ThunderClan Clearing - Page 198

**Swiftheart <3** · #**1971** January 27th, 2024, 06:47 PM

Moonheart, Blacknight, Rainpaw and Cloudpaw were shocked.
Swiftheart and Flamemoon were horrified.

**Rose** · #**1972** January 27th, 2024, 06:47 PM

tw: mentions of blood & mild gore

Mapleface
She/It | The Red Queen Vampyre

This was her fate. Her destiny, as unchangeable now as the sun that rose in the east and set in the west every day. Laughable - and intended, really, that she'd go out the same way Crackles had. That she’d make the same mistake he did, and would wind up the same way, in a cold, forgotten dark forest.

Ah, but there was a sense of cruel satisfaction stirring in The Vampyre’s chest. She didn't know when it had happened. When, exactly, she had taken a look at her life and decided she wanted to be damned. Maybe it was fate. Maybe a part of her knew that she would never be able to live with herself if she had died and wound up in StarClan, apart from her little brother. Sardonic, that he was the only family whose whereabouts she knew currently.

Today was her reckoning, her judgment. It was the day she'd face the crimes she'd committed... and then turn away from them. Because in the end, she needed the Clan to hate her. She needed the stars to despise her, to shun her, to turn their noses up at her and usher her away. To send her to the starless Clan where she'd find her brother. She would find him, and then she would haul him back to life, or she would live with him forever.

A mother. A sister.

Never one, always neither.

Life. Death.

Always in turns, never together.

So here was the truth, plain and simple: She had loved with her whole heart, and that love had damned her to the pits of hell.

[ powerplay approved by @/vellichor ]

Mapleface's consciousness returned quietly, almost as if she'd coaxed it out of hiding. It was not her time to die just yet, oh no. Still, there was one thing for her to do. Her form was prone, relaxed, and devoid of movement beneath Redhawk. Her mind, however, was a different story. Calculating, always calculating. Because the second Mapleface felt Redhawk's gaze waver, felt her paws loosen with the thought that Mapleface was not a current threat - ah.

One second, Mapleface was limp on the floor, and the next she was lunging across the little space that separated her from Violetfreckle, fangs flashing in a barely-there warning before they had sunk into the tabby's throat. A singular ripping sound announced her wakefulness - and the death of a life that'd been lived, before The Vampyre unclamped her jaw and allowed her victim's body to fall to the ground.

Mapleface laughed, then, as she stood over Violetfreckle’s unmoving body, blood trickling down her jaw and past her throat, staring at Bumblestar. Her voice was small and sad and bitter; “All I can hope for now is that one of the cats who gave you your nine lives was sensible enough to gift you the compassion you lack.”

[ @vellichor - Violetfreckle / @tallulah - Redhawk / @dino. - Bumblestar ]

**taillow** · #**1973** January 27th, 2024, 06:53 PM

Redhawk
She/they | 29 moons | Ultimate Predator • The Collector • Kitty Softpaws [inactive]

Daylightpaw was here, as was Fernwillow. It was quick - quicker than Redhawk had anticipated. She felt a surge from underneath and before she could even part her jaws, Mapleface had lunged and - Violetfreckle. "No!!!!!!!" The strangled and broken cry came from her throat as her Clanmates lifeless body dropped to the floor. Tears sprang to her eyes, but they were shortlived before a raging fire burned in their depths. They narrowed, and without another word Redhawk sprung. Claws ripped into Mapleface's flesh once more and she slammer her down against the camp ground - harder this time, and with a snarl. She had let go. She hadn't been paying attention. Violetfreckle's death was... was...

Red couldn't speak, she couldn't think. All he could do was keep Mapleface pinned and lash her tail. But she wouldn't kill her. No. As badly as the voice in her head whispered to do so - a threat, threats needed to be handled - this wasn't her kill. She would have to be blind to not see how Bumble and Violet had been dancing around each other, and it made her think back to her sister. How she wanted to rip the ShadowClanner to shreds who had harmed her. Nothing would stand in her way - that was going to be her kill to make.

And this... Redhawk looked to Bumblestar, not allowing Mapleface up for even a second. She said nothing, only watching for the ThunderClan leader and waiting to follow her lead. If she needed to hold her Clanmate down for the leader to extinguish the threat... that's just what she would do.

[ @Rose @vellichor @dino. @Micanomancy @Ladiebugg ]

**dino.** · #**1974** January 27th, 2024, 07:11 PM

She heard it before she saw it, the undoing of a warrior she'd once had genuine respect for. Redhawk's call made her stick her head through the mouth of her den, ears forward and alert as she locked onto the trio. Confusion first, as she saw an unconscious Mapleface, and then concern when she saw the way Violetfreckle was sitting. Something was clearly wrong, again, and she furrowed her brow and slipped out of the den completely.

It took a moment to register what had happened - not because she didn't understand, but because it didn't want to click right away. Mapleface, a murderer. Several cats, not ThunderClan, but one ThunderClan: Violetfreckle, obvious to anyone looking. Bumblestar opened her mouth to speak as she weaved around the cats already gathered, but Mapleface uncoiled like the snake she was before Bumblestar could even get close.

A spear of ice impaled her heart, pinned her in place. Her paws faltered with the laugh that left Mapleface's jaws, only briefly, before she shouldered Redhawk away in a haze, claws digging deep into the warrior's shoulders and stomach, ripping painful gouges of their own accord. "Join that rot-hearted maggot of yours in Hell!" were the venomous words that seethed through bared fangs before they ripped clean through Mapleface's throat.

