TW: Sensitive Content Territory You always haunt me || reintro

[lilacbird]

{$title} Tw: anxiety, flashbacks, mentions of rains death.

Lilacbird was a warrior, yet the thought of stepping into water terrified her. Imagine living in riverclan- yet being unable to swim! Being scared of what our clan is named after! Lilacbird gave a small gulp, flinching as the edges of the water trudged over small paws. Still so small, still so scared- as if her body never let her grow past the same little girl moons ago. Her toes flexed against the wet rocks, and she took a step back, another- so that the water couldn't reach her cream coloured paws anymore.

A hard gulp as it washed over where she stood, as if she was never standing there. The paw prints disappeared, and her gaze of the waters themselves turned to her mother, fearful- as if reliving the past. She remembered the inability to breathe, choking her, and it still came to haunt her every single day. Her brother had tried so hard, she remembered his paws against her pelt, his teeth pulling and tugging at her. But he was caught, they said. He was trapped. It wasn't her fault, but if she hadn't fallen in- is it my fault momma? She remembered asking, and Littlebrook denied it. But she couldn't help how she felt. Even in normal activities, the natural stutter showing off the fear, the fear that she wasn't good enough. That she wasn't strong enough. Rain should have been with them. "Mama," she said softly, head dropping. "I-I c-cant," she said, her lips tugging back in a frown of defeat.

She was supposed to help Lilacbird be able to overcome it, and it had to have been weeks of coming to the same spot, only to be defeated again and again. It must be annoying, she heard the rumors and held her head down in shame each time, blue eyes losing the ability to be able to even look up at cats. Because it wasn't just swimming, it was rebuilding and reinforcing dens- it was hunting, clumsily missing prey. Usually by now, someone found something they were good at- but so far, nothing could stay in the small torties paws long enough to actually know what she was doing.

"Mama- I-I want t-to, t-to ma-make y-you p-p-puh proud, b-but I j-just, i-it was my fault. B-because I c-couldnt save myself, a-and wh-what if," she cut herself off with a whimper, lowering her small head down with flattened ears.
​

@Littlebrook - speaking to Little Brook, but anyone can respond!

 

[PIKESTAR PIKESTAR]

It wasn't an uncommon sight to see families spending time together outside of their duties. In fact, it was rather nice to see parents and children catch up after a long day of work or even swim together. Pikestar himself spent his time with Iciclepaw and Russetfall. The three of them were their own little family. Yesterday they had gone fishing together. He can remember the glimmer of pride in Russetfall's eyes when the white apprentice caught a massive fish. Though that pride soon turned into annoyance when Pikestar decided to laugh at her failed attempt to mask it. Iciclepaw was a little confused about why his mother was glaring daggers at the leader, but they were all happy. That's all that mattered.

However, when he saw Littlebrook and Lilacbird draw near, he was filled with apprehension. Especially when the water rose. Lilacbird was afraid of the river. Everyone knew it. That is why she preferred to hunt anywhere else. To be honest he was curious about the effort it took her to return to camp. After all, their camp was surrounded by water from all sides. It wasn't too deep, but she would have to trudge through the water. Before he could ponder more about it, green eyes watched as Lilac's ears flattened. Oh. Oh no.

Littlebrook was not someone he was close with. Not close enough to intrude on this family matter. He has talked to her in passing, but more often than not she is next to Pineheart. Those two are friends, or at least he assumes they are. Pineheart isn't the most open of cats, so a select few can be considered friends with the hulking brown life guard. Pikestar himself is certain they aren't friends. If anything the life guard only tolerates him. Maybe sees him as some kit who needs help, which wow... That kind of stings, but understandable. ANYHOW. He finds himself approaching the pair slowly.

"I-i... I uhm. Hey,"

he awkwardly interrupts with a slow wave of his paw.

"Is everything alright?"

Oh stars what am I SAYING?! Why does it sound like I'm making it out to be like Littlebrook did something to her own daughter. Please please PLEASE do NOT take this the wrong way!

