Open Event Territory RC CAW! // scarecrow investigation

[Brookstorm]

{$title} There have been whispers among the kittypets of a twoleg (scarecrow) who never sleeps nor moves from their garden bones. Surely it's a lie. There's no way a twoleg doesn't sleep, right?

𓆝 . ° ✦

Brook didn't really care whether anyone questioned his interest in the temporary Twoleg camp. After all, even the non-former-kittypets of the Clan would flit over to the Twoleg encampment, curious to find trinkets or gossip with the kittypets that had been brought along.

Brook was no different. The little goodies were tempting, but the gossip even more so. He'd heard a few of them mention a Twoleg nearby the camp, one that stood stock-still day and night. He knew Twolegs were strange, but that was a particularly unique behavior. It stood to reason that she ought to check it out!

Of course, she had to stay on "Pikestar"'s good side during this probation, so she'd gathered a couple other warriors to travel to the weird Twoleg with her. Being on probation didn't stop her from acting as an expert, however.

"Now, I've lived with Twolegs my whole life - and a few different Twolegs at that!" she began. "But I've never, and I mean never heard of a Twoleg who is able to stand still all the time! They get too tired or too agitated. They're always on the move." As they crested a rise in the territory, she spotted the Twoleg in the distance, standing with arms outstretched.

"There it is," he whispered. "Let's be careful, yeah?"

✧ ° . ✶ . ° ✧

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 
  
  

  BROOKSTORM — SHE/HE ･ 41 MOONS ･ RIVERCLAN WARRIOR ･ PENNED BY PLOT ･ SPEECH ･ THOUGHTS

  A short-furred silver cat with black tabby stripes and scathing green eyes. The carbon copy of his brother Pikestar... only without the scars.

 

[Eelbrook]

∘˙○˚.• KUHLI 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

—————————————————————— ∘˙○˚.•

Kuhli followed Brook and the others to the human encampment looking for the still "twoleg", as the clan cats called them. They were still new to the clan and Kuhli felt a bit intimidated by all the strange faces, so keeping close to Brook made them feel safer. One familiar face in a river of strangers. Of course, Kuhli tried to get to know them all, but that was going to take time - they were determined to fit in though.

"My twolegs were elderly, they would often sit for hours, napping or just drifting away. But they always moved eventually." Kuhli agreed with their sister.

At Brook's warning, Kuhli lowered their ears and stared into the distance - and sure enough, what appeared like a human was standing there, as if waiting for an embrace. Frozen, unmoving, staring ahead of itself. "That sure is strange..." they meowed, not tearing their eyes from the weird creature. "I wonder if it's hunting?"

Just like cats waiting patiently at the water's edge, waiting for a fish to swim close enough. Sometimes that took a lot of patience and they had to stay still, so as to not cause shadows to dance across the water's surface, scaring all the water-dwellers away. But what would a twoleg need to hunt for?

∘˙○˚.• ——————————————————————————————————————

OOC: n/a

 

[pebbledream.'s icon pebbledream. pebbledream.]

PEBBLEDREAM ──

riverclan | warrior​

​

Pebbledream isn't usually one to do anything besides busywork - they don't have much interest in anything else, and they're out in the territory hunting or patrolling more often than they are in camp. But with the arrival of these kittypet joiners, not to mention the twoleg camp, there had been stories and rumors of all kinds of things. One of which being the one they now followed behind Brook to see for themself.

Pebbledream is somewhat familiar with twolegs. They were never a kittypet, but they had seen them out near the shipyard a lot when they were younger, either hanging around the shore or out in the water on their weird lake monsters. But a twoleg that never moves? That sounds like a kitten tale their pops would have told them. Pebbledream refuses to believe it unless they see it with their own two eyes.
"Same here," they concede, "I've seen twolegs before, but they've always moved eventually. I've never heard of a twoleg staying perfectly still."
They slow to a stop when they reach this fabled creature, and they peer out at it with narrowed eyes. It definitely looks like a twoleg… and it's certainly standing very still.
Kuhli wonders if it may be hunting, and Pebbledream shakes their head. "I doubt it. How could it possibly expect to blindside any prey when it's standing up so tall? Anything could see it from a fox-leap away, and it's hardly close enough to the water to be watching for fish." Their head tilts to the side as they continue to watch it do… absolutely nothing. "I wonder why its arms are out like that - I don't think I've ever seen a twoleg standing that way. Then again, I don't know anything about their bizarre customs. Maybe I just haven't seen it until now."

a steadfast spirit, never to stall

the vow resounds: honor above all

• ooc:
• "speaking" | thinking | action

 

[Brookstorm]

𓆝 . ° ✦

Brook nodded at her companions' statements, watching as the Twoleg's clothes fluttered in the light breeze that crossed the territory. And it still didn't move - didn't shiver or react.

