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Post by Kaeldra on May 16, 2021 3:45:05 GMT
Spider || Tom || 9 moons
Spider loved his family dearly, but sometimes he just needed a moment of quiet to himself. Especially after a long couple of moons cooped up in the same den as them, avoiding the blizzard that had covered the entire forest in a blanket of white. So the young tom had decided to go on a walk through the trees, careful not to stray too far from home while still getting far enough that he couldn't hear his siblings bickering. It was an art, really.
While his stroll through the woods was helping, Spider's claws itched for something new to do. He wasn't particularly a fan of the white mush on the ground either, and stopped every few tail-lengths to flick moisture from his paws. As he came up to the base of a large elm tree, a sudden idea lit in his mind. Perhaps he'd exercise a different skill today.
He imagined what the forest might look like from the branches of such a tall tree, and suddenly wanted to see it for real. But first he had to give it a little thought. The lowest branch was about five tail-lengths from the ground, with a few smaller twigs sprouting from the end. Pressing a paw against the bark, Spider dug his claws in experimentally and gave a tug. Yes, this just might work.
The tabby leaned back on his hind legs, bunching up his muscles before giving a great leap upward. His claws sunk into the bark, just as he had planned, and began hauling himself toward his chosen branch.
ulla
I have no idea where I'm going with this, so I'm open to pretty much whatever! Have at it! |
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violet
Inactive Members
8 Posts
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Post by violet on Jun 7, 2021 20:35:20 GMT
It just so happened that a skinny orange tom slept on a high branch of the very tree Spider had started to climb. The sun pouring through the bare tree branches warmed his pelt, and he slept soundly, unaware of the younger cat scaling the branches below. The tree was so wide and heavy it did not shake under Spider's weight, so the sleeping tom, an orange tabby named Wheat, remained undisturbed. For now.
After a full night of walking through snow and ice, it felt good for Wheat to rest his tired bones. Not that he was unaccustomed to the ache of sore legs, the sting of skinned pawpads. He was used to the nomadic lifestyle, and familiar with its effects. It was a part of daily life for him. No big deal—he would simply sleep it off, then do the same thing tomorrow.
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Post by Kaeldra on Jun 7, 2021 21:04:14 GMT
Spider || Tom || 9 moons
Having reached his target, Spider stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He looked out at the forest, amazed at how tall he felt. It was like he was flying! He eyed the branches above him speculatively. What if he went higher? He could hear Gale in the back of his mind, cheering him on to see just how high he could climb. Why not? As long as he was careful about where he put his paws, he'd be fine.
He peered up, trying to decide which branch to aim for next. He spotted a sturdy-looking one just a couple tail-lengths away, and nodded to himself before bracing his paws against the trunk to start climbing again. The tom's muscles burned with exertion -- he wasn't used to exercising quite like this -- but his excitement washed it away. As he pulled himself onto the branch, he was about to turn to look back down at the forest when he saw a light ginger paw resting on another tree limb just a short distance ahead. A paw that was attached to a cat. A cat that was much larger than him, eyes closed as he slept in the weak sunlight.
Spider gave a yelp of shock and felt his back paws slip from the branch he was balancing on. He dug his claws into the bark, bough swaying under his weight, and prayed that he'd be able to slip away unnoticed.
ulla
<3 |
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violet
Inactive Members
8 Posts
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Post by violet on Jun 8, 2021 1:14:55 GMT
A yelp startled the orange tabby tom from a dreamless sleep. His golden eyes opened and darted towards the sound. It took a moment for his eyes to focus and adjust to the light. Then on another limb of the tree he saw a smaller tabby tom, holding on for dear life to a branch that was swaying under him. Wheat sat up, perched carefully so not to lose his footing the way that Spider had.
"What're you doing up here? Dig your claws in. That's a long drop," said Wheat calmly. He stood and hopped onto another branch closer to Spider, in case the small Tom started to fall, he might try to catch him by the scruff.
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Post by Kaeldra on Jun 8, 2021 2:46:26 GMT
Spider || Tom || 9 moons
Spider watched the strange tom warily as he opened his eyes, taking a moment to orient himself before speaking. Well, at least he didn't seem aggressive. That didn't mean he was to be trusted, though. The young tabby steadied himself on the branch, sinking his claws into the bark and waiting until it had stopped moving to reply.
