camp Spider Dance (prompt)

[Wheattail]

Silkkit was responsible for this, she was sure. Conversing with that spider must have been some ill omen, for it had retreated to tell its friends about how Shadowclan was the perfect nesting ground. “I should have crushed the thing when I had the chance.” Wheatpaw grumbles inwardly while cleaning yet another mass of sticky string out of the tail for which she was named.

Yes, they’d grown steadily in number, spreading over Shadowclan’s camp to create a veritable minefield of near-invisible traps. Spiderwebs were seemingly everywhere, along with their inhabitants. “Pest!” the She-cat spat as she stomped one underpaw, walking away with a smug expression which soon turned to panicked spitting and shaking as she stepped face first into yet another web. “Pleh! pleh! Get this wretched thing off of me!” The apprentice swiped at herself, annoyance and disgust fusing to make an amusing sight.

Yes, the somewhat-conceited she-cat was acting more prideful than usual today, attempted compensation for a carefully cultivated image of elegance falling apart in the face of structures made by creatures a fraction her size. “I am going to burn this forest down if I am made to deal with these disgusting things for another second!” Wheatpaw wailed to anyone who would listen, usual experience and wisdom cracking to reveal the childishness inherent in her age.​

 

[scalejaw]

—————————————————【 she/her | menacing 】————————————————

【◈】The spiders were spreading like an infestation. Perhaps that's what it was. Scalejaw had said something about the webs being pretty, but it was just as annoying as it was pretty, she thought now. Her ears twitched as she entered camp- another failed solo hunt- when Wheatpaw's demeanor just about exploded. Orange eyes shifted towards the she-cat, ears perking. "What are you-"

As if karma was listening intently today, just as Wheatpaw killed one of their fellow predators, a cobweb covered the apprentice's face. Scalejaw did her best not to let the laughs bubbling in her stomach out, instead sweeping through the crowd. She gracefully seemed to avoid the cobwebs- mostly, for what did snag, snagged on her pelt. She'd get rid of those later. "Wheatpaw. Wheatpaw! Calm down, the more frustrated you get, the faster it digs into your fur." Scalejaw instructed.

She finally reached the apprentice, coming to a stop. A tiny snort left the older warrior, tail flicking as she intently studied Wheatpaw's face. "If you sit still, I'll pull it off, okay?" She said. "Though threatening the very forest we live in is not so nice, you know." Her voice was lightly amused, but the message still just as serious.

"yuh"

[penned by dallas].

​

 

[Frostbite]

Frostbite is very unhappy with the spiders of the marsh. Who do they think they are. This is SHADOWCLAN'S camp, not theirs. He cant remember how many he has stepped on for daring to enter the nursery. Now, he has left the nursery to find webs on everything. The thickest were on the brambles of the camp, or at least the most visible. Perhaps he could gather some for the medicine den and give a positive to this situation.

The webs unseen however, were tormenting his clanmates as they were about to do him.

No sooner did he leave the nursery did he come face to face with a weaving spider descending down from its web higher up. He narrows his eyes at it and curls his lip in irritation.

"Couldn't they make their webs somewhere else?? There's an entire marsh to crawl around. Better yet, an entire forest." He complains as he swats the spider out of the air and squishes it on the ground. He walks over to Scalejaw and Wheatpaw, observing the apprentice flail about in frustration. ".......Guess you guys haven't been very lucky, huh." He said, watching with a hint of amusement.

It was only a matter of time before he became a victim as well.​

 

[TANGLEKIT]

"Why do they make this stuff anyway?" Tanglekit blinked, dipping her paw into one of the stringy things and grimacing as they clung to her fur. She flinched at Wheatpaw began to sputter and hiss at the tiny creatures and Tanglekit could not say she would feel any different. However, she did have an image to uphold so she tried to look as unbothered as possible as she impatiently lashed her tail to free it from the sticky traps.

"They just wanna make us sad." She puffed, watching the warriors fuss over the apprentice.

​

 

[Wheattail]

Amber eyes narrowed as Scalejaw approacheed, the cat at the end of her gaze somewhat blurred by a particularly nasty strand of silk caught in her eye. The apprentice didn’t know if she was appreciative for the assistance or not. One one hand, any help would get this damned thing off her face. On the other, the former loner’s pride wanted her to keep prodding at it alone.

