange. She was a no-nonsense cat but equally, he'd rather his brother call the shots, he trusted him more than himself some days. But she wasn't a fool either, just as long as there wasn't anarchy while everyone was already knocked down a peg.

Thought, without the support of Goldy, the smaller tom's legs quickly ached more than he could handle, only making it a few more steps before slumping to the grass with a wheezing huff. He'd made it far enough injured, he wouldn't be able to catch up otherwise if trying to push himself further. God knows how Goldy would have his pelt if he tried to push himself now, memory slipping back to when he messed up his tail and downright refused to rest or help. He cringed at himself, kittens are hardy little things, an injury like that now would be hell.

He refused to sleep though, not yet. He overheard Goldy's offer to keep watch, maybe Merry could keep an eye too, he wouldn't be much use if there was anything but by the stars, he could holler like it was nobody's business. His eyes again scanned the crowd, hoping no one was left behind as some stragglers came padding to the opening; Hollow keeping poor Clover company, Sparrow and some of the other younger cats close together, Ice and Pebble with no Alder - a sight that ached his heart. With that thought in mind, his attention snapped up to look for Harefoot, after losing so much, he didn't want to leave his dear friend alone.

— And it's harder than you think,

Telling dreams from one another. —

• 
  Merry
  ✦—Barncat | 25 Moons
  ✦—He/Him
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
  #9D6E46

 

[harefoot]

Harefoot is… hurt. His lungs are still burning, somehow, the roof of his mouth raw and dry. It's like he's still in there, pinned under the beam. He squeezes his eyes shut, limping along, heavily favoring every leg but his right one– there was a nasty wound on his shoulder where the splintered wood had dug into his flesh. He would have to get it out, somehow, to clean it… but he's so tired.

Somebody speaks up– Dusty, by the sound of the voice, but Harefoot isn't entirely sure. Something is decided. Staying… here? Out in the open? Sure. As long as they could rest. His ears flick as he feels something, a pricking of the pads of his paws– he turns his head and finds Merry searching the crowd– it is good to see him indeed. Safe, by the look of it. Alive but injured. Harefoot hobbles over and collapses next to his friend, tail reaching over to touch Merry's side.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, Merry," Harefoot meows softly, not too loud as to not interrupt whatever decision is being made around them. "Your family–" he starts, wincing as the wind picks up for a moment, making the wound on his shoulder sting worse. "Your family, are they… are they okay?"

 

[GOLDENROAR]

Her withering look was met with nothing more then a boredly raised eyebrow and a returned stare. Yeah, he knows he carries a reputation, but he had never promised them love, he had always been straightforward. Them. His ear twitched, glancing towards the crowd with a frown. "Yeah, just the first shift. You're injured- not going to pretend I'm not, either- and need to rest th' wound." Goldy argued back. His tone was firm. This was less of 'fuck around' Goldy and more of 'get it fucking straight' Goldy. Not often that half of him came to bat, but you didn't survive barn fires every day, either. "I'll be back." He imparts before stepping away.

While searching for a vantage point, he stepped back to where his brother had settled on the ground, finding Harefoot next to him first. "Yeah, I am." Goldy says, his voice a rumbling timber damaged by smoke. He steps next to his brother, intent on helping him up. "Let's get you somewhere softer. You're going to rest-" This is matched with a withering look that Goldy thinks Dusty would be proud of, and followed by, "And stay resting. Yeah?" Goldy says. He's no expect on burns, but they run hot, if his foot is telling him anything. Keeping him away from sunlight is the best idea, and somewhere softer to lay that wouldn't be underfoot...

Goldy looks up towards Harefoot. "Dusty and I are going to take first watch." His eyes shift from Harefoot's face to his shoulder, then back. "If.. you're missing anyone, let me know in time. Sleep, if you can." He works a.. more even tone into his words, trying not to come off so harsh, the adrenaline fading and biting terror of losing their home rushing into his system now. Goldy helps his brother, if he's willing, to the side- somewhere that looks more comfortable, before stepping aside. Visually he scans Merry, before touching his nose to his brother's temple, then stands tall again. "Call me if you need me." He smiles once, briefly, confidence easy to wear as a mask. He then turns, heading back to where Dusty is still laying.

