We have a lot of announcements to make this month, so make sure to check out the April announcements! We have a brand new, themed thread contest to celebrate all of the new members who have joined our lovely little cat land over the last months, as well as two event reminders, a new organized archives board, a weather update, and our usual round of monthly plot and clan updates. As the weather warms up with the arrival of spring, we also want to encourage all of our members to take some time and step outside! It's been a long winter, and we all deserve some time with nature. Cheers to all!
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.
The storm that rolled through the island kept waking the tom off and on throughout the night. He managed to sleep some. But he spent most of his waking moments making sure Maple and his daughters were still sleeping as soundly as possible. He would go to each in turn and soothe them if they needed. This, he felt, soothed him more and because of it he was able to go back to sleep, curled up into Maples side. Storms had never done this to him. He used to sleep like a rock during them, only waking when it was morning or if he was being nudged awake by another cat. Talon thought it was cause of the last storm that hit the island... The events that took place not long after...
It was early morning when Talon emerged from his den. Looking around the camp, there was minimal damage but there was still the rest of the island to check. He would have to go around and find cats to tag along... But who... Looking over his should, back at the den an idea came to him... Wasn't the ideal way to spend time with one of his children but it would allow him to see if she would want to be a stone guard. He went back into his family den and nudged his mates little shadow awake. "Starling time to wake up and see the island with me." He waited a few minutes for her to rouse before he left the den in search of others.
As he wandered the camp, looking for any other cats that were awake, he heard a rustling noise. It sounded like sparring but as he got closer, he saw that it was just Ladybug on her own. She seemed to be practicing her fighting techniques on an opponent only she could see. He stood there observing for a few moments before he made a sound to get her attention. "I'm assembling a group to check the rest of the island after that storm. Come along and show me some of those moves if you want." Talon needed to get back into assessing the to-bes throughout their training to see where they fit in, this would be the perfect opportunity.
Talon flicked his tail to signal Ladybug to follow him back to his den to see if Orchid was up and ready to go. On the way he spotted another cat, Apple. From this distance it looked as though she was repairing her den. Minor fixes it seemed, otherwise it looked like it was hardly touched. Talon hadn't seen much of her after she abandoned her duties after the sickness hit. After learning why however, he couldn't fault the she-cat. It was a rough time and she was to have her first litter of kits... But part of him was still wary of her... He could bring her along and see if she atleast still remembered her training all those moons ago.
Talon called out to her as he approached. "Apple, if you aren't too busy, we could use another stone guard for an island patrol to assess the damages to the island. I have two to-bes coming along." He flicked his tail towards Ladybug. "And could use another stone guard there with me." Even though he could just tell her to come with them, he wanted to see if she would join them on her own. And if so, see if she would take the task at hand seriously.
Talon believed he had gathered enough for the mission before returning to his den only to find Starling sitting outside waiting on them. He smiled at his mates little shadow, flicking his tail for her to fall in with the group, and left the camp.
Starling had never been a fan of storms, as they tended to disrupt her beauty sleep and make everything wet and yucky the next day. She hated mud, especially since it stuck to her in a stark contrast to her lovely white fur. At least her fur was short like her mother's, she had no idea how Orchid or her father could stand their long easily gnarled pelts.
Throughout the night the occasional thunder would awaken her, though it was only a few times. It might have made her cranky, if her father hadn't been close by to comfort her. Not that she really needed the comfort, but the attention was nice. She ended up curled on her side one paw over her muzzle, until she felt a nudge. Starling groaned tucking her head further towards her chest and putting the other paw over her face. "Don't wanna... too early." She grumbled turning away from her father. But he waited for her, standing above her, and eventually she woke up enough to actually process what he'd said. Tour the island with him? Oh that would be nice! Some one on one time with no one to steal ehr spotlight. So she rolled back over and moved her paws from her face, blinking pale green-yellow eyes up at her father. "Okay okay Im coming! I'll be right there." Her tone was a mixture of exasperation cause she wanted to sleep but also growing eagerness.
He left then, and she took a few moments to stretch and arch her back, giving her pelt a couple of licks to make herself presentable. It was unlikely too many others would be awake or about just yet, but she had to maintain her appearance. Once that was done, she bounced out of the den, looking around. Then she caught sight of her father with another cat and sat down with a huff. She thought it would be just them! But after a few moments she let her frustration go, excited instead to be hanging out with some of the other cats in the Tribe. It looked like Talon was gathering more cats for his little group, no need for her to follow him around if he was just going to come back towards her. So she waited for him by their den, trying to get in a little extra grooming before they left.
In the mourning, I'll rise, In the mourning, I'll let you die
[Imagined dialogue only Ladybug can hear]
“Did it rain?”She mewed through a yawn. She could smell the water in the air, but didn’t hear the thrumming drops above their den.Her mother laughed, amused by how her daughter seemed to live in her own little world—even when she was sleeping.
