[ i'll take the road with all the stakes ] — intro

[CLOUDBERRYTHORN]

The trees have always been more a home to him than the dirt, he thinks. The scratch of bark beneath hooked claws, the shrieking of frightened birds, it has all been more a comfortable presence than his fellow SkyClanners. Not that his clanmates are uncomfortable to be around, of course—they just don’t understand the trees, some of them. Don’t hear the things they’re saying, don’t consider their feelings. How they have to be comforted after heavy storms, when limbs are sent scattering and loose needles line the forest floor.

SkyClan is still a home to Cloudberrypaw, though, his clanmates just as deserving of his aid as the pines. That means he needs to train, to practice, to better support his clan. Things around the clan have been tense recently, he’d have to be a needle-nosed mole not to notice as much. WindClan just doesn’t relent, and Howlpaw is missing, and Thistleback killed a guy in front of everybody. So, yeah, not great. But every day is a training day until he gets his warrior name, and so the lanky tom charges through the treetops on soft, silent paws, carefully choosing their placement to keep his balance while bouncing from branch to branch.

There’s movement on the forest floor, he spots out of the corner of his eye. A cat, obviously, and they’re SkyClan judging by their scent. Maybe there’s a patrol with them, maybe not, but either way the cat he sees isn’t paying a ton of attention—or at least, it doesn’t look like it to him. He stalks through tree branches until he’s just above his clanmate, mouth curled into a satisfied smile.

With a huff, he drops from the tree, landing mostly gracefully in front of the other cat. "Caught you," he says, pride filling his voice. He’s certain they hadn’t seen him, pressed against the limb as he was. And if they had spotted him, then he just needs to practice more. "Did you see me?"
​

[ just a side character ]​

​

 

[TALLULAHWING]

Tallulahwing is lost in thought, her daily trek into the pine forest with @FIGPAW one of uncharacteristic silence. The torbie thinks of the missing cats, the state of SkyClan, with a soft sigh. On top of that, her apprentice had drawn some unwanted attention from her Clanmates -- she'd noticed the girl looks a little more well-fed than normal, but to a daylight warrior, it's a little less concerning, isn't it? She herself has a paw in two worlds, with no plans to leave the housefolk who care for her so dearly. Is it so wrong if Figpaw finds her own housefolk to spend her nights with?

It's again, she thinks, a reflection of SkyClan's feral members exacting their prejudice. So many with kittypet backgrounds, but they all got somethin' to say regardless.

The fluffy torbie is startled out of her thoughts -- and nearly her pelt -- when a shadow drops from the trees in front of her. Despite the steepness of the fall, the blue feline lands mostly gracefully, barely snapping the pine needles underpaw. Tallulahwing gives a jolting gasp, but it's followed by spills of laughter. "You got me good, darlin'," she giggles, trying to smooth the bristling fur on her shoulders with a few licks. "Nearly knocked me straight outta my pelt, you did. How'd you get to be so quiet up there, anyway?"​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

Figpaw unsurprisingly isn’t far from her mentor, she was just about to move in and try to share tongues with the torbie when from out of nowhere Cloudberry descends onto the floor from a nearby tree. Figpaw herself is startled to the point she almost falls off balance on her three legs, but by the grace of StarClan she manages to not completely embarrass herself. With a few embarrassed licks to shrug any humiliation of being frightened off she grows closer.

”Lucky first try,” The girl exclaims lightheartedly, ”It took me three moons into my training to finally be able to sneak up on Tallulahwing.” She recalls the memory fondly, though it felt like a lifetime ago.​

---

Spoiler: TAGS ★ 03/27

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

╰ ★ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· FIGPAW, AMAB — she / her
╰ ‣ 11 moons .
╰ ‣ skyclan apprentice . believes in starclan

╰ ★ ჻ 002 VISUALS & AESTHETICS ,
· DOMESTIC FELINE, smells like pine nettles & sap, status — 100%
╰ ‣ A red tabby she-cat with orange eyes. Mangled right hind leg.

╰ ★ ჻ 003 MENTALITY & MANNERISMS ,
· ENFP-A ❝ CAMPAIGNER❞ , Gryfindor, Lawful Good
╰ ‣ Excitable, generous, caring, quick-to-act, distrusting, resentful
╰ ‣ finds relative ease relating to others . kind-hearted, will show mercy
╰ ‣ cats of windclan blood or those she deems morally inferior will be met with her ire

╰ ★ ჻ 004 INTERACTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS ,
· NPC X DAISYFLIGHT, sister to Greenpaw, Violetpaw, Snowpaw & Butterflypaw
╰ ‣ Pansexual . mistakes admiration for romantic feelings
╰ ‣ Crushing on Fanta
╰ ‣ Apprentice to Tallulahwing
╰ ‣ good fighter . excellent hunter .
╰ ‣ unlikely to start fights . will flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.

