CLOSE ENCOUNTERS \ pollen, prompt

[FEATHERSPINE]

Crouched low to the ground, Featherpaw had confidently split a little distance from her hunting patrol. Instead of scrambling after a rabbit, he'd sensed a different type of prey snuffling nearby... even if it was just a field mouse, it was a meal. What he lacked still (frustratingly, for how much he laboured) in speed, Featherpaw would make up for in masterful tracking. Certainty drenched her movements- her nose was low to the ground, deep breaths drawn in through her nostrils.

The mouse's scent flowed through her- she knew she was close, so very close- and woven with that distinctive oblivious prey-scent was the strong, floral smell of new-leaf. It was a new scent to the marble-striped tom, born when leaf-fall began, raised in the rainy and snowy conditions of the colder moons. He caught sight of a mousy scrap of fur through the long grass, and in preparation took a deep, long breath with honeyed flowers seeped within, and he was ready all until...

"ACHOO!" It burst from him before he could register its hurtling. Featherpaw, usually the first to complain about noise, felt brambled of humiliation begin to wrap around his throat. And to make it worse... she heard the pitter-patter of little paws too, as her prey took to the hills. Horned ears pinned against her skull, face wrinkling in anger- and in a moment of blinding rage, Featherpaw kicked a dandelion-clock and watched wispy, white wishes waver away on the wind.

Spring is in the air! But unfortunately, so is loads of pollen. Write about how your character reacts to this change in the air!

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✦ penned by pin​

 

[WOLFSONG]

──ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ᨒ↟↟ᨒ── "Ah, what joys flowers bring," Wolfsong says with warm humor as he approaches Featherpaw, petals and soft soil clinging to his pelt from a day of herb-gathering. Born with the sun in decline and the nights long, Featherpaw gets to experience newleaf for the first time. Newleaf and all its colors, songs, and unique annoyances. Judging from her expression and the battered dandelion, he has definitely met the latter. His mulish features amuse Wolfsong far more than he thinks Featherpaw would appreciate; it draws his mind's eye back to the moon that saw Featherpaw take her first breath, and the instinctive scowl she wore.

"Fortunately, you have no shortage of prey. And you know what to avoid next time, I hope."
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WOLFSONG of WINDCLAN FORMER ROGUE TURNED MEDICINE CAT. 41 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 and his own pregnancy, 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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[HEATHERPAW]

heatherpaw, for one, was definitely not a fan of newleaf. the smell of flowers had given him more than a few headaches that no amount of medicine cat visits or naps could cure, not to mention how runny his nose got, or the sneezing! oh, starclan, the sneezing! he half expected that he’d be sick as a dog within the next moon, but he desperately hoped that wasn’t the case. another this he didn’t like was the bugs that buzzed around the place and bonked into his head.

the sneeze caught his attention while he was with his mentor, and he couldn’t help but snort as the two of them came upon the apprentice. "at least it was just a mouse.." he commented, smelling tge prey’s remaining scent on the air. he sniffed a little, because his allergies were bothering him now, too. "bless you."

———————---***LIKE A TRAIN ON A TRACK***———————---​

✧ STUCK STILL — NO TURNING BACK

•  
• — lilac / red tabby chimera with low white and green eyes
  — 6 moons old; ages the 15th every month
  — unknown orient. ; currently not looking
  — son of npc and npc
  — windclan ; loyal to windclan, doesn't understand why sootstar is gone
  — slightly difficult to befriend ; not quick to trust these days
  — "speech", thoughts, attacking
  — peaceful powerplay allowed

​

 

[Firefang]

Firefang favored newleaf; the season of plentiful hare to chase and blooming greenery across the moorlands there was much to love about it. Today she was in one of her better moods owed to this hunting patrol, there wasn't much space to prattle on about regrets when all she could focus on was tracking down and sprinting across the territory after the first trail she picked up. The only thing that impedes picking a whiff up for her and for all her clanmates was the pollen the winds whipped into the skies and into their waiting nostrils. She could live with it, the apprentices however were unadjusted and her ears shoot up at the sudden loud noise of Featherpaw's loud sneeze. There goes every dang rabbit, hare, mouse what have ya' we had a chance at finding nearby a growl echoes in the displeased she-cats throat her tail twitching in irritation. Wolfsong is as unbothered as she could expect the father of the ruddy furred Featherpaw to be much to her chagrin. She'd never been fond of the medicine cat, seemingly never forgiving him for the clever tongue lashings he'd given her as a young warrior. It doesn't stop her from making her displeasure heard "Mousebrain, hold it in next time" she snaps as if he had a choice in the matter of controlling his sneezes.

