border when you're not far away - joiner

[LAVENDERTWIST]

▲ Just as the sun broke above the clouds the small she-cat had slipped from the comforts of the barn. Quietly, wishing her old companions sweet farewells before making her trek across the moorlands. It was foolish to travel by her lonesome but they could no longer deny what was desired. A change to her cushy life and to be apart of something more formidable and exhilarating. During the Windclanner's stay within the barn she had learned a significant amount about them and Puff needed to know more. Word of their success had come the day prior when Scorchstreak came to share the good word with her remaining clanmates. There and then the pale moggy knew she had a choice to make. After clashing claws with their enemies Puff had a eye-opening revelation. The answer to why she couldn't sit still within the quiet barn and why her heart yearned for the clans company all through the night. Becoming a clan cat is what she wanted in that very moment and Puff knew having more healthy cats around could only come as a plus. She was a fabulous mouser and a sturdy fighter given the results of her minimal scratches.

C'mon now Puff, you can do this! Nerves had settled hard and heavy within the curly molly as her paws tentatively paused just before the overwhelming scent of what could only be Windclan. She knew not to cross it given clan cats strict set of boundaries and rules. If Puff wanted entry then she would have to play things by the book and prepare for anything that may come her way. Looking about curiously, descriptions of the territory were on point, considering it had been the backdrop to her views from the farm every waking morning. Anxiously she sat and her rounded paws tucked inward, throat bobbing as she swallowed back the frazzled state of her pluck. You've got this. Slapping on a confident half-smile her tufted face tilted upward, as blue eyes glimmered in the morning glow.

▲ OOC ▲ INFO

• 
  ———△———​
  △ SH cream tabby/seal point w/low white and blue eyes
  △ child of npc x npc ; sibling to cherry and jelly
  △ moorland barncat ; ex-kittypet
  △ 9 moons old ; birthday 08/22 ; ages realistically
  △ AMAB ; trans fem ; she/her
  △ lesbian ; homoromantic ; single
  △ "speech", thought, attack, powerplay
  △ peaceful powerplay allowed
  △ penned by tasmagoric
  
  ———△———​

​

 

[SCORCHSTREAK]

༄༄ Tugging herself up and out of one of the tunnels near the border, the calico’s sharp-eyed gaze sweeps out across the land before her. WindClan may be on the path to recovery—and even redemption, she dares to believe—but that does not mean that her vigilance is unneeded. Any moment now, Granitepelt and the others could return, threatening the moorland with more bloodshed. They would be fought off easily, weakened by the earlier battle and lacking a healer, but they could still prove dangerous for an unsuspecting patrol. Besides, they could also go to the horseplace, where some of the cats who’d helped them in retaking WindClan’s camp remain. Scorchstreak may not view the barn cats as friends, but their sacrifices will not be easily forgotten. If they are in danger, the calico would not deny them her aid—unless Sunstride ordered it.

When she spots the curly-furred cat who stands at the border, the tunneler is concerned more than anything. A single outsider, here as a distraction from something greater? Fiery eyes narrow, but then the wind shifts, and she can small the slightly musty straw-odor from where she stands. "Good morning," she greets flatly, ebony ear flicking. "What are you doing here?" As she asks, she looks over the other feline’s figure. No sign of horrible, fatal wounds. Good.​

​

 

[LAVENDERTWIST]

▲ Surprise lit across her rounded cheeks as the clan cat popped right out from a hole in the earth. They had heard about the tunneler's tasks before but seeing it in action was a whole new strange in of itself. Just within sight, she shyly eyed the approaching calico, decorated in scars, and a gaze of fire that seemed to look right through her. Their grin falls into an uneasy half-smile. Even as Puff recalls the other, she knows the painted feline is a prominent figure among the clan cats, and one that had a gnarly reaction to all the dust. Her mind lingers off to Sunnyday's departure with the group, and a tug of remorse pulls at her. Having been tasked with staying close to home and waiting for the news, the splotched feline had believed her presence was unneeded in their time of struggle. For a split second, her heart drops with worry that Scorchstreak would take one look at her fluffy head and tell her to beat it, casting out all the courage she had mustered. Instead, the molly squints and meows a half-hearted greeting followed by a simple question. Not taking away any of the intimidation factor clinging to the older she-cat's demeanor.

Best make it quick or she's gonna have my whiskers for breakfast! Trying to relax from her wound-up posture, the youth nods her head in quick successions, hoping to alleviate any suspicions that may come with her arrival. Her voice responds soft and twangy with a honeyed swing. "Mornin'! It's Puff!" Again the grin blossoms back across her maw, with one tooth sitting more prominently than the others.