 

[✧ Sootspritespark.]

I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I WANT AND WHO I WANNA BE
sootsprite | 31 months | demi-girl | she/they | physically medium | mentally hard | attack in bold #ffff99

---

Skyclan is still full of strangers - only a few lingering familiar faces from her previous escapades to be found. He is not here though, and thats all that truly matters - even though she's quite curious to know what may have happened had she chosen differently. Ambling along with some others, she watches with keen fascination as Cloudberrypaw drops from the heavens above - or more accurately, from a tree overhead. Ashen head tilts to the side, yellow eyes narrowing contemplatively for a moment, before a sunny smile is tossed the younger felines way. "Oooh, what a neat little trick! Did that take long to learn?" she questions cheerfully, voice boisterius and friendly. She'd never taken tree-climbing seriously before her joining - why would she when she can run and jump about the groundcover just as easily? The most she's ever needed to do is haul herself up-and-over a fence at best, but these cats - they eat, sleep breathe all things within the forest and it's trees. Perhaps it'd be worth her time to learn after all.
​

​

 

[CLOUDBERRYTHORN]

The cats that he manages to surprise are familiar—Tallulahwing and Figpaw, both of whom react with fright—and Cloudberrypaw’s mouth splits into a grin. Pride courses through him even as the warrior settles to groom at her puffed-up fur. His own chest puffs a bit when she compliments him; he did get her good! In response to her question, he flicks his tail, brushing off any awe that she may feel. "Oh, that’s easy," he says with a shrug—nonchalant, but not entirely smug. "You have to move your weight around with your paws." He attempts to demonstrate, but he’s distracted by the red tabby’s words.

At Figpaw’s initial response, the tom rolls his eyes so hard he thinks he sees his brain. What, does she think herself better than him? The fact that she may be joking is lost on him, stony-faced in his indignation. "Good for you," he says, voice heavy with sarcasm, rather than insulting her directly. "Maybe you should show me how you do it." His eyes are lidded, fresh annoyance brewing in his expression, but his attention is drawn by another warrior who commends him on his skill. Because yes, it is skill, no matter what slug-brained Figpaw seems to think. Lucky first try, my hind end.

His frown crinkles back into a smile, one that very nearly matches Sootsprite’s own in brightness. A neat trick, that’s a much better way of saying it! "It took forever to figure it out. The last time I tried, I fell right on top of the guy I was trying to surprise!" And what a surprise it had turned out to be, in the end. He still winces when he remembers how much that had hurt, even with a big fluffy cat to break his fall.
​

[ just a side character ]​

​

 

[Orangestar]

"Yeah, and I still have the bruises from it." The guy in question happens to be Orangeblossom, whose muzzle twists into a familiar scowl as she recalls the memory. She cuffs at her younger brother's ear as she passes with Eveningpaw, gently and without malice, but there's a glimmer of amusement and pride in her eyes as she reflects on the fact that he's come a long way - and seems to be sharpening his skills to a honed point just in time for his assessment and naming ceremony. StarClan above ... her little siblings, warriors already. To the point where he could sneak up on Tallulahwing, no less - Figpaw was right, that was no small feat.

"Good to see you're now falling out of trees on purpose now. You could wind an enemy pretty badly with it, if you wanted to." The deputy continues with a hum, pausing beside Sootsprite and offering the daylight warrior a glance of acknowledgement.

— info

• // app tag @eveningpaw
  
• 
  orangeblossom. tags.
  — she/her, skyclan deputy.
  — mentor to eveningpaw.
  — attack in #e08550. uses trees as an integral part of her fighting style.
  — mean enough to note that her thoughts don't reflect my opinions as a writer haha.
  — penned by mercibun; @ me in any official tabbytales discord for plots. :]
  — art by merc!<3
  

​

 

[eveningsun]

eveningpaw trails behind orangeblossom, her gait holding an unusual weight. they had stopped in front of a group that had gathered, although she did not witness cloudberrypaw's descent from the trees it wasn't hard to catch on. the smoke recounts a time when he fell on top of the cat he was trying to scare, it didn't take long to discover who exactly 'the guy' was as her mentor completes the story. a smile begins to crack through her hardened maw at the image, eyes brightening up ever so slightly. where she usually might offer encouragement to the older apprentice, the girl remained quiet, just not much in the mood to talk. still, eve offered her slight smile to the rest of the group as she listened with a far away gaze.​

[ FALLEN STAR ]​

 

[CLOUDBERRYTHORN]

The approach is his sister is marked by a cuff to the ear, and the tom breaks out into unwilling giggles as he aims a halfhearted paw at his older sister in return. He misses, of course, too far away to reach her, but any traces of annoyance are gone from his face at this point. "You don’t have to tell everybody," he protests, sticking his tongue out at her. It had been an unfortunate maneuver, but he was hoping not to mention who exactly he’d been attempting to surprise. But of course, Orangeblossom will probably hold it over him until the end of time. He’ll be old and gray and she’ll still be bringing it up—remember that time you fell on top of me?

