Open Territory WindClan NEW LANDS — ✦ ) intro.

[STAGGERDANCE]

STAGGERDANCE
So, you're gunning for best of three... ​

Staggerdance emerged from the tunnels, wincing—the greenleaf sun was not kind to the underground warriors' eyes—and wandered about while stomping with his hindleg every so often. What surely looked like idle meandering to his clanmates was, for once, a purposeful outing. The maverique had woken up that morning with a question bouncing around in his mind, and he'd dismissed it with his first hunt of the day, but it followed; it persisted as the day grew brighter, clinging to his fur like dirt... he just had to find out:

How many tunnels did they have in WindClan?

He tried to retrace his steps aboveground. Stomp, stomp, stomp. Nothing, nothing—oh, this patch feels hollow, maybe this is it? He knew he never dug in all that deep, not for lack of wanting (obviously), but because of the difficulty: past a certain point, the earth turned rock-hard under its own pressure. If he wanted a real deep hole—like the kind twolegs made—he'd need an extra set of paws, for sure. Oh, but he's getting distracted: this is likely one tunnel... out of how many? There were deeper ones where his rabbit-stomping wouldn't reverbrate; he knew because he'd been there, a couple times, and the entrance was steep.

This was going to be much harder than he expected.

AND YOU'RE GUNNING FOR IT ALL ✦ MAY THE KING FALL

• OOC: go my scarab
• KEY:
  
  "speech"
  
  
  'thoughts'
  
  attempted action
  
  "other character's speech"
  
  
• 
  

  Click on the image to see my full
  reference sheet!​
  Staggerdance is a short, scarred black ticked tabby with amber eyes. They have a torn ear and are missing two toes on their left forepaw. The stripes on their face form a "mask" around their eyes.
  20 moons old, ages every 27th
  NPC x NPC — older sibling to Wormpaw and Snailpaw
  Closed to romantic interactions.
  Mentoring none
  

 

[Weaselchirp Weaselchirp]

I'm a young soul in this very strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout what is true and fake
But why all this hate? Try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make

.

The solid black tabby padded forward with light, deliberate steps, her lean frame almost silent on the moorland earth. Wide orange eyes locked onto the shape of Staggerdance ahead, shoulders shifting with focus, paws moving with purpose. Was he scouting? Digging? Hiding from something? Oh! Was it a new tunnel? That had to be it. That must be it. Her ears perked, tail tip twitching as she trotted closer, whiskers already dusted in the day's digging. " Hello, Staggerdance! " she chirped, voice bright and oddly formal for someone half-covered in dirt. " Mighty fine day to duck underground and avoid the sun trying to burn your eyes out, don't you think? "

She stepped up beside him, big eyes scanning the disturbed patch of earth with great curiosity before snapping back up to meet his gaze, unblinking, intent, a touch too intense in that Weaselchirp way. " Do you need help? " she asked suddenly, tilting her head as though listening to the dirt. Her mind wandered even as her body stayed fixed. Wormpaw and Snailpaw, yes, they were his siblings, weren't they? Both good tunnelers. A bit clumsy, but that would fade. And Cloverpaw… Cloverpaw was nearly done. That was almost sad. But there would always be more paws to teach.

Weaselchirp shifted closer, already prepared to jump into the task before knowing what it was. " I haven't found this tunnel yet. If it is one. If not, maybe it could be. There's always more underneath than there is above, I say. So, what are we doing? "

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

66 MOONS

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WINDCLANNER

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SONG

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bio

 

[PEONYPAW]

Peonypaw finds himself in the tunnels once again. He knows Dustystar is somewhere behind him, having dived in after he had failed to notify her of his idea, her breathing filling the darkness. The new rule about apprentices needing an escort at all times has been getting on his nerves—he had been traversing the unknown since he had been a mere few moons old, so "bodyguards" as he likes to call them are entirely unnecessary and a waste of resources—, so he has decided to stick with some sort of twisted malicious compliance. He is technically out with Dustystar... but he doesn't wait for her, nor does he always listen to her. Peonypaw knows that consequences are snapping at his heels. Until they come barreling towards him without mercy, he is going to keep pushing his luck. Perhaps Dustystar will see that assigning herself to be his mentor had been a grave mistake.

