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Post by Kaeldra on Aug 26, 2022 1:43:38 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons Clementine breathed a sigh of relief as Roots agreed to show her the tunnels, and mentally congratulated herself on a performance well done. She wanted to see if she could get them to have a conversation with one of these ghosts, so it was easy to agree to their condition. Why ever would she wander away? “Of course. You must know them well, having lived near them so long. Just lead the way and I’ll follow.” She went to shake her paw, trying to dislodge the feeling of something sticky on her fur, then looked down and remembered the poultice Roots had given her. She’d already forgotten in the moment of excitement, and quickly remedied her mistake by leaning on her “uninjured” paw. The calico was thankful she’d told the healer its strange sticky paste was working; hopefully she could feign a full recovery soon enough. Until then, she’d have to work on faking a convincing limp.
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Post by Solaris on Aug 27, 2022 5:15:22 GMT
R O O T S They/Its | 33 Moons | Rogue “Oh-oh, good!” Clementine’s response brought a wave of reassurance to Roots. The only thing that concerned it was its parents… but it wasn’t like they used the tunnels much. Not after the incident when Foxy nearly died from a cave-in.
“If I remember correctly, there’s actually a tunnel around here,” said Roots, pressing a paw to the soil. It was harder to feel the dirt, what with all the tendrils of grass sticking up in their face, but they could still identify whether or not a tunnel was beneath their paws. The rest became a blur of sniffing around and pushing paws in the ground; Roots had grown familiar with the measures to find tunnels, especially after losing the entrances so many times.
As it came down the slope of the hill, there was an opening at the base. It was wide enough to fit a cat, but other than that, it was hard to make out any other details from inside the tunnel. Upon reaching the hole, Roots’s face lit up with recognition. Turning back to Clementine, Roots waved a tail over. “Here’s the entrance to one of the tunnels, actually!”
Roots closed its eyes, running through a mental map of the tunnels, picturing a whole underground network of routes, akin to a root system. Along this tunnel led back to the central den, close to where Roots’ parents lived. From the central point, Roots would have access to most of the other areas of the tunnels.
“Do you know where you last saw her?” asked Roots.
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Post by Kaeldra on Sept 5, 2022 5:26:46 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons Clementine lit up at the mention of a nearby tunnel. “Oh! If it’s close to here, maybe that’s the one she could have run into!” She followed curiously, watching as Roots sniffed and patted the ground intently, searching for the entrance. She had to admit it looked a bit silly, but she supposed that they were the professional here. Didn’t mean she couldn’t be amused, though. After a short while, it stopped triumphantly at the side of a hill. Clementine was about to question whether there was actually anything there, when suddenly she saw a small opening in the ground. Her ears pricked with interest. She watched as Roots closed their eyes, apparently deep in thought. What a strange cat, she thought again to herself. “I… I think she was around here. It’s all kind of a blur, that fox was so scary… Are there any other entrances nearby? I don’t think she could have gone to any others unless she ran very far.” Clementine padded forward, unable to resist. She made sure to favour her left paw, taking a couple paces into the tunnel and scenting the air. It was dark and musty, a stark contrast to the fresh scent of the moors. “We'd better hurry. She might have gotten stuck somewhere, I don’t want to be too late…”
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Post by Solaris on Sept 5, 2022 23:06:17 GMT
River 9, 2021 | @kaeldraSo Miku was around this area before her disappearance… Roots opened its eyes, having pinpointed the location of this particular tunnel.
“There aren’t any nearby entrances, but this tunnel is connected to several routes. It’s possible she may have run through one of those paths,” said Roots. “In that case, we need to go in quickly. It’s easy to get lost if you don’t have someone to guide you…”
It cast a cautious glance at Clementine. “Make sure to stay as close to me as possible. I don’t need you to get lost too.”
Then Roots padded in through the tunnel’s entrance, the smell of soil, sod, and must filled their nose, scents they were very familiar with. Here was the earth at its most intimate, being so up close that one could feel the mud as they walked. Moons of being in the tunnels made Roots accustomed to the tight walkways and the stuffy atmosphere, moving forward with ease. Without much thought, Roots ducked under hanging roots and stepped over embedded pebbles. It was only after Roots had made considerable progress in the tunnel that they thought to check back on Clementine.
