private THOSE WINTER SUNDAYS | mizzlepaw, mallowtail

[downyfur]

One moor runner and one tunneler isn't an usual sight. She flushes rabbits from the tunnels, and Mallowtail catches them. Barring success, her greater size and speed would shield Downyfur from overland threats... in theory. It's not that the affable molly has done anything to earn their distrust, it just comes down to the fact that it is really just her and them, in the open, in the end.

Them, her, and the pale figure on the horizon, they suppose.

DuskClan's presence haunts them, so close to the border they "share." Whatever cat that was would be a DuskClanner or one who would be chased off by them soon. "There," they eke, getting their patrolmate's attention and gesturing to the stranger with their tail. "Do you think that's a DuskClanner? It's... small," they add hesitantly. Not a threat, goes unsaid but for a furtive flick of their gaze.

The DuskClanner seems to be drawing closer, whether because he hasn't noticed them or he has. "Should we say hi?" It's a genuine question.

@Mizzlepaw @Mallowtail ​

 

[Mizzlepaw]

This is one of the rare times where he isn't on the hunt for food, it wasn't that the clan was prospering or anything like that. Rather he had taken the time for patrols to get away for a moment, amongst the flurry of cats moving it wasn't as if he would be noticed. Instead he comes out in search for Cottonsprig, amongst other things. They held out hope of seeing the Medicine Cat again, to ask more questions and learn a little bit more on how he should defend himself. His mentors teachings are fine but upon reflection they really enjoyed learning something new from her. Aside from that he wanted to try and find something cool to bring back for his sister, of course being out here and bringing something back would be evidence of bending the rules a little. Berrypaw can keep a secret though, they trust their sibling more than anyone else in the whole world.

The grass of the moors is a common sight but it was the only thing that can be found right now. The snow has killed off most of anything around here, so with a frustrated sigh he pressed on. By this point he resorted to digging up the snow in the hopes of something burying anything cool, this is of course to no avail. Though his attempts are stopped by the shuffling of paws in the distance, head shoots up like a rabbit looking for danger. They suppose in some way they are right now, against his better judgement he approaches. Just in case Cottonsprig is nearby, when it's revealed that she's not it's already too late to try and turn away.

"Hello" he calls out cautiously with a flick of their tail, standing on the tip of their paws to try and get a better look at those approaching. "Are you.... Hunting?" It seemed like a small group, though he's one to talk since they keep wondering off alone in attempts to try and find prey for everyone.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎✦ ‎AND I FEEL GUILTY ☾ BUT I CAN'T FEEL ASHAMED ✦ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• MIZZLEPAW ✦ he/they, DuskClan apprentice, 6 moons.
  ✧ A small scrap of white and black fur with tireless energy.
  ✧ Son of Edenberry and Rumblerain || Brother to Berrypaw
  ✧ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted || underline and tag when attacking
  ✧ speech is #dbcbed
  ✧ penned by Juice || ouijeejuice on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​

 

[Mallowtail]

Duskclan had become a rare sight, a fragmented memory of its former purpose and bodies. The only thing they can do is to survive and hope they can find food for the future because winter has broken them into fragile beings that seem like they could break at any time. The ability to work together naturally was a Windclanner's pride, as demonstrated by her and Downyfur's cooperation in securing a fat rabbit for today's hunt. With the rabbit in her jaws, her attention is caught from her teammate as they mention something in the distance, and she settles the rabbit at her paws before looking in the direction. Do you think that's a DuskClanner? It's... small. Her eyes squint to get a better view, and she shrugs after a moment before replying. "Might be one." Would it be a bad interaction like their typical ones with their lost clanmates? "I don't see why not. Might be a youngster coming to ask about Windclan; you know how we got curious when we were young."

Mallowtail would mrrow honestly as she guided her partner closer to Mizzlepaw. The Duskclanner takes the initiative to greet them and hestiatively seems to question what they're doing as she nods in agreement. "Hello! We are hunting; what're you up to out here? It's dangerous out here." The moor runner would question with a faint tilt of her head, curious on what the black and white feline was doing out here. It seemed to be the young apprentice's lucky day that he ran into someone who didn't bristle with hostility at the sight of Duskclan. The idea of being hurt in leafbare, starving, and without medicine seemed like a surefire way to die, and it made her wince.

take me to the sun, where the light never fails ✩ tell me youre the one, that our loves never fading

• ooc.
• 
• 
  𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍・she/her・moor–runner of windclan
  short-haired cream sepia with high white and honey brown eyes.
  — warrior of windclan | mentoring wasppaw
  — peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  — "speech" ▪ thoughts ▪ actions
  — penned by yeomna ↛ @yeomnaa on discord

​

 

[downyfur]

"You know how we got curious when we were young." "Haha, I guess so..." Had they really had a youth to be curious in? Mallowtail had been the same as them, pulled right out of the nursery by Sootstar before they had the chance to appreciate it.

Even so, it hadn't been all dull and dour. They remember Rivepaw, pulling them out for an eventide adventure, icy eyes glittering with it like stars. It'd been a younger Sedgepounce that'd caught them then, red-pawed and spluttering. The honeyed nostalgia crawling across their face is violently halted by reality: Rivewhisper is dead.

