ThunderClan: Life Before 2023's Sinkhole

[pxxylo]

Coalwake cast a wary gaze towards the body. Oh. It was Aspenstar. How had he not seen that earlier? Sure, he wasn't known for being mr.Observant but he would like to at least be a bit noticing. Aspenstar was...not the best leader. In Coalwake's opinion of course. Caolwake will have brushed this off by sunhigh tomorrow, what he did feel something about was a bit of amusement, at the thought of all the clan's warriors, tripping over their very own paws to impress Dogbark.

"Oh, her. 's a damn shame." He said, his eyes returning to the body. My, it looked like a massacre and as much as he wanted to dent it, he felt sick to the stomach just looking at it.

@Starfall @x ghostie @~Fierce~

[spade]

There was a lot going on. Preferring to remain at the back, out of everyone’s way, was Sunchaser. The big tom sniffled as tears welled in his eyes. It wasn’t necessarily Aspenstar that had warranted such a response but the death in general. Metallically, decaying (not yet but soon). Another body to add to their growing pile. Sadness clung to him like cobwebs as he sat, hunched, waiting for whatever Dogbark had to say.

[closed - this is just so sun is at the meeting]

[dino.]

Originally Posted by RiztheHuntress

Emberpaw carefully turned her head to expose an eye to look at her mentor, terror gleaming in their amber depths. She wasn't afraid of Lynxfuzz, no, just the entire situation. After not having fully recovered from her panic attack, it was nice to get some comfort. She slowly turned and squeezed between Cindersky's forelegs again and mewed a quiet "Thank you..." Before she took off towards Lynxfuzz, her belly low to the ground. She dashed across the clearing and skidded to a halt next to him, squeezing herself next to him and burrowing into his fur as best she could. "L-L-Lynxfuzz, I-I c-c-couldn't f-find y-y-you..." She borderline sobbed into her Mentor's fur, fear turning her voice into a high, soft squeak.

[ @Papaya @tulle ]

// @RiztheHuntress

>Lynxfuzz<

Lynxfuzz was really not expecting his apprentice to come barreling into him and was caught completely off-guard. He stumbled back with a puff of air before catching himself and cementing his hind paws in the grass. "Um." Shoot, what was he supposed to do with this?! Being the comforting authority figure wasn't his thing; hell, he was hardly a warrior himself, at just sixteen moons!

Swallowing, he lifted a forepaw and tugged her closer to him, awkwardly patting her on the back. "Well, I- I'm here now, so... don't worry, I'm not going to go anywhere. Just... let it out, I'm here."

You know what's crew? Screw stirring the pot for now. "Chin up, kid. It'll be over soon."

[littlelove]

Jaws parted in a wide yawn, Cinderpaw shoved her way out of the apprentice's den, making her way through the flowing crowd of her peers. A general feeling of uneasiness that was lost on the molly floated through the group as they made their way towards the Thunderwillow. She lagged behind in confusion as her fiery eyes flittered around the clearing - though her nose picked up the much too familiar metallic scent of blood before her gaze landed on the body.

The russet fur of their leader was unmistakeable, and so was the wound on her throat; ripped flesh glazed with blood, bits and shards of cartilage and bone hanging out of the gash. Surely an agonizing death. Cinderpaw's eyes bored into the leader - or, what had been the leader - with intensity. And as much as she stared... no strong emotions seemed to bubble up inside of her. Not sadness or anger, like there had been for the last two leaders... just complete neutrality. Like she'd been expecting this.

Cinderpaw didn't pay any attention to the rest of the clan, instead continuing her staredown with eyes that wouldn't blink, a mouth that wouldn't speak, a body that would never move, willing herself to feel something - then she could allow herself to sit. But it never seemed to come.

@Jackpot (just in case you wanna reply with shallow)

[Rizo]

Originally Posted by Papaya

// @RiztheHuntress

>Lynxfuzz<

Lynxfuzz was really not expecting his apprentice to come barreling into him and was caught completely off-guard. He stumbled back with a puff of air before catching himself and cementing his hind paws in the grass. "Um." Shoot, what was he supposed to do with this?! Being the comforting authority figure wasn't his thing; hell, he was hardly a warrior himself, at just sixteen moons!

Swallowing, he lifted a forepaw and tugged her closer to him, awkwardly patting her on the back. "Well, I- I'm here now, so... don't worry, I'm not going to go anywhere. Just... let it out, I'm here."

You know what's crew? Screw stirring the pot for now. "Chin up, kid. It'll be over soon."

Emberpaw snuffled and lifted her gaze to meet Lynxfuzz. Her eyes shone with tears and terror, and she tried to quell her shivering but it wouldn't stop. The small, dark orange she-cat nodded solemnly, snuggling into her mentor's chest fur. His presence alone was comforting, and while she was still scared, she felt a little safer. "T-T-Thank y-you... L-Lynxfuzz," she stuttered, although her fear-laden speech seemed to be abating.

