It took too long to realize he was examining him. Checking him over. For what, he couldn't be sure (water injuries?) but it was the act itself that spun a tangled mess of emotion. Shouldn't care. Neither of them should care. Not like that.
but oh he wanted him to. badly. and he just, as much as he didn't want to, soaked in the attention.
Frozenberry let those seconds pass between them, the silence as heavy as the rain and thick as the growing cold in the air. He didn't know what Falcon was thinking about–wished he knew, hungered to learn what passed through his mind–but remained quiet. in the natural sequence of events, the moment faded.
disappointment. even if he had no idea what he'd been hoping for. (He knew what he'd been hoping for, just didn't have the guts to explore it.) His humming agreement lifted in vocal tone, questioning and a pinch alarmed. "There are apprentices in there." He wasn't ready. That close of contact with other clanmates, being vulnerable in the throes of sleep… freak. he was a FREAK and the apprentices would be rightfully terrified by his erratic behavior and mask of normalcy, they'd tell some authority figure to take him out back–
The opposition to humiliation but not execution rattled him further, the stars awful panic returning in incremental doses.
he swallowed. "Somewhere quieter."
Hmm, yes there were probably apprentices in the apprentice den. Did he care? absolutely not. he'd crush them if he needed to, because no one would get between him and his--
His--
(his what?) The words were not there. he grasped at tendrils that were slippier than a fish, had he ever fished? maybe just now, grasping Frozen from the waters that stole him downstream. "Who cares." Apprentices were fish, easily swept away.
Quiet, quiet. Frozen was close, his taste mouthwateringly near. Fellcone let out a hmmph, biting back an unfathomable temptation as he started to move away from the creek. Umbrella time over, unless frozen stuck close. Further, closer. where? "... i think I have an idea."
A good question. Frozenberry did. Somehow about everything, and nothing at all (simultaneously -- it was a super power, the worst kind), and it never used to be that way before the anxiety, the tremors, the memories, the flashbacks and dreams. The Incident.
Although Falcon probably didn't mean it to be so, humiliation burned through his cheeks to the tips of his ears at the remark. "Right, right." Because he shouldn't care especially not what naive apprentices thought, but. he did. He didn't want them staring, wondering, thinking to themselves: what went wrong with that one? Or telling the warriors about what a FREAKISH CREEP he was.
Feeling like he was under constant supervision -- it defied logic. Paranoia fed it. Being afraid for his well-being, once again paranoia with a hint of survival instinct because hypervigilance was how he'd lasted this long. Constant awareness. Alert in an instant.
Thoughts melted away as rain dumped over him, and Frozenberry realized at once that it'd been absent for a time... and was now back. A questioning noise accompanied the quick deduction of what'd happened, eyebrows raised. Falcon being his umbrella. Too distracted with his own thoughts to notice. what were you even supposed to say to a gesture like that? when it came from someone like him.
Frozenberry didn't know. Didn't like the idea of dealing with a dumb surge of misplaced affection and trauma bonding, considering Falcon didn't remember him and gods above why did that still sting. Cattail stalk-home syndrome, or something--he couldn't recall the word. Shaking the moony expression off his stupid face, he tentatively nodded. "Okay."I trust you. He couldn't bring himself to say it, didn't know if he genuinely meant that either, but let Falcon lead.
Twistedpaw trailed behind Sheepgrowl, keeping her head down as they entered the Sky Glade. She'd never been here before, but she'd heard about this place's bloody past - and knew how close it was to the ShadowClan border. Without lifting her head, she detected the revolting, rotting odor blowing toward them on the wind. A cold shiver skittered down her spine. It belongs to WindClan now. Dawnstar won't trouble us. But what if one of her warriors decided to go rogue and cross the border without their leader's permission?
Especially with such a small, skinny, disabled apprentice who'd surely be an easy target?
I don't know how to fight! Twistedpaw wanted to get closer to Sheepgrowl, basking in the reassuring aura of the much bigger, much stronger she-cat's presence, but she didn't think Sheepgrowl would like that. Not after my clumsy display in the clearing. Her stomach roiled, and she felt sick. The air crackled with tension. What was Sheepgrowl thinking about her? Definitely nothing good. She probably wishes Bunnywisp were with us instead. No, she definitely did. Anyone else would be better than Twistedpaw. But Twistedpaw couldn't leave. She was on a patrol, and apprentices couldn't go off alone. I'll hunt the best I can, she silently vowed.
That didn't stop her from feeling nauseous with the knowledge that she'd upset, disappointed, and angered the warrior she followed.
