Event Camp WC Sparks of Fire, Earthbound ✪ Returning

[Dustystar Dustystar]

{$title} Windclan abandons their temporary camp, and returns to their home.

✪ Align my Heart, my Body, my Mind​

indentChilled, silver paws lead Windclan back to the edge of camp, looking down into it's center. The worst of the destruction is gone, now. Nests and freshkill that had been strewn about by the flood are cleared, and the very beginnings of replacements have been added in their place. It's sparse, but it's still home. Eagerly, Dustystar leads the clan down the embankment, before taking her place atop the Tallrock.

indent"There's a lot to be done, but we're home again." Having her paws on familiar ground is enough to steel her resolve, if just a bit. She's sure her clan feels the same. She hopes so, at least. "If there's any particular concerns you have, please talk to me or Goldenroar about it. We'll do our best to address it as soon as we can."

indentDustystar's mind is already alight with things that need to be done. The herbs, of course, need to be tended to. She'll set out some of the apprentices to gather what's still alive, before the first frost of the year. Another patrol will have to go to Shadowclan, then, to see if they have anything to spare. The nests also need tended to - some cats will need to be sent to gather bedding.

indentMost crucially, Dustystar needs to find a way to keep this from happening again. "Those who know about tunnels, and the earth, please lend me your ears. We need to reinforce the camp against further flooding. I don't have the knowledge myself, but some of you might. Please, if you have an idea that could help, come to me. Our lives might just depend on it."

Dustystar - 27 moons - Windclan Leader

 

[Jaypaw ⏾]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ Jaypaw ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☽⋆⁺₊⋆-

Jaypaw stood in the middle of their ravaged camp, looking around. Their home...damaged, but salvagable. That at least brought a little comfort to Jaypaw, though the pretty much collapsed apprentice den brought back painful memories, his breath quickening. Before it could overwhelm him, he tore his gaze away, trying to steady himself. That was something he could worry about later - both the tunnel and his reaction to it.

Jaypaw didn't suppose he would be spending the nearest future in the tunnels, the enclosing walls threatening to suffocate him. It's not like he managed to shake the nightmares off and sleeping in the tunnel where it had actually happened... Jaypaw supposed that wouldn't help. Maybe he could ask to sleep in the medicine den in the meantime? No... he wouldn't put that on Meadowpaw. It would be far better for everyone if he slept under the night sky, by himself.

As Dustystar spoke, Jaypaw thanked the stars he never became a tunneler apprentice - sure it was because his long legs were far better suited for running with the wind, and he didnt want his pelt to muddy up in the tunnel digging activities, but now.. if Jaypaw was forced back into the darkness, with dirt pressing against him, he wouldn't know what to do.

He glanced at Sunnyspring, at Merrystalk, at his clanmates. This would need some getting used to, but hopefully it would feel like home again soon enough. He wondered where he could help - all the tunnel dens making him nauseous, despite wanting to help in his heart. But every time he tried to think about the repairs, he could taste the foul murky water in his mouth and lungs and stomach again, he could feel the tugging at his leg, the bruises on his paws. The terror of Merrystalk never emerging from out of the water.

Perhaps, this too, shall heal in time, he hoped. Until then, he waited to be given instructions on where to help - perhaps Sunnyspring would give him something to do, something to fix?

 

[DIMMINGSUN]

It feels good to be back. Dimmingsun can scarcely believe that he had been a loner just a couple of moons ago, considering how badly homesickness had tugged at his heels ever since the disastrous flood. He had felt exposed in their temporary camp despite having gotten used to WindClan's moors already—vulnerable without something to really call his again. It had been too close for comfort... the reality of it all. Now, although the camp is in disarray, he gets to stroll right back in and feel at ease.

He nods as Dustystar talks, though his gaze only sweeps over the camp itself, instead of her. There is much to be done, yes... but at least there is something to work on. The flood hadn't decimated the camp completely. Only its inhabitants- but they, too, come back with renowned energy.

Dimmingsun smiles despite the situation. His lungs expand with what feels like the only proper breath in the past week. Truly, he's glad his paws had taken him to resilient WindClan.

His attention finally turns back to his Clanmates, and he finds himself doing an internal headcount as they all come through the entrance. They're all Dustystar's cats, but his sense of comfort only deepens with each familiar face he sees, from the tiniest kitten to the oldest elder. Dimmingsun's eye stops on Merrystalk then: the gale guard is in better condition, but his movements still feel sluggish. Perhaps it's all a byproduct of the fatigue that no doubt threatens to drag every cat down, but Dimmingsun knows better. He had managed to save Merrystalk—that doesn't mean consequences aren't at play anymore.

