VIRTUAL INSANITY — o, snake encounter

[SNAKEHISS]

❪ TAGS ❫ — Another day, another hunting patrol. With each embarkment, Snakepaw hopes for the chance to finally sink his teeth into a moor rabbit and bring home a fat, juicy kill for the rest of the clan to ooh and ahh at. However, such a moment of glory has yet to be achieved by the lithe apprentice. He always manages to scare the damn thing off or, even worse, get trampled by one.

As Snakepaw searches the moors, his interest is piqued by a strange scent carrying on the wind. He weaved his way through the grasses, tracking the scent until it grew stronger and stronger. Snakepaw was sure that this creature, whatever it may be, was only tail-lengths away from where he stood now. Readying himself, he drops into a hunter's crouch, narrowing his eyes and prowling forth. StarClan, this had better be a rabbit. Today could be the day! He felt it in his paws, in his bones.

However, to the apprentice's surprise, he had come face to face with a long, reptile curled up in his path. It huffed and puffed angrily, letting out a menacing hissssss.

"Wh-AAAAHHHHHH!!" Snakepaw screamed and high-tailed away from the adder, his pupils narrowed into slits and his midnight black fur bristling from a near heart attack. "MOVE! Out of the way!" He yelped, barreling past the nearest character in an attempt to distance himself from the threat.​

 

[GRAVELSNAP]

To say that Gravelsnap doesn’t care for Snakepaw would be to lie. They may hate his guts—may imagine pushing him into the gorge on particularly bad days—but they don’t truly want to see him die. And a snake is likely a horrible way to go, especially for a cat named Snakepaw. "Coward," they hiss as Snakepaw passes by, but they move aside as fluidly as they can. Their own ears are pinned back, flat against their skull, and their gaze doesn’t leave the snake for a moment. It’s terrifying. They won’t give it the chance to bite them.

"Afraid of your own namesake?" They question the black-furred tom, tilting their head condescendingly at the apprentice. That’s not to say that they aren’t fearful, themself—they just haven’t shown it yet. The panic weighs upon their chest, a hawk’s shadow on the ground. Hazel eyes dart around to each of the other cats on the patrol, seeking some kind of stoicism; seeking confidence, or reckless willingness to shoo away the snake.
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[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]​

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[sparkspirit]

It was strange to have trained without Weaselclaw. Though he sought out the lead warrior's expertise whenever he could, the truth of it was simply that he had been too injured to do everything he once had with Sparkpaw. It shows, in a way. There is a bit of nervousness crawling around the apprentice's chest, a measure of meekness that forced his eyes to the ground and his ears on a swivel. Or perhaps it was nothing more than his proximity to Snakepaw, and all that he wanted to say to the dark-furred tom. (He wouldn't– he already knew just how that turned out, and could not risk another incident of flinging mice across camp in frustration.) Instead, he trudges along silently, on paws that are treacherously careful: an excuse for him to walk slowly, and linger slightly behind the rest of the group.

That is the only thing that saves him from being trampled as Snakepaw bolts. His desperation to get out of the way just in case sends him tripping over his own tail, a few strands of long fur tearing painfully from the side. "What–" The high pitch of his voice cuts off after the single syllable, electric gaze sweeping wildly where the apprentice had been for some sign of anything at all. He doesn't compute any of it until he hears Gravelsnap say namesake. A snake? There was a snake? Sparkpaw had never seen one of those before, and though he is not so foolish as to approach, the red-flecked apprentice does peek out past the patrol he had lingered behind to get a look at it. All it was doing was sitting there, though it had reached out awfully tall and seemed coiled tight. "Can we eat snakes?"

