CAN YOU TUNA CAR RADIO? // discovery

[Crawlingroach]

SKY HIGH —//Prompt: Crawlingroach discovers, while out on patrol, the remains of what appear to be a two-leg monster partially submerged in the river.


The hunting patrol had been proving to be somewhat less than fruitful. A few pitiful minnow were hardly going to keep an entire clan fed. Crawlingroach could feel nothing but irritation prickling up the length of his spine as he waded through the river water as he headed further and further upstream. "Tch! I'm not heading back until I get something good." He grumbled aloud as he pressed onward into a section of water that was thick with reeds. He knew sometimes fish would hide in such locations so he hoped to strike a small gold mine of them, but as he pushed through the clumps of spiny plants he made a shocking discovery that knocked a scream out of him.

"MONSTER!"

It sat there among the reeds, clearly waiting to pounce on any unsuspecting cats that dared to come too close. Crawlingroach saw his life flash before his very eyes as he flailed in the water before the monster, tangling himself in the reeds during his panic. Why was a thunderpath monster here of all places? Had they finally learned to swim?! No. No, wait, it wasn't coming at him. In fact it wasn't even moving, but why? It was just... staring? Partially submerged in the murk and looking... wounded? Something was off about it, especially with how it looked so skeletal in comparison to ones he had seen in the distant past. Still, his heart was thundering in his chest and he remained too afraid to move lest he invite disaster.​

 

[PIKESPLASH]

They weren't catching anything that would be deemed a fruitful hunt, so he understood Crawlingroach's irritation at their catch. He himself was rather unsatisfied and had thought if they kept catching small minnows at this rate, then he would continue to catch more to make up for the fact that they were small. Even though it would be better if they found bigger fish for the clan, he was not foolish. Food was important and even small minnows were better than nothing at all. Nevertheless, he watched Crawlingroach for a moment before following the other warrior. It's not good to split up with everything that's happened.

His ears perked at the scream of a monster nearby, which struck him odd. Huh? But those don't come to water? When did they learn how to swim? Nevertheless, he was wary as he waded through the water. His eyes glanced at Crawlingroach for a moment before keeping his eyes on the sleeping monster. Maybe the other warrior thought he was crazy for not being as fearful of the thing, but in this past he had seen a great deal of monsters.

I think... I think it's okay? I don't hear it breathing? Is this a dead monster? He shook his head and picked up his pace towards Crawlingroach. "Hold still, I think we're okay." Without asking for permission, he began to detangle some reeds encasing Crawlingroach. "The monster isn't moving, maybe it's sleeping?"​

 

[CICADASTAR]

there are a few things in which cicadastar swore he’d never see again, departure from the marshes settled him more fox lengths away than he could count — monsters, he had hoped, were one of them. never once had he missed the trembling, the burning smell of rock - rot from thunderpath that seemed to permeate throughout the wetlands. it was a loud, dangerous place, reeking and stained with the blood and fur of those unfortunate enough to be hunted by the monsters that lived there. horrible and snarling, their shining pelts bright — a warning. easily spotted and easily heard, they were quick. quicker than the mottled leader had seen in anything else, whipping into existence and out of it just as quick, to later return and feast upon their victims. shadowclan lives in tandem with these beasts. they lived in fear, hurriedly stepping along the hard path, hoping to remain unseen.

it’s why, when he hears a dreaded monster!, he freezes in his tracks — have they finally decided to leave their long - trodden path? there was no way he could defend his land from those rotten beasts, was there? the feline lifts from his hunting crouch, ears angling forward in violent alarm and he takes off — brushing past @Hazepaw in instruction to follow. " schiesse, stay back. " comes his voice, rumbling tone curious as he steps alongside pikesplash. the fur along his back bristles defensively as he creeps close, lifting a paw once ivory toes meet the waters edge. the creature is tangled in reed and vine, not a hint of growling to be heard as he inspects it. it’s coat is dull, bright eyes dim and blank. it’s paws are tangled in reed and moss, algae clinging to the oddly - patterned pads. motionless, partially submerged in the rushing waters. the creature is dead, he’s sure of it — he’d never seen one so still, so quiet, so dull. cicadastar blinks, watches it with his head lowered. waiting.

it doesn’t move.