"Merrystalk,"

he calls out,

"once you have a moment, could you see me in our den? I haven't had the chance to check up on you since we fled the camp."

Talking to @Merrystalk but open to anyone!

 

[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

.

Weaselchirp padded after the leader with a skip in her step and a gentle look on her face, her huge orange eyes taking in the place they now called home. Dustystar had asked to hear concerns, and Weaselchirp thought she might just share hers. She had ideas, things that could help them in the future. It was clear Dustystar didn't want to abandon this dip in the earth in search of a better camp. Perhaps, then, they could make it better, make it salvageable. They could ensure the water had somewhere to drain instead of pooling in the camp. It would be hard work, but it was possible.

Finally reaching Dustystar in her own eccentric way, she smiled at both Goldenroar and the leader, eyes wide and bright. " Yes, yes. Hello! What a fine day to return to salvaged land. It looks better than before, no more wet furs, only wet paws. Much better, yes? " she meowed cheerfully before settling down.

" I have ideas, things we could do. " she purred, gesturing toward the slight slope upward. " We positioned ourselves in... A dip of the earth. The water will come no matter what if we don't intervene. But what if we dig tunnels or trenches before WindClan's camp? That way, the water could filter away through drainage tunnels instead of flooding our camp. We can't drain everything, but at least some of it... Yes? It makes a difference when it's just wet legs instead of near-drowning experiences. " Her skrunkly whiskers twitched thoughtfully.

" We'd need to see where most of the water comes from to know which places need reinforcement. Maybe the medicine den could have a drainage tunnel too, one that doesn't necessarily lead anywhere but helps pull water away. And perhaps an extra exit tunnel... More ways to flee, moving upward, away from camp. " she pondered, tilting her head. " Naturally, after every storm, we'd need damage control, clear debris, repair tunnels, and prepare for the next storm. " she pondered, tilting her head.

" We could... Use rocks or logs to redirect water... " she continued, her expression thoughtful as she stared into the distance. " More heavy lifting, more strategic thinking, but it could work. It would do the job, yes. "

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

66 MOONS

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WINDCLANNER

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bio

ooc: directing herself to @Dustystar and @GOLDENROAR

 

[Cricketpaw Cricketpaw]

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance
A foxtrot above my head, a sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread

.

Cricketpaw padded carefully behind the other cats, her small paws sinking slightly into the wet, muddy ground. Her eyes were wide, scanning the wreckage that stretched before them. The damage was lesser now, but she knew it had been worse than this. She knew cats had worked tirelessly to make it look as decent as it did right now in this moment. She could only imagine...

A soft frown tugged at her muzzle as she pressed closer to Jaypaw, her little body shivering despite the warmth of his presence. The flooding had shaken her more than she realized. Even now, she could feel the lingering fear crawling over her fur, the same icy dread that had gripped her during the barn fire, but somehow... Different. Colder. Heavier. This was a new kind of loss, one that didn't burn as quickly as fire but lingered, smothering everything it touched.

" D-Do you think... We can fix all this? " she whispered to Jaypaw, her voice trembling, almost lost in the soft splash of water dripping from broken leaves. Her ears twitched downward as she looked around, her heart sinking with every step she took. Her gaze flickered to the places where she had hidden her special trinkets, small, precious treasures that made the camp feel like hers. Were they gone? Buried under the mud? Was there anything left that was truly hers?

She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned back to Jaypaw, searching his face for some reassurance. A flicker of hope ignited in her chest, tiny but persistent. " ... We can, right? " she meowed, her voice steadier this time, braver than she felt. " If we all work together... We can fix our home. " Her words were almost a plea, yet there was a stubborn glimmer of determination in her eyes. She forced a small, tentative smile onto her muzzle, the barest echo of the apprentice she had been before the flood.

Even as her body trembled and her tail flicked nervously, she knew she could recover. She would recover. The fear that clung to her now would fade with time, just as it had after the barn fire. But for this moment, she let herself feel it, let herself feel the sadness and the fear and the aching uncertainty. And then, slowly, she began to lift her chin, letting the smallest spark of hope take root. She would not let this destruction define her. She would not let it destroy the part of her that still believed in home, in community, in herself.

