pafp machine without a switch .. journey stories

[hazecloud]

"The Thunderpath was only the start, and to think we thought that might have been the worst of it right in the beginning!" Hazecloud let out a mrrow of laughter as she stood beside the flame pelted warrior, eyes alight with ardor as she described the start of their triumphs. How she would have wished it truly had been their worst trial had she known the rest of what they would endure.

"We stumbled across a twoleg nest, right in the middle of a forest! Big ugly monsters slept beside it and with so many of us there, we had to walk real slow and quiet so it wouldn't wake up. A SkyClanner suggested we walk right through it." Duskpool had earned the opinion of being foolish and naive that night, and while he had certainly held his weight in returning to his home she still stuck out her tongue when she recalled his words. "Of course, we ended up going around instead. I think it was after that night we saw the bridge, right Ferngill?"

Hazecloud shifted her focus to look at the warrior with a warm smile, prompting him to continue the story.

-- @FERNGILL ​

 

[FERNGILL]

Recalling the beginning of the journey as opposed to the end, when the bonds between all of them had been taut and precarious, was almost humorous in hindsight. Long had they come from bickering at that riverside, the Riverclanners' pelts sheening with pride as they helped the other Clans cross. The Thunderpath, even before the river- the twoleg nest. Hazy memories as they were, the laugher buried within them was blandished quite easily from between Ferngill's fangs.

"There were a lot of odd suggestions like that," the ginger tom recalled, eyes slipping to look elsewhere as he tried to gather what it was a different Skyclanner had said when they were raring to cross the river. Or... the Riverclanners had been raring to cross the river, at least. "Someone said we should go around the river when we got to it!"

Any Riverclanner would regard that as a silly suggestion... really it had been. A bright green eye looked to Hazecloud, an easy smily upon his lips, as he racked his brains to continue regaling the onlookers. Said smile faltered a little when he remembered what came after. "Yeah, after the bridge, and... before the cave." For the rest of the Clan he dressed himself with a grin, pushing away the creeping dread that rose like bile in his throat when he thought of those nights.​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[SUNSETFURY]

The journey—Sunsetfury is itching to hear the tales of the great mountains that scraped the belly of the sky, the retrieval of the numbing lungwort. Notorious thrillseeker that she is, she would've loved to join them herself—but she's cognizant enough to know that while her eye might not bother her in day-to-day life, it would all but add an additional layer of complexity to an already-arduous journey. She can chase her highs here at home with dives and spars, and the various battles to retake the camps had been thrilling exercises of combat in their own right.

She still wants to hear about it, though, and naturally she gravitates towards the two warriors discussing it. Sunsetfury has been called many things, but nobody would call her quiet, and the tortie's imbued with her natural stage presence as she sweeps in. She's not trying to upstage the two—the opposite, in fact—but she can't help but announce her presence with a spirited greeting. "Hey, you two! Talkin' about your little trip?" Sunsetfury bares pearly fangs in a grin, lilting laughter bubbling up from her throat. "SkyClanners. Always chasin' a collar," she mews dismissively, shaking her head to emphasize her disapproval.

"Around a river, huh?" She tilts her head in mock-curiosity, though her amused expression makes its ingenuine nature clear. "I know we're lucky the other Clans can't swim, but damn. They're about as sharp as a river-stone," Sunsetfury remarks sarcastically. "Bet you showed them how it's done, Ferngill," the tortie nods approvingly. Does she know Ferngill that well? Not really, but she knows he'd been working like a dog in flea season to get his warrior name—she can relate to that—so he could surely use the morale boost. Call her presumptious, whatever.

Sunsetfury's eyes widen at the mention of a cave. "A cave? Well, cut my claws and call me a kittypet."

an eye for an eye ✩ ( and the whole world goes blind )

• tba ack​

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  sunsetfury ; warrior of riverclan
  x. she/her ; 15 moons ; tags
  x. tall rosette tortie with a white tailtip and deep blue eyes, the right of which has two pupils
  x. played by dejavu
  𖦹 ⭒ ° ｡ ⋆ sunsetfury has true polycoria, or two light-reactive pupils, in her right eye. she has blurry vision & near-blindness in that eye and may not always immediately react to visual stimuli on her right side!

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[lichenstar]

⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ​

In the recent days the breezy pelt of a requited love had quite the knack for yanking her away from whatever she was doing- today was not an exception. Lichentail had barely gotten more than a couple feet into the camp, water still dripping in rivulets down her shaggy coat, with a fish held snugly in her jaws when all but instantly she had been swooped upon. Regarding the excitable molly with a small, playful sigh, it seemed she would be taking a break to humor her... Dipperpaw would be grateful for the release from hunting, if Brookpaw hadn't already convinced her to ditch their chores for the day.