He squints when light floods the tunnel, and he soon emerges into open air once more. His head swivels around first, making sure there are no hungry predators waiting for a rabbit or an unsuspecting cat, and only then does the rest of his body unveil itself.

Peonypaw's eyes narrow further when he spots two of his Clanmates idling about. At least one of them is Weaselchirp; he's rather calm in her presence more often than not. Curious to know their business, Peonypaw approaches them with a flick of his ear.

"What are you two doing?"

@Dustystar

 

[ROOSTERTUFT]

x

Roostertuft walks over with both of his ears angled forward noticing Weaselchirp heading towards a tunnel and by the scent of fresh soil, he can only suspect that its only been recently dug up and the moor runner flicks an ear to the side. The tortie smoke turns in the direction of Peonypaw as he pops out of a tunnel like some rabbit before giving a small nod of acknowledgement in his direction, the apprentice had already beat him to asking what the two other tunnelers were up to, and he spares a glance in his own apprentice's way. A part of him wonders if she would've preferred to be a tunneler rather than a moor runner like him but he knows that it isn't an option for others due to being born rather large and he rolls his shoulders as he takes a few steps in the direction of the other warriors, Roostertuft flicks his tail to motion for @gorsepaw to follow after him.

"Where will this one lead to? Or... are you hunting for moles? Maybe, a plump shrew?" A tilt of his helm as he speaks and settles down onto his haunches before wrapping his feathery tail around his paws, his warm-clay eyes focus on the opening of the entrance and ponders how the tunnelers didn't end up with dirt in their ears. The thought alone causes his skin to crawl and he shudders while thinking about gravel and dirt falling in his ears, he's certain that it wouldn't be a fun experience and would probably be very uncomfortable. Its what makes him feel grateful about being a moor runner than following the path of a tunneler.

FACES ILLUMINATED IN THE DARK

ROOSTERTUFT

WINDCLAN WARRIOR
TRANS MASC x HE/HIM​

x

"speech", thoughts, attacking
a large, longhaired black smoke tortie/blue ticked tabby chimera with a pair of earthy toned eyes and low white
has complicated feelings towards goldenroar and subtly interested in nutmegpurr

charismatic, stubborn, adventurous, aloof, and awkward would be a few words that describe roostertuft as an individual. a former barncat that's getting accustomed to clan life after the events of the barn burning down, he oftentimes misses the life before it burnt down yet he's someone who'll adapt to change.

 

[STAGGERDANCE]

STAGGERDANCE
So, you're gunning for best of three... ​

He didn't notice his clanmate approaching until she chirped out a greeting, to which he gave an awkward 'hello' of his own:

"Oh, Weaselchirp, hi!"

Staggerdance glanced away from the grassy ground.

"Fine day to dig 'bout, yes, but that'd be"

—a toothy grin flashed on his muzzle—

"borin'."

A pause. A quiet chuckle. The maverique met her gaze, unflinching (if only through willpower); his ears perked up as she offered herself to help.

"That'd be great! So, I've found one tunnel here, and then there's the ones near camp—that's three, four—then..."

Pacing around the other tunneler, he began to recount... then thought: did he ever tell her what he was doing?

"Sorry, sorry; I'm gettin' ahead of myself."

He cleared his throat.

"I'm countin' all the tunnels so far. Figured we've got to keep track of 'em somehow, no?"

Staggerdance shrugged.

It wasn't long before other cats had their curiosity piqued; two, three... a veritable crowd, just to see him count! The thought almost made him blush. Almost.

"Countin' tunnels,"

he answered Peonypaw nonchalantly,

"there's gotta be dozens of them by now, I reckon. Wanna bet on how many?"

What to bet with was of little importance: he'd find something later, surely... if the apprentice took him up on the offer, that is.

He then turned to Roostertuft, looking up just to get a clear view of his face.

"That one's not too deep, but! But! If we count 'em all, and really burn 'em into our brains, we could connect 'em all..."

Like a giant rabbit burrow.... now that was something he could throw himself into! He'd need to keep track of all the tunnels first, though... then get everyone else on board... Staggerdance sighed. Then again, dreaming it up was free...

