Ok...it felt kind of nice to NOT write 2020 LMAO. Welcome to 2021! To kick off the brand new year, we're introducing a round of updates, including new bio and forbidden romance rules, our Secret Santa reveal, OTM winners and nominations, our monthly patrols, and a fun new infectious disease! So make sure to check out the January Announcements for all of the new content! As we leave 2020 behind us, we hope everyone is able to put themselves first this year and practice self-care! Here's to another one! Let's write some cats!
The Apostles is a warrior cats roleplay based in northern Wisconsin. On Lake Superior, the wild cats have made the Apostle Islands their home. It is on these islands - Rocky Island and South Twin Island - that the clan and tribe cats have lived in a peace and harmony that ebbs and flows with the tide.
But as the tides turn, so does the truce that binds them to one another; and as the water raises, a darkness follows, an evil that will end in bloodshed and violence.
t had been two whole moons since she had been named a warrior.Two moons had passed since she had received her name Leafdapple. Perhaps she was vain, but to the she-cat it felt as if it encapsulated all of her femininity. She thrived on that feeling. That feeling that through that simple ceremony she had stepped into the greatest era of her life. There didn't seem anything she could not do as a warrior. What would once have been forbidden two short moons ago was free to be done. So, as the afternoon sun lingered in its blazing heat, Leafdapple was not questioned as she slipped from the camp. She was no longer an apprentice who could not be trusted out alone. She was a warrior. A distinction that left her free to slip from the camp with any watching eyes assuming she was off on some kind of warrior duty. Huh, she thought as she twisted through brambles and brushed against leafy bushes, the jokes on them. I'm going to cool off from this blasted heat!
The twinkling trickle of water permeated the air as Leafdapple neared the sandy creek. The stream was low after the hot summer sun had dried the earth of much of its moisture. The air was thick with humidity, though, and Leafdapple for taste the storms in the air. Maybe not today, but soon water will pour from the sky. The refreshing rain would not be there fast enough to cool Leafdapple, however. The torbie she-cat stepped down into the bank of the creek. The water line had dropped noticeably, leaving dry dusty earth in its wake. Pausing at the edge of the water, Leafdapple bent and drank her fill of the cool water. Her dry mouth was soon refreshed. Stretching, Leafdapple allowed the water to tickle the tips of her toes. Mhmm. That feels good.
With no plans to hurry back to camp after her trek, Leafdapple wanted to enjoy the water for as long as possible. Her paws broke through the surface of the creek and, still in the shallows, she walked down the stream. The cooling effect of the water soon traveled through her entire body, and as she traversed further down the stream's course she felt at ease and relaxed. By now a gentle breeze began to stir, riffling through the she-cat's long fur and cooling her skin further. This. Is. Wonderful.
Enjoying the freedom of her walk, Leafdapple had no intention of making her leisurely walk short. She meandered further and further down the stream. All other creatures in the forest seemed to be seeking shelter from the heat. With each pawstep Leafdapple felt minnows skirt away from her. "Huh, fish are the smart ones in this heat." she mused, believing herself to be alone there on the bank of the creek. How far have I gone? she wondered, realizing that the sun had sank a good ways down from when she had first entered the stream. Just as she thought this she rounded a slight curve in the stream. There, in front of her, was another cat. An unfamiliar cat. Leafdapple's body stiffen in alert as the tom before her turned to face her. Come on, put on a brave face Leaf. She hardened her look, and assuming she was still on her own territory, she spoke out boldly. "What are you doing here?"
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
With the communications between Minnowstar and Hemlockheart slowly snuffing into the abyss, Leopardface found opportunistic moments to slink to and from camp, his ears often pressed to find their hushed murmurs of exchange. Leopardface would frequently snoop when the moment was available, an alibi safely tucked beneath his tongue. In these wedges where their exchanges fell flat, Minnowstar more concerned with her den and stars, while Hemlockheart barking orders, it was easy for him to best the patrols and find moments to himself. Though the average clanner may find these pursuits ignoble, none weighed on this spotted tom's conscious. Overall, he was elated in these moments of solace, treasuring his moments of solitude only second to the company of a sweet compliment. Patrols served little to the young warrior, other than providing food for the weaker cat's belly and scent-marking borders that were undisputed. It would take an ill Redwood clanner to step foot on Lichen terrain after their most recent whooping.