She shoots a look towards Heatherpaw "A mouse and every other thing with a heartbeat and ears nearby" she says as she continues on her route not about to give up despite knowing they'd have to walk longer then expected to find anything else.

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‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── ooc ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ info ──┐‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• 
  
  text
  

• "speech"

• 

  Firefang ✩ She/Her, Warrior of Windclan, 18 moons
  ⭃ Black tabby she-cat with amber eyes. former-loyalist of Sootstar, Moorunner.
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Kedamono ↛ @legmeatt on discord, feel free to dm for plots. ​

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[Bluepool]

New-leaf was not particularly Bluepool's favorite season, but it wasn't the worst either. Saved from the bottom of her ranking list if only for the fact that with it came an abundance of prey and full bellies. With it, though, also came some.. unique challenges to say the least. And with this many flowers now dotting their territory, it is not a surprise that this reaction had not come sooner. It is only unfortunate that Featherpaw's nose had chosen to act up in the middle of a hunt.

Wolfsong and Heatherpaw are quick to assure her apprentice that it's okay, and Bluepool cannot help but agree. They had plenty of prey right now, she wasn't worried about missing out on one little mouse. It is Firefang's voice that makes her narrow her eyes, makes her scrappy tail lash behind her "I would appreciate if you didn't talk to my apprentice like that Firefang" she says, a warning look flashing in her eyes as she glares daggers at the young warrior. It's not like Featherpaw could control such a thing, and besides, she could tell it was an accident by the way the apprentice reacted. He had not done it with the purpose to be mallicious. "Come, Featherpaw, we should go wash off at the sun warmed pool. You lot are all are welcome to join us if you wish, I don't think we'll get much more hunting done here anyways" she says, dismissing the patrol with a flick of her short tail and a shrug of her shoulders.

( ➸ ) test my worth in blood

• 
  
  
• 
  BLUEPOOL WINDCLAN LEAD WARRIOR ; SHE / HER ; SISTER TO SOOTSTAR & MINTSHADE
  

  A small framed moor runner with a blue toned pelt and black stripes. Her tail is cropped and her eyes are golden in color. On her chest, she sports a large 'X' shaped scar.

  ✦ Difficult in battle. A skilled fighter + isn’t above using dirty tricks in order to win
  

​

 

[RATTLEHEART]

AS HE RAISED HIS FIST BEFORE HE SPOKE — Although newleaf was by far her favorite season - the unrelenting sun of greenleaf was simply far too much for the darker parts of her pelt - even Rattleheart couldn't deny the downsides that the flowers had brought with them. Pollen didn't affect her quite as much as some of her clanmates, but she still often found her nose itching or her throat just the slightest bit sore, needing to yank her muzzle up from the ground to make sure she wasn't inhaling so much directly. For not the first time, she thanked Starclan for making her a tunneler instead of a moor runner. Even if flowers and pollen could occasionally drift down into the labyrinth she usually navigated, for the most part only the smell of dirt was there to greet her as she hunted.

It seemed that Featherpaw wasn't quite so lucky, her sneeze loud enough to make the trailing lead warrior jump a little even from a distance. Hopefully the nearby tunnels hadn't been caught up in the noise, or she would have taken Downypaw out for nothing. "Soon enough you'll all have to be clearing out paths in the flowers just to get your hunting over with, huh?" There was a lighthearted grin on her muzzle, trying to lift Featherpaw's spirits in spite of his lost catch - and the unhelpful words of Firefang nearby. Rattleheart didn't bother commenting on how that wasn't really possible, seeing as Bluepool had already stepped in. Not only that, but she made a suggestion that piqued the tunneler's interest. Washing the grime and pollen from her pelt did sound nice, even if it would mean an early end to the afternoon out. "What do you think, Downypaw? Should we go along with them to keep from filling the tunnels with this stuff, too?" She glanced back towards her apprentice, genuinely trying to get their opinion. If they wanted to keep hunting then she wouldn't stop them, even if it would mean stopping by the pool at a later time.