” it.. must have drowned. “ the mottled feline is not sure, but he appears to be, thin chest puffing and head turning back against the skeletal beast. the molly was helping crawlingroach from the reed, ” are you alright? did you see any more? i don’t understand how this one came all this way.. “ his voice trails, brows furrowing as he casts his gaze over the water.

˗ˏˋ 𓆩  OOC ✟ VISUAL 𓆪 ´ˎ˗

• i.
  
• ˖ ⁺ ｡ ˚ ⠀ CICADASTAR⠀⠀−−−c−−−⠀⠀king of the rivers.
  
  
  m. he / him. black smoke & tortoiseshell chimera with intense salt - blue eyes. a handsome, looming tom bearing patchwork black - silver curls that fall over his slim figure in loose, shining rivulets, broken with white and glossy from his fish diet. descending from a heritage of overtyped oriental shorthairs, cicadastar stands unusually tall amongst his peers, and holds himself with a tragic grace, poised and prim and ever - aware of how he is being perceived.
  
  ᨒ gay, mated to smokethroat. smells like wet stone & moss.
  ᨒ speaks with a german accent. 43 moons, ages every 50 posts.
  
  penned by antlers​
  
  
• 
  
  
  
• "speech"
  

​

 

[Petalnose]

I FIND COMFORT IN THE SOUND AND THE SHAPE OF THE HEART ⋆⁺₊⋆

Petalnose was not far when she heard the call. Her ears twitched and her muscles tightened with unease. Monsters. Her only fear. They were littered in her night terrors and two times had it claimed the lives of her past loved ones. She remembered the call of her name before she saw her mother and brother frantically chasing after her to stop her. She remembered the scream of the monster, the stench of blood and burn of oil. Petalnose shivered and breathed faster. Then, the sharp air that blew past her nose struck her memories, nearly touching her as she felt the blow of another cat to shove her out of the way. It claimed another life. The love of her life, the cat she always came back to. The cat she always confided in.

The Molly pushed back the sadness for the moment, rushing over to the sides of Cicadastar and Pikesplash, laying her eyes upon the oddly friendly and laid back Crawlingroach for a moment. He was.. unmaimed except for the reeds that tangled the tom. "It didn't touch you?" She huffed in a bewildered manner, moving her narrowed gaze onto the monster. It was unmoving, partially submerged. "How could it… drown?" She spoke out, taking a shaky step forward with a curious beam in her eyes.

The eyes of the monster intimated her, it was staring into her soul. It was as if it was taunting her of the lives it claimed that she hung onto so dearly. She shivered again, clenching her teeth again until curiosity buzzed into her ear like a hungry mosquito, "Anything can just.. walk out if their body was partially submerged. Especially if it's touching the ground. Am I right?" She looked to Cicadastar for reassurance, wondering how he felt on the situation. "Should I go and tap it? See what it does?" As much as her fears screamed no, her curiosity and confidence started to win the fight as it always had before. Maybe everyone wondered the same. The monsters eyes didn't beam, almost as if it was glazed over and it made no threat or any sound of the fact toward the three cats. There was confidence it wouldn't charge her, she trusted Cicada's words.

[⋆]​

​

 

[Crawlingroach]

SKY HIGH —Crawlingroach would think any cat who wasn't afraid of such a creature to be utterly mad! Still, he was thankful for Pikesplash's help as he was freed from the foliage so he could begin to back away from the monster. Sleeping or not he simply didn't want to be anywhere near the thing! Though Cicadastar's presence acts like some form of rally that stops him from full on bolting from the scene in panic. The idea that the monster had somehow drowned comes up and he finds himself in awe at the notion. "I guess they aren't invincible. So... they have a weakness?" Maybe monsters couldn't swim? Clearly this one made a fatal error and ended up as so. Roach almost felt bad for it.

