ThunderClan: Life Before 2023's Sinkhole

[dino.]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Or... should I say this ground is falling? Due to continuous, strange erosion in ThunderClan's camp, Thrushstar has ordered everyone to move. Please redirect your characters here! Ongoing roleplays may be completed in a private thread.

[littlelove]

"Friendly fire-" Cinderpaw refrained from burying her face between her paws. "It means fighting amongst your own group. Not that it seems like much of'a group right now, but." Carefully, she crouched forward to kind of meet Winterpaw's height, voice growing soft.

"'Course I woulda noticed. I haven't slept in about 3 moons." She murmured, letting out a whistly laugh before her face turned back to steely. "...I heard it a million times too. All the "we care about you''s, "we're with you"s... It's so, so hard to believe, when your hope's been smushed into the ground. But I kept this name, so I could prove it all to you that you could. Please, give me a bit more time. To prove it."

No cat was an island and yet Cinderpaw felt herself floating alone, for a brief second - until Rowanblaze, and then Dovefluff's words broke through the haze. Her eyes flickered between the warrior and queen, and she fought against the suspicion that boiled within her... couldn't she just take things at face value for once? Ugh.

That Cracklepaw guy, though, was a fiend. The thought of the kid faring better off in Shadowclan popped into her mind for a second before she shook it away - no child deserved to be in Shadowclan. Cinderpaw resisted the want to curl her lip at him as she replied.

"Kid, I'm about the number one Starclan hater here. Hedgehogs would fly before I talk to them without my claws out." Except for Cindersky, she told herself, but they were infinitely more complicated. "Sure, I've got a job now healing you lot, but it will never, ever come before keeping you kids sa--"

Yyyyyyeah that was it. The medic let her fur bristle with anger a little. She slipped between Cracklepaw and Winterpaw, eyes narrowing. "We are done here. You will not disrespect another apprentice like that." Turning to Winterpaw, her voice grew less sharp. Cinderpaw's tail-stub pointed in the direction of the apprentice's den. "Do you mind if we go 'n talk in the quiet? You're not in trouble. Promise."

[ @teddy. @Speckear @jupiter @Leafí ]

[taillow]

One moment he had been looking to Mama, finding comfort - and now several eyes were on him. It was just... too much! They were nice and good cats; Russy, Sootfur, Mama... but Sandpaw felt as though ants were crawling all over him and it only made him shake more. Whiskers quivering he just nodded to Sootfur, unable to speak any words. He didn't even know why he was nodding he just... did it. It felt automatic almost, like he didn't have much control over it.

Then Mama was asking him what was wrong and... he couldn't just say it! Not with one of Flameheart's friends so close by - even if it happened to also be Sootfur. A beat, and then Sandpaw shook his head, though his ears drawing back told a different story. He hoped he wouldn't be in trouble for not wanting to say anything, or for going quiet. Why couldn't he say anything? It felt like he wanted to, but... nothing was coming out. His throat felt awfully tight; maybe something was blocking the words from coming out.

And then there was Russetpaw, his sister. Her fur brushing his offered some relief, but nothing could really bring him back down to where he had been. Sandpaw felt... far away, as if he were floating and unable to react in anyway, even verbally. He nodded again, a limp bob of his head. He didn't want to upset Russetpaw. He didn't want to upset Mama. He didn't want to upset Sootfur. Stars, why couldn't he just spit it out already???

Opening and closing his jaw once, twice, and then finally a third time, the young tom let out a cough. He was still shaking, unaware of how much he trembled. "...Inside," he managed to whisper, voice barely audible as his eyes darted to the nursery. He just wanted to be tucked away somewhere safe, some place where it didn't feel like he was weighed down by all of this... invisibleness. He wanted to just duck his head into his paws and see nothing but blackness until everything felt right and normal again.

Shakily he got to his paws, doing his best to smile. "Tired." It was oh so difficult to speak, nothing coming out as loud as he wanted it to. He was an apprentice now though, right? He couldn't go to the nursery? So with another smile (though perhaps it was more like a grimace, because it didn't feel as warm as a smile usually did) Sandpaw backed up all the way until he bumped into the apprentices den, and then turned around to disappear inside.

