≾ 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙙 ︵☼︵

[Wolvine]

◤________ EXX AXX RXX L________◥

_______stray || warrior
_______the group || fidget
_______junkyard || thunderpath
_______anxious || healthy

◣___________________________________◢

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Sunlight creaked its way through the haphazardly assembled mound of cardboard and metal, turning the cans and discarded tin from battered red and dirty brown back, just for a moment, to their original shining glory. The sunlight however, did nothing to heal the scarred and scabby pelt that jutted out between pieces of the debris. The makeshift shelter began to fall apart as said scarred and scabby pelt shifted, pushing the greedy bits of metal away from her sunlight. A back leg emerged, stretching until toes separated, then the body shifted more fully, shaking the last flap of cardboard off Earl's face. She lay contentedly for a moment in the sun, taking her time waking up. Such a luxury was unusual; usually, Earl found herself being woken by yowling cats or shrieking twolegs rather than a nice patch of warmth. Even when such noises weren't directed at her, it was better to be alert as soon as possible. Today however, she had time, and most importantly, safety. Sleeping in the junkyard hadn't been many cats' first choice, but she had decided that the security of others gathering there, with no chance of her being left behind, was worth a slightly uncomfortable night.

She pulled herself to her paws, stretching the rest of her limbs and spine, eyes sliding shut and involuntarily purring just a touch as her head pointed up towards the sky. Today was going to be glorious. She felt it deep in her chest, that sharp pulsing certainty that this was what she was supposed to be doing, sending jolts of energy throughout her body. Her destiny. In truth, she didn't know much about what exactly the plan was for this group of cats, but the specifics didn't matter. Something was calling to her, telling her to come find it, to be part of it. This was right. She knew it as surely as she knew her own name.

It was still early, Earl noted. Not many of the other cats had assembled yet. Time enough for her to find something to eat, she decided. She busied herself sniffing around for breakfast, eventually landing, quite literally, on a rat, which she ate with little gusto in the sun. Not her preferred kill, but pickings were slim in a place like this. The prey tasted rancid, despite the flesh being the right colour and smell, tasting like the thick heavy air of this place. Nothing for it, she supposed. Soon enough, she'd be leaving it all behind, onto better things. As she ate, the rest of the group assembled around her. She twitched her whiskers pleasantly at them; she didn't know many of them by name, but she'd seen almost all of them around, like the ginger-white she-cat who seemed to be leading the throng.

Languidly, Earl got back onto her paws once again, and sauntered over to the group, nodding easily at any cat she made eye contact with. It was strange to be in such a large group, especially one that was nominally friendly, but she was sure she'd get used to it eventually. For know though, despite her seemingly relaxed posture, she stayed alert, making sure to look at anyone who came her way, disguising her uncertainty with a sweeping tail and a friendly ear flick. When they began to move, she made sure to stay comfortably in the centre, rather than risk being an exposed extremity.

Things seemed to be going smoothly enough, until they reached their first obstacle, one which Earl hadn't even considered would be an issue.

The flat black snake stretched across as far as the eye could see, monsters charging up and down its length, seemingly blind to the assembled cats hesitating at its side. Earl's whiskers twitched in amusement this time, and she made her way towards the front, forsaking her nervousness for the sake of being helpful. Before she was able to offer her expertise however, a young, soft looking thing charged ahead, rambling a million meows a second. She stopped dead at the thunderpath, her train of thought seemingly cut short as she stared in silence at it. It didn't last though, with the young cat instantly offering to scout ahead. That made Earl give a laugh.

"Easy there short stuff. You seem real eager for a cat who's never seen one of these before," Earl gestured with her tail at the thunderpath, as a particularly loud monster hurtled down it, drowning out anything but its own awful howl for the few seconds it took to steak past. "Let me offer some advice on how to cross this first problem at least, before you go off dashing into the unknown."