Okay, time to have a little fun.

"Alright, let's get closer - whoever can get the closest to the Twoleg before it moves wins!" He looks to Pebbledream. Usually, he'd use treats or a toy or something as the "prize" for a game, but those sort of things weren't common here in RiverClan.

"Um, Pebbledream, what would be a good prize for the winner? Or punishment for the loser?"

✧ ° . ✶ . ° ✧

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 
  
  

  BROOKSTORM — SHE/HE ･ 43 MOONS ･ RIVERCLAN WARRIOR ･ PENNED BY PLOT ･ SPEECH ･ THOUGHTS

  A short-furred silver cat with black tabby stripes and scathing green eyes. The carbon copy of his brother Pikestar... only without the scars.

 

[Eelbrook]

∘˙○˚.• KUHLI 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

———————————— ∘˙○˚.•

Brook wants to get closer to the creepy twoleg?! Kuhli's eyes widened. It was one thing to observe it from a distance, but Kuhli still wasn't convinced the twoleg wouldn't start attacking them. It really looked like it might be hunting, even if it stood in its full height, for everyone to see.

"Um...yeah, haha, what's a good punishment, Pebbledream?" they chuckled nervously, not tearing their gaze from the stoic twoleg. There was something sinister about it. Its pelt was blowing in the wind menacingly and its stare...was it looking at them? Kuhli felt like they could feel its cold gaze piercing right through them, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting cats. "Are you sure about this, Brook?" they whispered to their brother, definitely shaking from the wind and not fear. No, Kuhli wasn't afraid! Nuh-uh.

∘˙○˚.• ————————————————————————————————

OOC: n/a

 

[pebbledream.'s icon pebbledream. pebbledream.]

PEBBLEDREAM ──

riverclan | warrior​

​

Pebbledream tilts their head as they listen to Brook and Kuhli's words; how curious that they would be keen on making a game out of approaching this twoleg - well, Brook seems excited about it, at least. Kuhli looks akin to a frightened kit just thinking about it. Still, they aren't one to turn down a challenge. If it's a game of bravery they want, then Pebbledream will gladly show them what bravery truly means.

"How about," they suggest, "the loser catches a fish fresh from the river for the winner." It seems fair enough by their standards - they'll have no issue catching something if they lose, and these two could stand to sharpen their fishing skills before the river ices over. An amused smile tugs at the corners of their mouth as Kuhli whispers to their brother, and Pebbledream can't help but feel a bit smug at their own lack of fear. "You don't need to participate if you're too scared."

a steadfast spirit, never to stall

the vow resounds: honor above all

• ooc:
• "speaking" | thinking | action

 

[Iciclewish Iciclewish]

We will call this place our home
The dirt in which our roots may grow
Though the storms will push and pull
We will call this place our home

.

Iciclepaw, as ever, was quiet as he followed after Kuhli, Brook, and Pebbledream. His baby-blue eyes were wide and fearful, his tail dragging low against the earth. More often than not, his ears flattened to his skull instead of standing upright. The strange camp unsettled him, it reeked of odd two-leg smells and sharp metallic tangs. Weird contraptions sat like crouched beasts around every corner, all dull and still, yet somehow menacing. Sometimes he caught the faint, bitter scent of dogs on the wind, and each time his paws went cold. Dogs, he thought, his stomach twisting. Please, no dogs. And even the other cats, though less terrifying, made his fur prickle uneasily. What if they were territorial? What if they fought them for being here?

He tried to focus on Brook's voice instead, soft and kind as she spoke of her time with two-legs. Iciclepaw nodded along, eyes thoughtful. He thought he had lived with a two-leg once, too... but his memories came in pieces, drifting like leaves down a stream. He could remember warmth, a gentle hand, the feeling of being loved and then shadows. Loss. He blinked it away and looked toward Kuhli, listening as they explained their life among the elderly two-legs, ones who didn't move around much anymore. Like the elders of the Clans, he thought wistfully, always telling stories in their nests.