Twistedpaw managed to lift her head as the ShadowClan scent grew more pungent. A wide, grassy stretch of land surrounded them on all sides, droplets of dew gleaming on the green tips. The sweet aroma of heather blocked out some of that dark odor, bringing color to the land. It comforted the apprentice a little. "Sh-should I s-start l-looking for p-prey...?" she asked nervously, her scrawny legs shaking as much as her voice. Well, her legs weren't as scrawny as they'd been. They'd packed on a bit of muscle and fat. They were still thin, though they were more akin to twigs instead of the blades of grass they'd been. She took a deep breath, attempting to ease her anxiety, but it didn't do much.
Ribbit!
Twistedpaw started at the odd croak, though she didn't fall over. Thank StarClan, she thought as she looked around wildly. Her crooked jaw swung disturbingly, and she hoped Sheepgrowl wasn't looking. What was that? It sounded a tad familiar, but she wasn't certain-
Something jumped at her.
The dark-furred apprentice squealed this time, stumbling back. Her paws were coated in mud from the clearing and trek here, but the grass here was drier, helping her remain upright. The bulging light gray tip of her mangled tail twitched erratically, and-
It was a frog.
Twistedpaw blinked at it, feeling embarrassed. I'm such a featherbrain... She hoped nobody was nearby for Sheepgrowl's sake. Honestly, she wouldn't be surprised if the warrior ditched her. Then a wave of fear crashed over her. I don't want to be alone here! Not with ShadowClan so close by, and the rules...
Twistedpaw was a terrible cat who deserved to be punished, but she didn't want to get in trouble.
Suddenly, something slimy and heavy landed on her back. Twistedpaw squawked again and shook desperately to dislodge it. What's going on-? she began to think when another frog jumped at her face. Twistedpaw sprang back, surprised but much more conscientious of keeping her balance. She swayed, her mangled tail unbalancing her, but once again, managed to stay upright. If only I'd been better about the clearing! What a fool she was. But there was another problem at paw. First, there was still a frog clinging to her back - or, more specifically, an area of her tail that dipped low near that point. Then there were more frogs! Twistedpaw looked around again, now able to spot their eyes gleaming from the grass. Their pelts blended in disturbingly well. Are there always this many frogs? What's going on? she wondered, turning to look at Sheepgrowl with wide eyes.
@x ghostie @Starfall (Not the best post, but I wanted to get it out! Also, I just wanted to make it clear that I'm not powerplaying Sheepgrowl's anger - this is all stemming from Twistedpaw's anxiety and self-bashing.)
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Some of my characters think or act in ways I disagree with. Please understand that I do not support or condone these thoughts or actions.
「☆」 THE GENTLE GIANT 「☆」 ╰► COWTUFT he | him ★ massive white tom with black splotches and floppy ears + scar over his neck, burned hindleg, x-scar marks on shoulders; left green eye and right blue eye ★
Cowtuft smiled as Lightningpaw came bounding swiftly towards him. "As always I love.. to see your enthusiasm .. let us not waste any more time then..! Off we go. Maybe if we carry.. back extra.. we can have .. a little taste test.." He teased, lifting his eyebrows. Sounds absolutely delicious. They deserved a treat every once in a while. With a nod of his head Cowtuft ducked out of the medicine cat den. His feathery tail gestured for Lightningpaw to follow.
It took a bit to reach Sky Glade. The land seemed to have recovered from the fire fairly well. It had been one of the few places they had managed to hold onto after it all. Cowtuft was pleased. He always liked the singular tree and the vast land. It held many lives within its ground. He turned towards Lightningpaw.
He started to approach the Lone Pine as hanging down from one of its branches was in fact a beehive. A small one, fairly new. "..Any ideas on how.. to actually get the honey..? Think we may have to get a few stings.." He confessed.
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❝ hold on tight to this time,
this place 'cause everything you know will be erased.
you were born inside your head.
and that is where you'll be when you are dead. ❞ -- currently on a hiatus until further notice --
꒰ pronouns.cc꒱
The trip to Sky Glade had been... fun. Oh, it was so good to be out and about, the sky above you, the breeze ruffling your - admittedly short - fur. Say whatever you want, she would have been an excellent warrior! Alright... so she wasn't sure about that. She'd have to see how knowing something differed from actually executing it. But she liked to think she might have been competent had the path of healing never opened up to her. Leechscar probably wouldn't have had it any other way.
The glade was a part of their old territory. The part that hadn't been burned. It was quite a walk from the rest of their new home, but she understood the need to get here. How else was one meant to not extenuate existing herb sources if not by moving around and making sure to pick just enough from every location? The idea of honey in this place intrigued her as well! This was a plant she had never seen. Barely heard of, and had no idea of when it came to its medical properties. It must be very precious if Cowtuft was willing to walk all the way here to get it! Especially with him seemingly finding the act of walking more difficult. Lightningpaw wasn't so naive as to have missed the signs... but she remained quiet. Even she had things she preferred to not talk about. And truth be told, she had no idea how to help her mentor at all.