A breath leaves him, sitting down not far from her, ruffling his fur for a long night- or what was left of it- out in the open.

_______________________ I KEEP RUNNIN' BUT ☼ I'M STANDING STILL _______________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• GOLDY he/him, to-be-windclanner, thirty three moons.
  ☆ a lh golden red marbled tabby with low white and glimmering aqua eyes. often seen with a smirk, confidence oozing from him in heaps, but always the ever-helpful guy.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ older brother to merry
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Merrystalk]

—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦

Merry blinked for a moment, before his gaze met Harefoot's, while pain and a suffocating feeling settled in his mind, a smile still settled on his face seeing his friend was okay. The other sat at his side, with a tail over him. His body language relaxed for a moment, the first time since having settled in his nest the night before. "Goldy's kickin' as always." He chuckled with a wheeze, gaze flicking to the golden-pelted cat talking with Dusty for just a moment, but quickly back to Harefoot, his own eyes scanning the other as his own tail curled around the other. "How 're ya' though, I was worried sick not seein' for a while there-"

Just as quick was their reconciliation interrupted by Goldy's return. He wouldn't mind usually, the comfort of his brother being nearby, especially in dire straits was something he sought for. But now of all times? He wasn't uncomfortable where he sat, just slumped where the two stopped really. "'Course I'm gonna rest, I ain't gonna be no use huntin' with burnt paws." Every word was laboured, the wheeze in his chest was evidenced enough as Merry stood up shakily, leaning against Goldy for help. Though he shot Harefoot a sheepish look, mouthing a 'Sorry...' as he hoped the other would follow them, he didn't really want to be left alone after all.

It didn't take long for Goldy to shuffle him along to somewhere, admittedly much more comfortable. The shade and softer grass were welcome on aching paws, he let out a shuddered sigh of relief laying back down again. His brother pressed a muzzle to his temple after quickly checking his injuries over, something he always did after Merry ended up in no good, at least this time it wasn't his fault.

"I will, I will, not even that nasty ol' smoke can shut me up." He grinned, a faux confidence. His go-to in a situation like this. Everyone was suffering, some far more than others; Merry lost his home while many more lost family. His gaze flickered again to Harefoot, heart aching for a moment as he lay his head down, trying to relax.

There was an indescribable feeling pitted in his chest, one he really couldn't decipher—a yawning ache. Even as exhaustion tried to tug at him, sleep wouldn't come easy for once. Maybe he would try once again to listen to what the wind had to say...

— And it's harder than you think,

Telling dreams from one another. —

• 
  Merry
  ✦—Barncat | 25 Moons
  ✦—He/Him
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
  #9D6E46

 

[Cloverpaw]

Clover trudged along with the rest of the cats, having remained eerily silent throughout the entire journey. Watching the barn fire, and then the collateral damage afterwards... Her mother getting trapped, and Hollow's subsequent injury after trying to rescue her... She had been stupid, leaving everyone needing to rescue her and somehow still running right back into the danger. Even if Hollow didn't mention it much - or at all, really - Clover knew by the way she was ever-so-slightly limping that her paws must have been hurting.

Still, by the time they found a safe space to stay - an open hollow that made Clover yearn for a safe, warm tunnel to curl up in, away from the elements and the threat of predatory birds swooping in, or larger animals racing across the moor towards them - she was too exhausted to even protest as she was nudged into laying down. As much as she wanted to rest, she knew she wouldn't be able to so easily. She could feel it all like a crushing weight on her back, smothering her the moment she got a chance to think about anything. Once again, all she found herself able to do was cry, feeling Hollow's comforting warmth around her. Just like she had when she was watching the flames engulf the barn, she felt small and helpless, like a lost kitten.

"I wanna go home..." The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself, before it even registered in her head that there was no more home to go back to.