Settling down across from Ferngill and the songbird that regaled their tales of struggle and success, her ears perked to gather up what details were shared. It sounded strenuous, a responsibility she did not envy but was regretful of missing all the same. It would be an enjoyable retelling if not for the blaring commentary from Sunsetfury, a grating upon her ears.

Glancing between the tortoiseshell and the two returned heroes, Lichentail wondered if the exaggerated reaction felt corny to them too... Maybe Sunsetfury just had a lower threshold for shock and awe? Is my age really telling on me already? The thought leaves a frown- I'm not even that old..

"Well... it's a good thing not all the clans sink like rocks in the slightest depths..." It is just a reminder that they were no river-less fish, flopping around on dry land to suffer like their neighbors. "How was it to work with the other clans?" The question expects an answer of negativity, one that complains of their frustrating personalities and staggering differences. Really the only clan she could imagine working with willing was SkyClan.

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WELL IF YOU WANT MY BLOOD I'LL MAKE SO MUCH BLOOD

THAT YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING DROWN​

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[LILYBLOOM.]

The journey - it's something that seems to have captured everyone's attention. Lilybloom had of course pried some tales from her mate but it was interesting to hear the others speak of the journey to share their own thoughts on what they had seen and encountered when away.

She listens with interest as they talk about bridges and a cave, her singular green eye shifting among the talkers. "I can't imagine it was always easy working with the other clans," Lilybloom mused as Lichentail asked what it was like to work with them. There had been plenty difficulties when the five clans had been forced to shelter together and she imagined it was much and the same for those traveling. "What happened in the cave?"​

 

[Asphodelrain]

*+:｡.｡ Though young and naive as Asphodelpaw was - or perhaps because of those traits - he confidently believed he'd die in a heartbeat for his clan if they so needed him to. But to travel into the frightening unknown not only surrounded on all sides by enemy warriors but enemy warriors he'd have to work alongside? It made his pelt prickle with unease! Born and raised a Riverclanner, Asphodelpaw didn't understand sharing his loyalty with cats outside his home clan, and considered doing so blasphemous! Still, he couldn't help but snap his sharply pointed ears up when he overheard bits of the conversation taking place. The journey cats had not only braved the wilds outside of the five clan land but they'd done so all together! For all his attempts to look wiser than his moons, there could be no hiding the awe in his eyes as he approached, peeking over the others' shoulders and straining his ears to catch every word spoken of what must have been the most grueling adventure any Riverclanner has ever gone through!

The Thunderpath was only the start...only the start!? Asphodelpaw rolls over the baffling comment in his head, unable to comprehend how anything could be more significant than the river of hardened black rock that marred the land like a raised ebony scar, unnaturally straight and reeking of Monster breath. But that was just the beginning, apparently! Asp can't help but scoot a little closer, dying to know more. He tried to picture a two-leg nest surrounded by monsters, imagining a warrior's den like their own but instead of walls made naturally from what nature provided, it was instead built from the stinking rock that only monsters could comfortably tread upon. Was that whole part of the forest full of Monster-rock? He wrinkles his nose at the thought - a poor patch of woodland destroyed by that foul stone! But he only rolls the skin bridging his nose even further, practically exposing his teeth when Hazecloud mentioned a Skyclanner wanting to actually walk right through a monster!
He shoots Sunsetfury a look of agreement, nodding his head profusely - couldn't have put it better himself! Those clan cats were probably so used to living alongside beasts like that, that they probably assumed all of those unfeeling things would feed and groom them if they mewled loud enough! He snickers at the thought, only for his attention to be snatched yet again by the mention of a bridge, and the plan to go around the river!
More evidence in Asphodelpaw's roster of how idiotic cats outside his home clan were! "I bet you guys had to do most of the leading considering how foolish the other warriors sound" Asphodelpaw pipes up after Lichentail's question. But what was it like? And what happened in the cave that made Ferngill's words trail away like that?

*+:｡.｡ Updated 11/22/23

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  GENERAL:
  ☆ Asphodelpaw
  ☆ DMAB— He/Him — Unsure
  ☆ 8 moons — Ages 1 moon every month real-time
  ☆ Mentored by Crashingtide
  ☆ Riverclan — Apprentice
  
  
  
  
  
  COMBAT:
  ☆ Physically easy | mentally medium
  ☆ Attack in bold #9fc3fc
  injuries: None currently

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[hazecloud]

Sunsetfury's interest drew an equally enthusiastic nod from Hazecloud. The dawns and dusks they had spent out there were forever burned in her memory, and every day until their return she thought of how those days would be retold to her Clan. Ferngill at one point even sought for ways to describe the mountains heights and she found herself thankful that she wasn't the only one that planned on carrying their stories on.

