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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No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing.
Thymelight was riddled with a deep, painful anxiety that cursed her with a constant onslaught of headaches, and it had reached a point where even crafting flower crowns for her Clanmates didn’t send the apprehension packing. She was worried that they looked as messy and scattered as her state of mind felt, but she was still eternally grateful for the assistance that Ploverpaw had provided her with. Her eyes scanned the rows of colors before her and a nervous frown crossed her face. How appropriate of an action was this? Warriors and apprentices were currently putting in double the effort to keep themselves in shape for the upcoming war, and Thymelight was about to present them with flower crowns. There was always the possibility that they’d find it to be offensive and childish. Her moons of living in SkyClan had taught her that not every cat shared the same viewpoints on life as her, and that was alright, but the last thing she wanted was to unknowingly offend anyone.
She stayed in the comfort of the medicine den as she gave her gifts one final count. Set to her right were eight crowns, specifically meant for Birdstar, Wolfblossom, Smokepetal, Bubblebeam, Sorrelpaw, Ploverpaw, Honeypaw, and Foxtrot. To her left were a decent amount of other crowns that she had made for the rest of the Clan. The medicine cat was able to identify a few of the flowers that she has used, like crocuses, camellias, and jasmines, and any other day seeing such a lovely mesh of colorful petals at her paws would fill her with uncontrollable glee, but the days were different now. They were darker. These gifts weren’t simply adoration gifts like the ones that she had made when she was a younger warrior apprentice, no. These were sendoff gifts, ‘good luck in the war’ gifts, and for some of her Clanmates, they would be a final goodbye gift. How morbid. The thought filled Thymelight with dread, but she took a deep breath and pushed it down like she had all the times before.
The she-cat glanced toward the corner of the den. There was a final, lonely flower crown that she had crafted as a last minute thought. She and Hemlockfox weren’t the best of friends, and he would probably disapprove of a sentiment as “juvenile” as a flower crown, but she still thought of him anyway. Thymelight knew that he would be leaving for WindClan soon, and she still couldn’t imagine the pain that he must’ve continuously felt. She was aware that there was nothing but moons and moons of bad blood between them, but she wasn’t petty, and she knew that everyone needed a pick-me-up no matter who they were. So she left the crown there, alone in its corner, and she knew that it would be there in case he decided to come around.
The cats from the dawn patrol had recently returned and most of SkyClan’s ranks had woken up, meaning that it was the proper time to get the Clans attention. She had to take a couple of trips back and forth between the medicine den, but once she finally hauled all of her gifts out to where they could be seen, she tentatively glanced up toward the Tallbranch before shaking her head and deciding to stay on the ground. Just because she possessed a higher rank now didn’t mean that she felt it was respectful for her to find a spot on the Tallbranch to address the Clan. She wasn’t here to command anything or lead anyone, she was here to convene with her Clanmates as friends in a last moment of kinship and happiness before chaos struck them all.
“SkyClan!” She called out, her voice sweet and welcoming despite the tumultuous storm brewing in her chest. She continued once eyes were on her. “Forgive my interruption, but I have made some gifts for you all! I… recognize that times have been tough recently, and they seem to only be getting tougher, but I believe it’s essential that we all still celebrate each other while we still can. I have flower crowns here with each flower representing themes like strength, admiration, inner-peace, and hope. I think we could all use some of that now, right? Please, take one, don’t be shy.” She kept a watchful eye open in case any of the cats she had made a special crown for approached her.
She took a breath as she looked out at each pair of eyes that stared back at her. Some belonged to her closest friends, some belonged to acquaintances. Many were younger than her and many were older. There were all different pelt colors, different sizes, and different expressions. Nothing mattered to her now except for the fact that they were all SkyClan, and she loved them all more than she’d ever be able to express. She found her heart beginning to strengthen just by looking at the Clan that had raised her.
“I am so grateful for each and every one of you and the gifts that you provide SkyClan with. I hope we can all find a reason to smile in the middle of this storm.”
