i think you dropped this [lizard tail]

[GRAVELSNAP]

Gravelsnap does not recall much of their kithood, memories faded from the earliest parts of their youth. They can remember some things clearly, and a few entire chunks of their memory seem to be missing entirely. But one thing they certainly don’t recall is how hot the moorland gets in the warmest months. The sun beats down upon their bicolored pelt, making their movements slightly sluggish as they plod along with the rest of the patrol. Nothing interesting has happened on this patrol—they haven’t even spotted any prey so far. They just want to go home at this point, curl up in their nest and sleep until the cool of night descends upon the plains.

They trudge along beside @Thriftpaw, gaze scanning the wildlife around them until they see something that catches their eye. "A lizard," they murmur to themself, head turning to track the creature as it scurries along through the dry, browned grass. It isn’t the greatest prey animal out here, but it’s something, and it’s food. Gravelsnap has never attempted to catch a lizard before, but it can’t be too difficult, they think. With a sharp breath, the black and white warrior pounces, paws coming down on either side of their prey. They snag its tail in their mouth, intent on plucking it from the ground like they would a mouse, but when they jerk their head back to scoop it off the ground, they nearly crack their neck with the force of it. The lizard goes skittering off into the brush, tailless now, and their eyes widen with disbelief.

"What the-" They stare down at the space where the lizard once was, where all that remains is the reptile’s tail. It wiggles weakly back and forth, and the young warrior’s mouth twists into a frown, disgust evident across their expression. Eyes widen as they turn to look across the rest of the patrol. “What just happened?" Their voice is quiet, but panic bleeds into each word that they speak. Is that—is that normal? Is that a sign?​

[ you put the fun into dysfunction ]​

​

 

[Thriftfeather]

"Is that supposed to happen?" Thriftpaw asks, even though from Gravelsnap's reaction alone it is obvious that it shouldn't.

It had happened quick enough that Thriftpaw isn't entirely certain he knows what had happened. He thought he saw Gravelsnap catch the lizard, but then the lizard was gone and Gravelsnap was left with nothing but a spindly tail. Thriftpaw comes to Gravelsnap's side and leans towards the tail, curious, only to lean immediately backwards. Parts shouldn't be moving independent of bodies.

"Won't the lizard miss it's tail?" Thriftpaw glances the way he assumes the lizard to have ran, mouth in a pensive line. Lizards had to be the quickest creatures on the ground; Thriftpaw isn't even certain he saw it leave. Maybe the issue was that the lizard was too quick, it ran away so fast it left it's tail behind.​

WINDCLAN APPRENTICE ✦ GOLDEN TABBY TOM ✦ 5 MOONS​

 

[RATTLEHEART]

Though he wasn't the biggest fan of lizards himself, Rattleheart had made a habit of snatching up lizards whenever he could find them skittering around the moors. He knew they were a particular favorite of Venomstrike's, and he delighted in being able to bring one back to camp as a surprise for the moor runner. Most of the time he was able to grab them without issue, springing forth in the tunnels and caging them in with his lithe form - but occasionally something like this happened. The tunneler had been similarly surprised and anxious when he'd first encountered a lizard running off without its tail, but it hadn't taken long for him to realize afterward that it was seemingly just... a normal part of their lives. Nothing awful had happened afterwards, and the tail itself had eventually ended up just sitting limply at his paws, so it hadn't ended up being some awful omen of disaster to come.

Still, this knowledge meant that it was pretty entertaining to see someone else discover just how resilient lizards could be. Rattleheart himself had been emerging from one of the tunnels nearby when he spotted Gravelsnap, his own small mouse catch dangling from his jaws. He was about to congratulate them on the catch when Gravel's head went snapping back, teeth sunk down into the lizard's tail and... nothing else. He couldn't help but wince at the loss, disappointed there wouldn't be another piece of prey for the pile, but both the moor runner and their apprentice seemed far more concerned by what had just happened. Soft chuckles left him at that, slightly muffled by the mouse that he was still holding - until he hastily buried it nearby.

"That happens sometimes with lizards." It's a simple enough statement, the tunneler's focus really tuned in on the lizard tail that was still wiggling weakly on the ground. He prodded it with a paw, shaking his head at the way it almost still seemed alive. "I'm not sure why, but I've had it happen to me before. They certainly seem a lot less affected than any of us would be if our tails ended up pulled off." The thought sent a shudder running down Rattle's spine, his own tail twitching behind him.
​

[ PENNED BY EO ]​

 

[Periwinklebreeze.]