"Slate suggested we go around almost anything we stood in front of. I'm sure if StarClan hadn't specified we needed to go up he would've asked we go around the mountain, too." The brutish tom had really been a thorn dug deep in their paw sometimes. Always in a bitter mood (Hazecloud wondered if he had volunteered, and if he had what was the point?) and behaved more like a rogue than a warrior. She would never forget how he stood over his prey, snarling at Iciclefang like a mannerless fiend.

"We ended up saving a few cats that tripped up and fell in. Definitely humbled a WindClanner myself." Her smile is proud, a humble bragging she felt was well deserved.

"Oh yes, the caves were absolutely dreadful! Complete darkness, we couldn't even see our own paws or muzzles. It didn't help that a rockslide collapsed and made us all split up. We didn't know if anyone outside our groups were even alive for days." The hunger she had felt in the depths was horrid. She remembered Nightbird finding a lizard by the tail, shocked as it abandoned the trapped appendage altogether and left them with a single, scaly tail. "We were all led by a single ShadowClan cat. It was really what showed us we would need to start working together if we all wanted to survive."

Her smile faltered as she remembered Honeyjaw. The sweet tom who could find warm humor in any freezing chill. She hoped he was safe, wherever he ended up.

Asphodelpaw's boast was answered with her own gentle laughter. "It was... strange how we all worked. In the beginning we all stuck to our own Clans but after the caves we sort of... mixed. No one was the set leader, not one Clan was outperforming the other. We truly found balance in our own skills. Especially when it came to the cliffside. I could never climb a tree, but the SkyClanners redeemed themselves in leading us up a cliff wall!" ​

 

[FERNGILL]

In truth, he'd not expected such an audience. Maybe it was Hazecloud's influence; she was a lot more put together in her recounting of things than he was. In fact, when he'd been running things through in his head, it had been her who'd flocked to help him. Steepsnout couldn't hear this story, though- or at least, if she was listening, he couldn't watch her face for her reaction. A brief sadness settled within him, and for a few moments he was far away.

Sunsetfury was as amicable as ever, and he laughed along with her, shrugging off her praise. "When it came to swimming, I did," he chuckled. Though there was half-heartedness buried within, he did a good job of blazing bright when surrounded by Clanmates. Hazecloud's words brought a side-glance from him, though- a small nod. The caves- a dark recollection, literally and figuratively, but he was forced to look back on it. The unpleasantness of it all wasn't quite delved into with the other warrior's words- it taught them to work together, she said. Simply nodding along with Hazecloud, within Ferngill's stomach settled a stone.

Lichentail and Asphodelpaw both looked between them, asking about the other Clans; a small sheepishness overcame him. "Yeah. Even though RiverClan was the first to save our skins, every Clan eventually managed something. The Shadowclanners and the, the cave... the Skyclanners on the cliff..." Trailing off, he recalled the words. "It was tall enough to split the clouds in two. In the dark, you couldn't even see the top. Without SkyClan, we never would have gotten up it." ​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[Moonbeam]

Moonpaw had been sitting to the side, ears pricked and eyes wide as she listened to the stories that were being shared, eyes flicked between each of the cats as they spoke about the journey, about what they went through. There was a bridge, a thunderpath, a mountain, a twoleg place. Too many things that she didn't think that she would want to deal with, and although at first she had wished she could have gone on the journey with the others she was glad now that she hadn't been picked. Even though the rogues were hard to deal with it felt like this would have been harder - especially the cave. As much as Moonpaw enjoyed sleeping under the stars she didn't enjoy the dark, not the complete darkness anyway.

"Every clan? Even WindClan?" She didn't know what ThunderClan would have to offer either, but WindClan was the main one on her mind now with them taking over territory that wasn't theirs. "I'm surprised everyone came home with so much lungwort since they were there, did they try to take it at all?" She could only imagine what WindClan would have done on the trip.

I WISH PLANT LIFE ꕥ WOULD GROW ALL AROUND ME

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• MOONPAW formerly Ratpaw || NPC x NPC || brother to Rowanpaw || apprentice to Salmonshade.
  -- She/Her || 7 moons old, ages every 17th
  -- smaller than average, small rounded ears. SH white masking cinnamon torbie with orange eyes.
  -- soft-spoken, often found humming, tries to comfort others by smiling

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