Lionsbeach

[spade]

Originally Posted by finnzel

@spade //

caw caw caw!

the loud cries of seagulls made the kits eyes blink open, big green-blue eyes staring at the sky. she squinted, puffing out air at the bright sun and the continuous sound of birds. "momma.." ponyo mumbled, flopping onto her other side, taking a big whiff only to inhale some damp sand. her eyes widened, and she quickly pushed herself half way off the ground to let out a big sneeze. sand! sand..? what!

the ginger looked around at her surroundings, and realized that this place was not her home. she stared at the water that kept coming closer, then going away, then the sand on the ground, and the shells, and the birds in the sky. "momma!" she called out, standing up and doing a wobbly spin. she was still young, only a moon old, so it was still hard for her to walk correctly.

then, ponyo plopped down with a huge frown. "mommmaaaa!" she was only met with the cries of the seagulls, and she instinctively shuffled backwards until she was against a rock. "momma! come out, please! ponyo can't see you.." she gulped, big tears welling up in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

It had been quite awhile since Kestrelstar found himself walking the shores of Lionsbeach. Gray clouds floated overhead and the sky seemed as though it would split open at any moment to make way for the inevitable storm above. Rain would be a welcome sight, what with the leader fighting tears at every pawstep. So much had happened recently, some of which was starting to really affect him. Frozenberry still had not returned from wherever they had run off too, and the leader had been out searching almost every day. There was no scent trail, no trace of them... Had they really left? Something in the pit of his stomach told him no, so here he was scoruing the shores of the beach. "Frozenberry!" he called again, his voice now hoarse and scratchy. "Frozenberry! Please..."

In the midst of his calling, a smaller, frightful voice caught his attention. A kit. Attention snapped to the right as he spotted the source - a tiny bundle of fur buffeted by the sand and wind. Another kit, lost and left to fend for themselves. Kestrelstar didn't want to call off his search for his... friend? More? The leader shook his head and before he could make a decision he found his paws leading him towards the kit. "You're lost," he stated, matter-of-factly, but his throat felt tight with the worry of Frozenberry still very evident in his mind.

// @finnzel

[idia]

@spade //

ponyo's gaze shifted over towards the cat that was padding towards her, sniffling and still crying. "nuh uh!" she disagreed with a quick shake of her head. stranger danger, her mothers words rang in her mind, but she simply ignored it because she had to prove whoever this cat was wrong. "ponyo's not lost, she's waiting for her momma!" yes, she was waiting for her mother.

her mom would come back, right? she wasn't sure where she was, but the kit knew her mom was here, or near here.

"she's...she's um.." she sniffled, looking to her paws and furrowing her brows in thought. "do you know where ponyo's momma is at?" she asked, looking up at the tom again. maybe he knew where her mom was! he smelled sort of like fish and water, so he probably lived sround here, and her mother had been here, so he probably saw her.

[spade]

So, lost. Was what the kit was. Kestrelstar gave a snort at her attempted excuse - whatever cat this hariball was waiting for certainly wasn't around here. The only scent was hers, and if there were any other scents they would've been washed away by the lapping waves by now. "I don't know where your "momma" is, however I hope she is long gone because this is RiverClan territory, and she'd be trespassing," he snarled, barring his fangs. He didn't mean to be scary and rude, but Frozenberry was missing... it was messing with his head.

Realizing this, Kestrelstar slowly relaxed, claws sliding back in. He had no energy to turn this kit away, and really no energy to fight any trespassers at all. "Look, your mom probably left. It's not... it's not safe for someone so young out here. Would you like to come back to my home with me?" he questioned, his tone flat as he struggled to keep his mind from wandering again.

// @finnzel [ so sorry for the delay! ]

[idia]

@spade //

the scary snarl made ponyo instinctively shuffle away from the cat with a big frown. he was so scary! "riverclan?" she repeated, mouth falling open in curiosity. and trespasser! she had no idea what that word meant, or what a riverclan was, but her mom was not a trespasser-- that sounded like a bad thing. "momma could never be a trespasser!" she squeaked out with a puffed chest, trying to be as intimidating as a tiny kit could be.

her nose scrunched up in response to the offer, choosing to ignore the first part for her own comfort. "uhh...." she hummed, looking around before answering. "sure! but- but only until ponyo's momma comes back, then ponyo has to go because momma will want her back." she explained, still set on the idea that her mother would come back for her.

hopping up from her spot and giving her pelt a light shake to get rid of any sand, she padded over to the tom. she looked around, "where's your home?" she asked. she didn't see a den anywhere!