"I'm fine, just shaken. And it didn't touch me either. I haven't seen more but maybe we should avoid this stretch of the river just in case. I'd hate to think that they're hunting here." They had enough problems as it was without this piling on top of it all. Unease however swelled within him when Petalnose offered to 'tap' it. "I don't think that's a wise idea." They were running on theories and he truly didn't wish to see any of his clanmates getting hurt over the testing of a hypothesis.​

 

[Mosspool]

The cry of "monster" brought Mosspaw as readily as it had brought her clanmates, but without the fear they had. She was wary, of course. But she hadn't the experience to truly be afraid. All she knew of monsters was the old tales of even older warriors. Even after being told that they were invincible beasts that killed senselessly, it was hard for her to be scared of something she had never seen.

Now though, one was finally before her, and it hardly seemed like the creature she had heard about. It was a skeletal, broken, waterlogged thing. It was so still that Mosspaw had trouble thinking of it as alive. Only when Cicadastar proclaimed it drowned did it finally make sense to her. She glanced up at him, before turning her eyes back to the monster's corpse with new understanding.

She tried to listen as her clanmates discussed what this meant, and what to do, but she couldn't stop staring at the monster before her.

It felt like her heart was tearing her in two. Curiously, more than anything, flooded her. A dead monster. This was something no one in her clan had ever seen, at least not that she knew of. She wanted to get closer, as close as she could, and examine every inch of it with rigor until she could recite all the details to her clanmates when she returned. The authority of her leader beside her, however, stayed that desire. It would be presumptuous of her, not to wait for his command when there was such a danger before her.

"What should we do sir?" She asked him, her tone as formal as ever.

Mosspaw could not hide how she felt though. Her eyes had not left the monster since it had first come into her view, and her whole body seemed to lean toward it. To look at her it felt like at any moment she might bolt toward it without warning.​

 

[Hazewish]

WAKE UP TO THE SOUND OF YOUR FLEETING HEART ⋆⁺₊⋆

Hazepaw dashes after their mentor, eyes wide at the faraway alarm. A monster, all the way out there? Their heart squeezes in second-hand panic, old stories told in the nursery to scare kits away from the thunderpath once they become apprentices, before starting to beat twice as hard in excitement. They’ve never seen one in the flesh before. That one could be so far from its territory… If it made the trek to come to them, it must mean that they should see one.

It’s fascination more than disappointment that has her slowing down once they reach the creature and find it dead. Even still and lifeless, its monstrous carcass is a sight to behold. Hazepaw has never seen anything like it.

They pad quietly after Cicadastar, listening to the adults debate over the fate that brought it here. But Hazepaw knows: it’s here so they can look at it, all of them, and see that even monsters can die. An omen; a sign that the river triumphs over all in the end. Petalnose mentions touching it, and even as Crawlingroach warns her against it Hazepaw can’t help leaning slightly forward, just thinking about it.

In the corner of their eye, they see their sister doing the same. They grin, amused, as the usually proper and straight-laced Mosspaw seems consumed by curiosity, just as them. Waiting for Cicadastar's authorization. Poking her with their bushy tail, they say, ”Race!”

And then, before anyone can tell her no, Hazepaw bolts towards the monster, aiming to jump on top of its gleaming pelt.

[⋆]​

​

 

[CICADASTAR]

voices, voices. they all chatter around him and he swivels an ear, twitches his lip, but never lets healy blue eyes drift from the corpse. he’s sure it is just that, a corpse — but then again, is he sure? petalnose asks how the thing could drown, and he has no answer, but he certainly pretends he does — humming a little note, letting brows furrow tight, ” they were rampant in the marshlands, though id never seen them leave their thunderpath. “ he muses, straightening his neck to loom at full height. hazepaw draws from the reed behind him and he thinks nothing of it, flits only a sparing glance in their direction before his eyes find petalnose again, ” i doubt they know how to swim. “ crawlingroach shakes off the remaining undergrowth as he speaks with pikesplash’s help, and he feels relief flood through his veins. he was okay — uninjured, the monster was not a threat.. right?

