[taillow]

 

Originally Posted by squidz

| BERRYSHINE |

small & nimble dark brown she-cat with darker flecks and light, leafy-green eyes | the collector | dreamwalker

[ riverclan medicine cat | she-cat | 13 moons | timid, kind, hardworking ]

—

--cw: character references/thinks of death/blood/etc.--

Berryshine had been deep in thought, certainly quiet. When Stormstar started pacing and snapping at Cobs for smiling — which was an ironic reaction that confused Berry too, to be sure — she couldn't help but wince a bit, a secondhand reaction to the leader's sharp tone. She'd never been on the receiving end of Stormstar's fiery temper, and even though this wasn't technically directed at her, having it hit so close to home made her realize just how scary the she-cat could be when provoked. Glad she's on our side.

Taking in a deep breath, Berry slowly nodded, her eyes widening with every new detail Stormstar described regarding Rookfire. So the medicine cat had been a former RiverClanner, which made sense... and when she mentioned the part about the six-moon old apprentice, her stomach sank, twisting in nausea. Oh, stars... a look of visible horror crossed her features, but she stayed quiet for a little longer, her whirling brain struggling to keep up and process this. A cat so deadly and fierce to have fled the Clan for not getting the medicine cat position, and ironically, brutally murder such a young 'paw and cause so many injuries... Berryshine could remember how she'd gone into a sort of hazy autopilot that day, treating as many cats as she could, trying to ignore the dead bodies bleeding out in the clearing, the stench of blood permeating the air—

Swallowing hard, Berryshine exhaled shakily, glancing between Cobwebfern and Stormstar. The threat of the November Gathering was probably for the best, even Berry had to agree; if tensions had been this high, and Rookfire had been this... impactful to Cobwebfern, to the rest of them, then staying away for another moon didn't seem like such a bad idea. The younger she-cat, despite her easily-flustered mind, did have a knack for really thinking things through. Maybe to the point of overthinking herself into inaction, which was its own flaw; but right now, it helped her put the pieces slowly together, not wanting to be rash or hasty. Cobwebfern was her best friend, after all, and the last thing she wanted to do was make her think that she'd suddenly lost faith in her. But she also didn't want Stormstar to think she was just taking her position flippantly... because the leader had a point.

"I... I see," she finally managed to rasp out, her voice a bit thin from wavering emotions. Another breath, another hesitation before leafy-green eyes slowly flitted to Cobwebfern, softening to show her sympathy even as her tentative words were spoken. "Staying away from the Gathering next moon might be for the best, Cob... a-at least to have things settle more between us and the other medicine cats. But... as for you..." She frowned a bit, trying to pick out the more coherent thoughts in her racing mind. Berry had been quiet long enough during this conversation to at least get some words in order.

"...I know Stormstar is right to worry about this, f-for the good of the Clan, and I am too. I can tell Rookfire did a lot to you, to our Clan, a-and that's why it was so painful to see him again... but I need to trust and know t-that this was a one-time sort of thing, you know? I've been trying to at least make connections w-with the other medicine cats for the first time in a long time, and this... might've set us back. And it wasn't a good look for us, 'specially after all that's happened the past few moons. But, t-that being said..." She let out a sigh, hating to see the hurt that might flash in Cob's eyes from her honesty, but it needed to be said. At least she had to convey, somehow, that she still believed in Cobwebfern through all of this... she'd just have to convince the leader and perhaps the rest of the Clan who might've seen the debacle, too.

"That being said, I need to trust t-that this sort of thing won't happen again. I know you're strong enough for that, just... w-we'll need you to prove it to us, that's all. Because the good of RiverClan comes first." Berryshine hesitated before reaching out, resting her tail on Cobwebfern's shoulder in a gesture of comfort and faith. "I don't regret picking you, Cob... I know, deep down, you can handle this. I chose you for a reason, and not just for the herbal knowledge. I-I just need you to show that to me, a-and to Stormstar, okay? And to RiverClan... because StarClan knows we need it."

After saying her piece — stars, that was much more than she usually talked — she glanced between the leader and Cobwebfern, frowing in thought, hoping the ramble made sense. It did in her own jumbled head, but that wasn't saying much.

[ whoops forgot to quote so have some tags ; @taillow - stormy | @finley !! - cobs ]

Originally Posted by finley !!

c o b w e b f e r n ┆ ☆

she / they . 22 moons . riverclan mca

a very scarred, grey fluffy bengal with a missing back right leg. she has fluffs of white and darker grey fur.
purrks ; herbal knowledge tier two, the collector | formatting creds to wolfie <3 | lesbian/sapphic + demigirl

trigger warning ; this character frequently talks and thinks about past abuse, panic attacks, anxiety, and depression. interact with care <3

└> . . . @taillow ; storm - @squidz ; berry

cobwebfern shuffled her paws, shaking her head at stormstar's shout. she flinched imperceptibly, eyes flashing with something painful. storm's tone of voice reminded her awfully of her dad, someone she hadn't thought about in moons. her ears flattened and her hackles involuntarily raised. she rounded on berryshine, eyes flickering dangerously between every possible threat in the room, ready to neutralize it. slowly, her fur flattened, and she inhaled and exhaled. her dad wasn't here. she was okay.

' i'm okay i'm fine everything is okay. ' cobwebfern shuddered, and sat down. ' um. berries, we can talk later, please. i have a couple things to tell you about.. a new herb i learned. i want to know if you know it too. ' it was a lie. but she didn't want to tell berry about the.. thing, between mink and her, in storm's den where anyone could just come in.

though the hurt that berryshine had been afraid of did flash in her eyes, darkening her expression for a second, cobwebfern exhaled and rolled her shoulders back. ' i won't go to the next gathering. i think.. it's a choice that i'll have to make. i need time to finish.. getting over rook. and besides, it's always good to have some folks stay back with the folks in the clan who can't go to the gathering. ' she swallowed back tears and dipped her head. ' if that's all.. it's late.. i'm going to go to bed. '

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

" i was nothing before, so i couldn't have asked to be born . "

Stormstar - RiverClan Leader

Startled as Cobs leapt to her paws, Stormstar's claws immediately came out. Was there someone coming? A threat she hadn't seen? But... the leader couldn't scent anything, though she continued watching her kid sister as her fur flattened and she sat down. What in the world was happening? Stormstar had thought that... that this had been left behind. She had seemed to strong on the day of her warrior ceremony, so... not afraid anymore.

And now there were secrets. Blue eyes shifted towards Cobs, a mixture of shock and hurt flashing in them. For a moment she faltered, the responsibilities of this Clan's leader falling off her shoulders in favor of protecting her kid sister. The tear she felt between the two was more painful than she could've expected. What was it that Cobs felt like she could talk to Berries about but not her? Was doing her job as leader going to push Cobs away?

...Was this what had happened between her and her brother, coming back to repeat itself?

"Until I say otherwise, you're not goin' to any Gatherin'," Stormstar clarified, ignoring the pain in her chest as she had to correct Cobs once again. She needed the medicine cat apprentice to know that this decision wasn't up to her, and as much as it pained her to speak in this tone to her sister, Stormstar had an entire Clan to think about.

And then came the defeat. Watching as Cobs offered no other reasoning or words, except those to dismiss herself, the leader sighed. "...Fine. Go, then." Swallowing whatever betrayal she had felt and hoping it cleared from her gaze, the leader looked at Berries. "Berries, I'll need you to stay a moment." If Cobs wanted to end this conversation, slip out and not understand that Stormstar was trying to do what was best for RiverClan, then so be it.

[ @squidz @finley !! ]