When they reached the place where a two-leg stood, his paws froze. His fur stood on end and a visible tremor rippled through him. The giant creature loomed there, motionless but watching, and Iciclepaw's pulse raced so fast he thought it might leap right out of his throat.

Why was it standing there like that? Waiting?

Pebbledream's easygoing comments reached his ears, but they barely registered. He managed a hesitant nod here and there, mostly out of politeness until Brook spoke again.

When she suggested moving closer, Iciclepaw nearly jumped a full tail-length into the air. " W-w-w-what?! " he squeaked, fur puffing out until he looked twice his size. His eyes went round as moons as he stared at her. " Y-you can't... ! T-that could be really dangerous! " His voice cracked halfway through the sentence, and his ears burned in embarrassment. Then Pebbledream added that if Kuhli was too scared to join in, they didn't have to participate. The words weren't meant for him, but they still hit like a claw to the chest. He swallowed hard, looking down at his paws.

Somehow, that made him feel even worse.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

10 MOONS

𖧧

RIVERCLANNER

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SONG

𖧧

bio

 

[Brookstorm]

𓆝 . ° ✦

Brook flicked her ear at Kuhli's whispered fear. He loved their sibling, but if they were going to prove themselves to the wild cats, they needed to actually do something instead of sitting around on their rumps!

"C'mon, Kuhli! We lived with Twolegs! If anyone should win, it would be us!"

At Pebbledream's suggestion, Brook lashed her tail excitedly.

"That's a great idea!" she meowed. "We'll go with Pebbledream's idea." Upon hearing Iciclepaw's squeaking protest, he twitched his whiskers.

"All you gotta do is not lose," he said matter-of-factly. "If you just get closer than the cat behind you, then you'll be fine. You don't even have to touch it." With a bold gaze cast at the little patrol, Brook puffed her chest and stepped forward.

"Alright, scaredy-pelts! Let's go!" He focused his gaze ahead, padding slowly and deliberately towards the strange Twoleg.

✧ ° . ✶ . ° ✧

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 
  
  

  BROOKSTORM — SHE/HE ･ 43 MOONS ･ RIVERCLAN WARRIOR ･ PENNED BY PLOT ･ SPEECH ･ THOUGHTS

  A short-furred silver cat with black tabby stripes and scathing green eyes. The carbon copy of his brother Pikestar... only without the scars.

 

[Eelbrook]

∘˙○˚.• KUHLI 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

—————————— ∘˙○˚.•

Brook was right - of course she was. And Kuhli was aware of the fact they needed to prove themselves to the clan, especially Pikestar, in order to be truly accepted into RiverClan. Iciclepaw's nervousness reassured Kuhli, but they didn't let their fear guide them. Were they terrified out of their fur? Of course. But they pressed on anyway.

"Alright..." they nodded and stood up, putting one paw in front of the other, though not taking their eyes off of the twoleg. Shall it move towards them, Kuhli was ready to bolt, grabbing their brother along the way.

But they weren't going to be a coward, not after their first introduction to RiverClan. No, Kuhli moved on ahead alongside Brook, dragging their feet and tail, but they walked nonetheless. In all their time walking, the twoleg did not move, safe for the wind ruffling its pelt, standing on frozen legs, arms still outstreched. Kuhli couldn't tell which way it was looking, its face too blurry and abstract to comprehend. Wait a moment...

Kuhli stared at the twoleg in confusion. "That doesn't look like a twoleg face." they mumbled, more to themselves than anyone else. "It's all sorts of wrong..." Just then Kuhli started to notice all the other details, the strange way it stood... no, hung as if? from something in the ground. And was that... "It's got hay instead of paws!"

Now Kuhli felt no more fear and instead of being nervous, trotted up swiftly closer to the strange creature. "Is this just hay cloaked in twoleg pelts?" Kuhli couldn't say they understood what was going on, but it no longer seemed like danger to them. They giggled to themself, feeling silly for being stratled by this strange thing that stood in the field, nothing more than just an unmoving pelt ruffled by the wind.

∘˙○˚.• ——————————————————————————————————————

OOC: n/a

 

[pebbledream.'s icon pebbledream. pebbledream.]

