The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
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Subject: in a sad waltz (c) Wed 14 Dec 2022 - 20:02
Flutterpetal was tired. He didn't know exactly what the reason was, but there were a few potential candidates. It might have been the freezing cold taking its toll on him. It might have been how much more hunting he'd had to do lately, what with trying to make sure that not only WindClan had food, but ShadowClan also. It might have been how much difficulty he'd had sleeping lately. But none of those really seemed to be it. Whatever it was, it was the same thing that made him feel strangely hollow every time he thought about home. Every time he thought about the field of flowers that were probably frostbitten by now. Every time he thought about Whisperear.
So, he tried not to think about it. But that was easier said than done.
More and more often, he found himself looking for solace. The moon, as bright and beautiful as it was, offered no comfort. Neither did any food, neither did the spires of Highstones that rose behind them. The only time he could feel any kind of peace was in the company of his brother. Adderdawn was his rock. They'd gotten through everything together... they could get through this too. Right?
Though both of them were obviously hurting, it was better to hurt together than alone. So once again, Flutterpetal went searching for his brother. The sun set early these days, so though he wasn't tired yet, the stars had already begun to peek out in the unforgivingly dark blue sky. He found himself squinting at them for a moment, distracted from his objective. Why did they get to sit there and twinkle down benevolently? After taking Hawkheart, and Goldenpaw, and Hazel--?
No. No. Don't think about her. Don't.
He shut his heart tight against the wound that threatened to reopen. He would not think about her. He would not think about her. He would not think about her.
Instead, he walked further into the night. Eventually, there was Adderdawn-- sitting on one of the hills that were closest to WindClan territory. What thoughts were going through his head? How much pain was he hiding in the gaze that looked, betrayed, toward the sky? Flutterpetal could only guess. But he wouldn't guess. Instead, he sat by his brother, sharing wordlessly in his company. They could get through this together. They could do anything together.
~~PM me here or on Discord if you want a topic with any of my cats!~~ ~Wonderful Signature by Xaandiir!~
downfive Former Staff
Characters : [R]owansong [Ro]okflight [S]ilverhawk [P]igeonpouce [F]ish [T]wilightkit Clan/Rank : [R] RiverClan T5 Elder [Ro] RiverClan T4 Warrior [S] ShadowClan T3 Warrior [P] T2 RiverClan Warrior [F] T2 Rogue [T] RiverClan Kit Number of posts : 2483 Gender : any or username Age : 22
Subject: Re: in a sad waltz (c) Fri 23 Dec 2022 - 10:06
Adderdawn
"Are you winning your little game?" The words left Adderdawn in a tired, pained hiss. Heavy eyes glared wretchedly into the darkening sky, daring the cold stars to return his challenge. [color=#8B6508]"Why do you do this to us? Aren't you supposed to watch after us, make sure we're safe? Content? Protect us? Especially us, WindClan, the closest Clan to you?" Adderdawn's claws flexed, scraping against packed dirt and stone. He was shivering, too– it was hard to tell if it was the usual shakes he got in his moods or if the cold had seeped through his thin fur. He felt warm, at least, blood pumping warm through him with his racing heart. "Do you put the other four Clans through this too?" He pulled in a deep breath, and in a quieter voice, "How am I supposed to have faith in you now?"
It made Adderdawn wince, saying that. The Moonstone's presence not far below him made his fur stand on end, like their ancestors were leering right over his shoulder for the comment. But he hadn't believed in StarClan since he was an apprentice– not confidently. He knew they were there, staring down at them all. He had met them (his heart tightened at the memory of his last visit to the Moonstone), knew some of them cared about who still lived below. And yet when there was death after death, pain and rage in the hearts of his loved ones, and now cats being pulled away right in front of them, with only a guess if they would return? It all felt like a joke. Adderdawn even laughed, a short and bitter noise.
And then he fell silent. He had nothing to say, except perhaps idle cursing, so he sat in silence with his attention focused doggedly on Silverpelt. It wasn't until quietly approaching pawsteps made his ears twitch and he turned, the bridge of his muzzle wrinkled in agitation at the approach. But out of the darkness came a pair of tired green eyes. Immediately, Adderdawn's expression softened and he breathed softly in acknowledgement of his brother. "Hi, Flutter," he murmured, shifting a little closer to lean against the other warrior. How many times had they sat together at night, processing together all that happened around them? While he wouldn't complain about the company, he wished it wasn't under these circumstances. Leaning to touch his nose to the top of Flutterpetal's head, Àdderdawn mewed, "Are you doing alright? Are you tired?" He knew the answers to both of those questions. Still, he wanted to ask, wanted to let Flutter answer for himself.
