09.30.2019 → There has been some exciting changes on CD lately! We've added a new monarchy to the groups of cats on the islands, as well as restructured the boards a bit to allow for some space - thus, redrawing the map! We've also promoted Nifty to Global Mod! There are some auditions open right now for JungleClan Deputy as well as for all of the new Kingdom of Mokuhau high ranks - Artemis
09.12.2019 → Unfortunately Elaedria is stepping down as administrator due to life being too busy to keep up! The site will be going through some restructuring in high ranks as well due to this. Effective immediately, the word count is now 100 minimum. Some more changes will be coming in the future - members have been emailed a survey to help us figure out what to change and how to get better. Thanks for your patience! - Artemis
WEATHER
Year 55, Scorching Sands 09.05.2019 → The temperatures of the islands are a steady 98° F on land/ high 80s in water. There is almost no breeze, the sun is uncomfortably warm.
Prey during the day is pretty scarce due to the heat, however is quite active after the sun goes down.
Lost in the dense jungles of scattered islands, facing perils unimagined by their ancestors, are three warrior groups - The traditional JungleClan, descendants of the original clans carried aboard a twoleg contraption from their home long ago and breaking new ground on old beliefs. Second, the curious TidalClan, made up of kittypets who chose to abandon their long since passed twoleg civilization ways for those of true felines. Lastly, the mysterious Tribe of Twisted Roots, hidden in the mist from others with their strange ways and a deeper knowledge of the land around them. Together they must learn how to take their fate into their own paws if they wish to survive this land of erupting mountains and roaring waters.
Join our crew and dive into an island-based Warriors roleplay - a twist on the original series by Erin Hunter. We are a semi-literate site with a minimum of 100 words per post.
How was Shellpaw supposed to be a good warrior if she couldn't even catch a single fish? It felt like she had been at the side of the lake for ages, yet it seemed that each attempt to catch something was worse than the last. Shellpaw stepped away, defeated. She slid under the shade of a stout palm, giving the lake a sour look as she made herself comfortable. She cursed the fish that had somehow evaded her claws.
"I hope they get eaten by a pelican." She thought. She couldn't think of a worse fate, considering how horrifying she thought pelicans were. Anything with such a wobbly, fleshy pouch under their beak should definitely not exist.
Her failure reminded her of all the times her brother had mocked her for not being able to make a kill. Shellpaw wasn't a bad hunter but she wasn't nearly as good as her brother. His agility made anything she did look clumsy. She always felt intimidated hunting with him, and her own hunting skills plummeted whenever they went out together. Shellpaw just wished she could fail without being belittled. Everyone failed sometimes, even her brother! Why couldn't they all just be supportive of each other? If only that could be the case...
244 words (ooc: title made me laugh. also is this set before her mca ceremony?)
Hekili Lake was fast becoming one of Tangpaw’s favorite spots on their territory. It wasn’t as expansive and threatening as the ocean, it wasn’t salty, and there wasn’t anything that would pull her to the depths… or so she thought.
She stood on a cypress tree branch that extended out past the lake’s shoreline. She stared down at the gentle waves a sizeable distance below her, gathering her courage. It was something she was steadily preparing herself to do. If Tunapaw knew, she figured he’d be goading her on or joining her, so she didn’t mention it to him yet. She’d tell him after.
Taking a deep breath, Tangpaw stepped off the branch and closed her eyes. Her stomach lurched as she dropped towards the water, and she spun in her brief freefall. She yowled, half in excitement and half in fear, until the lake’s surface cut off the sound. The water shocked her system and she felt it rush to her head. She felt pressure build up in her ears until she floated back up. Her head broke the surface, and she took a deep breath as she opened her eyes. Jittery with the adrenaline, she paddled lopsidedly back to shore, flopping down when her paws touched sand. She sighed contentedly, though when she took a brief look around, she realized she wasn’t alone. She saw a cat sitting in the shade, and she squinted to see who it was. It was Shellpaw.