he glances down, towards mosspaw. the girl is standing solid, rigid against the sight of such a creature lain splayed and incapacitated. her small figure inclines, head tilting forward and his tail swishes down with a flourish, settles before her chest to block her passage, ” while it may be dead, there could still be others lurking around. go back to camp, “ he instructs, voice firm, " for now, let the warriors handle i — hazepaw, get your tail back here this instan — hazepaw! " it happens in seconds, before he can process what they intend to do. the child is darting across the water and towards the wounded monster, muscles bunching to leap onto its greyed pelt. like a molly to an unruly kit his paws are already carrying him forward, splashing loudly into the water as if the thing would spring to life at any second and eat the young feline whole — and it just might.

he feels his stress levels rising by the whiskers, waters splashing up to his chest and features, lips ripped back in an angry snarl, ” hazepaw, verdammt, you’ll not just be on nest duty after this — “ the tortoiseshell chimera hollers, head tilted up to avoid the river water he sloshed through, ” i am going to shred you into the nest material! “ they were going to pull them to the elders den by the ears, he swore it to the stars above. they would be picking ticks until they were an elder themself —

by the time he reaches the other side, sharp paws scrabbling onto the shore to defend his unruly apprentice, it dawns upon him that.. the feline had climbed the thing successfully. not a muscle stirred, not a breath uttered. the leader doesn’t waste a second, hesitation lost to the fact that his apprentice stood so proudly atop the dead beast. strides take him towards the glistening corpse quickly, head low to sniff at the ragged, decaying paws. dead. after a beat, a second to watch for movement, his attention breaks,” you — “ he snaps his head towards the youth, ” down, now! have you got bees for brains? a race? think, hazepaw! think! “ the patrol behind him, his voice is loud enough to cast to the other side of the short river, ears back and teeth bared, though not aggressive. a lecture — fury - tinged.

˗ˏˋ 𓆩  OOC ✟ VISUAL 𓆪 ´ˎ˗

• i.
  
• ˖ ⁺ ｡ ˚ ⠀ CICADASTAR⠀⠀−−−c−−−⠀⠀king of the rivers.
  
  
  m. he / him. black smoke & tortoiseshell chimera with intense salt - blue eyes. a handsome, looming tom bearing patchwork black - silver curls that fall over his slim figure in loose, shining rivulets, broken with white and glossy from his fish diet. descending from a heritage of overtyped oriental shorthairs, cicadastar stands unusually tall amongst his peers, and holds himself with a tragic grace, poised and prim and ever - aware of how he is being perceived.
  
  ᨒ gay, mated to smokethroat. smells like wet stone & moss.
  ᨒ speaks with a german accent. 43 moons, ages every 50 posts.
  
  penned by antlers​
  
  
• 
  
  
  
• "speech"
  

​

 

[PIKESPLASH]

Everyone is in the same boat. No one really knows what to do about the monster. Who could blame them? Each of them save for Hazepaw and Mosspaw it seemed knew what a monster was truly capable of. It was only natural that the pair was not as apprehensive as the rest of them. Although... Petalnose is an exception. At her remark of touching it, he agrees with Crawlingroach that it's an unwise decision. The monster may be dead and perhaps it would be safe, but who knows if the carcass of the monster was safe for any of them to touch. He remains silent, listening to what each of them has to say. The issue is the same. How to move forward from here.

It's at this moment Cicadastar explains the situation through his eyes. He can't help but hum in agreement that it is very odd for a monster to leave the thunderpath. It's almost like they fear the river. I don't see any of them try to swim. Cicadastar confirms this thought by saying it is unlikely for them to know how to swim. Despite the fact that he would like to chip in, he stills his tongue. Cicadastar is giving the apprentices orders. It means that the rest of them must wait for their orders from Cicadastar.

At least... That's what's supposed to happen. Uhhh... He glances at Crawlingroach and Petalnose, as if to say if what was happening was real. It feels like we're watching something we aren't supposed to. If he had to describe this scene it would be: Cicadastar being a stern father to his children. The rest of them were simply intruding on this scene. Once again, he looks to Petalnose and Crawlingroach for guidance.

