Shipyard monsters || SENSITIVE TOPICS || how should I feel?

[lilacbird]

"stay close you guys!"
The rumble from their mother didn't go unnoticed to the young siblings ears as they scurried off, paws slamming into the ground. Rain, red tinted rosette markings, a direct blend of both their parents, burning like fire. Where Lilac was warmer and softer colours.

Her paw slid into the colder sand on the edges of the water, digging her paws into it, before playfully tossing it towards him. She wasn't a big fan of 'roughhousing', but she knew he couldn't hold back as he shot her an appalled look with a dramatic gasp, before leaping towards his sister. "Oooo! Imma get you for that, lil sis!" He purred, tail held high as he stood above her, paws pressing gently on her shoulders as she lay with her belly exposed.

A bright grin spread across her face. "Oh- oh yeah? Well, how b-bout you-" she didn't finish her thought, before cerulean gaze looked down, before gently kicking him off. He pulled back, more so on his own, before lilac pressed a paw into his shoulder. "T-tag!" She squealed, before turning and darting along the edges of the cold ocean, suddenly stopping and ducking, an unf escaping her as he tried and failed to jump over her in the sudden effort to steer clear from the stop. He tripped and tumbled forward, before she darted back the way they came. Towards the docks- where she beelined in a sudden turn onto them.

Rain was hot on her heels, and she got to the edge of the docks with a pant in her breath, slowing down as it swayed and rocked from their weight over the waters cold surface. Rain however didn't seem to stop in time, tumbling them both over the edge.

Lilac hadn't yet learned to swim, there was a scream cut a little too short as bubbles escaped to the surface. Her lungs filled with the cold water as she fell into the depths, eyes burning as she tried and failed to swim to the light.

Meanwhile rain managed to scramble his way back to the top, a large breath inhaling as he frantically searched for Lilacs head. "Momma! Momma! Help!" He screamed, before taking another breath and diving down. Teeth barely found her scruff, gripping on tightly to the smaller molly before emerging to the surface.

He was tired, his limbs heavy as he clung onto Lilac, who gasped and threw water from her lungs and stomach. "Swim! Like, you're running almost!" He tried to guide, nudging her along closer to the shore. His head went under, his foot catching on something tight, feeling a grip on his leg as he tried to break free of the moss and undergrowth of the oceans edge.

Lilac tried, her limbs flailing and splashing in an attempt to swim. In an attempt to just keep above water. Blue gaze frantically found their mother coming towards them, and something made her push. Push forward, but when she glanced over her shoulder- "RAIN!" She howled. But there was no response, no head above water.

Panic flooded her as she suddenly took a breath, blue gaze desperately clinging to the form of her mother racing towards them, before she fell into the depths.

Mother tag, but no need to wait! @Brook //
When recovered, Rain will have drowned, caught in the foliage underneath the water//
Lilacs under but still can be saved//

 

[Brook]

⋆˚✿˖° I was dancing in the rain, I felt alive and I can't explain

Gentle eyes watched the two go, pride evident in her eyes as she flicked her tail once. Her youngest kits were a rambunctious couple to say the least, but by the stars above did she adore the fur off of them... Shaking her head lightly, she turned back to her gathering, well aware that Rain would keep a good eye on Lilac. He was a responsible little cat, and they knew this territory... Knew until where they could go and when they had to stop. She trusted she would see them race by again in a few moments, tag was after all their favourite game.

What she had not expected a few minutes later, was the frantic little mew of her son carry over the wind, causing worried eyes to gaze up. " Rain?! " she screeched out, on her paws in the split of a second as she started dashing off to where she had heard the voice call out to her. And then she heard Lilac, crying out for her brother... Oh, oh what was happening?! Where had they gone to!? " Rain!? " she called out once more, looking around. " Lilac?! " she cried, her eyes finally spotting the little kit. Without another word spoken, she jumped toward the kit, her body diving into the water below until she felt the fur of her kit against her nose.