AND YOU'RE GUNNING FOR IT ALL ✦ MAY THE KING FALL

• OOC: first reply ever lesgo sorry for the lateness
• KEY:
  
  "speech"
  
  
  'thoughts'
  
  attempted action
  
  "other character's speech"
  
  
• 
  

  Click on the image to see my full
  reference sheet!​
  Staggerdance is a short, scarred black ticked tabby with amber eyes. They have a torn ear and are missing two toes on their left forepaw. The stripes on their face form a "mask" around their eyes.
  20 moons old, ages every 27th
  NPC x NPC — older sibling to Wormpaw and Snailpaw
  Closed to romantic interactions.
  Mentoring none
  

 

[GOLDENROAR]

Truly, Goldenroar didn't understand tunnelers.

He thinks about how suffocating it was to be beneath a burning structure, the way the wood was collapsing around them. Smoke-thick air that was hard to breath, clogging his nose and nostrils. Then, he compares it to the tunnels- underground, beneath something that could collapse around him. Still-thick air that didn't move much, the circulation nothing like the free breeze that shifted and whipped around those that planned to be above ground. So, when a collection of them was off in the distance, he glanced towards Dandelionpaw to see if his apprentice shared the same curiosity.

He moved forward, the golden deputy blinking in quiet curiosity. But, in time, Staggerdance answered each and every question those around him had asked. Peonypaw was here too, which means... vision shifted towards Dustystar, dipping his head in quiet greeting, giving the others a quick glance just to count heads, before speaking. "Connect them all together, huh?" He questioned, the moor runner stopping somewhere near his leader. "... Honestly, I don't think that's a bad idea, even if it sounds suffocating." Goldenroar says, voice light. He's really teasing them about the last half of his statement, even if it was the truth for him.

"Like a giant spider-web." He said, trailing off. Goldenroar squinted at the entrance of the tunnel Peonypaw- and a likely disgruntled Dustystar- emerged from, his tail swishing behind him.

_______________________ I KEEP RUNNIN' BUT ☼ I'M STANDING STILL _______________________

• "speech"
  // idk why @ isn't working but i'd tag dandelionpaw otherwise
  

• 

• GOLDENROAR he/him, windclan deputy, thirty nine moons.
  ☆ a lh golden red marbled tabby with low white and glimmering aqua eyes. often seen with a smirk, confidence oozing from him in heaps, but always the ever-helpful guy.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring dandelionpaw
  ☆ older brother to merry
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  
  ☆ mini by tasmagoric, ref image by dallas (yours truly!)

 

[Dustystar Dustystar]

✪ Align my Heart, my Body, my Mind​

indentIt takes a moment for Dustystar to build enough willpower to follow her unruly apprentice into the tunnels. The cramped walls seem to collapse in on her, crushing her and stealing her breath. It's just a figment of her mind, but it's unsettling all the same.

indentStupid kid, going where he knows she doesn't want to follow him.

indent "Peonypaw, quit diving into tunnels when I'm talking to you." She scolds, through gritted teeth, as she emerges from the tunnel. As her eyes adjust, she sees not the feral dogs or enemy warriors she had been dreading on the other side, but a gaggle of her clanmates, talking about something-or-other tunnel related. She shoots Goldenroar a pleading and exasperated look.

indent"I don't care what you do with the tunnels." She does care, really, but she's to annoyed to say anything about it. She shakes the dirt from her fur."You all know tunnels better then me, anyways. What do you think we ought to do?"

Dustystar - 27 moons - Windclan Leader

 

[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 - person here

---

A fawn tabby, with white and brown speckles, emerged from the tunnels' darkness. Her void eyes flickering at the cats with curiosity, interested in their talks about the tunnels...And fighting the timidity that wrapped around her throat like a snake, constricting.

She had spent most of her time in them, hunting little moles, and enjoying the umbra the burrows granted for those who are blinded by the sun.. Though, a mere suggestion rung within her mind wishing they can be more useful in terms of...traveling, could possibly be a useful idea..


She pipes up, with hesitancy in her voice.. "Uhm...If..I may...It could be useful for.. traveling to..other places too maybe? Especially...with us tunnelers, since the sun isn't..kind to our eyes..and... connecting them together is...a good idea.."