[network] @bluestar; The return of our beloved leader [open]

[dousedflame]

[CW: CAT DEATH/INJURY]

[If anyone thought Bluestar looked a little crazy before... well, that's really nothing compared to how she looks now. Her fur is a matted mess covered in bright red lines, her blue eyes wide and wild with the whites clearly visible around their edges. She's pacing around in front of her tablet, or trying to, at least... but every step she takes, she either wobbles and takes several more steps sideways to stay upright, or simply falls onto her face or tail and has to struggle to get up again. Her claws are out and raking at the floor, but they're visibly dull from already abusing them so much.]

--Have to warn Sunpaw, have to keep him safe, can't lose another one, can't lose him again, I can't--

[The prophecies from StarClan are following her even here, that much is painfully obvious. Surely Stephen already knew, he's a medicine Twoleg, he must have been aware of what the stars had in store. She falls on her face and cracks her chin against the floor, before getting up and going right back to her awkward pacing.]

--Have to gather those loyal to SnowClan. The grassplace- the park- with the ice barrier around it, the Twoleg nests around it will be safe, we can organize and be safe and--

[It's about here that she stops, and looks up at the tablet as if she suddenly remembers that she'd turned it on. She wobbles and sits back on her haunches, staring at the camera without blinking for several minutes. Between her mangy fur and the wild look in her eyes, she looks possessed. And without warning she curls up, laying her ears flat.]

--Sunpaw isn't safe without me, my kit, my sweet kit, why did I let you out of my sight, have to find him, have to warn him, have to--

[What is she going on about...?]

Comments

@PetertheGreat, video

[zunesareawesome]

[It can't be. It can't and it is--

Peter feels like a truck hit him. Like, he's not even sure if it's a good feeling or a bad feeling but it's just a lot, it's too much--]

BLUE! YOU'RE ALIVE!

[All the screaming, catmom.

Of course, he looks quite a sight himself. Eyes completely inked over in red, electric-like red lines across his face and hands, and his scruffiness continues to scruff.

...it takes him longer than he'd like to settle down enough to realize that there was, in fact, something wrong here. It's a death price, right? This was probably her death price or disorientation--must be terrifying for her, waking up like this--]

Blue? Blue, I'm here. Hey. [He's not crying he's totally not crying--]

@beyonce | audio

[thewarningafter]

[Peter's shouting gets the hell out of Stephen's attention, has him scrambling for his tablet to check. Relief floods through him only for a new kind of unease to follow on its heels. It doesn't get better when he actually watches the video; sees and hears how incoherent she is.

Peter's already answering but Stephen chimes in anyway.]

Hey -- hey, Sunpaw's alright. I've got him with me, I've been keeping an eye on him.

[Apart from when he let Flynn steal part of Peter's soul....]

[dousedflame]

Sunpaw!

[She's purring loudly enough that it comes out in desperate trills, and her tablet isn't sure how to translate that into english. He looks wrong, yes, but that's her baby son and she needs to get back to him right now immediately.

Though, now that she's seen him, whatever was on her mind seems to leave it.]

I'm in a Cutter nest! You can find me, right? [She tries to walk closer to her tablet, but just wobbles and flops over onto her side.] Your fur is a mess, what have you been doing?

[You're one to talk, scraggle-pelt.]

[dousedflame]

[There's a weird sort of twitch in Bluestar's expression, and she watches Stephen with her eyes very wide and unblinking. It's rather unsettling to see the excitement from seeing Peter drain out of her, replaced by a wary and eerie attempt at being calm.]

Stephen.

[She has a lot to ask him... but it's not the time for it, not until she's out of this Cutter nest.]

Sunpaw is safe? He's been eating enough? And Silverpelt, he's okay?

@hotstud_xxx; text

[rubikscomplex]

i brush you
and you come back looking like what the cat's cat dragged in?
lame
what'd you lose, puss-puss?
apart from your mind
you realize the human guy isn't actually your kit, right?

[dousedflame]

What? Of course I do. Sunpaw is...

[Is... she lost her train of thought. She shakes her head as if to shake off water, and sits down hard to scratch at the inside of one of her ears. And then she stops, wobbling dangerously with her leg still up in the air.]

You never brushed me. We've never met.

[Her nose wrinkles.]

We've never met. You would have thrown me in the pit if...

[zunesareawesome]

[Peter wipes at his creepy red eyes, he really can't stop crying--]

I know where you are! You're in the Vet's--yeah, we're gonna come and get you--we're not far from you at all--

[He pauses in his excited, teary ramble and rubs his messy hair.]

What, this? Nothing! I look fine! What about you? How are you? Anything hurt? Can you see and hear okay? You seem real wobbly?

@Ecks | text

[ecks]

who is loyal to SnowClan?

[rubikscomplex]

you didn't think it was weird a guy didn't at least try to talk to you?
not even once
nice balance issues
it's kinda cute
physical imbalance
to go with you losing your marbles
or whatever "cute" cat phrase you have for going batshit

[thewarningafter]

[He knows he's never been her favorite, but in combination with the mad ramblings of a moment ago...no, he doesn't much like her body language. His eyes narrow and there's a certain stillness in his own expression, but he, too, chooses not to ask too many questions.]

He's safe now, yeah. He's missed you. Kathma -- Silverpelt left with Davesprite and Karkat a few days ago -- friends of his that came back recently. We're not too far from where I expect you've woken up.

[dousedflame]

[Her eyes dart around a bit, as if she's trying to process this information.]

...You shared tongues with me... to tease me?

[What is this man's issue?? After a brief pause she tucks her leg back under herself.]