Sharp teeth grasped the scruff, pulling the kit up and above the water. ' Oh please breathe, please breathe, please breathe...! ' she pleaded to herself, eyes wide as she scrambled to the shore, gave her daughter a few licks and nudges, stopping only when she was CERTAIN the child was okay. Because she knew that if Lilac had been in there...

Worried eyes fell back to the water, heart hammering like crazy as she gave Lilac a last nudge. " Stay here, stay here child..! " she pleaded, a last lick over her forehead before she jumped back into the water, searching and searching... Searching for a familiar tuft of fur against her nose and when she finally did... She tried to get him free... He was stuck, that much she noticed. She couldn't go back up to take in a breath, couldn't risk that one second in fear of it being a second too long for the kit.

She managed to dive deeper, struggling with the undergrowth that kept her kit captured, her body was BEGGING for air... She couldn't. Not yet. Not yet... 'Please, Rain... Please hang on, mommy is here... mommy is here... she pleaded, struggling and pulling. She started fearing she HAD to go up for breath when finally the kit came loose and she grasped the first bit of fur she could find, pushing herself up to break the surface of the water, taking a deep breath through the nose, her eyes wide in fear.

She paddled to the side, fearing for the life of the kit between her teeth. He wasn't moving. He wasn't moving!! Paws scrabbled on the floor below, she found her way near Lilac, giving her daughter a quick glance to check on her before she gently laid the body of Rain down. No time to loose... She had to... She had to do something..! And so she did, she licked, she pushed, she tried. She tried everything she could to have the little one cough out the water he must've inhaled... Tried to breathe the life back into him... Every nudge, every lick, every push.

'Breathe, child... Breathe..! Breathe, my boy... My Rain..! ' She pleaded inwardly as she kept trying, kept pushing, kept hoping. And perhaps she tried for far longer than was necessary... Young Rain would no longer breath in air, would no longer be playing tag with his sister. But she couldn't accept that, couldn't accept that her son was gone from her... Couldn't stop to tell her daughter that her brother was dead.

She couldn't... So she kept trying.

✿────────────── ──────── Brook ──────── ─────────────✿

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@lilacbird

 

[lilacbird]

There was something so slow about all of this that happened within only a few moments. Something so.. unreal, about watching, too tired to keep moving, to keep trying as the air but all escaped from her lungs, the light above as her body drifted down almost disappearing. Watching bubbles drift from her mouth, her body felt so heavy...

Something, someone grabbed her scruff, the air rapidly filling back in her lungs as she was brought to the surface. Yells, worry filling the air as she was jumpstarted back to reality. The images of her and her brother playing fading, the images of her crying for momma- her form inhaled sharply, her body beginning to move despite the frigid ness that bit at her bones.

Reality exploded around her, her feet reaching the surface, and her mother's frantic licks causing her to finally click, and sobbing escaped from her pained lungs as soothing tongue was pressed against her pelt, her belly pressed hard against the ground in fear as she cried out. "Mom!" Fear was a fire inside her heart, her stomach as for a too long of a moment, her mother was under the surface of the water. "P-p-puhlease! No!" Tears large and filled fell from blue eyes, her chest still heaving for air.

But she returned, her form holding Rains body, the lilac girl felt relief, until... until rain wasn't moving. Until she noticed with saucer wide eyes that he wasn't breathing. But momma tried, and tried, and more tears fell. "Why- why isn't- why isn't he moving, rain, move please, please," pleading to anyone, someone, there has to be someone to save rain. Had to be anyone she can cling to that has her brother. Let him go... Don't... Don't let him die.

"Momma what's going on with him," she whines, teeth clenched together in sobs- she didn't understand, she couldn't. She didn't want to understand.

​

 

[Brook]

⋆˚✿˖° I was dancing in the rain, I felt alive and I can't explain

Brook's breaths came in ragged, shallow gasps as she stared down at Rain's lifeless body, her paws trembling against the cold ground. Her mind raced with regrets, regrets she couldn't undo. She had planned to teach them. To make sure they were strong swimmers. But she thought there had been time. There should have been time. Life didn't wait for readiness, though. It dragged them into its cruel currents, uncaring if they were prepared.