Suddenly, a flash of bright orange flew into the water, interrupting Shellpaw's train of thought. She instinctively pulled back to avoid getting wet, though she quickly realized she was too far to actually get splashed. The fledgling relaxed and opened her eyes, spotting the orange something swimming towards her. She rose to her paws to get a better look at the creature and instantly recognized it to be Tangpaw. Or, rather, she noticed it was an orange cat and assumed it was Tangpaw; jumping into a lake, seemingly for the heck of it, appeared to be something the she-cat would do—more so than any other orange clan member Shellpaw was aware of.
Shellpaw sat up and watched as Tangpaw paddled to shore. The now soaking feline dragged herself out of the lake, the sun glistening on her dripping ember fur. She flopped on the sand and squinted upwards, suddenly staring at Shellpaw straight in the face.
"What was that about?" The tabby giggled and stepped forward towards her clan-mate, ready to help her up off the sand. Tangpaw seemed to be a bit rattled, as one might expect after such a grand leap. "Are you okay? You sounded like you were scared."
220 words (I love shell too! I think these two will be fun together)
Shellpaw seemed to be studying her closely, though Tangpaw supposed jumping in the water was spectacle enough to draw eyes. She didn’t really mind though. She was having fun, and if someone had a problem with that, they could go elsewhere. Shellpaw’s expression seemed more curious than annoyed or disturbed, so Tangpaw moved closer.
The other she-cat also moved forward though, and even spoke first. Tangpaw’s face lit up and her grin was wide. “I was just having fun. I’ve been trying to do… that, for days now. It took me a while to gather the courage.” She was surprised when Shellpaw asked about her well-being, and she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. She didn’t know Shellpaw that well, but she wondered if she should start. The cream tabby seemed as good-natured as herself, and Tangpaw liked that.
“I’m fine. The drop was a little scary, but it was also exhilarating. I’m glad I did it.” She looked at Shellpaw closer. “What were you doing by that tree? Relaxing? Or were you thinking about something?” Her head tilted slightly as she asked the question. Tangpaw received the impression that Shellpaw was almost glad for a distraction or some sort of company. If they were as alike as they appeared, she could imagine Shellpaw was thinking about something specific.
Shellpaw couldn't help but feel an abundance of affection for Tangpaw. The friendly warmth the orange she-cat radiated sent a whirl of comfort throughout her whole body, making her feel safe--safe in a way she had only really felt with her parents. Of course, she had had casual conversations with Tangpaw before, considering they were both around the same age. However, she had never really gotten then chance to talk to her alone, away from the rest of the clan and with her guard down. Although, now that the opportunity to converse openly had presented itself, albeit very abruptly, Shellpaw was finding that she was greatly enjoying it--despite the conversation only just beginning. Perhaps it was the circumstances in which they were in, with one of them being sopping wet and the other still a little bitter about the elusive fish of the lake.
Listening to Tangpaw explain why she dove into the icy lake made Shellpaw chuckle. "Well, I'm glad you were able to find the courage to do it! And I was thinking about something, which you probably just scared away!" Shellpaw giggled once more, then paused. She realized what she said probably didn't make much sense. "The fish I mean. You scared away the fish. Not my thoughts. Well...that too, I suppose. I was trying to catch a fish but I was having a bit of a struggle with it." Shellpaw felt her cheeks grow hot. She felt comfortable around Tangpaw, but there was still a lingering feeling of fear. She didn't want to scare her fellow fledgling away with her rambling.
"Anyway...it doesn't matter now. The fish are hiding and won't emerge for a few more hours, and I'm not about to wait for them to venture on out again. Plus, by the time they do come out, they'll probably go right back to their sleeping spots within minutes, considering the sun will start setting around then. I guess that does depend on the fish, though. I think I've seen a few fish in the lake after dark once or twice before." Shellpaw paused again. "You're soaking wet! Aren't you cold? Let's move to a spot with more sunlight so you can warm up and dry off quicker!" The embarrassment of her continuous rambling made her stomach twist, but she still felt the comfort that she felt when Tangpaw first spoke, loosening the knot within her.
