SunClan
don't call me nice; i'm gonna eat your heart out
Posts: 150
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Turtlefang on Jul 12, 2022 21:14:41 GMT -6
"I'll take your word for it." For a good second, he stared down at his paws, as if mulling over his own agreement after the fact, determining if he'd meant what he'd said- before coming to terms with his decision in a tiny nod. "I'm not picky. It's just practicality."
With his next course of action now laid out in front of him- and what a relief it was, something mundane and busying so that he might avoid any more uncomfortable chatter- Turtlefang rolled to his paws. Unfortunately, from beside him, it seem Rabbitblaze had the same idea. What, are we joined at the hip now? Yet, the warrior didn't comment on it. If the deputy had taken a spontaneous liking to him, it was an unsettling outcome, but perhaps one that could bear fruit at a later point. It might be good, he considered, to have connections among the higher powers. Nothing to abuse, of course, but.
..Well, nothing to abuse.
Shaking out his ears, heavy with trapped heat, the tortie started their little walk, his usual saunter subdued from the emotional taxation of their conversation alongside the hazy temperatures. Yawning wide, Turtlefang paused before the pile, eyeing the selection in mock deliberation. While he'd already stated his choice didn't matter, there was always something fun about the freedom to pick. To make a pointless, aimless decision with no real impact, but to know you made a selection for one thing as opposed to all the others.. that in itself could be a test of character.
It's just a rabbit. Right. Maybe he was more out of it than he thought.
Turtlefang plucked the scruff of a brindled hide, pausing only for a heartbeat to double check he hadn't taken something too plump- there were families in the nursery after all. Only once he'd confirmed the more modest sizing of the hare (albeit still quite large for the average catch- prey really had been running well) did he turn to start back, blinking acknowledgement to his clanmate.
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SunClan
High Position
everything's fine
Posts: 171
Pronouns: He/They
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Rabbitstar on Jul 12, 2022 23:02:27 GMT -6
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Rabbitblaze *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Ah, so Turtlefang wasn’t going to take up the offer of having Rabbitblaze bring him the prey. Not wanting to smother his conversational companion and consequentially chase him off, Rabbitblaze relaxed again and settled down, waiting patiently. It made for a good time to eye the camp, anyhow. Predictably, there wasn’t anything outrageous happening. The chances of things changing drastically since their conversation began weren’t that high, but despite their conversation, Rabbitblaze still felt a flicker of frustration. Oh well, at least getting a turtle out of his shell is an occupying enough endeavor.Not an obviously practical one, but it didn’t need to be. Not on a day like today. Even if it did, he’d long since made it obvious what his stance on the practicality of emotional bonds between cats was. The movement of Turtlefang having made a decision and beginning to turn around snapped Rabbitblaze back to attention. Oh yeah. With the blink of acknowledgement, Rabbitblaze waved his tail in an equally silent form of acknowledgement, gesturing once more to the spot that they’d been sharing. “Needed to stretch your legs before sleep caught up to you?,” he asked casually, thinking about his own very similar experience mere moments before Turtlefang had arrived to start their conversation. “Ironic to think we might feel more energized once the night settles in and cools down a little.” |
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SunClan
don't call me nice; i'm gonna eat your heart out
Posts: 150
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Turtlefang on Jul 13, 2022 0:32:30 GMT -6
Head held high to counter the weight of his meal, Turtlefang hefted it back to Rabbitblaze before settling back in. It was regretful to have to sacrifice his basking position just to eat some some prey, but he supposed he'd better make good on his earlier acceptance of any warrior's physical needs. He propped the herbivore between his paws, flipping it onto its back to render the flesh more accessible, and carefully bit through the sleek hide to reach the treasure trove cradled within. It was a meticulous process, but one that kept his paws clean of the gore. When the tortie finally did find what he was looking for, he chewed as idly as if he were a grazer in his own right, taking his sweet time to respond in a blissful moment of excused silence.