" Breathe... please, Rain, please... " she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of desperation. Her paws worked tirelessly, her voice pleading with a force that shook her chest. But Rain remained still, his small, fragile form unresponsive, his eyes staring blankly into a void she couldn't reach.

Lilac's cries broke through the shroud of Brook's grief, the tiny voice cutting like a shard of ice. Her daughter begged, sobbed, and demanded answers, answers Brook couldn't give. She had no words, no solutions, only silence and a hollow, aching heart. When her paws finally stilled, the reality sank in like a blow, forcing a keening sob to bubble in her throat. But she swallowed it back, suppressing the scream that threatened to shatter her.

Rain was gone.

Brook's head lowered, her eyes wide with horror, her body trembling as she gazed at her son, her baby. Her heart screamed to hold him, to cradle him close, to wake him up. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare. She wanted to open her eyes and find her children nestled close, their tiny bodies rising and falling with each peaceful breath. She longed to rasp her tongue over their heads, to hear their soft purrs in return, and to drift back into sleep with the warmth of knowing they were safe. But the cruel bite of the cold told her the truth. There was no waking from this nightmare.

Her gaze shifted to Lilac, her precious, terrified daughter. Her sobs pierced the air as she huddled close, seeking answers, seeking comfort. " I... " Brook choked out, her voice breaking as her ears pinned back. She turned away from Rain's still body, wrapping Lilac in a tight embrace. She rasped her tongue over her daughter's soaking fur, her motions frantic yet tender. " You're freezing, my sweetling... You're freezing... "

Her voice trembled as she struggled to speak, her gaze flickering between her two children, the living and the dead. " Your brother... " she finally whispered, the words catching in her throat. She pressed her nose against Lilac's head, a sob escaping as she murmured. " I am so sorry, sweetling... so, so sorry... "

✿────────────── ──────── Brook ──────── ─────────────✿

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[s c a l e]

Panicked screams jolted the young molly from her quiet nook beneath the floorboards, her heart racing as she scrambled out. Rounded fur stood on end, pelt bristling with fright as she peered over the railing. Squinting into the distance, Scale spotted Brook leaping frantically into the frigid waters, while a much smaller figure wailed at the edge of the bank near the docks. Though the scene was unclear, the tension in the air made her stomach twist. Whatever was happening, it couldn't be good. Without a second thought, Scale clambered down the creaky wooden supports of her home, landing with a heavy thump on the ground below. The dragging sands made every step an effort for her own small stature, but she pushed through, her legs burning with the effort to reach the shoreline.

While she approached, the scene came into sharper focus. Lilac's frantic outline stood trembling near the water, her form hunched in despair. Ahead, Brook emerged from the waves, clutching something small and lifeless in her jaws. The sight drove Scale's legs to move faster, though she already knew in her heart that she was too late. By the time her panting frame reached them, Brook was crouched, sobbing softly as water dripped from her soaked fur. Scale cautiously stepped around the grieving mother, her breath hitching as her eyes landed on the lifeless body splayed out before her. His form was stiff, fur plastered and clinging to a fragile frame. She quickly bent down aiming to nudge them. Seeking any sign of life but there was nothing-he was gone.

"No!" Scale gasped hoarsely, struggling for air between gulps of sorrow. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, blurring the heart-wrenching scene. "W-what happened?" Her voice cracked under the weight of the question. Brook sat nuzzling her living child, her soft cries breaking Scale's heart further. For a moment, Scale felt lost, unsure of what to do, what to say. Her mind raced with thoughts. If only I'd gotten here sooner what if- but she pushed them aside. Now wasn't the time for regrets.

