The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
Welcome to WCC! Here are our latest announcements:
Activity checks take place on the 1st of the month. If you miss one activity check, make sure you do the next one!
Leaf-fall is finally here, and with it, the promise of colder, crueler, days ahead.
Gatherings take place on the 1st of the month; keep your eyes out for a staff member's post!
Please feel free to hit up any staff member if you have any questions!
Subject: Fate Forced by Your Hand [C] Yesterday at 16:10
OATFLUFF
Are you going to age with grace?
The days were getting shorter. The wind always seemed to carry a biting chill, now, and most days were rainy and bleak. Almost all of the trees on the territory were bare - not that WindClan had many - and their leaves painted the ground in brilliant hues of red and gold. Oatfluff seemed to know what was coming before the birds were half prepared to fly south. He'd been born in leafbare, and it was all he'd known for so long; when he was young, part of him had thought the cold would go on forever.
Now he was older, and wiser, and he knew what dangers leafbare brought. Winter was harsh - food would be scarce and the herb stocks would frost over and wilt, even as sickness raged on. Oatfluff was determined to not let that happen. He'd rise at dawn each morning, and he wouldn't let himself rest until the fresh-kill pile was overflowing. Now, as he carefully laid a plump rabbit on top of the sprawling prey pile, he found himself looking around the camp for something else to do. The fresh-kill pile was leaning precariously, and he knew if he hunted any more, that food would just go to waste.
His eye caught on a familiar fluffy cream coat, and he perked up instantly. Hemlock! Maybe he could help the medicine cat prepare for the coming freeze! Surely the tom would appreciate the help - or at least, he hoped so. Hemlockfox seemed generally annoyed with his presence, but then he seemed generally annoyed with everyone's presence. Oatfluff tried not to take it too personally. Besides, he got this weird feeling whenever he was around the tom, and he didn't... completely hate it. His pelt always got all warm, like he was standing in a particularly warm patch of sunlight. It was... kinda nice.
"Hey, Hemlock!" He called out, surprised by the sound of his own voice. He didn't have the chance to stop himself. He was already padding over to the tom. "What are you up to? Anything I can help with?"
Subject: Re: Fate Forced by Your Hand [C] Yesterday at 16:41
Hemlockfox"Act like I don't need your love and you call my bluff" -T4 Hybrid MC-
⥊🩸⥋
Hemlockfox dragged a broad plank of bark from his den, the dry, cracked surface hidden beneath a bed of various herbs and roots. The sun was bright, today, but the air held a certain charge to it - almost as if a storm was coming. The cold weather was bad enough as is, but this might be his last chance to dry out his herbs before the sky took on a grey coat of clouds for the next few moons. Slowly, one by one, the brown and white tom laid each herb out side by side, silently hoping the sun would leech each plant of its moisture before it was too late. If it rained today, before his herbs fully dried, he wasn't sure they'd last through the cold moons of leafbare. Rot would creep into his stores and decimate his herbs if he let it.
It wasn't just him, though, that was desperately preparing for the arrival of leafbare. He watched mildly from his den as patrols went out - one after the other - and brought back prey to fuel the clan. There were more border patrols as well, he'd noticed. This would be his first leafbare in WindClan, but he imagined predators like foxes and badgers became more common the colder it got. It was similar in SkyClan, but he often worried over how frequently dogs seemed to wander onto WindClan's territory. He'd already had to tend to plenty of injuries caused by dangerous run-ins with the foul brutes as is, so he'd need to prepare for the worst.
A familiar voice drew Hemlockfox from his thoughts, though, and he lifted his gaze, wondering how long he'd been staring at his herbs for. He'd finished laying them all out, at least. "Oatfluff." He greeted, icy gaze locked onto the approaching tom's face. The warrior always seemed to insist on helping him with his chores. Why, though, Hemlockfox couldn't begin to imagine. He'd certainly not want to help pick plants from the soil or sort various leaves if he was in Oatfluff's position. Though, the offer was certainly a welcome relief. "I just finished setting these herbs out to dry." He explained shortly. "But I'd appreciate some help gathering more herbs. I have a feeling we'll be needing them this leafbare." Or every leafbare, honestly.