˗ˏˋ  †〚  OOC REFERENCE INFORMATION 〛

• ooc: —
• 
• sparkpaw, sparky. dmab male, he - him - his.
  ──── apprentice of windclan. loyal to windclan and his family.
  ──── 04 moons old. born on 12.15.22, and ages in real time.
  ──── echolight x elmbreeze, adopted by yewberry. brightfam.
• "speech"

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[SNAILSTRIDE]

Dark eats flattened as a hiss pierced the silent air of the moors, each soft fur bristling with the potential of danger appearing. They watched as Snakepaw screamed and cowered, barely having time to consider that that could've been them two moons ago before they saw a flash of black in the midst of the grasses. Their eyes narrowed in adjustment, then promptly grew wide when they recognised the threat to be a snake. They felt their limbs tense momentarily, stuck in limbo for only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity when they saw the piercing orange eyes of death gawking at them. They waited for someone to take initiative, this was not a reptile that could be allowed to roam freely, but everyone was significantly younger than them - one of them young enough to not even know that snakes were edible. Snailpaw decided it'd been unfair for Firefang to call them mousebrained all those moons ago. Their questions helped them learn whilst real warriors hadn't even learned how to take responsibility. Snailpaw was not the responsible, mature figure that Gravelsnap had been seeking. Their skills may have been unsuited for clanlife but it did not mean that all of them were entirely useless.

Pressured by the incompetency of the younger cats (a sentence they never thought possible, perhaps Tigerfrost was influencing them more than they thought), the marbled tabby tilted their head to the side. wide eyes blinking with a covert understanding. Suddenly, they snapped back to their regular posture, practically leaping in the air. "Ooooh wait wait, I know what to do for this!" They flashed a wily grin, deciding not to convey how that knew such information - cats liked someone at least a little bit mysterious and, after all, he'd like to be liked. "You gotta mob it! Gang up on it, make big ol' goofy movements, bop it from a bunch of angles, and run away before you get bit! Theeeen when it's tired you swoop in for the kill - whabam! Or you let it slither away buuuuuuut that's probably not a good idea, snakes can eat babies y'know." They were baby - would the snake kill them? They didn't want to die to something slow, like venom, but emboldened by the thought of stepping up, they got to enacting their plan. They took a few steps forward, a paw raised, looking more like a border collie than a cat. Then, they'd try and bat the snake and leap away before they got struck.

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[✧ Venomthroat.]

I REALLY COULDN'T CARE LESS

venomthroat | 26 months | non-binary | they/them | physically medium | mentally hard | attack in bold black

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Venomthroats hunting is rather rudely interrupted by the cacophony of shouting that takes place - annoyance in dark eyes as they stalk over the the group of children, gaze narrowed. They arrive just in time to see snailpaw ferociously batting at their own namesake, head tipping to the side as they are content to simply observe. "... is that thing venomous? Not all of them are," they say simply, rumbling voice even and unbothered. Were it up to them, they'd have found a rock or stick to whack it with rather than risk their paws if they were uncertain about the contents of the creatures fangs. Hmph. Well, suppose they'll find out the hard way when the grey tabby inevitably gets bit.

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[HARRIERSTRIPE]

Snakepaw liked to act he was all tough and stuff, Harrierpaw couldn’t help but blink in surprise when the Tom is barreling through clan-mates in desperation to flee from something. In an instant his clan-mates were poking their noses around, cautiously eyeing the ground. The earthy tom-cat makes his way forward to see what all of the fuss was about, and thats when he saw it.

”Adder…” He murmurs in awe, an enemy he has been warned about since his ears had worked. Sparkpaw inquires if you could eat it, Snailpaw goes into depth on how to kill it, and Venomthroat ponders if it bears venom. Harrierpaw doesn’t quite understand what “venom” is, but he knows it’s bad and made an adder even more dangerous. ”Shouldn’t we kill it?” He asks, confused at the hesitation. ​

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Spoiler: TAGS 🪶 03-22

( primary character / "speech" / ic opinions )​

╰ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· HARRIERKIT, male — he / him
╰ ‣ 3 moons . pisces. ages on the 14th
╰ ‣ windclan apprentice . believes in starclan

╰ ჻ 002 VISUALS & AESTHETICS ,
· DOMESTIC FELINE, smells of the earth and dry grass , status — 100%
╰ ‣ blue and brown chimera . average sized WindClanner . yellow eyes