A soft gust of wind stirred through the ruined camp, carrying with it the scent of wet earth and broken leaves. Cricketpaw closed her eyes for a heartbeat, breathing it in, letting it ground her. She could hear other cats murmuring as they assessed the damage, the distant sound of paws squelching through mud. They were all here, all ready to help. And that thought as small as it was, it made the world feel a little less heavy, a little less hopeless.

She opened her eyes again, meeting Jaypaw's gaze. " We'll fix this. " she whispered, more to herself than anyone else, but her voice carried an unmistakable conviction now. " We have to. We'll make it right. "

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

8 MOONS

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WINDCLANNER

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SONG

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bio

ooc: talking to @Jaypaw ⏾

 

[Swiftwatcher]

'Cause you are loved, you are loved more than you know
I hereby pledge all of my days to prove it so
Though your heart is far too young to realize
The unimaginable light you hold inside

.

Heart heavy, Swiftwatcher padded slowly into WindClan's camp, his yellow eyes sweeping over the familiar faces and makeshift shelters. So much had happened.... So much still needed to be done. His gaze fell first on his apprentice, who had held himself admirably through the chaos. Pride swelled in Swiftwatcher's chest, the young cat was growing into his paws, and WindClan would be stronger for him once he earned his name.

A soft, measured breath left him, and his attention shifted to his daughter-in-law. Honeyflower looked weary, her fur damp and unkempt, illness etched faintly across her features. The kits were little bundles of exhaustion themselves, though their small eyes still sparkled with the sparks of life he so desperately wanted to protect.

" Is there anything I can do to help you? " he asked softly, stepping closer to Sweetnose and Honeyflower while keeping a vigilant eye on the kits. He wanted them close, safe, and warm, his heart refused to bear another loss after everything they had endured. Even Cricketpaw, usually so brave, looked shaken by recent events. Swiftwatcher's gaze lingered on the young apprentice, offering silent reassurance. Weaselchirp had likely already spoken with Dustystar about tunnels and safety, but his concern lay closer to home, where he could see it, touch it, and guard it.

A quiet sigh escaped him as he settled himself near his family, letting his tail curl protectively around one of the little ones. For now, that was what mattered most: keeping them close, keeping them safe, and being there for them in every way he could.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

64 MOONS

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WINDCLANNER

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bio

ooc: mention of @Sweetnose and @Honeyflower

 

[Jaypaw ⏾]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ Jaypaw ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☽⋆⁺₊⋆-

Jaypaw was a little taken aback by Cricketpaw looking for comfort within him. Did he also look this pathetic and scared, trembling at the sight of their camp? Probably, yeah. He certainly felt the way Cricketpaw looked.

He wrapped his tail protectively around the shorter, despite being older, apprentice, trying to soothe her worries. "Yeah..." he spoke softly. "It'll be okay.. eventually." Words meant for Cricketpaw, but comforting himself the same, hoping what he was saying was true.

Cricketpaw's closeness was not only to comfort her, Jaypaw found he needed the closeness the same way, the touch of another, to make him believe everything would turn out well in the end, despite all the horrors they've been through, despite all the devastation. He held close to her, even as more cats filled the camp, suggesting solutions or even help at least - Jaypaw felt glad to be a part of a community, a part of WindClan. No matter the terrible events, they were still together, working to rebuild their ravaged home. It made him feel warm inside for the first time in a long while.

"My paws are strong, if anyone needs me." he spoke aloud finally. He felt terrified of helping with the tunnels, but perhaps... anything else he could do. And he would, because this was their home and he was determined to salvage it.

 

[Ravenmask]

Ravenmask followed the others back to their camp - while the water had pretty much receded or returned to the earth, the destruction was hard to ignore. He huffed as he crossed into camp and surveryed the wreckage.

Well, he might as well do what he can.

The elder padded towards the nearest debris, soaked and soured fresh-kill, and picked up a couple pieces delicately. He loped out of camp, heading a little ways away, where he set down the old prey and began to dig a shallow hole. It would be best if scavengers didn't choose to take advantage of the easy pickings and cause even more trouble for the Clan.

___________________ UPHILL IN THE SNOW ☆ BOTH WAYS ___________________

• "speech" || "thoughts"
  Tagging:
  
• 
  
• RAVENMASK he/him, windclan elder, 93 moons.
  ☆ White and black tom with smoky stripes, bright green eyes, and a twisted back paw.
  ☆ brother of Mallowfeather
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline when attacking/physically interacting
  ☆ penned by plot ↛ plot_twists on discord, feel free to dm for interacts.

