PAFP INDULGE ME IN FINERY // testing

[deathberrykit]

[ cw: vomit. pls wait for @cicadabuzz :] ]

"Cicadabuzz -! I got a thorn stuck in my paw again -!"

It doesn't matter who it was. Some wayward soul too enthused with the undergrowth, likely, but the details matter so little. She watches as her parent departs from their den, stalking on slow, hungering steps, as if they may devour the perpetrator whole. Deathberrykit stands apart from her small family, leaving behind her siblings and mother in favor of the gaping maw that is her other parent's home. In the chaos of a day-to-day camp, the child slinks around loping pawsteps and heaving flanks - all until she lands just inside Cicadabuzz's den.

Immediately, she knows what she cannot touch. Some of it is placed too high, out of reach for kittens like her. Some however is placed low, tentatively for easy access. Deathberrykit knows her destiny, to be cut short by something beyond herself. She does not act to speed up the process, no - she acts to be of service while she still can. Bitter leaves scoop into her maw and she chews, chews, chews.

All until she spits it up again.

She isn't sure if it is because of the harsh taste, especially in comparison to the milk she is used to, or if it is because she actually ate something vile. Deathberrykit retches again, shaking her skull as she steps away from the small pile of sick.

 

[cicadabuzz]

Cicadabuzz steps into the den, their paws making barely a sound against the packed earth floor. A sharp, unmistakable scent pricks at their nose—the bitter tang of crushed herbs not meant to be touched. Their gaze slowly sweeps the dim, cluttered space, taking in the scattered mess of bile and crushed leaves. Deathberrykit stands off to the side, her small frame trembling slightly, the tension between them palpable. They pause, their movements calm and measured, their expression serene but subtly curious. Cicadabuzz doesn't speak right away, only tilting their head as if silently observing the child. The stillness lingers, weighted with unspoken thoughts. Slowly, they move toward their herb stores, their tail swaying gently, keeping time with their methodical search. Each pawstep is deliberate, as if grounding them to the earth's rhythm. Their gaze remains focused, scanning the neat rows of remedies until they catch the sharp, familiar scent of yarrow.

Without haste, Cicadabuzz retrieves a sprig of yarrow, setting it aside. Only then do they give attention to the sickly kitten. Their gaze meets hers, steady and composed, holding the weight of questions unspoken and answers anticipated. There's no urgency in their tone, only the steady flow of purpose guiding their words. "What did you eat?" Cicadabuzz inquires softly, their voice calm as a trickling stream. There's a deliberate pause, a space where thoughts and possibilities hover, curiosities as stones best left unturned, before they return their gaze fully to Deathberrykit.

 

[SABLESTAR]

A final remedy to soothe the wounds that now scarred the toms eyes still lay fresh over a tattered face. Sablestar remained to linger in Cicadabuzz's den with potential to discuss their work further, but their role interrupts as much as he would expect. Sablestar nodded as the healer left for whoever fetched for their attention, closing his eyes and letting the salve work without him blinking it away. A gentle rustling caused his ears to prick up but he doesn't look in the assumption Cicadabuzz returned for an herb only to hear the sickly sound of a kit messing with what shouldn't be touched.

Sablestar lifted his head to see Deathberrykit shuddering over their own mess and held back the urge to cringe. His squinted gaze flickered to the looming figure of cinnamon fur, given some relief for the kits outcome. They question her, and Sablestar found himself useless to help. "Should I get you anything? Water?" If she purged it maybe whatever effects had wouldn't be so lethal, he hoped.

this heart beats cold like the devil his own

• "mew"
• 

  SABLESTAR— he/him ･fifty-four moons ･leader; shadowclan ･penned by gonkpilled

  a black and white tuxedo with dark amber eyes