Tangpaw did take the wrong meaning at first, and she tilted her head in mystification. She scared away Shellpaw’s thoughts? How? If she was honest… it wasn’t the first time she did that to someone. Even then, she didn’t understand it, but it was something she reluctantly accepted. But then Shellpaw clarified somewhat, and Tangpaw’s expression was caught between apology and amusement.
“While I definitely didn’t mean to scare your fish away, I can’t apologize for making you lose your thoughts. Though, you aren’t the first one.” She struggled to keep from laughing. From the expression on Shellpaw’s face, she looked embarrassed, but if anything, Tangpaw had more to be embarrassed about. Who would be weird enough to startle someone from what they were thinking about? Yet the fledgling wasn’t sheepish about it at all.
Shellpaw’s discussing the fish in the lake made her think about the strange fish-like thing her and Tunapaw encountered in the lake. They never did figure out what it was, and Tangpaw never told anyone about it. She’d been careful to look out for it, but nothing ever came from it. She never thought to check at night.
Tangpaw flicked her tail flippantly. “Don’t worry, I’ll dry soon.” She smiled at Shellpaw, debating whether to tell her about the mystery of the strange lake fish. In favor of quickly won her mental debate. “On the other paw, the water feels nice when you’re used to the temperature. We could go for a swim… or look for the mysterious fish that is rumored to live in this lake.” Well, it was a rumor between her and her brother, but she didn’t think it hurt to recruit someone else to their little mystery.
Tangpaw's understanding response to Shellpaw made the young tabby smile. She was thankful the she-cat didn't mind her rambling, though Shellpaw wouldn't consider her to be the type to mind in the first place. She giggled when Tangpaw mentioned going for a swim, but the thought of playing with her friend in the lake quickly escaped her mind when the ginger cat mentioned the mysterious fish of Hekili Lake.
"Mysterious fish? What do you mean? Have you seen it?! Where?!" Shellpaw could feel her excitement bubbling. She had spotted some strange fish before, so she wondered if it was one she had already seen. Most of the ones she had seen were ones that were already known by the clan, however, there were a few times she had seen creatures that had never been introduced to her before. Although, judging by the look on Tangpaw's face, the fledgling figured this could be something new entirely. Not only that, but she couldn't think of a time anyone had mentioned any rumors about a mysterious fish before and considering her knack for eavesdropping, Shellpaw felt it was safe to assume this was a new discovery. She just wished she had been the one to make it herself.
"I've seen some weird fish before, but mostly from the ocean. Maybe one of them somehow made their way to the lake? Well, actually, that wouldn't work...the water is different in the lake." Shellpaw murmured, forgetting for a moment that Tangpaw was standing before her. She felt more and more puzzled as she continued to contemplate what this fish could be. The she-cat spent a lot of time at the lake and the ocean—she loved the water and loved the different things she could always discover while exploring the shores. Due to this, Shellpaw felt that she could perhaps help solve this mystery, given the right information.
Tangpaw drew closer to Shellpaw, almost conspiratorially. “We didn’t know what it was. It brushed against Tunapaw while we were swimming, then it vanished. We never got to see it, but we quickly left the lake. What if it tried to take a bite out of one of us?” Her eyes widened for theatrical effect. She never heard of any stories about cat-eating fish in the lake, and she doubted that the fish there got so big, but there was a first time for everything, wasn’t there?
“Tunapaw would be the better cat to ask. He might have noticed something distinctive about it. I only heard splashing and saw him freak out.” It was hard to keep a straight face. Nothing perilous came of the encounter, so in her opinion it was acceptable to bring humor into the situation “You should have seen his face! It was like he’d seen the gods themselves.”
The rumors of the fish in the ocean were plentiful. Fish bigger than comprehension, some with sharp teeth and a large appetite… That was one place she didn’t mind leaving unexplored, if the rumors were any indication of the dangers.
“We could go back to the tree I climbed. The branch I jumped off of hangs over the lake. Maybe we can get some kind of clue there, especially if we see something unusual?” Tangpaw gestured in the direction of said tree, slowly beginning to move in that direction as she looked at Shellpaw for confirmation.