But all good dreams come to an end. After swallowing, he shut his eyes for a moment, humming thoughtfully. "If anything, a full stomach is a faster route to dormancy. You'll have to be careful you don't lose me." Although spoken like a joke, Turtlefang already slipped that particular thought on the shelf of his subconscious in case he needed a quick out anytime soon. Then, feeling a bit more secure with himself, his gaze made an emergence once more, half lidded and- analytical, out of the blue. "If it gets any hotter, I wonder if it wouldn't be beneficial to consider hosting duties later in the day. But I suppose it'd be complicated to try and work around everyone's internal timing like that, when everyone tends to retire around the same point in the evening... Our bodies work against us as much as the environment does, at times."
It's a nonsense thought, but one that he'd been considering as he personally had begun to restrict his little solo ventures to late-night excursions. Turtlefang was blessed not to haul around a pelt of thick, long fur like that of his mentor, but it didn't make being a nearly all-black cat any easier when the shade somehow seemed to attract more of the sun's worst rays. You'd think it'd be the opposite, the way shadows work in opposition to the daylight...
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SunClan
High Position
everything's fine
Posts: 171
Pronouns: He/They
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Rabbitstar on Jul 13, 2022 1:33:52 GMT -6
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Rabbitblaze *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Rabbitblaze hummed his amusement. “True, moving helps for a moment, only to be ruined by the content that being fed brings.” Taking his own pause to eat his rabbit, he thought diligently about Turtlefang’s vocalized thought process. A fascinating insight to the mysterious tom’s mind, yes, but also a thought process that seemed to echo one that had rattled around for Rabbitblaze as well. Maybe that sort of suffering was a little more universal than Rabbitblaze had noticed. It might be nice to bounce the idea around with another cat, now that it had been brought up. “I’ve been thinking about that lately, actually. I try to only send the least heat-vulnerable warriors for patrols when the sun is at its fiercest, and on days when we can afford it, I try to avoid sun-high hunting patrols all together. There are some cats that favor the night, anyway, it might be a good idea to use that to our advantage. A moon-high patrol, perhaps, after the dusk patrol makes their return.” He cast his gaze towards the world beyond their camp. “The night, of course, poses its own difficulties. Life is different under the stars, but I have faith that it isn’t anything our warriors couldn’t manage.”Stretching limbs that had grown increasingly heavy with the heat’s beckoning for rest, he laughed gently. “In this season, at least, it might not be too hard to get warriors slated for a late night patrol to get some much needed sleep.” |
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SunClan
don't call me nice; i'm gonna eat your heart out
Posts: 150
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Turtlefang on Jul 13, 2022 2:07:00 GMT -6
Now, this was something intriguing. Turtlefang perked back up with Rabbitblaze's insight. Granted, it was something he'd brought up partially in his own self-interest, but hearing it echoed like a rational thought sent a small thrill through his fur, tickling the edges of his pelt like friendly static. With that surge of interest, he ignored his rabbit in favor of hearing the deputy out, picking over each point like bones from a freshwater fish.
"I'd volunteer, should the idea ever reach an execution point." Although not necessarily proud, his voice strengthened with a renewed confidence as he slipped into a role he felt more comfortable with- a reasoning stance, attention captured by the prospects of a true night patrol. "On the territory we call our own, we should be able to navigate and make use of the land even under twilight conditions. Granted, we're named for the daytime, but it's good to be multi-faceted, especially when the cold seasons return and start the darkness sooner, like you mentioned." Glancing at the prey pile, he was given new thought.
"There's plenty of animals that become more active at night, after all. It could make for good hunting to learn to stalk by moonlight. It may be wishful thinking, but imagine if there could be a fresh kill pile prepared as soon as the early morning. At that rate, we could have plenty more days like this. Much to our mutual dismay, of course. But what's a bit of dismay in the face of efficiency?" Chattering on like that, Turtlefang had gradually decreased to more of a murmur, thinking more to himself than Rabbitblaze by the end of his contemplation. It'd be nice not to be seen as lazy for being tired during the hot days, too. "Not to mention the strategic edge for limited light combat..."