While her parents were groggy from a night of disturbed rest, the to-be was full of her usual energy. With most of her tribemates still asleep in their dens, she decided she would make her own fun. As she walked further from her den, she realized the storm damage was worse than she thought—branches littered the ground, and deep puddles of ice-cold water created new obstacles for her to dance around.
Finally, she came to a small clearing that had been mostly untouched by last night’s storm—the perfect spot for some battle training!
Battle training? But it’s so early. Aren’t your muscles tired?
“What better way to warm them up?” She chirped, stretching out a hind leg behind her.
Without warning, she lunged at her companion, but he dodged her clumsy blow with ease.
“How are you so fast?” Ladybug huffed, trying to catch her breath.
Maybe it’s ‘cause I’m not the size of a bear! Shadow teased, landing lightly on jet-back paws.
But to any bystander, it would look as if the to-be were alone in the small clearing, running and pouncing in seemingly random directions. And she was, technically, alone—Shadow was nothing more than a figment of her imagination.
But he was real to her, and that was all that mattered.
Shadow had opened his mouth to make another smart remark, and she took the opportunity to pin him down and put her jaws gently around his neck. His shoulders landed square in one of the many puddles left behind by the storm, and he made a sound of disgust.
“Gotcha! Guess being bear-sized has its advantages though, huh?”
Their early-morning play session (training session, as she would so often correct her mother and father), was interrupted by the sound of a cat clearing his throat on the outside of the clearing.
Talon!
Excitement buzzed in the young she-cats paws—what could the head stone-guard want with her, of all cats? Was her training path being chosen for her at last?
No, it was better than that—he wanted her for an important mission! Scrambling to sit up straight and tall, Ladybug puffed out her chest with pride as she gave the tom an affirmative mew.
Calm down, for the star’s sake! This is why we never get invited to do stuff like this, Shadow whined, flopping onto his side.
Ladybug cast him an annoyed glance before rising to her paws and following the stone guard to his den. It was difficult to stand still and wait for Talon to assemble the other cats for the patrol, her paws fidgeting in the wet dirt. But she didn’t have to wait long until another cat joined her—it was Starling, one of Talon’s daughters. And another to-be, just like her!
A deep purr rumbled in Ladybug’s throat. “Good morning, Starling!” Before she could say anything else, she was hit with a wave of embarrassment—the other she-cat had groomed herself meticulously, while Ladybug hadn’t even thought to spruce up after tumbling with Shadow in the dirt this morning. She chuckled at her own forgetfulness, and ran her tongue over her paw before bringing it to her face. “Thanks for the reminder! Your white fur is always so...well, white! It’s very impressive,” she commented earnestly, giving her face a few more quick paw swipes.
That’s the nice thing about having black fur—no one can tell I was just shoved into a mud puddle!
She ignored Shadow’s remark, knowing full-well by now that she was the only cat who could see or hear him. If she was going to make any other friends, she would have to keep him a secret. ---
Tags: wolfiedemon , rhian , Raven~ Notes: first post with this bby i hope her having an imaginary friend isn't too confusing lmao Words: 646
The storm that had ravaged their island… could have been worse. Apple had spent most of the morning repairing her family’s den, but neither her mate nor her sons had been injured in the deluge. That was something to be thankful for, no matter how much work she had to do to repair their home. Vaguely, she was aware of pawsteps behind her, but she hardly paid them any heed until she heard her name called. Mildly annoyed, the orange she-cat set down the piece she had been weaving into the wall and turned towards Talon. For a moment, she was quiet. If you aren’t too busy…. Of course I’m busy, she grumbled internally. Couldn’t he see she was in the middle of something.
But she didn’t voice her irritation. Instead she simply nodded and padded towards the group the head guard had gathered. Her den was sturdy enough to keep her loves dry and warm, the rest could wait. She continually had to remind herself that, as a member of the tribe again, she couldn’t just be out for herself anymore. She had to work as part of the tribal team so that her family could reap the social benefits of living here.
Her attitude relaxed some, though, when she set eyes on Ladybug. She was an odd young cat, perhaps, but a pleasant one. Apple decided that the company on the patrol wasn’t so bad. ”There was just a bit of damage to my den in the storm,” she explained as she approached Talon. ”Overall, things weren’t too bad over here. Do you know of any places that have been harder hit?” she asked.
Post by wolfiedemon on Jan 31, 2021 11:31:10 GMT -6
Talon looked at the small band he had gathered to go on this outing with him. With one being a to-be this would give him a chance to see how they were progressing with their training and having Apple with them... He would be able to see if she was going to take being a member of the tribe seriously or not. Ever since some things happened Talon felt that she wasn't taking her duties seriously anymore and he couldn't have that. Not at a crucial time like this. "We're just going around the island, see if the storm caused any damage worse then the mudslide that took the life of one of our members." The memory would still haunt him but he had to move past that and focus on his family and the tribe.