𝐨𝐨𝐜 𓆩♱𓆪 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

• PIKESTAR

  — leader of riverclan, former shipyard cat
  ♱ 41 moons — he/him — ages realistically on the 1st — mentoring iciclepaw
  ♱ speech is

  "#36D9AB"

  — thoughts are italics — attacks are underlined
  ♱ short haired silver mackerel tabby with green eyes
  ♱ peaceful & healing powerplay permitted — underline & tag when attacking
  ♱ penned by velou — kasaven on discord — open to plots & dms
  

 

[hazecloud]

𓆝 . ° ✦

Hazecloud would consider herself among the number of RiverClan's ranks to be a bit more critical of their Clanmates that feared or refused to adapt to the water. Their lifestyle before this had still been consumed by their affection for dark murky depths and changing tides, at least for most of them, and with so many other plentiful Clans that did not surround themselves with a wide river, why bother staying? Hazecloud admittedly saw it as a waste some days, when the rain was heavy and land prey hid in their dens away from prowling cats. The fish rose closer to the surface on such days, and even in the heat they were far easier to catch. The molly could only see both sides of the hunt finding failure come leafbare, when the river became unbearably cold and so did the land.

Lilacbird's stammering is quiet but not unheard. Hazecloud had tried her best to keep distance between herself and the duo, but she had been on a solid streak in her hunt and stubbornly wanted to continue her success. Two dark-scaled bass laid behind her, mouths agape and gills expertly cut through. A third and she would return home and see her family fed, as long as her peers kept their space. The shore lapped further at her paws than it had before, the tide was rising and time was closing in. The hunter has a perfect shot here as she catches the shine of scales in the sunlight, but she cannot keep herself focused. Claws slice through water with nothing to show for it, and she sighed in frustration.

A quick shake cooled off whatever fire bit her tongue, turning to see Pikestar join the pair and stick his nose in. "She's afraid of water, Pikestar. You can imagine what that might be doing to someone surrounded by it." She mewed with a graceless tug of the bass' tail away from the shore.

✧ ° . ✶ . ° ✧

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 

  HAZE— SHE/HER ･ 37 MOONS ･ RIVERCLAN PEARL DIVER ･ PENNED BY @gonkpilled!

  a smoky blue molly with warm green eyes. haze is a short and stout molly with a longhaired pelt that is beautifully kept. she is a highly skilled, agile swimmer and fisher with a surprising mischievous streak.

 

[Littlebrook Littlebrook]

There's so much more
You can reclaim your crown
You're in control
Rid of the monsters inside your head

.

Stars, she wished she could take the pain and fear from her kit and endure it herself, but she knew she could not. This was something Lilacbird had to face on her own, and it tore at Littlebrook's heart. The water surrounded them… shallow now, yes, but in moons to come, it could grow deeper, more turbulent. Nature was unforgiving; it took without thought. And the last thing Littlebrook wanted was for her daughter to fall prey to the very water they once moved through so fluidly. Could she blame Lilacbird? Absolutely not. Never. And when her daughter pulled back, stuttering with a frown of defeat, Littlebrook's heart ached. She gave a sad, soft smile. " Shh… shh, little bird… It's okay. It's okay… No… it's not… never your fault, dear child… never… Your brother… he--" Her words broke off, and tears pricked at her eyes, stubbornly blinking away.

Lilacbird carried little of the blame. Of course she missed Rain. Of course she wished her brother were here too. But she wished both of them were here, not one or the other. What had happened to Rain was terrible, but not her daughter's fault. Rain had done what he must in that moment: keep his sister safe, as the stronger swimmer. He would have survived… had his paw not been trapped beneath the junk below the water. This was no fault of Lilacbird's. Littlebrook's sharp gaze flicked toward Pikestar for a moment, almost heated, drinking in his form. Slowly, she narrowed her eyes and exhaled. The leader was not here to judge, merely to ensure they were safe, she supposed. Hazecloud had understood the situation more quickly. Yes, her daughter feared what surrounded them. She feared drowning. She feared the memory. Littlebrook hoped she did not fear the water itself.

A deep breath drew in, her chest tightening as she gave a solemn nod. " Lilac's brother, Rain… he died back at the shipyard… drowned.. " she said through clenched teeth. " He saved her. But… " She lashed her tail once, pressing close to her daughter in a protective embrace, nuzzling her gently. " It is okay, little bird… I am here. I am here, and I always will be… "

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

MOONS

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RIVERCLANNER

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SONG

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