[b l u r r yg h o s t]

garlic
bio // past kitty pet // five moons // they/them // interacting with: dawn + fidget + the first group to cross

Mismatched eyes follow the spiraling paths of dust motes with idle curiosity. Dawn rises beyond the Twoleg place – what had once been their home – and spills golden light upon a cluster of traveling cats. These subtle patterns hold Garlic’s attention for only a few moments before those eyes swivel away, tiny body bounding up to close the gap between their traveling companions. Happy to leave their old life behind, excited to see what lies beyond this life, they travel with a bounce in their step. Often, they’ve stopped moving to analyze whatever catches their attention. Maybe dancing dust could captivate them as housepet, but now their life is shaping up to be entirely different.

And this is marked by the traveling coming to a momentary halt. Curious, Garlic weaves their way to the front of the crowd. The Thunderpath stretches on in front of them, and Garlic feels an unfamiliar sensation yawning in their stomach. They stop in their tracks, pink nose twitching. The arid scent is sharp and they part their jaws to receive all the information. Cars hurtle past them, ignorant or uncaring, and Garlic watches them.

Already, the promise of new discoveries on the other side dwarves their fear of the path. Bright and eager, Garlic settles in with the group getting ready to cross first. They watch Dawn closely through narrowed eyes, lining up with the group. They hold questions behind their tongue, molding into steady stillness. Waiting. Garlic’s ear twitches, but they remain poised. They’ve crossed little streets like this in their home

Despite the fear lifting their fur along their spine, the white cat moves with the group with a slight delay. Their little kitten legs move as fast as they can, lagging behind the adults. They suck air quickly into their lungs, hurtling faster than they’ve ever moved before.

Until the autumn-chilled grass greets his paws again. Garlic flops over, purring loudly in elated triumph. ‘I did it!’ Their thoughts ring proudly, regaining breath and smoothing out their ruffled fur. Hearing Dawn’s suggestion, they bounce right back up on their feet.

“I’ll go!” They mew, almost in unison with Fidget. They give the she-cat a glance before stepping forward. Garlic’s age – the youngest in the group – is something Garlic does not even consider. All they know is that they want to keep moving, scared that if they sit still for too long they might regret their decision. Garlic is aware of the threat of danger, but their lack of experience keeps them from worrying about it. They turn to face the untraveled direction, sniffing at the strange and undiscovered scents.

[nio]

★ jingo ★
profile ▶ ex-kittypet ▶ 48 moons ▶ they/them
iw: everyone at the thunderpath, garlic, earl, fidget
m: amadeus, hydrangea
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The sound of Jingo's food pellets tumbling into their bowl woke the young cat. The harsh clanging noise pierced the bubble of their dream; chasing fluffed up rabbits through a wide, open field. Olive eyes blinked open drowsily. Oh. Morning already? Jingo had come home late last night. Exhaustion weighed down their limbs. Maybe jumping around the Twolegplace nests all night wasn't the smartest idea when the morning ahead held such an important event. It was the day. The day the black cat had been waiting for.

The past moon had held meeting with kittypets and strays alike, up and down the alleys of Twolegplace. Whispers of a group of cats freeing themselves from the restraints of Twoleg dens and making themselves a better life spread like wildfire through the streets. A couple of fellow housecats that Jingo knew were planning to go, but they themself knew immediately that it was their destiny.

Always the adventurer, Jingo spent more of their time out in town than in their housefolk's den. Sure, they loved their housefolk, and looked after them the way they did for Jingo. However, the call to the wild, the freedom, had always lay deep inside Jingo's heart. For as long as they could remember they craved more. The journey to greater lands was everything Jingo has ever wanted.

Sure, the thought of sleeping in dirt and eating mouse bones wasn't that appealing to the young cat. They'd grown up with soft, warm nests and an array of delicious foods from their Housefolk. But the pros outweighed the cons. They'd get used to the ways of wild cat living. Soon the thought of eating housefolk food would be unappetizing. Or so they hoped. It would be embarrassing to have to admit they missed the slop, amongst the other wild cats and strays who were used to fresh mice and squirrels.