The tom padded through the birchwood forest. The one wooded region of Lichenclan, it's trees first waxed, their white bodies lanky and stretching to curate a jungle of obstacles. Then, they waned. An open sigh cradled around a ravine where the earth grew from an array of grasses and mid-height plants to scattered stones and sands. Sands who rejected the foliage's nestling. He had bested the forest's thickets and found himself on the slowly descending ravine towards the sandy creek, which bordered the Thistleclan territory. Yet, within moments, the spotted warrior was greeted with an anomalous scent. The soft lingering of Redwood clan carried downstream.
Like an otter, Leopardface slunk himself into the water of the creek where every step birthed a new depth. Typically the tom was more accustomed to lake-wide swimming with its larger wind-driven waves and absence of linear currents, but on such clear days, he enjoyed the serenity that accompanied the crystalline waters. Along its smooth-flowing streams, the eyes could see the very depths which ranged from tail-lengths to bear-lengths, in some cases, just heartbeats apart. His paws just barely grazed the creek washed stones, their circumference edge-less and free. He followed the scent with increased curiosity. This feeling quickly paralleled confidence. There was only one, and unrecognizable. The scent was sweet when carried with the floral perfumes of leaf-green flora. Leopardface continued to swim at a steady pace until he caught the soft splashes of water, and heard the murmur of his mystery. He ferreted, and quickly caught the pelt of a silver-torbie, though, a distant blur from his position.
Leopardface veered off the creek and quietly trekked into the coverage of land. The scent of Thistleclan began to sting his eyes as he nestled on what could have been, more generous than the edge of its border. The tom's golden eyes peered through the dissipating sighs of the bushes who collectively displayed his new-found curiosity. Unlike his previous misconception, that Redwoodclan she-cats were rugged and large, he found the lithe figure sport what was once a feathery plume. That was, before her swimming escapade. The she-cats whiskers were long and willowy wisps who matched the soft flutters of her ears. Yellow-green eyes peered to frame a mask of orange-born flame. The tom darted, bringing himself back into the waters with a muted dive, the splash panache against an audience of none.
And then, the tom rose. He shook his pelt, his ears erect and swiveled to the she-cat who was only four fox-lengths ahead. Her voice called out. He watched her body stiffened against her sopping appearance though, the tom took pleasure in the descending sun's playful rays that illuminated her grays into silver. Her head appeared untouched by the liquid consumption. a cute, fleecy face had bobbed above the waters.
"I could say the same to you." the tom mewed in reply, with the subtle cock of his head. "I'm not sure if you're aware but- this is the Thistleclan Lichenclan border. I might be young, but I'm experienced enough to know the smell of..." he dropped his voice to a hush, the curls of his jowls lifted. "The smell of a redwood clan she-cat." he finished, not only the sentence but the cracking smile that now consumed his face into its cheeky embrace.
The tom took a few steps forward, the waters wading to his knees. His pelt did not retain water in the same fashion, his shortened furs whisking it with little reveal- only his lean swimmer's build was betrayed. "Oh, I see you're lithe like me." He mewed to the she-cat, tracing the drops of water that parted from her whiskers. "I didn't know that Redwood clan cats could be so small. i'm not looking for a fight if that's what you're wondering." he finished. His left jowl dropped into a casual smirk. the spotted warriors neck extended to glean a closer look at the tense stranger. But, he delivered his posture relaxed and engaged, confident that she would not take a strike.
efore the tom had even spoke, Leafdapple knew she was in trouble. No longer did the towering redwood trees shelter her from the sun's rays, instead she was flanked with the white trunks of birch trees, and on the opposite side pine. The tom's voice carried toward her and only confirmed her suspicion, sinking her stomach into a pit of nerves and worry. LichenClan. Her truant swim had carried her further than even she had realized. Her claws slipped from their feathery sheathes and dug deep into the creek mud below the water. The threatening words escaping the rival warrior's mouth, however, lost their potency as a grin cracked his features. What? Leafdapple took a step back as the stranger stepped closer to her. Stay calm. Stay aware. Breath.
