camp BITE MY TONGUE [arguing with an old man]

[HUMMINGBIRDHEART]

The she-cat takes great care to cleanse her pelt of dirt and dust before slipping through the gorse tunnel and into the clan’s camp. No one can know that she gets dirty, after all, and she can’t imagine the shame she’d feel at feeling the weight of judgmental stares across a disgustingly dirt-flecked pelt. How some of the other tunnelers can stand it, she has no idea. It’s truly bad enough that she gets her paws dirty—why should the rest of her be gross as well?

Said dirty paws carry her through the camp, teeth clutched gently around her single catch of the morning: a mouse, sloppily dispatched and dripping blood behind the tunneler as she strides toward the first familiar red pelt that she sees. "Ohhhhh Lionthroat, I brought you breakfast!" Lionthroat lies on his own today, his sister likely off somewhere else, and Hummingbirdheart deposits the catch before him with a flourish and a cheery grin. The tom had been her favorite elder when she was younger, and the girl had found herself enamored with his tales of the past, the time before clans. Her care still extends to him now, even as he refuses the mouse with a few snappy words.

"You know, it wouldn’t kill you to be just a little bit, I don’t know, grateful! I worked my tail off to catch this for you, and you just suddenly aren’t hungry?" The girl’s long, bushy tail swings in wild curves and arcs behind her as she confronts the much older feline. The elder seems rather unbothered by her outburst, glazed eyes blinking slowly as he insists once again that he isn’t hungry. "I’m, like, the only one willing to feed you first, you know that? And I’m hungry too!" Her back arches into a curl of anger, but concern flickers across her pretty striped face.

The she-cat whirls around to look around camp, eyes narrowing as she sets her sights on someone who can help her. "You," she seethes, turning to the nearest clanmate. "Tell Lionthroat that he’s being ridiculous." Her tone is petulant, but brooks no argument.​

[ my materials in pyre ]​

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[beetlenose]

It isn’t unusual that Hummingbirdheart calls on her for certain tasks. They’re tunneling partners, after all, so it’s only natural that they understand each other’s workflow both below ground and above it. It’s also only natural that Hummingbirdheart’s emotions and care manifest as loud, passionate words on a lashing tongue– and when Beetlenose hears her outburst now, it is only natural that she approaches.

Lionthroat’s kitlike fussiness has seemed to earn him her partner’s ire. Beetlenose sniffs as Hummingbirdthroat mouths off. She is one of the only cats who’d willingly put the elders before herself when it came to feeding time– Beetlenose herself will give them no such luxury. The other molly stares daggers at her in a bid to get her to speak up. Beetlenose is happy to oblige. She sets her own pointed amber gaze on the red-furred elder, her placid expression shifting into something stonier.

"Be grateful, old man," Beetlenose rumbles, tail flicking. "Or you’ll be food next." A grin flickers at the corner of her lips at her jest. Maybe that would do it?

/ mobile​

 

[WOLFSONG]

──ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ᨒ↟↟ᨒ── Their freshkill pile has seen better days. Wolfsong had anticipated that the departure of so many hunters would lead to a dwindling of available meals, but it makes it no easier to see. Perhaps he would be allowed to hunt while searching for herbs; he does not believe it is unsanctioned for a medicine cat to turn to such methods, especially for the health of the clan. Herbs for strength can only do so much when it is a full belly his clanmates will need.

Today, he takes to visiting the elders for their various aches and pains, and to ensure that yellowcough has not found them. Two tunnelers are among them already, and one golden ear twitches as the pair speaks with Lionthroat, coaxing him to eat. Unsuccessfully. "Our vulnerable must be fed first," he says, thinking of the new law instated. Even if Sootstar may not be inclined to enforce it. "They are most at risk. One may certainly think maintaining our hunters' strength requires regular feeding, but in the event of death, that conserved energy will be used digging graves." His one-eyed gaze falls on the elder briefly. "So please, Lionthroat. If not for yourself, eat so our warriors do not expend more of their precious strength in this time of uncertainty." ​

WOLFSONG of WINDCLAN FORMER ROGUE TURNED MEDICINE CAT. 38 MOONS, HE/HIM, NPC X NPC. MATES WITH SUNSTRIDE (07/05/2023). BIOGRAPHY, PINTEREST, & PLAYLIST.

medicinal expertise med. part ii med. part iii med. part iv

• — ★★★☆☆ WOUNDS: You're (mostly) in safe paws. You'll know if he's less experienced if he asks for your permission to try a treatment. No wound can scare him away from knowledge.
  — ★★★☆☆ INFECTION: He can prevent most infections. If you feel feverish, let him know; he'll hum thoughtfully over herbs and sniff your wound before saying, "With your blessing..."
• — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES & PAINS: If you complain to him of pain, he'll ask where. If it's a headache, you'll likely feel a bit better. For anything else, "Try this, if you'd like, and tell me how you feel."
  — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES: At best. he can ask you to remain lying down in the den. He may try to distract you with conversation while he considers what herb to feed you.
• — ★★★★★ TRAVELING HERBS: Going somewhere? No worries; Wolfsong knows just what you need to stay hale and healthy during your journey. The rest is up to you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ KITTING: Thanks to Starlingheart, he's better prepared for the arrival of kits, but any complications will need a little faith and a lot of luck.
• — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS: It's best if you avoid eating anything unfamiliar to you— it's probably just as unfamiliar to Wolfsong. The best he can do is offer you yarrow and sit with you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ ILLNESS: If it's white or greencough, you'll likely recover. Otherwise, prepare for odd concoctions and the usual request that you consent to a little trial-and-error.