Jingo's housecat friends, namely Garlic, Amadeus and Hydrangea, were among the cats that had signed up to go. Jingo was glad to be making such a life-changing journey with familiar pelts. They knew they'd make plenty more friends along the way. The drive to meet new faces and learn other cats' stories was strong within the black cat. They loved nothing more than lying in a twoleg's garden with a bunch of kittypets, sharing tongues and stories into the night.

A yawn escaped Jingo's mouth as they got up and stretched. Sun was shining through the window. They'd better set off. Padding over to the bowl of pellets, Jingo quickly crunched them up. Better have a good meal so they have plenty of energy later. Jingo's housefolk stood a tail length away, watching them eat. Olive eyes blinked slowly up at them. Jingo hoped that conveyed the many years of thanks and love they had for their housefolk. It was sad to leave them. But it was Jingo's destiny. They couldn't ignore that. Besides, the housefolk would get another cat soon enough, right?

Jingo waved their long black tail in a final goodbye as they slipped through the cat door and stepped into the warm morning sunlight. It was going to be a good day.

The lithe black cat launched off their housefolk's garden fence and made their way to the arranged meeting spot. They jumped over fences upon fences, carefully avoiding the den's they knew were home to dogs. The scent of the junkyard was strong, easy to find. Jingo squinted into the distance and saw a pawful of cats already gathered. They weren't late, phew.

Their tail waves in greeting as they trotted up to the group. Cats were already chatting and arranging scouting parties. A couple cats were looking nervous and out of place. Jingo felt a touch of sympathy. They wished they could share their confidence around. The scent of the thunderpath was overpowering. Jingo was going to have to use their sight to spot any familiar faces, rather than sniffing their friends out.

Jingo recognized a couple of faces they'd seen once or twice around the Twolegplace. After a few moments, they spotted Garlic. Garlic was a young friend of their's, from a housefolk den around the corner from their own. Or, what would have been their's. It wasn't any longer. They'd left it for the last time. A twinge of sadness and longing pricked at Jingo's heart. They shook themself, willing the feeling away. No more of that.

The black cat approached Garlic and meowed a hello. They appeared to be joining one of the scouting patrols. Jingo wasn't sure they wanted to join in. A couple of the cats were staring apprehensively at the thunderpath. Maybe they needed Jingo's help crossing? They had crossed many, many thunderpaths in their lifetime. It was second nature to them now. They might as well put their skills to use.

They weaved through the different coloured pelts to the edge of the thunderpath. A ragged looking she-cat was standing at the edge. She was meowing something to another cat. Jingo sat down to listen, eager to extend a helping paw if any cat needed it.

[A m n e s i a]

➳ 𝓒𝓸𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓮
xxxxFemale/23 moons/Bisexual, Female lean
xxxxCurrent Rank; Stray
xxxxNo Crush(To be Dawn)/No Mate
xxxxtags 》The group

The long-furred molly let out a tiny groan when she was rudely woken up by the warmth across her face, her eyes slowly opened to realize the said warmth was due to the sunlight that her box hadn't sheltered her from. Her body was practically screaming at her to shift around and fall asleep for a little while longer but her mind knew that wasn't an option Todays the day her thoughts began If I don't show up on time they'll leave with out me, I probably wont have a chance to leave like this again

Finally making up her mind, Coraline lifted herself up and slid out of the box. She was quick to take a moment to groom herself, her housefolk had always made sure she looked her best and she's subconsciously continued to take her appearance seriously ever since.

Once she decided her appearance was acceptable, she stood up from her spot and began trotting towards the junkyard while purposely avoiding any thunderpaths when she could. She would never go there herself as the place gave her chills and she was fearful of the rats that roamed amongst the twoleg trash. She recalled overhearing a horror story of a cat getting ganged up by a swarm of the rodents and standing no chance against them.

She shook her head and mumbled "Hopefully we won't have to stand in the junkyard for too long.." before she knew it, she was a few paw steps away from the place and she forced herself to not gag at the stench that entered her nose Glad I only have to come here this one time Once she entered, her eyes scanned the cats around her and took note of just how many cats were coming along on the journey. She felt herself relax only now realizing how tense she was in the first place and a soft smile graced her face, she felt much safer with the large number of cats.

