camp PRICES AND VICES — rta

[PANTHERPELT]

"WHO'S A HERETIC NOW?"​

"Y’know what? Fuck ya! And y’wonder why I ain’t stayin’ here with ya all the time!" Pantherpelt huffs, talking to themself as they stomp ’round the front porch. One of the wooden beams has grown soft in one corner, and their paw catches on it at the wrong angle, sending them stumbling’ forward. They nearly tip over, but manage to catch themself with a steady paw thrown out for balance. It only makes them angrier though, and they bite back a snarl.

The molly paces and growls and talks to herself on the porch until she feels calm, rational enough to set off for her second home during the day. A couple deep breaths, and she sets her shoulders. Calm. Not ’bout to bite nobody’s head off.

She misses SkyClan, even though the forest has grown cold and harsh in the winter. At least it ain’t snowed yet, she thinks. But she’s been away from the clan for a few days now, and she’s gettin’ restless. But to be honest, they haven’t been able to risk slinking’ their way off to the woods in a while, not while Puma’s been so suspicious of them. Pantherpelt hasn’t enjoyed lying to her sister for so long, but she’d known it would turn out like this—an argument over her safety, and an upset sister.

Her long-awaited return to SkyClan territory’s met with silence, and for a moment she wonders whether the clan’s been abandoned within the week that she’s been gone. Maybe they all went south for the winter, like those weird duck things do. Or maybe they’re all just stayin’ inside of camp, like sensible little winter-cats.

The massive warrior trots into SkyClan’s camp with a grimace that instantly shifts into a bright smile as she spots a few of her clanmates. Once she’s approached then, she offers a dip of her head. Then she spits out the mouthful of kibble that she’d carried all this way. It’s disgustin’, really, but beggars can’t be choosers an’ all that.

"I know prey is getting’ harder ‘n’ harder to find ’cause it’s winter an’ all," she begins, shaking’ her head as though she can dislodge the wet, slimy food stuck ’tween her teeth. "But my folks’ve got good food all the time, so I thought, why not bring some to share? Now y’all can eat the same stuff!"
​

✦ ★ ✦​

 

[~Deersong~]

( ♬ ) "Have we tried hunting near sunningrocks? Surely there must be something-" Deersogn cuts off the conversation she's having with a few warriors when she spots Pantherpelt trotting into camp. Her face lit up in happiness, she hadn't seen the warrior in a few days and Deer had been genuinely worried that they had gotten trapped somewhere.

As the molly comes closer and spits out some dry....something...on the ground, Deersong blinks slowly in confusion before she purrs and tilts her head, "Far out, what is this stuff?" It was a genuine question, as the deputy had never actually seen kibble before. Her head bends down to take a few sniffs and she tilts her head the other way in an almost comical fashion, "I wonder what it's made out of. Still sweet of you to bring, Panther, anything helps during the cold days after all." Turning to the others gathered, Deersong would look at them all expectantly, waiting to see who would accept the offer first. ​

( LET YOU BREAK; MY HEART AGAIN )

 

[HUCKLEBERRY]

( ☼ ) huckleberry isn't trailing far behind the cream colored deputy as they headed to greet pantherpelt who had made a grand return back from what he assumes is the twolegplace. his presumption is soon to be proved true as he watches the molly bend down for a split second to release the mouthful of kibble they had been holding onto which makes him let out a little laugh.

just as deersong said, every little bit counts since prey has been getting harder and harder to find these days but he's not sure who's keen enough to crunch on food thats now covered in someone elses spit. "ah ain't too hungry right now but ah'm sure someone will be happy to have something in their belly!" huckleberry comments, flicking a quick glance at whoever else may be around before looking back at pantherpelt with a smile.

