Strangers and Fish // open thread!

[Raccoonpaw]

It was strange, the amount of cats that had been arriving to the river territory. They seemed to call themselves Riverclan? Why such a name though? It was a rayjer curious thing and Raccoon was interested in learning more about them. What was bringing them here? Was this something they could join themselves? Or was this some sort of loner group that they banded together? It was uncertain the origin of this 'Riverclan' but there had also been buzz of other such groups- like Shadowclan in the marshes. Windclan in the moorlands, and Thunderclan in the oak wood forest, and even a Skyclan closer to the twoleg place. It was all overwhelming, curious and overwhelming. There was so much going on and Raccoon wasn't sure what to make of it. They had been watching the group for a while, questioning their leader and such, and they found themselves at the river the following day.

The river never seemed to stay the same either, but it was more stable than that of what was happening to the forest. Raccoon sat by the rivers' edge, looking down into the water at their own relfection and seemed to be contemplating things. Clans. What a wild concept. They have heard of rogues and loners living together before, but nothng like this. Nothing that seemed to split the forest into five groups. What would happen to free roaming? Where there going to be borders of some kind? They weren't sure and they didn't seem to like the idea of it anyway.

A small sigh escaped their maw, and they gently poked at the water below. Rippling their relfection a bit and scaring a few fish away from the movement. Would their home be forever changed now? What would happen to them, Caraway and Buck? Where they going to be chased from their home? The thought terrified them. Raccoon had lived by the river for most of their life! How could they just up and leave it? They hoped they wouldn't have to, at least not yet.​

 

[LIGHTNINGSTONE]

Lightning didn't love it here, not yet. He didn't like the mud, or the reeds that clung to his fur, or the sun that leaked into camp. He missed the pine forest terribly, but he'd have to learn to like it here if he was going to be a true RiverClanner. For Brook, He had to remind himself.

He padded along the river with a few of his new clanmates in search of prey when he spotted the black and white cat down the way. It's the same cat from the other day. Body growing rigid and messy fur fluffing out, he stalked towards them with narrowed eyes. They were a bit too close to RiverClan's camp for his liking. Tail lashing, he wouldn't speak, rather allowing one of his clanmates to do the talking.
​

"speech"​

 

[Foxpaw—]

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Tiny pawsteps trail after the messy-furred gray tom. Anxious amber eyes scan the waters, the wetlands, as though a monster with bloodstained teeth might emerge from the reeds. She knows now that they exist, that they take things away from you, but she still does not know what they look like. The uncertainty is as maddening as the loss.

Like Lightning, she does not know how she feels about their new home. She's used to damp earth, but the water here is flowing and quick, teeming with fish rather than frogs. There's sunlight, too--the willows provide little coverage from it--and she is admittedly not used to the heat and the glare.

But Cicada leads RiverClan, and she knows Cicada. At least, she somewhat knows him. He had comforted them when Dewdrop had died. Every kindness in this dark world counts for something now.

And she knows she can't go back. She won't.

Lightning stiffens, and Fox's ears twitch. She peers around him and sees that black-masked feline again, dipping their paw into the water and watching silver shapes scatter below. She feels her fur bristle, but only slightly, and admittedly to any onlooker she does not make a fearsome predator with her small size and plush pelt. But she wears a fearful, wary expression, and she sticks close to her new Clanmate. A pine cat, but she doesn't care about that. A pine cat hadn't killed her mother, after all.​

✦ PENNED BY MARQUETTE.​

 

[BUCKGAIT.]

a second sound of water, gentle around the ankles, cuts through the air. the sound is pleasant, but the heavy glare that the molly holds is not. her frame is close to the smaller, a second-long glance to check that raccoon is, indeed, safe. the land cats do no talking, and that alone is a threat in itself. her skin is pulled taut to the muscle, hackles arise and her claws scrape against the river rocks. it's an unpleasant feeling, but so is this invasion.

the biggest threat here is the tom, but she is skilled in the waters and the home land. he is the stranger here. she aims to take a step closer, but halts at the sight of a younger feline beside him. perhaps, had they not forced their way here, she could find this as a reflection. had they looked down, the wavy figures of two cats trying to protect what they loved would be horribly apparent. but buck's sight does not leave the two. and she disrupts the reflections with another step.

a head raised high, the sun upon her as a crown. her fur can hold the heat easily, and her skin can handle the cold waters. she is meant to be here. but they aren't. "turn away, shrews, and this can be over. you have no power here." the waters never need to run red, and the rocks never need to be stained. but she had given her warning, and she will act in accordance. ​