“Are you able to keep up?” it called out in the tunnel, voice echoing across the narrow walls.
A gust of cool wind tickled the top of their head, and Roots looked for the source. Turning around, two translucent cats appeared in front Roots. It was the WindClan ghosts: Sunchaser and Fieldflight.
“You said you would announce your next visit?” said Sunchaser with a judgemental stare. Her matted yellow pelt was said to be lusciously gold, but for all Roots knew, her fur color had turned into a faded silver. Fieldflight, her friend, stood beside her.
“Give them a break, Sunchaser!” Fieldflight was a gray-and-white cat with hazel eyes. Of the pair, Fieldflight tended to be the more gentle cat to converse with. And the more willing to listen. “They probably weren’t expecting to come, right?”
“I’m actually in a bit of a situation here…”
Fieldflight and Sunchaser exchanged glances.
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Post by Kaeldra on Sept 6, 2022 1:12:35 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons So the tunnels extended quite a bit under the moors. Clementine wondered just how far they went, and thought how it must be a useful piece of knowledge to have. You could disappear on one side of the moor and appear on the other! She would have to come back and explore on her own once Roots was gone. It couldn’t be that easy to get lost, could it? It was a bit treacherous to navigate, though. Roots seemed to have no problem ducking when something dangled from the roof, or lifting their paws right when there was a sudden jump in the tunnel floor. Clementine felt her way along behind it, abandoning her limp now that Roots could no longer see her. It was pitch black, and she needed every sense she could get. “I think so!” The calico called back, not wanting to halt Roots’ progress. Even so, she was grateful when they came to a sudden stop, and she wondered if maybe the brown tabby was waiting for her anyway. Then it turned around, as if in a trance, and looked past her, over her shoulder. She could barely make out Roots’ face in the dark, but they seemed... worried? “What kind of situation? Don’t tell me you’re lost!” Clementine cried. Wasn’t this cat supposed to know the tunnels like the back of their paw?
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Post by Solaris on Sept 7, 2022 2:03:10 GMT
River 9, 2021 | @kaeldraRoots quickly responded, “I’m not lost!”
Sunchaser’s ears pricked up at Clementine’s cry. She started to approach the source of the voice. Roots winced slightly, twisting over to cover the width of the tunnel with its body so that Sunchaser wouldn’t pass. She didn’t like that very much.
“Who’s there?” Sunchaser demanded with a hiss. She glanced inquisitively at Roots. “You didn’t tell us you would be bringing guests.”
“Uhh— uhh— I can explain!” Roots’s ears pinned back against their head. They bunched themself up, the way they did when nervous, and they scraped against the dirt to find the right words. They should have thought ahead of time that Sunchaser and Fieldflight would be here… The pair had entrusted them to keep their existence a secret!
“Please do,” Sunchaser backed away from it, promptly lashing her tail against the ground (though, being a ghost, no dirt was sprayed in the air).
Fieldflight rested a tail on Sunchaser’s back, stroking it gently. “Let Roots finish talking. I don’t think they were trying to get a stranger to disturb us on purpose.”
Sunchaser grunted but begrudgingly complied. Roots breathed out a sigh of relief, thankful for not getting under her fur today.
“Well, I ran into this stranger, her name’s Clementine, and she says that she lost her mate, she’s Miku, while being chased by a fox. Does the name sound familiar? Clementine says she might have gone into the tunnels, and—oh, Clementine is the one that’s down in the tunnels here with me, or well, us,” said Roots. It sheepishly added, “She seemed desperate to find her mate.”