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SunClan
High Position
everything's fine
Posts: 171
Pronouns: He/They
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Rabbitstar on Jul 13, 2022 3:18:51 GMT -6
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Rabbitblaze *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ That was certainly enough to bring energy back into his mind. These were thoughts that had plagued Rabbitblaze ever since the signs of green-leaf had been upon them, but with all that had happened, they never got the chance to be fully realized. Not like they were becoming here. “Exactly!,” he purred, more enthusiastically than he’d intended. “Patrols would be more effective, not having to plan for the possibilities of heat exhaustion or heatstroke - and there’s likely plenty of prey that makes a similar shift for the same reason. Why shouldn’t we make use of the night? Wasting resources trickles into wasted lives, in my opinion.” The colder months… Hm… “Leaf-bare might change things a bit, what with the changes in behavior in seemingly every living thing. Not to mention the increased risk of foul weather, but… we’ll never quite know until we try. These risks aren’t completely unheard of during the day, we’ll just need to be strategic in how we go about it - that’ll be later, anyhow. One season at a time.” Combat was another excellent point, though it admittedly sounded like a new addition to an apprentice’s curriculum. “You’ve thought ahead of me, I’ll admit, but you’re absolutely right. Learning to take advantage of any time of the day would only strengthen our Clan, making all of our duties that much easier. If there were cats active throughout the night, it would discourage ambushes, kits sneaking out in the dead of night - possibly even incidents like that fox attack we suffered in new-leaf.”His mind spun with possibilities, prey forgotten and new horizons once more invigorating his soul. She leaned in, a mirror of Turtlefang’s earlier conspiratorial position, grinning. “I think that we can work out the details together, Turtlefang, and then one night you’ll be able to lead out a patrol of a few cats. A test run, if you will. You’ll be able to report to me about it when I get up for the dawn patrol. It won’t be long, I think, until we have sufficient evidence to propose the idea formally to Beestar. It’d be our little secret - for the sake of the Clan.” |
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SunClan
don't call me nice; i'm gonna eat your heart out
Posts: 150
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Turtlefang on Jul 13, 2022 20:40:09 GMT -6
Abruptly, Turtlefang stiffened, pupils dilating a fraction as the thrill of the proposal set in. Rabbitblaze's detailing took the outline in his mind and blew it up to something on the macroscopic scale, filled in the sketch lines and made it a very real possibility. Maybe even more than an possibility- A certainty! A warm pleasure coiled in his stomach like a rattlesnake on the rocks, a silent purr shaking his form as if he were rattling along with it. Despite the rabbit at his paws which would condemn him to another grooming soon after he'd eaten, Turtlefang preened at his chest fluff for a moment, a show of modesty that barely concealed his eagerness to go along with the deputy's secret plan.
Then, peeking up from his grooming- back down- then up again as he decided to just play it straight, he leaned nearer to the point, sharing in her enthusiasm. "It'd be my honor. I've been thinking for a while that I could be more useful around here, but the seasons can be so shackling. I'm always a bit restless, so I'd be ready to go at any point. With careful control, of course. We'd probably want to stay nearer to camp at first in case anything unexpected occurred with the trial, but I foresee great potential in this concept." Turtlefang's paws shifted as if to knead the ground thoughtfully, only to stutter over the rabbit still between them. He looked down in momentary surprise, blinking at the prey who's weight had practically dissolved from his hold once the talk of innovation had begun.
"..I implied as much before, but clearly, it's no wonder you're deputy, Rabbitblaze. I'm glad we share a perspective on this." Nosing his own rabbit's ears to sniff at the tender throat muscle, Turtlefang's ease of attitude manifested in the complimentary murmur, for once without strings. "It's a good idea."