Leafdapple became aware of the tom's physique by slow increments of time. First, his glowing golden eyes held her attention as she realized the precarious situation she was in. Then, as the smile broke across his features her awareness spread. His large ears framed his oval face, a pleasing facial structure only emphasized by his smooth words and alluring smile. Then, as the tom moved forward, she took in his lithe frame. A golden spotted pelt repelled the water better than Leafdapple's own, which clung to her like a second skin. I didn't know that redwood clan cats could be so small.
If her fur had been dry, it would have bristled. RedwoodClanners were tall, proud warriors, and although Leafdapple was skinny she most certainly wasn't small. She narrowed her eyes as the tom attempted to soothe her worry of a eminent battle. One of her eyebrows quirked up in amusement. Although Leafdapple remained alert, the tom relaxed his posture, giving credence to his words."And I thought," Leafdapple spoke, glad that despite the nerves wrestling in her stomach her voice rang loud, even, and clear across the water. "LichenClan cats were barbarous puritans." The torbie she-cat tried to imitate the tom's relaxed nature, although her claws remained extended under the water. "But I guess we can all be mistaken."
Despite the danger of the situation, Leafdapple couldn't help but feel a glimmer of curiosity as she stared at the tom. Was he alone, or did he approach her while a patrol waited in the shadows? Did he really mean not to attack her? She tossed her head, shaking water loose from the fur that was above the cool liquid she still stood in. "So what now, oh experienced young warrior of LichenClan? We stare at each other until someone blinks?"
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
"Hmm... maybe some of them are barbarous puritans." the words sloshed around his palette as the tom laid in a lingering state, his eyes wandering to trace the parameters of the swallowing forest. strangely pines came to exhale open the canopy, the floors mixing into the lichen clans dustier terrain, until the bed of rocks carried its universal sway toward these creekline shores. He paused when the golden gaze had come full circle, the she-cat's mighty stare wrung bold, a juxtaposition to her quivering belly. He looked down beneath the crystalline ripples, tiny claws distorted beneath the refracting water's pelt. Leopardface smiled, paying no mind but only slowly retracing his stare. "I think you were half right." he blinked slowly. "I think I'm pretty pure." His tone with dripping with a sense of sarcasm as his streamlined pelt parted through the waters. Only a shrews length apart the spotted warrior watched the tension that extended beneath her sopping furs- well shaped muscles, a testimony to her warrior status. Just as quickly as he had gyrated her- the waters swirling in their following fashion-, he retreated away from the she-cat's warmth.
"Well...", Leopardface moseyed with the twist of his jowls. "I think that would be pretty fun. but I've already lost" he grinned, buckling beneath his brow to catch her green-leaf forest stare. it was equal parts radiant as cold, stark greens intruded by the tangling swirls of yellow that playfully bat at her pupils. the she-cat's iris was a wonder, and for a moment, leopardface found himself lost in its pawprints. and like such, they were unique beside every other she-cat that christened his veil.
The tom batted his eyes, a total of 6 blinks, long lashes tickling the arches of his narrow set brow. "We're already here, doing, what we want to do. There's no reason we should stop." he mewed, referring primarily to their scenic wondering. The tom retreated another fox length, leaving now two that spaciously parted their forms. His head cocked equal parts curious as welcoming with the slender veil of his lids and a warm smile.