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Post by Kaeldra on Sept 8, 2022 4:44:22 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons The strange brown tabby was quick to respond, insisting they weren’t lost. Well what’s wrong then? She watched as Roots moved past her, twisting into a different tunnel she hadn’t even noticed and obscuring Clementine’s view. She craned her neck to see, morbidly curious. Roots seemed… contrite? Promising they could explain the situation, but offering nothing else than that. Then there was a long moment of silence, and Clementine waited for clarification as Roots stood, fixated on some point in front of her. Eventually it sighed, relaxing, and a whole summary of their adventure up until now spilled out. Who are they explaining to? There’s no one there, Clementine thought, wondering if her guide had well and truly lost their mind. Suddenly, understanding dawned on her. Roots must be “seeing” a ghost! That hadn’t taken nearly as long as Clementine had expected, and she found her tail quivering in excitement. “Is that one of the ghosts you were talking about?” She whispered in Roots’ ear, trying to peer into the darkness ahead but seeing nothing except dirt and more dirt. “Hello, I’m Clementine,” she called out. “Have you seen my mate? Her name is Miku, she’s blue-grey with short fur, a bit smaller than me.” She wondered if she should try to fake a response from the ghosts, or if that would only interfere with Roots’ delusion. For now she would remain silent and watch.
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Post by Solaris on Sept 10, 2022 16:43:09 GMT
River 9, 2021 | @kaeldra“Lost her mate?” Fieldflight repeated, gaze moving over to Sunchaser, seemingly directing their words to her. “I can’t imagine how that would feel, not knowing where your mate is.”
If Sunchaser noticed Fieldflight’s comment, she made no indication of it. Instead, she shook her head. “I haven’t felt the presence of any cats in the tunnels. Tell her to look elsewhere, and don’t bring anymore cats down here if you can help it. Especially not if they’re ghost fanatics.”
Roots winced at the dig at Wander, but nodded helplessly. There would be no changing Sunchaser’s mind once she settled on a decision, and based on the way she started licking at her fur, it was a sign of finality. Roots was about to concede to her decision, just as a breath heated its ear. It wrenched away in shock, before calming its nerves when it remembered Clementine. Right! She was still here! Right, Roots had some explaining to do. “Yes! Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you. They’re quite friendly! Their names are—”
They broke off, looking at Fieldflight and Sunchaser. “Wait, can she even see you?”
Sunchaser started laughing, though Roots wasn’t sure what was so funny. “Of course not. Why would we show ourselves to strangers if we don’t have to?”
“Sunchaser,” Fieldflight cautioned disapprovingly, as Clementine started speaking again. They listened intently to her, then glanced at Sunchaser. “We should help the poor cat find her mate. At the very least, we should help Roots. I don’t know who she’s talking to if she can’t see us.”
Sunchaser grumbled. “Fine.”
Roots watched the interaction in bewilderment. How was Fieldflight so good at getting to Sunchaser? There must have been an unspoken connection between the two, one forged out of shared bonding. Suddenly, Roots became aware of how much longer the two had been stuck in the tunnels. How many seasons had passed. How much time had changed since they were alive.
The world probably wasn’t even recognizeable at that point.
“Greetings, Clementine. My name is Sunchaser,” she mewed, pressing her maw to the top of Clementine’s head. To Roots’s perspective, nothing much had changed, but it knew that Clementine could now see Sunchaser.
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Post by Kaeldra on Oct 2, 2022 22:26:17 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons Clementine watched as Roots interacted with the air. It was a strange thing to witness; their expressions changing as they reacted to conversations that didn’t exist, the way they had seemingly forgotten about Clementine herself, the real life cat, in favour of the ghosts. It made Clementine a bit worried for the poor thing, in all honesty, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t entertained. Then suddenly there was another voice echoing around them in the narrow tunnel, and Clementine nearly jumped out of her fur as she felt the pressure of a muzzle on her head. The calico shrieked wordlessly, jumping back and away from the newcomer. It was a rather tall, golden she-cat, her thick fur matted but seemingly not bothering her. There was a strange quality to her, just slightly transparent, and she knew without a doubt this was the ghost Roots had been talking to. Clementine didn’t respond, instead staring at Sunchaser warily. For the first time in many moons, the she-cat was at a loss for words. Have I lost my mind?