PEBBLEDREAM ──

riverclan | warrior​

​

"We'll retreat if there's reason to believe we're in danger," Pebbledream reassures Iciclepaw. "We also outnumber the twoleg, giving us an advantage if it decides to become hostile in any way... though I doubt that it will, with it standing so still."
Brook seems the most eager to rush forward, whereas Kuhli hesitantly pads alongside her... Pebbledream refuses to allow anything to happen to RiverClan's new additions on their watch, and they evenly match Brook's pace as she stalks toward the twoleg. They seem to have the same realization as Kuhli does as the cats creep ever-closer to what starts to look less and less like the average twoleg.

"I believe Kuhli is right - if this is a twoleg, then it's certainly unlike any I've ever seen. I don't think twolegs can have hay for paws..." They maintain an air of cautiousness, just in case, but they are devoid of hesitance as they reach the base of what appears to be a large stick that the odd twoleg is hanging from. Sniffing the air, there is no trace of the signature twoleg smell coming from it, aside from what lingers on its pelt. "I think it's safe to say that this isn't a twoleg at all." But still, Pebbledream wonders, why in the world would they make something like this? Perhaps it's to trick potential predators into thinking someone is guarding the area? It's not a bad idea, though it's definitely a unique one.

a steadfast spirit, never to stall

the vow resounds: honor above all

• ooc:
• "speaking" | thinking | action

 

[Iciclewish Iciclewish]

We will call this place our home
The dirt in which our roots may grow
Though the storms will push and pull
We will call this place our home

.

Okay... This was going to go perfectly fine. Nothing bad was going to happen. They'd sneak in, touch the weird thing, and leave before anything could go wrong. Right? Closer... Closer... Just a bit closer than the cat behind him. That was it. Nope. Nope, nope, nope. He froze, paws rooted in place, deciding then and there that maybe it was safer to be last. Someone had to keep watch from behind, right? That was important too! His tail fluffed out as he slunk after Kuhli, Brook, and Pebbledream, every step light and wary.

The two-leg ahead of them loomed strange and still, its shadow stretching long across the ground. His heart thumped like a rabbit's in his chest as he peered up, only to blink in confusion. The thing didn't move. It didn't breathe. And then he saw it: the wisps of hay sticking out from the sleeves, the odd straw that poked where fur should be. Kuhli was right. It wasn't alive. It wasn't even a two-leg.

" It scared me... " he muttered, his voice small as a kit's, still glaring up at the strange figure as though it might lunge at any moment anyway. His whiskers twitched and he gave a grumpy little snort. " Scare-thing... " he decided at last, tail flicking in annoyance. He padded a few pawsteps closer, just close enough that his nose wrinkled at the dry, dusty scent of old hay before he sat himself down behind the others, ears twitching.

" What is it for? " he asked after a long pause, his blue eyes wide with genuine curiosity. " Is it... Protection? Like, does it fight off predators? Or maybe it keeps other two-legs away? " His voice softened, tilting with wonder. " Does it do anything for them? " He frowned faintly, gaze flicking from one cat to the next, completely baffled. " I don't get it... "

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

11 MOONS

𖧧

RIVERCLANNER

𖧧

SONG

𖧧

bio

 

[Brookstorm]

𓆝 . ° ✦

Brook was disappointed to find that it was in fact no Twoleg at all as the group approached. Even Kuhli would get up close to it, and the scaredy-paws Iciclepaw!

"Ugh. Guess it's not really scary to get close to it, huh?" she asked, walking up to the post the fake Twoleg was standing on and stretching to sharpen her claws on the wood. "That's kinda boring." He turned back to the others and padded over to them, flicking his tail irritably.

"Twolegs are weird," he said in response to their musing. "Who knows why they made this? Maybe its supposed to look like one of their friends? As like... a joke? Or to remember them?"

✧ ° . ✶ . ° ✧

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 
  
  

  BROOKSTORM — SHE/HE ･ 43 MOONS ･ RIVERCLAN WARRIOR ･ PENNED BY PLOT ･ SPEECH ･ THOUGHTS

  A short-furred silver cat with black tabby stripes and scathing green eyes. The carbon copy of his brother Pikestar... only without the scars.

 

[Galerunner Galerunner]

—————————————————— Rocked by an endless motion ✦

The tom had not been far away, listening to the squabbling of the others, before he decided to rise. Out of the many, many twoleg things he had the unfortunate chance to interact with, this strangely-dressed thing was something that made some margin of sense to him… as much as something the two-legs had made could. He strided forward, sizing up the thing with a raised eyebrow. After a few moments of consideration, the tom turned tail to gaze at the gathering. "…Protection, yes, in a way." It muttered in agreement, gazing back upon the ghastly thing with a wince.

