friendly fire - intro

[Bounceheart]

bounceheart ✧ she/her ✧ riverclan warrior (=˃ᆺ˂=)
'Wake up.'
"One more minute, please." The sun was well risen already, but the same could not be said for her. Nothing out of the ordinary; Bounceheart often found herself being stuck with night patrols nowadays. Thus, she tended to haul herself out of the warrior's den well after the morning patrols had rolled back in.
That brings us to now.

Moments passed before she shot up, looking around to see who had disturbed her slumber. There was no one in there, save for a couple even later risers who seemed to still be sleeping, or maybe "resting their eyes". She looked at each of them, trying to decide who bothered her. They continued to sleep, however, chests lifting and rising in tempo.
Bounceheart heaved a sigh of dismissal. After a satisfying morning stretch, she shook herself off and exited the den.

One unspoken rule she had etched into her brain was to never eat breakfast before hunting. This was a principle others practiced as well, no matter how ravenous anyone was when they woke. Besides, nothing was tastier than a fresh catch. She averted her gaze from the fresh-kill pile then, and set off for the river. Just out of the camp's exit, she suddenly broke into a sprint. Wind ruffled her gray fur as she went. The smell of the river flooded over her, and the warrior then slowed her pace so she wouldn't throw herself over the edge.

Now for the hard part. She was absolutely terrible at hunting fish. What kind of RiverClan cat was she? Swimming was one of her strong suits, but Bounceheart was simply a fast cat and that did not help with fishing. Seeing a shadow beneath the surface, she stuck an unsheathed paw into the water - but it was no luck. Maybe she would be a better WindClan cat, hunting rabbits and scurrying across the hills.

No, this was her home.​

 

[CRAPPIEPATCH]

Crappiepaw can say with certainty that they have the worst mentor ever. Who in their right mind decides to get up this early in the morning just to go fishing? Their mentor says that the early cat gets the fish, but that sounds like a load of fox-dung to them. They think their mentor just likes to make them suffer.

That’s how the thin tortoiseshell tom finds himself settled on the riverbank, ordered to practice fishing until his mentor returns from a short trek to the border. They’re dragged from their concentration by a noise, though, and they lift their head to see an older feline not too far down the river from them, also attempting to snatch a fish from the water.

Crappiepaw steps carefully as they pick their way over to the warrior, who they recognize quickly as Bounceheart. "Hey, you," they call out to the other RiverClan cat, not unkindly. Their voice is dull, green gaze trained on the older cat with just a hint of trepidation. They aren’t too familiar with her, although they think that she is a good clanmate, a warrior who he can trust. Still, Crappiepaw is curious. "What’re you awake for? It’s early." What warrior besides his own mentor is weird enough to be out fishing at this time?
​

[ FORTUNE LOVES THE BOLD ]​

​

 

[RAINWHISKER]

Brook was a feline who had always risen at the crack of dawn, sometimes she'd get up so early the moon was still out. She always had a plethera of tasks to do, and it satisfied her more knowing they were getting done then getting a few more blinks of sleep. The blue tabby takes pride in being among the first warriors to bring fresh-kill back to camp, typically... Somedays she swore she was running around the territory until sun-high trying to catch something.

She's padding down the riverbank, listening to the melody of flowing water. A blank expression is etched on her face, yet she purrs with contempt. The sound of paw-steps and voices over the water is what alerts her to two of her clan-mates. One young, Crappiepaw, she knew their voice. The other voice belonged to a she-cat similar in age to Brook, Bounceheart, she also knew that she-cats voice.

Had to, or she'd never be able to identify them save for scent... and maybe texture of fur? She doubts anyone would want Brook rubbing paws all over them though... what a terrible way to identify cats that would be.

"Early bird gets the worm. The early RiverClanner gets the fish. They say the bigger ones come out when they think the cats are sleeping." She smiles, paws continuing to carry her closer to the scene. "If not for cats like us three, kits and queens would never have breakfast."​

---

Spoiler: TAGS | 10/18

( casual character / "speech" / ic opinions )​

╰ ★ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· BROOK, female — she / her
╰ ‣ 23 moons . ages on the first
╰ ‣ windclan leader . marsh-born . believes in starclan
╰ ‣ former soldier of the marsh group

╰ ★ ჻ 002 VISUALS & AESTHETICS ,
· DOMESTIC FELINE, smells like heather and wet dirt , status — 100%
╰ ‣ blue smoke . blue eyes . blind

╰ ★ ჻ 003 MENTALITY & MANNERISMS ,
· ISFJ-T ❝ DEFENDER ❞ , Slytherin, Lawful Evil
╰ ‣ Observant, reliable, hardworking, overcommitted, humble, takes critique personally
╰ ‣ finds minimal difficulty in relating to others . quick to show mercy, unless her family is at risk of harm
╰ ‣ Doesn't appreciate most proper titles, doesn't feel deserving of them

