WEATHERMAN | intro

[WARBLERPELT]

Sunlight fractures across the sun-warmed pool in cascading, silvery rays. As Greenleaf inches ever closer, there's less and less reprieve from the heat that barrels down on the moors; the clouds are large and fluffy, but sparse, and a clan cat's commitment to their lifestyle means existing under the sky no matter the circumstance. With some exceptions.

Lilacsong had been adamant about this. His mother—his mentor, really. A staunch supporter of Sootstar and the identity that WindClan was forging for itself, a careful cultivation which she wore with pride. He remembers watching the creases of anger and grief etch through her face at each traitor who turned their back on the clan. Then he watched her waste away into nothing, sick and then sicker, until there was nothing left.

Whether Warblerpelt shares her staunch rhetoric is up for interpretation. He's notoriously hard to read. Blasé, distant, but overall reliable. That's generally enough.

To flee the heat and avoid the tunnels, many WindClanners have retreated to the water for the afternoon. The pool is cool and pleasant, and he's sure that the local songbirds would be flitting about were it not for the group of feral cats basking along the shore like seals at the beach. But they are not the only ones enjoying the water.

A toad. A huge, ugly thing, covered in warts and wrinkles and slime. Warblerpelt stares at it. The toad stares back. Neither of them speak, except for when a clanmate stumbles too close to the basking creature and Warblerpelt holds out a steadying paw. "Careful," he murmurs, gaze never breaking.​

 

[WOLFSONG]

──⇌•〘 INFO 〙 Wolfsong comes here often with Sunflowerpaw in tow, tending to their damaged paw in the warm waters. Whether it will truly temper their wound's long-lasting repercussions is a question time will answer, but he does not think there is any harm in it. As a child, he remembers the oddly heated springs older warriors often bathed in, springs which melted the snow around them and never seemed to feel leafbare's teeth. The pool here is hardly similar, far more shallow and frozen thinly during winter, but Wolfsong is still grateful for it.

Especially given how little coverage the moors have from the sun.

"Would that I had longer legs," he tells his apprentice, "I could outrun Sunstride without needing two paces for each of his." His sole eye on Sunflowerpaw, he does not notice their guest until Warblerpelt has flung out a paw. He turns toward him and, in so doing, finally sees the toad. A low chuckle rumbles in his throat. "Ah, one of ShadowClan's warriors has trespassed. I don't know that you will have much luck cowing it with your gaze, Warblerpelt— there is little behind the eyes."

//obligatory @sunflowerpaw tag
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[Mintshade]

Patrols had begun to wear on her as of late, she so longed for an altercation to let her blood sing for thrill of the battle, but the clans had all been quietly subdued as of recent times and she felt her edges softening with each passing moon. If only they could return to the colony days, she would be free to sink claw and teeth into any Pine cat that crossed her path and not a soul would condemn her for it, there would be not group meetings damning her ruthlessness like the gatherings had turned into for her sister. If StarClan didn't want Sootstar to lead then she would not be leading, simple as that, she only hoped that eventually when the ashen queen's time ended that Badgermoon would continue her legacy of strict ideals and ruthless defense of their lands.

Wolfsong's calm remark to a trespasser has her pace quickened, her irritation present in her swift gait and a scowl upon her face as she drew onto the scene, "Trespasser? Where? If it's that deputy of theirs I'll claw him to-" Mintshade faltered, words stuttering off into a growl of confusion and both acid green eyes dropped to the toad perched upon the ground; lumpy and unappealing. The lightheartedness of the golden tom's words became obvious quickly, it was just a joke. The dark molly's disappointment was almost palpable, a sigh escaping her that warped into a groan of dismay as she kicked a paw to scuff the ground underneath much like an apprentice being scolded. Her kinked tail flicked behind her, summoning her apprentice at her side as she had left her behind in her swift approach.
"Going to have a bite, Warblerpelt? You know, I used to be rather fond of toads." Her characterstic cackle of a laugh rose up from her throat, "Gyeh heh heh, but you know! After dining on rabbit for so long, I don't know if I'd want to go back! They've lose their appeal!"
She raises a paw in a gesture for Azaleapaw and then motions to Sunflowerpaw with a nod, "Either of you two had a frog before?"

---

[Ooc]
Apprentice Tag - @Azaleapaw
​

 

[MIREPAW]

જ➶ The young tom is busy scampering about and sniffing at the ground. His ears are perked up as if listening to the ground beneath his paws, as if he knows something is there but not exactly what. That is what makes digging all the more exciting for the young apprentice. It's the discovery and then he gets to show others just what it is that he has found. He is skittering ever closer to the sun warmed pool of water when he is halted quite suddenly by a paw. Blinking his seafoam eyes he looks at Warblerpelt and then to the toad he seems to be having a staring contest with. It puzzles him honestly and a question lingers on his muzzle before it is abruptly answered. The toad is edible. Without thinking much of it the young lad makes a soft gasp before he slips his way closer to the toad. Trying to sniff it before making a face so disgusted that he pulls his head back up and looks almost like he will be sick.

"Ughh, it smells so bad. Like so mildewy and old." His whole face has crumpled up and he looks for his mentor before looking to the toad, aghasted that Mintshade used to eat those. "How could you stomach it?"