She followed after the group deciding to stay closer to the middle and watched as the cats before her crossed the thunderpath, most of them seemingly unfazed by the dangers that came with crossing. Her ears turned back and pressed firmly against her head at the sound of a monster roaring past, she had never been able to get used to crossing the thunderpath. A part of her recalled being in the belly of the monsters from time to time with her former twolegs and she shivered at the thought, she'd rather cross then go back into one ever again. Eventually, it was her turn to cross and she crouched down besides the thunderpath. "No turning back now" she muttered as she was filled with determination. She couldn't just turn back and deal with her life in the city, she was ready to find the lifestyle destined for her.
___________

➳ 𝓓𝓾𝓼𝓽𝔂
xxxxMale/34 moons/Pansexual
xxxxCurrent Rank; Stray
xxxxNo Crush/No Mate
xxxxtags 》Group, M; Dawn

Dusty has been wide awake within the border of the junkyard for a while now, he was munching on a rat that some poor soul hadn't kept a better watch of and he had been eager to take it for himself. His ears perked at the sound of gathering cats and he remembered today was when the group was leaving.

A small grin slowly made it's way onto his face before he stood up and joined the group, leaving only the bones of his meal behind him. He decided to try and stay hidden amongst the group of cats, He was joining to escape his constant growing list of enemies but he wanted to play it safe until he was certain none of his enemies were tagging along as well. The large-eared tom never could exactly memorize his enemies appearances but they sure did remember his I guess I can't help how memorable I am he thought and chuckled to himself.

As the group started to move, Dusty began to get closer towards the front and he was amongst the first group that had to cross. He's grown used to the smell of the thunderpath to the point it's odor didn't do anything to affect him but he did slightly flinch at the sound of a monster, his ears were still sensitive to the sound. He shook his head and crouched down, bunching up his muscles as he prepared to cross. Once a monster passed by, he launched himself forward and was quick to find himself on the other side with the other cats who already crossed. His gaze glanced back at the cats who had yet to cross and could tell some seemed hesitant.

His attention was dragged towards a orange and white she-cat whose name he'd never bothered to remember despite seeing her around a few times, He heard her trying to create a group to scout ahead but he made no move to offer his assistance The others can deal with it he thought lazily as he heard a cat or two volunteer.
___________

➳ 𝓟𝓲𝔁𝓮𝓵
xxxxNon-binary(they/them)/13 moons/Panromantic Demisexual
xxxxCurrent Rank; Ex-Kittypet
xxxxNo Crush
xxxxtags 》Group, M; Jingo

The curly furred cat awoke with a start, hearing the barks of their twolegs dog and they let out a hiss in annoyance. Their housefolk have already left the apartment which meant the dog was probably barking at some stray or maybe a bird I'm glad to be leaving this place they thought bitterly and stood up from their spot.

They made no attempt to try and fix their wild pelt, their fur curled and tufts stuck out everywhere especially around their ears. Their gaze glanced down at their collar and they placed their front paws underneath it, they let out a soft huff as they attempted to push it over their head but it didn't seem to work. They fell back down and attempted to use their back legs to help but it still wouldn't budge. A disappointed sigh escaped Pixels mouth I'll just worry about it later they decided, they hopped up onto a windowsill and glanced back at the apartment one last time. Their mind wandered back to the old days and a rare smile made its way onto their face, only for the moment to be ruined as the dog started to bark again.

"You won't be missed" They spoke to the dog despite being well aware the dog wasn't able to understand them and slipped out of a barely open window. The apartment was on a low level of the building so they were able to leap down onto the ground without the worry of getting injured. They landed without any difficulty and followed their nose to the junkyard, its stench was quite easy to remember as they'd wandered there the night prior so they wouldn't get lost.

They had gotten there a bit later then most as the group was already beginning to set out and they had to run to catch up to the group. They paused next to the thunderpath, noting the black cat besides them but didn't have any interest in speaking as they stared across to the other side. They've never crossed the path before, they were usually in a box of sorts being carried or in the monster themselves whenever they had the chance to get out of the apartment.