"anyways, it's nice ta see ya 'round here again friend, you plannin' on stayin' long?"
​

( i hear the wandering streams and the song of the birds )

 

[TALLULAHWING]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

Just when she began to think she'd never see the strange-tongued dark warrior again, Pantherpelt returns! She's oddly silent at first, not like her at all. Tallulahwing bounds up beside her brother and the deputy, silken ends of her ribbon fluttering in the cold wind. "Why, Pantherpelt! By golly, we were startin' to think you'd decided to stay a kittypet forever!"

She halts her ramblings as Pantherpelt opens her mouth and reveals why she'd walked in so quietly. Brown lumps, sodden and soggy with saliva, fall messily out of her mouth and onto the ground. Tallulahwing's jaw drops.

"You did not," she mews, her eyes wide with disbelief. And then Deersong bends down to sniff Pantherpelt's regurgitated dinner! Tallulahwing almost throws up what little of her own kibble remains in her belly!

"Miss Deersong, please," she begs. "That's not--" She gags a little, turning her face to the side. Despite it all, she can't help the sparkle of amusement in her pale eyes. Pantherpelt is back, alright!

- ,,​

​

 

[ThistleBack]

Perched outside the nursery, having been spending a few moments with his kits before his duties- the black and white warrior’s nose snaps towards the shadowy pelt as it leaks into the snowy camp clearing. A massive wild hair beast she was, jaws open and pellets gush from a familiar maw. Thistleback’s lips peel backward into a delighted and amused smile, grey eyes shifting to Deersong as she inspects the prospective food.

Nothing turned the stomach of the former street cat. Starvation was a tool strong enough to warp the mind, distort the perception of disgust. Huckleberry turns it down kindly, and Tallulahwing’s grossed out response earns a low gush of laughter from the babysitting father.

" aw- she’s come to feed us like bird chicks " Thistleback chimes with a chuckle from a wrinkled sideways smirk. " Good to see you back Pantherpelt " he greets her from afar.

​

OOC INFO REF

• —
  
  
• 
  
  
  ✧ T H I S T L E B A C K
  thirty-three moons
  — warrior of Skyclan
  — taken by
  Deersong 9.29.22
  — mentoring quillpaw
  — very muscular piebald black and white tom with spiky fur and cold silver-grey eyes. ･ﾟ✧​
• 
  
  

​

 

[PALEKIT]

Little white paws follow along in Thistleback's wake, with the little hooligan they were attached to all-a-buzz. Pantherpelt! He didn't really know this Pantherpelt person but he had to like her - everybody's saying she brought food! He's hungry, he's hungry, he's hungry! Hungry, ma, hungry all the time! It's with this little mindset that Palekit follows after his parents, mismatched eyes bright at the possibility of a snack.

His little tummy grumbles and rumbles, grumbles so hard that he doesn't even think twice before nyooming to the regurgitated food, barely sniffing it and gobbling it up like a demon before anyone else could get to it. It's still warm and a little chewy and it gets stuck between his teeth but it's food! .... That's what everybody said, right?

He peers up with a sheepish grin. "You got anymore? I want s'more, please!" He even remembered his manners this time! "speech"​

 

[COSMOSBLOOM]

Cosmospaw struggles to keep track of those who live permanently in SkyClan's camp, so the whereabouts of SkyClan's daylight warriors is only something he struggles with more. Constantly disappearing to sleep elsewhere, sometimes not showing up for days at a time. Cosmospaw doesn't quite get the appeal of it, their odd tendencies.

The one that trails into camp is no one new, but someone who Cosmospaw hadn't seen in a long while. Had he given much thought about the dark-furred feline, he would have thought she'd just given up clan life. Strange, how daylight warriors can just take breaks from it all.

But what happens next is even stranger.

The daylight warrior spews small pebbles out of her mouth, wet and clumpy as they land on the ground. Food, she calls it. Cosmospaw doesn't think it is.

"Oh that's..." he starts, before trailing off. Lovely? Thoughtful? The tom isn't sure it's either. Before he can manage to find the words, one of the new deputy's kits appears, begins eating the pebbles. Slimy things, covered in the daylight warrior's spit. Gross.