TUNAPAW had been looking for his sister everywhere. He had a long day of training and really needed some downtime, some fun. They did not get as much playtime now that they were fledglings and all wrapped up in their training, but that certainly did not kill Tunapaw's fun-loving spirit.
Of course, the first place to look would be Tangpaw's favorite spot. Heliki Lake! Tunapaw had been out and about a lot with his mentor and now knew the way there himself. He took his time getting there though; there was no rush now that he was done with training for the day.
As he approached the lake, he heard Tangpaw's voice. He knew it! But he also heard another voice... Shellpaw. That was a voice he loved to hear. He quite liked Shellpaw, or at least, admired her from a distance. She had a composure that he lacked, and her round eyes gave off an inquisitive look. No doubt she was friendly. Tunapaw had just been a little shy around her.
Intrigued, he sat and eavesdropped for a little. He did not know that Shellpaw and Tangpaw were friends, or even talked to each other. It could be a good thing for Tangpaw but Tunapaw rather enjoyed his sister's attention. If she was going to make other friends, he was determined to do so too!
"Gossiping about me?" he pushed aside the reeds and strutted in front of the two she-cats. "What juicy fresh-kill are you two up to?"
Suddenly, Shellpaw heard a familiar meow leap in from behind. She spun her head around, only to see none other than Tunapaw trotting towards the two she-cats. Truth be told, she didn't really know Tunpaw all too well. She hadn't gone on any training's with him before, and because she was always wandering around by herself in her spare time, she never really had the chance to interact with him. Of course, if he was anything like his sister, Shellpaw was sure she would get along great with him.
"Hi, Tunapaw! Tangpaw was just telling me about the mysterious fish you guys came across! Did you happen to see it? What did it look like? Was it big?" Shellpaw's eyes widened, full of curiosity.
"Tangpaw suggested we go to the top of that tree." She continued, hardly giving the tom a chance to respond. She flicked her tail up towards the tree she was referring to, her gaze following along. "We might be able to see something from up there! You wanna come? If you know what it looks like you might be able to point it out to us! It could be lurking right on the surface, right in plain sight...yet we would never know it from down here! We would need a view from high up, a view of the whole lake!"
Shellpaw paused, realizing she was rambling a little bit. She bit her tongue and decided she probably shouldn't say anything else, giving her clan-mates the opportunity to speak. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her and instantly start to drown her mind. She felt bad for not giving Tunapaw a chance to even respond to her questions. She hoped she hadn't offended the black and white fledgling, though, she would not necessarily blame him if she had.
At the mention of the mysterious fish, Tunapaw took a small step back. He did not want to admit he was scared, but that first time he encountered it sure gave him a fright. Was Tangpaw really up to hunt such a creature? He glanced at his sister with concern. However, Tunapaw was not about to lose face and embarrass himself in front of Shellpaw. He shook his black and white pelt and decided today was the day to be brave.
"Yeaaaaa it was big!" Tunapaw exclaimed in exaggeration. "And it was slimy and slippery... I was swimming with Tangpaw and it brushed along my leg. I thought I was doomed to drown!"
In reality, he had probably kicked the poor creature with his clumsy swimming. He had asked his mentor Kraiteye about it, and Kraiteye had nonchalantly dismissed it as a freshwater eel or river snake or something. Maybe even a huge catfish. Not that Tunapaw had even encountered any of those creatures before. But plenty of Fledglings made up stories of monsters before they were attuned to the forest. Tunapaw shrugged of his doubts, whatever it was, maybe it would be interesting to find out.
"I love that idea! " he growled enthusiastically. "Race you to the top of the tree!"
With a yowl, he hurtled toward the tree Shellpaw had pointed out. There was no time to chicken out!