[plum]

Plumstorm ventures down to Lionsbeach alone. The moon was shining brightly, illuminating all in a pale and milky light. Shadows fall across the sand, cast by stones or clumps of long windswept grass.

Blue eyes flash as she looks up for a heartbeat, and just like that the silver she-cat captures the stars. Staring up, she stands frozen in place, mid-step, entire body poised for motion yet unmoving. And she tries to determine which star belonged to them. Every individual she'd ever known- Whether that familiarity be good or dark- was probably somewhere out there.

She had to believe in this.

The slender femme turns away from Silverpelt and continues to move again at last. And before very long, she is standing where they were buried.

"I need guidance," the cat meows pensively.

After appearing to wait for an answer on bated breath, Plumstorm walks further down the beach and sits just out of reach of the water.

[spade]

What a brave little kit. Kestrelstar found himself admiring her; youthful, with no real trauma yet. This day of her being abandoned on the beach would be long forgotten, shuffled under memories of growing up in the Clan surrounded by loyal cats. She was untouched by the merciless claws of life, not a single scratch on her, physical or otherwise. The envy only grew in the leader's chest and for a moment he was tempted to giver her a mark or two to think about.

But that would never happen. For as much talk and threats he threw towards kits and young apprentices, Kestrelstar would never actually lay a claw on any of them. "Yes, only until then." Not only that, but he didn't have the heart either to break it to the kid anymore that her mother probably wasn't coming back. Not now, not in a couple days, probably not even in a moon. The young kit didn't seem to be carrying any other scents with her, so it was safe to say she would never have to experience any awkward familial run-ins at Gatherings.

"Well obviously it's not here," Kestrelstar quipped, annoyance causing his eyes to narrow slightly. Rising to his paw, he beckoned the kit to follow him as they walked. "I live in a camp with other cats - RiverClan. We're a group of warriors who, in return for loyalty and service to the Clan, are provided with security and the freedom to roam this territory." Turning his gaze ahead to the path they were on, Kestrelstar added, "I'm sure you'll fit right in. We've got plenty of other kits your age."

The sandy path was almost finished, sloping upwards onto the springy grass that would eventually give way to the marshy terrain that marked RiverClan heartland. "If you're going to stay with me and my Clan though, we have to think of a new name for you. Youngsters your age end their name in -kit, and ponyo... well frankly I don't know what that is so you'll have to pick a new name," he finished, looking at Ponyo with inquisitive eyes. Usually Kestrelstar would slap a name on someone and that was that. But with so much rambling on around in his mind he didn't have the mental capacity to do so.

// @finnzel

[idia]

@spade //

ponyo was glad that mister fish agreed to her (very unrealistic) conditions. as soon as her mom came back, which would certainly be soon, she would be returned to her and then live the rest of her life-- happily ever after! "uh-huh.." she slowly nodded at the toms remark, noticing that there was no home here, actually. at his little gesture, she wasted no time to hurry after him, keeping up as best as she could for a kit her age.

"riverclan," the name made absolutely no sense to her, but the excitement of meeting other cats made up for her confusion. there were even kits her age! well, according to mister fish. she wasn't shy by any means, so she was a bit curious as to just how many cats were in his camp. "are there other clans of cats? are they all fishy cats?" she inquired, looking up at the tabby as they continued to walk.

a new name? ohhh. that was- well, she wasn't sure how to feel about that. what if she forgot her current name? that'd be terrible! ponyo's not dumb! she reminded herself mentally, tiny chest puffing out. "a ponyo...is ponyo!" she responded with a nod that made her look so sure of her reply it was a bit surprising. she was ponyo, obviously! a ponyo was her! speaking of names, she didn't know mister fish's name either! "what's your name, mister fish?" she asked before thinking about what her new name could possibly be.

the ginger kit glanced over her shoulder to look at the beach, awing at the small, red creature that popped from the ground and skuttled across the sandy ground. unbeknownst to her, that creature was a crab. "that! that! that thing for ponyo's new name!" she exclaimed, stopping for a short second to point a paw in the direction of the crab.

[Witchy Madelaine]

Petuniakit had been wandering for hours. She had found herself going in circles, but then she tried something new. Hopefully, this was it. She kept walking forward before she heard something. Waves? The kit saw the water and ran over. She looked around in awe. It was so beautiful here.