// @downypaw

THE RIGHTEOUS HAND OF GOD 𓆩♡𓆪 THE DEVIL THAT YOU FORGOT

• 

• 
  ❥ longhaired black and white tom with pale green eyes
  ❥ 49 moons old; ages the 1st every month
  ❥ afab; uses he/she/they pronouns
  ❥ homosexual homoromantic; mated to venomstrike
  ❥ sibling to scorchstreak, lizardbounce, and rabbitclaw
  ❥ currently mentoring downypaw
  ❥ somewhat difficult to befriend; wary but kind
  ❥ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ❥ peaceful powerplay allowed
  ❥ all opinions are ic

​

 

[downyfur]

Featherpaw would find every reason to scowl, Downypaw thinks, just as Pinkpaw would find every reason to smile. Wide evening hues glance from Firefang to Bluepool as each handles the mishap in their own way, some more qualified to address it than others. Downypaw personally thinks scolding him in front of his father is a bold move, but she supposes Firefang wouldn't be getting on Wolfsong's good side anytime soon regardless. As for Featherpaw herself, she couldn't blame her any more than she could blame herself, which was only a little bit. Surely it'd be—surely—their nose wrinkles, eyes screwing, maw parting—

"ACHOO!" An echoing sneeze resounds across the prairie, sounding a lot more like a squeak than a sneeze. "Sorry," the seal point murmurs, tail tip twitching as they rub at their nose. Rattleheart attempts to inject some levity into the apprentice's failed hunt, and they smile sheepishly. "Thank StarClan flowers don't grow underground," she sniffles.

Bluepool's invitation is met with swiveled, pricked ears. Truthfully, they're ambivalent about the prospect of taking a break. Featherpaw might insist on venturing farther out to make up for his failure, and Firefang may not want to stay for much longer with unwelcome company. Wolfsong seems genial enough though, and would no doubt make some intriguing comment about the pools.

Then, their mentor's gaze is startlingly eager upon them. It makes them a bit embarrassed on her behalf, actually. That they'd follow their mentor anywhere shouldn't be a question, and it was surprising to have a warrior insist on their opinion, insignificant of a decision as it was. "That sounds good," they answer, lifting a paw to itch at their muzzle again. She's not sure how much she deserves the break (or getting wet), but for practicality's sake she's happy to tag along.​

 

[dimmingsun]

-

Similarly to Firefang, Dimmingsun lets his spirits run wild with the life that newleaf brings with itself. After the harsh, snowy moons, the sudden bloom of not only flowers but prey too feels almost overwhelming. Whichever way you decide to go, you're bound to run into a trail or two - and Dimmingsun's belly definitely appreciates such a change.

There's one thing that is unlike Firefang's stance however. "Easier said than done." Dimmingsun approaches the gathering of cats, finding it difficult to stifle a lazy but amusing smile at Featherpaw's expression. "Keep it in, and you'll just fumble with that sneeze when you open your mouth to grab your prey."

˗ˏˋ ᴀ ꜱɪɴɴᴇʀ, ᴀ ꜱᴀɪɴᴛ / ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ´ˎ˗ ᓚᘏᗢ 03.12.24

• 
• ✦ OOC -

• DIMMINGSUN ⸝⸝-- WINDCLAN -- HE/HIM -- 32 MOONS

  ✦ Large golden-brown tom with green eyes.
  ✦ Penned by ˏ 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙣 ´​
•  

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[FEATHERSPINE]

The slight glint og humour that Wolfsong's sarcastic comment brought him was short lived. It was some terrible twist of fate that, apparently, all of WindClan was here to witness her mishap. Featherpaw's gaze lit with embarrassment, a sensation soon smothered by a deep grimace that told of only annoyance. Stiffly giving Wolfsong a nod of acknowlegement, he regarded his parent the most softly of all. Heatherpaw's well-wishes were met only with a bullish snort, and Firefang- well, she did not earn the privilege of Featherpaw's silence.

"It's a shame it didn't g-g-get rid of you, too," Featherpaw spat, flinging a mouthful of thorns Firefang's way before Bluepool stepped in to warn the warrior off. His mentor was much politer, though he had a lot of trouble believing those sorts of tactics would work against Firefang's temper. Gracing Firefang with no more of his attention, nose wrinkled in disgust, Featherpaw's attention fell to his mentor's recommendation. Washing off in the river... right. She didn't need to defend him like he was a kit, but he would at least heed her advice. "Fine," she said, obviously reluctant but not intentionally resistant to the idea of taking a break.

Downypaw's own sneeze flared up Featherpaw's hackles, then- though for once, the chocolate tom did not regard Pinkpaw's sibling with annoyance. For once... other than shared battle-scars, he supposed... there was something kindred between them. The look she gave them was mostly unreadable, but markedly lacking in poison, and he did not protest them coming along. Rattleheart, as ever, attempted to inject some levity- Featherpaw only sniffed in response, flattening a flower with a snow-socked paw.

Dimmingsun was an odd presence, the look on his face as irritating as ever. He always had that stupid smile slapped on his face, like somehting was vaguely funny- and the idea of being laughed at made Featherpaw's pelt burn, and froze over his words. "Cuh... c-can we shut up about it now?" ​

✦ penned by pin​