After he made sure they understood, he stood and took the lead leaving camp. As they walked, he keep swiveling his head a bit at any small sound he heard in the forest. It was mostly small prey trying to find food. For the most part it was quite peaceful. He looked over his shoulder at the two trailing him and flicked his tail for Ladybug to join him for a moment. "Come talk to me for a moment if you don't mind." He waited for her to be level with him before speaking. "I saw some of your moves earlier, how goes your lessons in hunting and fighting?" This was one thing he liked about being head stone guard, checking the progress of the to-bes training and try to help where he could. It helped remind him of a simpler time, a time where he didn't have all these responsibilities.
In the mourning, I'll rise, In the mourning, I'll let you die
Ladybug could hardly keep herself still, she was so excited, but Shadow’s voice in her head dragged her back down to earth.
One of your tribe mates died last night—try to show some reverence!
“Ok,” she mewed aloud in response before she caught herself, but it seemed like the timing worked out—Talon had just finished explaining what they were setting off to do.
Apple That Glows Red had joined them, another stone-guard like Talon. Ladybug was still uncertain of her place in the tribe, having been isolated from it for most of her young life. She didn’t grow up with ambitions of being either a prey-hunter or a stone-guard—she had assumed she’d get to do the duties of both and the title wouldn’t matter. But now that the time to choose was drawing near, the decision felt heavy on her shoulders.
After acknowledging Apple with a grin and a nod, the trio set off on their mission. Excitement still buzzed in her paws, but she stayed quiet as they observed the damage on the island, relieved to see nothing too bad yet.
Talon stopped suddenly, and Ladybug’s ears perked up—had he heard something? Scented something? He flicked his tail at her, then toward himself—wait, her? Was he signaling for her?
Yes, yes, hurry up and go!
Shadow’s voice practically roared in her ears, and she bounded toward the head stone-guard with long, clumsy looking limbs.
She stopped just a few mouse-lengths from him, having to look down slightly to make eye contact with the slightly smaller tom. As he spoke, she felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment—had he heard me talking to Shadow, too?
But he didn’t mention anything about that—instead, he’d asked her about her training.
“Oh! I umm, haven’t been assigned a role yet so, you know, still dabbling in a bit of everything!”
Now’s your chance to make your preference known!
Ladybug ignored the inner voice vying for her attention. “How did you and Apple know that you wanted to be stone-guards?” Her eyes went wide for a moment before she quickly added on a second question. “Did you even want to be stone-guards at all?”
As much as she enjoyed play-fighting with Shadow, the idea of fighting a creature with flesh and blood—an animal or, stars forbid, another cat—was not as appealing to her. But there was no denying she was larger than average, a preferable trait for a stone-guard.
The Stoneteller won’t assign you a role based on looks alone, you know. Shadow reassured her, and she felt herself calm down somewhat. He was right—they’d assess her skills, of course.
But what if I’m not good at anything?
--
Tags: wolfiedemon ,Raven~ Notes: my tribe lore knowledge is extremely rusty bear w/ me lol Words: 429
Apple nodded at Talon’s explanation. Typical post-storm duties. Anything damaged needed to be shored up or repaired to keep the rest of the Tribe safe. And so they were off. Talon and Ladybug walked together and she kept farther off, sniffing around occasionally and keeping a watchful eye out for anything that looked dangerous. Idly, she listened to their conversation as they went. Every cat was always curious about what the to-bes thought of training and what role they thought they would fit into as they grew. It was not something Apple could relate to. She had come from a long line of stone-guards and always had known what was expected of her.
She turned her head towards her patrolmates when she heard Ladybug’s question. How timely a question given her own train of thought. ’My family was all stone-guards,” she explained. ”And their family before them. I knew I was going to be a stone-guard from the moment I left my mother’s nest.” Perhaps not a terribly helpful answer, but it was the only one she had. Her own sons would not face such rigid expectations.
She trotted on as Talon took his turn to answer, coming up a crest where she would have a good vantage point of the island. But something wasn’t right and it sent the fur along Apple’s spine bristling. This early in the day, the sandbar that connected them to the Clan cats should have been easily visible. But now all that stretched before her was an endless expanse of water. There wasn’t even a shadow where the sandbar might be. ”Talon,” she called over her shoulder. ”You need to come see this.”
If the sandbar was gone, she wasn’t sure what that meant. Should she be relieved to be cut off from the cats that meant them harm? Surely she should, yet she couldn’t help but feel worry at the absence of what had once been their lifeline.