They noticed how most of the cats would crouch down before crossing and so they decided to do the same I have to time this. Even if I time it perfectly, Too slow and I risk a fast moving monster running me over they thought and shifted their weight from side to side while they tried to figure out what to do without help Should I go right after a monster passes? but what if theres another one right behind it? "Hmmm" the noise slipped out of their mouth unintentionally.

[ℛσуαℓ ♕]

✴ 𝐓 𝐇 𝐎 𝐑 𝐍 X──────
age. 42 moons gender. tom cat rank. rankless who. mentions goose & minuet what. crossing thunderpaths where. junkyard wc. x
────────────────────────────────

Thorn had watched over the course of the morning as cats of all sizes & different-colored pelts wandered into the junkyard. Normally, cats avoided the place because it was full of rats & garbage & the choking fumes of monsters that could make a kit go blind. The rats & garbage bred disease, & the sharp, twisted bones of monsters could cut soft paws & snag fur.

But for cats desperate enough, it was home. Thorn wouldn’t admit to being desperate but his appearance & current residence certainly suggested it. The tom was solid white in color but his pelt was dirty & matted, clumps of fur half-hanging out from where claws had raked it over. His normally piercing yellow eyes were dull, his ribs showed, & his voice was raspy & guttural with hairballs.

Thorn sheltered at the top of a small mountain of monster skeletons piled atop each other in a corner of the junkyard. From his elevated perch within the monster, he had a good view of the cats below where he could observe them without being seen while he attempted to enjoy his breakfast.

Hunger clawed at Thorn’s belly, distracting him, & its growl of protest sounded awfully loud to his ears. A pale pink tongue swept over his muzzle in anticipation for a meal he’d caught earlier. Unfortunately, it was rat. The filthy creatures were over-abundant here & practically ran over a cat’s tail & paws when he wasn’t watching. But Thorn was always watching because he knew rats could swarm a cat & kill it if there were enough.

He used to worry the poor diet or vermin & rotting scraps would make him sick but Thorn had a stomach of steel by this point & caught what he could in order to survive.

Thorn made short work of the rat, it’s tainted flesh being swallowed with minimal chewing, but by the time he was finished, the group of cats had grown larger. Thorn was surprised at how many had shown up. He’d heard the gossip like any other cat but had also heard all the doomsayers that insisted leaving twoleg place was a death sentence.

The white tom left his bones where they were, uncaring of the state of his former abode. Soon enough he would be rid of this place. Doomed or not, Thorn would let this journey decide his fate rather than waste the rest of his life in the city.

He’d just climbed carefully down from the small mountain of monsters when he glanced at the group again & stopped dead in the shadows.

His claws unsheathed & scored the hard-packed, greasy dirt of the junkyard. Headed to the fore of the group was a cat Thorn had seen before & could never mistake for another. Could it really be or was Thorn seeing a ghost?

A fierce predatory gleam entered his eyes, making them shine but a hint of fear also widened them. The cat was confirmed as Goose when Thorn saw the ginger-and-white cat’s mask-like markings. Unsure of what to do, Thorn watched as the living ghost from his past moved at a strange pace to make the first crossing of the thunderpaths.

The white tom edged closer, hiding among the throng as best he could when cats naturally edged away from his state of neglect & the look in his eyes. Now he had a perfect view of Goose as he crossed behind the others, almost slower than a couple of cats not much larger than kits (garlic, fidget).

Thorn suppressed his natural reaction when he saw why. Goose’s leg was damaged & awkward, bearing the burns of a fire Thorn could almost still feel the heat of in his memory.

So Goose was permanently injured, but very much alive. This was going to present a problem for the white tom.

Thorn sheathed his claws & sat down to wash absently, as if he wasn’t terribly interested in Goose’s movements. He only stopped when his view was blocked by another cat. Thorn focused on the cat & his eyes widened again at a gorgeously marked pelt he’d never seen before.