╰ ★ ჻ 004 INTERACTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS ,
· NPC x GRACE, sister to Lightningstone & Stormpaw
╰ ‣ bisexual.
╰ ‣ skilled fighter . average hunter .
╰ ‣ unlikely to start fights . unlikely to flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.​

 

[Bounceheart]

bounceheart ✧ she/her ✧ riverclan warrior (=˃ᆺ˂=)
With her eyes fixated on the water lapping at the riverbank, it was no surprise she had not noticed the two before they spoke. At the apprentice's call, her head snapped around to meet his gaze. Cerulean eyes dragged up and down, and then shifted to the other who had joined them. Crappie, a tortie male. That was interesting in itself. Brook, a blind female. She pondered how the warrior hunted for a moment; she must be able to smell the fish from under the water. Of course, her other senses would be elevated. Bounceheart hummed, intrigued by the two who had joined her.

"I was hungry, so I came out here," she could still feel the rumbling in her tummy. "It is impolite to eat before hunting in the morning." It was a warrior's responsibility to keep the elders, kits, and queens safe and fed. With leaf-bare coming up, she was feeling rather bad about her game lately. Even talking about hunting was growing her agitation.

Beneath the surface, she could see a quick flash of silver beneath her. Hanging over the edge, she would dart a paw into the water - only to come up with nothing. "I think the fish are scared of me." Or, perhaps she just could not figure that her shadow was scaring them away. Had to be quicker.​

 

[SMOKESTAR]

Some cats joked he didn't sleep because he was up first and last to his nest and sometimes it was true. Sometimes he stared off into the distance in an almost void meditative the entire night, mind too full and body too restless to allow him the rest he needed. It did affect him poorly at times, but the shadow of a tom was built to resist and he had managed thus far in his life. Being alert helped, he was aggressively attentive and even moreso with the ordeal involving those two-legs behind them; they had left lingering scars and a reminder that safety only came with observation.
Leaf-bare was on the way and he'd woken early to get an idea of the freshkill pile before heading out, returning with his own sparrow before noticing he was not the only earlier riser on this day. He didn't know Brook that well, but it seemed he had a fellow morning person and he moved to follow her out only to stumble upon what had drew her here to begin with. Crappiepaw's shrill wheeze of a voice was easy to place (it reminded him to ask Beesong about checking that apprentice again) but it was the other he was less familiar with. Bounceheart, he believed was her name.
"Us four." Smokethroat corrected goodnaturedly.
There were a few more cats in the clan than he was used to and so he often mixed them up on occasion. Moving forward to the riverside the tom paused, angled his head and glanced in the silver molly's direction.

"They ARE scared of you. Your back is to the sun." Smokethroat didn't look the type but fishing was where he excelled in. While he was capable enough with hunting in their forested territory he did not enjoy it, he was a big cat with heavy pawsteps and he paid the price if he couldn't get the drop on his prey before it noticed him and it certainly scared off everything else in the process. Fishing, however, was almost mindless to him. He knew the tricks, had been dipping his paws in the river at Moss's instruction the moment they came to the Marsh Colony territories.



​

 

[GARPAW]

Laying near the gossiping warriors, the apprentice would merely open an eye to peek at them before rolling onto her back, swatting at the sun's rays. "What difference does it make when you eat? You can't feed the clan on an empty stomach. Besides a growling belly would only scare the fish off before they saw you." She'd comment, nodding along with the lead warrior's explanation of why the fish were so terribly afraid of Bounceheart. In her mind, she felt that as long as you did what you were told, who cared when the task was completed?
​

 

[Bounceheart]

bounceheart ✧ she/her ✧ riverclan warrior (=˃ᆺ˂=)
Having robbed herself of apprenticeship, she found herself on the curve with these fundamental values the RiverClan cats prided themselves upon. Before joining moons and moons ago, you could have considered her afraid of the water itself. She would trek through shallow creeks if she had to, but preying upon fish had not come naturally to her. Though she had grown a fondness of the water - it was a symbolism of unbending devotion to her. Even during leafbare, when all the trees were void of color and the squirrels were hibernating, the river remained to flow. It continued it's stream, even when frozen on top. And the fish beneath the ice continued their life as well; they had no choice but to continue with their mundane life. Constancy was crucial for all beings.

But so was change. Smokethroat's words popped her bubble. It was so obvious, she felt abashed to have not realized that she was salting her own efforts. "Good point, I suppose I should move." Coyness washed over her, though, and the molly found strange relief in another contender. Garpaw's cynicism was fresh. "It's a matter of positive outcome. If I fail to catch prey, but I eat from our fresh-kill pile, then I have not only not contributed, but I have possibly taken from someone more needful." It was one of her more selfless ideologies. Something she adopted upon receiving her name. "Hunger is temporary," she added. ​

 

[koispots]

Koi pads forth with a cocked head, its early in the morning but the incessant chattering has drawn her from whatever she was doing before. She observes through a multicolored gaze, blinking softly as her eyes dart between each of the cats: Smokethroat, Bounceheart, Crappie, Brook, and Garpaw. Yeesh, thats a lot of cats up too early. She almost doesn't speak until Bounceheart starts on a tangent, causing her to smile thoughtfully.