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Post by Solaris on Oct 4, 2022 0:55:22 GMT
River 9, 2021 | @kaeldraRoots cringed at Clementine’s shrieking, the sound echoing off the cramped passageway. They whispered, “No loud noises when you’re in the tunnels—”
But with how intently Sunchaser studied the poor calico, it wasn’t surprised if its words were lost to her. Roots wasn’t sure what Sunchaser was thinking, but with how she sniffed at Clementine’s scent cautiously, a seed of worry sprouted in its stomach.
Sunchaser’s tail lashed the dirt, and if her form were solid and not ghostly, one might imagine a spray of dust in the air. She turned to Roots, a brow raised, both inquisitive and demanding at the same time. “So this cat screams, and then won’t say anything at all.”
“She’s still reeling from the shock of seeing a ghost. It’s not everyday that you encounter one,” said Fieldflight. They nudged Sunchaser’s shoulder. “Don’t be so cross with her yet.”
Roots slipped over to Clemenetine’s side, face contorted with worry. “Are you alright? D-did Sunchaser scare you off? Oh, oh— she doesn’t mean to hurt you, and she’s here to help you find your mate. She knows the tunnels better than I do. She’s lived here for more seasons than we’ve been alive.”
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Post by Kaeldra on Oct 6, 2022 5:39:40 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons Clementine’s mind whirred wildly as she took everything in. Time seemed to slow down, and with every passing heartbeat she felt herself grow calmer. Sure, it had certainly been a shock to have a ghost poof into existence and then touch her (and how embarrassing was that reaction?) but already she was adjusting to the idea. Her curiosity was only growing. What else might this ghost be willing to share with her? Not much, from the look on her face. She was obviously none too pleased at Clementine’s shriek, which had echoed through the tunnels harshly, and her tail lashed in anger. At Roots’ reassurances, Clementine took a deep, shaky breath in an attempt to continue playing the damsel in distress. That should hopefully endear the ghost to her as it had done with Roots. “I’m okay,” the calico said, letting her voice waver just a bit. “Just… surprised me, that’s all. One minute I couldn’t see anything, and then suddenly she was right there!” Clementine exhaled in a breathy laugh. She turned back to the ghost, taking in the oddly transparent fur that was still… there. Would she be able to run right through her, if she really tried? Clementine tucked the thought away for later. That might be a fun, dramatic exit to make once she’d gotten tired of poking around in the tunnels. But for now… “Sunchaser, right? I’m so sorry, I’m not used to being in a tunnel and you took me off guard. I didn’t know ghosts were… were real!” She tried to fill her voice with awe, to sound almost reverent. It wasn't too difficult. “To have been here for so long… What is that like? What sort of things have you seen? Are you able to leave?”
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Post by Solaris on Oct 11, 2022 23:19:54 GMT
River 9, 2021 | @kaeldra“That’s how I felt when I first saw Sunchaser and… Sunchaser,” said Roots, casting a secret glance at Fieldflight. Their ears were upright, listening intently to the conversation. “Sunchaser, do you remember what it was like when you first met me?”
Sunchaser snorted loudly. “Screaming your head off, that’s what happened. You’re lucky you didn’t wake your family up.”
It flushed, embarrassed by the recollection of that memory. But hopefully, it brought some comfort to Clemenntine. It was certain that the revelation of Sunchaser’s existence would be a hard stone to swallow. It was for Roots…. Okay, maybe not. Roots always suspected there was something odd about the tunnels, and it turns out it was right.
“Ghosts are real alright,” said Sunchaser. She clawed at the dirt, then refocused her gaze on Clementine, leaning close to her face. “Listen, I don’t have all day. I’m sure Roots has something they need to be doing as well.”
Roots’s ears pinned back at the pointed comment. No need for the callout!
“And I can’t spend the day answering your questions about ghosts. So tell me, who is it that you lost in these tunnels? What does she look like? Make this easy,” Sunchaser snapped.
