Haven Springs

[nyme]

WE'LL BUILD A FIRE IN YOUR EYES

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ! ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

SALAMANDERPAW . 6 MOONS . SHE/HER . RIVERCLAN

After apologizing half-heartedly for getting Wavebreaker all dirty (and being sure to add that "well how'm I gonna be any good at the meaningful fights if I never get into any meaningless ones?!" as justification for her fox-fight-longing), Salamanderpaw had been relatively quiet the whole trip out. Largely, this is because going places is her least favorite thing. Being at the place is excellent, but the journey...no, Salamanderpaw's not here for the journey. Only the destination.

Which, hey, they arrive at shortly. Thinking really hard about anything other than the amount of walking they're doing--eugh!-- helps. How 'bout that.

Seabreeze is asking a question. It's a good thing Salamanderpaw had found her listening ears in the nick of time; now she has some half-lying to do. "Yeah, duh I can hunt!" She scoffs. Sure, she could theoretically recall the brief instruction she'd gotten in hunting land prey and that might suffice. The young cat doesn't seem all too worried about the possibility of failure, here--not nearly as worried as she should be, anyway. She bites back a protest against staying close, telling herself that Seabreeze is just saying that because cats in important positions have to say that kind of stuff to apprentices, not because he wants to cramp her style and totally spoil this outing for her.

"Ready when you guys are!" She stage-whispers, hunkering down low and trying to recall how her body was supposed to sit.

@Quietheart ; WAVEBREAKER
@Dolomedes ; SEABREEZE

[Quietheart]

Originally Posted by nyme

WE'LL BUILD A FIRE IN YOUR EYES

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ! ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

SALAMANDERPAW . 6 MOONS . SHE/HER . RIVERCLAN

After apologizing half-heartedly for getting Wavebreaker all dirty (and being sure to add that "well how'm I gonna be any good at the meaningful fights if I never get into any meaningless ones?!" as justification for her fox-fight-longing), Salamanderpaw had been relatively quiet the whole trip out. Largely, this is because going places is her least favorite thing. Being at the place is excellent, but the journey...no, Salamanderpaw's not here for the journey. Only the destination.

Which, hey, they arrive at shortly. Thinking really hard about anything other than the amount of walking they're doing--eugh!-- helps. How 'bout that.

Seabreeze is asking a question. It's a good thing Salamanderpaw had found her listening ears in the nick of time; now she has some half-lying to do. "Yeah, duh I can hunt!" She scoffs. Sure, she could theoretically recall the brief instruction she'd gotten in hunting land prey and that might suffice. The young cat doesn't seem all too worried about the possibility of failure, here--not nearly as worried as she should be, anyway. She bites back a protest against staying close, telling herself that Seabreeze is just saying that because cats in important positions have to say that kind of stuff to apprentices, not because he wants to cramp her style and totally spoil this outing for her.

"Ready when you guys are!" She stage-whispers, hunkering down low and trying to recall how her body was supposed to sit.

@Quietheart ; WAVEBREAKER
@Dolomedes ; SEABREEZE

Wavebreaker

|43 Moons|

Wavebreaker had held his tongue when Seabreeze padded from camp wordlessly. The Lionhearts eyes had shifted away from both he and Salamanderpaw with a measure of indifference. But the sleek dark pelted tom had let it be, merely giving a cross look at Salamanderpaw for her dubious response to his comment about fox fighting. Though she did have a point, there were better, safer ways to train than what she had proposed. Now the trio were crossing the shaking wooden planks of the bridge that led into Haven Springs. The steam of the magically warm water there was rising into the sky from the pebble strewn dirt mound at its center. As Salamanderpaw sassed her patrol leader Wavebreaker looked over his shoulder at the calico padding beside him tilting his head and flattening his ears a little in disapproval.

He wasn't really all that confident about her answer to begin with, and with the apprentice back talking Seabreeze it made Wavebreaker feel more numb than forgiving. As his paw pads felt dirt beneath him and they had crossed into the territory proper, Wavebreaker opened his mouth to scent for prey. The scent of sparrow struck him. Yess...Its just on the other side of the geyser. He flicked his tail against Seabreezes back left leg with quiet purpose. motioning with his head for the blue furred warrior to take the right side of the geyser. Wavebreaker locked his blue eyes with Salamanderpaw's gaze, then dropped swiftly into a hunters crouch. His legs were bent, his body low, just above grazing the earth, and his tail was flat but not down. The warrior began treading carefully paw over paw until he saw the little brown bird. It was warming itself by the spring.