__________way down deep inside ✿ there is a real me___________

• "speech" - thoughts
  interacting with @Hollow
  
• 
  

  

• Clover(paw) she/her & windclan
  ✿ lh red lynx mink w/ white spotting
  ✿ 7 moons
  ✿ Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted.
  ✿ Slight suppressed southern accent
  
  
  penned by pastelskulls
  template by scarlet
  template art by lassie​

 

[Hollowmumble]

Hollow, -- 34 Moons / Barn Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Cloverpaw

---

Hollow dipped her head forward and bumped the top of it into Clover's fur, hoping to give any bit of small comfort. "I know..." she mumbled, Thinking of her old home before the barn. Clover had spent her entire life on that farm, and she can only imagine the grief if something akin to how she herself felt when she was left to wander endlessly through streets and fields in search of something, anything, even if she didn't know what she was searching for yet.

"I'm sorry..." Hollow whispered, pressing up against Clover more. All of the deaths and the losses weighed on everyone, and she knew it would be a long time before Clover would feel... normal again, if ever.

Hollow would be there for her every step of the way. She felt she had something to care about now. Clover, Merry, all of the barn cats that survived the fire... she wanted to do her best for them. It was like a spark in her chest, something pushing her forward and giving her new energy to do things for the better.

She knew, wherever these cats went now, she would be with them no matter what.

 

[aurorabeam]

★ She focused on the ground beneath her paws to keep herself present as she walked. Not the faint sting that dragged itself into her lungs with each inhale, not the scent and grime of soot that clung and muddied her pelt, not the empty, blackened place behind them that marred the newly green grass. Aurora certainly didn't think about the fire. She thought about the grass between her toes, the gentle give of the soil, and the mass of bodies before her. Entertaining any ideas even tangential to what was behind them, who they had left behind, would stop her in her tracks entirely, and what use would she be then?

Still, she glanced back.

Cats had died in the fire and Aurora had done nothing to stop it. Her desperate surge toward the blaze had faltered when Merry had sternly told her to stop, but, truth told, she'd only stopped because she realised Sassafras was outside the heat trap of the barn and that Buck's voice was still strong within. If she'd been just a little less selfish maybe she could have saved someone - anyone, should would have saved anyone to stop the guilt that was festering in her chest. She didn't even have a wound for the rot to spread to and infect. Not a so much as a singed blue fur to trouble her, and cats had died.

A ripple of instruction spread over the wandering group and she stopped walking, head turning toward Dusty and Goldy as delegation and comfort were given out. Huddles formed of families, friendships, and those bonds forged by circumstance. Aurora didn't know where to go, what to do, if they weren't walking, and her eyes darted about in search of some way to help. "I'll find some water, she said both to the group and to no one, before drifting off in search. The injured among them would need water as well as care far beyond her knowledge, but she could provide the former. She had to.

 

[harefoot]

No sooner has Harefoot laid down next to Merry than Goldy appears, helping his brother up again and guiding him away. Merry shoots him a look, mouthing 'sorry', and in his eyes, a vague request for Harefoot to follow. So despite the pain in his shoulder, Harefoot manages to get back on four paws, and although his gait is awkward, barely using his right front paw at all, he hobbles through the cats in the direction of Merry, though what gives him the strength to he isn't sure.

It is slow, painful work, without the guiding shoulder of a brother or friend. By the time he reaches Merry, the other is lying down, resting his head and body. His paw pads look the worst off, raw and swollen. Moss… wet moss, to soothe… but… his thoughts drift off, head growing foggy as exhaustion and pain seem to both catch up to him at once.

Wobbling slightly, Harefoot attempts to take a step, but his right paw gives out under him and he collapses next to Merry, falling at once into a state of exhaustion and pain induced unconsciousness.

 

[Merrystalk]

—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦

The tom couldn't hide the smile, seeing Harefoot follow suit. Though that smile didn't last very long, the pain was more than evident across the other's face, it was enough for Merry's heart to drop a little, he knew his dear friend was hurt, but how much he clearly wasn't certain of. "Careful there, don't strain yerself too..." His voice petered off, throat painful from the smoke but even moreso a lump in his throat seeing Harefoot's state.