His sister’s apprentice says nothing, surprisingly, and Cloudberrypaw shoots her a bemused glance, but his attention is drawn back to Orangeblossom just as quickly. "That can be my special move name," he responds, a bright smile breaking across his muzzle. "Next time WindClan shows up, I’ll hit ‘em with the falling on purpose." He can see it now—his whole clan, cheering him on after he’s taken down a moorland warrior twice his size, all thanks to his tree surprise-attack.
​

[ just a side character ]​

​

 

[Honeysplash]

.°☀ But every time I see you cry

---

Trotting across the clearing with a mouse dangling from her jaw, the young cat had just returned from trying to perfect her hunting skill. She wanted to be extra sure her skills stayed sharpened in case of any emergency even if hunting wasn't exactly valued like fighting was. Bananapaw had made her way to the fresh-kill pile and then looked around the clearing for a moment before her gaze landed on a gathered group of cats. Tallulahwing was speaking to her brother, Cloudberrypaw, and Figpaw was there with Orangeblossom too. She blinked a few times before her curious nature got the better of her and she trotted over with rounded eyes wide.

Bananapaw caught the tail end of her brother boasting about this new tactic of his- falling on purpose. There was this loud snort from Bananapaw, not very lady like in the sound, and she put a paw to her muzzle to stifle the sound. She gave a playful nudge to Orangeblossoms' shoulder with her own, "Falling on purpose does sound like some sort of attack," She teased her brother with a smirk.

Even though she was also the worst when it came to have balance and not falling over herself at any given moment. She had always been a more clumsy creature than anything else and it had been worsened with the previous snowfall. She recalled Chrysalispaw and her getting stuck on a patch of ice and how many times she fell basically on her head. It made her smile soften in a genuine way before she crouched playfully, "Next you'll tell us about this new fighting tactic,"

"SPEECH"

---

With these wings of mine I'll stay awhile .°☀

⟪ OOC ⟫ ⟪ INFO ⟫ ⟪ REF ⟫

• //​
• BANANAPAW named by her mother Alice
  — she/her, 12 moons, single
  — skyclan daylight apprentice, mentored by Sharpeye.
  — self-doubtful, overlaying smile, very closed in
  
  primary character, high activity. penned by wolf_.​
• 

​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

Figpaw is taken back by Cloudberrypaw’s sarcastic response back to her. Blood runs cold when he then jeers that maybe she should show him how it’s done. The girl’s whiskers tense with frustration as she is certain this was the tom’s way of mocking her inability to climb, it was far from a new jeer to her. Cats such as Chrysalispaw have given her trouble for it before. Still she can’t help but let it get to her, ”I don’t climb anymore otherwise I happily would.” Instead she would sass back, the fur along her neck bristling.

With a glance to Tallulahwing she bounds off, she’d get nothing accomplished today if she spent it dealing with the likes of boorish tom-cats.

//it feels so dramatic to have ocs leave angrily so im going to assure that I’m far from bothered. its fun to rp stuff like this!!!!​

---

Spoiler: TAGS ★ 03/27

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

╰ ★ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· FIGPAW, AMAB — she / her
╰ ‣ 11 moons .
╰ ‣ skyclan apprentice . believes in starclan

╰ ★ ჻ 002 VISUALS & AESTHETICS ,
· DOMESTIC FELINE, smells like pine nettles & sap, status — 100%
╰ ‣ A red tabby she-cat with orange eyes. Mangled right hind leg.

╰ ★ ჻ 003 MENTALITY & MANNERISMS ,
· ENFP-A ❝ CAMPAIGNER❞ , Gryfindor, Lawful Good
╰ ‣ Excitable, generous, caring, quick-to-act, distrusting, resentful
╰ ‣ finds relative ease relating to others . kind-hearted, will show mercy
╰ ‣ cats of windclan blood or those she deems morally inferior will be met with her ire

╰ ★ ჻ 004 INTERACTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS ,
· NPC X DAISYFLIGHT, sister to Greenpaw, Violetpaw, Snowpaw & Butterflypaw
╰ ‣ Pansexual . mistakes admiration for romantic feelings
╰ ‣ Crushing on Fanta
╰ ‣ Apprentice to Tallulahwing
╰ ‣ good fighter . excellent hunter .
╰ ‣ unlikely to start fights . will flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.