Nothing. Guess we're all lost. He does feel bad for Hazepaw. The apprentice was curious and while it was dangerous, nothing happened to Hazepaw. With a final glance towards his fellow warriors, he proceeded to wade his way towards a furious Cicadastar. On the way he stopped by Mosspaw and gave her a small smile. He was not particularly close to her, so he wouldn't give her a pat on her shoulder or bring her with him to where Cicadastar and Hazepaw were. Cicadastar would probably send me to Starclan for that.

It was nerve-wracking to say the least when he finally reached the pair. "C-cicadastar?" This is either going to go really well or really poorly. I don't know what to say... He seems like he'll just be upset no matter what. That's... NOT GOOD! "I understand you're upset at Hazepaw, but I think she was curious. All of us were curious when we were young. She should have been more careful, I won't deny that. She made a mistake and I'm sure she knows it now. I don't think she or Mosspaw wanted to worry you or make you upset."​

 

[Crawlingroach]

SKY HIGH —If a black cat could turn white from shock then he would mostly certainly would have done so in that exact moment as he watched helplessly as Hazepaw rushed forth to leap upon the monster. Crawlingroach felt utterly helpless as his limbs failed to move, all he could do was watch events unfold before him. Fortunately no horror came from Hazepaw's actions, at least not from the monster anyway. Though Cicadastar's anger certainly made him flinch.

He swallows back the lump forming in his throat and he prepares to speak but Pikesplash's voice takes the stage and Crawlingroach found himself pricking up his ears and listening. Yeah, they all did stupid things as kits, but this was down right idiotic. Jumping on a metal beast? If it had been alive then Hazepaw would have perished then and there. There's a feeling of conflict and sympathy swirling in his mind, though concern about having their leader snap at them too inspired him to step further away from Pikesplash. Nope! Best not to get involved with that.​

 

[Hazewish]

TRAVELER, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED (AND NOW YOU MUST GO) ⋆⁺₊⋆

Cicadastar’s shout does nothing to stop them. The run, the jump, the soar: Hazepaw is grinning wide even before their paws have made contact with the hard shell of the monster. It doesn’t stir one bit, not even when their mentor splashes loudly after them. It is well and truly dead. They spin once, testing it out, and their whiskers twitch in a pleased expression when their success registers. They won the race, too.

Far from cowing her, her mentor’s fury only makes her more defensive. She straights to her full height, which doesn’t amount to much, and stares down Cicadastar from her perch. ”Dead!” She protests, tapping the monster’s decaying body as further proof. She gestures to Pikesplash with her bushy tail when he speaks in her defense, nodding.

Slightly pleading now, on the verge of whining, she adds, ”Safe. Starsent. Sign!”

(It's bothersome enough to have to explain themself that they almost regrets their brash act. Almost being the key word.)

[⋆]​

​

 

[Mosspool]

Hazepaw's poke broke her out of the trance the monster had put her in. After a blink, Mosspaw glanced over at her sibling, but only in time to see them bolt off. She had not even a moment to consider what they meant by the one word they had said to her. It quickly became apparent, however, as Hazepaw scrambled up the corpse of the beast, her leader close behind. Stunned, she watched their ascent slack-jawed, aghast that anyone could just ignore Cicadastar like that.

Mosspaw tried to quash her jealousy as she her sibling clamored atop the curiosity she'd been staring at.

Instead she stepped back, away from the monster. Suddenly paranoid that someone would know that part of her wanted to do the same thing her sibling had, she case a wide-eyed glance about. She wished Hazepaw hadn't implicated her in their insubordination.

Their words about it though, that caught Mosspaw's attention. Once more, all she could do was stare at the thought. A monster dead in the river truly was a miraculous thing. The type of thing that would usually only be found in the stories of those starry cats that she had heard all her life.

"It could be a sign from the stars..." She muttered in agreement, too reluctant to associate herself with Hazepaw's actions to say it too loudly.​