border darling you're so pretty it hurts } finished tunnel milestone

[RATTLEHEART]

AS HE RAISED HIS FIST BEFORE HE SPOKE — Claws practically painted black with dirt churned against the earth in front of them, Rattleheart's breathing quiet but labored as he worked alongside his fellow tunnelers. The sound of rushing water was so close that it was as if he could feel it dampening his fur, squared shoulders bumping against Scorchstreak's in his excitement. "We're almost there... we're almost done." There was a faint tinge of disbelief to his words, spurned on by how long it had been since this project had begun. All the obstacles that had sprung up in their way flashed in his mind, both from the actual tunneling and from the war that had torn apart all of their efforts temporarily. The sheer thought of how this particular mission had been started under Sootstar was enough to make laughter bubble up from his throat, finally breaking free just as his paws pushed through the last bits of muck.

Their new tunnel officially had an entrance, albeit a shrunken down one for the moment.

It only took a brief pattern of clawing and pushing and shoving against the earth for a significant hole to finally be made, a joyous cry leaving the lead warrior as flower petals showered down upon all of them. Disturbed by the frantic tunneling that had knocked them out of place only moments earlier, the various multicolored blossoms went raining down on the tunnelers as they pulled themselves up and out from under the ground. Rattleheart had to actively squint against the light that greeted them all, chuckling as he looked down at himself and saw spots of blue and pink decorating his usually monochrome pelt. "We made it... look, the bridge is right over there." He took a few short strides through the flourishing field of flowers to look towards the twoleg bridge a short distance away - just as they had originally imagined. Riverclan was not far from them, so close that if needed they could rush over cobblestone at a moment's notice.

Smokestar would not be able to make threats, not without the faces he was threatening lingering just beyond his doorstep. What a cruel punishment, considering it wasn't as if he could protest it. They hadn't truly left the confines of their own territory, just making it easier for them to defend themselves if necessary - as well as keep an eye on their unkind neighbors. Unless he wanted to start picking fights over territory lines, they were truly in the clear.

Shaking caked-on dirt and flower petals from his coat, he turned and briefly inspected the entrance they had made, paws patting down the messy edges of the exit as much as he could on his own. "We'll have to fortify the entrance a bit more to make sure it doesn't collapse on itself, but once we have, it'll all be done. All of you take a moment to rest and enjoy the view, we should all be proud of what we've accomplished today." He flashed a grin towards his fellow tunnelers, letting his haunches sink to the ground as he looked over towards the gorge. It felt a bit surreal to be able to just sit and take in how far they had actually come, especially with all of the underground obstacles that had been tossed their way.

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

• // welcome to the official finish of the riverclan tunneling project, which also happens to be a MILESTONE for our march badge event! this particular thread is open to both tunnelers that were working on the tunnel itself, and any moor runners that might have been nearby when they finally broke through!

• 

• 
  ❥ 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

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[SOOTSPOT]

Sootspot didn't think he'd ever completely understand why things had to change when the life he'd led before the rebellion had been a good one. He frequently thought of how different things could have been if he'd talked to his mother more - if he'd been able to tell her that he didn't like the looks some of her closest allies gave her. Perhaps, had he been a more active participant in his own life, he'd be completing the tunnel instead of the two siblings that made his life difficult. Squinting at the light that seeped through cracks in the dirt, Sootspot pushed himself out of the burrow not too long after them, his grey and white coat covered in earth both dug by himself and those in front of him. Tufted ears twitched as he wearily looked around, batting a wind-carried blossom out of his line of sight. As the blurs began to focus, Sootspot made note of the bridge in one direction and the gorge in the other, the sound of roaring water causing his whiskers to tingle. They'd made it. Despite how little he thought of the Lead Tunnelers, somehow, they'd managed to find the right place.

