stakes are high [open - snake safety]

[Johnnyflame]

MY WORLDS ON FIRE, HOW 'BOUT YOURS?
THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT AND I NEVER GET BORED."​

---

The adders were out. The bite Silversmoke had received was proof enough of that, which meant that it was time for Johnny to ensure the newest generation wasn't caught off guard. If one of those scaly bastards made their way into camp somehow then he was going to make sure every kit new exactly what it was and not to go near it. Stars forbid some brave scrap of fur think it prey or something fun to play with. Snakes could be those things -food, and a source of fun and training for a young cat- but only if you knew what you were doing.

And this age, no kit had any business going near one without a trained adult present, and Johnny was going to show them exactly why.

When the tom returned to camp that morning, it was with a snake dangling from his jaws. This wasn't one of the small live garden snakes he would typically pluck from his twolegs nest and bring for the kits to practice their co-ordination with though. No, this one was much bigger, close to two feet and dragging in the dirt as he walked. More importantly though, it was very very dead. The patched tabby had killed it earlier in the day before stashing it until it was deemed 'safe'.

Dead snakes was another lesson the kits would learn about today, and how they too were still dangerous. Johnny had learned that one that hard way when he was younger, but he'd ensure Skyclans youth was able to learn from his mistakes.

"Alright ye little scraps- get your tails over here for a lesson in safety!" he called as he dropped the motionless serpent at his paws, voice carrying toward the nursery a short distance away. "And don't touch anything!" he warned sternly from where he stood over the vanquished predator.

OOC- This is open to anyone but is mainly geared toward the younger cats of Skyclan. It should be noted that ICly Johnny will not allow anyone to touch this particular snake or go anywhere near its head. He will 100% scruff a child if they don't listen. Consider this an educational lecture where he explains exactly why and how snakes are dangerous + a Q&A on the things. He'll bring smaller ones for practicing with another time XD @FLUFFYKIT @ricekit @STORMKIT! @Blue Freeze Pop

---

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[ricepaw]

Johnnyflame returns with something interesting, something that piques Ricekit's attention from where she had been sunbathing. The sunlight was warm, but the creature he drags was weird-looking and dead. Certainly not Skyclan's usual choice of prey, hm?

She's about ready to look away, but his call makes her grumble under her breath. Scraps... Who did he think he was talking to? Certainly not her...! She was refined, well-groomed, certainly no scrap at all.

She's drawn over anyways, because the snake looks cooler than her personal hatred for being called a scrap, raising her nose and giving the air a little sniff as she makes her way over. She sits, tucks a curly tail over her paws and gives her mane a few good licks to tame a few stray hairs down. She wouldn't want to touch that thing anyways especially as she got a closer look... It was ugly and she finds herself irrationally afraid to touch it as if she'd grow scales and become nasty too...

𝙸𝙳𝙴𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚂𝙼 𝚂𝙸𝚃𝚂 𝙸𝙽 𝙿𝚁𝙸𝚂𝙾𝙽 -♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧ 𝙲𝙷𝙸𝚅𝙰𝚁𝙻𝚈 𝙵𝙴𝙻𝙻 𝙾𝙽 𝙸𝚃𝚂 𝚂𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳

• ❥ ricekit
  ❥ cis female ,, she/her ,, 03 months
  ❥ kit of skyclan ,, heronstep x cauliflowercurl ,, sibling to
  ❥ regal, curly-furred white she-cat with striking green eyes
  ❥ "speech, f0a78e" ,, thoughts
  ❥ too young ,, single ,, not interested at all
  ❥ smells like hyacinths & lilies
  ❥ penned by chuff | all opinions are ic!

​

 

[Bluepaw]

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ- The aspect of predators in the forest wasnt something he had quite grasped yet. Still reeling from the whole entire camp itself let alone something like an animal trying to kill them all the time. However, he was growing more and ore curious with each passing day over the aspects of the clans. Following Flora around like a lost puppy for the first few hours but he was slowly growing into being social with these other cats. It was strange but welcoming.

In any case, the young blue tabby had been wondering around for a moment as he just got to camp for the fourth time that week and he then heard a large tabby cat call out to young ones. He was no young one, but still grew rather curious regardless as to what he was trying to get them to do. Blue made his way over on careful paws and then peered over this smaller kit that had also joined.

Blue eyes went round with awe, a snake!