[ MY NAME MEANS HEAVY ]​

 

[willowroot]

( ♬ ) as the ebony feline rustles among the reeds, belly fur softly billowing within the light current, she can't help but feel a warm contentedness. the sun is beaming down, beginning its decent into the blanket of evening. she's spent the day in the river, and has no plans of leaving. a soft splash from the paws of her companions breaks the day's peace. eyes of sage flick up from the riverbed, scanning for the source. finding raccoon and buck safe, albeit strangely positioned, caraway almost turns back to her rock hunting when the strange scent hits her. wheeling around, a soft rumble comes from her throat as she recognizes two clan cats. they're not acting, simply standing tall above cara's friends, but even still, a protective urge surges through her. long legs expertly wading through the water, the smoke femme reaches the other two in a matter of moments.

buck's voice, low and drawling, offers a compromise, although caraway silently thinks that both groups know violence is but a pawstep away. smoothing their tail along the earthen cat's side, the feline addresses the strangers. "no need for all that bushy fur," they attempt, a soft humor in their voice that gives away to a serious tone. "we're simply using the river the way it's intended. gonna attack cats for living in their home now?" verdant eyes flick between the two, silently judging the difficulty of the fight, if one is to be had. "don't mind us. we're not planning on galloping into your camp anyway. just trying to catch a meal here." ​

( THE LIGHT YOU GAVE ME )

 

[Foxpaw—]

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ "Turn away, shrews."

Fox stiffens as a muscular, sleek-looking feline joins the younger one at the water's edge. There's a threat in their tone, the way they've approached Lightning and her. But they don't attack.

A smoky feline joins the she-cat, and the two of them take a protective stance over the youngest. "No need for all that bushy fur." It's light, teasing, and Fox burns beneath her pelt with embarrassment. She knows she isn't scary, but she still has a right to protect her new home. Doesn't she?

"We didn't attack you," she says, her voice higher pitched than she'd have liked. "We're hunting too." She looks to Lightning for confirmation. Perhaps she should have let him do the talking. She fights the urge to cower, meeting the smoke's eyes boldly.​

✦ PENNED BY MARQUETTE.​

 

[Raccoonpaw]

First it was this large grey tomcat, he seemed rather angry at their presence by the river. Why was that? It wasn't like they hadn't just waltz in here and taken what didn't belong to them? Were they no longer free to be by the river like they had once been? Raccoon wasn't sure but they knew they didn't like it- at all. Then followed him was a smaller cat, tortie in pelt color with orange eyes similar to their own. Neither spoke right away, and Raccoon found themselves standing up with their maw open to say something. Anything to them, but they never got a chance.

Instead of saying something, words spoke up behind them and they turned their head towards that of Buck. The deep brown she-cat called them shrews and told them they had no power here at the river, which was sort of true. Raccon, Buck and Caraway had been raised by the river. Lived here long before the arrival of Riverlcan, so they couldn't possibly do what they can right? Raccoons' own pelt could resist water easily and they where a rather strong swimmer at that too- could these cats do that? Swim? Fish? Be unafraid of water? They weren't sure, but Buck had a point nonetheless.

The black and white cat opened their mouth once more to say something to these cats when another voice spoke up. Joining that of Buck and it was another familiar feline; Caraway. She had a more playful approach to these cats with a smooth tail over Bucks' back with a light joke about how they where using the river as it was intended. For food and the like, so what was the problem? Raccoon was finally able to speak, after that tortie spoke up for the first time with a squeak to her voice, "We didn't say you attacked us, we're just enjoying the river. Just cause you guys live here now too doesn't mean you can chase us out of our home," They stated to them firmly with a small nod at their own words. ​

 

[LIGHTNINGSTONE]

As a third cat approached the pair, Lightning found himself taking a similar stance near Foxy. A paw was placed gingerly ahead of her, a barrier between her and the strangers. He watched them all with judgmental eyes, weighing their strengths and weaknesses much like they were doing to him. If this should turn into a fight, he and his much younger clanmate were already outnumbered. His gaze shifted to Foxy as she piped up, voice barely above a squeak before she looked to him. He leveled her with his gaze for a moment, thinking, before giving a slow nod and looking towards the other cats once more. "That's right," He spoke evenly, but a threat still remained beneath tense muscles and a single lash of his tail. He knew he couldn't win this battle, yet the defiant side of him still wanted them to know his feelings. With one more hardened glance in their direction, he veered away from the river casually, gesturing for Foxy to follow. There would be no fight today.
​

"speech"​