@HOUNDTHISTLE ​

 

[Badgermoon]

"Chin up, Mintshade, I'm sure you'll find someone to tear into soon enough." the black-and-white tomcat's amusement was clear as he paused midway through trotting past the sun-warmed pool, @SNAKEPAW presumably just behind him. He avoided this place, now, too strongly associated as it was with memories he'd prefer to forget - but a gathering like this always drew him closer, for curiosity's sake if nothing else. He attempted to flick the dark-furred she-cat's flank with his tail, reclining on his haunches as conversation flowed on about the toad. A great, big, slimy-looking thing it was: his nose crinkled at the thought of sinking his teeth into it. "Hunger will make just about anything appealing...but I think it's no great loss for anyone to be mostly a rabbit-eater nowadays." said Badgermoon to Mirepaw with a twitch of his whiskers. He glanced at Warblerpelt, interested to see if the ex-rogue showed any interest in eating the lumpy amphibian. I bet Lambcurl eats toads.​

 

[heathermoon !!]

Though the water was hardly deep enough to cool down his entirety, Heatherpaw put the shallow waters to the test. He leisurely stretched his legs across the slate before settling into the pool. Both his forelegs reached out flat in front of him until his chest met the stone. Heatherpaw closed his eyes while a low rumbling purr sounded from his chest. His chin remained above the surface, just high enough, barely meeting his nose. With the heat growing increasingly unbearable, even Robinfang had resigned to allowing him and the apprentice a day to relax. His mentor could be seen not too far away napping in the shade of brush that kept the very pool hidden.

As his Clanmates began to chatter away the apprentice eavesdropped, keeping his eyes closed but ears perked in the direction of the warriors. He wanted to scoff after a few transactions of conversation. Were they really this bored? Making small talk of a toad of all things. The longer the conversation goes on the more irritating it makes the tabby. Just as he was getting comfortable, too.

With a push against his paws Heatherpaw would rise and face the clowder. As if to prove a point, whatever it was, a quick pounce captured the toad between his paws. It's slippery, more than he expected it to be- stars it feels gross. But he managed to sink his claws into it before it could completely slither between his grasp. There is a moment of confusion on how one would kill a toad, he doesn't want to put this anywhere near his mouth if that's how it feels actually...

Heatherpaw mustered his remaining strength and spite to try anyhow, and it's a bit messier than he expected, but gets the job done. "Now you can figure that out." His remark it directed toward Mirepaw as the toad is pushed in the other apprentices direction. His voice is noticeably strained, holding back the urge to spit out the taste the slimy creature had left in his mouth.​

WINDCLAN APPRENTICE ✦ RED MACKEREL TABBY ✦ 7 MOONS ✦ TAGS​

 

[SNAKEHISS]

❪ TAGS ❫ — Snakepaw found enjoyment in following Badgermoon around; any excuse to escape camp for a while and learn from the deputy was ideal for him... even if the lessons he was taught weren't always necessarily thrilling. Besides, he felt nearly just as important as his superior when he accompanied the bi-colored male on patrols and tasks. No one else in the clan but Bluepaw had a more highly-respected and revered cat for a mentor!

He keeps silent as Badgermoon decides to detour to the sun-warmed pool, eyes half-lidded and disinterested in chatting with his clanmates. A sneer slithered onto his features as he spotted the bumpy-skinned reptile by the pool's edge. How was it that ShadowClan prey kept on finding its way over to the moors? WindClan didn't want their slimy, disgusting presence treading all over their territory.

The others simply stand about like grazing rabbits, and Snakepaw is about to ask Badgermoon if they could be on their way when Heatherpaw pounces out of nowhere and delivers a killing bite to the nasty thing. His narrowed green gaze darts from the slaughtered toad and back over to the red tabby before he mutters, "Showoff." Why else would an apprentice bother to even lay a hair on the toad if not to impress the warriors—and the deputy—present? A sore reminder that Snakepaw hasn't even managed to catch a rabbit yet simmers in his gut, making him clench his jaw slightly.

He stares at the kill now, twitching the tip of his tail before sweeping his gaze expectantly over the crowd present. What were they going to do with it?​

 

[HOUNDTHISTLE]

"BECAUSE COWBOY DAN'S A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE COWBOY SCENE"​

"It's somethin' that is a required taste," Houndthistle agrees, watching Mirepaw as he races to the toad, lumbering behind. His stubby tail flicks, looking at the amphibian with a disinterested look. Toads weren't his favorite, but he vaguely remembers his mother having a soft-spot for their taste. Many times, he and his father would make the trip toward the marshes to snatch as many as they could get to bring them back, all to see his mother's eyes light with that look of excitement and that smile that would curl over her lips. He, on the other hand, didn't much care for it. "But, y'know, prey is prey. I'm sure someone back at camp would-" He's cut off as Heatherpaw pounces upon the creature, killing it with a swiftness that brought a slight look of impressment upon the brute's gaze, eyebrows flicking up before he glanced at his apprentice, almost expectant to give it a try. Afterall, to spit in the face of an offering would be rude.

"Y'know, I think it'd be wise for all the apprentices to try it. Ya never know when prey will run short and maybe, just maybe, a toad will be the one thing we got," Houndthistle suggested to the other mentors, giving a nod to ask their input on his suggestion. ​

✦ ★ ✦​