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SunClan
High Position
everything's fine
Posts: 171
Pronouns: He/They
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Rabbitstar on Jul 14, 2022 2:17:32 GMT -6
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Rabbitblaze *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ His enthusiastic grin briefly dimmed into a soft smile of appreciation, a purr of gratitude rumbling through his throat. “Thank you, Turtlefang, you’re too kind. The idea wouldn’t be so close to fruition without your input, though, and already having an insightful cat to lead these tests makes it all the easier.” Seeing Turtlefang nose at his own rabbit, Rabbitblaze was quickly reminded about the meal that had been wiped from his consciousness in the light of the future. They still had to eat in the here and now if they wanted to get their plans into action, after all. Picking apart the harder pieces of meat, she turned her thoughts briefly inward. Being a trial, they’d still have noon patrols, so they didn’t have to worry about leaving anything unprotected by the limited range… “… What do you think would be the ideal starting range for these excursions? You’d need to go far enough to get results, but close enough so that - StarClan forbid - you aren’t too far from camp if you need help. The stream that branches off the Golden Pond might be a good landmark, though… I have faith that, in the moment, you’d be able to get a sense for whether or not you’ll need more space or if something’s too far.” He tapped his paw idly on the ground next to the rabbit as he thought. “We’ll need at least two more cats, I think, for the trials. While I’d obviously prefer for us to agree on a starting range soon, I think it might be best if you and I were to go out into the territory together, to make our decision making more effective.” It’d be fairly easy to pull off in a natural way. What with their current chat, it wouldn’t seem too strange for them to go hunting together, seemingly for fun. Even if it did, Rabbitblaze could always recruit Turtlefang for a proper patrol - likely the dusk patrol. Those matters were easily resolved, the question that was currently plaguing him was who else would join Turtlefang’s trials? Honeyflare, maybe? He was one of those warriors who loathed the dawn patrol, and with his longer coat, noon patrol wasn’t ideal for him either. Possibly Snowpaw, though Rabbitblaze preferred for him to stay on patrols with him, his white pelt would make an interesting test. That might be too risky, though. He turned his eyes to Turtlefang, patient for the warrior’s thoughts. |
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SunClan
don't call me nice; i'm gonna eat your heart out
Posts: 150
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Turtlefang on Jul 15, 2022 3:44:36 GMT -6
As Rabbitblaze seemed to be reminded of his own prey as well, Turtlefang followed suit, indulging his stomach if only to bide time while hearing out the rest of her questions. It wasn't often that a warrior was afforded the opportunity to give such critical input towards the future of Sunclan. At the very least, not a warrior like him- while not the youngest of the ranks by a longshot, he could neither be called a senior in the den. Having Rabbitblaze confide in him, while initially a bit of a tense excursion, was a rare privilege. It was a pleasant exercise in his own critical thinking, like a good stretch after sleeping heavy through the night, made more pleasant by a partner to share those thoughts with.
Off the top of his head, she was correct in her assessment of the initial location. That's the deputy for you. Turtlefang took another break from his food, only half intentionally mirroring the tap of Rabbitblaze's paw as if to agree with him. "The Golden Pond and its stream both seem like fair enough boundaries, at least for the initial run. From there stretching to Sunchaser's Meadow is what I'd consider off the top of my head. The meadow in particular is beneficial to start since it's so open- The woodsy parts of the territory are dark and thick, which isn't always a problem for those of us with practiced night vision, but if you're not paying attention it's a lot easier to stumble or even get lost in the unfamiliarity of the shadows. In the meadow, we'd all have a clear view of each other and the forestline, not to mention the moonlight. It'd still be dark, but less room for accidents. We could start there and move in towards the pond using the stream to navigate, and from there we'd know the exact direction to camp, so traversing the woods would only really be a matter of using the landmarks, like you suggested." It was a triangular route, one of the easiest to memorize, and offered a broad span of land to work with... whatever tactics needed to be worked on.
"If we were there for hunting, too, the darkness mutes color. We'd honestly have more luck with cover in the meadow at night than we would at day, so we might actually find it easier to find prey, especially since meadow prey generally hides more during the day specifically as a result of all the open ground. Forest prey are less concerned with lighting with all the tree coverage... so overall, I think the meadow would be a good place to focus on. Not too far from camp or water bodies." That was as far as he went, steering clear from saying anything in regards to party members. After all, while objective strategy was easy to think about, Turtlefang wasn't well acquainted with the whims and inclinations of his clanmates half as much as he suspected Rabbitblaze might be. Picking out patrols was her duty, after all. But even still, if he were to be part of these sort of decisions... I might be in for a little research.
