Stars V.2 • Catvent 2021

[mal du pays]

Day 4
Username: Kris Dreemurr
Clan link: Here
Prompt:
For part of the Veil, it's easy; having been blessed by some form of god magic, their main pond seems to never freeze over. Part of Triptych wonders if Eyeris is just placating them in order to ensure he has some form of entertainment (which seems a little ridiculous - he already has the Foundation..).
For the other part, part of their blessing is that a good chunk of the L Corp subgroup.. aren't cats. Being abnormal creatures, they don't need the same things most living creatures do to survive - seeming to never need to consume anything. It's a little weird...
Garion doesn't seem to mind it, though - it expends less resources that the actual cats need to survive. For their water, they simply waltz on over to the pond in the Veil camp - they are technically part of the group, after all.

[Shiver Hohojiro]

Day 4
Username: All Along Watchtower
Clan link: Clan of the Sea Breeze
Prompt:

"I don't know what you're talking about," Heatherstar admits, blinking. "I mean, it gets cold enough to snow, sure, but I don't think we're anywhere close to the point where the ocean could freeze."

"They're asking about drinking water," Ternfeather groans, rubbing his eyes with both paws. Heatherstar blinks.

"Oh. But still! The stream that runs down from the mountain is fast enough that it's not about to freeze immediately, especially since we're like... cold enough for snow, but not that that cold. You can still take a moss ball to the stream, soak it, and bring it back to those who can't leave camp. Or like, break some of the ice since it's not very thick, carry that back in moss, it's water again by the time you reach camp."

"There's still a risk it may freeze," Ternfeather interjects, "but it's not a possibility we're worried about yet. The ice will likely remain very easily breakable, so accessing water should remain easy. Worst comes to worst, the bay is less salty than the ocean, so it's likely still drinkable."

"Plus there's streams in the volcano," Heatherstar adds. Ternfeather gives him a look. "...What?"

"Firstly, how many cats like going in the volcano? Secondly..."

---

About five feet away, Haywing watches. They turn to the camera. "No one tell them what snow is made of."

[0Zero0]

Day 4
Username: 0Zero0
Clan link: Tailless Comet
Prompt:

Due to feeling ill, this one will be short.

As stated in many of the Tailless Comet tales, the cats are like moles. Digging endlessly at the peak of there mountain to provide space for the clan, the clan's entertainment, medical supplies, places for the wounded or ill, food storage, and so on. The caves connect to an underground lake that holds fresh water even during the winter moons. This place is not only treasured, but maintained by the dragon tails, cats who clean and build.

[Hush]

Day 4
Username: Hush
Clan link:X
Prompt:
In The Clan of Roaring Silence the pond at the base of the waterfall rarely freezes and that is only when the waterfall stops in extremely harsh weather. It is seen as a bad omen for this reason since they rely on the advantage they get from being use to it while other cats are not. Apprentices are tasked with keeping the middle in frozen by dropping rocks from the cliff above. It’s a task that takes all year to prepare so they don’t run out, having to dive to pull them out from the bottom of the pond and work together since they’re usually heavy.

[/nyx.]

Day #
Username: /nyx.
Clan link: Lé'echékyo
Prompt:

drip. drip. drip

crystal fluid falls from the seams, falls into the lazy rivulet below.

drip.

their only water source — it's dirty. diluted with detritus and... other stuff. difiled, dirty stuff.

the traveller grimaces — ducks down, takes a sip of the water regardless. they've drunk worse. and they're... really thirsty.

it tastes foul.

the wardens should clear the liquid more often, but what's the point when someone else will soil it within the next loop?

and it's not like the rivulet, however tainted, poses any risk to lé'echékyo's health...

drip.

enough about water quality.

drip.

they're not an overseer.

drip.

it's time... to. move. on.

..........drip.

[miraphoenix]

Day 4
Username: miraphoenix
Clan link: The Timelost
Prompt:

After two nights and a day that lasted an age, the blizzard lifted, revealing a world iced over and buried under a thick blanket of snow. Thankfully, the exit from the cave in which the Timelost sheltered was still clear due to wind action, and as the cats peered out into the frozen world, they had to squint their eyes against the brightness of the sunlight shining off the snow.

Thymeskip pursed their lips, before ducking back into the warmth of the makeshift clan den.

“We need water,” they murmured, looking over at Sharkskin with a worried look. The second nodded, sharing her mate’s concern; with how fierce the blizzard had howled, there was no way the river near the cave had open water. Eating enough snow to hydrate a cat could be fatal, especially for the kits; what were they to do?

A low croak drew their attention.

Both Thymeskip and Sharkskin looked over their shoulders to see Sunshore standing with Zahrek, the latter hunched awkwardly with the low ceilings of the cave.

“I think we might be able to help with that…!” Sunshore hinted with a smile, before padding out to the river, their enormous pterosaur companion following behind. Thymeskip looked after them, shrugged, and followed after, with Sharkskin at their heels.
Standing at the river’s edge, Zahrek fluffed up their feathers, looking down at the frozen water; behind them, the cats assembled, kept safely back by Sunshore. With no further ado, they brought their massive beak crashing down into the ice.

At the strike, the ice shattered, sending a spray of frigid water and ice fragments skyward, a frozen torrent unleashed from the captured river. Zahrek stood back up to their full height, swallowing a welcome gulp of the water, looking very proud of themself.