The cat was a she, and a beautiful one at that with sharp-looking ice blue eyes. Unable to stop himself, Thorn wiggled his whiskers & rasped out a snicker. “Won’t your twolegs just lose it if such a prized kittypet went missing?”

[ColonelHamster]

ＡＳＨＥＲ
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
✦ age: 7 moons ✦ gender: male ✦ rank: kittypet ✦ tags: Maisie

In the early morning hours before the sun rose, a young grey tom paced the downstairs of the place he had called home his whole life. Though still considered young, he had already reached his mother’s height. He only lacked in bulk, but that would come over time as he filled out. The reason this particular young tom was awake and pacing, and often glancing out the window was because he was waiting, rather impatiently at that. He’d been up for a good two hours now. Asher hadn't been able to go back to sleep after dreaming of leaving.

Asher paused at his food dish and sniffed at the dry pieces it held from the evening before. He ate what was left before going back to the window. The food was good enough, but he much more enjoyed the wetter stuff. Though, any food he'd been given by his housefolk had been lacking after he had tasted a small mouse his mother had gotten her claws on. The young tom licked his muzzle remembering the taste. Would he be able to catch his own out there? He hoped he'd learn quickly. Being able to catch his own food would be amazing. Being able to catch whatever he wanted, when he wanted. That would be a the life.

Asher sat at the window gazing out, waiting in anticipation for the time to leave. Asher considered taking another look around? No. He quickly dismissed the idea. He had already made four "final" looks around the house to say goodbye to his home. He didn't need to make one more. Did he? If all went well, he'd never see this place again. Asher remained where he was as ten more minutes passed. Something told him it was time to get a move on. He might get there a bit early, but he didn't want to take the chance of being left behind.

Before he had moved from his spot, the sound of paw steps came from behind him. Turning his head around, Asher glanced behind him to see his mother and sister padding towards him. His bright green eyes studied them for a moment before a smile speared on his face. His mother hadn't taken the news of him leaving very well, but Asher was still happy to see her nevertheless. The young tom leapt down from the window and head bumped them both in greeting, then began to say his goodbyes.

It was another ten minutes before Asher was out the kitty door. He forced himself into a run as he made his way towards the junkyard, tears blurring his vision. Asher sniffed a little trying to keep himself together. This was the right thing to do, and he knew it. This place wasn't his home. Not truly. Before he had the chance to take a final look, Asher was out of sight of the house. He'd miss his mother and sister. He was pleased to have gotten to say goodbye, and to his surprise get both of their blessings on this exciting new adventure. Asher ran with his ears pinned back as monsters roared all around him. He couldn't wait to be rid of this place.

When the junkyard was finally in sight excitement and anticipation rushed through the young gangly tom anew. He'd made it! This far anyway. Asher grinned as he started to see more cats. Some looked pretty rough, but he was sure he'd be able to learn lots from them. As Asher entered the junkyard he weaved in among the cats with wide eyes, watching and listening with a soft purr. He felt nervous, but ready to be off. He only made some small talk, not staying still long enough in one spot for much else.

Asher followed the group of cats as they made their way towards the road. At first he was ready to race across with them, but he hesitated. The strong scent of the road, or thunderpath as some were calling it made the young grey tome grow uneasy. He'd just had a few close calls, and wasn't ready to repeat it. He of course been around such things before, but he also couldn't forget the dangers of it. His mother had so often warned him of it. Asher's green eyes studied the hard surface in front of him as if it were some predator that was going to attack any moment. He felt his heartbeat begin to quicken.

Asher jumped a little hearing a voice from beside him. Glancing up he met the green gaze of the pretty molly, Maisie. Asher smiled warmly at her and nodded his head. He'd gotten to talk with before, and took a liking to her right away. "I- I am kind of scared honestly...." Asher meowed sheepishly. "Just don't tell the others..." Asher added, taking a quick glance at some of the others around. "Maisie... would- would you cross with me? Please. I'd rather not do it alone."