❀​❀ I AM SORRY THIS IS ALWAYS HOW IT GOES ❀❀​

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periwinklebreeze & 12 moons & demi-boy & he/they & windclan moor runner​

---

Peri has not yet caught anything, his jaws empty as he flits by the others on patrol, though he's confident that in the end he will find something. Hunting is the only skill he retains confidence in, the only thing that has never let him down. The young warrior trails along after rattleheart, pausing to stare down at the still wriggling appendage - nose crinkling in disgust. "Th-that looks painful," he mumbles quietly, shuddering. he's had his own tail pulled by jaws before, by fox and by feline, but he cannot imagine how awful it must be to lose it entirely.

— the wind blows loudest when you've got your eyes closed ❀

• Actions && "Speech," && ' Thoughts/Quotes '
  
  ooc: —
  tw/cw: —
  
• — a lithe figured black and white tom with a false-pointed pattern and clear blue eyes that gleam periwinkle in the right lighting. he seems perpetually worn and exhausted, with heavy bags beneath his eyes and a slouched figure. he has a speech impediment which leaves him with a stutter and sometimes even completely non-verbal, and his fluffy tail is adorned with daisies.
  
  — physically medium && mentally easy && pacifist
  — non-violent powerplay allowed && healing powerplay allowed && minor injury powerplay allowed
  — please attack using [b][color=#ccccff]action here[/color][/b] and tag account

 

[SEDGEPOUNCE]

The warbler trapped between his teeth is one of many prey animals blessed upon the moor during this season's fair weather. WindClan territory is teeming with life, and though the heat of summer can be oppressive and overbearing, it's hard not to feel emboldened by the warm sunlight spilling across the fields and brightening the very world. Sedgepaw certainly feels emboldened by it—proud of his catch and, perhaps foolishly, absent of the worries which have so often been plaguing him lately. They bleed away beneath the yellow blanket of sunshine, even though he feels a little suffocated by the heat.

He's close behind Rattleheart when the warrior starts to placate Gravelsnap. Instantly intrigued, he pads closer and peers around Rattle's shoulder, dropping his caught bird at his feet. The abandoned tail squirms around still, worm-like and writhing. His eyes light up. "And disgusting!" he tacks onto Peri's comment, but he's grinning while he says it, in a morbidly curious kind of way. It's probably one of the weirdest things he's ever seen in his life.

"I bet we've got a bunch of...tail-less lizards running around, then," Sedgepaw adds. Pursing his mouth, he says: "Maybe they'll want revenge."​

 

[VENOMSTRIKE]

( ) Lizards were definitely a favorite of his and those closest to him would know, they were rather small morsels oftentimes but what Venomstrike loved the most was the way they crunched in between his jaws while he ate away at the small scale having creature. The moor runner is familiar with the loss of lizards since there was times he was not swift enough or ended up doing something similar like Gravelsnap had where the lizard simply ditches its tail to live tailless but alive. It sounds painful and looks disgusting but Venomstrike kinda envies the little guys... How cool would it be to lose a tail to say a fox but live to see another day.

Fascinating.

Something about it itches at his mind, the moor runner approaching the small group and brushing shoulders with Rattleheart offering a small smile then focusing on Gravelsnap before turning his gaze over to Sedgepaw "That would be quite the sight," Amusement lacing his voice though he silently wishes for the revenge of the tailless lizards, he would be ready to trap each and every one of them under large paws. "I don't think it hurts them... Tail just pops off e-easily... It's pretty cool." Wish my tail could do that. He thinks with a soft hum.​

( ME GUSTA LA MAÑANA; ME GUSTAS TÚ )

 

[Bluepool]

From her time in the marshes, she had quite the knowledge on lizards. It was a staple over there, right along with frogs. She shudders to think of those times, back in the day when prey was hard to come by and life was miserable and wet. She had gone through something similar in her youth that these apprentices were going through now. She too had hunted a lizard, trapping it under her paws only to be surprised when she saw it scurrying away from her, missing its tail which, when she had lifted a silver paw she had found.

Her clanmates stand around talking about how painful it must be to lose your tail and for a second she feels a brief prick of something, a feeling she is not quite sure the origin of. Was it loss? Sadness? Pain? In the end she settles on it being a mix of all of the above. Her own stump of a tail aches and she curls it inwards as best as she can, feeling protective over what is left of the appendage. "Having your tail cut off is not a pleasant experience" she confirms with a grim expression as she looks down at the tail on the ground, feeling a new appreciation for lizards as she did.

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