living in the matrix // intro

[swirldance ✶]

A calm lap at the shores thrummed against the torbie's paws with each push and pull. The patrol had come to a stop for a drink in the midst of greenleafs intense heat, and Swirldance had taken a sunny spot along the sand the watch the plovers prance back and forth between the sandy shoreline. "I think there's a nest over there." They mewed to their friend, twitching their tail over her nose to get her attention.

"Can those kits hunt yet? I can show them how to collect bird eggs." Swirldance offered with a crooked smile, chest inflating with confidence as she began to stand up. "Who wants to keep the plovers distracted while I search for the nest? Y'might get an egg for the favor." An egg sounded better than fish right now anyhow.

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• 
  
  @Gladefrost
  

• 

• swirldance ✩ all pronouns, warrior of riverclan, twenty moons
  ⭃ lh blue/cream tobie w/ high white blue eyes. wobbly cat syndrome. loyal to riverclan, faithful to starclan.
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by gonkpilled ↛ @gonkpilled on discord, feel free to @ me for plots!
  

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[barkingtide]

It felt like Barkingtide complained about the heat near every day- she was ready for it to be over, for leaffall to approach, which was arguably the prettiest season. His eyes shifted from where they had sat back on their break towards Swirldance as she spoke, ears twitching as she viewed her, then Gladefrost. Presumably the mollie answers the former, and Barkingtide blinks. Her vision cast towards the plover nest and the birds tending to it- she hadn't even realized they were there.

"I can distract them." They offered suddenly, pushing to neat paws as he stretched out. Eager amber eyes shifted towards the birds on the beach, ears perking. "Maybe I can catch some plover to go with the eggs, too." Barkingtide offered, and it was but a moment before he stepped forward, paws displacing sand. A crouch lowered, a hint wobbly considering Barkingtide barely ever hunted fish, and he leapt forward, talons trying to secure a plover.

Missing was perhaps embarrassing, but the plover did indeed scatter from around the nest. "Now's your chance!" She said, standing to shake sand from long fur.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ┌── I MISS THE SCREAMING ⋅❁⋅ THE WAY THAT YOU BLAME ME ──┐‎

• "speech"
  

• 

• BARKINGTIDE he/she/they, warrior of riverclan, twenty three moons.
  ⭃ LH red marbled tabby with low white and deep amber eyes. hair crests their face, with long fur dappling their entire body. warm looks and easy words make it easy to be around barkingtide
  ⭃ mentored by (npc) / / mentoring no one
  ⭃ no current love interest / / tba
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[Gladefrost]

Gladefrost had followed behind her friend, whiskers twitching slightly at the scent of a bird in the distance. A chambray gaze flicks across her two apprentices behind her as she observes them until a blue and white tail brushes across her nose and brings her attention toward where Swirldance motioned. "A little. I've been teaching them about the territory and everything first." The rosette tabby would remark as she spots the plovers staying in an approximate safeguard of their nest as she flicks her tail to allow the young apprentices to observe the birds and the nest. These birds were strange and laid their nests on the ground instead of making a nest in the safe embrace of a tree.

Barkingtide offers to distract the plover birds and even attempts to catch one in the pursuit, however she fails. He then calls for them to gather the eggs and she quickly motions her apprentices forth to gather the eggs with her and Swirldance. ”Lightly grasp them in your jaws, too hard and the shell will break.” Gladefrost instructs as she leans down to grab a plover egg in her fangs, a firm yet gentle clutch to prevent it from escaping or breaking. Her gaze flicks to her friend to see how she was gathering the eggs before shifting towards Twinklepaw and Eveningpaw.

// @eveningpaw @TWINKLEKIT app tags
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[eveningpaw]

☁

"In theory, I can!" Eveningpaw chirps; a much needed addition to Gladefrost's reply if you ask her, considering the amount of times she grabbled with fish back at camp. Few of those fish had been toys and other Twoleg knick knacks, but... that is wholly besides the point! She keenly remembers hunting for feathers, too, given that the doves they belonged to had been way too far up for her kitten self to handle.

Today is different — that's what she would say if Swirldance hadn't suggested hunting for eggs instead.

