Territory dude what is that thing ft. Eggsplat Silentstep

[Fogstare Fogstare]

{$title} the tunnelers are being weird

- @Eggsplat @Silentstep

- • Fogstare • -

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Fogstare yawned as he walked out the camp entrance, eyes practically closed as he walked by sheer memory to the tunnel entrances he favored. It was midday, this lazy feline clearly only having barely gotten up to do his expected duties.

The sky was a vibrant blue, contrasting beautifully with the orange and yellow hues of the moor, the sun making it all the brighter of a day. It was a sight many would love to sit and watch, to fully take in and appreciate the beautiful land they live in. Fogstare however, found it too bright on his still sensitive eyes, thinking it such a shame that green-leaf only makes it last longer. With how bright it is by this time of day, I can't get away with catching a couple more hours of sleep..

He sighed and continued his blind walk, slowing to a stop as he felt the familiar worn dirt beneath his paws, soft and run through. If he focused, he could probably feel the claw prints of the apprentices, getting excited for their chance to dig and burrow into the tunnels. He opened his eyes slowly, as to drag out the eventual need to get started on the day, and found himself with company.

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[Eggsplat Eggsplat Eggsplat's icon]

EGGSPLAT, -- 37 moons | Windclan | Tunneler
A fluffy, red lynx point with low white, small folded ears and big paws with warm yellow eyes. Often has scattered leaves and grasses in his tail.
Tagging @Fogstare

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A Scuttle In the Wind

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Here he was yet again. Despite becoming familiar with the above ground territory the underside of it it was still a vast mystery teeming with adventure- and danger if he wasn't careful. It was a duty he disliked, not strongly but enough for it to put a sour taste in his mouth as if he had eaten a piece of prey gone rancid. The earth gave way beneath large paws, crumbling away into messy sand that Eggsplat was certain would never come out of his fur no matter how much he bathe or stood in water, willing the water to wash away the evidence of a long day.

After a long, long few minutes of digging he felt the soft moss nest within the warriors den calling to him. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as his place within the barn, old worn hay squished perfectly, warm during the winter months and thin enough to keep cool during a hot Greenleaf like this. It wasn't the same in the slightest but it would have to do, he decided. Now came the ever lasting issue.... Which way to go? Eggsplat turned his head this way and that, lifted and lowered his nose to find a scent home. These accursed tunnels were ever winding and so similar, what cat could blame him for getting all turned around? A short huff and Eggsplat bounded off in a direction, having convinced himself it'd be the correct one this time. He brushed his tail along the sides of the tunnel, a hopeful failsafe if nothing else. Surely if I'm gone long enough some cat will come looking..



tap tap tap...



A sound so soft he nearly missed it.

"Hello?"



tap tap tap . . .



Eggsplat felt the prickle of unease worm it way under his skin. He glanced behind him, eyes searching within the darkness for anything that could be the source of this peculiar sound. Dirt walls and loose roots stared back at him silently, as if they too held their breath. He jumped when his paw made contact with a pebble and sent it softly skidding down the path, the sound deafening in this muted silence. These tunnels these tunnels, why couldn't we pick a better way to travel? Oh skies above let it not be another angry hare..

. . .



The cat before Fogstare nearly crashed into him, stopping just short of the tom. He sighed in relief, shifting from paw to paw as words tumbled from his maw. "Oh thank the skies it's another cat! F-fogstare was it? Haha, are you entering the tunnels? I would advise against that actually.." Eggsplat glanced back from where he came and stepped closer to Fogstare.



"I.. heard.. something in there.. I couldn't tell if it was another cat- well I couldn't smell another cat so it must not have been, but still.." Yellow eyes searched for a moment longer in the darkness before looking back to the sleepy blue eyes before him. 'Maybe it'd be best to investigate together in case it's something dangerous.. It'd be bad to leave it there unattended afterall, haha.. You're a tunneler too, right? So you probably know this maze better than me! If worse comes to it I'll smack it and you'll be our ticket outta there!" Eggsplat smiled at Fogstare, hoping his nervousness wasn't as obvious as it felt. He had wanted to become a warrior but didn't expect it to be anything like this... I miss when the daily struggle was just catching mice at the barn!​

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"Speak" // "Thoughts"​

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[Silentstep Silentstep]

- @Fogstare - @Eggsplat

- • Silentstep • -

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Deep within the labyrinth tunnels lied a fawn colored tabby, who roamed them with ease in her paws, sprinkled by delicacy like it was nothing. Passing through forms of different tangled roots dangling down the ceiling, she would take note of ones that caused a slight difference in the passageways. Some followed with many, some with little to none… A simple way to capture each of its disparity. Overtime, Silentstep grew fond of being a tunneler. Spending most of her time here, being able to make use of her light sensitivity as an advantage to course her way through the spiraling darkness amidst no trouble at all.