Just as quick did his heart leap to his throat, everything from the night was clearly too much for the other, his eyes rolling back as he passed out as Merry's side. The tom's blood ran cold, dragging himself closer to check on Harefoot. "Shit-" His voice was nothing more than a rasp, as he pressed a muzzle to the tom's side. He let out his own wheeze of relief, even just the slightest bit, that the other was breathing fine.

The tortoiseshell, wary of the other's injuries, curled up close at his dear friend's side. The fire had taken a toll on them both, but it wouldn't stop Merry priorisiting Harefoot over himself, gently placing his tail over the other's side as he had before. He would stay awake as long as he could just to keep a close eye on the brown tom's injuries. Merry's heart ached, maybe if he'd tried to rescue Harefoot himself, he wouldn't be in such a state. His voice was but a whisper, it was all he could muster. "I'm sorry..."

— And it's harder than you think,

Telling dreams from one another. —

• 
  Merry
  ✦—Barncat | 25 Moons
  ✦—He/Him
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
  #9D6E46

 

[MAREMANE]

The barn was gone. Somehow, Lucille was still there, with all of them.

Only she knew that meant what it did. Still there, as in with them - not still there as in alive. Escaping the fire felt as easy as if she was slated to do so. After all, she did not flirt with death by running back in for loved ones or those in need.

As they walked, the marching band song of choked sobs and grief, Lucille began to think of her survival as less of a blessing, and more as a punishment.

Her face was clad with a haunted numbness, even as she traveled alongside her sister. She had the only cat who mattered to her. There were no graves that belonged to her mourning. So why did she still feel this cold?

Into the clearing she carried the weight. Slightly stepping in front of @Miley , her wiry tail leaning against her sister's side as a gentle act of comfort. "You should rest," Lucille rasped, pressing her tongue into the roof of her mouth as a cough fought to escape. Even with her generous timing against the fire, the smoke settled into the bottom of her lungs. At least it was only that. Some of these cats looked terrible.

Shifting her paws and looking away from Dusty's swollen eye, her shoulders unwinded at the idea of being able to keep watch. It surprised her, when hours ago she had stared out of the barn, hoping to be in a place like the moors. The idea of leaving during that watch, abandoning the injured and the broken to travel farther, tempted her. It would leave young cats – and worse, Miley – vulnerable to some animal attack, though.

She craved the air, silence, and her lonesome.

"I can take up watch after y'all," Lucille muttered to Goldy. Her eyes averted to the ground, dodging any connection with another barn cat who would offer to watch alongside her. She was formidable on her own, and uninjured. If this was her life for the time being, she needed to do something.

 

[Beetlepath]

BEETLE, 26 moons / WINDCLAN MOOR-RUNNER
A lanky, awkward black tom with white markings and forest green eyes.
Mate to Glade.
. . . a friendly yet cautious type, loyal almost to a fault, though not without his flaws - a selfish undertone and low impulse control.
Tagging @Glade

---

It all happened so quick. The fire, the evacuation, and now their long and painful trek into the middle of nowhere. The safety of the barn is an unobtainable memory now, yet he can't help but look back longingly towards where the smoke darkens the sky. There's nothing he can do to object against this temporary stay, as much as he wishes to. Beetle's heart is heavy, as if stuck in his throat - he swallows his grief thickly.

Somewhere along the way, he had drifted from his beloved's side, and green eyes flicker frantically from cat to cat as he searches for her amongst the crowd of the injured and mourning.

"My moon,"

he calls out softly, questioning each cat he passes as to his mate's whereabouts. When he finally spots her, his pace quickens until he is once more at her side, affectionately bumping his muzzle against her cheek.

"Glade. Are you injured? Are you.. okay?"

 

[Crow]

THANK YOU FOR THE VENOM

_______________________________________________________________​

To say he was 'disappointed' was a huge understatement. He'd finally found somewhere decent to live, with cats that didn't drive him up the damn wall 24/7 or enjoy bloodsports for fun, and it suddenly burns down.