'It appears I might have underestimated... He thought with a smile upon his maw. 'Just how lucky they would get.' Of course, if it was him in charge, he wouldn't have needed luck, but Sootspot's jaws remained blissfully closed on the matter. Even when spite had been a large motivator these past few moons, even he could admit he was grateful for the completed project - RiverClan made for a useful enemy There was nothing like a good war to prove his loyalties. Moving away from the main patrol group, the tunneler sat down and began plucking clumps of soil out of his fur, spitting them onto the floor in front of him. "I doubt any of this would've been possible without the guidance of our Lead Warriors," he mewed to the crowd, swallowing the bile in his throat. He didn't grimace despite his discomfort; as wrong as the praise felt, he had his reasons to indulge the siblings with it. "Thank you, Rattleheart and Scorchstreak, for all your hard work leading us."




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[BLUEFROST]

Sunlight pours through the ceiling, eliminating the darkness of the underground. Bluefrost squints against the glow, her pelt rippling with a flush of adrenaline at Rattleheart’s declaration. We made it, the black-and-white lead warrior crows, shoving himself up and through the opening, blossoms scattering into the dust below him. Her heart thumps, rattling her ribcage. She follows Sootspot through, into the sunlight and the flower-speckled meadow edging the gorge. Her breath catches in her throat at the enormity of what they’ve accomplished. “We’re finally through,” she murmurs, gently rolling her shoulders to shake the dust from her fur. Sootstar, are you watching? The project you started so long ago is finished…

The thought of her mother’s legacy turns her back teeth to ice in her mouth. She glances at her older sibling, wondering if he’s thinking the same thing she is, wondering if he’s feeling her presence here amidst the gilded grasses. If he is, he gives her no indication—instead, he simpers, praising Scorchstreak and Rattleheart’s prowess. She stares at him for a moment before shifting green eyes to the lead warriors in question. Instead of offering praise, she dips her head. “I never thought I would see this day,” she says quietly. She’d been a young apprentice following at Sootstar’s heels into the darkness of the earth when this project had been initiated, after all. Now she stands alone, aloof, her spirit bent and her head held low, motherless, mentorless, a shadow of the she-cat she’d once been.

And still—still, it feels worth it to breathe in the river-scented air, to fill her lungs with the possibilities that bloom before WindClan.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Bluekit . Bluepaw . Bluefrost, she/her w/ feminine terms.
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — 14 moons old, ages realistically on the 14th.
  — mentored by Sootstar ; mentoring n/a ; previously mentored n/a.
  — windclan warrior. sootstar x weaselclaw, gen 2.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh blue and white she-cat with emerald eyes. aloof, dignified, poised, haughty, composed, distant.
  
  

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[Marmotbite.]

MY BODY'S COVERED IN TEETH MARKS
YOUR BITES WORSE THAN YOUR BARK​

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marmotbite & 16 moons & demigirl & she/they/it & windclan tunneler ​

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Mismatched eyes blink furiously as sunlight finally flickers through - one body after aother pressing their way forwards and out into the open. 'Done at last' she thinks - voices echoing their agreement around her. It feels... unreal. When they'd started, it'd been under sootstars order, under her rule. Now it is sunstar who leads. Marmotbite has gone from apprentice to warrior in that same span of time - such a strange feeling, really. She doesn't feel much older - wiser. But she's certainly happier. As petals flicker and float through the air, she breathes in a shaky breath of floral tinged air - simple existing for a moment. Its the calmest she's ever been - save for those few breathtaking moments she's snuck at azaleafrost's side. And then the moments over - eyes blinking and fluffy tail swishing as she speaks. " Les' see riverclan try'n catch us off guard now, " she drawls - remembering the entire reason they'd started such a burdensome task.

━ actions & " speech, " & 'thoughts/quotes' ━

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T H E R E S ━ A ━ D O G ━ I N ━ Y O U R ━ H E A R T

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[SCORCHSTREAK]

༄༄ The tunnel has been a project of blood, sweat, and tears, all stretched across the span of eight months now. Hard work has gotten them this far, and momentarily the calico thinks of how many of her fellow tunnelers they have lost since the project had begun. How many clanmates are not here to see the finishing of the work that they began so long ago? The face of Sootstar appears in her mind’s eye, and the former leader’s insistence on digging a tunnel close to the RiverClan border echoes in her ears. The threat from RiverClan has not disappated in the least, even after a change of leadership within each of their clans. WindClan is still in the midst of pulling themselves together, though; they cannot risk an ambush by their neighboring clan’s warriors. It is a disappointment, of course, to understand just how badly this tunnel is needed even after so long, but it is a relief to nearly be finished with the grueling work.