[Wolvine]

◤___ AX MX AX DX E XUX S____◥

_______kittypet || apprentice
_______the group || jingo
_______junkyard || thunderpath
_______excited || healthy

◣___________________________________◢

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Amadeus had barely slept the whole night. He knew he should have, that he had a long journey ahead of him, that he would need every scrap of energy he could possible get, that it was foolish to squander the last night of completely secure sleep he would possibly ever have, but he couldn't help it. Apprehension and excitement had tickled at his nape like fleas, keeping him wide eyed, watching the moon rise and then fall, so unbearably slowly. His tail swished from side to side impatiently. He must have drifted off occasionally, but he couldn't really tell. When sunrise finally came, he didn't feel tired at all. He was on his paws the moment he could see the first little slice of the sun's back, rushing to his twolegs bedroom to demand his pellets. His last ever tasteless, dry pellets! The thought made his yowling and pacing even more boisterous.

His twoleg made a growling noise at him, but he did not relent until it got up and gave him his meal, which he bolted down in seconds. Too quickly perhaps; he felt a little nauseous. But that didn't matter. Today was the day! He wouldn't be trapped on his own for day after day, no cat or twoleg or even dog in sight. He was setting out on an adventure, and better yet, setting out to help found a community! He began to purr without even noticing, his claws flexing into the soft carpeted ground, in and out, in and out. Once the nausea in his stomach settled a little, and his twoleg was busy elsewhere, he started for his usual place of escape; a window in the back room that he'd figured out he could push open. He'd always been careful to wait until his twoleg had left, but it didn't matter today. Oh! It didn't matter! How thrilling!

He squeezed his way out the little gap and bounded away, his teeth chittering together, the running itself not enough outlet for his enthusiasm. He didn't slow down until he made it to the junkyard, and it took all his willpower not to start hopping on the spot. Some attempt at looking dignified would surely be required. He had to think about how others saw him now. His body was quivering a little, but he could barely tell as he looked around at the group of assembled cats. So many of them. He'd never seen so many felines in one place. It felt like there were hundreds, thousands, an uncountable number of them, even though logically he knew there couldn't be more than a couple of dozen. It was beyond thrilling. It was almost overwhelming.

It only occurred to him then that he didn't really know many of these cats. Sure, he'd come across some of them every now and then, and he'd done his best to endear himself to them, but he didn't really have any meaningful connection with most of them. Anything could happen here. His enthusiasm dimmed just a little for the first time as he looked around, his sudden self consciousness stopping him from attempting to interact with anyone. They could get bored of each other and drift apart. They could turn on each other, violence breaking out before they even came close to their destination. They could irritated at him specifically, and drive him out. His little body stopped shaking as he waited, uncertain of how to proceed.

His inertia was mercifully quickly broken by the group beginning to move, before he could begin to seriously doubt himself. Pushing his sudden negativity to the depths of his mind, he followed along, breathing in the scent of strangers who would become... something to him. Friends, he hoped. Perhaps even family. Oh! Oh! The excitement came flooding back instantly at the sunnier prospect. He followed the group along cheerfully, until they came to a dead stop at a flat, rank smelling curve in the ground. Large monsters ran up and down it at ferocious speed, spitting out foul smelling smoke and deafening noise. He hesitated, looking around at the group. Some of the cats didn't seem worried at all; a couple crossed instantly, in fact. He suddenly was aware of how small, how young and sheltered he was.

He looked around anxiously, looking for any who seemed less ignorant than himself, and almost giggled with relief when he spotted a more familiar than others' pelt. "Jingo," he called gently, siding up to her. "Hi. You look a little less worried than I do. Have you come across something like this before?"

[Bronzewing]

✾──────F I D G E T

||She-cat||Past kittypet|| tags: crossing thunderpaths || mentions: Dawn, Earl, Garlic

Maybe she should listen to the older cats- about this murderous path, at least. She had never seen anything just quite like it, and the sight of it greatly startled her. Shaking her head to get her eyes away from the dark, unnatural ground that made up the thunderpath and the horrid beasts running by, she turned to some of the other cats. "Well..." she said, tilting her head to the side, "I really would like to know how to cross the Dangerpath!" she meowed, coming up with a name for it off the top of her head. She was barely able to hold back from rambling on and on about how she picked the name, why it was fitting, all of the stuff she liked to talk about. But really, she liked to talk about anything. "And then I go into the unknown!"