Subject: Re: in a sad waltz (c) Sat 7 Jan 2023 - 21:48
As Adder's fur meshed with his, dark meeting dark in a gentle melding that felt like they should have never been separated, Flutterpetal allowed himself a quiet exhale into the chilly air. If nothing else, they had each other. They would always have each other. The cold vastness of the night could do nothing to them. The stars couldn't reach down and pluck his brother out of his embrace. Even at the thought, his black tail snaked around his brother's slightly smaller form, holding him close to reassure himself--to reassure both of them. They were together.
His brother's words were whispered gently into the night, then blown away on one of the freezing gusts of unfamiliar wind. Flutterpetal considered them for a few moments. If it were any other cat, he might consider a white lie of omission, changing the subject and commenting on how the days were finally beginning to grow longer and how it was nice to see his friend from another Clan every so often. Focusing on the few tiny, bright sparks of positivity that he was forced to cling to with all his might. But it was his brother. They could always trust each other. Always speak the truth, no matter how unpleasant it was. Turning his gaze, he saw in Adder's honey-brown eyes the shimmer of understanding. He already knew the answer, from downcast shoulders and wordless greeting.
"I am tired," he admitted softly, noticing how the words vanished into the night almost as quickly as they were spoken. "But it's more than that. I feel like if everything could just happen slowly, then maybe it would make sense. Maybe if we were back in camp. Or if Whisperear was here. Or if... Hazel...." The thought was too much. He couldn't think about her. He couldn't think about her, or everything would collapse. He pushed it forcefully from his mind, then returned to his forgotten sentence. "But it's all just... so much. And I think my heart is tired of bearing it, more than anything else. I can do it. Of course, I can do whatever I have to do. It just... hurts." The raw honesty almost hurt his throat. But he knew that it was better than the alternative of strained silence. Luminous green eyes met the face of Adder again, tired but thoughtful, scanning. "And you? Have you been getting enough rest, Adder? Enough food? I know it's difficult, with everything."
~~PM me here or on Discord if you want a topic with any of my cats!~~ ~Wonderful Signature by Xaandiir!~
downfive Former Staff
Characters : [R]owansong [Ro]okflight [S]ilverhawk [P]igeonpouce [F]ish [T]wilightkit Clan/Rank : [R] RiverClan T5 Elder [Ro] RiverClan T4 Warrior [S] ShadowClan T3 Warrior [P] T2 RiverClan Warrior [F] T2 Rogue [T] RiverClan Kit Number of posts : 2483 Gender : any or username Age : 22
Subject: Re: in a sad waltz (c) Wed 18 Jan 2023 - 16:11
Adderdawn
When Flutterpetal's tail wrapped gently around him, Adderdawn only sighed softly and leaned a little closer to his brother. Right now, despite everything, they were both here. They were real, breathing, battling the chillier air that came off the stones with each other. For a moment, that could be all that mattered. Even though his own chest hurt, and when Flutterpetal turned to look at him, he saw that hurt in his brother's green eyes– eyes that should have been brighter, warmer, not so tired. Adderdawn resisted scraping his claws over the rocks out of frustration and sadness for the cat beside him.
He was quiet and still when Flutterpetal started speaking, his attention trained on the soft words that flitted away with the wind. When Hazelpatch was mentioned, Adderdawn dipped his head, gently touching his nose to his brother's shoulder. If any of them deserved a break, a moment to step outside of this world and breathe, it was Flutterpetal. Adderdawn made a quiet note to find something nice for Flutter, when the frost hadn't killed every pretty thing. He stayed there, quietly bent into the embrace, until the worry was turned on him. Then, he leaned away, but he turned to look out towards the sky now instead.
"You don't need to worry about me, Flutter," he breathed. The words felt tight leaving his mouth. It... they weren't a lie, not entirely. Flutter didn't need to worry about him– no one needed to. But even if he was determined to reject a space to heal, he was practical and knew that the insomnia and poor eating habits were worrisome on their own. He knew it showed on his face, too, and that made him feel worse for lying, even if it was only by omission. But Flutter had enough concerns, and he'd spent enough time worrying over Adderdawn's health for the rest of their lives. Curling his own tail around Flutterpetal, he said simply, "Just because you can doesn't always mean you should." There was a beat where Adderdawn breathed, deep and shaky, before he continued on. He felt a surprising calm wash over him; his anger was suddenly gone, a rare moment of clarity, even if he didn't feel entirely at ease. "Neither of us can stop... anything, that the forest expects us to handle, but we can stop ourselves. There's enough time in the day and working paws around for you to rest."