[vanillaa]

| willowbird |

Willowbird didn't expect a meeting in the middle of the night. But it was fine. She hardly ever slept, anyways. If she slept, she might dream. Dream of her lost children.
It was more like dawn. Early dawn, the sky was a dark black with a red stain spreading slowly across the sky. Red.
Blood.
Whose blood.
Aspenstar's blood.
Aspenstar was dead. Dead. The pale warrior didn't know how to react to this. The failure of a leader with a good heart, lay with none of her former fire in the snow. Mangled. What had done that? What had taken away the leader's lives so successfully?
There were some who were devastated. Ivypaw Shiningskies.Dogbark. Then others who seemed... glad. Nectarflame. ''Nectarflame, be sensitive to the mourning of your neighbors.'' She said, lightly resting her tail tip on the other cat's back, not sure if this would incite something in the Bengal.
Why were most of those who hated Aspenstar now grieving?
''Didn't.... didn't most of you make her life a living hell? You should be happy now. Or are you grieving because now you have to find a new punching bag who will take all your crap?'' She said, uncharacteristically cold glare sweeping around. Fake. They were all fake. Pretending to mourn, or they pretended to hate her. ''None of you have a right to flip a switch that easily. Pick a side.''
Aspenstar failed. Aspenstar was a horrible leader, too young and too unstable to do a good job, but no one deserved... no one deserved such a horrible fate. What had done this? Most looked to Dogbark, like he was the assailant. Were they daft?
Why was he so... so sad? Didn't he threaten to get rid of Aspenstar many times before?
''Why are you so broken, when you joined in with the haters?'' She called, ears flat. Why was it so confusing for her? ''You called for her resignation, correct?''
Padding up to Aspenstar's grieving (mate???) friend... or.... closer than friend, she stooped down to murmur in Shiningskies's ear. ''Rest easy, my friend. She's away from all the hell down here, now. I pray fervently that you will see her again in a greater world above.''
The small she-cat then turned and sat, in the small slit of red light that came from dawn. There was a lot of things to uncover.
@NinjaBloss @implimm / open

[Froya]

Scorchfrost | Open for Interaction
@Jayvines finally got Scorchfrost back in action XD

There had only been several times where Scorchfrost had seen a lifeless corpse of a cat; once when he had accompanied his father through the rocky terrain of the forest and another time when his father himself succumbed to his fatal illness. It unnerved him. With the stiffness of the body and the coldness of its pelt, Scorchfrost was uncertain if the dead would still be classified as a feline or a creature that had once walked upon the surface of the world. He recoiled. Though he had demanded the retirement of the ginger molly, he had threatened the feline with bloodshed. He had not wished to see her dead as she was now, void of the stubbornness and ignorance she has once demonstrated amongst her Clan so proudly. He shook his head, casting the sharpness of his gaze in the opposite direction of the body. Scorchfrost noted that his father would be taunting him if he saw his cowardice when confronted with death. Though, that remained a private thought behind his eyes. He hated death.

Swallowing, the tomcat attempted to look once more but brought this gaze upwards so he could peer at the ThunderClan deputy. Dogbark appeared exhausted and Scorchfrost was certain he was. Not only could the tomcat be facing weariness from carrying the deceased leader to camp, but also due to the turmoil and pain that resonated in his heart. Scorchfrost sympathized, but not enough to allow himself to wail. Aspenstar, despite her fair nature, had brought unnecessary suffrage to the Clan that could not go disregarded. The chocolate tabby could already hear the murmurs that surrounded him - the majority flabbergasted at the molly's sudden demise, but a few in hopes that the problems that raised with Aspenstar's leadership would fall with her as well. Scorchfrost pursed his lips; was it selfish he wished the same? The thought went dismissed.

Letting out a breath that was held in his lungs subconsciously, Scorchfrost paid heed to the following words that would soon emit from the deputy's jaws.

[Lullabypaw]

Brightshadow looks up, and catches sight of Dogbark. Wait! Where's Aspenstar?! She thinks to herself as her fur begins to fluff up with worry. This cannot be good...' She shivers.

[Yeeter]

Pinestep awoke with Dogbark’s call for the clan, and he reluctantly stood up, shaking some moss from is snow-white fur and padding out into the clearing, where he realised quite a few cats were already watching and talking among themselves. Where was Aspenstar though? Why was Dogbark calling a meeting?

[spade]

If he was a little more put together, a little more socially aware, Sunchaser would've picked up on the small ounce of attitude that slipped easily enough from Softpaw. But dense as he was, the golden tabby rose to his paws immediately with his fur fluffed out. "Then we should get going at once! Come on, let's go!" With a swish of his fluffy tail, he led the way out of camp with a small bounce in his step.

// @WinterMara [i'll make a post in Starlit Meadow as well]