|
Post by Kaeldra on Dec 2, 2020 5:31:38 GMT
Noctus || Tom || 30 moons A thick swath of clouds hung in the sky, fat with rain. It had been pouring all morning and finally there was a brief respite, though it would no doubt start up again any time now. Noctus took the opportunity to stretch his legs and go for a walk around the forest, tasting the air periodically in the hopes he would scent some prey doing the same. Droplets clung to his pelt as he slipped through the undergrowth and he scowled. He would have liked to spend the whole of the dreary day warm and dry, but he couldn't stand to be cooped up in his den any longer.
As he lifted his nose to the air once more, he finally caught a scent, though it definitely wasn't prey. He thought he recognized it, though. The black tom followed the scent for a few fox-lengths, trying to place it. Then he saw a shock of ginger fur ahead and it clicked. It was the tom he had met a moon or two ago. What was his name? Fire, Flame... Flare! That was it. He'd been rather friendly the last time they met, and Noctus had been wondering how the tom and his younger siblings were doing now that the weather was taking a turn for the colder. Noctus trotted forward, making no effort to conceal himself so he wouldn't spook the other cat.
"Hey, there! How's the prey running?"
ulla
Riley A bit of a lackluster start perhaps but I'm sure it'll pick up as we go! Still finding my voice for this boy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Jan 5, 2021 23:08:36 GMT
Noctus || Tom || 30 moons Noctus' mouth immediately quirked upward in a smile in response to Flare's. The tom was easy to be around, his good mood infectious. While the hunting wasn't ideal, much of the prey hiding away in their own burrows, there was still the possibility of finding something good yet. Noctus nodded in agreement when Flare mentioned wanting to get out of his family's den.
"Same here," he told the orange tom, fluffing out his fur a bit before settling on the damp earth. "I haven't caught anything yet but it's nice to get some fresh air, at least." He shared Flare's worried glance at the clouds, wondering when the deluge would start up again, but shook it off as the topic shifted to his family. A favourite subject of his.
"They're doing well, thank you! Thank the stars Dahlia lives with housefolk who keep her warm and dry, she hates leaf-bare. The kits are more energetic by the day, it seems, and the two youngest keep begging me for battle lessons..." Noctus shook his head in disdain. Lily especially was still set on the idea of becoming a 'brave forest cat like you, dad!' and it worried him to think of his delicate daughter exposed to the dangers of the woods. He supposed she was growing up, but he didn't have to like it. "And your parents and siblings, how are they? The kits must be learning to hunt now too?" Hunting was a different story entirely. Every cat had to learn to feed themselves, and Noctus hoped Flare's siblings were having a better time of it than his own kits. They still stalked like a pack of lopsided badgers.
ulla
Riley
|
|
Riley
Moderator
347 Posts
|
Post by Riley on Jan 13, 2021 1:26:33 GMT
Flare decided to ignore the heavy clouds unless the rain started again. Resolved to not look at them, he instead chuckled at Noctus's gushing about his kits, even giving a more verbal laugh at the shake of his head at the battle lessons. "Well, better to learn from you in a safe environment than either know nothing when they need it or go to somebody else for lessons that would actually hurt them. My dad's philosophy when I was growing up was 'if you're going to be stupid enough to get yourself into trouble, you're gonna be smart enough to get yourself out of it'."
Which was a nice segue into Noctus's returned inquiry about Flare's own family. "They're all doing well! Since there's three of us and three of the kits we decided to teach them one on one. Sort of like the mentoring of the young cats in the stories of the Clans! I'm teaching Gale, and let me tell you, as much as I love the furball, his attention span leaves a LOT to be desired." It didn't help matters that he seemed so desperate to impress Flare at the cost of feeding their family. Hopefully Flare could train that out of him before things got too dire.
Shaking the rather morose thought from his head, Flare twitched an ear toward the path he'd been walking. "Care to hunt and talk? Maybe together we could catch more than a mouthful, and I'd appreciate the company."
Kaeldra
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Jan 13, 2021 22:18:22 GMT
Noctus || Tom || 30 moons Noctus hummed thoughtfully at Flare's words. He supposed the other tom did have a point... As much as he disliked the idea of having to teach his kits to defend themselves when they should be safe in their twoleg nests, it was much preferable that he trained them in a controlled environment rather than them going off and asking some stranger to teach them. Or worse, running into a dangerous enemy without being able to fight back.
"That's true," he laughed at the rather blunt quote. He was starting to see where Flare got his mannerisms. Noctus' ears pricked in surprise at his casual mention of the Clans. He knew there were other cats that had heard the stories, of course, but he hadn't known that Flare knew them. "That sounds like a good way to do it," he agreed. "I wish I could do the same, but there's four of them and just one of me. And I love Dahlia, but she'd probably just end up being another set of paws to teach in the end." That was one thing he thought the Clans had really done well. When so many cats were together, it was easy to pass information down to the kits of the group. On his own, it seemed nearly impossible to cover everything for all four of his kits.