Keeping a quick stride to match the black and white tom's longer steps, Lightningpaw kept a fascinated look everywhere, wondering if she would be able to identify honey at a glance. Almond shaped eyes stopped, however, at a stick seemingly stuck to the ground. Looking oddly out of place. Moss covering its end in an almost bulbous, fluffy manner. With a grin, they lithe calico bounded towards it, picking it up and pulling it from the ground. A happy chirp escaping her, she ran back towards Cowtuft, her eyes alight with amusement.
"Look Tufty! Look! Bogglewog came back! Had a hard journey after the fire and he's a bit... mossy for wear, but he made it!" the apprentice declared, giggles erupting from her maw.
She honestly did not know if her mentor would remember their friend stick, the survivor of the stick wars against SleepyClan. But she certainly remembered. He'd been lost in the fire... yet he was back. Perhaps he would help again? Make himself useful against this so called, tasty honey? She couldn't see how, but the thought amused her all the same.
Arriving at the Sky Glade, she followed her mentor to the old, lonesome pine, confusion etched in her face. Why... where they were? Turning to look skyward, an odd, round seed surrounded by insects rested in one of the lower branches, her eyes growing round at the sight. That... was no pinecone. What in the name of StarClan was that?!
At Cowtuft's words, Lightningpaw's ears perked up in surprise. Wait... where those bugs... bees? Alright... that made sense. They matched the description. Cute. Round. Rather fuzzy. They stung... wait excuse her? They what?!
A snort escaped Lightningpaw, finding her mentor's loss of words or insecurity of how to proceed rather funny. They were the cutest little bugs she'd ever seen. She assumed the honey was the liquid dripping from the yellow, roundish seed? Probably a nest, now that she thought about it better. Perhaps oozing from the holes that seemed to cover the thing, in any case. Surely it was just a matter of nicely asking for some honey. These little critters seemed like they had plenty to spare... but how did one carry liquid?
Eyes flashing with sudden inspiration, the medicine cat apprentice's blue hues landed on Bogglewog's mossy end. The clan used moss to carry water with them... and they used sticks for cobwebs. Surely... this wouldn't be too different? "Pretty sure you just go up and get the honey, no? I mean... how bad can it be?" Mind made up, the wiry framed Abyssinian mix bounded forward without another word, eyes on the prize.
For the first time since WindClan had arrived at their new camp, Lightningpaw sent a silent prayer of gratitude to StarClan for the maple tree that grew there. With their leader making her living quarters in a hollow that had already been formed in the trunk of the maple, the young apprentice had been forced to learn how to climb whenever she wished to give the leader news of any sort. It was... bothersome most of the time, and she was far from an expert, but with how low hanging the nest seemed to be, there wasn't much to climb here in the first place. Her limber form light on the branch, she made her way cautiously down it, making sure to keep her balance with her tail, much like she'd seen Twilightstar do whenever she held meetings from the Galewood's lowest hanging branch. Bogglewog in maw, she carefully grasped at the branch with her forepaws, allowing the moss overgrown end to gently touch the nest, the bees almost making way for the branch as they ignored her, happy to go about her day.
With a smirk, she waited until Bogglewog was heavy with honey, shifting it almost imperceptibly as to not bother the cute bees. Perhaps it would be easiest to simply grab a piece of the nest itself and bring it back with her, but she preferred not to test her luck while she was so uncomfortable upon this branch. Best make sure she truly understood these mysterious little creatures who seemed to bring terror to all who spoke of them. Honestly, she didn't see what was so bad about them. They seemed to flock together quite nicely with her.
Satisfied that her stick friend had gotten as much as it could from the nest, she carefully removed it before backing away, allowing the flying insects to go back to their tasks. Jumping from the branch to the trunk, she landed clumsily on the ground, shaking herself lightly before padding back to her mentor. Dropping the stick from her maw once more and grabbing it between her forepaws again, she offered a smug grin towards Cowtuft, still uncertain as to why the gentle giant had not simply thought to go get the honey up front in the first place. "See?" she mewed, amusement lacing her voice. "Easy peasy."
Unfortunately, Sheepgrowl didn't respond. Twistedpaw turned to look at the massive white she-cat, and her heart stumbled, but not because a slimy frog had just careened into her side. Sheepgrowl wasn't there. Twistedpaw's tiny ears flattened against her head, confusion and fear thrumming in her chest. Wh-Where did she go? Suddenly, something else hopped onto her narrow back. Twistedpaw squealed and shook herself. Get off! Panic rose in her throat, bitter and vile. Why are there so many? Why are they jumping at me? The apprentice crouched low, cursing the mangled tail that stuck out like a wrenched claw. Green spurts flashed in the vision of her one working eye, and loud croaks permeated the air. She began to tremble. All the noise... all these creatures jumping at her...