He’d never seen a snake before up close, nor in real life, and they looked nothing like the toy snakes he had at home. Or moms stuffed snakes she had on the couch and bed. Blue looked to the cat who had called them over, oh his name was- something? Blue felt embarrassed for not knowing and glanced down before quietly sitting down nearby, despite the need to poke and see what the snake was about.

Speech
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[Cherryblossom]

The memory of her first encounter with a snake is, surprisingly, a fond one. Fond only due to Johnnyflame's presence, or perhaps his orchestration, for he had once again been the one dragging a snake into the middle of camp. His name hadn't been Johnnyflame either—just Johnny, she recalls. A clump of syllables that paled in comparison to a true warrior's name. Cherrykit shrieked her tail off, and Eggkit came to save her. And maybe Doomkit had been there, or Plaguekit, on the sidelines of it all just as they linger on the sidelines of her memory now.

Though the call is decidedly not for her, the sleek calico is drawn forth anyway. She sits neatly between Blue and Ricekit, tucking her tail tightly over her paws as though at any moment the snake could jump back to life and latch onto any overhanging body parts. It's already dead... she muses at the lead's commands to not touch it, though she wouldn't want to touch a dead snake anyway. "Ew," she says, unprompted. It looks...slimy. "ShadowClanners eat these, you know," she quietly announces to the young, impressionable minds nearby.​

 

[weedpaw]

𓆝 . ° ✦ Johnnyflame's command comes as obvious to the young black and white kitten. Weedkit recoils from the snake as if it has reached out to strike him. He crinkles his nose in disgust as if he's felt it's cold scales on his paws or as if it smells bad. He goes rigid where he sits beside his sister, Fluffykit. If she wasn't here, Weedkit might find this activity distasteful and ridiculous. If warriors could kill and bring back adders so easily, then why should the rest of them be concerned with safety protocols?

His ears flick when Cherryblossom comments that the ShadowClan cats eat snakes. At that remark, Weedkit grimaces with disgust. "How can that be true?" he raises the question to the calico, eyes narrowed with disgust and disbelief "How can anyone eat something like that?" Weedkit punctuates the end of his question with the jab of his paw in the direction of the snake Johnnyflame has brought back to camp. If it is true, why don't they die? Are all ShadowClanners that gross and stupid?

✧　°　.　✶　.　°　✧​

ooc Information

• ooc: —mentioning @FLUFFYKIT
• 
  
  

  WEEDKIT — HE/HIM ･ 5 MOONS ･ SKYCLAN KIT ･ PENNED BY CARAT!

  longhaired black tomcat with low white spotting. born 11/9/23 and ages realistically 1 week every Thursday. Follow along with his growth here!

​

 

[Glitchpaw]

*+:｡.｡ Glitchkit jumped when Johnny's voice rang out for her, a fellow scrap's, attention. His voice was loud, it made her ears hurt. If he'd shouted like that in her two legs home, he would've gotten a 'hush!' from her two legs. Managed and quiet...she misses her twolegs. She finds she prefers her day as a clan cat even less when she follows her neighbor's call to find he's carrying a long, limp rope...with a face! A yelp erupts from her maw as she jumps back, nearly toppling into a kit behind her. Whimpering apologies, she scurries forward, narrowly avoiding tripping into Cherryblossom's tail. Another apology before she finally settles next to Ricekit. Curling her tail around her paws, she glances from Cherryblossom to Weedkit.

She decides to refrain from commenting on how, in her opinion, everything besides her twoleg's faceless, heartless, soulless kibble is what's really ew.

Instead, she turns her attention back to the limp snake, wincing at the sight. "Are you gonna teach us how to not end up like that...?" she asks, confused why a snake would be involved in a safety lesson.

*+:｡.｡ Updated 3/22/24

• 
  
  
• 
  
  
  GENERAL:
  ☏ Glitchkit
  ☏ DFAB— She/Her
  ☏ 3 moons — Ages 1 moon every month real-time
  ☏ Daughter to Statichaze, sister to Radiokit
  ☏ Skyclan — Kit
  
  
  
  
  
  
  COMBAT:
  ☏Physically worm | mentally tadpole
  ☏ Attack in bold #3a3a3a
  injuries: None currently

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[SILVERSMOKE]