Eveningpaw barely bites back an echo of disbelief ('Eggs?! They're stationary!'), and even that is thanks to Barkingtide's quick show of distraction. Complaining about choice of prey can wait until after the patrol fills their mouths with something to eat.

As per Gladefrost's instructions, Eveningpaw is quick to shove her face into the nest, willing herself to ignore the violent flap of wings by pressing her ears against her skull. Lightly but not too lightly... it's a delicate little dance of finding balance. Alabaster teeth form a cage around an egg of her choice- and it easily slips from her maw when she tries to lift her head, all in the absence of proper strength. Eveningpaw tries again, but she's unable to apply herself properly in fear of getting gross yolk all over her pretty face.

A hiss of frustration punctuates her decision to improvise. Gentle paws get into motion to roll not one but two eggs at once — that's one more than what her jaw would be able to hold! Dual ovoids follow her hasty directions away from the nest and into safety; safety for them to eat or grab again, away from the mother's desperate talons.
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[TWINKLEPAW]

Twinklepaw follows obediently behind her rosette mentor, brilliant blue eyes all-seeing of everything that occurred around her. Though she’s been out on the territory a few times now, everything was still so new. Constantly she found herself nudging Eveningpaw and pointing with her nose, telling her sister to ‘look!”.

She peers in the direction Swirldance mentions a bird nest, she’s never seen one before. Do they look like cat nests? She expects to see woven reeds with feathers weaved in-between. It’s then Swirldance refers to her and her litter-mates as ‘kits’, non-offended, she giggles finding it humorous instead. ”I’m not a kit anymore. I’m an apprentice.” Spoken matter-of-factly as if the warrior must’ve forgotten.

Twinklepaw is amazed by Barkingtide’s bravery, the birds didn’t look like much but Twinklepaw wouldn’t want to risk their talons if she could avoid it. Gladefrost hurriedly nudges her forward to grab an egg while the birds are distracted, listening ears do their best to digest each word that leaves her mentor’s maw. In her haste, Eveningpaw takes to rolling two eggs away, but Twinklepaw is more of a listener than an improviser. Though heavy, she does exactly as Gladefrost instructed and gently picks up an egg. She races away with her prize in maw, fearful that one of the plovers may swoop down and attack her if she did not flee quick enough.

𓆟 INFO BATTLE

• » Twinklepaw
  » RiverClan Apprentice
  » She/her . AFAB
  » A pretty blue lynx sepia with blue eyes
  » ”Speech”․ thoughts ․ attack
  
• » A new apprentice, defeating her is no boastful feat.
  » Excels in hiding, running from danger.
  » Fights defensively to survive.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

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[swirldance ✶]

Her patrolmates arrive to her aid and the smile cracked across their maw split into a wide, toothy grin. Wonderful! With all their help an egg would surely be in his grasp, and Barkingtide's made a great start already. Even if the plover wasn't trapped beneath his claws, it had scuttled away from the danger of so many predators closing in.

"Well get your huntin' legs on, miss apprentice!" He laughed as he scampered ahead, hip bones swinging their back legs in a quick pace that matched their front. Eveningpaw already had two rolling away from her, and while Swirldance hoisted herself over a rock she would shout in warning. "Don't let'em roll into the water!"

Twinklepaw is next in her success, and Swirldance's followed after she she swooped her paw down to collect one last egg, leaving the final behind for the plovers to return to. The egg rolled out of the crudely built nest and in one swift dive she clutched it between her jaws, hurriedly returning to the rest of them.

The torbie celebrated with a flowing spin, rejoining the eggs with the apprentices'. "Nice job, little egg hunters! Taking on two at a time, that's some advanced stuff for sure." They nudged Eveningkit in confidence before looking back to check on Barkingtide. "Did it scratch you at all?"

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‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── ooc ⋆⋅✶⋅⋆ info ──┐‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• 
  
  
  

• 

• swirldance ✩ all pronouns, warrior of riverclan, twenty moons
  ⭃ lh blue/cream tobie w/ high white blue eyes. wobbly cat syndrome. loyal to riverclan, faithful to starclan.
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by gonkpilled ↛ @gonkpilled on discord, feel free to @ me for plots!
  

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