Their paws finally press into open air, the light at the end of their longstanding project, and the calico brushes their shoulder against Rattleheart’s. The black and white lead warrior announces with certainty that the tunnel has reached its end; they will need to fix up the entrance a bit, but the majority of the work is done after all this time. "It’s finished," she breathes, golden eyes glittering with wonder as she looks out across the flowers and to the bridge. This tunnel will make for a much faster—and more covert—manner of keeping a close eye on the water-dwelling clan. In addition to her sibling’s words, she states, "At last. All of us should be proud of ourselves, and of our clan." She casts her golden gaze over Bluefrost and Marmotbite, two tunnelers who had been new apprentices when the digging first began. Now they both stand as warriors, seeing through their first tunneling project. WindClan’s first tunneling project.

Sootspot speaks up, praising herself and Rattleheart, and Scorchstreak turns to face the smoke-shaded tom with suspicion. His thanks seems genuine, for all that she can tell, but she can only wonder what his true goal is. The mutual distaste that simmers between Sootspot and each of the siblings has not simply faded away with the completion of the tunnel—what does he want? Praise in return? The flicker of an ear is her only response to the younger tunneler’s comments, as she chooses to address Marmotbite’s statement instead. "RiverClan has officially lost any element of surprise they may have had over us." In a way, she hopes that the fish-eaters will launch an attack soon—she wants to see the looks on all their faces as their plans are foiled.

For now, though, the lead warrior is content to settle onto her haunches in a bed of flowers, her face turned toward the bridge. Their job is nearly complete. They deserve to rest, at least for a moment.​

​

 

[whitedawn]

Like Bluefrost, Whitedawn had been a fresh apprentice when this project was announced. For it to be finished now, it felt almost surreal. Coming up beside Bluefrost, she gave the other molly a small smile. It was a moment to be proud, for a project that took moons of time had finally reached completion. "It's good we finally completed it." The soft-spoken girl trilled, smiling over at Scorchstreak and Rattleheart. While Whitedawn herself was rather neutral towards Sootspot, he did make a fair point. She nodded her thanks, swishing her tail as petals tangled in her coat. Though quietly, she hoped they wouldn't need it too soon.​

[I'M BREATHING]​

 

[DUSTYFOOT]

Without a moment's hesitation, the mud-colored tom stretches out, and slowly, slowly sinks down. Limbs akimbo and spine long as the river from nose to tail, he inhales, so very slowly, and exhales all the hard work they had put in. More often than not Dustyfoot felt lost aboveground. The moons he had put into learning their maze beneath the earth meant that the sight of this open sky was met with anxiety. Sometimes, after long hours beneath, he will poke his head out and look up and wonder, bizarrely, if he might fall all the way into StarClan as soon as his paws leave the tunnel. Like this world might swallow him whole without the safe constraints of darkness. Today, though, he can do nothing but settle into the prickly grass with sighs that are desperately pleased, content.

Not even Sootstar's children can damage his mood. "Do you ever think," he murmurs, drowsily, "that they didn't do a thing while we were building?" His voice slowly fades off, moor grass gold eyes nearly shut. "Like they were waiting, too." When his paw stretches out and meets a flower, petals jostle from its high perch and rain down upon his head. They sit on his snout, a subtle tickle, that he is far too tired to heed. They remain a subtle splash of color across his mask as he allows himself to doze.

𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐖𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘  ╱ ( 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍? ) 03.18.2024 ꠶ ݁ ˖༄

• OOC. —
• 𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓. HE - HIM - HIS. HARDWORKING TUNNELER OF WINDCLAN. ——— hardworking and swift of foot with a dirt-colored pelt fit for the finest of tunnelers, dustyfoot is an overall overage warrior despite his hard, excellently done work. he holds himself to a forgettable standard.  ╱ PENNED BY REVELATIONS
  
  a small seal sepia chimera with dull green-gold eyes. his thick fur gives him the illusion of greater size, quickly dispelled by the sight of his bottlebrush pelt disappearing into the rabbit holes of his clan's territory. made of dark colors darkened further by the dusting of dirt and packed mud, the only part of him that gleam are his teeth through endless chatter and his eyes in their clever gleam.