His favourite places to nap and hunt and train– all of them gone in what felt like the blink of an eye.

They were all superficial losses, he knew. Nothing compared to what others had lost in the blaze, and yet he still couldn't help but feel as if he'd been robbed of something– cheated out of his chance to finally experience some fucking normalcy.

No loud-mouthed dad to deal with. No condescending sister. No absentee mother who did everything in her power to avoid them all because their family pissed her off about as much as it did Crow. In that regard, they hadn't been too different in the end. He'd been pissed in those last few weeks when she'd bailed and just didn't come back– until he realized how easy it'd been for him to do that exact same thing.

Suddenly, he'd been a bit more understanding of his mothers decision to leave and never look back.

Oddly enough, that same sentiment hadn't rung true when the barn had burned down and the cats were forced to leave. Once again, Crow had a perfect opportunity to leave and go find something better– something easier- and yet, here he was following the burnt and broken group out into the unknown.

Unlike some, the bi-color tom didn't have an opinion on Dusty's self-proclaimed role of leadership. He hadn't been around long enough to know these cats or their personal hierarchies, and was mostly just taking his cues from the majority. So far most of the group seemed fine with the smoky shecat taking the reins on things, though Crow was willing to bet at lest some of that lay in the fact that everyone was shellshocked, injured, and exhausted.

Crow was among the luckier cats. Aside from his smoke-stained pelt, a sore throat, and the cut across his face– which was a shallow, superficial thing he'd received while stumbling through the clouds of smoke in the barn– he was largely unscathed by the disaster. No family or friends lost. No burns to remember it by. He couldn't help but glance around at the other cats, quiet and contemplative as he observed them immediately go to work taking care of each other; leading the injured to softer ground to rest, setting up guards to protect the group, some of them even huddling together in an attempt to comfort one another in their shock and grief.

Envy and guilt took their turns whispering in his ears then, arguing over which was better; being so obviously alone and out of place, or being lucky enough not to suffer like the others were.

"I'll find some water,

It was an offer that seemed to go largely unnoticed by the group, which was fair enough since they were all dealing with their own stuff. And while Crow wasn't naive enough to not consider that the shecat might want the time to herself, it was a possability he was willing to overlook if it gave him an excuse to not just sit there feeling useless and ungrateful while everyone else was trying to help.

"I'll go with you." he offered, voice a bit rougher than usual. Better odds against predators and more mouths to carry wet moss back was hopefully excuse enough to not deny him.

​

OOC NOTES . ◭ . CHARACTER INFO

• ooc : — interacting with/following @aurora - unless he's stopped :)​

• Windclan Warrior
  Male
  A tall, athletic, blue-eyed tomcat with bi-color fur

 

[HoneyflowerHoneyflower's icon]

Slow Down, Just Breathe

She's lucky. Luckier than most, she realizes as she looks around the clearing Dusty has led them all to. Honey had been quick to wake (she always was, to be available for the parents and their kits at a moment's notice) and lead her mate at least to safety. Had wanted to follow like so many others and rush back in to help those still inside but something had left her rooted to the spot as if her paws had become the earth itself. Unmoving and uncaring of what happened around it.

She's vaguely aware of soft conversation happening around her. Of Meadow's cries of pain, someone offering to take up a watch and more still offer to look for water. All of it a static buzzing that does not yet pierce the hazy shock of the night's events. If she closes her eyes will she see nothing but smoke or the fire greedily eating away at the only place she had ever known as home?

Her lungs, her chest -her heart- ache with an unfamiliar pain Honey doesn't have a word for. Her entire world has been destroyed in mere minutes, she's sure that if she climbs a nearby rock and balances on her back legs she can probably see what's left of it if she really squints against the darkness. Still, she does not and instead coughs painfully, raises her head again to take count of who was still among the living. Who needed tending to. Who was missing...