The tabby's eyes grew wide as the long snake was dumped within the campgrounds, his stomach twisting with discomfort. He couldn't declare it fear for the dead thing or anxiety for what it represented, but the memory of the bite was as fresh as the scars upon his hind leg. His shoulders bunched together as he moved closer, his head ducked between his shoulders and thin pupils settled upon the reptile as if anticipating it would come alive at any moment. At the very least, Silversmoke knew that Johnnyflame was capable enough to handle it should its severed neck be merely an act (he thought he knew how snakes worked until one tried to kill him). Knowing he wasn't the recipient of such an event, primarily because if Johnnyflame had called him a 'scrap' it likely would have ended in one, the Lead Warrior found a seat on the outskirts of his peer's demonstration, catching his eye for but a moment before sheepishly looking back towards the snake. 'I don't want to ask you for help.' Johnnyflame had done enough, killing the adder that'd struck him was a debt that had yet to be repaid. 'But I don't wanna get bit again.' There might not be a 'next time' should it happen once more.

A distraction came in the form of questions, one of which the tom could answer. "That's one of their delicacies," he mewed to Weedkit, tufted ears twitching. "They also eat crowfood, uh... old food that smells bad. When you're hungry enough, anything can become a meal." He didn't envy ShadowClan, out of all the territories, theirs seemed to most unpleasant. But there reached a point where one had to help themselves - if ShadowClan would not take food from unclaimed lands or other clans, then they would end up grouchy and starving until their dying days.

​

 

[Johnnyflame]

MY WORLDS ON FIRE, HOW 'BOUT YOURS?
THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT AND I NEVER GET BORED."​

---

The apprehension he saw in most of their eyes was good- it was instinct, and it would keep them alive. But there was nothing wrong with the curious enthusiasm others met him with either, and for all present it would be an experience they could take good lessons away from.

Glitchkits inquiry brought about a nod of affirmation. " I am. These are one of the trickier creatures in the territory, so it's good to give you all a headstart on them" With any luck, the kids would remember enough from this to help them in the future should they ever need it. While the chances of a snake making it into camp were slim due to the cats there and their vigilance, serpents were sneaky creatures who could be bold when hungry and go where other predators couldn't do to their bodies, and while they would never try to eat a full grown cat, the scent of a young litter of kits might prove to be temptation enough.

Besides, once they earned their 'paws' they'd be out in the territory where anything was possible, and unlike foxes and dogs who could be seen and scented easily, snakes were far trickier. Sometimes you just happened upon one, and it was always good to know what you were dealing with.

"Alright, listen up you lot! Consider this exclusive, early training for all you young apprentices-to-be." he began with playful wink, as if letting them in on something special even though he was very well known for doing this sort of thing. Just wait til he brought a live one in. "This is a snake. They come in all sizes and colors -sort of like birds- but the ones your most likely to meet in our territory are these guys. We call them adders, and their one of the many dangers us warriors protect the clans from. Yes, there are cats like those in Shadowclan who are known to be snake-eaters, you need to know these aren't just giant worms you should be messing around with if you happen to see one."

As he spoke he lad the snake out properly for them to see, stretching it out to it's full size in front of him on it's belly in order to put the sleek scales on display, along with the pattern running down it's back. He kept a paw rested on the top of it's partially severed head, pinning it to the ground as precaution.

"Believe it or not, this thing has fangs in it's mouth kind of like our own. It only takes a single bite to make a cat deathly sick, and it would send smaller cats like you straight to Starclan. Only the strongest and luckiest survive a shot from an adder. "

He paused to let those words sink into their young minds, sunny eyes flickering toward Silversmoke with a small smirk. Strong and lucky, that one.

His gaze returned to the younger cats.

"That's why you should never go near one without a trained adult present no matter how small it is or how sure you are that it's harmless. Even a freshly killed snake can still bite you after it's dead if you don't take the head off. I had to stash this one for over half a day before it was good to bring back, and your still not allowed to touch it."

Johnny could afford the risks if it meant teaching the next generation, and he'd fucked with it thoroughly for the better part of an hour to make sure it was safe to be handling. But if there was a cat who was going to get bit, then it would be him- he had his twolegs to care for him after all, and while he didn't doubt Dawnglare or the blessing Starclan had given him as Skyclans healer, he had also seen the work of twolegs healers as well, who'd helped him out several times in the past.

Still tough, his paw remained firmly atop the dead snakes head, pinning it to the ground.

"These adders come in a few colors and wont get much bigger than this one, but they all have this same odd zig-zaggy line down their backs." he said, using a claw to point out the interesting pattern along the creatures spine. "Different kinds of snakes will have different kinds of patterns. Some will make you sick if they bite you, and others won't. But since you guys haven't been trained to know the difference you should just steer clear of them all, ye here? Any questions so far?"