As the other cats were able to freely amble above ground with grace and be basked by the suns' radiance of warmth, one had found it scorching. Each time she were to build up the courage and face the sunlights flare, the whole world of her perception was blinded by its flash of light, stinging the eyesight with such overwhelming torridity spreading her vision. Quickly bristling Silentstep's fur followed by a hiss and hastily recoil her paws back with further skepticism now… It… It didn't help either that the supposed sun's nurturing warmness of this season's greenleaf was a painful similarity to the sweltering hot blaze engulfing the farm, left ingrained in her mind…


But today was a day, where Silentstep hitched those thoughts to a pause and spend no attempts in wanting to boost her confidence toward the outside for now. Besides, she was already finding the faint breeze who sung its air into these burrows to be sustainable enough. Her paws gently continued patrolling down the labyrinthine tunnels until her ears gave a flick from the sounds of a cat who softly called out into the darkness, then continue an uprise of noise… Itching with curiosity whether if they were calling out to her, brown glass eyes pierce through the tunnel's void and watched in silence.

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"Speak" ● "Thoughts"​

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[Fogstare Fogstare]

- • Fogstare • -

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Fogstare blinked slowly at the orange cat before him, ear twitching as he continued on about... something in the tunnels? Honestly, Fogstare was really not fully awake for all this right now. He let out a yawn as the fluffy orange cat teetered off into some plan to ambush the thing that scared him, it sounding more like Fogstare was going to deal with the entire thing while this cat ran off.

He sighed a bit and gave a half-hearted smile to the tom. "While I do know the tunnels pretty well, I don't know so much about ambushing something already inside them..." He tilted his head bit, trying his best to not seem disbelieving. He didn't try very hard. "You probably just heard a rabbit! They love getting in our tunnels, thats what makes them so easy to hunt in there, so there's really no need to get so panicked.."

Who was this cat again? Sunny....orange.....yellow.... yolk? something like that... Fogstare wasn't even certain who exactly he was talking to, not that he'd admit that. He's gotten cuffed behind the ear enough to realize he shouldn't say that to the cat directly. But now I don't know if I can take them seriously or not... what if he's just someone who doesn't like the tunnels? Hmm...

He stayed unaware of the gaze firmly planted on both of them.​

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[Eggsplat Eggsplat Eggsplat's icon]

EGGSPLAT, -- 37 moons | Windclan | Tunneler
A fluffy, red lynx point with low white, small folded ears and big paws with warm yellow eyes. Often has scattered leaves and grasses in his tail.

Tagging @Fogstare @Silentstep

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A Scuttle In the Wind pt 2

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The small silence that fell upon the two was glaring. Eggsplat took a breath and stepped aside to provide ample room for the grey tabby to enter. "Well there's no harm in making sure it's just a rabbit.. let's go together!" he moved closer and began to gently nudge Fogstare towards the gaping maw of the tunnel before them. "If it's a rabbit we can bring it back to camp, and if it's not then the two of us can take care of... whatever it may be." And I won't have to embarrass myself in front of another cat!

Eggsplat nudged the tom till the grey tabby stumbled forward with the force. For a small cat the orange tom's paws were heavy like logs, forcing things to move whether they wanted to or not. Eggsplat prattled on about the odd noises from the tunnels recently and how unnerving it all was. Distant thuds and the faint scratching of other creatures from the other side of dark walls, their forms and scents hidden by the earth's flesh. Was it a rabbit or a fox? A mole or a dog making its unfortunate presence known? One wouldn't know till they met it face to face with the last fateful paw of dirt.

"There's been something else as well, something strange. For a few moons now when we've been down here to hunt I've found tufts of fur," Eggsplat said, lifting his gaze to glance around their surroundings. [color=#DCBF85"I don't recognise it from any of the other cats back at camp nor does it carry our scent. It smells more of these tunnels honestly- like a rabbit pretending to be a cat."[/color] He looked to Fogstare, frowning a little at the tom's mild disinterest. If Fogstare was going to pretend entertain Eggsplat's story he could've at least kept his eyes open.. "Could it be another clan cat? Or.. a rogue? Maybe we could talk to them if it is. Avoid messy violence and threats.. yeah." Eggsplat trailed off as he thought. When was the last time we've known true peace? First the fire, now that gathering.. This clan business seems awfully complicated. Secluded camps and murder. "..Cats shouldn't kill cats." He murmured, deciding then and there this simply was the law. Why bare fangs when a heart is just as powerful?