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SunClan
High Position
everything's fine
Posts: 171
Pronouns: He/They
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Rabbitstar on Jul 15, 2022 21:40:38 GMT -6
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Rabbitstar *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Rabbitblaze nodded with a purr, Turtlefang’s insights remained reflections of his own, and at the same time supplemented them. Filled in gaps he hadn’t thought about, corrected mistakes where they existed, expanded, added - it gave him the sense that their idea would go even better than she had thought they would. “I’d considered keeping the meadow as part of the trial, but I hadn’t thought about starting there. You’re right, of course, that’ll likely be the easiest and safest strategy until we’re comfortable sending the patrols out further.” They paused. “While I have my own possibilities in mind, I’d like a bit of time to pay closer attention to our Clanmates. Get a better sense for who might be fit to join you. Of course, if Beestar approves after our trials, all warriors will be able to state their preferred sleep schedule, so that we can better delegate the task and keep exhaustion from setting in.” He glanced up at the clouds, like they might give some sort of insight. “If you’d be so kind, Turtlefang, I’d like about half a moon to do that research. You are of course, welcome but not required to do your own. In half a moon, we’ll set out at dusk and examine the path we’ve just discussed. Then, I can tell you my suggestions and we can come to a decision. From there it’s a simple matter of recruitment and picking a starting day.”They returned to the rabbit in her paws. “That is my request and suggestion, but I’d be more than happy to hear if you’ve got differing opinions, or if I’ve forgotten something along the way. |
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SunClan
don't call me nice; i'm gonna eat your heart out
Posts: 150
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Turtlefang on Jul 16, 2022 4:21:57 GMT -6
That was more than good enough for him. Pleased to have come to an agreement that suited them both, Turtlefang was quick to voice as much. "Your conditions are perfectly reasonable. It sounds like you have a solid timeline for the prep work, so as long as we stick to the half moon, I'll have no problem keeping up my end of the work. Since I'm already up most evenings, I'll use the time to note any other restless warriors. There's sure to be a few, and until our trial, that should be plenty enough days to observe any repeated offenders, so to speak." It was slightly more convoluted than just walking up and asking people about their preferences, but avoiding prolonged conversation and explanation better suited the dark tom, who was socially apt but not socially inclined. Not to mention, the less cats chattering about it means the less we'll be dealing with underprepared volunteers. Hype could be a good promotional tool, but it also drew in all sorts of personalities who may not have otherwise been ready to invest if not for the public buildup. Yes, it'd be best to be safe and find those already suited in advance than take out a bunch of excitable, thrill-chasing cats just there for the experience. It was a less than kind way to view his clanmates, but with his mind drifting to Tinyleaf's incessant kicking which often disrupted his sleep in the first place, Turtlefang was quick to want to disqualify anyone who wouldn't take the job seriously. With a soft nod, he gave Rabbitblaze a conclusive assertion. "I'll be ready. In the meantime, I'll be open to any lines of communication from you, as well. Just let me know if anything changes. After all, Beestar might have their own input." Although he somewhat hoped she didn't, not when him and Rabbitblaze already seemed to have so much figured out and so much to be bright-eyed about. A known stickler for Sunclan tradition, Turtlefang already had a creeping feeling that their leader may crack down on the scope of their plan... and was simply glad in that moment that they were the deputy instead of him. As much as he respected Beestar, he undeniably would never want to have a one-on-one conversation with her about something so ambitious. The leader who gave me my name.. that's too much of an imbalance.
Joining the other cat in a return to their respective meals, it almost felt like a celebratory toast. It was the only explanation for the sudden sweetness of the flesh on Turtlefang's tongue, an extra appreciation for the flavor coming to the forefront of his mind. An unusual observation on his end, but... not an unwelcome one.
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