pafp WILDFLOWER // skunk encounter

[FIGFEATHER]

Another day, another hunting patrol. Figfeather travels on the ground, transversing awkwardly through the trees above is SIlversmoke. The small group had split up into small hunting pairs in an attempt to cover more ground and catch more prey. Despite the recent influx of prey thanks to the arrival of new-leaf, the lead warrior and Figfeather were yet to stumble upon anything.

That is until, a movement in the distance just past the upcoming trees.

Figfeather crouches, prepared for a juicy piece of prey, but as it rears around the tree to reveal itself she feels her eyes practically pop from her head. ”Skunk!” The tabby exclaims, the fur along her spine bristling and eyes set ablaze.

The skunk shows no interest in the ginger cat, instead it continues to strut around wobbly… almost as if it had just emerged from hibernation. Even so, Figfeather recalls how poorly they smell and how long it takes for the stench to go away. That is what makes her afraid of the otherwise, docile black and white creature. ”It’s going to spray- it’s going to spray me!” She looks up at Silversmoke in the branches, orange eyes pleading for him to do something.

♡ INFO BATTLE

• please wait for @SILVERSMOKE
• 
  » Figfeather
  » SkyClan Warrior
  » She/her . AMAB
  » Mentoring Wolfpaw
  » Mate to Fantastream
  » Sire to Sangriakit & Coffeekit
  » A red tabby she-cat with a mangled leg.
  » ”Speech”․ thoughts ․ attack
  
• 
  » A foe in battle whose ability to strategize can shift tides.
  » Excels in strategizing and pre-planning her battles.
  » Fights defensively and aid to her clan to victory.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

​

 

[SILVERSMOKE]

They said that SkyClanners could walk among the high branches as well as walking on flat ground, but whoever they were had not met the Lead Warrior. The spotted tabby's gait was glacial during his tenure, volunteering to take to the trees as a consideration to Figfeather's disability rather than any actual affinity for climbing. There'd been a few times where he'd been convinced he would be joining Figfeather flat on his back, only to survive up in the canopy by upper body strength and violent kicking alone. Too focused on staying upright, his attention on his surroundings was mostly divided: that was until a shout from below sent his ears pinning back and back brushing against the leaves above. It took a while to understand what the tabby had said, playing the ringing words over and over again in his head. A little black and white creature drunkenly moving around revealed itself and soon enough, he realised what Figfeather had exclaimed: 'skunk.' He dropped to a lower branch that creaked against his weight, splinters forming in the wood as he was forced even lower. The warrior's panic became his panic, wide eyes gawking at the creature near-paralysed.

Out of the corner of his vision, he could see a desperate gaze shot to him for help and, incredulous, the Lead Warrior's mouth grew dry. "What? What do you want me to do about that?" There were many things he would do a clanmate, kill for them, die for them, but a line had to be drawn somewhere - he wouldn't get sprayed by a skunk for them. It'd be easy to jump in and be the sacrificial lamb, perhaps even preferable to having to pretend he could climb trees, but he'd sooner throw himself into the gorge than smell half as foul as a mephitid. Even if he'd only encountered them in passing, he'd seen enough to know what they were about... and wanted nothing to do with that. Sinking his claws into the bark, the Lead Warrior's voice fell to a hissing hush. "Slowly back off, it can only spray you from three foxlengths or so away." 'Only' was hardly the right word for it, but confident in his deduction otherwise, the tom tried to avoid cringing. With any luck, the creature would be too groggy to defend itself until Figfeather had walked away.

​

 

[MALLOWLARK]

Mallowlark would have loved to ask Nature herself why skunks existed. What purpose they had... they were awful little things, but that also made them fascinating.

This patrol wasnt made up of climbers, apparently. He'd been too large to be a good Windclanner, but his hulking size did very little to make him a graceful one in the trees, either. Still, he could manage, low to the ground- and how thankful he was that he'd learned! Because there was one of those terrible, interesting fur-bags face to face with Figfeather, its existence loudly pointed out by the marmalade tabby's panicked yelp of skunk!

Back away, Silversmoke said... and Mallowlark didn't really have better advice, but he did have an urge, a wish to see something interesting happen. "Yeah, then kick a rock right at it!" he encouraged. Hit it right between the eyes, he prayed- oh, that's be hilarious! It'd send it running for the hills, probably... or it'd go charging forward. Did skunks charge? Only one way to find out!​

☺PENNED BY PIN​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

Silversmoke advises that she backs off slowly. Figfeather wonders how far the skunk’s stench was capable of traveling if it did spray, would she have better odds if she bolted? In her moment of panic she opts to entrust in the silver tom’s wisdom, slowly she backs up, awkwardly hobbling with only one rear paw to guide her backwards.

Mallowlark, who hangs from the low branches, encourages her to kick a rock at it. Figfeather’s ears curl back, ”What?! No! I’m not bird-brained!” She insists, believing the black pawed warrior to be trying to get her into trouble rather than out of it.

Despite all the fuss, the skunk still appears to not care for the presence of the cats. It’s noticed them without a doubt, beady black eyes scanning over them multiple times. They’ve made no effort to approach it and naive to their fear, it lifts a rear leg to nibble at a flea.

♡ INFO BATTLE

• 
  » Figfeather
  » SkyClan Warrior
  » She/her . AMAB
  » Mentoring Wolfpaw
  » Mate to Fantastream
  » Sire to Sangriakit & Coffeekit
  » A red tabby she-cat with a mangled leg.
  » ”Speech”․ thoughts ․ attack
  
• 
  » A foe in battle whose ability to strategize can shift tides.
  » Excels in strategizing and pre-planning her battles.
  » Fights defensively and aid to her clan to victory.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

​

 

[Johnnyflame]

HE SAID, "WELL MY NAME'S JOHNNY, AND IT MIGHT BE A SIN
BUT I'LL TAKE YOUR BET, AND YOU'RE GONNA REGRET, CUZ IM THE BEST THERE'S EVER BEEN."​

---

Normally seeing a clanmate in distress would cause a lot more of a reaction in Johnny, who was very much the type to go in guns blazing. In this instanct though, there wasn't really a threat. Well, outside of camp being stunk of by Figfeather for a few weeks- but that was hardly anything life threatening. If anything, it might help ward off predators from camp. And so, despite his clanmates predicament, the bobtail could help but find himself amused to the point of trying to stifle his laughter as he watched the exchange between Fig and Silver from the safety of his own branch. "What are you waiting for, Silversmoke? Go down there and save her!" he called from his own treebranch, golden eyes sparkling with amusement before laughing at Mallowlarks comment to kick a rock at it. Luckily Figfeather was right- she wasn't bird-brained. "Well your gonna be skunked if you don't get outta there!"
]

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