Subject: Re: one last hope [o] Wed 14 Feb 2024 - 1:07
It had been an unusually exhausting dawn patrol. Maybe it was just the thick layer of snow over everything, but Bubblebeam's morning had been full of slipping from branches, missing birds by mouse-lengths, and getting facefuls of cold ice. Still, she had at least one squirrel to show for it. Exhaustion shadowed her eyes and made her shoulders slump as she padded back into camp, depositing her prey, but she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief upon her return. She had little else to do for the day until her next patrol at sunhigh. Maybe she'd take a nap. The newly appointed warrior shook some lingering flakes of snow from her fur and turned around, only to see Thymelight standing in the middle of camp with... were those flowers? Just as she noticed, the medicine cat called for attention, so of course she made her way over to see what was going on--curiosity ignited, fatigue forgotten.
"I believe it’s essential that we all still celebrate each other while we still can."
While we... still can? Bubblebeam's ears swerved back on her head in an involuntary reaction. Right... the war. The upcoming tensions that Great-Aunt Birdstar and Gramma Wolfblossom thought were inevitable. She'd been doing her best to forget about it, but Thymelight... her job would require her to think about it. To be ready. So her response--to make flower crowns for those she cared about--was sweet, actually. It was Thymelight all over. But just thinking about the fact that she or any of the other cats that Bubblebeam knew could get badly injured or even die in the war made her want to crawl under a rock and curl up so tightly no one would find her ever again. Did this really have to happen? What if they just... didn't fight? If they chose not to? Wasn't that an option?
This was meant to be a moment of kindness and warmth, though. Obviously Thymelight intended to show affection, not to scare anyone. So Bubblebeam forced the tangled mess of anxiety and squirming discomfort far down within herself and approached cautiously, trying to force her ears to behave. The flower crowns were very pretty. Where had she found such nice colors in the middle of leaf-bare? Was there some secret grove somewhere that Bubblebeam didn't know about? One particularly caught her eye--a crown of daisies and dandelion, with bright yellows and soft creams, tiny green leaves popping out against the off-white snow. "They... they all look very nice, Thyme," she said, hoping her voice betrayed none of the turmoil she'd swallowed into the pit of her stomach. "They're so pretty, I wouldn't want to ruin them. I'm okay just looking at them--really. I didn't know you were so good at making these." She wasn't quite able to smile as she met Thymelight's expression, but deep in her eyes shone the depth of gratitude that her words could never fully express. Words that might convey something like, "I think of you like a sister. You're very dear to me and I would never recover if I lost you." Instead, the halting words that came forward from her mouth were, "Could you... teach me how to make these? Sometime?" If we're both still here after all of this. The last part remained unspoken, but... of course she'd understand.
Hemlockfox almost couldn't help the snort of exasperation that threatened to bubble out past his lips at Thymelight's display. Was she really making flower crowns at a time like this? How kitish. Despite the annoyance that writhed inside of him, he bit his tongue and walked past the other medicine cat, icily determined to ignore her. Her little speech seemed nice and all, but he was certain that it wouldn't help with whatever she was trying to do. With war on the horizon, what good would some silly flowers do to prepare their clanmates?
Though, maybe he would've been keener on voicing his displeasure if it wasn't for the way their last 'conversation' had gone. It had been days ago, but he still remembered every word of what Thymelight had said to him. Everything had come to a head that day and now, Hemlockfox could hardly bring himself to sleep in the same den as her. With a single lash of his tail, he shoved his way into the medicine cat den, intent on getting some sleep while he could.
Only...what in the name of Starclan was that? His blue gaze instantly fell to a crown of flowers laid out perfectly in the center of his nest. Several emotions warred within him at first - anger, shock, offense, confusion - before he finally allowed himself to settle on anger. It was comfortable, to be angry with Thymelight. Even and sometimes especially when she didn't deserve it. With a snarl, he stormed up to the delicately made wreath of flowers and hooked a claw beneath it, lifting it carelessly into the air. What was this? Some peace offering? With a dismissive growl, he threw it to the side where it hit the wall of the den and fell to the ground, disheveled.
As Hemlockfox glared at the flower crown, a familiar voice dragged his attention away - Bubblebeam. Curious and more than a little irritated, the brown and white medicine cat peered out of the den, his blue eyes zeroing in on Thymelight and his sister. Thymelight seemed so sweet and innocent, but he knew better than to fall for it. Or, at least, he thought he did. Despite avoiding her after their argument, he couldn't help but observe everything she did from a new light.