Breaking out of his reverie, he gave another chuckle at Flare's description of his younger brother's antics. It seemed like all kits really were the same. "I know what you mean. One moment Bluebell is declaring she'll be the strongest warrior in the forest -- her head is filled with those stories about the Clans you mentioned -- and then the next she's off chasing a butterfly," he sympathized with the ginger tom.
At the mention of hunting together, Noctus stood with a quiet purr. "Sure, that sounds great. It's been a while since I've hunted with another cat, so forgive me if I'm a bit out of practice," he warned playfully. It would be nice not to have to hunt on his own for once. "Lead the way."
ulla
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Jan 20, 2021 21:20:27 GMT
Noctus || Tom || 30 moons Flare's sudden suggestion seemed to take them both off guard, and Noctus twitched his ears in surprise. The other tom was right, of course; it would be far easier between the two of them to teach the four rambunctious kits rather than Noctus trying to handle them all on his own. And perhaps Noctus would be able to learn something too, since he didn't have much experience training with other cats. Much of what he knew simply came from trial and error learning how to survive.
"If you're okay with that, I'd definitely appreciate it," Noctus replied, smiling hesitantly. "Though you seem like you have your paws pretty full already with your siblings," he added with a purr. To be fair, it seemed Flare had almost never-ending energy, at least from what Noctus had seen. If he wanted to, Noctus was pretty sure the orange tom could fit anything into his schedule.
He laughed again as Flare suddenly doubled in size, his fur fluffed out comically. Once it was back to normal, Noctus mentally compared the two of them. "You might be right," he agreed, noticing that Flare did have a slightly stockier build that would be good for fighting. Noctus himself wasn't extremely slender, but enough so that his fighting methods were generally more evasive than offensive, being able to slip through his enemies' paws by twisting and turning. "If it were warmer I'd suggest a dip in the river to see just how much is pure fluff!" He teased.
Noctus spat playfully as Flare bumped into his shoulder and bounded off in the direction of a stand of oak trees. He followed close behind, slowing down after the initial run. As they walked, the black tom parted his jaws to check for prey scent. Just because they hadn't made it to their destination didn't mean he couldn't start now! Unfortunately, all he could smell so far was damp earth. He glanced at Flare to see if he was having any luck, his paws suddenly prickling with excitement at the prospect of team hunting.
ulla
Riley
|
|
Riley
Moderator
347 Posts
|
Post by Riley on Jan 22, 2021 5:56:20 GMT
He wouldn't have offered if he hadn't meant it. Flare decided against pointing that out though, in case Noctus thought he was being unnecessarily mean. Not that being mean was EVER necessary. Flare ignored Noctus's comment about the river entirely. He normally wouldn't mind going swimming but the other cat was right: it was FAR too cold for it.
Flare led the way toward the oaks he'd mentioned with Noctus following close behind. They slowed at the same time, but took different approaches to detecting prey. Noctus lifted his head and opened his jaws, tasting the air for scents, and Flare perked his ears up and strained his hearing. He filtered out what he considered unimportant and just focused on food.
He heard no birdsong and hadn't expected any, but he did hear one thing: the scurrying of tiny paws. Flare signaled with his tail for Noctus to get low and crept forward, peering through a shrub. A squirrel was digging through the softened earth, either looking for an acorn stash or making one. Either way, it was about to be fresh-kill. "Circle around to the left. I'll go right and scare it toward you." Flare breathed, making as little noise as he could.
He hoped Noctus was okay with that, but Flare didn't stick around long enough for him to agree or disagree. Padding as silently and lightly as he could, Flare did as he'd said he would and went right, keeping an eye on the squirrel and his nose to the wind. Finally he was in position and waited one heartbeat, two, before lunging forward.
Kaeldra
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Feb 4, 2021 22:06:14 GMT
Noctus || Tom || 30 moons Both toms fell into a comfortable silence as they switched their focus to looking for prey. Noctus kept his jaws parted, and glanced at Flare occasionally to see if he'd scented anything. However, he noticed Flare wasn't relying so much on scent but rather sound, his ears straining for the smallest noise. It was smart; in the downpour from earlier, it was no wonder Noctus hadn't smelled so much as a hint of mouse. Sound would be a much better indicator today.
Noctus pricked his ears to listen more intently as well, but before he had a chance to pick up a trace of anything, Flare motioned for him to crouch. When he pulled himself ahead quietly, he could see what the orange tom had found: a nice squirrel completely oblivious, and not horribly scrawny either. He nodded mutely at Flare's instructions, and began creeping in the opposite direction. He found a thick clump of ferns to squeeze into at the base of an oak tree, and watched intently as the squirrel continued scuffling among the roots.