"Sorry to pop up here all of a sudden, but it's with good intentions. Promise." Clearing her throat, Puff tries her best to ease up on the accent, surely twiddling through every syllable. They wanted to be taken seriously by the Windclanner, and speeding through her intentions surely wouldn't get them anywhere. "I actually came to ask if I could join ya'll?" She lets the revelation fall between them for a heartbeat before drawling on. "I'm a bit late to the party I know it but I've plenty to offer. More than happy to pull my weight. Proof of that surely was seen in the fight back at the barn." A tinge of hope colors her last statement, a small reminder that in some way she really had tried to make a name for herself. Despite sticking to the rafters through most of their visits. It wasn't that she feared them and more she was utterly enamored by them. Curious and invigorated by a life of newfound traditions, and in her naivety, these wonders lured her like a moth to a flame.

▲ OOC ▲ INFO

• 
  ———△———​
  △ SH cream tabby/seal point w/low white and blue eyes
  △ child of npc x npc ; sibling to cherry and jelly
  △ moorland barncat ; ex-kittypet
  △ 9 moons old ; birthday 08/22 ; ages realistically
  △ AMAB ; trans fem ; she/her
  △ lesbian ; homoromantic ; single
  △ "speech", thought, attack, powerplay
  △ peaceful powerplay allowed
  △ penned by tasmagoric
  
  ———△———​

​

 

[SCORCHSTREAK]

༄༄ The enthusiasm this early in the morning is… a bit tiring, to say the least. One scarred brow raises as Puff introduces herself, assuring Scorchstreak that she isn’t a threat, that she has good intentions. Many other cats who promised good intentions have ended up on the receiving end of the calico’s claws, so the assurance is unnecessary and unheeded. The other cat continues speaking, and finally reaches the explanation behind her presence at the border. She wants to join the clan—an expected request, and one that the tunneler is sure Sunstride will entertain. Small as she may be, the she-cat had been a help during the fight at the horseplace.

Golden eyes narrow further, observing Puff for a long few heartbeats. Sizing her up. She doubts the girl has any foul intentions, but she has learned that a life lived without caution is a short one. "Alright," she relents at last. Her tail flicks behind her in a beckoning motion as she turns—her gaze still trained on the younger cat, but her body turned in an invitation for the other to join her. I’m fine with you being here, but it’s not my call. I’ll take you back to camp—Sunstride will want to see you. Keep up." She would rather make the trek back through the tunnels, but with Puff tagging along she knows it’s better to remain aboveground.​

​

 

[SCORCHSTORM]

Scorchpaw has... less-than-fond memories of the barn. The stifled scent of old hay had invaded her senses until she couldn't even smell the moors anymore. She had hardly been able to stretch her legs without open fields to run on; even the prey, grateful for it though she had been, had been nothing when compared to the taste of hare that Scorchpaw had grown so accustomed to. Maybe she could have handled it better had she not been separated from the moors just a moon previous, too. The illness, the journey, and then... civil war. She'd hardly had time to grow up in her own camp. At least they've claimed it again now — and Scorchpaw would sooner be dead than let it fall into Granitepelt's claws again.

But if there was one nice thing about the barn, then it had to be the friends she had made there. It was an unfortunate talent of hers that she made friends everywhere she went except at home. Scorchpaw stuck reclusively to her own family here, her mentor, the cats she had no choice but to be around; and yet a friend.... Maybe she'd had Thriftpaw once, and Hollypaw, and there had been Parsnipkit, too, but... few others. Hearing that Puff wanted to join WindClan now perks her ears with a type of excitement that Scorchpaw hasn't felt before.

She approaches her mother and her friend as they near camp. Puff looks strange illuminated here instead of in the drafty light of the barn, hunting side by side. She'd improved her stalking with the curly-furred molly, and for that she had much to thank her for. "Puff!" Scorchpaw chimes in greeting, whiplike tail ribboning behind her. Dual-tone eyes shine warm in the white winter sun. "It's good to see you again." Then, she shifts her gaze to her mother: Scorchstreak has never been one to perform her enthusiasm, and as she leads Puff back to camp she seems especially on duty. Scorchpaw can only hope that she'd come to approve of the young barncat.

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 ✧ 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐌

• 

• 
  
  — scorchkit . scorchpaw
  — she/they ; apprentice of windclan
  — short-haired tortoiseshell she-cat with low white and orange/yellow eyes
  — "speech" ; thoughts
  — signature by dreamydoggo, template art by sixbane
  — penned by meghan

​

 

[SUNSTAR]

Not so far behind Scorchpaw comes the one whose shoulders these questions now lie upon. Scorchstreak says his name, even, as if it is irrefutable truth. He had been WindClan's deputy once; those upon the other borders had asked him if he intended to lead. The answer was yes yet — yet it is still so strange. A bizarre concept that he alone is in charge of these choices made. The tom's slow, considerate trudge comes across the newly made trio not far from their border meeting. He pauses in his step, one brow raised. Between the three of them, he searches for signs of trouble. Wounds, the scent of faint, blood-stained WindClan. Had the loyalists gone to the barn? Had they sought to punish the cats who had protected his group? That he had not considered this at all until now is a terrible failure; he will send patrols out soon, he decides. They will search the area thoroughly and make his offer one final time.

