UNMASK // hunting patrol

[Orangestar]

The sun filters between the trees in SkyClan's territory, diluted and dappled, yet where it touches the earth between shifting pine needles it scorches the forest floor. Beyond the boughs lies a brilliant blue sky, devoid of cloud cover. Devoid, also, of rain to cool the Clan cats that hunt beneath the trees. They've been out long enough for the sun to reach its peak, beating down above them. Even the wind is hot, a gentle breath passing through the trees every once in a while from the direction of the unmarked border. It's as if the forest sighs lazily in this weather too.

Orangestar has had no luck in her hunting, scant prey-trails leading nowhere, and having to keep a wary eye out for danger on top of it all is exhausting. It takes a lot for SkyClan's leader to get to the point of complaint, quiet in her own suffering: but she's not immune to annoyance. She's quick to irritate at the best of times, but the combined lack of prey and too-hot atmosphere makes her hackles raise at every snapping branch.

She stops now, coming to a halt nearby the river; her jaws are parted, breath laboured, and Orangestar feels like she wants to rip off her pelt. Even with the thinner fur she wears in Greenleaf, it's still too long for her gain any enjoyment from the weather. An envious thought crosses her mind in the direction of Figfeather, short-furred and likely coping much better in the excessive heat. The bird would be in the other claw come six moons in the future, but for now...

"We're taking a break here. Get a drink."

ooc ✧ 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦

• // prompt: it's soooooo hot today. the sun's beating down on you, the flies are droning, and you're overheating out of your fur. do you attempt to power through, or do you just give up and find some water?
  apprentices @Springpaw @Ashpaw
• 
  
  [ art by pin ]
• ORANGESTAR ✧ she/her, leader of skyclan | eight lives
  
  
  — "a scarred white-and-ginger she-cat with brown eyes."
  — single ; mentoring springpaw & ashpaw
  — speech is in #F18C47
  — tags | penned by mercibun, contact on discord for plots.
  
  
  
  

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[Ekat]

The midnight-furred she-cat that trails along behind the rest of the patrol — pelt shifting nearly dark brown where the too-bright sun beats down upon it — she, too, is quiet in her suffering. She's also quiet in her much-rarer enjoyment, or any other emotion she might experience, but such is to be expected of Ekat. Her pale eyes, wide and forlorn, are nearly eternally fixed in an expression of distress complemented by an upturned, anxious brow and small frown — so she looks no more miserable picking her way through the forest in its merciless heat today than she does any other occasion. But although her appearance doesn't outwardly betray her distinct discomfort, she's certainly feeling it, too. She prefers the crisp, cool weather of late leaf-fall, where snow begins to dust the colorless earth but doesn't yet smother it in frozen misery.

Such a time feels very distant when the scorching rays of the sun settle upon their fur and surround them in heat, despite the crossing branches of the pines overhead. Ekat is grateful for the respite of the river that Orangestar leads them to and the break from their fruitless hunting, certain that most of the forest's prey have hidden themselves in the comfort and shade of their burrows. The only fresh-kill they might find today is birds, Ekat thinks, if any at all — but she'll follow her duties and continue searching for as long as she's commanded to. She must still earn her place in SkyClan, after all, even now as a fully-named warrior. Following Orangestar's instructions, the she-cat approaches the river and laps at its waters, immediately grateful for the relief it brings to the heat. Part of her even wants to dip her paws in, but her self-control wins over.​

 

[FLUFFYPAW]

The heat is dry; the air before Fluffypaw appears to shimmer with it. Her tongue hangs out of her mouth as she pants, and her paws tremble with effort. She looks to Greeneyes as Orangestar orders her apprentices to stop for water, but as she does, she catches the shadow of something out of the corner of one eye. A mouse—small, unimpressively brown-gray against the pine needles. It holds something in its tiny paws; it's bent over it, nibbling the tip like prey.