---

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[Bluepaw]

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ- A tortie she-cat came up between himself and the kit he had been peering over, and they mentioned something of this Shadowclan eating snakes, “Whats a Shadowclan?” he whispered softly with awe and then looked back to the snake- did they really eat them? They didnt look like they could feed a kit let alone a full grown cat! Surely they didnt mean that right? Blue shuddered at the thought of scaley food. Though a silver tomcat stated it was a delicacy of some sort and he wrinkled his nose- that sounded awful.

Though the blue tabby tomcat didnt have time to question things further as the orange and brown striped tomcat started talking again. This time explaining about the different types of snakes, their patterns, what they did and Blue listened intently with round eyes. He knew so much! Was he an expert on snakes? How many snakes did he encounter before knowing all of this? Blue had a thousand and one questions, and they almost came spilling out when the Tom asked if they had anything to ask.

He snapped his mouth shut as this didnt seem like something he should be asking anyway. The kits needed to know this more than he did- right? Blue wasnt sure, and he wondered how much of a problem snakes where in the clans.

Speech
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[Cherryblossom]

Cherryblossom's brows flick up ever so slightly at the appearance of Silversmoke. If there was a cat who didn't need a lesson on snakes, it was him. Or maybe just in the department of how dangerous they could be, because a tom who got bitten by one surely had a bit more to learn on how to not be bitten by one. A black kitten, one of Butterflytuft's brood, turns to her with a screwed-up face. She grins at him, but Silversmoke answers before her. Somewhat awkwardly, she might add. Maybe it was a good thing he and Auburnflame split before any kits could happen between them.

The other feline at her side pipes up with a stupid question. "How do you not know what ShadowClan is by now?" she meows scornfully. Johnnyflame has evidently decided enough of a crowd had gathered for him, and the calico warrior turns back around.

There was nothing she didn't already know, once again thanks to him. She doubts the lesson would stick for most of them, save for possibly Fluffykit, who sometimes seemed to dwell on the cozy bustle of camp as though all her clanmates were swarming foxes. Curiosity just couldn't be helped, especially in the midst of what one thought was safety. After a period of silence, Cherryblossom asks, "How'd you get so good at killing adders?" Maybe he killed the one that bit Silversmoke, because of course she hadn't missed the sly look he'd sent his way.

skyclan warrior | "speech." | tags​

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[FLUFFYPAW]

Fluffykit's jade-colored gaze hangs on the strange beast at Johnnyflame's paws. It's long, supine body gleams under the sun; it's flesh is rigid, scaled. A foul scent wafts from it; she does not know if it's decay, or if the creature always smells faintly sour. Cherryblossom gleefully announces ShadowClan eats adders, and the tiny tortoiseshell screws up her face in a mimicry of Weedkit's expression. "ShadowClan is so gross," she mews distastefully. Silversmoke even reaffirms the warrior's claim, and for once, Fluffykit looks to him not with nervousness, but with awe. "Don't they know crowfood gives you bellyaches?" Even the youngest SkyClan kit knew that!

She shifts her attention back to the lead warrior and his adder demonstration. He reminds them of their impending apprentice ceremonies, and Fluffykit does her best to push back a wave of nausea at the thought. He explains the long-bodied creature is a snake, an adder. She's heard of adders before, but this is the first time she's seen one, and she has to say she isn't impressed. "Looks like a big worm," she whispers to her brother. But Johnnyflame tells them the adder has fangs, and that a single bite from those fangs can make a cat deathly sick. She looks at the creature with undisguised horror.

"Can Dawnglare or Fireflypaw make you better if you get bit? Or..." She blinks, nervousness filtering through her question.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Fluffykit, she/her w/ feminine terms.
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — 5 moons old, ages realistically on the 8th.
  — mentored by n/a ; mentoring n/a ; previously mentored n/a.
  — skyclan kit. butterflytuft x dandelionwish, gen 3.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh chocolate tortie/cream chimera with jade eyes. frightened, clingy, anxious, gentle.
  
  

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[Fireflyglow]

After Silversmoke's bout with a snake bite, Fireflypaw had become well-equipped with how to deal with them- that doesn't mean he enjoyed treating such a thing, for it could lead to sickness or death even if he did treat it; too late, maybe. Milky blues rise from the ground as he hears Johnnyflame speak of the dangers of adders, charcoal paws carrying him over to the group of young cats to seat himself beside Fluffykit.