For now he sees nothing. In truth, Scorchpaw seems almost pleased with this development. Her mother does not show as much on her face, but he knows she would have driven a threat from their borders before walking them towards camp. "Have you decided to stay?" Voice colored with surprise, his face nonetheless quirks to a recovering smile. "You will need to follow our traditions," he cautions. "There are a great many things to this life that the barn would not have. Are you certain this is what you want?"

𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓  ╱╱ 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐕𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 〚 11.22.2023 〛 —————«

• OOC. —
• 

  SUNSTRIDE. WINDCLAN DEPUTY & MOOR RUNNER.
  ——– HE – HIM – HIS ╱╱ 48+ MOONS OLD, ADULT.

  NPC x NPC, LONERS. MATE TO WOLFSONG; FATHER TO BEARPAW, SINGEDPAW, RIVEPAW, SUNLITPAW AND FEATHERPAW. MENTORING SCORCHPAW.
  
  TH ╱╱ LARGE CHOCOLATE ROSETTE TABBY, ICY EYES.

• "speech"

​

 

[LAVENDERTWIST]

▲ The other's golden gaze strikes the barn cat with a strange sensation of familiarity, one she can't quite put a curly-furred paw tip on. Hmm, weird?At the older Molly's gesture, she practically bunny-hops across the border to her side, short ears twitching eagerly as the striking pelt of Scorchstreak leads her through the moorland. It's no secret the calico is suspicious of her and Puff can't find it in themselves to blame them. Trading the cushy life for what seemed like trouble would have any sane cat raising a brow. Rather than poke the proverbial bear she keeps the tentative silence between them.

Eventually, the makings of a camp begin to take shape, and a chummy face makes her heart leap like a fish. Just like that, the dots align, and her pale eyes flit back and forth between the two she-cats, similar in namesake and coloration. Oh! The younger of the two feels awfully silly not realizing the glaringly obvious kinship, and a part of her is awfully embarrassed by this nuance. Deciding to ignore it, she instead beams a classy smile at the apprentice, happy to be reunited with a friendly face amongst the unknowns.

A purr sweetly plays on her tone as she returns the greeting. "Glad to see you here, Scorchpaw! I've got so much to ask ya'!" Her enthusiastic mews are cut to an abrupt halt as her senses pick up an approaching tom. Just behind her friend is the glowing pelt of Sunstride, and her posture straightens once more. This was the cat she'd need to impress and earn his acceptance. Putting on a more appropriate expression, the fluffy feline dips her head politely. Thankfully, the soon-to-be leader had a welcoming nature to him, or at least in her opinion, making the transaction far less harrowing as he questions her.

Thoughtfully, she pauses to mull over his words. Am I certain? Idly, she casts a look over her shoulder, peering out into the winding hills that mark the way to the barn. Sure, it had been a place of comfort and kindness, but not a home. The kennels Puff had lived in were a prison she'd rather not speak of, and the barn was no comparison, but in a way, both had felt suffocating. Here I can make a home. A real one. Steeling her resolve, she turns back and levels the tabby with a determined stare.

"Yes and I understand." Puff states slowly, inhaling then exhaling before continuing, "I've decided to stay, and m' sure of it. WindClan has shown me real connection, and I want to foster that in myself as well as others. I want to be a part of something greater than myself, to strengthen y'all, and of course, be of use in anyway I can." Her gusto falters towards the end, taking on a more humble disposition, ears dropping just a touch as a more vulnerable glint enters her blue eyes.

Seeing the Clan cats pick up the pieces of their broken home and stitch it together with little less than grass to mend it had inspired her. They knew what it was like to suffer and make do with little. She needed this. She wanted this, and if they'd let her, Puff would thrive within it.

▲ OOC ▲ PHYSICAL ▲ INFO

• 

  
  © nya​
• 
  △ SH cream tabby/seal point w/low white and blue eyes
  △ child of npc x npc ; sibling to cherry and jelly
  △ apprentice of windclan ; ex-kittypet ; ex-barncat
  △ 9 moons old ; birthday 08/22 ; ages realistically
  △ AMAB ; trans fem ; she/her
  △ lesbian ; homoromantic ; single
  △ "speech", thought, attack, powerplay
  △ peaceful powerplay allowed
  △ penned by tasmagoric
  

​