Fluffypaw's body stiffens instinctively. She turns her face away from the river and drops into her best approximation of a hunter's crouch, putting her weight stolidly in the lower half of her body. Her forepaws feel almost weightless; she's careful not to scuff the needles.

I can't do it, she thinks, rigid. I can't do it! It's gonna see me and run! Her tail fluffs out behind her, thick and staticky with frustration. If I try, I'll just fail, and everyone will be upset with me... She takes another step, and this one crumples a bit of pine debris on the forest floor.

The mouse stills. Its beady eyes dart toward Fluffypaw. There's only half a second left for her to react—and she does, but it's just a heartbeat too late. The creature darts just out of reach of her claws and disappears under the tangling roots of a great pine. Her whiskers quiver with disappointment, and she has to try her best not to cry.

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

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

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[DOGBITE]

✦ They felt the heat baring down relentlessly, fur soaked in sweat and the persistent droning of flies adding to the discomfort. The sun beat upon his back mercilessly, making every step a struggle. His pads felt as if they were burning on the forest floor, and the sluggish wind offered no relief.

The lead felt a smidge of remorse for brining Hollypaw along but it was a necessary evil to learning the territory. When Orangestar called for a break, he was more than relieved. They couldn't deny the intense exhaustion and discomfort any longer. Turning to their leader, he nodded gratefully.

"Good idea." Dogbite was happy to oblige, voice crackiling from the dry air. "This heat is unbearable. Even the prey seems to have the sense to stay hidden." Unaware of Fluffypaw's nearby plight as he sought reprieve from the sun.

Slowly, they made way to the riverbank, the cool waves a welcome sight. He bent down, lapping up the refreshing liquid, feeling it quench his thirst and cool his burning throat. For a second, they allowed themselves to enjoy the refresher, water washing away some of the grime and sweat from his cheeks.

After drinking his fill, he looked over to his fellow patrol mates. "I can't remember it ever being this hot." Silently, he made a mental note to ensure all future patrols they led would take more frequent breaks.

Shaking off some of the water that clung to his whiskers they spotted an inviting spot to relax.Aiming to encourage Hollypaw to follow suit with the tip of his tail. Dogbite settled by the bank, finding a patch of shade under a tree.

Glancing up at the sky, the brilliant blue expanse seemed to mock their plight. Despite the oppressive sauna they were enduring, and the challenge it posed, he knew they would find all be fine. For now, he was content to rest, taking a moment to gather his strength for the remaining trek.

✦ OOC ✦ INFO ✦

• @HOLLYPAW apprentice tag

• 

• 

  
  ✧ LH cinnamon tabby high white blue eye
  ✧ npc x npc ; sibling to crescent and bear
  ✧ skyclan lead warrior ; mentor to hollypaw
  ✧ 35 moons old ; birthday 07/01
  ✧ AFAB ; nonbinary ; he/they
  ✧ pansexual ; polyromantic ; single
  ✧ "speech", thought, attack, powerplay
  ✧ peaceful powerplay allowed
  ✧ penned by tasmagoric​

​

 

[SLATE]

〔✦〕This heat is not good for cats like Slate. His figure consists of muscle buried underneath layers of fur and fluff... which was dark-colored at that. Slate soaked up the sun's rays like water on moss, causing his pads to wetten with sweat and his tongue to run dry as his jaws parted to take in more air. Today's temperatures felt more brutal than they had been all season; unlucky for him, he found himself out on a hunting patrol. His hot state was of no benefit to his hunting abilities; frustrated and empty-pawed, unable to muster the energy to move quickly enough, he deserts his task of securing food for the time being.

The lead warrior practically drags himself to the river's edge after Orangestar halts the patrol's progress for the sake of stealing a drink. Never had Slate been so relieved to see the stretch of water before him; he was utterly parched, his tongue thirsting to feel the familiar, cool sensation upon it. He can't even muster the energy to crack a wise comment or some other remark about the weather at the moment; he was simply too overheated to talk.