In a sudden burst of movement, Flare leaped through the undergrowth at the small creature, sending it darting for cover. Unfortunately for the squirrel, that cover happened to be the jumble of ferns Noctus was hiding in. He leaned back on his hind legs for a heartbeat, and then pushed forward, landing squarely on the squirrel. With a quick nip to the back of its neck, it was still. Noctus straightened up, turning to look at Flare.
"That was great," he said, giving his fur a shake. "Though maybe that fern wasn't the best idea, I'm soaked now." He grimaced, the water seeping through his fur. Picking up the squirrel, he found a hollow beneath one of the oaks and placed it there, brushing dead leaves and bracken over it. With the prey safely covered, he began listening again for other critters that might still be out.
"I think I can hear something else that way," he flicked his ears toward a point off to his left, where the faint sound of rustling could be made out. It seemed to be something bigger than the squirrel they had just found, and Noctus wondered if it was perhaps a rabbit. What luck! Flare's family would eat well tonight.
Before the black tom had a chance to look back at Flare and suggest they use the same maneuver, the undergrowth rustled again and Noctus caught the reek of a creature that was decidedly un-rabbit-like: fox. Sure enough, a long pointed face pushed its way through the brambles to glare at them, quickly followed by a second. They must have been stalking that squirrel as well, and didn't seem very pleased about having been beaten to it. Noctus fluffed up his fur instinctively, trying to figure out if a fight would be worth it or if they should just grab the squirrel and make a break for it while they could.
ulla
Riley Sorry for the long delay! I hope introducing the foxes was alright, let me know if you'd prefer something different and I can edit. I figured this could be their way to get one of them injured and have to seek out Miku! Up to you though.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Mar 3, 2021 23:28:55 GMT
Noctus || Tom || 30 moons Noctus huffed quietly as Flare glared at the foxes, fluffing out his fur to seem twice his size. The other tom was right, and this was the smartest course of action -- the squirrel was still within easy reach and it didn't make sense to risk injuries just as the weather was getting colder. That didn’t mean he had to like it, though. It felt cowardly to take the prey and run, leaving Flare to face their unwanted visitors, no matter how short of a time it would be.
He slowly backed up, eyeing the foxes as they glared right back, obviously sizing them up as well. These two looked to be a bit older, more experienced than the bumbling pups he had run into in seasons past. Even more reason not to charge right into a fight. He knew it was only a matter of heartbeats until it turned into one though, if the look in the bigger fox’s eyes was anything to go by. He just had to hope that Flare would be able to join him in the branches before that happened.
The black tom quickly unearthed the squirrel, noting with disappointment that it would probably be all they’d get today after this, and launched himself upward into the oak. In the same moment, the larger fox leapt forward with jaws open.
ulla
Riley Sorry for the wait! My brain is mush these days. Also, apologies for the shortness! Didn't want to have too much action happen in just one post.
|
|
Riley
Moderator
347 Posts
|
Post by Riley on May 3, 2021 0:26:46 GMT
Noctus didn't argue. Good, Flare was worried he'd put up a fight over leaving him. Noctus was the closest thing Flare had to a friend and he liked to think Noctus thought of him like that as well. Refusing to 'abandon' him was something he thought Noctus would do. But he must have seen the wisdom in it, because he quickly grabbed the squirrel and launched himself up the tree.
Unfortunately the bigger fox sprang forward at the same time. Flare dove to intercept and rose on his back paws to bat at it's face. He felt his claws tear through soft flesh and the fox yelped before backing up. He saw tears on it's muzzle and mouth and felt vicious satisfaction well up in his chest only to be reminded, oh yeah, there was two.
A paw slammed into his side and pain lanced through his shoulder where claws had torn three large gashes in him. Flare felt himself screeching as he went sailing through the air, only for the breath to escape his lungs when he landed on the ground. Flare immediately tried to push himself up, knowing it was a death sentence to remain on the ground, but his leg immediately gave out and sent him slumping to the ground.
The foxes approached him slowly, and Flare snarled at them in warning but they didn't listen, they just kept getting closer, this was it, he was gonna die and never see his family again oh stars Gale would be heartbroken-
Kaeldra
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on May 3, 2021 20:46:57 GMT
Noctus || Tom || 30 moons Noctus had barely pulled himself onto a low branch when he heard one of the foxes yelping behind him. Good, that meant Flare was holding his own against them. But he knew his friend -- and he did consider Flare a friend now -- had no chance of fighting off both of them without some help. Noctus raced to find a place to stash the squirrel, settling on a Y-shaped gap between two branches that he hoped would keep their prey secure until they could come back for it. If they could come back for it. The tom shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking like that. They'd run off these foxes and make them think twice about setting paw in this part of the woods again.
