moonlit sovereign [open]

Kit

writer of very stressful characters

moonlit sovereign [open] Posted Aug 1, 2021 22:14:00 GMT

Quote

YAUPONWHISKER
they/them pronouns || open thread || ravenmist4

The sleek tomcat was always respectful enough not to disturb the peaceful quiet of the night. These other meddlers, unmistakenly clan cats, were, however, not so cautious. It was when they heard the muffled grumbling of another’s voice that they curiously scuttled across treetops to investigate whatever drama was unfolding.

With apt dexterity, they silently danced between cypress branches, always cloaked in thick, meaty looms of Spanish moss. Yauponwhisker clenched their teeth together, tightly, careful not to make a sound. When they were still a young apprentice, they developed a bad habit of grunting from the pleasure of the immense satisfaction of successfully landing a jump. They had to learn the hard way, however, that this was an incredibly counterproductive measure to take when attempting to sneak up on prey. The nectar of this spy session was not in getting to sink their teeth into the sweet blood of a fresh kill, but in getting to harvest fresh information on the nightlife of their neighbors. Clan cats, outsiders, lost kittypets, rabies-infested lunatics -- Yauponwhisker took note of them all.

So who, now, was down below? That was the question bubbling around on the tip of the tomcat’s tongue. Yauponwhisker had been too far away when they first had heard the echoes of a voice, and it was heavily distorted by the unceasing insect orchestra that raucously blasted their tunes. They crept closer and closer, the claws of their delicate paws needling into the soft, damp cypress bark. A perk of being in high humidity swampland was that everything was always wet. Footprints were quickly erased by falling rains. Trees were always malleable and easily gripped. Fauna was always hearty, as flora was always bustling.

And then, just as quickly as the silent onlooker had picked up on the distant yowling of fellow night-dwellers, Yauponwhisker stumbled across someone. Sure enough, the shadowy frame of surely another cat laid pointedly below. They seemed frustrated. Yauponwhisker’s interest was immediately piqued. They liked to create bonding experiences out of these types of things. Surely, the others had a reason to be out so late. Yauponwhisker’s reason was, of course, spying on others, but what other types of things drew out warriors in the middle of the night? Heartache? Nightmares? Constipation? Whatever the poison, Yauponwhisker needed to know in order to file it into their immense library of others’ personal information.

Craving a bit of conversation, Yauponwhisker, with deft paws, crept down the cypress tree that they had been perched in. They cringed, soundlessly, as their feet met the perpetually wet, soggy ground, dampening the short, brown fur on the bottom of the tomcat’s feet. Then, pridefully, maintaining relaxed eye contact with the stranger’s muddled pelt, plopped down right atop a downed log. “Adorable.” They called out in a simple, sing-song greeting. Not too hot, not too cold. Then, they cooed, “Out so, so late and so far from home. What brings you to the edge of the forest?”

The bark below their muddied paws was immensely soft, crumbling, and crawling with both insects and the hungry lizards who hunted them. And therefore, the small mammals who feasted upon both reptiles and meaty insects were also nearby. For a hunting party, this spot would be perfect for finding prey to bring back home. The only problem was that this was technically the very far, oft-forgotten reaches of Oakclan territory. Sure, it was a part of Oakclan that few, even few scout parties, ventured into, so for fear of alligators and snakes and owls and a number of the other ever-hungry predators who lurked in the reeds. It still was Oakclan territory, though. And that meant that it was Yauponwhisker’s warrior code duty to defend it. Of course, if they weren’t asked, they wouldn’t tell. Access to their extensive records came at a price. They played for no team but their own. That is not to say that they wouldn’t try to dissuade a wanderer from wandering any further, though. They had a duty to protect their anonymity.

Last Edit: Aug 1, 2021 22:15:32 GMT by jules

Kit

I have nothing to say.

ravenmist4

moonlit sovereign [open] Posted Aug 2, 2021 3:38:43 GMT

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"I'm not scared.. They're the cowards." She hissed, trudging through the muddy-covered roots of the looming cypress. Her formerly white tail dragged behind her, having given up on coming out of this venture without being caked in filth.

Lilypaw knew the tale of the white cat's forlorn spirit was nothing more than an idiotic kit's tale, and that she was above believing such foolish nonsense-- yet... her peers certainly weren't. They constantly brought it up to her after the incident. It only happened once, too! Every kit had nightmares, Lilypaw affirmed to herself, it just so happened she yowled and woke the entirety of the nursery up the same night they were told of the ghostly, pale cat who resided within the swamp.

If going out here on her own meant they would finally stop reminding her of it, and more importantly, stop trying to convince her this "evil swamp spirit" was real, it was entirely worth it.