And Sheepgrowl had left her. Twistedpaw knew she was far worse than the three-legged warrior, who wasn't bad in the slightest, but she'd hoped Sheepgrowl would have some compassion. It seemed that wasn't the case. She must've left me because she couldn't bear to be with me. Same with Bunnywisp, who hadn't arrived at all. Twistedpaw's heart pounded. Her head spun. Was this her destiny, to be lost and alone, hated by every one of her Clanmates? I deserve it... but what if I don't want it? What if I want them to like me? Of course, their disdain was deserved, but...
What if it's okay for me to have friends? What if I don't want to be alone?
Suddenly, a muddy green frog jumped onto Twistedpaw's face. She shrieked, the dented tip of her tail twitching sporadically. Get it off, get it off, get it off! She stumbled back, feeling damp grass rustle against her legs. A mucky odor filled her nostrils, and a loud ribbit invaded her ears. Desperate, Twistedpaw fell to the ground and writhed, pressing her face to the earth. Fresh mud joined the old, flaking soil matting her black pelt. With a startled croak, the frog jumped off and limped away.
Twistedpaw looked around wildly. They were all around her. Alone and overwhelmed, she turned tail and bolted away from the area. She prayed she wasn't breaking any rules. No one else is with me, she remembered with a flash of sickening horror. What if I'm already breaking a rule? She shoved the thought out of her mind. Surely... surely Fallownose would listen and understand. Right? She had to get away from the frogs and back to camp, where she wouldn't be alone.
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Some of my characters think or act in ways I disagree with. Please understand that I do not support or condone these thoughts or actions.
swiftsnow gasped trying to catch his breath. he was sure the patrol was here- fallownose had said that starryeyes was going to be here- the patrol where was it...maybe he could find some cat about it, his paws stepped silently has he walked, his white fur lay flat as he looked around. "oh starclan...did i make a mistake?" he mewed to himself.
Rabbitdash, it appeared, had not decided to join them. Starryeyes was sure they had some reason or other, but they were not aware of it themself. They continued to the Sky Glade with Rabbitdash, giving their patrol buddy a nod - they were on their own, ish, but at least they were in it together! Though... it did look like there was someone else here. Starryeyes thought they recognized Swiftsnow some distance away, but dismissed it -- they were probably doing their own thing.
After reaching their destination, Starryeyes made their way to the Lone Pine, taking a second to give it an admiring once-over. What a rad tree. With a glance around and a few unguided steps, the warrior felt they were ready to start finding some snacks. They opened their mouth and scented the air.
They were surprised to find that, seemingly, there was some right under their nose. Starryeyes looked around for a quick second and walked around the tree a bit more before finding a rabbit nest hidden some feet underground. Huh. He gestured with his tail towards Rabbitdash, trying to direct their attention towards it. This could be kinda sick!
―
// @Eyclore @mollystar2018 since fallow sent swift to join them !
they/he pronouns but should be referred to as he/him ic
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“what a lovely misunderstanding
it got you smiling!
and because of such lovely misunderstanding
i’m smiling too”
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Last edited by panchiko; October 14th, 2023 at 02:25 PM.
Rabbitdash, it appeared, had not decided to join them. Starryeyes was sure they had some reason or other, but they were not aware of it themself. They continued to the Sky Glade with Rabbitdash, giving their patrol buddy a nod - they were on their own, ish, but at least they were in it together! Though... it did look like there was someone else here. Starryeyes thought they recognized Swiftsnow some distance away, but dismissed it -- they were probably doing their own thing.
After reaching their destination, Starryeyes made their way to the Lone Pine, taking a second to give it an admiring once-over. What a rad tree. With a glance around and a few unguided steps, the warrior felt they were ready to start finding some snacks. They opened their mouth and scented the air.
They were surprised to find that, seemingly, there was some right under their nose. Starryeyes looked around for a quick second and walked around the tree a bit more before finding a rabbit nest hidden some feet underground. Huh. He gestured with his tail towards Rabbitdash, trying to direct their attention towards it. This could be kinda sick!
―
// @Eyclore @mollystar2018 since fallow sent swift to join them !
they/he pronouns but should be referred to as he/him ic
swiftsnow kept his ear alert for any of his patrolmates. this was harder then he thought. his paws skidded to a stop as he lifted his head and partly opened his mouth to let scents reach his scent glands. he smelled stale rabbit and a few other things. until he scented starryeyes. his ears flicked a fly off as he started to pad towards his campmate. he then stopped dead in his tracks. his nose scented rabbit. fresh....maybe they were hunting- he didnt want to scare off their find of prey. so he stood there and waited. his ear alert to here the kill or paws moving.
Re: Sky Glade
Re: Sky Glade