So could they be. She'd taken Mouseflight with her, and they'd still died. Mallowtail only has Downyfur, frail tiny Downyfur, to back her up should this stranger will it so. They don't look like a threat by themself, but they could call others, hiding in the tunnels or simply behind the hills, and then—and then—

"Wait!" dies on their lips as the pale molly strides forth, her tufted tail urging them closer. The tunneler stuffs their panic back down their throat, but it still lingers in wary, wide eyes. "Are you alone?" they ask. The sympathy coating their words should be enough to mask the fact that their concern is not for the DuskClanner's sake. "What's your name?" she presses softly.​

 

[Mizzlepaw]

It's alarming, the rate in which the more sun dappled one charges at him with. His paws think to retreat out of instinct, worrying that she'd follow in the knightly calico's pawsteps and just try to run him out. They are pleasant though, happy enough to answer his questions. Mizzlepaw quells the growling of their stomach at the thought of hunting, how it must be eventful for the WindClan women. Not to mention successful, there is envy in his soul. A boiling thing, yet they don't let it show in his cautious but cheery enough demeaner. Being friendly saves him claws, unlike anyone else in the clan. It has become a survival instinct at this point, as pathetic as they feel about it. "Um" they aren't sure if he should really be answering these questions honestly, would they even be able to know he's lying?

"I'm exploring" he doesn't want to admit that he's waiting for someone who wouldn't show. Plus aren't there rules against talking to cats like him? They don't want to get Cottonsprig in trouble. "Thought I could... See more of WindClan from here" it's still the same stretch of land as always. Truthfully they're not sure if there's actually anything of interest within the clan. No "yeah, it's just me" they curse themself inwardly for not just lying to them. Privetfrost might have had a heart attack if he saw how foolish they were being right now, though if he did lie it would have been obvious when no one comes looking for him.

They don't think they could fight them, nor could they run from the pair. There's hope that they don't know the unclaimed land like he does, maybe he could lose them int he confusion? "I'm... Mizzlepaw" He pauses, once again considering to lie but not knowing why revealing their name would be an issue. "What're your names?" They could lie too, he supposes, but maybe his honesty would carry him somewhere. "Are you both... Warriors?" Warriors have normal names, not knowing enough to know if there was any difference in their ranks or not. Cottonsprig smells like herbs though, they don't, so he's confident that there's some kind of difference around here.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎✦ ‎AND I FEEL GUILTY ☾ BUT I CAN'T FEEL ASHAMED ✦ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• MIZZLEPAW ✦ he/they, DuskClan apprentice, 7 moons.
  ✧ A small scrap of white and black fur with tireless energy.
  ✧ Son of Edenberry and Rumblerain || Brother to Berrypaw
  ✧ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted || underline and tag when attacking
  ✧ speech is #dbcbed
  ✧ penned by Juice || ouijeejuice on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​

 

[Mallowtail]

Mallowtail glances at Downyfur as she notes the concern in wide oceanic-blue eyes as she offers a comforting smile that states, 'everything will be fine.' Her honeyed eyes return to the black and white cat as she notices their hesitating behavior, which she interprets as being caused by either fear, anxiety, or more (she does not want to assume the worst). Just exploring, huh? The apprentice claims to want to see more of Windclan, and Mallowtail believes she can sense a bit of a search—a longing for someone—but she's not positive. "I see. Windclan is beautiful, isn't it?" She inquires with a smile as she glances off to the moorlands for a second before turning back. He wasn't lying when he said he was alone because, as far as she can tell, she has not come across any other scents.

Downyfur pushes for a name, and soon they answer with a miniature pause, Mizzlepaw. The name has a ring of softness and love engraved in it that brings a gentle smile to her lips; he was obviously loved. "It's nice to meet you, Mizzlepaw. I'm Mallowtail." The moorrunner would introduce herself as she allows Downyfur to introduce themselves if they wish before answering the next question. "Mhmm! How far along are you as an apprentice, Mizzlepaw?" She inquires with a tilt of her head as she glances at Downyfur momentarily to see their reaction before back. They did not appear to be very old, and she fears that he has experienced the same situation that she and Downy did when they were younger—being thrust into the world's perils.

take me to the sun, where the light never fails ✩ tell me youre the one, that our loves never fading

• ooc.
• 
• 
  𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍・she/her・moor–runner of windclan
  short-haired cream sepia with high white and honey brown eyes.
  — warrior of windclan | mentoring wasppaw
  — peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  — "speech" ▪ thoughts ▪ actions
  — penned by yeomna ↛ @yeomnaa on discord

​

 

[downyfur]

Exploring. They have enough resources that a young cat like this could just walk around? It's obviously a lie. Downyfur indulges in another quick scan of the horizon, ears pricked as high as they could go, as Mallowtail remarks on the beauty of their own territory. As if they needed another reason to come into it. Her reassuring smile strikes them as naive rather than comforting, but they try to lean into it anyway.

Mizzlepaw says it's just him. A scout, then? Alone, wanting to see more of WindClan's territory... well, they already knew where their camp was. Maybe observing their routines. Dawn, noonhigh, dusk, moonhigh patrols. Hunting cadences. Relationships, faces—names.

They're not anyone of importance though, and knowing one's name gives them a certain intimacy. A less of a willingness to kill. "I'm just a cat, like you and yours." "My name is Downyfur," they say in the space Mallowtail has left for them.

The golden-eyed molly answers for them when they ask if they're warriors. DuskClan has warriors too, but do they have tunnelers? If not, Mizzlepaw might not be able to tell the difference between a normal apprentice and a fully grown tunneler with their size. They wrack their brain for useful questions to ask, guises to drape over them. "You must be so strong already, coming out here all alone," they murmur.​