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INVENTORY
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Post by Ginger on Jul 6, 2019 23:23:20 GMT -5
"C'mon Tumble, just come down!" Flash's concerned yet borderline-annoyed voice rose up into the tree that Tumble had gotten stuck in. The black and white tom was never much of a climber nor a hunter, but he had somehow found himself barreling up a tree after a squirrel. Now, he was stuck on a thick branch that was much higher off the ground than he liked, and he didn't even catch the squirrel. "What if I like it up here?" That was a lie, but Tumble always felt the need to diffuse tense situations such as this with some humor. In truth, he was terrified. As a kit, he had fallen out of a tree much lower than this and had gotten seriously hurt. He didn't want that to happen again, but he was no tree expert, so he genuinely had no idea how to safely get down.
Knowing his twin brother would be no help to him in this situation, Tumble instead looked to Ashpaw. Ashpaw was by no means his biological brother, but he was family to Tumble. The stocky tom actually found himself looking up to the younger cat quite a lot: he had lots of cool stories about clan cats, knew lots of cool ways to hunt, and stepped up anytime the trio found themselves needing a leader. Tumble absolutely adored him. "Ashpaw, you wouldn't happen to know any fancy Rockclan maneuvers to help get me out of this tree, would you?"
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Post by Taxx on Jul 7, 2019 13:27:56 GMT -5
Ashpaw wasn't sure how Tumble, of all cats, had managed to find himself stuck in a tree, claws buried in the bark of a branch tail-lengths above his and Flash's heads. His tail was fluffed in his fear, despite the attempt at humor, and Ashpaw was pretty sure he wasn't going to be able to get down on his own. "I turn my back for one heartbeat," he mock-grouched, rearing up to place his front paws on the tree's trunk and peering up at Tumble. "And it's not RockClan, it's StoneClan."He didn't quite understand how Tumble kept getting the name of the Clan mixed up, but at least he did it with all of them, not just StoneClan, and the substitutes he used were honestly amusing sometimes. But- back to the matter at paw, getting the black-and-white tom down from the tree safely. Ashpaw wasn't much better at climbing; he liked having his paws on solid ground. But he couldn't leave Tumble up there. "Hold on, I'm coming." With a bit of a struggle, Ashpaw managed to claw his way up beside Tumble, hauling himself up the tree and knowing he wasn't making it look exactly easy. But he made it, bracing himself on the branch and offering a lick to Tumble's shoulder to try and comfort the other tom. "You'll be all right. I'm going to head back down, okay? Watch me and do what I do."โ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ Ginger |
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| You said my words would kill you but you stood there all the same. |
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STAFF
GaleClan MCA
INVENTORY
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Post by โ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ on Jul 12, 2019 17:32:46 GMT -5
not a yes, sir. not a follower. Flash squinted upwards into the thick branches of the tree. He could barely make out the identical black and white pelt of his brother, who had somehow managed to get himself so high up that the leaves nearly enclosed him. A feeling of helplessness clutched at his chest as he remembered what had happened to Tumble the last time he was in a tree. He bit it back, not wanting his own concern rubbing off on his brother.
"C'mon Tumble, just come down!" He barked, a bit annoyed that Tumble had even gotten himself into this situation. "What if I like it up here?" Tumble purred back, but the fear in the tremble of his voice was apparent. The voice of his brother once again drifted from above when he got no reply. "Ashpaw, you wouldn't happen to know any fancy RockClan maneuvers to help get me out of this tree, would you?" His striking yellow eyes flicked to Ashpaw, who seemed to always know what to do in any situation. "I turn my back for one heartbeat," The grey clan cat grumbled, and Flash honestly agreed with the half-joking quip. He sighed mournfully with great frustration and worry. What am I going to do with him? He thought, shaking his head in resignation.
He watched with thinly veiled apprehension as Ashpaw clawed his way into the branches to rescue his clumsy brother. Flash himself was useless in a tree. He much preferred to race across the ground, and the idea of racing through branches didn't hold as much appeal. He bit back his concern for his brother and sat near the base of the tree, craning his neck upwards. "It's just like walking, Tumble!" He called upwards. "Except... at an angle." i was lightning before the thunder |
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| I will not be like a bird bred in a cage, I thought, too dull to fly even when the door stands open. |
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INVENTORY
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Post by Ginger on Jul 15, 2019 16:41:44 GMT -5
Tumble nervously laughed at Ashpaw as he made his way up the tree, noting that even the more experienced cat was struggling to climb. As soon as Ashpaw reached Tumble's location, the black-and-white loner could not help but press against his friend, feeling a bit better after Ashpaw's reassurance.