He waited for his leader to get into position, giving him a nod to make the go-ahead attack. Wavebreaker knew his bulky dark body was not built with hunting in mind as its forte. He stole a glance behind him to see if Salamanderpaw was in position next to him.

@nyme
@Dolomedes

As he spoke

[Dolomedes]

Seabreeze

Seabreeze watched as Wavebreaker motioned towards the sparrow. Did he want help? The lionheart wasn’t very good at catching birds, and he hated them in general so he wasn’t too said about the fact, but needing help for a sparrow was… more of a young warrior or apprentice move. Kind of. Though regardless he fell into position that was offered to him and he started to move towards the bird, enough to be there in case it gets spooked but he just motioned with a flick of an ear that Salamanderpaw should be the one to actually attempt the catch.

Regardless of how that went, Seabreeze started into catching his own bunch of prey immediately after. He worked better when he was allowed to catch things on his own rather than the slow methods of having to situate yourself with others and then having to work together only to bring down a piece of singular prey… over all it wasn’t worth the effort unless they were bringing down something like a predator or something like that. He flicked an ear and turned towards the woods. He hated catching prey in Haven Springs for as nostalgic the landmark was.

He allowed himself to fall into a rhythm for his hunting.

[ Hunting Rolls: 15, 19, 4, 2, 4, 12, 10, 9 | 5/8 prey caught ]

By the end of his session he managed to bring in a lizard, a couple crows, and a seagull. Not too bad though he was sure that if given the chance to flex his fishing his skills he would be able to bring in more prey than he could carry. Though sadly all that Haven Springs had to over was the geysers. Nothing could survive in those things… he was pretty sure at least. Seabreeze dropped his bounty at his paws and looked around the area before calling out to Wavebreaker and Salamanderpaw.

“I’ve caught my fair share. Meet me here when you two’re done. If you need help just call my name.”

[ @nyme - Salamanderpaw | @Quietheart - Wavebreaker ]
[ I got us an extension so no rush ]

[nyme]

WE'LL BUILD A FIRE IN YOUR EYES

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ! ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

SALAMANDERPAW . 6 MOONS . SHE/HER . RIVERCLAN

[ roll: 1 ]

Salamanderpaw watches Wavebreaker from the corner of her eye as the older tom gets low, eyes fixed on some distant point—oh! It's a bird! A live one! Sitting right there!! She wobbles on her broad feet, head ducking low in excitement. Why's Wavebreaker waiting? It's right there! Someone's gotta—go!!!

Salamanderpaw rushes the bird, and. It's uh. Hah.

Not only does she miss spectacularly, but the jumped up little snot's pounce is so uncoordinated, too high and too oddly balanced, that when she comes crashing down onto her forepaws the weight of her butt topples her tail over ears and she flips, landing hard and graceless on her back. "Guh!"

Ouch. Ouch. She's got the wind knocked out of her and her pride is absolutely shattered. Salamanderpaw shakily hauls herself to her feet and just bolts. It's not a 'distressed young damsel running to be alone with her thoughts' sort of thing (she's still within view of at least one or both of them while she's out there, for the most part) but moreso a 'vengeful and horrifically embarrassed young cat trying desperately to cop a win'. Unfortunately, her heavy footfalls and mild panic do her no favor.

[ rolls: 2, 6 ]

She's still recovering from her fall by the second shot she gets, and that mouse goes scurrying for cover before she can even get near. Salamanderpaw's redemption finally comes in the form of a sluggish lizard, one already creeping around with a freshly severed tail. She manages to dispatch it with an unpracticed, artless, and drawn out clubbing. It doesn't look very appetizing once all's said and done, but it's...it's something.

Salamanderpaw lingers by her unimpressive catch, mustering up the courage to trudge back to Wavebreaker and Seabreeze.

+1 lizard

@Dolomedes ; SEABREEZE
@Quietheart ; WAVEBREAKER

[Quietheart]

Originally Posted by nyme

WE'LL BUILD A FIRE IN YOUR EYES

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ! ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

SALAMANDERPAW . 6 MOONS . SHE/HER . RIVERCLAN

[ roll: 1 ]

Salamanderpaw watches Wavebreaker from the corner of her eye as the older tom gets low, eyes fixed on some distant point—oh! It's a bird! A live one! Sitting right there!! She wobbles on her broad feet, head ducking low in excitement. Why's Wavebreaker waiting? It's right there! Someone's gotta—go!!!

Salamanderpaw rushes the bird, and. It's uh. Hah.