The echoes of the fauna were delicate and sweet, mollifying the echoing tension of the pause the fell heavy between their words. "I'm just here for a swim and...you're just here. For a swim?" He continued. "My name is Leopardface. What's yours?"
is words swirled smooth like the water they stood in. He wasn't behaving the way he was suppose to. LichenClan cats were suppose to lash out with claw and condemn any RedwoodClan heathen they found. But this tome seemed more interested in examining Leafdapple and play with words. "I think you were half right." The water crested on either side of the tom as he strode toward her, and in a few strides he closed the gap between them. Leafdapple drew in a breath, but stood her ground prepared to defend herself if he lashed out at her. She kept her focus on his face, watching his own golden eyes probe and examine her, a reflection of the very task she was completing herself. He was large, muscled, comfortable in the water. Leafdapple felt confident in the training she had received from her mentors, but Shrewfur's final lesson to her lingered on Leafdapple's mind. Manipulate. Space. Patrol.Make a note of everything you can about the situation you're in, then manipulate accordingly.
But the strike never came. Just as quickly, the tom danced away and Leafdapple was left staring out as she comprehended his warm smile and welcoming words. We're just doing what we want to do, why should we stop? Well, this was certainly turning into a situation Leafdapple had never imagined herself to be in. Prepared to take claws to this toms smooth pelt he was instead abandoning all rules and standards their clans had followed for moons and being friendly. As he stepped back further, lengthening the distance between them, Leafdapple slowly retracted her claws. "My name is Leopardface".
She let his name sink in. Leopardface. Obviously leopard because of his spotted pelt, and she turned to examining his face. He left an impression, and Leafdapple was trying to figure out what kind of impression he left. Mysterious, handsome, smooth. She had not expected her first encounter with a LichenClanner to go like this, but, here she was. It was a curious oddity, and the thought of flying in the face of danger and breaking all the rules sent a thrill through her. She gave him coy smile. "My name is Leafdapple," her smile turned into a smirk and she cocked an eyebrow. "And I the swim was just how I decided to shirk my responsibilities for the day. Sometimes you just have to...ignore reality, like war."
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
The tom inhaled his companies' scent with open jowls, their tips curling into a sense of hungry prowess. He watched her gaze flicker from his pelt to his face. She hovered there, and at that moment, Leopardface noticed his attention held longer by this forest-dweller than most. He was not bored in her twinkling gaze as the scent of Redwoodclan's earthy forests promised a new bounty of experience.
Her smile spread like a vixen's quip, and he felt his chest lurch. Instinctively, he pulled forward.
"Leafdapple." He echoed back before noticing his face had grown just a hare's length away so that he could feel his smitten breaths ricochet from her form's edge. leaf like the Redwoodclan forest. dapple like the splotches that paint her fur.
She continued to speak to which he thoughtfully watched with tracing pupils. Her infliction of war did not bother the young warrior much- as he cared little whether war dotted their horizons. Like a tiny gnat, it ebbed at his desired and looked to buzz irritatingly in the chambers of his ears. But, it had not been he that skirted into Redwoodclan territory, who seized their loved ones and felt their bodies snap limp beneath their claws. No, that was his mentor. That was his comrades- but it was not he.
Leopardface did not want to apologize on their behalf, catching the playful cues of the Molly whose once tense encounter had diluted into an essence of youth and fruitfulness. He would play it out like an empathetic prisoner of war's emotional symphony, then carry on to the beat of her drum.
The spotted tom chuckled and tore his stare away into the birches, whose pelts had come to consume their terrain. He mimicked a sense of awkward tension as if the heartache of tragedy weighed upon his conscience. His voice trailed, and corners fell. Like a pendulum, his pupils swiveled back onto the she-cat where he held her grasp a few heartbeats. He aimed so that a smile couldn't help but crack beneath her presence.
"You're right." He mewed back with the flick of his tail, releasing the tension. An unwavering intensity in his stare that to the empathetic heart perhaps read like a source of investment. This notion was not entirely untrue, as he was invested. He was invested in her new blossomed information- unacquainted well with others beyond the borders. He was invested in the sense of danger that enraptured their entanglement. And- he was invested in the way her body read like a game, her form flirty and…fun. It was so refreshing from the melachonoly woes that reigned Lichenclan's essence. Everyone there felt so severe, all the time. And the moment's he wanted to liven up even the smallest event, cast scornful glares like an uncouth jester.
"Would you like to play …a game?" He whispered to her in a low rumble, a smirk crinkling his maw.