He sniffed unhappily, backing up some few steps and swishing a wild-furred tail. Whatever it was, he could be sure that the crows did not approve. "The birds regard it with a strange sense of fear, as though it will reach out to them—and maybe it can." He tilted his head once more, as though the thing would make sense if he simply gazed longer, thought harder. "…But you all haven't seen it move, have you?"

—————Whether truth or just a story

It's not up to you—————

• 
  Galepaw
  ✦—Riverclan Apprentice | 11 Moons
  ✦—He/They/It
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A fluffy high white lynx point with curled ears and deep blue eyes
  #87878E #BAB2AC

 

[Eelbrook]

∘˙○˚.• KUHLI 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

——————————————— ∘˙○˚.•

Kuhli stared at the cloaked hay a while longer, watching it, trying to understand. They've seen a great many things the twolegs have made, but nothing like this. It certainly was confusing.

"No movement." they replied to Galepaw's question. "Just swaying when the breeze ruffled its pelts."

It was a strange thing, for sure, but no longer scary - at least not to the cats, though Galepaw did mutter something about the birds. Kuhli didn't understand why they were so interested in the birds, but didn't question it. There were a lot of things they haven't learned about clan life yet. And twoleg life either, it seemed.

"I guess we can go home now." Then something glinted in their eye, something usually found in Brook instead of Kuhli - mischief. "But if I recall the rules correctly, it means you owe us a fish, Galepaw! You were the last to approach after all."

∘˙○˚.• ——————————————

OOC: i think this takes place before Gale got its warrior name?

 

[Iciclewish Iciclewish]

We will call this place our home
The dirt in which our roots may grow
Though the storms will push and pull
We will call this place our home

.

Iciclepaw regarded the scare-thing for a bit longer, baby blues narrowed in cautious thought. Brook's reassurance helped, at least a little. Now that he knew it wasn't a two leg, his heart wasn't pounding quite so ferociously against his ribs. It stood stiff and strange, hay poking through its pelt, utterly unmoving. Not breathing, not watching. Just there. " A joke...? A remembrance? " he echoed, trying to wrap his mind around the idea that two legs made odd, lifeless creatures simply for... Fun? Or memories? Two-legs were baffling.

He sighed softly. They'd come close. They'd seen it. They weren't dead. Good enough. When Galepaw spoke up, Iciclepaw's ears pricked. His nestmate and his birds again, always with the birds. Could he really talk to them...? Iciclepaw still wasn't entirely sure, but Galepaw seemed so convinced that sometimes he believed it too. " Fear? " Iciclepaw blinked toward the perched birds in the distance. " So they're... Scared of this thing? " A scare-thing. Right. Scare... Bird. And it worked, he guessed. But then his gaze snapped back to the hay-figure and he stepped closer, sniffing sharply, as if expecting it to twitch.

" No... No, we haven't seen it move. Not one inch. " he agreed, shaking his head quickly. Unless... The breeze counted? But no, that didn't count. Probably. He turned back toward his fellow apprentices, a short-lived puff of pride blooming in his chest. His tail gave a tiny flick upward. " Yeah... I guess we can go home now. " he said, trying to sound casual. Then--

" Oh! " His eyes widened, a spark of joy breaking through his nerves. " I wasn't the last one to reach it! " Beaming shyly, Iciclepaw stood just a little taller, because for once, he hadn't been the slowest or the most scared. It felt... Really, really good.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

11 MOONS

𖧧

RIVERCLANNER

𖧧

SONG

𖧧

bio

 

[Brookstorm]

𓆝 . ° ✦

Brook titled his head at Galepaw's remark. The birds were scared of it? Interesting.

"Well, whatever reason this birdscarer exists for, it's clearly no threat to us, right Galepaw?" He padded, tail high, back to his sibling and Iciclepaw.

"And yes, that [i[does[/i] mean the illustrious Galepaw owes us a fish!" At Iciclepaw's realization of his bravery, Brook bumped his head against the apprentice's.

"Hey! You did great, Iciclepaw!"

✧ ° . ✶ . ° ✧

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 
  
  

  BROOK — SHE/HE ･ 43 MOONS ･ RIVERCLAN WARRIOR ･ PENNED BY PLOT ･ SPEECH ･ THOUGHTS

  A short-furred silver cat with black tabby stripes and scathing green eyes. The carbon copy of his brother Pikestar... only without the scars.