╰ ჻ 003 MENTALITY & MANNERISMS ,
· ESTJ-A ❝ EXECTUTIVE ❞ , Slytherin, Chaotic neutral
╰ ‣ self-reliant, loyal, disciplined, direct, impatient, unsympathetic, judge mental
╰ ‣ finds moderate difficulty in relating to others . can be cruel

╰ ჻ 004 INTERACTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS ,
· WEASELCLAW x SOOTSTAR, sister to Windstrider, Sootchaser, Moorpaw, Adderpaw, Bluepaw & Cottonpaw
╰ ‣ nephew to Mintshade & Bluepool
╰ ‣ sexuality unknown
╰ ‣ apprentice to Firefang
╰ ‣ poor fighter . poor hunter .
╰ ‣ will start fights . unlikely to flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.​

​

​

 

[SNAKEHISS]

❪ TAGS ❫ — Snakepaw had put a safe distance between him and the reptile, his fur standing on end and fuzzed up like a burr. Nobody else seemed to be as afraid as he was at that moment, and as embarrassing as his reaction may have been, it was wholly justified in his opinion. They weren't the ones who snuck up on the snake thinking he would come face to face with a rabbit.

He hesitantly made his way over, slowly but surely, angling his ears and gritting his teeth to not make sudden movements and agitate the snake. Snailpaw was rambling on about something, as per usual, when the older apprentice mentions a rather gruesome fact. His breath catches in his throat — It... eats babies? As in baby kittens? How large of a meal could this thing eat?

The dark-furred tom slunk up near Gravelsnap, his emerald gaze not leaving the coiled creature. It was obvious that this thing had to die; what if it slithered right into camp and ate a kit? Well, those little brats were bothersome anyhow, but still. "Kill it then, if you're so fearless...." He breathes, daring Gravelsnap to bite as well as he barked.​

 

[GRAVELSNAP]

For a long few moments the young warrior is frozen, silent, gaping at the black-scaled snake. It’s a dangerous creature, a predator, and it seems to bother most everyone else on the patrol. Harrierpaw asks if they should kill it—to which Gravelsnap thinks, they absolutely should—and Venomthroat ponders whether it’s venomous. Snailpaw smacks at the creature before retreating to avoid its bite, and their explanation of how to take the thing down is a bit complicated, but it sounds doable. It makes sense, to tire the snake out first before going in for the kill.

At their side now, Snakepaw goads them on with the implication that they are a coward as well—Gravelsnap scoffs. They don’t need a child to urge them into attacking the snake. "I will. Since you’re so useless," they spit in return, baring their teeth at the younger feline. Their attention is quickly drawn back to the snake, however, when it lets out another hiss. Gravelsnap slowly moves forward, creeping up on the reptile, sparing not another glance back at the dark-furred apprentice.

With unsheathed claws, the cautious warrior strikes out at the snake, withdrawing as quickly as they can; their injured paw still causes them to stumble, but they manage to back away after a single hit. The snake hisses louder, seems enraged, but it doesn’t strike out at the black-patched tom. Yet.
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[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]​

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[HARRIERSTRIPE]

Harrierpaw watches the older apprentice and Gravelsnap bicker with a twinge of amusement. It makes him think of Adderpaw, his brother had a fiery temper and no one was spared from it, yet he wishes he would keep his rage to bickering than a call to immediate fighting. He thinks this type of arguing was much more amusing to watch and far more enjoying to partake in.