He still thought that she was too soft, he still blamed her for Starclan's decision...but it got harder and harder to truly hate her like he used to. Not when he began to pay attention to what she did and finally began to realize just how deeply rooted her love for SkyClan ran. As misguided as she was...he couldn't honestly say that she had anything but their clan's best interest at heart. With a tired sigh, he glanced back at the discarded flower crown, his stomach clenching with guilt.
Slowly, the tom padded back to the now bent crown and shoved it, sending it skidding across the ground back to his nest. There, back where she'd left it. It was a bit battered now, but not completely broken. It could be fixed. Silently, Hemlockfox looked back out into the camp where Thymelight was giving away her flower crowns. He could still fix this, right? Maybe not right away, but anything was better than where they were now - than where he was the other day.
Gathering a small collection of flowers Thymelight had left scattered across the floor, Hemlockfox strode out of the den. He didn't like feeling this way towards his clanmates. For the longest time, he thought that Thymelight deserved every bit of his hatred, but maybe he'd been a bit too hard on her? Clearing his throat, the tom deposited the flowers at the other medicine cat's paws before raising his head, expression blank. "Um..." He paused, horrifyingly aware of the majority of SkyClan that had gathered around Thymelight.
Pelt prickling with a mixture of emotions, Hemlockfox carefully pushed the small pile closer to Thymelight before turning away. "You forgot these." He said, the words carried by a gruff undercurrent. Unsure of what else to say or how he thought he could have possibly fixed anything between them, the tom hurried back into the shelter of the medicine den where he curled up in his nest, eyes locked on his still crooked flower crown.
Subject: Re: one last hope [o] Thu 15 Feb 2024 - 21:09
Head lifting at Thymelight's call, the deputy was quick to tense, wondering at what the medicine cat called the clan for. Some new disaster perhaps, another in the ever-growing list of enemies to fight? Was someone injured? Had Starclan given them some new doom-designed prophecy to chew on?
Thymelight's words were... The last thing the deputy expected, and she felt herself smiling as the tension that had settled heavy on her shoulders was proven unfounded this once. The mass of flower crowns that lay at her paws were bight and cheery against the snow. The medicine cat's words sent a pang of ice through her, and the deputy forced it down. She had clearly done this to try and lift some spirits and bring a distraction from the troubling times the clan had found themselves in, and the effort put into each crown was clear to see. The sight of the flowers brought back a fond memory of before they had left the forest toward the end of leaf-fall, of Thymelight asking if she thought Smokepetal or Birdstar might like one. She'd been given flower crown of asters for wisdom. The thought was a sweet one though, and the interaction had stuck with Wolfblossom since. Thymelight was among Skyclan's best, a truly good cat and pure of heart.
Wolfblossom lightly pressed against Bubblebeam, standing beside her granddaughter as her paws came to a stop before the medicine cat. Hemlockfox had dropped a few flowers and then bolted away like his tail was on fire. She wondered at what had gotten into the usually not this grumpy tom, making a mental note to check on him later before her soft gaze returned to Thymelight.
"Those are beautiful, Thymelight..." Wolfblossom mewed, "Do they have meaning to them?" Her head tipped curiously at the flowers, remembering the crown of asters she had been given what felt like so long ago.
Subject: Re: one last hope [o] Sat 17 Feb 2024 - 22:13
Honeydew
Honeydews's ears pricked to the familiar voice of her favorite medicine cat. She had been busying herself by reinforcing the nursery and elder's den in preparation for the war, to ensure they couldn't be any safer. Thymelight's warm voice rose like the sun and thawed Honeydew's worried heart. She paused what she was doing and spared a moment to pad towards her friend by the medicine den.
Her eyes fell on the delicately arranged flowers all around Thymelight. Strength, admiration, inner-peace, and hope. The flowers were beautiful, and Honeydew had never seen anything like these little crowns before. A purr rose up in her chest as she approached the medicine cat, finding a cozy spot between Wolfblossom and Bubblebeam as she gazed over the beautiful work.