At last, she drew a sharp, steadying breath and cautiously approached Brook. Her voice was gentle, trembling with emotion. "Brook… I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Her gaze fell once more to the lifeless child, and pain etched itself into her features. She was barely older than him. A single thought surfaced amidst her swirling emotions. Slowly, she motioned to Rain's body, her tone soft and reverent. "M-may I?" she asked innocently, her voice laced with compassion. "I can take care of… of Rain. I'll bring him to his final resting place, if you'd like?" Her offer hung deadweight in the air, naive yet sincere.​

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  ○ scale
  
  ○ LH blue-cream tortie w low white and hazel eyes
  
  ○ afab, undecided gender, she/they, 5 moons
  
  ○ kit of the shipyard
  
  ○ undecided orientation, single, crushing on no one
  
  ○ child of npc x npc ; only child
  
  ○ "speech", thoughts, powerplay
  
  ○ peaceful and healing powerplay accepted
  
  ○ toyhou.se - hub - playlist - penned by tasmagoric
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  strength
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  stamina
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  agility
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  hunting
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  swimming
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  climbing
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  charisma
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[Adderfang]

Most mornings at the shipyard were peaceful. Adder often spent them soaking in the glow of the waking sun, sharing quiet moments with Wave before their kits stirred. That morning, however, he woke a bit later, checking on his mate and their kits before setting out. He planned to replenish their fresh-kill stores and had barely started toward his favorite fishing spot when a faint cry stopped him in his tracks.

It was distant, barely audible over the gentle crash of the waves. He went stiff, ears swiveling on alert, dusty hackles rippling with tension. The sound came again, louder this time—a kit's voice.

Without hesitation, he turned, abandoning his hunting trip. He placed one paw forward and another, picking up pace as panic set in.

The first thing that came to mind was his family, his kits. A thousand horrible scenarios clawed their way into his thoughts, each worse than the last. But he clenched his jaw, forcing himself to shake them off. Wave was capable, she would protect them if anything happened. Even so, he wasted no time getting back.

As the shipyard came into view, he tore across the sand, his heart pounding in his chest. Shapes clustered together near the shoreline, and the distressed cries of a kit carried on the wind. Slowing to a trot, the tom skidded slightly in the loose sand as his amber eyes darted toward the last place he'd last seen his family. Relief washed over him at the sight of one of his kits poking their nose out, curious and unharmed. He allowed himself a moment to breathe, stifling the sigh that tried to escape.

Part of him was glad it wasn't his own. Guilt followed swiftly on its heels, gnawing at his chest as he approached the other cats. He treads carefully, assessing the scene with a practiced eye. Three kits were present, two of them drenched. The smaller tom had foliaged tangled around his legs, clearly lifeless. Could he have drowned? If so, how? Were they playing near the water? Did the tide sweep them out?

When Scale spoke up, offering to take the kit to his final resting place, Adder's expression hardened. His voice was low and firm. "Your good intentions are more of a hindrance than a help," He glanced over towards the lifeless kit, face betraying a hint of pity. Adder quickly refocused on the tortie and began to nudge them, an encouraging but not rough amount of force, attempting to give the grieving mother a bit of space. Should Scale decide otherwise, he would not force it. "His pelt is still warm so give her time to say goodbye. She might need help, just not yet. Understand?" He explained as best he could, though difficult it was.

His calm exterior concealed a storm beneath. A flood of questions filled his head, but he quelled them. The last thing this she-cat needed was to be bombarded. What a cautionary tale. One that could've been avoided had everyone involved just been more vigilant

___________________ There wasn't a wrong or a right he could choose 𓆟 He did what he had to do ________________

• "speech" - thoughts
  

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• Adderfang he/him & riverclan
  𓆟 Chocolate ticked tabby w/ amber eyes. Peppered with scars. Deep gash across the right side of his face exposing one canine slightly.
  𓆟 Deep gravelly voice that might unsettle others.
  𓆟 Would and will kill a man.
  𓆟 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted For other powerplays, DM.
  𓆟 Fur smells faintly of river reeds and damp earth.
  
  
  penned by Scarlet​