The lizard monsters, who could gobble up an apprentice of her size in one bite, were much more pressing. If they did manage to catch her while she treaded the very edge of Nightclan territory, she would make sure to haunt every single one of her fellow apprentices from Starclan.

Lost in her thoughts, Lilypaw only had the reaction time to gape at the tom that suddenly appeared before her. She-- she hadn't smelled a thing! And they definitely weren’t one of her clanmates.

Ears pinning to the back of her head, she took a few cautionary steps back before gruffly replying, in her painfully high-pitched tone, "...I'm not adorable. And I don't have to tell you anything. Your questions are pointless."

Sniffing once more, she found herself stumped as to whether he was a loner or a particularly gutsy twoleg-fed cat that strayed too close to her clan's territory. "Who are you?" She demanded, tail beginning to lash in quick arcs behind her.

Last Edit: Aug 8, 2021 19:54:07 GMT by ravenmist4

Kit

writer of very stressful characters

jules

moonlit sovereign [open] Posted Aug 2, 2021 15:37:40 GMT

Quote

YAUPONWHISKER
they/them pronouns || ravenmist4

The lanky, poised tomcat flicked their tail in amusement as they braced for the meek little critter’s response. And there it came. “...I'm not adorable. And I don't have to tell you anything. Your questions are pointless.” Yauponwhisker rolled their eyes dramatically, allowing their whole body to sway in tune. They placed a paw upon their mottled chest, as if to gesture the sincere woe of the moment. To add salt to the wound, they then offered a scoff and a chuckle. They had the process down to a science by now: it was all very calculated. This young, impressionable kitten would be no harder a nut to crack than any of the other walnuts that waltzed across Yauponwhisker’s stage. “I don’t have to tell you anything,” They repeated, then, in a sharp, harshly annunciated voice. “And yet here ya are. Asking my name.” Yauponwhisker tilted their head, feigning sensitivity. “A bit unfair. Don’t cha think?”

“How about this.” Yauponwhisker began, launching into the initial stage of their pitch. An architect of the conversation, they knew exactly where they wanted to steer this conversation. They had a clear trajectory in mind. Step 1: gain trust. Step 2: rake in that sweet sweet personal information. “You’re clearly young,” They observed flatly. “So little ol’ me? I’ll teach you a lesson. On da house.” Yauponwhisker grinned smugly. “And here it is. If you mean to make a habit of aimlessly wandering da bayou, I’d advise you to stay off da ground. Unless you’re planning to get snatched up by a gator.”

Of all of the swamp’s menagerie of dangerous nocturnal predators, alligators were perhaps the most menacing. Equipped with massive fangs, an incredible bite force, surprisingly sharp claws, and the ability to travel soundlessly through the still bayou water, Yauponwhisker still, even if they were in their element, feared them greatly. Standing on the forest floor was simply inviting an alligator to snatch you up like a claw machine. Yauponwhisker offered their morsel of advice in genuine earnest; there was, after all, an exchange of trust taking place.

“The trees out here, dey're much safer. Just, ya know, need to be on guard for.... da Rougarou.”

Kit

I have nothing to say.

ravenmist4

moonlit sovereign [open] Posted Aug 6, 2021 6:18:19 GMT

Quote

Somehow, hearing the strange tomcat's impression of her own voice made her grimace. They were surely talented at making her want to claw her own ears off-- the condescending tone, the dramatics, how annoying could one cat possibly be?

Wrinkling her nose in clear disdain, she had a clear response in mind for his audacious reply; that is, until they started yapping once more. They must really enjoy the sound of their own voice.

From the stories her clanmates had told her, confrontations like this normally ended in a fight where the Nightclanners would inevitably prove their clear superiority to their neighboring weakling clans. Not... this.

"You.. you're not even from Nightclan-- we'd know the swamplands better than all of your clanmates combined!" As she complained, Lilypaw still paused to scrabble onto the nearest tree limb, shaking out as much moisture from her pelt as she could. "I knew that, by the way. I was only... hunting for frogs. Obviously."

Taking the time to compose herself into a sitting position, Lilypaw examined the peculiar build of the tom before her. Their gangling appendages gave them the appearance of the slightly older apprentices in her clan; those in the halfway point through development. It wasn't particularly flattering, but the graceful way in which they had moved earlier was somewhat mesmerizing-- like a four-legged whopping crane.

Glancing down at her own stubby legs and paws, she couldn't help but frown. Shaking the thought away, she focused instead on her earlier path of thought.

"You don't look that old, if I'm being frank. How should I know you're even considered a warrior?"

Last Edit: Aug 6, 2021 6:18:26 GMT by ravenmist4

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