[attr="class","you-i-post"]Tangpaw jumped despite herself when Tunapaw appeared. She knew she couldn’t stay hidden from¬ him for long. She turned towards her brother with a bright smile, and she was content to let Shellpaw explain everything they’d been up to. While she never questioned anyone about the fish that day, it had to be something explainable. They could find out what it was and warn the fighters. Or they could try to catch it themselves…[break][break]
Her mouth hung open when Tunapaw dashed in the direction of the tree that she jumped from earlier. It took her all day to gather the courage to jump from it. She didn’t want to be outclassed by Tunapaw so quickly—she knew he wouldn’t have the same reservations she did. “Hey, wait up!” she called. She was about to run off after him when she remembered Shellpaw. She turned to the other she-cat. “Come on! After him, before he hogs all the glory!” With that, Tangpaw began to run.[break][break]
Getting there was easier said then done. Vines and roots coiled and tangled together, and it took all her concentration not to trip and fall at the speed she was going. She could hear, rather than see, Tunapaw ahead of her, and she was determined not to lag behind.[break][break]
She managed to get to the base of the tree without incident. Hoping that Shellpaw was behind her, Tangpaw leaped straight up and sunk her claws into the tree’s trunk. Ignoring the strain on her shoulders and claws, she hauled herself up the tree as quickly as she could.
[attr="class","you-i-bottom"]
[attr="class","you-i-bottom-text"]262 words // @seaoi @sovereign // <3 shell and tuna!
Paws skimming the ground and his fur ruffling with momentum, Tunapaw thought he had won the race for sure. But as usual, his sister never ceased to surprise him. Just as he reached the base of the tree, Tangpaw gave a huge leap that made Tunapaw flinch. A moment later, Tangpaw's orange and white pelt was visible above him on the tree trunk.
That's not fair! Tunapaw thought to himself as he looked up from the tree's base. He had gotten to the tree first... but then again, he had said the race was to the top. There was no time to waste.
"Don't get too cocky!" he growled at Tangpaw. Tunapaw hauled himself into climbing position and began to make his way up. The tree's bark was rough, and relatively easy to climb, but Tangpaw had a head start. Tunapaw groaned as he climbed higher; his shoulders were starting to feel a little shaky. The tree was much taller than he thought!
Where was Shellpaw? He suddenly remembered the curious young she-cat and wondered for a split second if he had been too enthusiastic. It was easy for him and his sister to play like this, but he was not so sure Shellpaw was enjoying it.
Shellpaw could hardly wait to start their search. She bolted after Tangpaw, but the orange she-cat was faster than her. She quickly noticed herself lagging behind, especially with the knotted roots and stumps that had scattered themselves about the forest floor. Monitoring each step didn't seem to help her keep up, and within time, she had completely lost sight of Tangpaw. Fortunately, she could faintly make out the sound of claws scraping on wood. She followed the sound, shifting her eyes from her clumsy paws to the branches above. It didn't take long for her to spot a flash of that familiar sunset pelt, high among the thick leaves of a tall, fat tree.
Using what little strength she had, Shellpaw clambered up the tree. As she hopped and clawed her way skyward, she heard Tunapaw mew at his sister from above. How was Tangpaw so far ahead already?
"Wait up, you two! You both are faster than a pair of frightened frogs!" Shellpaw meowed as loud as her voice would allow under the strained conditions she had found herself in. The slow fledgling was already feeling weary from the climb. She too was an enthusiastic young cat but the speed and strength of the two ahead of her made her feel like she may as well be an old queen. Nevertheless, she continued her climb, feeling a little left out of the fun they seemed to be having high above her.
[attr="class","you-i-post"]Tangpaw was surprised when she heard voices below her. Did she somehow pull ahead of them? She shrugged it off after the thought occurred to her, and she continued on. She trusted they would get there, they were all capable fledglings.[break][break]
She finally reached the branch she jumped off initially. It was thick, but not enough to support all of them. She hung back on a nearby branch, instead waiting for Tunapaw and Shellpaw. She didn’t want to do anything without them. Having a high vantage point would also help them look for the mysterious fish, or so Tangpaw assumed. She peered around her branch to watch the water’s surface, and she realized she could only see the water’s surface—not anything beneath it.
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[attr="class","you-i-bottom-text"]123 words // @seaoi @sovereign // notes