Since Oatfluff had offered, Hemlockfox got to his paws without delay, not wanting to waste another moment lying around the camp. "I assume that won't be a problem?" He meowed after a moment. Oatfluff was certainly free to decline, but he'd be going out either way. The only thing that would change would be how many herbs he'd be able to bring home.
Subject: Re: Fate Forced by Your Hand [C] Yesterday at 17:37
OATFLUFF
Are you going to age with grace?
Oatfluff's whiskers twitched with curiosity as he looked down at the herbs Hemlockfox laid out. Was he drying them? The air was heavy and humid with the threat of rain; hopefully they would be back in time to bring them in. His warm gaze slid to meet Hemlockfox's icy blue, and he felt a slight shiver as their eyes met. "Of course I don't mind! I did offer, after all." A smile crept into his voice as stood side by side with the broad-shouldered tom. He'd make a friend out of Hemlock yet. It was proving to take some time, but he was getting there, he knew it.
"Lead the way, then. I've been out to gather herbs, er... exactly once?" Oatfluff recounted, the memory coming to him slow and fuzzy. "Just before you got here, actually. Daisyfang was missing, and Sootstorm took us out to try and find herbs... we weren't very effective." He chuckled, surprised at how easy the memory came once he said it out loud. Sootstorm. He missed the tom. Daisyfang, too, but he hadn't known her very well. And he was secretly very grateful to have Hemlockfox here in her stead, even if it made his chest tighten with guilt.
"I'd never pass up the chance to - uh -"To spend time with you, he was going to say, but that was probably definitely a really weird thing to say. And where in the stars had that come from, anyway? "To help out. Especially with leafbare coming." He hoped his recovery was smooth. At least, if Hemlockfox thought otherwise, he probably wouldn't comment.
His tail lashed awkwardly, but he started forward anyway, leading the way out of camp. Hopefully he wouldn't say anything too stupid for the rest of the trip. Usually, he found it so easy to talk to other cats - but Hemlockfox always had him tripping over his own words. Stars help me.
Subject: Re: Fate Forced by Your Hand [C] Yesterday at 18:12
Hemlockfox"Act like I don't need your love and you call my bluff" -T4 Hybrid MC-
⥊🩸⥋
Hemlockfox followed Oatfluff's gaze, eying the spread of herbs, and wondered what the fluffy warrior was thinking. He supposed it might not make much sense to him, but there was a reason for bringing them all out here. Just...not one he felt the need to divulge to the sunny tom. Which seemed to work out just fine because, before he got the chance to say anything else, Oatfluff was at his side, ready to get going already. He smirked at the fluffy WindClanner's eagerness and got to his paws after another moment, oblivious to the strange sort of way Oatfluff seemed to move and behave around him.
He nodded then, listening passively, as his companion recounted the scant times he'd assisted on herb expeditions. Sootstorm's name made his pause, however, and he frowned slightly. His chest constricted uncomfortably any time the former deputy was mentioned, so he hummed noncommittally and moved on. "Well, you have me now, so expect a much different experience this time. We aren't coming back until we either find enough herbs to fill the stores or the moon begins to rise." Hemlockfox cast a look upwards and grinned, ready for the challenge. It would be fun, maybe.
The sun had only just reached its peak so, unless they got lucky, they'd both be out for a while. Oatfluff stammered on a bit longer, but Hemlockfox didn't pay much attention to the rest of what he said and scanned the clearing for a trustworthy cat who could remember to put his herbs away if it ended up raining. He gave the order to the warrior as Oatfluff led the way out of the camp before, with an annoyed flick of his ear, he ducked through the camp exit after Oatfluff. From there, he took the lead, determined not to waste any time. Oatfluff may know the territory like the back of his paw - better than him, certainly - but he didn't know the best places to find herbs.
"It's refreshing, I must admit, to have some help." He rumbled after a period of silence, his voice dismissive. "Too many cats are content to sit back and simply hope for the best. It's disappointing." A few cats in particular came to mind, but the medicine cat refrained from naming them aloud.
![Fate Forced by Your Hand [C] Aa9d24d70df9858f985c454d207b8b3cdc4cf12e](https://64.media.tumblr.com/5dfa3a48a131a2e6d3e25ebfb5b62262/d338c5a9b790fd70-3d/s250x400/aa9d24d70df9858f985c454d207b8b3cdc4cf12e.gifv)