Then he heard a loud shriek and spun to see Flare being tossed to the ground, crimson blossoming from a new wound in his shoulder. He'd taken too long dealing with the squirrel! He knew he should've abandoned it to fight right away. Now he could see that Flare would be crowfood if he didn't step in soon.
Without stopping to think about it too much, Noctus flung himself out of the oak to land squarely on the shoulders of one of the foxes below. He sunk his claws in, the impact jostling the fox's balance. It regained its footing quicker than he expected and began trying to throw him off, but when that didn't work it quickly changed tactics. The beast suddenly dropped to the ground and rolled, squishing the air from Noctus' lungs and forcing him to release his grip. A heartbeat later he was pinned, staring straight into the fox's maw.
Well, that didn't go as planned, he admitted silently to himself. But he refused to let himself give up now.
The black tom lay limp for a moment as he caught his breath, feigning defeat, then pushed his back paws out explosively. His claws connected with the soft belly fur of the fox, making it leap back as it yelped in pain. Noctus used the chance to quickly wiggle up and out of its grasp. He scrambled to his paws, breathing heavily. He moved to stand in front of Flare, blocking the foxes as he stared them both down.
"Still feel like taking us on?" He challenged them with a glare. He hoped that Flare's injury wasn't as bad as it looked. If they had to, they'd turn tail and run.
ulla
Riley I'm so bad at writing fight scenes xD Practice makes perfect I suppose!
|
|
Riley
Moderator
347 Posts
|
Post by Riley on Jul 16, 2021 6:16:17 GMT
In the adrenaline and blood loss, Flare had actually forgotten he wasn't alone. He watched Noctus land squarely on the shoulders of one of the foxes and cheered mentally when he refused to be bucked off. But then the fox actually showed why foxes were worse than dogs and used it's brain, rolling onto it's back and crushing Noctus. 'Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat.' Flare distantly remembered.
Flare struggled to his paws in a panic, but Noctus didn't need his help. Between one moment and the next, the fox was scrambling back with a yelp and Noctus was back on his paws. This time the cheer was less internal and more vocal. "Alright Noctus"!" he cheered. Maybe they'd survive this! He stepped up to the black tom's side with a feral grin, his blood rushing... and subsequently gushing, as well. "Scram, dungheads! Or we'll rip you both to shreds!"
Obviously the foxes couldn't understand the insult or threat. They were foxes. But more than that, they were honorless cowards. They'd be happy to team up against one cat, but facing two in a fair fight? Not happening. One of the foxes yipped to the other, and though it snarled with what Flare interpreted as reluctance, they both turned and fled.
It took a couple of tense seconds for Flare to realize they weren't coming back, and he whooped loudly. "HA. OH YEAH, TAKE THAT! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR MESSING WITH FLARE AND NOCTUS!" Now that the fight was over though, Flare's will to save face was fading too. And without the adrenaline, the pain in his shoulder was becoming throbbing.
It was becoming hard to think. What could he do? He didn't want to go back to the den bleeding out and twolegplace was too far to get help. Suddenly the answer came to him in a flash of green eyes. "Miku. She should be by the river. She can help." Oooh, that wasn't good. His words were starting to slur together and he was starting to sway. Here's hoping she's not too far away!
Kaeldra
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Sept 25, 2021 1:44:25 GMT
Noctus || Tom || 30 moons Noctus grinned, listening as his friend taunted the foxes’ retreating forms. What a fight! He’d gotten a few scrapes that he was sure would be sore tomorrow, but for the most part he hadn’t been hurt too badly. He turned with excitement to face Flare, adrenaline flowing through his veins and ready to celebrate their victory. As soon as he saw the orange tom’s face though, fear spiked along his spine.
Flare was swaying on his paws, a nasty gash on his shoulder soaking his fur crimson and dripping to stain the dirt below. Noctus tried to listen to what his friend was saying over the roaring of the blood in his own ears. Miku? A cat who could help? The black tom’s first inclination was to sprint in the direction of Dahlia’s nest and yowl until her twolegs came to save Flare, but who knew how long that would take. He had to trust that Flare knew what he was talking about, despite his state.
“Okay, if you say so. Here, lean on me and we’ll get there in no time,” Noctus instructed. He gritted his teeth against the weight pressing on his own injuries, but knew they paled in comparison to Flare’s condition.
The two stumbled among the trees for what seemed like an eternity, until finally the riverbank was upon them. Noctus could see a grey she-cat prodding the plants along the shore, and hoped this was who they were looking for.
“Miku? Please, can you help my friend Flare? He’s badly hurt and said you would know what to do!”
The two hurried down the bank to meet her, and Noctus prayed silently that Flare would make it out of this alright.
ulla
Riley Aaand scene. Poor Flare, going through all that. At least he gets a cool scar out of the deal and doesn’t have to meet StarClan quite yet!
|
|