hi! ho! let's go! | (friendly?) intruder

[circus!]

AND I WILL PROTECT YOU

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Circus had seen nothing but forest on both sides for a little while now. She had been following the Thunderpath, still completely unfamiliar with the area she had found herself wandering. She'd heard of the clans at least, from two mollies that she would be eager to see again (who she didn't know were once among the territorial clan cats), and the curiosity instantly sparked within the chimera's quick-beating heart.

So, when Circus came across the sight of open fields and golden grass through a thin border of trees, her first thought was to go and explore.

Making her way across the border with a level of nonchalance that hinted at either a lack of knowing or a lack of care, Circus peered across the rolling hills with a shine of delight in her eyes. This place was so pretty! And the air smelled so sweet! Not too far off was a large, pointed rock jutting out from the ground, where she thought she could get a nicer view of the unfamiliar territory that she found herself in. Exploring couldn't hurt, and maybe she would meet someone new!

(And maybe—if she was lucky—they'd be a real cutie, too!) ​

- - ──── ⋅ ⋅ ── : ✩ : ── ⋅ ⋅ ──── - -

EVEN IF YOU WON'T PROTECT ME TOO!

 

[BRIGHTSHINE!]

A calico blur speeds across the moorland in hot pursuit of something yummy to eat. Orange and white paws pound the ground faster, faster as he gains upon the young hare bounding away from her. A pink tongue sticks out as she focuses, emerald eyes narrowed upon her prize. Over ridges and around rocks they turn and twist before she leaps! Paws contact fur and she brings the prey to the ground, tussling with the similarly-sized creature before she's finally able to sink her teeth into its neck. As soon as it falls limp, the warrior lets out a whoop and leaps to her paws, heaving chest puffed out in satisfaction. What a catch!

But there's something else on the air besides freshly killed hare. Brightshine parts her jaws to get a better whiff before she notices the unfamiliar she-cat traveling just over the nearest hill, right near her. "Whoa! Hello! Don't know you!" She calls, beaming in excitement before realizing she's supposed to question strangers like her. Expression shifting from one of cheer to one of reluctance, she picks up her hare and approaches with a waving tail. "Whaf are you doim' om WimdClam territory?" Her voice is muffled by the fresh-kill in her jaws, but hopefully it's still understandable.​

 

[circus!]

AND I WILL PROTECT YOU

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Another cat! Maybe it was one of those clan cats she's heard so much about—Circus perked up as soon as she caught sight of a tortoiseshell molly making her way over with a grassy-smelling rabbit carried between her jaws. Circus had a vole earlier, so she wasn't particularly hungry, but the sight reminded her that she wanted to eat rabbit at least once during her stay in this area.

"Hi! I'm just exploring- there's a whole world out there, you know! So this is... WimdClam?" Circus burst into a fit of bubbly giggles just after mimicking the molly's poor pronunciation. This was wonderful, the cats here really were entertaining! "You know- pf- if you like clams that much, maybe you ought'a try fish, too!'"

The giggles quickly turned into full-blown, hysterical, high-pitched fits of laughter. Circus was practically rolling over herself in hilarity (over jokes that, to be blunt, weren't actually that funny).

It was no matter, though! Because Circus had decided that she very much liked this tortoiseshell turtle-shell cat, and that the two would make wonderful friends! "Oh, golly-" She managed, in-between giggles. "Are your clan friends as cool as you are, turtle-shell?" ​

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EVEN IF YOU WON'T PROTECT ME TOO!

 

[WEASELCLAW]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

"Not hardly."

A growl, rumbly and low like thunder, escapes the white chest of the tabby warrior. He stalks beside Brightshine, striped fur rippling from between his ears to the pale tip of his tail. "You are trespassing on WindClan territory. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave. Now."

He gives the calico warrior beside him a baleful look. How could she stand there chatting with a strange cat who is waltzing through their moors as though she belongs here? Weaselclaw unsheathes his claws, and his lip curls just a hair -- enough to reveal glinting fangs.

- ,,​

​

 

[MALLOWLARK]

Staring silver eyes soon found the commotion- wide set, they stayed perfectly statuesque upon his bounding approach, despite the skipping that would jostle the grin of anyone else. A new face- and it was always polite to greet a new face with a grin. Sharp teeth fastened themselves into his unmoving smile, his expression only remaining as she made a joke- one he did not quite understand, but oh, that laughter! It rang in the air, like- like birdsong, not hawk screech, and it was a contagious sound. Drawing up beside his mother, he could not help himself; what wraithlike, looming composure he had maintained up until that point was utterly shattered, scattered into bits upon the floor. Like bones- oh, that was funnier!

Discordant cackles came falling free from him, uncontrollable. Clams, fish- he didn't get it, and it was not funny, but her laugh! Her laugh- that made it funny, and thus he laughed along with her, their dissonant harmony cleaving the tension. His chest hurt, it hurt- and his eyes did not crease with the giggled, staying completely dead-set upon her shadow-soaked features even as the hysterics came screeching from his throat. Oh, it hurt- it was so funny it hurt! How- how peculiar that a joyful sound could bring him pain. How- how funny!​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​

 

[circus!]