The young molly looked around even more for a bit before seeing something colorful in the sand. She walked over to it and saw it was a shell. She didn't know it was a shell, but it looked pretty. This would be perfect. She just needed to find a couple more and some flowers.

Petuniakit walked around before spotting a couple more. She put them in a large pile. This should be enough. Now she needed to find some flowers. She searched around for a bit until she found some beautiful purple and blue flowers. They were very pretty. She snatched a couple before taking it over to a pile.

A noise was heard in the distance. It was a seagull swarming around. It had spotted her. It came down and started getting her with its talons. It wasn't strong enough to pick her. Wounds made it all over her pelt. Petuniakit let out a painful squeak when it began to tear out her fur. Soon there were multiple patches of fur missing and so was the skin. She covered her face and let out a cry.

// open \\

[Willowfern]

@Rxmulus

Alderfoot
_______
(Eek, sorry for dropping the ball on this! I love Seadog!)

Not even deterred from the fact that he had just crawled out of the sea, and was covered in all sorts of plant life from there, Alderfoot nodded,
“Mhm, I sure have, I do it all the time!” She smiled, “It’s fun, in my opinion at least, and crabs are a good food-source so,” She motioned toward the one Seadog had just dropped, “Good day for crab-hunting then?”

[Abyssopelagic]

Originally Posted by Angelique

Petuniakit had been wandering for hours. She had found herself going in circles, but then she tried something new. Hopefully, this was it. She kept walking forward before she heard something. Waves? The kit saw the water and ran over. She looked around in awe. It was so beautiful here.

The young molly looked around even more for a bit before seeing something colorful in the sand. She walked over to it and saw it was a shell. She didn't know it was a shell, but it looked pretty. This would be perfect. She just needed to find a couple more and some flowers.

Petuniakit walked around before spotting a couple more. She put them in a large pile. This should be enough. Now she needed to find some flowers. She searched around for a bit until she found some beautiful purple and blue flowers. They were very pretty. She snatched a couple before taking it over to a pile.

A noise was heard in the distance. It was a seagull swarming around. It had spotted her. It came down and started getting her with its talons. It wasn't strong enough to pick her. Wounds made it all over her pelt. Petuniakit let out a painful squeak when it began to tear out her fur. Soon there were multiple patches of fur missing and so was the skin. She covered her face and let out a cry.

// open \\

If anyone were to ask Palepaw why she had been in the territory by herself without a warrior to accompany her, she'd lie, and say she was bored and didn't feel like asking for permission, hoping no one noticed that she had submerged herself in water and rolled around in grass to cover up her scent (she hoped very much that no one deemed it suspicious and look for a hidden meaning).
She'd started straying further and further from camp the more her anxiety got to her. She was amazed she had ever been comfortable with meet ups so close to camp.
But she's most unsure how she eventually ended up at Lionsbeach (not how, she had gone there on purpose, had sought it out, the real question was why, she'd been meant to go back home).
She wanders aimlessly, occasionally finding a shell or a crab scuttling by and, in a moment of cruelty, kicking it to the water. They rarely plopped into the waves to her dismay, but she didn't care enough to follow after and kick them again (she didn't feel like being pinched).

She was just about to kick yet another crab when the cry of an unfamiliar bird reached her ears. She backs away from the crab, eyes flashing to the sky as she prepared to lash out.
But she didn't see a bird, not in the sky or on the ground. She looks around, still on edge when she hears it again, accompanied by a blood curdling howl that was unmistakably a cat. A very young, very pained cat.
Without a second thought, she goes hurtling towards the sound.
The moment she sees the sea gull in the kit, she pauses. Gulls were notorious for their desperation for a meal, their lack of self preservation if only to get a bite and it was warned just how dangerous they were even to a full grown cat.
She hesitates, because she's just one cat and where there's one gull, there are surely more.... but at the same time, what chance would a kit stand against even a lone bird?
Damning herself and her bleeding heart, she shrieks as she launches herself at the bird, teeth flashing foward and clamping to its wings, the feeling of satisfaction as she heard the bones in her maw snap calling her to do more, ignoring how her sudden intrusion causes the birds head to whip around and its beak to try and take a bite out of her. She twists her head and yanks the wing awkwardly, barely avoiding a chunk of her own shoulder from being torn out, but not the shrill cry it makes.
She jumps back, hoping the stupid bird will drop the kit now that it can't fly off with it (and hoping it doesn't decide to eat her then and there instead)