thank you for the knife — twoleg object

[SCORCHSTAR]

The tunnels are where Scorchstreak belongs. She could even call it her truest home, the sprawling, interconnected underground network. She was brought into this world surrounded by earth on all sides, and she can only pray that’s how she’ll leave it.

The vast plains of the moorland seem the opposite of where the calico would fit in the best, the sky too blue, too open, too vulnerable. They feel as though they must constantly watch their back, look over their shoulder for danger. In the tunnels, an attack can only come from one of two ways: in front or behind. In close quarters it’s easier to defend themself, to back up against a wall and claw and bite and protect. But some days she is drawn out of her tunnels and into the open air of WindClan’s territory, popping out of one tunnel entrance and into another.

She’s about to slip into the mouth of the next burrow when her paw catches on something half-buried in the damp dirt. Around the tunnel entrance the dirt is loose, easy to brush aside, and Scorchstreak does so with ease. With a dirt-sullied paw, the calico is able to shift the object until the entire thing is visible.

Sunset-gold eyes narrow, head tilting to the side as she inspects the object. It’s shiny and silver, flat under the press of her paw. One side of it is straight and flat, the other slightly curved and with sharp teeth sticking out from its edge. It looks dangerous. "Huh…" She mutters under her breath, crouching down to inspect it closer—she’s already low to the ground, but wants to see it as close as possible. It’s not of WindClan’s making, she’s certain. It must be some sort of strange, dangerous human object; perhaps a tool used to dig, like cats’ own claws. Whatever it is, it’s intriguing.


// scorch found a knife in the territory (:
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[ MONSTROUS WOMAN ]​

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[strawmoon]

Not too far away, Strawpaw pops up from their own burrow, inhaling a deep breath out of sheer thankfullness. They're not sure why the stale air of the tunnels had been getting to them lately, just nerves they think, but they've never been happier to be in the fresh moor air than now. Head instinctively swivels as if on a pivot, checking for danger only to find Scorchstreak hunched over a tunnel entrance. Strawpaw squints. What was she doing? Shes just sitting there and staring...

Strawpaw dislodges themselves from the earth below and teeters over, peering (quite nosily) around Scorch's figure. It's a weird object and Strawpaw has to blink a couple times to make sure they were seeing the same thing the other tunneler was. "What is that...?" they look up to Scorchstride as if she has all the answers in the world, blinking thoughtfully. They steal another look at the object, squinting their eyes once more. "You think Miss Sootstar could use this...? Maybe Starclan sent it..." they're just musing randomly now, thinking of how in the world Sootstar could begin to use such a thing.​

"speech"​

 

[SNAKEHISS]

❪ TAGS ❫ — Snakepaw doesn't usually find himself getting involved with the affairs of tunnelers. They were akin to moles digging around in the dirt all day, fur dusted with dirt and soil. He much rather prefers running through the moors, nothing clinging to his pelt but the breeze.

However, it was not unusual for Snakepaw to stick his nose into the business of others, so the apprentice found himself trotting up to where Scorchstreak and Strawpaw were examining a shiny, unnatural-looking object. Snakepaw sneers slightly, as he is unable to make anything of it. "The tip of it looks sharp, like a thorn." The youth commented. Is it a twoleg item? Snakepaw is almost certain it is, seeing as most oddities found in the clan territories can be attributed to twolegs, but he can't say for certain.

To avoid sounding like a fool, he instead focuses on Strawpaw's musings, "Use it for what? Pokin' cats with it?" The black tom scoffs. If this was a twoleg object, why would StarClan send it in the hopes of Sootstar finding it? Everybody knew that the she-cat wouldn't be caught dead using a twoleg item for anything. That was SkyClan's specialty, with their trinkets and collars and whatnot.​

 

[Badgermoon]

If Badgermoon had known Scorchstreak's thoughts on the tunnels and on the openness of the moor, he probably would've disagreed in strongest (though still friendly) terms. Even if his broad shoulders and long, sturdy legs had not prohibited him from becoming a tunneler, his temperament would've - as much respect as he had for tunnelers, and indeed he had a lot, he could not imagine a more frightful existence than one trapped beneath the ground. So far from the sky, so far from the stars, hardly ever getting to feel the wind's powerful breaths across your fur...no, no. Sometimes he even lingered near the entrance to a tunnel simply for the sake of reminding himself that he did not have to go down there, that even if he wanted to, he wouldn't fit. What joy to know he was confined to these wide-open rolling hills! What freedom to know he could not leave StarClan's sight!