 

[Merrystalk Merrystalk]

Merry found the return to the camp a daze, everything had been a little too busy. Such a strange muddle of fear and excitement and dread. Ever since he had come back, it felt like he came back wrong. Something was different. It wasn't like he would be utterly normal after his... Death. But even so, he didn't feel quite right even days after the camps had reunited. He could still breath fine, though he hadn't taken the challenge of running, but he felt more dazed, scatter brained almost. He tried not to mull on it too much, not when it seemed, of all things his emotions had been in utter disarray.

Alone, he could think straight, but with the coming and going of his clanmates, his emotions fluctuated in a way he could barely contain. His throat tighening as if he were to cry his eyes out, fury that would scorch the earth below him. It was confusing, distressingly so, but as he sat in the wrecage of the camp, listening passively to Dustystar talk to the clan, he was just trying to advert his gaze from the collapsed apprentice den.

That was, until, a voice cut through his thoughts. Warm and reassuring, Merry still couldn't believe how much he had grown to trust Dimming. But how coudn't he, he saved his life and stepped up when the Gale Guard was in no state to help the cats the two had been in charge of. It took him a moment, but the tom nodded gently, giving the medicine cat a watery smile. "'Course I can, Dimmin', I'll help divvy out work 'nd I'll come see ya'." He hummed. Honestly, he was just glad his voice was back, the rasp of it was painful even on his own ears, at least now he could speak again without such agony.

As his gaze fluttered across the crowd of cats, his gaze fell on Jaypaw. It was hard not to see the tiny kitten determined to follow him around the barn, the one so proud to have his sister as his mentor, the same one pleading in the flooding tunnel for his life. A pang of ache scraped across his chest, the tortie padding towards the apprentice as he draped his tail across his shoulders. "If ya' want somethin' to do, we still need prey, I know there's gonna be a huntin' patrol goin' out soon most likely, ya' can go show Sunny yer improvement huntin' while we were in the smaller camps."

His gaze flickered up, smiling at his sister, as he glanced to her apprentice. He still needed to get about her and Goldy to tell them what happened, why Jaypaw was so jumpy about the water, why he nearly refused to leave Merry's side. But, for now, the last thing the apprentice needed was to try to drag himself to help clear the camp when it had almost been his gravesite.

The tom left the apprentice's side, it seemed Dustystar and Goldenroar had it all under control, but even so he felt apprehensive to go to the medicine den. He wanted to be sure no one needed him for anything before he turned to Dimming to talk about what happened, he dread to think anyone hearing about that night before his own kin even had the chance.

---

Talking with @DIMMINGSUN @Jaypaw ⏾ @Sunnyspring but available for interactions!

​

MERRYSTALK He/Him, Windclan Gale Guard, 32 moons.
A lithe, tortoiseshell cat with green eyes and pelt speckled with rye grass.
mentored by none // mentoring Talonpaw
sibling to Goldenroar and Sunnyspring
NPC x NPC / parent to no one / mated to Harefoot
"SPEECH" // "THOUGHTS" // ATTEMPTED ACTION
penned by Pheo ↛ phoenixwashere on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Melonpaw. Melonpaw.]

LIVING LIKE A RIOT

SETTING OFF THE SIRENS

​

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melonpaw & 08 moons & genderfluid & he/she/they/it & windclan apprentice

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─ ─ There is an enormous amount of relief to be had in being home again. Green eyes all but glow with joy as they skitter after the rest for the clan - undaunted by the state of things. Sure, there is a lot to repair - far too much, actually - but Melonpaw pays it no mind. Instead, he is optimistic despite himself - relief allowing shoulders to sag at last and a faint smile to quirk up at the edges of his maw. Dustystar asks for help, but digging isn't an area she has expertise in - and attention quickly fades from Weaselchirps response. Instead, they pad after Jaypaw with a surprising amount of pep in their step - tail arced high against their spine. "

I can help too! I'm not just a pretty face you know~!

" she sing-songs. Whether she'll actually do as she's told despite her offer is a mystery of course - only time will tell.

─ actions & "

speech

" & 'thoughts / quotes'​

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( Ain't got time for dyin' - I'm too busy thrivin' )

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MELONPAW ​

★ a chaotic force, Melonpaw is a typically rebellious teenager. seemingly allergic to being told what to do, while not necessarily the most irresponsible of cats, they seem to do far better being allowed to follow their own whims then being bossed around. generally cheerful and friendly, their antics seem to be well-menaing... even if they can be a bit to much at times.

─ mentored by NPC

─ somewhat easy in battle (inexperienced)
─ all opinions IC
─ penned by Kitty-Kat-