TW: Sensitive Content Open Camp 𝙔𝙊𝙐'𝙍𝙀 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙇 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝘾𝘼𝙉'𝙏 𝙎𝘼𝙑𝙀 𝙈𝙀 𖤐 return.

[CROWPAW.'s icon CROWPAW. CROWPAW.]

{$title} crowpaw returns to camp with a squirrel, but it looks like it's been through hell... and crowpaw does too.

CROWPAW | SHADOWCLAN
"WHEN ALL THE HATE BURNS OFF, I'M LEFT HERE WITH THE PAIN"

.

The moon still hangs in the sky as Crowpaw stumbles toward camp that morning, a tailless and bloodstained squirrel hanging limp from their jaws. Their chest still yields a small trickle of blood amongst matted, sticky fur, and Crowpaw feels dizzy from how much they've lost.

He'd planned to eat the squirrel when he first saw it - to snag a quick meal amidst the cover of nighttime while no one was watching. But now, strangely, he cannot bring himself to eat it, thinking only of the sound of its ripping flesh when that WindClan apprentice had torn off its tail. The thought of eating now made his stomach turn.
So here he is, trudging into camp leaving a trail of blood behind him, walking right past the bewildered gazes of those who'd awoken at dawn. His face, usually a fixed scowl, bears a chillingly neutral expression, and his eyes seem devoid of light or feeling. He'd felt so much when he fought for this squirrel (was it really for the squirrel?), moons of bottled-up rage and fear and sorrow spilling out into every swipe of claws upon flesh. But now… now that it's over, he is left with nothing. He feels nothing at all.

Crowpaw drops the squirrel onto the remnants of the fresh-kill pile, staring down at its lifeless form, its blood-soaked fur. She wonders how similar she looks right now, small and pathetic and weak. But if she feels sorry for herself, she doesn't show it; instead, she simply turns to the cat nearest her, announcing in a quiet voice:
"Caught somethin'."

---

ooc: this is a return from this thread!! tagging @Belladonnadance but no need to wait!!

"BEHIND OUR VAIN DEVICES, ARE WE ALL THE SAME?"

CROWPAW
SHADOWCLAN APPRENTICE
8 MOONS
SHE/HE/THEY
"SPEECH" | THOUGHTS | ACTION
#E0D4EF #9275B9

 

[Belladonnadance Belladonnadance]

TW: Depictions of death, violence, gore, dismemberment

Belladonnadance had always been prone to night terrors of her own. She would wake up gasping for air, terrified that a dog had finally caught her, jaws wrapped firmly around her throat as it tore her to shreds, just like her mother and sisters had been. It was a memory that haunted her, the way her mother's delicate frame was ripped into scraps that flung themselves into the breeze like some sort of macabre confetti. Tonight was no different, it never was. She felt that familiar bile rising in her throat, threatening to make its way out of her maw. She took a deep breath, standing on shaking feet. Most of the clan was starting to stir, the warmth of the first crack of dawn beginning to shimmer into the den.

She decided it was time to get up, rather than force herself to try and get a few more winks and possibly see that horrible image again. She stretched, breathing slowly as she tried to calm herself, padding into the clearing that made up their camp. There were a few faces about, already going about their duties for the day. However, quite a few seemed fixated on something else: Crowpaw.

The small black apprentice was hers, a smaller than average apprentice that had found their way into Shadowclan by chance a few moons ago. She had not spoken to the cat much, outside the usual mentorship conversations. She was utterly unaware that her and Crowpaw were almost two souls cut from the same cloth, both healing from their own disasters that had occurred in their lives. And here he was, a wreck. Black fur stained darker by the slick dark red substance that seemed to coat their entire being, fur matted. It was hard to see injuries amidst the blood --- but it was clear that this blood may be Crowpaw's. She drops a squirrel onto the freshkill pile, it's body looking darker from the deep coating of blood that clung to the once reddish brown fur. Belladonnadance looks towards her apprentice, her expression is a deadpan stare, eyes devoid of light.

Belladonnadance has not been a mentor long, nor does she know much of Crowpaw outside of their skillset, but it is clear something happened to the apprentice. Belladonna swallows hard, padding towards the apprentice. He had turned to the cat closest to himself, announcing in a quiet voice --- one that is not proud, that he caught something.

Belladonna herself looks at the apprentice, and then quietly turns to someone nearby. "Can ya' fetch Cicadabuzz or Magpiepaw?" She mutters, padding towards her apprentice. Her tone is soft, even as she looks at the small black cat. She does not wish to frighten her further, nor does she wish to inflict some sort of punishment. Instead, she moves carefully, calculated. The same way Hellebore did when she was first apprenticed, remembering the fear after watching Shimmer be killed by those filthy rogues. Her maternal figure, gone, just as suddenly as her biological mother had been taken from her.

"Crow," She murmurs, "What did ya' get yerself into, kiddo?" She leans down, almost like a mother. Her tongue meets Crowpaw's cheek, hoping to clear up some of the dried and wet blood that is coating the apprentice.

___________________ I'M BENDING BACK INTO THE VOID 𓇗 MY EYES STARING UP INTO BLACK ___________________

• "mew"
  interacting with someone (open to whoever) and @CROWPAW.
  
• 
  

  

• BELLADONNADANCE
  Formerly known as Kazumi
  she/it, shadowclanner, sixty-seven moons.
  𓇗 a lh black smoke molly with moderate white and amber eyes
  𓇗 mentored by helleboremask / mentoring crowpaw
  𓇗 daughter of sakura and duskpool
  𓇗 peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  𓇗 penned by asteiri ↛ please dm on discord or post in #asteiris-astronomy for plots.