These thoughts were on his mind as he stopped, spotting a calico head pop out of the ground. Soon it was followed by a body, and as he drew nearer he recognized Scorchstreak's figure. Within just a few moments, two apprentices materialized and grouped around the tunneler; everyone's attention seemed to be on the ground. White-tipped ears perking in interest, Badgermoon padded close enough to see - only to stop short at the scent of Twolegs, his nose wrinkling. "More Twoleg nonsense." muttered the deputy. He remembered, with a jolt, the strange crinkly Twoleg object that was at once very like and very unlike a leaf, and how it had blown in the breeze to "attack" Yewberry. A look of wistfulness crossed his face for just a moment before he shook his head and puffed out a breath. "It looks a bit like a claw..or a tooth. One big, shiny one." he shook his head, again. "I don't know how it could be useful. We have claws and teeth of our own - better ones, I'd wager. I'm more concerned about them leaving their things on our territory." perhaps it had something to do with the Horseplace? Maybe it was a fake claw for their horses?

Wait, do horses have claws?​

 

[SCORCHSTAR]

Strawpaw makes their way over noisily, seeming just as confused as the slender calico is about the item. The apprentice has their own speculations, and Scorchstreak cocks their head further to inspect the thing. They doubt that any cats in the stars sent this item—but they keep graciously silent. There are some things they should keep to themself. The pure black apprentice who joins them next gives his observation, and Scorchstreak touches the pointy edge with the pad of a paw. It isn’t, in fact, sharp like a thorn; perhaps that’s just because she isn’t trying to injure herself. She can see how it could be thornlike, though, especially at the point on one end. "I suppose it could be dangerous if used the correct way. I wouldn’t want to be poked by it." She bares her teeth in an expression of disgust, blazing gaze remaining squarely on the object. It certainly looks sharp, Snakepaw is right.

Badgermoon mentions his concern for the humans leaving things across the territory, and Scorchstreak chuckles stiffly. "If you feel like telling them not to leave their stuff behind, be my guest," she says, eyes crinkling with amusement. She couldn’t care less about what humans leave across the moorland, so long as she doesn’t have to see their ugly faces. If the humans don’t bother her, the calico doesn’t mind whether they leave behind their interesting objects. But the fact that the deputy thinks that their claws are better than the humans’ is interesting—she wonders if the tom has ever seen a human up close before.
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[ MONSTROUS WOMAN ]​

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[MALLOWLARK]

Oh, a little gathering! There was always something good going on when his Clanmates stood in complete stasis, quietly conversing whilst gathered. In the whip of the wind he could not hear well their voices, but dutifully followed the summons of their huddle as if they were calling specifically after him. Craning his neck, dancing with surprising well-balance upon ebony tip-toes, Mallowlark attempted to get a good look at what they were staring at. Some silver tooth, sharp as canid fangs. The sun touched it lightly, and likewise gleamed off of his own fangs as his grin grew in size, and his eyelids peeled back, owlish as ever.

Scorchstreak made a small joke regarding how to truly tell the Twolegs to keep their business off their territory; the cynicism dusting her tone was lost to the hulking white tom however, who let loose a small giggle that was intended to come out as a hum of agreement. "We should jump 'em, spring on 'em as a group- the next Twoleg we see! Rumour'll spread, and they won't leave their stuff here anymore." A seldom-seen flutter of a blink punctuated his verdict, chest puffed up in pride regarding his genius solution. ​

☺PENNED BY PIN​