[ @Wingnettle @lio @Abyssopelagic ]

[wren]

[FONT="Times New Roman"]

Rabbitchatter | He/Him
Large long furred brown tabby tom with one white paw
—

Rabbitchatter managed to muster a half laugh, a pass at normalcy in hopes that Alderstep would accept it like nothing was wrong. Like he wasn’t spooked. He sat up off the wall now giving his shoulders a shake and raising a brow at the tom, both of them locking eyes for a moment. Was he formulating something to say? Coming up with a unique insult? Trying to make him melt into a puddle? He wasn’t quite sure, and the more he tried to get a read on him the more frustrated he became. What was it about restless nights that brought the worst out of him? He of all cats who wanted nothing but the chance to speak love and peace into others lives, now seemingly incapable of doing so. Of being himself. Frustration and exhaustion certainly were not his friends.

At Alders first words, he found himself taken aback. His eyebrows linking together over his forehead in curiosity. Cats are missing? A touch of empathy seemed to chip its way into his chest and his need to dissect and understand seemed to take a dominant stance. “Yes. All tha time.” rabbit offered, attempting to gauge exactly what Alders feelings were on the statement. He couldn’t quite place any of Alders family except for.. erm.. that one sister he had. What was her name? It slipped his mind. “Is your sister ok? Your apprentice?” Rabbit pressed, casting a sideways glance towards the warriors den entrance then back at him.

He couldn’t think of anybody he’d heard going missing lately, though he knew there was many. His focuses had primarily been on Springpaw… and maybe his absolutely infuriating lack of sleep. There was something related there, but he wasn’t willing to give that any attention at the moment. He was interested in this, whatever could get his mind distracted. His gaze trickled back towards Alderstep once more, his face still twisted in concern. As he took a seat he followed in suit, sweeping his own tail to conceal his singular white paw and dipping his head so they were on the same level. “Who’s uh’ missin?”

@valery

[littlelove]

Cinderpaw would be lying if she wasn't A Little Bit Excited to be ordering around her clanmates. Watching patrols come in and out of this very same place since she was a kit, and now she was the one doing them... not in the deputy or leader spot she remembered pining for when she was young, but who was she to complain (besides, she was still on alert, on thin ice, who knew when the world around her would regress and...)

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey." Her voice cut through the air, cracking slightly at having to project her voice so far. "We need more herbs. We always need more herbs, but it's patrol time now, so you guys have to bring us more herbs. Hehe."

herb patrols will be due on APRIL 21ST at 11:59 EST! if you need your character on patrol replaced (contact me within 48 hours) or have any other concerns, please vm me! if you need an extension, let me know by APRIL 20TH.

The apprentice mulled over the laundry list of herbs and locations Sundust had given her. "Hailhawk and Wolfpaw, could you two check out Sunkissed Creek? Catmint 'n marigold grow there a lot -- marigold's got this huge, frilly yellow flower on the end of it, and catmint's got a lot of little purple ones. You'll know the latter when you smell it."

[prompt: eugh. scum has begun forming on the surface of the water, and you notice last season's wet and dead leaves are slowing the stream a little! do you unblock it? @comet15 @naiad ]

"Thrushstar and Bumblebreak, since you two're so chummy now, head over to Wisteria Falls. The trees out there are pretty gnarly so apparently there's a lotta spiders in their hollows...? Anyway, go find me some cobwebs. Maybe you'll find some catmint or marigold there too - big yellow and little purple flowers, like I told the other two - 'cause they grow so close to the creek? Just bring me back somethin'.

[prompt: something strange begins tumbling its' way down the falls, and eventually floats close enough to shore so you can get a look at it! is that a... monster paw?! @Eaglet @dino. ]

"Next up is Roosterflame and Pebblepaw; could you two scope out the Mossy Den? I dunno, maybe twolegs left some rarer herbs around there... if you could find some chamomile specifically, that'd be cool. They're these little white flowers with big yellow middles - they grow in clusters, on the same stalk.

[prompt: a kaleidoscope of butterflies have found a specific patch of moss quite interesting! what do you find underneath their swarm? @Willowfern @Poprock ]

Last one...! "Kitewhistle and Woodpaw, how about you guys just go check out the territory? Go where the wind takes ya. We're lookin' for burnet specifically, they've got these purply-red tufty things on the end that make them look like little, long thistles. If you can find anything else though, that's fine too."