Adderdawn lowered his attention from the stars above, resting again against Flutterpetal's shoulder. His own words still echoed against his ears like the breeze had picked them up and were gusting them around his head. But it was advice for his brother, not for himself. "I– I can't fix anything. Not anything that's happened, no one can. But maybe this can help; maybe it comes close, when it's quiet like this. It's... peaceful, I think."
Subject: Re: in a sad waltz (c) Sat 21 Jan 2023 - 22:49
Flutterpetal listened to his brother, ears swiveled though the rest of him was pressed up so tightly to the other cat that he couldn't actually see him. His light green eyes were instead fixed on the sharp stones in front of them, and on the sky, as Adderdawn spoke. The quiet, attempted reassurance was not quite as calming as he probably wished it to be. "You don't need to worry." But... didn't he? Wasn't that what love was?
"But I do worry," he responded softly. "I do. It's not that I try to. But when everyone else has been... taken... sometimes it feels inevitable. I know that it isn't the case, but in the middle of the night, sometimes I'm half-asleep and I get scared that the stars snatched you away from me while I wasn't looking. I know, I know it won't happen. But... still." He shook the thought away, and a soft smile touched his face. The barest hint of his usual smile, but it was still there. "I know we can't fix anything. None of us can. But if we have each other, then we'll both be fine. There will always be these moments of quiet, where it's just us and the moon and the wind. No one can take that away from us. No matter what happens, I'll always be your brother, Adder."
At the rest of his brother's words, Flutterpetal's tail wrapped a little bit tighter around him. "Thank you... Thank you for being there for me. I'll do my best to take care of myself, as long as you take care of yourself, too. We'll do it together. Okay?" He leaned in even closer to his brother. They breathed the same air together, in sync. Everything would be fine... everything would be fine. Maybe. Maybe it would, after all. The small cloud of their exhales puffed together into the night air, dissipating with a finality that was somehow calming. "I love you."
~~PM me here or on Discord if you want a topic with any of my cats!~~ ~Wonderful Signature by Xaandiir!~
downfive Former Staff
Characters : [R]owansong [Ro]okflight [S]ilverhawk [P]igeonpouce [F]ish [T]wilightkit Clan/Rank : [R] RiverClan T5 Elder [Ro] RiverClan T4 Warrior [S] ShadowClan T3 Warrior [P] T2 RiverClan Warrior [F] T2 Rogue [T] RiverClan Kit Number of posts : 2483 Gender : any or username Age : 22
Subject: Re: in a sad waltz (c) Sun 5 Feb 2023 - 2:34
Adderdawn
Ears twitched against Flutterpetal's shoulder as the dark tom spoke. Adderdawn wanted to protest immediately– to insist that Flutter really didn't need to waste energy worrying about him, and to argue that there was nothing the stars could do to take him. StarClan had done so much already, ripped away so many cats that they loved... but he would not be one of them. He would face all of their ancestors, fangs bared, before they took him away from his brother or vice versa. Even when they lost everything else, they would have each other.
But he kept quiet, holding those thoughts on his tongue as the cat beside him echoed his own words. Pulling away to look into familiar green eyes, Adderdawn was pleasantly surprised to see Flutter smiling. Not as bright as his smile deserved to be, but present either way. It took a few moments and the tighter curl of his brother's tail, the rest of his quiet words, but eventually Adderdawn managed a smile of his own. Thin and tired and it didn't fully reach his eyes, but just like Flutterpetal's it was there.
"I'll take care of myself," he promised softly, leaning into his brother again. He wasn't sure how well he could uphold that promise– taking care of himself was never something he'd properly learned, and he'd never felt like he could beyond keeping himself alive –but he could try. Maybe tonight, he would actually let himself sleep, and in the morning he might even remember to eat. When Adderdawn looked to the stars this time, the fury had burned out of his expression. Frustration still simmered in a far corner of his heart, but it was overwhelmed by Flutterpetal's reassuring presence. "We'll do this, together. I love you, too."