Deciding that sight was more valuable than self-image, Wheatpaw sat still, grumbling about how she looked like a kit getting their fur licked flat before a ceremony. “Get on with it, then” she huffed, before sharp eyes softened with gratitude. “Please.” If Wheatpaw’s rare politeness was akin to an eclipse, than it must have passed quickly as the apprentice practically exploded with annoyance at the next comment. “We can always find a new forest! One without these hateful spiders, perhaps.” The Somali lookalike stuck out her tongue, aware of the absurd nature of her banter.

Frostbite’s words pulled the apprentice’s attention away from her silly argument, and Wheatpaw wondered if the warrior had a point. “Perhaps they settled here for the same reason you all did: it is the best location.” A huff of laughter escaped her. “Well, ‘best’ when compared to the rest of the marshlands, anyway.” The amusement drained from her voice as she picked up on the laughing tone in Frostbite’s voice, and the she-cat turned her head. “Well, I suppose your luck must he better than ours. When your paws are stuck together, though, do not expect myself or Scalejaw to come to your aid.” Hypocritical, coming from the one who’d barely accepted help herself.

All the annoyance in the apprentice’s voice was quick to disappear as Tanglekit made her voice heard. No matter what mood she was in, Wheatpaw’s heart simply melted around kits. Still, the elegant apprentice had an image to maintain (even if she currently resembled a mummy more than a moggy). “I agree completely, Tanglekit. Awful things, the lot of them. Instead of cowardly laying traps for tiny flies, they should be made to hunt like the rest of us.” ​

 

[scalejaw]

—————————————————【 she/her | menacing 】————————————————

【◈】 Scalejaw rumbled a laugh- the older warrior easing into helping Wheatpaw. Her paws would gently roll the silky strands from the apprentice's face- claws barely dipping into fur to tug it free here and there. By the time she was done getting Wheatpaw's face carefully cleaned up, she shifted to the chest and neck area. Leaning back with a paw swabbed in cobwebs, she finally let a huff of air out. "All done- on your legs and belly, just do your best to pick through it like I just did." Scalejaw responded.

Ears twitched as her vision shifted to those who approached- Frostbite and Tanglekit. "I like where we live- don't you?" Scalejaw stated, standing up. It was an awkward stance, holding up the cobwebs. It was valuable, at least- Starlingheart would easily stock up for weeks on this stuff right here. Another soft laugh left her at Wheatpaw's statement. "That's right, I expect a full groom if I have to get you unstuck at all, Frostbite. Consider yourself lucky as it is now." She snickered directly after.

Vision dropped towards Tanglekit. She held her words for a brief moment, Wheatpaw's tone totally shifting with the kit in mind. "Come now, they're just trying to survive like us." Scalejaw said warmly. Amusement danced in her eyes, vision soft as she regarded her clanmates. "Are you covered in webs, Tanglekit? I can get you out if you want." Scalejaw asked, eyebrows lofting in question.

"yuh"

[penned by dallas].

​

 

[Frostbite]

Frostbite can only chuckle at Wheatpaw's suggestion to find a new forest without spiders. "Good luck, these guys are everywhere." He says.

He supposes Wheatpaw has a point, their camp is the best spot in the marsh to live in. Its safe and protected. "And I suppose from a spider's point of view, plenty of places to hide and make webs." He says, agreeing with her statement. If he were a spider, he'd choose their camp too."Much to our misfortune."

He personally does not actually like the swamp. He prefers the mountain climate, but the swamp is much easier on his eyes than the snow, which is what drove him from his home in the first place. Here, he doesn't have to squint to see, nor take breaks to rest his eyes.

"It's alright, I suppose." He says lightheartedly in response to Scalejaw's question.

Wheatpaw and Scalejaw tell him to consider himself lucky that he has not met this fate yet, and he smirks. "I'll have to do my best to look out then, won't I?" He says. He has no plans to get caught in any webs. The thought of spiders crawling on him makes him so...so very uncomfortable.

He smiles at Tanglekit. "This is just what spiders do. They spin their webs and catch bugs in them, its how they hunt. They're not trying to make us sad on purpose." At least. He THINKS they aren't doing it on purpose.​