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Post by Kaeldra on Nov 9, 2022 3:16:04 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons Why did they say Sunchaser’s name twice? Clementine’s eyes narrowed for half a second, watching Roots closely, then she shrugged it off. If someone else wanted to suddenly appear in front of her, they wouldn’t get the satisfaction of scaring her a second time. It was mildly vindicating to know that Roots had reacted just the same when it had first met the ghost, and Clementine grinned at the brown tabby. While it was still odd to know there were ghosts, that they weren’t just made up stories to keep kits in line (okay, a lot of them probably still werem but this one sure wasn’t) she could see the humour in it all and at the very least, it wasn’t boring. Unfortunately, the ghost called Sunchaser seemed to be in no mood for Clementine’s curiosity and brushed off her questions with a no-nonsense retort. The calico sighed. Maybe if she played along and was nice enough she could get the stuffy she-cat to change her mind. She shook her head as if to clear it, getting back into the headspace of a distraught mate. “Right, you’re right. We have to find Miku as soon as we can, I don’t know what I’ll do if she’s hurt…!” Clementine cried, letting her voice ratchet up a couple steps. If she didn’t seem concerned enough, there was the chance they’d find out it was all a ruse and she guessed she’d be kicked out of the tunnels faster than she could say “mouse”. “She’s a bit smaller than me, with short blue-grey fur,” Clementine said, going over the same details she had given Roots when they first collided. “Her eyes are a gorgeous green, and she’s got the loveliest whiskers you’ve ever seen–” Okay, maybe she was laying it on a little thick. But that was half the fun!
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Post by Solaris on Nov 13, 2022 3:22:06 GMT
River 9, 2021 | @kaeldra Rolling her eyes, Sunchaser muttered, “Alright! We get it! You’re over the moon for her! Next, are you going to tell me length of each of her claws? Which toe is the shortest one?”
Fieldflight warned her with a tap of a shoulder. Miraculously, Sunchaser backed down from throwing an accusatory glance at Clementine, loosing a sigh as she did. Roots blinked, surprised. They’d expected more resistance from her…
“So… do you know anyone who fell down these tunnels that match her description?” Roots chimed in, carefully testing out each word as if it were pawing at dirt. Sunchaser was quiet, though the creasing wrinkles on her nose and her forehead said otherwise. When it was convinced that she wouldn’t respond, Sunchaser’s voice echoed down the passageway.
“No, not recently. During this quarter moon, no cats fell down the tunnels,” said Sunchaser. She shook her head firmly again. “When bodies fall, we feel the echo of their cries and the reverberation of the impact. Usually they end up dead, but sometimes we find them alive and lead them to the exit. I don’t particularly like having visitors.”
“Sunchaser,” Roots nervously chuckled, teeth grated together. They offered a sympathetic at Clementine. “You’re not being very helpful right now.”
She opened her maw, no doubt about to let out a nasty slew of words, but she promptly closed it and drew in a breath. She turned to Clementine instead. “So, when exactly did Miku go missing? Maybe she was one of the cats we rescued, and now she’s out on the moor… or wherever else you young’uns go to now. We’ve seen a lot of cats, and I’m not good at remembering faces.”
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Post by Kaeldra on Nov 15, 2022 2:25:45 GMT
Clementine || she/her || 25 moons Clementine had to fight back a giggle as Sunchaser cut her off, exasperation clear on her face. A bit too much, indeed. Even so, the golden she-cat seemed to rein in her distaste for the conversation at hand, and instead let out a gusty sigh. Unsurprisingly, she hadn’t seen anyone matching Miku’s description. Clementine had gotten lucky enough that they believed her this far; it would be downright incredible if there was another cat lost in the tunnels to back up her story. She wasn’t too bothered. She could just say that she’d been mistaken. “It was earlier today,” she told the ancient cat, letting her voice tremble just a bit. “We were napping in the sunshine, when suddenly a fox appeared! We must have both run in different directions because next thing I knew she was gone.” Clementine glanced down at her paws somberly. “Could we take a look around anyway? Just in case?” She stepped forward, looking down the tunnel behind the stern she-cat knowing the answer would likely be no. Could Sunchaser even stop her, if she wanted to? Or would her ghostly claws pass right through Clementine? Only one way to find out.
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