AND I WILL PROTECT YOU

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There were multiple things that Circus had observed so far. The look that the brown tom gave to turtle-shell wasn't lost on her, even though she acted as if it had been; he was the powerful one. Her tone changed like the flip of a switch as soon as he barged his way into what she thought had been a working dynamic—her tail lowered in disappointment but her ear's didn't pin back. The chains choking her neck glinted in the sunlight, and her body was visibly battle-scarred, but her claws didn't unsheathe when his did. (She had been planning to appeal to him, but when a ghostly-lookin' ghost cat started laughing to her non-joke, she couldn't help the cracks in her façade.)

"Sorry, prickle-pelt sir, I didn't- kh-" A poorly-stifled laugh slipped through her teeth. Oh no, oh no! How was she gonna be convincing now? Damn you, ghost-cat, you've messed her all up! For good measure, Circus took a step back, hoping to let prickle-pelt tabby-tom know that she wasn't trying to mock him... Entirely. "I didn't know- this is my first time leaving the alleys, you know! I've never even- s-seen a field in my life..."

The urge to laugh had her stomach hurting now, and that lie was so fucking dumb, and- ugh- it only made her want to laugh more! She had totally lost her composure already, ugh!! ​

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EVEN IF YOU WON'T PROTECT ME TOO!

 

[Galeforce]

↞ RACE THE WINDS

"What's an 'alley'?" Galepaw was genuinely curious, though he shrank back when he peered over at Weaselclaw with a renewed feeling of uncertainty. Yeah, he probably shouldn't be communing with the strange cat. Puffing out his chest he then attempted to strike a more imposing pose before Circus, keen to show that he was a serious WindClanner. But... he was also a curious one. Nrgh! He had so many questions! Though what exactly was wrong with the strange feline? Was she trying to laugh?
​

 

[hyacinthbreath]

"Little areas of the twolegplace, I'd assume." Hyacinthbreath speaks up as she arrives, the little molly glancing at Galepaw with a thoughtful hum. Her eyes scan the group that gathered, the fur spiking on Weaselclaw's spine noticed first- then Brightshine's own friendly demeanor, then the giggling and cackling of Mallowlark. And then, finally, the molly's violet-tinted eyes land on Circus, pushing past the much taller cats in favor of standing beside Weaselclaw.

Despite her own wariness, she wasn't as fiercely defensive as Weaselclaw. Her body posture was relaxed, facial expression stoic and cold- distant. She doesn't know this she-cat, and she doesn't want to. Reminded her too much of Mallowlark himself, with a touch of Brightshine's positive atmosphere.

"It's not wise to waltz into a Clan's territory. Decisions like that will get you killed." Hyacinthbreath states harshly, eyes shifting back over to Weaselclaw as if to make a point. "Run along. I'll give you a few heartbeats of a head start. Weaselclaw's pretty fast, you see." Pointedly staring at Brightshine, there's surprise evident when she spots the hare in her jaw's grasp. "Nice catch."​

 

[BRIGHTSHINE!]

The stranger's joke is the first thing to catch Brightshine's attention. Her eyes squint up in amusement, a grin evident even with the prey that fills her jaws. The beginnings of a giggle are snuffed out, however, as one of the clan's lead warriors arrives and warns off the stranger. He gives her a look and her expression shifts immediately from one of glee to a crestfallen appearance, eyes dipping to the ground and ears pinning against her head. She would've warned the stranger off, honest she would've! She just...didn't get around to it yet. Her gaze lifts from the ground to peer up at her towering son who now stands beside her, cackling and crooning.

Attention snapped up by Hyacinthbreath, the small she-cat's ears perk back up and she quickly mews a muffled, "Fank you!" through the hare's pelt. Maybe her catch would make up for the nonverbal scolding she had received.​

 

[circus!]

AND I WILL PROTECT YOU

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Aw, man... WindClan sucked. Turtle-shell was cute, and ghost cat was cute too, and prickle-pelt was fun, but... Ugh! Why didn't anyone wanna be friends with her? Circus let out a crestfallen whine, but didn't press the topic any further, already aware of the way the end of her neck chains were perfectly within reach of the boring old lame cats. "Aw... You guys are lame. Bye, turtle-shell!"

Circus did manage a cheery grin towards Brightshine as she hopped three steps back, before turning tail to run the rest of the way downhill, through the thicket, and onto the Thunderpath.

So her first clan visit had been a bust. Ugh. There were some really cool cats there, but man, was every clan like this? That was no fun at all! Totally boring! Lame! And they smelled like wet old grass, too! Ugh!! ​

- - ──── ⋅ ⋅ ── : ✩ : ── ⋅ ⋅ ──── - -

EVEN IF YOU WON'T PROTECT ME TOO!