"But- You, you need strength to keep hunting." she doesn't exactly like public speaking but its easier when directed to just one cat, Koi wags her nub tail much like a dog (though perhaps not for the same reason, rather anxiety). "Especially with leafbare." she puffs out her fur, staring in to the water and searching everyones reflections. Come leafbare, would Riverclan be okay? She hasn't been alive for long, but its the irrational fear of their rivers freezing over, of prey becoming hard to find, with potential starvation. She shivers against a cool breeze that sweeps through and waits for a response, waits for a response from anyone, really.
​

"speech"​

 

[CRAPPIEPATCH]

Well, there goes their hope of actually getting any fish caught this morning. More cats are quick to gather, and the lanky tom’s nose wrinkles. They’re not prepared for this much socializing before their brain has fully come online for the day. They tune most of the conversation out, waiting for a time to interject just to disagree with something. They like disagreeing.

Bounceheart starts talking about how she doesn’t eat before she’s caught prey, and the tortoiseshell rolls their eyes, settling down to swipe a paw across their dripping nose. "I eat when I want. Going hunting on an empty stomach sounds like asking for trouble." He agrees with the other apprentices—it doesn’t make much sense. He feels faint when he hasn’t eaten for a while, so he can’t imagine not allowing himself to eat until after he’s already caught something. And besides, his mentor may be a star-focused fool, but he knows better than to try and enforce such things upon Crappiepaw.
​

[ FORTUNE LOVES THE BOLD ]​

​

 

[RAINWHISKER]

An ear flicks in acknowledgement to Smokethroat, "Yes, us four." she agrees. The folded eared molly must've missed the signs of the tom being nearby and or at the scene as well.

Brook is unsurprised the young cats of the clan are bewildered of the concept of eating only after you've hunted. Brook was with Bounceheart on this one, the blue tabby too had a preference of hunting prior to eating. She usually didn't find herself that hungry in the morning anyways, unless she hadn't ate the night prior. "Sounds like our apprentices will be having it rough when leaf-bare kicks in." She teases the young cats to her fellow warriors.

With her head turned in a random direction she meows, "Soon you won't have a choice but to go without eating in the morning. Leaf-bare can be harsh to prey supply. Perhaps your superiors are just getting their bellies use to the lack of fuel in advance." She would suggest to the apprentices, taking a few more steps along the shore.​

---

Spoiler: TAGS | 10/18

( casual character / "speech" / ic opinions )​

╰ ★ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· BROOK, female — she / her
╰ ‣ 23 moons . ages on the first
╰ ‣ windclan leader . marsh-born . believes in starclan
╰ ‣ former soldier of the marsh group

╰ ★ ჻ 002 VISUALS & AESTHETICS ,
· DOMESTIC FELINE, smells like heather and wet dirt , status — 100%
╰ ‣ blue smoke . blue eyes . blind

╰ ★ ჻ 003 MENTALITY & MANNERISMS ,
· ISFJ-T ❝ DEFENDER ❞ , Slytherin, Lawful Evil
╰ ‣ Observant, reliable, hardworking, overcommitted, humble, takes critique personally
╰ ‣ finds minimal difficulty in relating to others . quick to show mercy, unless her family is at risk of harm
╰ ‣ Doesn't appreciate most proper titles, doesn't feel deserving of them

╰ ★ ჻ 004 INTERACTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS ,
· NPC x GRACE, sister to Lightningstone & Stormpaw
╰ ‣ bisexual.
╰ ‣ skilled fighter . average hunter .
╰ ‣ unlikely to start fights . unlikely to flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.​

 

[Bounceheart]

bounceheart ✧ she/her ✧ riverclan warrior (=˃ᆺ˂=)

It was true - strength was needed for hunting. Perhaps they did not understand the etiquette behind it. They were young, and had not experienced the rough seasons yet; leaf-fall was upon them, and that meant worse was ahead.
"It is realistic. If all of us warriors ate before hunting, then there would be no prey for the others who wake early."
Despite this, she felt it was only a matter of opinion or pattern. Some did need the strength before hunting, but they had to learn to go without it in the coming season. She nodded her head in agreement to Brook. If she ate before hunting, then she would eat fish and return with squirrel. Some of the RiverClan cats would surely eat squirrel, but they prided themselves upon what the river provided them with - and she was still learning to fish, unfortunately. Come leaf-bare, they would have to eat whatever came their way; frogs, rabbits, even rats or snakes if they must.

Bounceheart shook her head at the thought. She hated snakes. ​