Elastic Heart
MurderCatt
The day was nice, though Floraldusk probably wouldn't have noticed if Luckyleaf hadn't absentmindedly muttered it before she stepped out of the den. Whatever they were doing, Floraldusk didn't know. He hadn't been listening, though he couldn't if he wanted to with the ringing in his ears. How could this have happened? Did he make a mistake somewhere that Starclan felt he must be punished for? Why else would they disfigure him like this? His tail lay limp behind him in the dust as he lay in the back of the medicine den. His jaw was still sore and his eyes blurry with tears even after a day since the inncident. All he could remember of it was the blaring pain and few words spoken back and forth between Boulderpath and Luckyleaf about how it happened. How this is permanent.
Cass | Monarch/Fire/Wild
Monarchstar had heard of the incident. Their priest had been injured trying get rid of the wasps nest. It was all their fault, they should have stopped him. Walking into the Medicine Cat den, Monarch looked for the familiar cream tom and walked up to the nest he inhabited. They laid a small fish down next to Floraldusk. "You should wat something to help with your recovery..."
MurderCatt
Floraldusk didn't acknowledge his leader's presence until he absolutely had to. He didn't completely understand what he was feeling, as this was the first time he had ever felt such things. With a step back from himself, he noticed individual emotions fighting for control of his psyche, such as anger and disbelief and sadness, but mostly shame. He was ashamed to be this way. He was always told he was so handsome and it helped him grab everyone's attention if he truly wanted to, but now he was scary. Apprentices would stare, queens would whisper and kits would whimper, not to mention the pitying looks from all the warriors around him. If only he hadn't slipped, but this was what Starclan wanted. They hadn't even spoken to him the night he spent in the medicine den. He was left lost.
He turned away from Monarchstar, unintentionally pushing the fish away with his body. He said, "I can't eat, it hurts too much. It'll only make me look a fool."
Cass | Monarch/Fire/Wild
Monarch sighed and gave Floraldusk a link over his head, before they laid down next to him. "Floral. You are no fool. If you don't eat, it will just continue to hurt and then you will starve. I don't want that. You are our Priest. The clan depends on you. You may not know it, but everyone looks up to you." Monarch laid her head next his his. "Please, just try..."
MurderCatt
He felt his scarred lip twitch, as if to remind him that it would always be there. He knew that. A sniffle left him as droplets formed in his eyes again. "The clan will only pity me. They already call me crazy, this will only fuel their annoyance of me. No one will listen to me anymore. Don't try to cover the truth from me," he whispered. Normally, he'd blush at the closeness, as he would with any molly that got so near, but all that could fill his mind was the malicious thoughts his new deformity brought him.
He felt disgust just looking at the fish. He said, "Even if I wanted to, it just hurts too much. I'll try again tomorrow, I promise, but not right now."
Cass | Monarch/Fire/Wild
Monarchstar smiled and pushed their face into the scruff of his neck.for just a second. "NONSENSE! Don't let this injury put such negative thoughts into your mind young one!", saying that made her fell a bit old "Yes, they will stare, but soon enough it will just be part of the norm. Every cat looks at something new to them. I am not covering the truth Floraldusk. I am talking from experience. It is your job as a priest to preach the word of starclan. They will still listen to you. I have seen many great cats that have had an injury such as yours and they were looked up to. You are a kind and caring cat Floral. I belive that you can rise above this..only if you belive that you can", bumping him with their head. "You are young. You have a life to live. Don't waste it in self pitty"
MurderCatt
It was enough of a kind speech to ease Floraldusk's tears and anger, though his sadness and confusion remained. He said, "That's the thing. I'm meant to preach Starclan, yet why did they do this to me? Did I do something? Say something wrong? Even if this is meant to lead to greater events, why did my injury have to be the catalyst for it all? Why me? They haven't even spoken to me yet. I can predict that if they do, my mother won't look me in the eyes. Not even my late mentor will, since they know this is causing me great pain. But the others, they will stay the same. Starclan cats lose touch with their mortality once they've gone to Paradise. They forget that life hurts. I'm hurt because they cannot fathom pain anymore."
Cass | Monarch/Fire/Wild
Monarchstar's face scrunched up a bit. They had their own problems with strclan, thinking back about the death of their first apprentice and how it affected the clan. "Starclan has destroyed many lives. They have taken from every cat I'm some way. Be it kits, siblings, or something else..." they looked towards the outside. "For you I will travel to the moon cave and ask them. I will drag them writhing and screaming if they don't explain...however, until then. I need you to be strong." Lifting floraldusks head with a paw. "Even if nobody says. You are still loved. The clan will be here to support you. I will be here to always help you. Both as a leader and as a friend. Luckyfeaf is a skilled medicine cat. They'll be sure to give you the best of comfort for the days to come. Be strong Floral, for yourself and the clan.."
MurderCatt
Floraldusk let out a sigh. He watched his feelings float off, and just decided to take Monarchstar's words as they were. She was right, truly. Starclan had taken so much from everyone, with little explanation to the living about why. Perhaps she was just trying to make him feel better by saying the clan looked up to him so much, but he could be a little optimistic surely. At least he had Monarchstar and Boulderpath as his friends if no one else would take him anymore.
"You're right, you usually are. I'll try my best, but it'll take time to come to terms with myself. I'm worried about what the other clans will think. They might take this as a sign from Starclan to demote me, but the gathering is far away compared to this moment, I guess. Thank you, Monarchstar," he spouted.
Cass | Monarch/Fire/Wild
Monarh purred and licked Floraldusks ear. "Rest easy now. You need all the strength you can get. The gathering is something to worry about when it comes around again. Do not worry about starclan either. Our lives are our own and strclan has no business poking around in them...", giving Floraldusk a quick groom, the leader laid her head on his scuff, she decides to stay with him for the night. To comfort him for the night.
MurderCatt
Floraldusk could still feel the ache throughout the right side of his face, but having someone with him made everything more bearable. He could feel Monarch's body begin to relax, and took that as his cue to let everything go for at least tonight. He drifted off to sleep...