"Nothing," he grumbled, looking away. Nothing you need to know about, anyway. He looked down at the long drop below him, a chill sliding up his spine at the thought of falling. Now that he was all the way up here, he wasn't... entirely sure how to get down. He glanced back at the stranger, begrudgingly curious. "...What are you doing up here? Seems like a weird place to sleep," Spider commented after a long moment of silence. He supposed as long as he was stuck, it wouldn't hurt to learn more about this stranger, to make sure he really wasn't a threat.
ulla
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violet
Inactive Members
8 Posts
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Post by violet on Jun 8, 2021 3:08:51 GMT
Wheat had the advantage that he was not afraid of heights. He followed the younger tom's gaze as he looked down, no fear as he stared into the empty space below. He had been climbing trees since he was, well, Spider's age, probably. He knew all the tricks.
Wheat looked back at the younger tom, thinking it was strange that Spider thought sleeping in a tree was such a big deal. Wheat did it all the time when he was traveling.
"It's not weird. It's safe," corrected Wheat. "I don't want a badger walking up on me while I sleep." Wheat flicked his tail. He thought it appropriate to return the question:
"What are you doing up here?"
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Post by Kaeldra on Jun 9, 2021 4:06:12 GMT
Spider || Tom || 9 moons
Glancing at the ground, then back up to the branches they stood on, Spider had to admit the tom had a point. A badger, or even a fox, cunning as they were, would be hard pressed to climb up and make a snack of him if he was sleeping this high in the boughs. He'd have to keep that in mind; maybe he'd tell his family and see what they thought of the idea.
Then the stranger turned the question back around at him again, and the younger tom sighed in exasperation. Persistent, wasn't he? Well, whatever. It's not like what Spider was doing was top secret anyway, and this cat seemed amicable enough. He could let him know a few details.
"I was just trying to get some time away from my mouse-brained littermates," he explained, speaking of them fondly even if they did sometimes annoy him so much he thought his whiskers would fall off. "I saw this tree and wanted to try something new. I've never climbed much before." Spider felt suddenly self-conscious admitting it, and licked at his chest to hide the burning of his ears.
ulla
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violet
Inactive Members
8 Posts
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Post by violet on Jun 14, 2021 9:21:40 GMT
Wheat purred with amusement. For a moment, he saw himself in Spider: once, he, too, had been a young cat hell bent on exploring. He had once been almost Spider's age when he decided he loved the wild so much that he left the comforts of his twoleg nest and never looked back. How long ago that seemed today! Wheat felt many moons in his aching joints, a reminder that he was not some young kit anymore.
"Ah, well, in that case, I can forgive you for spoiling my nap. Littermates can be a pain," Wheat responded, attempting to be sympathetic. To be honest, he had been seperated from his own littermates so young he could barely remember it now. The twoleg kits had been more like his littermates than his real kin. But they had been just as annoying: putting their paws on him, picking him up, yanking his tail. Wheat imagined it was nearly the same situation. He continued: "Well, since you are new and I myself am an expect climber, shall we climb to the top? A bit of practice for you? I could give you a bit of a lesson."
Wheat leaned back on his haunches and sprung forward onto a new branch, grappling it powerfully and getting to his feet to look down at Spider on the branch below him.
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Post by Kaeldra on Jun 24, 2021 2:47:53 GMT
Spider || Tom || 9 moons
Spider was glad to hear that the struggle of annoying siblings was universal. He didn’t know anything about his mother or father’s littermates, having separated from them long ago, and his older brother Flare had been an only kit. Sometimes he felt like the only one in his family who understood the irritation.
Then the tom was leaping away, higher into the branches after inviting Spider to do the same. The young tabby stared in surprise after the other cat, watching as he manoeuvred among the branches as easily as if he were walking along the forest floor. His whiskers twitched with determination; he wanted to be able to do that! And of course, he couldn't back down from the challenge.
“Okay,” Spider replied, glancing up to try and gauge which branch would be best to aim for. After a long moment of deliberation, he finally settled on one not too far from where he was. With another cat watching, he didn’t want to miss and make a fool of himself.
Winding up his hind legs, Spider launched himself at the branch, wrapping his paws around it awkwardly as he made contact. He scrabbled for a couple of heartbeats until he found his footing, then righted himself with a heavy exhale. He turned to the other tom with questions in his eyes.
“How do you make it look so easy? It’s not like walking at all!” Spider complained, though he readied himself to make another leap to follow if the other cat decided to keep moving.
ulla
Sorry for the long wait on this one! Spider can be tough to write for occasionally >< |
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