"Pretty," Honeydew purred. "You're right, Thymelight, it is important to celebrate each other. These are so pretty, and must have taken you so long." She nuzzled Thymelight with her cheek and smiled warmly at her friend. "Thank you. I would love to wear one."
name. uwubers timezone. EST discord. @ uwubers code.kiikko
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"I hope that we can meet again one day, you and I," she mewed, "under peaceful skies."
Foxtrot's thoughts on war were conflicted, colored by his selfish desires and his desperate need to protect his family. On one paw, he craved the stability and safety that peace would bring, like his niece he yearned for a life free from the constant threat of conflict and he had felt like they had enough of that in recent moons to last a lifetime. Yet, on the other paw, the instinct to shield Thymelight and Mistflower from harm was starting to overshadow his craving for peace.
All that said, the prospect of battle still filled him with dread, knowing that the risks were high and the consequences devastating. There was no doubt that Beechaunt and most of his adoptive relatives would be going to war as well. He couldn't stand by and let others fight for the safety of the clan without joining arms. So the tom found himself reluctantly accepting the grim reality in front of them. If his name was called for the battle patrol, he was willing to do whatever it took to defend those he held dear.
As his niece called out to his clan the memory of finding Thyme as a tiny, mewling kitten flooded his mind. He remembered how lost and set on her Mama returning she had been. Taking her in was an easy decision and watching her grow from his apprentice into her true calling as a medicine cat filled him with insurmountable pride.
He noticed a crown off to the side made with woven daisy, jasmine and little green things he recognized as clovers. Each petal seemed to carry her care and concern, a tangible symbol of her well wishes, of his nieces love. He had never been the most verbally loving uncle, he always was an act of service kind of guy - but the tom felt himself overcome with emotion as he joined his clanmates. He waited for Honeydew to greet Thymelight before he softly bumped his head against her shoulder, "I'm proud of you, kid, " he murmured, his voice warm and sincere. "I don't say it enough, but I'm glad Star brought you to me. I know she'd be proud of you too if she could see ya." he added clearing his throat to get rid of the lump in it. She represented the best in all of them - the love and brightness that half of them had lost to moons of battles and losses. They were damned lucky to have her. And standing there with Honeydew, Wolfblossom, Bubblebeam, and Hemlockfox (albiet he was much grumpier than the rest), he could tell they felt the same way.
Subject: Re: one last hope [o] Thu 22 Feb 2024 - 11:05
"Some days end when I need a few friends."
Birdstar SkyClan | she/her
Thymelight's voice was the last Birdstar expected to hear calling the Clan together--and the last she wanted to hear. The summons made worry trickle down her back immediately, and she turned away from her recently-returned patrol to seek the reason. Something terrible must have happened, if it warranted Thymelight addressing the whole Clan from the shadow of the Tallbranch. A Clanmate gutted at the border, or a war party sighted; maybe a terrible omen, a prophecy from their ancestors blazed straight into the medicine cat's head; or-
Or it was flower crowns.
Birdstar blinked curiously when her gaze fell on the small crowd forming, knotted petals between their paws, a few heads already adorned with wreaths. Thymelight's continued speech made a spark of warmth jump to life in her chest and, for the first time in moons, Birdstar smiled. Gathering herself, she began to pad over, pausing to watch Hemlockfox march back to the medicine den before moving forward to assume the space he'd filled.
Despite the cold and snow, life still persisted. Thymelight somehow managed to find what little color remained in the drab world of leaf-bare; from the amount of crowns she'd made, she'd found it all. Birdstar's whiskers twitched with something like affection. While they weren't useful as herbs, Thymelight's keen ability to dig up flowers in the dead season spoke well of her future as a medicine cat. Looking up, Birdstar offered her an approving nod when she caught Thymelight's attention between the others crowding around. "This is a wonderful gesture," she murmured gently. "I think these will do well to ease the recent... tension." She could hope, at least. A brief respite amidst the dark storms that swallowed them was better than sheerly relentless agitation.
![one last hope [o] Ezgif-1-d163073db6](https://i.ibb.co/jvtGSxD/ezgif-1-d163073db6.gif)
![one last hope [o] 833dIG1](https://i.imgur.com/833dIG1.png)
![one last hope [o] KIvLlVl](https://i.imgur.com/KIvLlVl.png)