Slate plunges his broad muzzle into the river, tongue lapping up as much liquid as he could manage in one sitting. The Maine Coon raised his head, droplets running off of his chin and his maw parted as he caught his breath. He might have looked ridiculous at the moment, but stars, that felt refreshing.

oh no, ive said too much ( i havent said enough ) //

• ooc. apprentice tag @COFFEEPAW
  
• SLATE —— lead warrior of skyclan , mentoring coffeepaw ✦ penned by beatles
  ✦ cismale / he/him pronouns / 39 moons & ages every 1st
  ✦ single / bisexual & monogamous / closed to romance
  ✦ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline & tag account when attacking
  —— hard combat difficulty & weak to agile, quick fighters / will start fights, will kill if necessary
  
  ✦ "speech", thoughts, all opinions are ic
  ✦ biography — msg on discord for plots — toyhouse
  
• 
  
  

  a scarred longhaired maine coon with amber eyes. a large, 20lb tom with thick locks of fur. his chest and underbelly is ruddy from sun exposure. notable scars decorate his face and his ears are both torn with one being folded over.

​

 

[DOEBLAZE]

Much like Fluffypaw, Bobbie strays from the patrol slightly after Orangestar's delivery of her brief command. A dusty pink nose twitches, jaws parting with no small effort to hold back from unashamedly panting in the heat . . . though she does catch a distinctive scent. Sky - dusted and windswept, with an undertwist of berry, and the fluffy black feather left on the earth solidifies it. A blackbird! Lupinesong would love a fresh one in this heat, I'm sure. Half - tail twitching, head bent low to follow the scent, Bobbie doesn't have to go far before she drops into a passable crouch, creeping forward on small, velvet - soft paws . . . but hunting's never been her strong suit, especially on solid ground, and she flubs her pounce. The bird squawks loudly, as if mocking her, and disappears in a flurry of glossy black quills.

Grumbling under her breath, her shortened tail lashing behind her, she's quick to make tracks back to the riverside hunting patrol. Embarassment brings additional and much - unwanted heat to the tips of her ears, singed with her own incompetence . . . stars, she's been back to warriorhood for nearly a moon now. She should, by all rights, be able to make a catch that easy, and yet . . . maybe the whispering around camp was right. The tabby sighs under her breath, torn ears flicking backwards and head dipping low as she pads to the riverbank.

This weather! She mentally damns it, momentarily transferring her train of thought to a slightly less self - loathing track as she sinks into an unceremonious sit by the river's cool waters, trying to grasp onto the last of her dignity under the smoldering sun. Her fur is both long and thick, a boon in the chill of leaf - bare but near insufferable in the throes of greenleaf's heat . . . and they're certainly in that, the air a few fox - lengths ahead literally wavering from the heat of the sun where it shines mercilessly down from above. Nodding to Orangestar, Ekat, and of course her child and their trusted mentor ( and her friend ), the tabby dips her head low, lapping up the blessedly cool water and resisting the urge to shove her face into it like Slate, who is luckily downstream by at least a tail - length . . . she definitely doesn't want to catch that backwash.

" Miss your catch too? " she greets sympathetically when Fluffypaw rejoins the group from her own foray, sighing and dipping one paw into the crystalline water to relieve the sweat she can feel popping on a calloused pawpad. The poor apprentice's name is more than apt, and she looks as overheated and dejected as Bobbie herself feels; the tabby warrior flicks an ear, electing to ignore Slate's doggish behavior downriver, and waves a shortened tail in temporary farewell to Dogbite and her child as they take refuge in the shade. Probably a wise choice . . . " You'll get one eventually, " Bobbie advises Fluffypaw with a commiserating sigh and an attempt at a joke, " Even our best hunters have trouble in this weather . . . though I'm clearly not among them. "

OOC : —

♥︎

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