She wants nothing more than to curl up and hide away, to bury her face into Sweet's fur and pretend none of this had happened. To have Swift and Hornet and her brother nearby. Instead she takes a shaky step toward Dusty, green eyes awkwardly darting away from the burn on the other's face. "I-" An emotion that she still doesn't have a word for seizes her chest and has a stranglehold on her tongue for a moment and she takes in a strained, stuttering sort of breath to try and settle her voice into something more even. More coherent. "I'll take the watch after Goldy... Me an Sweet were one of the first to get out, so I'm better off than most."

Honey doesn't wait for an answer before turning away to pad back to where she had been sitting.

She is lucky, though she doesn't feel like it at all.

xxx

All We Have Is All We Need

Tags

Honey

✿—Future Moor Runner Of WindClan
✿—She/Her
✿—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
✿—Dilute Calico Shecat With Green Eyes And A Floppy Ear
#a4e1ba

 

[REDVEIL]

Slow and steady, Red limped along the opposite side of Goldy from Merry. Exhaustion weighing their mind away from the horrors of what just transpired.

Each breath still came labored, lungs raw from the smoke that had scorched its way through them. He could already feel the promise of a nasty bump swelling on the right side of his cranium. The throbbing pain and persistent ringing made sure he wouldn't forget. Still, he pressed on. Occasionally, he leaned into Goldy's sturdy frame, but for the most part, he managed the trek on his own. The larger tom had done more than enough tonight. Red realized the depth of his debt and knew it could never truly be repaid.

A sudden halt in their pace made his head lift, wincing at the ache. Dusty's authoritative voice rang out, wheezy and hoarse. It took him a moment to realize that they were safe. Finally. Red blinked and took in their surroundings for the first time. Rolling moors stretched in every direction, dotted with soft florals and tall grasses. Open. Vast. Exposed. There was no shelter to crawl into here just sky and earth. Yet somehow, it was their best option.

The call to rest barely registered before Red's legs gave out beneath him. He crumpled into the grass, injured leg flaring in pain from the impact, but his body too far gone to care. He tucked his masked face into the grass and didn't make a sound. Just breathed.

Dark eyes shifted to Goldy then to Merry as cats around them began sorting out nests, posts, and roles. Red wasn't here for any of it, not right now. He wasn't prepared to speak, to grieve, to make sense of their circumstances.

Instead he closed his eyes as voices blended into the background. Not to sleep, but to gather whatever strength he could. He would face the grief and pain of tomorrow when it came. Not tonight.​

 

[Tinytail]

Miley

Status: Confused

---

She wobbled along with her sister, eyes squinting harshly in the dying light. To go from the bright fire to night is.....a stark difference. She already struggles to see and now it's even worse, like an after image left behind. Spots cloud her vision, the blur overlaid in black. She hums in thought. She had got out pretty good all things considered. She doesn't know how she found her sister in the panic, or if Lucille found her, but at least she still had her. Miley can't say the same for some of the others. She glances warily around, as if something in the dark would show her the light. As if it would all make sense if she looked hard enough. Nothing happens so she drops her gaze. She is unable to meet the eyes of anyone else. They have lost people, she has not, they are different and yet the same.

Miley lifts her head ad they come to a stop, her sister's tail brushing her side. Lucille tells her to rest and starts to turn away, she speaks before she can, "You must too." The rasp tells her all she needs to know, her sister had been in the fire. Escaped but not unaffected. The small molly frowns when Lucille insists on taking second watch. There will be no convincing her otherwise, this she knows, but she wishes her sister would rest, not risk further harm or slower healing. She huffs and starts looking for a place to sleep. She'll dig out a hole in the ground if she has to.
​

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It's not symmetrical or perfect ꩜────꩜────꩜ But it's beautiful, and it's mine

• OOC:
• Miley
  - Black/Cinnamon Chimera w/ high white ꩜ She/Her ꩜ Barncat ꩜ Penned by Snowy ꩜ 25 moons
  ꩜ Contact TimelordSnowy on Discord for plotting
  ꩜ "Speech"
  ꩜ Thoughts