Not only does she miss spectacularly, but the jumped up little snot's pounce is so uncoordinated, too high and too oddly balanced, that when she comes crashing down onto her forepaws the weight of her butt topples her tail over ears and she flips, landing hard and graceless on her back. "Guh!"

Ouch. Ouch. She's got the wind knocked out of her and her pride is absolutely shattered. Salamanderpaw shakily hauls herself to her feet and just bolts. It's not a 'distressed young damsel running to be alone with her thoughts' sort of thing (she's still within view of at least one or both of them while she's out there, for the most part) but moreso a 'vengeful and horrifically embarrassed young cat trying desperately to cop a win'. Unfortunately, her heavy footfalls and mild panic do her no favor.

[ rolls: 2, 6 ]

She's still recovering from her fall by the second shot she gets, and that mouse goes scurrying for cover before she can even get near. Salamanderpaw's redemption finally comes in the form of a sluggish lizard, one already creeping around with a freshly severed tail. She manages to dispatch it with an unpracticed, artless, and drawn out clubbing. It doesn't look very appetizing once all's said and done, but it's...it's something.

Salamanderpaw lingers by her unimpressive catch, mustering up the courage to trudge back to Wavebreaker and Seabreeze.

@Dolomedes ; SEABREEZE
@Quietheart ; WAVEBREAKER

Wavebreaker

|43 Moons|

As Wavebreaker checked to make sure all cats were in position for the kill, he watched Seabreeze motion to Salamanderpaw to pounce on the mark. Now we will see if she really does know how to hunt, or if it's all just bluster. The stocky calico seemed to be leaning to heavily to one side, and her body was swaying excitedly in anticipation of her attack, making the lean more pronounced. Before long the apprentice was flashing by him tearing after the sparrow, but her jump was overzealous and late. That same lean had caused Salamanderpaw to miss her quarry, but even if she had corrected her angle she would have jumped over the bird. Rather than watch any longer Wavebreaker plunged in after her, soon glad that he had. The apprentice's rush had flushed small prey everywhere, various lizards and mice were scrambling away from the warmth of the rocky outcropping.

With his first few attempts the large black speckled tomcat snapped his jaws at several lizards, but they dropped their tails behind them. He quickly spat out the useless bits, then noticed the mouse Salamanderpaw had initially been trying to catch was running for better cover now. This time he managed to spring onto the plump creature and deliver a bite right into the top of its head. The squeaking creature turned limp and quiet. As the warrior's tail swished behind him, he felt something graze it and instinct took over. He leapt straight up, and twisted his body so that his left flank was facing the ground, and his head had whirled to the previous position of his tail. Somehow he managed to snatch a different robin flying overhead in what felt like blind luck. With a crunch of his maw, the bird stopped moving.

With both creatures being secured in his mouth he brought them over to the impressive pile Seabreeze had adding each of them to the growing collection. Out of the corner of his eye Wavebreaker could see Salamanderpaw uncharacteristically standing still, with Something in her mouth. He was surprised she had caught anything at all after her mid air blunder. Rather than feeling justified about his previous thought in regards to her attitude. The tom was surprised to feel hints of pride. She doesn't give up easily does she. Yelling over his shoulder Wavebreaker encouraged her "C'mon Salamander paw bring it over to the pile, I wanna see what you've got."

@Dolomedes
@nyme

[rolls] 3, 2, 17, 2, 13[rolls]

[val]

shadowclan, riverclan, windclan...

only three choices. somebody should make a new clan that didn't care about anything ever and let him in it. three choices is too little, and ThunderClan pisses off too many of them for him to figure out which one would be nicer to him. well. nice is a stretch. he just didn't want to walk into a chopping block. maybe that isn't even a risk at all, but he couldn't bring himself to rationality.

the voice in his head was being silent today. he couldn't decide if that was good or not.

so much thinking. it was hurting his mind.

headache that made him want to rip apart the earth and stuff everyone into the molten ravines to the core.

"la la la la la la la la la la," he sang under his breath, bored. he lazily laid on the overhang and imagined himself throwing pebbles into the spring below. too lazy to do that right now, though, which is why it stayed in his head.

imagined himself killing again. that never left. and again. and again. and again. it never left.

bored.

@Rose

[Rose]

ASPHODEL
They/Them

ShadowClan, RiverClan, WindClan, ThunderClan. . .

Four Clans, but how many choices in reality? How many were too many, and how did that affect the other things in their life? Blood followed in their wake, a trail of their own making. But speaking of the Clans... there was one said cat now. They recognized them from their days at the Gathering. Moons had passed since they'd last seen this cat. Dull hues watched the russet tom overhead toss pebble after pebble into a spring nearby.