• "speech"

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[PINKPAW]

" Oh wow! Yay! " Pinkpaw rushes forward with the rest of them. Her clanmates. Fellow tunnelers, cause she was one of those, she's pretty sure. She looks at Rattleheart with his gross icky sooty paws, and she's like... ew, I don't want gross icky sooty paws!. But if she squints her eyes and ignores the dirt, and just sees Rattleheart, she thinks it's pretty cool to be like them, and like Scorchstreak, and like Downypaw, and like Whitedawn, and like Bluefrost and Marmotbite and Sootspot—

Who... um... is TOTALLY trying to upstage her by talking about how cool Scorchstreak and Rattleheart are before she can, and with that face too! That... suspicious... cat face. Good thing he couldn't pass on that suspicious cat face to Downypaw anymore! Unlike her, who was only learning cool faces from Scorchstreak. She pulls one such cool face right this moment ( The coolness of which, is in the eyes of the beholder ) " THANK YOU, Lead Warriors! Even more so! The most thank you! "

Pinkpaw would've thought she'd be celebrating the least of everyone here since she's the youngest, but she's the only one jumping for joy. WindClan really sucks at celebrating! They need more practice, clearly. Do you ever think – And by the way, Pinkpaw LOVES thinking! that they didn't do a thing while we were building? " Who, RiverClan? Uhh, they didn't know, duh! " Right? Probably? She thinks so? Unless Sunstride totally told them at the gathering and she forgot? She gets to see Sunstar talk every day, so she'd rather listen to other cats at the gathering, no offense! " But, um, now, what if they send like a thousand angry bees to sting us in the tunnels! We wouldn't even be able to see them! "

staring at the mirror gotta smile, smile 🌸🌷🦄🦩 don't be late, we got plans!

•  

• 

• 
  ( IT'S TIME TO START A FUCKING RIOT, RIOT! ) PINKPAW: APPRENTICE OF WINDCLAN. DAUGHTER TO BRIGHTSHINE & HEAVY SNOW. SISTER TO HEATHPAW, DOWNYPAW, & FINCHPAW.
  

  SHE / HER; UNOPPOSED TO THE USE OF OTHERS
  CURRENTLY 7 MOONS OLD. AGES EVERY 16TH

  
  Pinkpaw bounces around WindClan without a care in the world! Her emotions are big, and she makes little effort to regulate them, resulting in both her usually cheerful disposition, as well as making her prone to sudden bouts of extreme anger or sadness. Rarely seen without a smile!
  
  HEAVY IC OPINIONS! Pinkpaw is a very irrational and childish character!​

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[downypaw]

Downypaw knows they should feel something. Squinting against the sunrays and blossom-showers, they dutifully follow their clanmates out of the dirt. Their mentor tilts her head up to the sky as though receiving its blessing. And maybe they should feel blessed. The tunnel is, and has been from inception, a strategic boon.

Congratulations are passed around like party favors, and Downypaw accepts hers with a prim little smile. She hadn't done much for it, if anything, which would weigh on her more if she wanted to complete the tunnel at all, which she sort of did and sort of didn't, both options being equally guilt-inspiring. Leverage is good. If they'd never paid attention at all to Sootspot, they would've still at least learned that. Even so, she doesn't want to hurt RiverClan. Or, in other words, they find it hard to trust that this tunnel would keep them safe(r) from them. But doing something is better than doing nothing. But what if RiverClan found out?

Pinkpaw exclaims something about RiverClan, as if reading her sister's mind. They give her a smiling glance, whiskers twitching. "Do you really think RiverClan can talk to bees?" they counter. "Plus, we'd be able to hear bees." She pauses thoughtfully. "If they really wanted to do that, I guess they could throw fish in it...or water..." Their eyes slide towards the bridge and the river beneath, the reason for their apprehension returning to them with a faint prickle.

windclan apprentice | "speech." | tags​

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