The words from another nearby cat caused her ears to perk up again- it looked like she had another partner for walking into the unknown. Looking over the other cat, she gave them a nod- they seemed like a good exploration partner. Yay for exploration!! Who knew- maybe they would like talking as much as she did.

[ℛσуαℓ ♕]

❧ 𝐌 𝐀 𝐈 𝐒 𝐈 𝐄 X──────
age. 12 moons gender. she-cat rank. rankless who. asher what. crossing thunderpaths where. junkyard wc. 245
────────────────────────────────

Maisie blinked her juniper green eyes & shook out her medium-length coat as if ridding herself of her nerves. “Most cats are smart to be a little scared of these things you know.” She replied, no hint of sarcasm or superiority in her tone. “Thunderpaths are quite dangerous if you’re not careful. So we’ll just be extra careful!” She chirped, trying to help Asher feel better. “But don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” She winked.

Maisie shuffled a little closer to the road & looked in both directions for monsters. She could see a few speeding away but placed a single paw on the warm asphalt. Through her soft pads & the downy fur between them she could feel vibrations in the ground at a thunderous approach. Sure enough, a monster turned a corner & zoomed along the road in front of the junkyard. Maisie jumped back before its wind wake could muss her fur up.

“That’s a little trick my park friends have shown me.” She mewed. “You can feel if monsters are near. But keep a look out! They move very fast.”

A wave of monsters roared on & Maisie looked out in both directions again. “Alright Asher, I think this is our chance! Get ready!”

Maisie followed her own advice & crouched low over her paws, her tail lashing in anticipation. “I’ll give the go.” She grunted determinedly.

“Go!” Maisie allowed her fur to brush Asher’s solid gray pelt and willed him onward at his fastest pace.

[ℛσуαℓ ♕]

✦ 𝐃 𝐀 𝐖 𝐍 X──────
age. 36 moons gender. she-cat rank. rankless who. goose, dusty, fidget, garlic, earl what. scouting ahead where. thunderpath wc. 362
────────────────────────────────

The white-and-ginger she-cat sat down with her tail curled around her paws & gave her chest a quick lick after being buffeted by the winds kicked up by monsters. She surveyed the cats who had already crossed, wondering who might volunteer to scout ahead & caught the glittering copper eye of a tom with markings very similar to hers.

He even had interesting ginger marks on his muzzle & nose like she did. But this cat limped along beside the others on a bad leg that showed burns. Perhaps his leg pained him & that’s why his expression was contemptuous. Dawn swept a red tongue over her muzzle & blinked slowly, concealing her thoughts at the strange eye contact.

Another cinnamon-colored spotted tabby tom with a tall, sinuous build & long face padded by (Dusty) but his gaze hardly swept over Dawn before turning away out of disinterest. Dawn was unruffled by this, ready to scout ahead on her own to keep her peace of mind. Fortunately, two very eager cats piped up at the same time.

Dawn looked down in amusement at a sleek gray she-cat with a dark nose & a small white cat with startling heterochromatic eyes. The white cat was awful young in Dawn’s opinion, & the gray she-cat was practically vibrating with enthusiasm but before she could discourage the two, another older cat laughed out loud her own amusement.

Dawn instantly respected the grizzled older she-cat who had that mature air of sagacity about her a younger cat could trust. “I think you two might do just fine if you listen to what this cat tells you. Good advice is hard to come by.”

It wasn’t the wisest decision to send two inexperienced cats on a scouting mission but Dawn also knew all the cats coming along would have to prove themselves sooner or later. Coddling any cat wouldn’t be helpful when they were relying on their own fangs & claws to survive in the forest.

Dawn rose to her paws, deciding to scout herself in order to lead by example. She didn’t mind responsibility & was quite the self-starter. “Would anyone else care to go ahead?” She mewed her invitation once more & looked around with an expectant expression.