They didn't see the appeal. Of tossing rocks, they meant. A repetitive habit. Borne of restlessness? Of habit? Of lack of anything else to do? A word, meaningless, repeated over and over again. The ability to become a shadow fiend was their best friend as they lurked nearby, studying the first cat they'd come across in a while. Well, kind of. Their scraggly scars and bloody state and constant unsheathed claws had kept most stragglers away lately, probably for good reason.

Bored enough, they melt out of the shadows to sit beside the bubbling spring. They kick a rock of their own into the water to announce their presence - they'd quickly gotten bored of listening to the cat repeat the same phrase over and over again - and then tilt their head, eyebrow lifting in a questioning gesture. Words had failed them lately, and nor did they care for them much at the moment, so they didn't even bother try.

[ @val - mr. orange cat ]

[val]

...kersplash.

his gaze shot to his still paws, passed over the crawling ants, and found the sound not of his doing. ears then straightened, laid back, and unease prickled down the darker band of fur on his spine — an icewater cascade over the myelin. the chill spread and numbed stubbornly with a hound's chew at his limbs until he found himself stuck, a sitting duck.

nobody scoffed at him, or pointed triumphantly at yet another one of his mistakes. a respite as remorseful as sorry than safe.

bitterness. he envisioned, briefly, a sharp flash of claws, burning never worse than his shame, and an end violent rather than going gently into the night. yet when his widened eyes settled on the visitor's unaffected mien, he didn't find a second death (and had he wished for it—?) and so he scowled in false bravado.

for someone driven mad with loneliness, he sure wasn't welcoming to company, though maybe he wouldn't have suffered from chronic emptiness if he fixed that flaw, anyway. we never learn. "what do you want," he sneered at the stranger. a paper cut could sting better.

@Rose

[dino.]

[ Spiritual Encounter 1/2 ]

Bogtumble had seen this spot briefly. VERY briefly, throughout his various wanderings of both the shadows and the stars. It had been some time since he had touched the land of the living... the last attempt had gone sour. And by sour, he meant that no babies had been eaten! What kinda garbage was that!! No point in trying if it never went anywhere, because booooooooo.

It was probable he just didn't learn, though, because he was trying again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on you again... or however that stupid saying went. Point being, Bogtumble was NEVER the fool. The environment was just darn stupid. Yeah!

So he wandered. Mist rose up from the springs, clouding the air, and he lamented the fact he couldn't feel it. He wanted to feel something. But through the mist, he saw a silhouette, and his lamenting was finished as quickly as it had started. He slunk around their back side, keeping to the mists, sliding over the water as if it didn't exist... and then stuck his muzzle right by their ear. "BOO!"

[ @wolfie ]

[wolfie]

!! ꔠ the

HOLY SPIRIT - YOUR GOD ABOVE ꔠ !!

★ he . they (may use she when convenient) ★ tall black, gray, and white chimera that has medium-long fur and varying fur textures. has a feathery, kinked tail & bright amber eyes. smells of metallic & cinnamon. ★

⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆X⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

彡 ➜ @dino.

⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆X⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺
The water surrounding him was stained red from the blood that had covered his front. Remnants remained, it was always so .. annoying to get it out the white bits of their stunning fur. Truly, he wished Wolf hadn't gone and got himself killed. He was always better at handling the dirty work. Nonetheless, Spirit relaxed in the steamy warm water. It was shallow enough he didn't even have to swim! Thank the flowers, he always got awfully weighed down.

He hummed quietly, leaning against the edges of the hot spring. A content sigh falling from their lips. Everything seemed to be at peace. For once their guard was lowered, blissfully unaware of someone wandering closer and closer.

Of course, that was until they crept close enough to yell into their ear. Spirit's eyes shot open, whirling around to stare. They sent crashing waves around them. "ImPOSTER!" They yelped, and in one swift slice they reached up an unsheathed paw to attempt to slice at the spirit's front. At least, he was sure this was another from the land of the undead .. Not a lot of cats were transparent. He also hadn't been poisoned this time.

"You are so RUDE! Where are your MANNERS, you oversized rat? This is MY !! Mine!! plane of existence, not yours. Truly, you should cease and seek a different existence! I'm the Holy Spirit who is overseeing these parts, " Spirit hissed with rage, tail twitching erratically. Their peace!! Ruined!!!! Oh, it was so hard to have a paw in both the realms of living and the dead. He could never be left alone, obviously.

✶ LULLABY LYRE ✕ AGATHA KITTY ✕ KITTY KRUEGER ✕ DREAMWALKER ✶