Still, Harrierpaw feels like a tiny kitten at the scene in comparison to the warrior and six-moon-old Snakepaw. This seems like a chance to prove he is not a coward. In imitation to Gravelsnap the young apprentice strikes out at the snake, his tiny silver claws gracing it’s scales. The serpents head spun around to face Harrierpaw and unlocks it’s jaw before moving to sink it’s fangs into his skin, but last minute the apprentice hastily gets away and lets out a startled pant. He can’t help but eye Gravelsnap and Snakepaw for a sign of approval.​

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Spoiler: TAGS 🪶 03-22

( primary character / "speech" / ic opinions )​

╰ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· HARRIERPAW, male — he / him
╰ ‣ 4 moons . pisces. ages on the 14th
╰ ‣ windclan apprentice . believes in starclan

╰ ჻ 002 VISUALS & AESTHETICS ,
· DOMESTIC FELINE, smells of the earth and dry grass , status — 100%
╰ ‣ blue and brown chimera . average sized WindClanner . yellow eyes

╰ ჻ 003 MENTALITY & MANNERISMS ,
· ESTJ-A ❝ EXECTUTIVE ❞ , Slytherin, Chaotic neutral
╰ ‣ self-reliant, loyal, disciplined, direct, impatient, unsympathetic, judge mental
╰ ‣ finds moderate difficulty in relating to others . can be cruel

╰ ჻ 004 INTERACTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS ,
· WEASELCLAW x SOOTSTAR, sister to Windstrider, Sootchaser, Moorpaw, Adderpaw, Bluepaw & Cottonpaw
╰ ‣ nephew to Mintshade & Bluepool
╰ ‣ sexuality unknown
╰ ‣ apprentice to Firefang
╰ ‣ poor fighter . poor hunter .
╰ ‣ will start fights . unlikely to flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.​

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[Firefang]

She'd been focused on the hunt when Snakepaw had stumbled across the serpentine bastard and like the yellow-bellied coward he was he shrieked like a newborn kit at the very thing he was named after. A beast he was nothing like; he wasn't quick nor dangerous and certainly wasn't silent much to the chagrin of any cat with ears. She wants nothing more then to throttle the mousehearted apprentice, her focus is broken and she growl as she turns from where she'd been trying to pick up on a stale trail to rejoin the patrol. She's confused at first exactly what the issue is until her eyes follow the movements in the grass to the scaled body. Her muzzle would crinkle in a cringe but she doesn't vocalize her distaste like Snailstride does.

She doesn't like snakes; they moved far to fast and were more unpredictable then a senile hare and their flesh was far too tough to properly enjoy. They were more trophy catches then anything else and Firefang didn't bother with them for the most part, they were too much of a hassle but that didn't mean she didn't see the appeal of bringing one to camp to scare the kits and rabbit-hearted apprentices. She didn't believe they were all that hard to catch, not in the way Snailstride was making it out to be with their longwinded idea of their off the wall tactics that she doesn't even care to entertain. She shoots them a look of complete disbelief a look that screamed "what in starclans name are you talking about" at their final words of warning. Eating babies? She hadn't heard any nursery tales of the ilk; though had her mother told many to her to begin with? She shakes her head just wanting to return to patrolling but the rest seem interested and she can't push them around not when she has Harrierpaw here who takes a interest himself.

Shes patient for her apprentices sake. She watches as Gravelsnap lunged towards it and almost moves to them watching as their posture dips; their paw still seemed to be bothering them. They retreat however not fully up for the challenge; her apprentice would follow and she'd give him a appraising look at his attempt. It's clumsy but he's brave to try she doesn't let her pride go unheard. ❝Nice reflexes Harrierpaw! but it's about time someone shows you kits how it's done❞ she's cocky for a cat who's never actually killed a snake, she's always one to never show fear however cowardice wouldn't get the best of her when she was running into a mob of riverclan cats nor would it get to her now facing down a overgrown fat little twig with eyes. She gathers her strength in her legs before pouncing as if it was nothing more then every other critter she'd felled. She lands one paw pinning the thing it's neck shooting up to try and bite her, jaws snapping and she needs it dead quick lest she return to camp limping baring both a hurt paw and a even more injured diginity.

She will not make a fool out of herself in front of her apprentice. Her jaws come crashing down on the snake gripping right below it's neck and she chomps as hard down as she can as it writhes to escape. It stills after some time and the problem is dealt with. She still keeps a grip on it however just in case the thing came raging back to life. ​

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