“…Well. I guess that’s sorted!”

[303 words]

[Archaeopteryx.]

Day 4
Username: MutatedCry
Clan link: Clan of Eternal Sun
Prompt:

Where the wind was comforting during the day, one's only hope against the oppressive heat of midday, it was harsh and unforgiving during the night, digging past the defense of one's fur to claw at one's skin, cold and painful and numbing. Though many knew the desert's day brought inescapable heat, many did not know the other side of the coin— a cold so absolute it rivaled the far north.

But still. Firewalker was warm. Toasty, even, as the same curse blessing (it wasn't a curse, they had to stop thinking that way) that made them sneeze sparks made it so that they were never cold, the warmth of a fire coursing through their veins. The same couldn't be said for their companion, of course, but Prairiemist acted like the cold didn't even exist, bounding through the chaparral like it was an ordinary sunny day, and not the middle of the night. The moonlight glistened silver on her normally pale golden fur. The darkness pressed in from all sides and Firewalker shivered, hurrying to Prairiemist's side.

"I think we should turn back."

Green eyes met gold and Prairiemist huffed. "C'mon Fire. It's just to the stream, then we'll turn back."

"But what if there's a coyote? Or a mountain lion? Or a bear—"

"Mountain lions and bears live further up in the mountains, silly." Firewalker watched as Prairiemist gracefully leapt on top of a rock, muscles rippling under her pelt. "And I'm sure you could take a coyote on."

"I don't think I—"

"Can a coyote breathe fire? No? Thought so. You'd have an advantage."

Ignoring Firewalker's protesting squawk, Prairiemist picked her way down the rocky embankment to where the stream lay, nestled in a small copse of trees, running cold in a spot where the sands above concealed it from view until you were already falling into it. During the spring it flooded, which brought along its own set of problems, but for now it lay still and quiet, moonlight glimmering white against the black waters.

Too still, actually.

Prairiemist sighed, rising up onto her hind legs. She drove her forepaws into the ice, hearing it crack and splinter satisfyingly even as the biting chill of the waters below swept over her paws. She shivered, yanking her paws out of the cold stream and shaking the water off. The hole was still too small to drink from, but the warmth of her Clanmate next to her stopped her.

Firewalker hesitantly pressed a paw against the ice, and Prairiemist watched with wide eyes as the ice instantly began to melt, steam rising from her Clanmate's touch. "You know, if you had just waited until morning, we wouldn't have to break the ice at all." They said, eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Oh, shut up!"

[NaCl]

Day 4
Username: NaCl
Clan link: Celestial Clan
Prompt:

due to Celestial Clan being coastal, they don't get a lot of snow, or even have thick layers of ice over many of their fresh sources of water. So lacking in water isn't a conventional issue for them. Usually they'll break through the thin layer of ice on top and drink the water as normal, it may be a little cold but they need water.
Though there are some times where a thick blanket of snow covers their island, and all their water sources freeze over. In these worst case scenarios, Celestial Clan cats have been known to eat snow. Typically, a part of the camp would be designated for this specific purpose when the snow piles high, and Nebulas have to keep Stars from playing in it. It's tough, but Celestial Clan makes do.
[135 words]

[I Like Bees]

Day 4
Username: I Like Bees
Clan link: The Travelers
Prompt:

The cold sure can be unforgiving, freezing nearly any body of water. How do your cats get safe drinking water in an environment that literally snatches that very necessity away?


Freckle knows how to start fires.

It's not an easy process, and, while Freckle has taught everyone else how to start one as well, most of the group finds it beyond frustrating due to how long it takes. Freckle is exceptionally patient, though, and is willing to sit around for hours trying to drop certain rocks the proper way, until eventually, they make a spark.

Due to how long it takes, how difficult the fire is to safely manage, and the general suspicion most cats have towards the flames (with the notable exception of Sun Skip), the Travelers don't make use of fire very often. However, it is the perfect way to melt down snow into drinkable water during freezing weather.

[ 121 words ]

[nindroidzane]

Day 4
Username: nindroidzane
Clan link: FrostClan
Prompt:

Normally, the rivers and large lake surrounding the Clan, while still freezing cold, aren't completely iced over. However, there have been a few times where the territory's temperature has dropped even lower than usual, freezing everything and rendering the cats' water sources unusable.

Once, a few cats trekked to the very edge of the territory, to the endless plane of loud, crashing water that seemed to make up the rest of the world beyond them. It never seemed to freeze over - at least not completely - so they were hopeful it would be a viable source of water, despite how far it was from camp. It would have been very useful in emergencies.

Unfortunately, it just tasted horribly salty and made everyone who'd sampled it sick.

But, fortunately, the scouts (by which I mean only Spiderbite) figured out how to just... remove the ice that blocked their lake and rivers. The idea was to stand at the very edge of the water (carefully) and kick back on the ice with your back legs until it cracks enough to remove. And then voila - the water is freed. And extremely cold, but that's just how it always is.

Ice breaking is supposedly a scout duty, although right now it's more of a 'Spiderbite duty', since she's the only one willing to do it. Most of the other scouts are afraid the water's "too cold" and if they fall in they'll "freeze to death", but they'll probably come around. And by the looks of it, Stoatpaw's already a natural! Perhaps there is hope for the next generation.

[ 265 words ]