What are marb- nevermind. I don't care. Why were you caring for me? You don't like me.

[dousedflame]

Stephanie, Magenta, Stephen, Peter, Silverpelt, Funyarinpa, and- Clown Cutie... I don't know some of their names, but anyone who is willing to help me must come gather. Davesprite and Karkat- they'll help, I know they will...

...I've been too lenient. Too agreeable. We need rules, hard rules, so these accidents can't keep happening without someone around to help. I have to think...

[dousedflame]

Davesprite and Karkat are alive.

[Her fur puffs up, and she takes a deep breath... it seems like she's breathing fresh air for the first time in a long while.]

They've been dead for too long... if I'm back, and they're back, Rocket must be coming back. He must be on his way, it's been too long...

...Right. I'm in a Cutter's nest- a place where Twolegs cut cats up. Make them smell funny and turn lazy. You know what I mean, right?

[dousedflame]

I'm fine, don't worry about me.

[She glances down at herself, and shakes her head lightly.]

My legs work fine, I can hear and see... my head is heavy, in a strange way. I can't seem to... remember how to keep myself upright.

[Peter is the only one she'll admit it to... but even at that, she can't say she understands it well enough to explain. If only Spottedleaf was around to give her advice...]

[rubikscomplex]

i'm pretty sure you answered your own question, furball

[What with the teasing thing.]

[ecks]

that is a large number of people
that is too many people for one place

I like rules
rules are good
if they are good rules

[zunesareawesome]

[Peter's heart breaks a little at hearing that, but she's alive and that's what matters--]

We're gonna take care of you real good when we get there, okay? Don't you worry about a thing now. That's probably a death price. It happens when we come back, there's always something wrong. When I came back, I couldn't focus.

[thewarningafter]

Oh, you -- right. You know them.

[The arrivals and...departures...start to blend together. He grimaces at the mention of Rocket, expression deeply pained until it turns to brief confusion at her explanation.]

You mean the vet's office?

@Spoiler; video; /creeps off of hiatus

[spoileralert]

Hey- It's okay, Bluestar. You're okay, Sunpaw is okay, it's okay.

[dousedflame]

[She bristles a little at those words. Yes, they'd done such a good job of taking care of her when she was there. And Stephen said that Silverpelt had left with their friends, so she had to trust him and Peter to keep her alive when she couldn't walk-

She shakes her head as if shaking off water, and blinks appreciatively.]

Like I said, you don't have to worry. As soon as you come to get me, everything will be back to normal. We'll continue as planned - and my sense of balance will come back.

[dousedflame]

They're good friends of mine. [Better friends than Stephen, is the subtext there.] They and Flynn were... the first ones to treat me properly when I came here. Like I was my own creature, and not a lost pet.

[And how things have changed, between her and Flynn.. that sense of betrayal rises up again, but it's really not the time to focus on that.]

You know I can't remember Twoleg words. It's a Cutter's nest. Where the Cutter lives.

[dousedflame]

I don't understand you... you're one of the smartest Twolegs in the Twolegplace, why not use it for something worthwhile?

[She's using her mom voice... she's honestly exasperated with him, and not at all in the mood for this game.]

[dousedflame]

I know it is... I have a system, a few others told me it sounded reasonable. Two- or three twoleg nests, would do the trick. If we cycle between them, and trade off members from time to time... we could all inhabit the same space, without attracting the monsters. Then we could work on the path to get out together as a large group, sharing all the information we have, being- and organized movement. Things are better when cats- people, know what to do and what resources they have to work with. As long as the Twolegs let me, I can fix this place, and I can save them, they just have to trust me...

[dousedflame]

Stephanie.

[Some relief floods into her voice, and her posture relaxes a bit... not that it makes her look less like the feral animal she is.]

You don't understand... [She squeezes her eyes shut for a moment.] The prophecy- a prophecy from my mother's brother, it came true. Even the most powerful flames can be quenched by water. StarClan is- angry at me, but why, I've been doing everything I can to act as they would wish me to...

[rubikscomplex]

[Don't you mom at him, catmom! Be angrier!]

you're assuming i don't
limited uses for brainpower when you're stuck in a featureless white room, kittykins

[zunesareawesome]

Okay. Yeah, it's just a death price. [He repeats that to himself in his head. Just a death price. Nothing to worry about. Could be worse.] Those wear off eventually and you'll be right as rain.

Everything will be back to normal.

[As normal as things can get here, but it's a precious normal, a normal he needs.]

I'm just...really glad you're back.

Really glad.

[He trails off, unsure if he should talk about what happened now. Or if he should wait until he sees her.]

[spoileralert]

Your uncle made a-- That's not a prophecy, Blue, that's just a fact. I know you're scared and things don't make sense, but it's not because StarClan is mad at you.

[ecks]

I also like knowing what to do

what will you do if they do not trust you?
if they do not come and do as you say?

[thewarningafter]

You know I don't know every cat word.

[There's a little edge in his voice, a warning he doesn't consciously set out to give. He skips past addressing the other part, past the urge for craven defense of how careful he has been not to treat her like the animal he can't stop seeing her as.]

If we set out now -- I don't know if we can make it to you and back to shelter before lockdown. That building will force you out at night; any morgue does. You can't safely stay there.

[dousedflame]

It is a prophecy. The fire is- is me. Water has always been my downfall, I have always-

[She squeezes her eyes shut and lashes her tail. She's not going to talk about Oakheart right now.]

-Peter didn't mean to drown me, he was trying to help, it was just- Stephen's mousebrained idea-