"Uh, you... Maybe you shouldn't --" The kit eats it all. Asks for more. The snow-furred tom stares at him, dumbfounded.

Well. At least there was one less mouth to feed.
​

 

[PANTHERPELT]

"WHO'S A HERETIC NOW?"​

It ain’t a surprise that Deersong is the first to greet them as they stride over to her. The molly’s kind and capable, and Pantherpelt likes her. She must be exhausted, but she remains friendly as ever as she asks what the food is made of. "My sis," a scowl moves ‘cross Panther’s maw at the reminder of the argument with her sister, even though the fire of her anger has since chilled, "says it’s made of dog meat, but I ain’t never believed a word she says." To be honest, the stuff just tastes like dry, generic meat flavor. Like if a bird and a fish had a baby and then left it to sit in the sun for a few days. It’s not the best taste, but food’s food, and the stuff keeps her fur shiny ‘n’ soft, so she don’t mind.

More SkyClanners are quick to gather ‘round them, and Pantherpelt smiles at each of ‘em in turn. To Huckleberry she offers a friendly dip of her head, even though his easy excuse sounds a bit like a lie. Maybe he just don’t like kibble—she don’t blame him, it’s sorta weird. "It’s good to see all y’all! An’ I plan on stickin’ around ‘til y’all get sick'a me." It’s a joke, but it isn’t. She ain’t goin’ home ‘til Puma’s calmed down, an’ that might take a few days.

Tallulahwing’s greeting is met with a sparklin’ smile, all teeth, and Pantherpelt snorts dismissively at the idea that she’d ever stay a kittypet. As if. She’s too ingrained into the clan to just abandon ‘em now. No matter what her sister says. "I’d never leave y’all for good," she rumbles, lookin’ around the group of ‘em. They’re a fun bunch, SkyClan, an’ they give her somethin’ to do on long, boring days. Tallulahwing looks kinda disgusted, though, so the chocolate she-cat tips her head to the side in confusion. "What’s wrong? Ain’t’cha glad to see me?"

The bristly bicolor feline who trods over catches her eye, and it’s his turn to receive a toothy grin. She spies little paws trailin’ after the black and white tom—ah, she’d nearly forgotten that Deersong and Thistleback are parents now. It’s real sweet, actually. "Ya lookin’ to be a birdie today?" She jokes, gesturing to the gross pile of food mush with a paw, but Thistleback’s wee shadow darts forth ‘fore his dad does, stuffin’ his mouth full o’ the stuff like he’s near starvin’.

The kit looks up to her, now, askin’ for more food. Just how bad is their prey situation already, if this child is so hungry? Perhaps Pantherpelt should have found a way to bring even more food than this. "Ah, ‘fraid I don’t got no more. That’s it, kitto. I’ll be sure t’ bring ya back some more next time." She catches the expression that falls into place on Cosmospaw’s face, and she can’t quite help it. She doubles over, long fangs bared as the lets out the ugliest cackle ever heard. "What’s that look for? Ya act like ya ain’t never seen a kit eat!" She supposes that maybe the kid truly hasn’t seen such a sight before, but still! Hilarious, that right there.
​

✦ ★ ✦​

 

[eveningsun]

eve follows out after palekit, never one to miss out on all the excitement. the kit joins the group, sporting a radiant grin. everyday in camp was her favorite day. there was just so much to do, so many cats to meet. she watched the dark furred warrior spit out some food and her grin dissolves quickly. what was that? it was soggy and... and palekit was chowing down on it.

her jaw went slack. what was he thinking! eating food practically straight out of pantherpelt's mouth, was he insane? eveningkit was concerned and fully believed he would throw the food right back out of his mouth. but no, he was asking for more. with a polite grin too. she tried, really hard, to keep it together, but this was just too funny. eve was howling in laughter, unaware of any other conversation going on. no way he was that hungry! she couldn't even believe her eyes.​

[ FALLEN STAR ]​