"Whoever's down there, let's talk to them first yeah?" Eggsplat said with a smile. "Then we can-" He stiffened, ears perking at a sound that felt too close to be a skittish rabbit. He glanced to the path before them, looking over every pebble and mound of dirt with suspicion. It felt as though hidden shadows were dancing before him, moving every time his eyes left them. It hurt his head. "Fogstare...?" He meowed softly, keeping his body still as he turned to glance back at his companion. To his horror Fogstare was lagging behind, sniffing idly at a dirt pile for a moment. I must have gottened distracted while walking.. "Fogstare.." He called softly, fur bristling at the sound of dirt being moved.

"I think we're close."

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"Speak" // "Thoughts"​

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[Silentstep Silentstep]

Silentstep, 36 moons || Windclan || Tunneler
A fawn tabby with brown and white speckles.
She has a friendly demeanor, yet overshadowed with oddity.

Tagging - @Fogstare @Eggsplat

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Owl-like eyes still observed these cats from afar. She continued her dance in following them as they went further down the dirt path. Listening attentively of their conversation had brewed her curiosity further, wanting to know their purpose for finding themselves in these tunnels. Any quick glance done by Eggsplat had Silenstep ceasing in her tracks, until he proceeded on forward with Fogstare.

As the talk fest went on, some of the words spoken jumbled inside her mind to figure what could be within the labyrinth, leaving tufts of fur lying around.... And be stinking its similar odor through the air-

... Wait a minute.

" .... They couldn't be talking about me, right…?" were the words filling her mind with concern. Course... It could also potentially be the other tunnelers who may have strolled down these underpasses from hunting.... But, she reminded herself, the amount of time she spends in here more than others was aligned too perfectly to downplay the growing suspicion.

Ripples spread across her snout, painting a vexing look of offense. Insulted by the unintentional comments from the fluff ball… Until slowly, Silentstep dispersed the wrinkles away. Reminding herself to remain hidden and not have those rising emotions blow her cover.. She continued to listen and learnt the tone within Eggsplats words held no ill intentions behind them... Although it still left a sting of embarrassment overall of her stench... Perhaps she'll bathe later whenever the radiance went away and be replaced with nightfall.

Lingering around them, Silentsteps ears caught the tiny murmur that spilled from Eggsplat… Her gaze and eyes fully softened.. The sentence recalled her time in participating at the gathering. The complexity of words being tossed around by the leaders, Only managing to grasp just merely a few words until the rest felt too complicated to further understand, failing to comprehend them. It didn't help, either, possessing mixed opinions on the matter had drove her focus away as well. She never understood the forced violence upon others and feeling the need to provoke fear into one another. It was unnecessary..

Finally, a decision was settled. And the she-cat slowly peeled herself away from the shaded obscurity, greeting the two with only but her face poking out. " Yeah, you're both pretty close alright."

 

[Fogstare Fogstare]

- • Fogstare • -

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Fogstare let out a petulant groan as he was pushed forward by the orange cat, head tilting back as he shut his eyes again. I'm not dealing with it, I'm not gonna deal with it!

If the fluffy cat was so troubled by whatever is in the tunnels, why'd he have to get dragged in as well? Fogstare could care less if a rabbit decided to reclaim its burrow, or if a hare came in to pick a fight, it didn't bother him at all to hear their scuttling while he dug and sniffed around. He frowned as he squeezed his eyes tighter in mild annoyance, simply letting the other cat herd him down the tunnel without a fight. If he knew this would happen, he would've risked the scolding and continued to nap a little longer in the den..

Despite all his internal complaints and external disinterest, the gray tom did listen to the ramblings of Eggyolk, turning her theories of what could be in the tunnels slowly in his head. Fur being left behind can be reasoned away as their group or prey. Smells, the same reason, plus things simply smelled differently underground with other smells tainting it than out in open air. Another clan cat or rogue...

Fogstare opened his eyes slightly, slowing to a stop as the orange molly went on, murmuring something to herself that Fogstare was too far away to hear. Didn't want to hear, perhaps.

This was all ridiculous. I hope it's just a rabbit so we can catch it and go back to the others, I don't want to think right now... He turned to the dirt walls around them, trying to look for evidence of this thing Yellowegg is so wary about. It was when he caught the scent of... something, on some dirt nearby that he heard the soft call of his name.

He looked up, about to meow back when a white face suddenly appeared from a shadowed tunnel. His fur immediately stood on end, back arching as he jumped back an inch, not understanding what in the hell he was looking at right now. He barely restrained a hiss at the weird sight, not registering that the thing had even spoken to them.

A face?! A floating face? This isn't one of those, what was it, star things was it?

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