Hot scarlet spattered the snow, her chest, her mouth. Bumblestar barely gave it a second glance as she spat the chunk of flesh onto the ground before whipping away from the fresh corpse as if it didn't even exist. "DRIZZLECLOUD!" The shout bordered on a roar, cracked halfway through. "Springpaw! Get out here NOW! I need-"

The sentence lodged in her throat and Bumblestar gave up on finishing it. She reached down to press shaking paws against Violetfreckle's wound, standing over the body far too defensively, trying to stop the flow of blood. She felt cold all the way down to her bones, numb as the rest of the clearing faded out of focus. "Redhawk, help me, I need to- I can't-"

***longfire*** · #**1975** January 27th, 2024, 07:17 PM

Foxpaw hid in frighten

Bravesky joined the warriors, he reacted quickly and went towards Bumblestar and violetfreckle with concern and worry for the leader and the warrior

***Mica*** · #**1976** January 27th, 2024, 07:32 PM

Fernwillow
ThunderClan
she/her | 20 moons
[Silver tabby with white toes and sage green eyes]
· · ────────────── · ·
[Redhawk - @tallulah ] [Bumblestar - @dino. ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Fernwillow whirled back when she heard the screams after Mapleface's attack. She had turned away for a heartbeat to get Drizzlecloud and Springpaw, and now two cats lay bleeding out in the clearing! Fernwillow cursed, sticking her head into the den and muttering an apology to the medicine cats before snagging some clean moss in her claws and running back to the scene. She shouldered up to Bumblestar, putting the moss against the wound so Bumblestar could pin it down and not have her paws directly on the wound. "I called for Drizzlecloud," she meowed, doing her best to keep her voice steady. But no matter how long she stared at Violetfreckle’s eyes, no life shone from them. She looked away, gritting her teeth as she stepped away to give the approaching cat room. She looked over her shoulder at Mapleface, heartbreak in her gaze. What the hell had happened?

***Rani*** · #**1977** January 27th, 2024, 07:44 PM

Things could never be peaceful, insanity was always just around the corner, and no one was ever safe.

Mudhound tried not to think about these simple facts, even as it stared them in the face. Not Violetfreckle, not her. Not the cat the clan giggled over for her antics with Mudhounds own sister in the way that uplifted them all in shared fondness of the growing love. Not Violetfreckle who never bit Mudhound ears off despite the maine coon oozing out of their nest every night to use her as a pillow and snore like an elder. Not Violetfreckle who did her best in everything. It wasnt fair. Her best shouldve been enough to have her live. It wasnt fair.

Violetfreckle wasnt surviving this though, no matter how much Bumblestar wailed and there was nothing anyone could do to help. But the tripod wanted to help, to do something, anything even if just to not think about their own distress at the loss.

How to even help in this situation though when nothing could make it better.

Slightly shaking even as they tried to keep things together Mudhound padded up, pressing against Redhawks side in some sort of support and comfort. They'd.... They'd have to comfort their sister to soon, when the reality became too much for Bumblestar to ignore..... Mudhound would be strong for her too when that came, standing close and steadfast for that moment. For now Redhawk, it was all they could do.

@tallulah

**Omari** · #**1978** January 27th, 2024, 07:55 PM

Drizzlecloud
Thunderclan
She/her

Drizzlecloud basically smelled the chaos from her den before she actually witnessed it. Peeking out from her den, her eyes blew wide open at the scene that unraveled before her. Lots of blood. Mapleface had–what? Why would she–how–The silvery-grey she-cat whirled around to fetch a wad of cobwebs from their storage before she came practically sprinting out into the clearing. Ah, Fernwillow had come to fetch us, too.

Not the time to be noting smaller details, however. She darted at the group that was at the center of everyone’s attention currently. As she breezed over to Bumblestar’s side, her fur brushing against the molly’s, she dropped the cobwebs to their paws. “Here, Bumblestar, move your paws so we can–so–the–...The cobwebs will help promote blood clotting so that we can keep the bleeding under control–” But, truly, did she even believe a word that she was saying? She was uncertain. There was no telling if this would even work out in their favor.

“Hold those cobwebs there for me.” Drizzlecloud ducked her head, pressing her one good ear to Violetfreckle’s chest, squeezing her eyes shut and hoping to just focus on the sound that she should be hearing–or, uh, feeling would perhaps be the better term, all things considered.

[ @dino. @tallulah @vellichor ]

**Hestia!** · #**1979** January 27th, 2024, 07:56 PM

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄Thunderclan▄▀ ▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄Mousekit▄▀▄▀▄ ▀▄▀▄▀▄sea/them▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ace, omniro▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄no purrks▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄

Mousekit had hidden out of sight in fear behind some warriors after seeing the horrifying sight, trying to keep sear mind off of what they thought had happened, yet eventually sear thoughts got the better of them as they started to spiral.

(open for people to come and comfort Mouse & try and take sea's mind off of it)

Tiabirb · #**1980** January 27th, 2024, 07:58 PM

Skunkstrike
36 Moons
She/Her
Purrk(s): Beefed up
-------------------------------

Blue eyes stretched wide in horror, the scene unfolding agonizingly slowly, like a nightmare in broad daylight. Violetfreckle was heinously injured, possibly on her way to StarClan already, and Mapleface had done it. A deep respect filled Skunkstrike at how quick and efficiently Bumblestar had dispatched the traitor.

"Serves them right," She growled, eyeing Mapleface's body in disgust, hating it being there. Skunkstrike padded forward, meowing, "I can remove the body," She offered, dipping her head to Bumblestar, and then to Redhawk, "I can bury her at the edge of the territory..."

@dino. @tallulah