Golden eyes widened in slight fear as the loner realized that he was going to have to climb down the tree on his own. Of course, it was pure common sense that Ashpaw would not be able to carry Tumble down the tree, but he had been so used to Wander carrying him and Flash around when a climb was necessary. Wander. Tumble missed her more than he ever would care to admit. Who knew if the trio of toms would ever see their mother and guardian again? The way she had brushed them off before leaving was one of the most painful moments of Tumble's life.
Refocusing, Tumble anxiously looked at Ashpaw, who looked as if he was ready to head down the tree once more. "What if I fall?" he asked, remembering the pain he had suffered from his first fall out of a tree.
At his brother's comment, Tumble looked down the tree, his eyes narrowed. "Flash, I can barely even run without falling over!" Tumble knew his brothers wanted nothing more but to help him, but the poor tom was so scared that he was struggling to think with a clear mind.
Taking a deep breath, Tumble prepared to study Ashpaw's every move going down the tree in the hopes of replicating it.
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Post by Taxx on Jul 24, 2019 21:20:17 GMT -5
The branch he and Tumble were standing on was sturdy enough, and thank StarClan there was very little wind to make it move; for all that he tried to appear calm, Ashpaw wasn't any more pleased at having his paws off the ground. He pulled in a breath, tail waving around to help him keep his balance, flicking toward Flash in a request to keep quiet: Tumble would need all his focus to gather his courage and then to claw his way back down the tree.
Pausing just before he started down himself, Ashpaw blinked at Tumble and then leaned forward, purring to try to calm the black-and-white tom. "You'll be fine," he promised- he'd have to do what he could to keep that promise. He hadn't been around when Tumble had fallen out of a tree in his early moons, but he'd heard plenty about it, and he understood the fear. "I'll go first and you come down behind me. That way, if you slip, I'll catch you. Cling with your claws and you won't fall. And take it as slow as you need to- we can do this for the rest of the day if you need it to."
His safety was the most important thing; Ashpaw wasn't going to rush Tumble. That wouldn't end well, and he wouldn't risk any injury befalling the closest thing he had to a brother. "Nice and easy does it," he added, and then glanced down at Flash. "We're coming down. Keep an eye out, okay?" If he falls, Flash will have to catch him, was what he didn't say aloud, but hoped the lean tom would understand his meaning. Carefully, claws scraping loose scraps of bark, Ashpaw began his descent.
He let himself slip, a few pawsteps at a time before digging his claws in to stop himself, and once he was a tail-length down he lifted his head to meet Tumble's gaze. "Come on now. Do what I did. You'll be fine! We're both here for you."
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| You said my words would kill you but you stood there all the same. |
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STAFF
GaleClan MCA
INVENTORY
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Post by โ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ on Jul 30, 2019 11:09:25 GMT -5
not a yes, sir. not a follower. Clumsy mousebrain... He thought in frustration, backing away a bit as Ashpaw mounted the tree. He wanted to give them space to climb down. It was impossible not to remember Tumble's accident, and the pain of seeing his energetic brother so badly hurt. Even Flash had found it hard to keep a cheerful demeanour whenever he dared to glance at Tumble's injured leg. The tree that loomed over him now was like a phantom from that memory, and now more than ever Flash wished they still had Wander there to give them advice and reassurance.
His tail lashed back and forth as he listened to the muffled sounds of Ashpaw and Tumble's voices, waiting with bated breath until he could see them again. He heard Ashpaw call out to him to watch out, and his eyes drew quickly around the landscape before he glanced back up at Ashpaw and nodded. If something came along, he would definitely smell it, and if Tumble fell, he trusted his speedy paws would be fast enough to catch him. "Don't worry, Tumble!" He called up with more confidence in his voice than he felt. "You'll be fine!"
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| I will not be like a bird bred in a cage, I thought, too dull to fly even when the door stands open. |
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INVENTORY
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Post by Ginger on Aug 4, 2019 12:19:01 GMT -5
As Ashpaw carefully made his way down, Tumble watched carefully, taking note of every location of every step. Of course, as soon as his friend made contact with the ground, Tumble forgot every single step that he had just witnessed. But he couldn't let the two other toms know that.
Putting up an incredible transparent air of confidence, Tumble began to make his way down the tree. The reassurance of both toms really helped him to get started, but once he was moving down, fear started to pulse throughout his black-and-white body. Was the tree shaking? Or was it just Tumble furiously trembling?
Either way, it was getting harder and harder to place eat paw. Harder to stay balanced. Harder and harder until -
Crack!
The bark that Tumble had been putting his weight on snapped off of the tree, causing the large tom to lose his footing and slide down. Freaking out, he clawed harder and harder into the tree, desperately trying to slow down as he moved. He couldn't do this again. He would do anything to prevent another injury like the last one.
Finally, his claws caught hold of something, and Tumble slowed to a stop. Breathing a sigh of relief, Tumble looked over the shoulder and to the ground. It was only a few tail-lengths away. At this point, he could just jump down. "That was close," he mumbled, still visibly shaken by his close call.