She asks a question- if he could fix it, heal a snake bite. "We can. If we catch it early. Venom destroys, young Fluffykit. You all must heed the words of Johnnyflame, for his words speak truth. The snakes that loom in the rockpile, to the adders that lurk in the grass- you must stray from their path for your own safety." His voice rang true, though his words seemed more like a puzzle if one could not make sense of it. He turns to the rest of the kits, then to Johnnyflame. Dipping his head in respect to the Lead Warrior. "Forgive me for my slight, I did not mean to interrupt your lesson. Carry on, friend."​

SKYCLAN MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE ✦ 21 MOONS ✦ CHUNKY, BIG-FOOTED SEAL POINT ✦ TAGS​

 

[Johnnyflame]

MY WORLDS ON FIRE, HOW 'BOUT YOURS?
THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT AND I NEVER GET BORED."​

---

Like Cherryblossom, Johnny was surprised to hear that Blue didn't know about the other clans yet. Perhaps it would be good for the bobtail to pull them aside later and give them a proper rundown on things, since it appeared nobody else had yet. "Shadowclan is another group living out in the wilds, similar to Skyclan- only they prefer to live in the marshes. There are lots of clans out here, but that's a lesson for another time." he noted with a gentle smile, letting the other know there curiosity wasn't wrong.

"And to answer your question, Cherryblossom, I got good at killing adders the same way a cat gets good at doing anything; I practiced." he replied, smirking a bit as he recalled the first time he'd brought a live snake in for her to do the same with. "Ye know- instead of shriekin' about how gross it was." he teased with a twitch of his whiskers, knowing well enough that her fear and disgust had been fully warranted.

"Of course, I wasn't trainin' on adders back then. You start with harmless garden snakes and get your technique down on them, first. Most times when I tangle with an adder it's because I have to, not because I want to go pokin' at snakes for the fun of it. Clearing out the rockpile at this time of year is just part of the job description now."

It was a hunting and training ground for the clan after all, and ever snake that was left to live there would only cause more trouble for the cats.

Fluffykits inquiry was honestly a good one, and he was grateful for Fireflypaws response because quite frankly, Johnny was no medicine cat. He had no idea what they were capable of, or even how this supposed 'venom' of a snake truly worked. All the patched tabby was privvy to was that if it bit you, you could die unless your twoleg intervened.

"Actually Fireflypaw, you'd know more than me on that. To be honest, Silversmoke is one of the first cats I've met whose survived an adderbite without twolegs stepping in. They have their own healers, you see, but I'm not quite sure what exactly it is they do to stop the venom. You should always seek help from a healer if your bitten by a snake though, even if you think, it's a safe one." the last part was clearly directed to the youth around him.

---

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[Cherryblossom]

Another smirk flashes across the torbie's face, and Cherryblossom rolls her eyes. "I don't see you calling out these guys for whining about how gross it is," she meows, primly gesturing to Weedkit and Fluffykit. Her porcelain chin lifts. She and the lead warrior both know she'd been perfectly justified in her reaction, whether through the exagerrated motions of kithood or the dignity she conducts herself with now. Those Greenleaf days inside her ache a little, at that.

The stocky tomcat continues, undeterred. Her torn, orange ear flicks. The way he speaks, it appears the whole of SkyClan's adder security rests squarely on his broad shoulders. Not that Johnnyflame seems to mind. Good for him. StarClan knows Cherryblossom would be too quick to recruit another to the cause if it were her having to dig around in the Rockpile every time.

The little tortoiseshell next to Weedkit peeps a question, and she stifles the smile coming at the expense of her horror-stricken expression. Fireflypaw answers, even-tempered as ever. Once again, she reflects on the damage Dawnglare must have wrought on Blazestar's son. "You must stray from their path for your own safety." The warrior scoffs inwardly. It's not like cats were treading through snake-laden trails on their accord, and these kits seemed to have already registered the message of "STAY AWAY!" by virtue of evil's appearance.

At Johnnyflame's mention, Cherryblossom glances at Silversmoke again, brows subtly raising. One of the first, huh? His thick fur and thicker skin probably saved him from the truth of an adder's bite. "And if you never get bitten, you won't have to get help," she meows sagely to the kittens.

skyclan warrior | "speech." | tags​

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