IT'S GOTTA BE MY BIRTHDAY // balloon patrol

[WEASELCLAW]

He'd frowned at Duskfire's description of the strange objects floating across the moorland. Bright, colorful things, unnatural colors never seen in the wild, and round, bigger than a cat's head. He's never seen such a thing in his life, and the strange feeling he has in his gut telling him they are dangerous is heavy.

The tabby stalks across the heather fields, his white jaws parted to take in the scents. There's rabbit, still, on the wind, but that's no surprise, since WindClan is still being StarClan-blessed. Blue eyes sharpen as he catches sight of one of the objects blowing towards them - it's aimless, directionless as though it has no idea where it's going or where it wishes to be.

"There," he hisses to the cats behind him. "Do you think they're... alive?" He unsheathes his claws. "Some kind of Twoleg plant, maybe?" If it gets any closer, he will attack it. It won't make a fool of him, that's for sure.
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PENNED BY MARQUETTE​

@OWLPAW @☾ Moonshadow ☽ @MINKSHADE

 

[SOOTSTAR]

It was impossible not to notice... it was round and bright in color just... floating around with an incredibly narrow body. It was the most frightening thing Sootstar thinks she's ever witnessed, and every hair on her pelt began to rise. With a back curved into an arch, she hisses defensively at the slowly approaching balloon, claws unsheathing into the earth.

"What the hell is that?" Sootstar hisses, as if any of the cats would have an answer for her. She's never seen a creature like it, the closest thing it resembled was a snake. Only instead of having no legs and slithering on the ground, it had no wings and flew gently above the earth. "It has no legs... no eyes... no mouth, no claws...?!" Not that the blue molly could see anyways... but she didn't trust it to not have a secret weapon of some sorts.

She finds herself pressing up against Weaselclaw without thinking much of it, back still arched as she lets out another warning hiss.​

---

 

[JaggedOak]

"THEY SAY THAT IM RECKLESS BECAUSE I'M RELENTLESS"​

When there was a patrol announced to investigate a possible mysterious enemy, the 20lb tabby tom was quick to offer his help. Afterall, if it was an opponent no one had seen before, he could make sure to keep it's attention on him instead of the smaller warriors. He was used to being in the frontline afterall. So when Weaselclaw had the patrol pause, the larger cat slowly stalked forward, taking his position in front of and off to the side of the lead warrior. He looked out towards the horizon, an orb of color coming into view.

Jaggedoak could hardly believe the deputy when they had described the strange...creature? Object? Yet there it was, floating menacingly towards the group of cats that had come out to investigate. The warrior's hackles raised, hair standing on end which only made him look even larger then he already was. The concerned words of his superiors caught his attention and, without consult, he made steps towards the red creature. ❝ What ever it is, I ain't allowing it to impede on our territory! ❞ With that declaration, Jaggedoak broke out in a sprint, planning to cut off the advancing orb.

It's long....tail? Body? dangled close to the ground and the older warrior made sure to not touch it, in case it was some sort of trap. Getting closer to it now, he could see just how large this thing was. The orb itself had to have been as big as his body while it's slim vine-like...end piece was thinner then a piece of bark. It was best to give it a warning scratch to see if he could scare it off. Finding no good points of weakness in a quick look over, Jaggekoak decided to just go for it. With a large leap, the Tom outstretched his paw and felt sharp claws make impact.

BANG!!!

Within an instant, the strange enemy seemed to evaporate, an explosive ear ringing sound bursting forth. As soon as it came, it was gone but the initial surprise completely threw off the cat's landing. He hit the ground hard on his back before he arched and bounced upwards, twisting onto his feet and jolting back to where the patrol was, like a rabbit towards their den. Once he was amongst his clan mates, he turned back, hairs standing on end and ears back, looking back towards the enemy he had just...taken out? It was gone...

His heart was beating furiously in his chest. ❝ WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?! IT JUST DISAPPEARED! Did I....kill it? I felt something... ❞ He was on edge, claws out and digging into the dirt. He looked back at his leaders, a genuinely confused and scared look on his face. This was very unusual... At that moment, he didn't yet notice the piece of his kill stuck to his claw nor the wave of color that was appearing over the horizon. He was much to in shock at what a small slash did to one of the strange creatures.
​

⊱ ♞ ⊰​

 

[Irispath]

Yewberry was in the tunnels when he heard the bang. It scared him witless, right out of the hole that was conveniently nearby. His hair on end, eyes wide, claws out.

"WHAT HAPPENED- WHATS GOING ON-"

The little lilac tom never spoke too loudly, so his voice was cracked and a little strained.

But holy shit did that balloon give him a scare, and he wasn't even there to see it!
​

 

[WEASELCLAW]

Weaselclaw feels Sootstar's side brush his, and he takes a half-step forward, a protective stance. He feels eerie, watching the faceless, mouthless creatures bounce effortlessly over rolling moors. "Whatever they are, they don't seem to be afraid of us," he murmurs, hackles up. For some reason, this is even more alarming to him.

Jaggedoak, though, has no such qualms. Bravely and without mincing words, the brawly tabby warrior sprints towards a reddish-pelted orb creature and gives it a furious slash for its invasion, its audacity.

The resulting explosion causes Weaselclaw to lower his entire body to the earth, flat, and he hisses to Sootstar, "Get down!" He closes his eyes, praying there are still pieces of Jaggedoak to bury but afraid to find out.

A few heartbeats pass -- his own are like war drums within his chest. He slowly opens first one eye, then the other, fear coiled icy in his stomach. Jaggedoak, though, is all in one piece, not bloodied or damaged, but wearing an expression of horrified surprise.

"You're alive?!" He rises to his paws and goes to the other warrior, examining him from enormous paws to the tips of his ears. Not a scratch on him. "You're right, it just disappeared... is... is that what's left of it?"

A scrap, tiny, of reddish flesh hangs on a tendril of heather. Weaselclaw pads closer, sniffs it, and recoils. "Ugh. I think you did kill it," he mutters.

Yewberry's voice resounds, panicked, from a nearby tunnel, and Weaselclaw doesn't fault the small lilac warrior when he pokes his head from beneath the earth and shouts. "Jaggedoak killed... something..." The hair is still risen on the back of his neck. "At least we know they can be killed..."
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PENNED BY MARQUETTE​