After getting his bearings, Tumble ungracefully removed his claws from the trunk and pushed off, landing on the ground. He slightly winced at a small pain in his leg as he landed: a reminder of his first and hopefully last fall from a tree. Safely on the ground, Tumble took a few deep breaths before pressing his head against Flash and Ashpaw. "I'm grateful for the two of you. I would've been fox-food without your help." Genuine moments like this were not uncommon for Tumble. He liked to let the cats he loved know that he cared for them. And these two toms had Tumble's whole heart.
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Post by Taxx on Aug 16, 2019 14:56:08 GMT -5
Ashpaw's hind paws touched ground but he didn't move right away, his front paws remaining leaned against the tree as he met Tumble's frightened gaze. "Your turn," he called, trying to keep his own worry out of his voice, trying to keep his tone light and his tail from twitching nervously. If Tumble had been smaller, or Ashpaw bigger, he might have tried to drag Tumble down physically, but the black-and-white tom was too sturdy. The risk of losing his grip was too great- the older tom would have to do this on his own. "One step at a time!" he repeated. "There's no rush." And as Tumble turned to make his descent, Ashpaw finally dropped to all fours, stepping to the side to clear the ground for the tom's climb down. "One paw at a time." He flicked a glance sideways at Flash, shared worry between them at the outcome, the hope that it would turn out well. Then he turned back to watch Tumble, his heart beating painfully hard but feeling the prick of cheer as he seemed to be doing just fine... The crack, however, sent every hair to bristling and Ashpaw ducked to the side as a piece of bark fell to the ground, and he could hear the frantic scrape of claws before he glanced back to see Tumble struggling to grasp the trunk again, sliding downward way too quickly. Quickly enough that Ashpaw barely had time to draw breath to cry out his name before he was suddenly jerking to a stop, all four legs latching onto the tree and shaking so hard Ashpaw was dimly surprised he wasn't shaking himself loose. "Tumble?" The tom wasn't moving, except for the tremors that rattled him nose to tail, and it took a moment before he seemed to be able to sort himself out. He leaped the last tail-length to the ground, landing heavily; Ashpaw didn't miss the wince, but Tumble stayed on his paws. He didn't seem too badly hurt, and relief was warmth blooming in Ashpaw's chest as he returned the affection, rubbing his head firmly against his brothers'. "You'd have got down eventually," he replied, and pulled back to grin, a gentle gleam in his eye. "You'd never miss a meal, after all. We should have just gone to find your favorite food and you'd have come down as easily as a bird flies."โ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ Ginger |
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| You said my words would kill you but you stood there all the same. |
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GaleClan MCA
INVENTORY
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Post by โ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ on Sept 6, 2019 17:36:22 GMT -5
not a yes, sir. not a follower. Despite his assurances, Flash couldn't help feeling a strong twinge of nervousness as he watched his brother begin to make his way down the trunk. The ground beneath him felt hot and scratchy, his fidgeting paws itching to spring forward and help. But he knew his interference would do his brothers no good at all. He swiped his tongue nervously over his maw. Come on, Tumble... Don't fall... He thought encouragingly, gut tight with anticipation. There was no doubt in his mind that he would attempt to cushion his brother if he did fall from the branches, but even if he did they would both still get injured. Every muscle beneath his pelt tensed as he watched his brother grow ever more uncertain, each paw struggling to find a pawhold.
With a heart-stopping crack, the branch beneath Tumble gave way, thundering towards the ground with a swoosh of air. "Tumble!" Flash flung himself forward with the speed he had been named for, he dove directly to the foot of the tree trunk, the direction that his brother was sliding down the tree bark. Tumble dug his claws into the bark, slowing his descent until he came to a clumsy halt. Flash breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close." Tumble breathed, and Flash let out a shaky laugh. "You think?" He purred, relieved to see that he was okay. The moment Tumble let himself drop safely to the forest floor, Flash was beside him, pressing his muzzle against his and purring loudly. "I'm grateful for the two of you. I would've been fox-food without your help." Tumble meowed, and Flash felt a surge of affection and gratitude that these cats were his family. There was nothing they couldn't achieve together, no problem they couldn't face as long as they were shoulder to shoulder. "You would have had to learn to live like a squirrel." He joked, butting his head against Tumble's neck. "How do you like the taste of nuts?"