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[SNAKEHISS]

Refusing a meal, no matter how small, was outright idiotic in Snakehiss's opinion. The clan was down several warriors and apprentices as it was, which meant less prey being brought in each day to feed the clan. Snakehiss had been working overtime out on the moors, making catch after catch to the best of his ability, but he was understandably exhausted only after one patrol. His clanmates ought to be grateful for the extra work put in by the moor runners and tunnelers!

So, upon seeing one of the elders stubbornly turning his nose up to a fresh catch, the young warrior hisses in concurrence with Hummingbirdheart and Beetlenose, "If he refuses to eat, then give the mouse to someone who will appreciate it." He flicks narrowed eyes to the medicine cat, who was of course concerned with the health and wellbeing of WindClan's vulnerable population. Surely Wolfsong could not be blind to the fact that prey should not be wasted on pigheaded, frail walking corpses. "Why should we waste our time catering to ungrateful old fools when we should be keeping our young and healthy cats fed instead? Let him starve, if he wishes." Maybe Lionthroat would be more appreciative of the warriors' services on an empty stomach.

✰ INFO

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• 

  ✰ SNAKEHISS
  —— he/him; warrior ( moor runner ) of windclan
  —— bisexual; single; not looking
  —— long-limbed black tom with green eyes, a small white chest patch, and a notable bite mark on his right foreleg
  —— "speech", thoughts, attack
  —— link to full tags; @ on discord for plots.
  —— penned by beatles

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[HAREKIT]

tags​

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The smell of blood and fresh-kill draws the spiky furred kitten from his nest, moss still clinging to striped, silky fur. Harekit had only just awoken from his nap, driven on by the smell of food, and he blinks large eyes at the small group that had gathered. One cat, Hummingbirdheart, had attempted to offer the mouse to an elder, Lionthroat. Except the elder... didn't seem interested in the catch. Harekit swipes a tongue across his jaws, padding up to the side of Snakehiss to sit down and lick at his chest fur, grooming the tangles of sleep from his chocolate swirled coat. Wolfsong states that the vulnerable must be fed first. Wasn't Harekit vulnerable? So... he should get the mouse! Looking up at Snakehiss, the kitten seizes an opportunity.

"Yeah!" Harekit squeaks, "Let him starve!" The impressionable youth echoes the sleek, black warrior. "I'll eat the mouse." Harekit states toward the tunneler who had caught it, a wide, toothy grin splitting his cotton-hued maw. Besides, he'd be an apprentice soon. He needed all the meat he could get his claws on! How else was he supposed to get big and strong?​

 

[HUMMINGBIRDHEART]

Beetlenose, predictably, is quick to back her up, and the cinnamon tabby has to fight off a bright grin at the notion. She just knew she’d chosen the right tunneling partner! The other she-cat’s threat is amusing, though, and Hummingbirdheart snorts out a huff of laughter at the idea of eating another cat. She can only hope that the lack of prey doesn’t get that bad—Lionthroat certainly wouldn’t taste good, and she doesn’t see why she shouldn’t tell him as much. "Lionthroat would probably taste something awful. Too stringy," she giggles, but concern sits in the furrow of her brows. Wolfsong’s words are reasonable, and while Snakehiss’ statement echoes her own frustration, Hummingbirdheart doesn’t wish for the old tom to starve. She shifts on her paws, unsure, gaze flitting to Beetlenose for a moment.

Harekit approaches after a moment, echoing the black and white moor runner’s sentiment, and Hummingbirdheart makes a decision at last. "Oh, well…" she tilts her head, contemplative. She supposes that it couldn’t hurt to give the kit her catch, since Lionthroat doesn’t seem any more interested in it than he had been. Perhaps she should look into more effective arguments to get the old tom to eat. The elder grumbles something that she doesn’t quite catch, something about feeding the kit, and with a huff, the tunneler relents. She shifts on her paws, tail flicking as she pushes the prey toward Harekit. "Oh, fiiiiine. Go on, kiddo. Don’t think this is over though, you old badger." The last comment is directed toward the elder, but her gaze flicks to Wolfsong for a moment. She doesn’t like the idea of digging graves—digging more graves.​

[ my materials in pyre ]​

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[sunlitpaw]

shadow of the moon
—————— ( ☼ ) ——————

Trailing in Wolfsong's shadow was one of his middle children, snow-nipped paws leaving tiny little prints behind her ðir. Sunlitkit found herself having more opportunities to follow behind the medicine cat than she was the newly promoted Deputy, not that her father was absent in her life at all. But, well... when she was constantly following behind someone, it was harder to do so when they were having adult talks and leaving camp. She tried her best to avoid the elders - their doting overwhelmed her, and she found herself panicking to be around them for too long. She stuck closely behind Wolfsong, little ears reclining back as Hummingbirdheart's voice began to raise, pressing herself into the fur of Wolfsong's leg as she quickened her pace to keep in perfect step with him. He was going near the loud cats, and Sunlitkit didn't like that very much.

Sunlitkit didn't like the elders, didn't like being around them, but... but this was wrong, right? Sunlitkit nervously looks up to Wolfsong as he speaks up, tries a softer hand at coaxing Lionthroat into accepting the gift. Harekit loudly announces to let the elder starve, and Sunlitkit flinches at the words. Was she just being too nice? Harekit is tossed the prey and Sunlitkit's stomach twists in discomfort. She didn't want to have to act like that to eat, but... what if she wasn't allowed to otherwise? What if she, too, would be yelled at for not accepting whatever was given to her? Sunlitkit nestles even further into Wolfsong's fur, little legs gently shaking from the aftermath of the brief dispute.

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