[prompt: the scent of mouse beckons you deep into a hollowed-out log! does the prey run right into your claws, or do you get stuck? @Darkclaws @RedAnger ]

[Willowfern]

Roosterflame had seen Cinderpaw approach, so he’d set to be on alert in case he got to go on an herb patrol. He giggled slightly at Cinderpaw’s joy at getting to order her clanmates around, he understood.
When his name was called, he stood. Mossy Den? My, he hadn’t been there in a bit! Chamomile? He faintly recognized the name. He wondered what it did, he decided he’d ask Cinderpaw when he reported in. Yeah, that was a good idea, a good way to gather some information on herbs that he might end up needing to use one day for some reason.
“You got it,” He meowed, beginning to look around for Pebblepaw. Hopefully she showed up, there had been a trend lately with his patrolmates not showing up.

[ @Poprock ]

[shaae_26]

Hailhawk nodded as the medicine cat apprentice assigned him a patrol. He looked around for the apprentice Wolfpaw whom he'd be taking with him ( @naiad )

[Willowfern]

“You must be weird if you believe that the only way I would accept you as honorable is if you defeated me in a duel while giving me a comprehensive testament…”
As Thrushfur spoke, Roosterflame felt the flame of hope in his heart leap, Thrushfur was listening to him, he was taking his words to heart. Roosterflame wasn’t surprised, no, just happy. He had come in here not knowing what kind of cat Thrushfur was, and he knew he’d be leaving with a much clearer picture.
Roosterflame listened very intently as Thrushfur spoke, he didn’t interrupt once, as that wouldn’t be nice. Not that he regularly interrupted, but right now he was about to burst from excitement at actually being considered and listened to. It was nice to be listened to. He knew Sparrowstar had always listened because she trusted him and they were friends, so that was a given, but he and Thrushfur didn’t really know each other all too well, so it was very neat to know that Thrushfur was a cat who was willing to listen to his clanmates. He already was showing the good marks of a leader.
Then…
"There will still be a spar, of course. But I can assure you that your position is secure.”
Roosterflame inhaled sharply, surprised. It had worked… he’d spoken from the very depths of his heart, Thrushfur had listened, and now Roosterflame was going to be made a Keeper. He wished Sparrowstar was here so he could tell her.
“I…I…” For once, the multicolored tom was almost speechless. He felt like he’d swallowed his tongue when he’d inhaled earlier. “Th-thank you, thank you so much, Thrushfur. Are you sure-?” Augh, don’t say that dummy, it’ll make it seem like you aren’t confident in yourself or something! “-I mean… thank you, really. I promise I will serve ThunderClan as a Keeper to the best of my ability, I won’t let you down, and you’ll never regret this decision. At the risk of repeating myself, I promise.”
Roosterflame beamed. This was awesome. This was great. For a moment he forgot about all the turmoil of the night before. For a moment, everything seemed totally fine.
“Heck yeah, I’d love a chance to spar you,” Roosterflame grinned, “It’ll definitely be a lot more fun now, considering that I won’t have a rank on the line, huh? Again, thank you, I’m turning this whole thing over in my head and I still can’t get my claws in it, heh.”

[ @Eaglet ]

[Exis]

Lionkit basked in the sun, happy to simply be alive.

[littlelove]

"That's not... supposed to happen, is it?"

The beginning of Cinderpaw's day greeted her with something especially peculiar -- the ground in an unoccupied corner of the medicine den (alarmingly close to the herb stores) was... starting to sag? She stood confusedly, peering down at the cracked dirt and resisting her temptation to poke at the oddity with a paw.

Now that she thought about it, the same thing had been happening outside of the nursery, which neighbored their den... and now that den had been blockaded. Dammit. Maybe they should scram. She turned and shot an unsure look towards her mentor. "Could you... uh, help me grab the herbs? Whatever's happening to the nursery is spreading. I don't think we should stick around."

Carefully side-stepping the elephant in the room, Cinderpaw carefully began stuffing as many medicinals as she could into leaf bundles. No way could they afford to lose all this.

[ @naiad ]