Ashpaw leapt down beside them, joining in the affectionate group hug. Flash turned to brush his muzzle against Ashpaw's, his purr growing louder and more pitched as it rumbled to a volume that purrs were not designed to rumble. "You'd have got down eventually," Ashpaw pointed out, eyes gleaming with mischief. "You'd never miss a meal, after all. We should have just gone to find your favourite food and you'd have come down as easily as a bird flies." Flash let out a snort at that. "Nevermind find it, we would have started eating right in front of you just to add to the torture." He laughed, mimicking the sound of eating with great enjoyment. i was lightning before the thunder |
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| I will not be like a bird bred in a cage, I thought, too dull to fly even when the door stands open. |
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INVENTORY
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Post by Ginger on Sept 18, 2019 12:20:19 GMT -5
Tumble playfully scrunched his nose at the two toms' comments, unable to hold back a purr as the trio huddled together in a show of affection that was not uncommon for them. Both friendly jabs were based on no small amount of truth: one of Tumble's greatest motivators was the thought of his next meal. At the moment, he was on a rabbit kick -- it was all he ever wanted to eat! However, the tom was not picky, and he would still eat just about anything put in front of him.
Almost as if on queue, Tumble's belly let out a deep rumble. The black-and-white tom looked down sheepishly before laughing ever so slightly; of course his stomach would rumble right after his family made fun of his love for food.
"Speaking of favorite foods..." Tumble flicked his tail awkwardly towards the tree he had just descended from. "Coming down that tree really took a lot out of me. I could use a snack." The slightest hint of sarcasm laced his voice -- of course Tumble was hungry, but he couldn't resist the temptation for a little more humor to make light of the tense situation he had been in only moments before.
Feigning exhaustion, Tumble leaned on Flash before dramatically collapsing to the ground in front of Ashpaw. "But all that effort just took away all strength I once had." Rolling onto his back now, exposing his large belly. "Wouldn't it be so wonderful if someone were to get something for me?"
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Post by Taxx on Oct 11, 2019 18:42:23 GMT -5
The stress of Tumble's climb was fading away, the gentle teasing lightening the mood among the toms. With a last gentle nudge of his nose against Tumble's shoulder, Ashpaw stepped back. His ears flickered in another wave of amusement as the stockier black-and-white tom's stomach growled in complaint, and he turned to Flash with false-contemplation of the request.
"I don't know, Flash, what do you think? Should we have pity on him and catch something before he fades away from hunger?" He couldn't help another peek at Tumble, to see his reaction to the question, even though he was already decided. Food had been what had got him up the tree in the first place, and food as a reward for getting himself down? A small price to pay, though of course they had to catch it first.
"We'll be back as soon as we can, Tumble. Just sit tight there, okay?" With a flick of his tail at Flash's flank, the gray tabby tom turned to start tracking. Rabbit was the tom's current favorite, and with any luck they'd manage to find one and bring it back for him.
Ashpaw Loner Those who fly solo have the strongest wings |
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GaleClan MCA
INVENTORY
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Post by โ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ on Oct 28, 2019 9:49:30 GMT -5
not a yes, sir. not a follower. The speedy black and white tom cat couldn't restrain an amused snort at the mock indignant expression that crossed Tumble's face. The way he was huddled neatly on the ground gave him the appearance of a rather grumpy rabbit, one that reluctantly left its warren to nibble on the sweet grass. "Well, we're not lying." Flash pointed out, smirking. "We all know very well that you have a stomach for a heart, Tumble." His ears flicked, the main indicator that he was only teasing and didn't mean any offence by his comments. Tumble getting stuck in the tree had been as heart-stopping for him as it had been for his brother. Then, just on time, Tumble's stomach gave an audible groan. Flash couldn't stop himself from bursting into a fit of hearty laughter.
"Speaking of favorite foods..." The identical tom began, a sheepish expression on his face. "Coming down that tree really took a lot out of me. I could use a snack." Flash's heart twinged with affection. Though their lives were so very different now, what with Wander casting them off to forge their own paths, and the arrival of Ashpaw into their family, it comforted him that Tumble seemed exactly the same as he was when they were bumbling little kittens. He grinned mischieviously as Tumble leaned into him with dramatized exaggeration, collapsing to the smooth earth floor. "But all that effort just took away all strength I once had." Tumble rolled onto his back with a lopsided grin. "Wouldn't it be so wonderful if someone were to get something for me?"
Flash rolled his eyes and prodded his paw into his brother's stomach rather harshly, scoffing at the hilarity of this entire situation. Ashpaw's voice lulled from his left, trickling with sarcasm. "I don't know, Flash, what do you think? Should we have pity on him and catch something before he fades away from hunger?" Flash stood, stretching his limbs luxuriously, taking his sweet, sweet time. "Well if he's that hungry, he wouldn't mind if we brought him back some lovely juicy beetles." Flash beamed malevolently. "Starving cats can't choose their prey." His heart twisted a little at that quote. It was something Wander would occasionally say, when they complained about the prey they had to eat during the harsher moons. He butted his head gently to Tumble's in farewell, and followed Ashpaw into the nearest neck of woods. Already, the scent of rabbit bathed his tongue. The thought of a good, exciting chase made his heart pick up. i was lightning before the thunder |
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