ᴵ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ᶦ'ˢ ᵈᵃⁿᵍᵉʳᵒᵘˢ ᴵ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ʸᵒᵘ'ʳᵉ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵏᶦⁿᵍ ᴵ ᵃᵐ ᵃ ᶠᵒᵒˡ ✣⫸ ⚞ Dustedpaw - Erosionclan ⚟ ◃⮘ They / them ⮚▹ ⮚ 8 m ⮘ ❝But it's the only chance I'll ever get to look so cool!❞ ⫸ https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1281347661/⫷ TYPING... ⚟ ✣ ❝You ain't the only star that’s been left for dead❞ ⟵——————⟶ Dustedpaw couldn't sleep. The moonlight filtered lightly through the opening of their den, seeming to be directly staring them in the eyes- Dust watched stalwartly back, commencing a staring contest. The moon was just sweeping by, however, not thinking of Dusted nor any of the cats of the clan as it made its rotation. But it felt intentional to them- like it was trying to tell them something. So much that they slowly slunk out of their nest and into the cold night, following their inkling of purpose into the clearing where the oasis reflected the awe-inspiring sky. Dusted stared at it for a moment, mesmerized, before their gaze was drawn- as it always was- to the expanse of rocky dunes and desert that was the wider Erosionclan territory. They hadn't been able to get out as much as they'd like, given the election and their young age leaving them without much guidance in the dangerous lands, so Dust felt more inclined than ever to adventure out into the cold, unforgiving desert and see all it had to offer- on their inexperienced lonesome. Not like that had ever stopped them; many of the most remembered expeditions were by one enterprising young cat with lofty dreams and the grit to attain them- even if no-one else was there to help! This was what they were to do tonight, Dust decided, as they snuck out of camp and out into the desert. Their face rested in a light excitement as they pranced forth, struggling not to grimace from the chill creeping straight through their pelt and biting at their skin. Despite the temperature, the cool sand felt good against their paws- the rhythm of constant movement- of /their/ own volition, going where /they/ please- feeling more natural than anything Dusted had done in a long time. It was like they were a kit again- running through the tunnels of camp, getting lost in it and finding their way over and over until they knew it well, wonder replaced with faded but still happy nostalgia and familiarity. 'Maybe the territory will be like that for me one day... Well, then I guess I'll find something new! Something no cat has found before! /Then/ I'll keep the wonder! The excitement! /AND/ the security!' Their thoughts far ahead of their body, the apprentice made their way farther and farther from camp, until something in the edge of their vision caught their eye. Something lightly shimmering in a rock formation, something not uncommon but this was far more than they'd seen, running up close to it, entranced. Dust pawed at the rockface, slightly frustrated upon realizing there was no way they could pry it from the rock. Almost absentmindedly scrabbling at it regardless, the apprentice searched the area for a cool rock they /could/ take with them- such a thing they hadn't yet been able to find, to Dustedpaw's dismay. Any shiny thing on the ground was far too broken down and small for them to take, none having stood the test of time out in the open. The wind and sun and occasional stints of rain had worn them down, forgotten and assimilated aspects of the wider sands, larger and more enticing forms forgotten. 'I wonder how a rock gets in a wall rather than in pieces on the ground. Maybe it just gets lucky or.... maybe it's stronger? More durable?' Dust sighed, pulling their paws away from the rock and straightening up from where they sat, surveying the area around them one last time before confirming there was nothing more to find. Slumping their shoulders down- still not knowing what they were 'meant to find'- the apprentice turned to leave, move further through the territory, find something worth the danger and lost sleep and- And- And. Those were. Eyes. Weren't they? Goldish, smaller than a cat's could ever be, barely visible in the dark yet still holding a presence beyond a simple creature in the night. No. This was a /monster/. To Dustedpaw, at least- the kind of thing kits are told horror stories about and apprentices train to defend against yet are always warned to stay far, far away from. Dust had went far, far away. Dust hadn't gotten much proper training yet. The snake, however, was a trained and experienced killer. They could feel their heartbeat race and thud and jump as though it were a rockslide; Dust was afraid the snake would hear it and go straight for them. But it didn't seem to have noticed them- /yet/. And although they were quite the risktaker, even Dustedpaw knew this was no time to mess around. Quietly- although feeling as though every pawstep a crack of thunder and every breath a mighty gust of wind- they crept to the other side of the rock formation, -
⟵———————⟶ just had some things i wanted to set up w/ dusty while they were still an app. i havent rp'ed as much as i wouldve liked so. gonna do it like this :3 srry if this is like. not how srps are done or smth. might go back and change it later ;-; ⟵———————⟶ [ cont- ] -eyes held on the predator but never straying too close to its eyes, lest it stares back in a contest the apprentice would never win. They'd almost made it around the bend, far enough that Dust could sit and hide and rationalize when it would leave and they could go home, unfulfilled but unscathed. However, whilst the desert lacked twigs and leaves to spoil hunts and ambushes, it had no shortage of pointy things that hurt and apprentices that weren't paying attention. Dust- in their intent focus on the snake- neglected to remember the small cactus nestled on the side of the formation. They put their hind leg back, readying to slip behind, when it shot straight into the spines, piercing their pawpads and inviting a small- barely restrained- yelp from the russet cat. The snake turned its head sharply, having heard the exclamation, and Dustedpaw was certain that if it couldn't hear their heart before, it sure could now- they could half forget it was in their chest with how loud it felt in their head and the fear clogging and screaming throughout their entire body. Reason had been thrown out the window- ambition and dreams and shiny rocks following as pure instinct took over. With only their survival in mind, Dustedpaw quickly formulated a plan to see the next dawn. It wasn't all that bad a plan, all things considered. 'RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN OH STARCLAN NO NO NO RUN!!!' The apprentice was off like a light, trying to stick to shadows in hopes the snake wouldn't care enough to search for and follow them. Back towards camp- or wherever wasn't here and now. They ran until their lungs burned and burned and their paws ached and might've bled. After a while, they slowed down, still unsure if they were being pursued- seeing another large formation with a few slopes up, Dusted clambered up, hoping to get a better read of the situation and praying snakes couldn't climb if it had turned for the worse. Already tired beyond belief and heart still racing, they didn't get very far before collapsing. Dustedpaw laid there for a very long time. They had no idea how long. It didn't really matter to them. What did matter was what they saw when they stood up. [ or at least as far as they could stand up ] First of all- camp. They hadn't actually gone very far, and it wouldn't be long before they'd be able to get back to their nest and get some well-needed sleep. Second- the desert, stretching before them and above them, the mountains framed in the background. Dustedpaw had never been this high up before and was in awe of all they could see. 'Woah... The mountains... I've been to the border but you can't see them well from there... And...and camp- its' like I'm a bird or... or something... What could I see if I...were a bit high up?' /This/ was what sort of thing they wanted to find each day. /This/ was what they dreamed of as a kit, exploring the clan's dens. Very few cats probably sought the sort of things they did. It made them feel special. Not many cats would see this view, at least not like Dustedpaw did. Imagine if they /discovered/ something like this... Imagine if the clan told stories of their escapades, like the great heroes they'd heard of? What if a cat could be remembered not for great leading or fighting skills, but for the sort of thing Dust thrived in? Or whatever other legends they could star in if they only tried? They did this. They knew they could achieve it. If aimless wandering at the dead of night had brought them to something so cool, imagine what they could find when they could see what they were doing? And didn't have a near death experience? What if they weren't alone, either? That'd surely be better. Dustedpaw thrived in the idea of being known and remembered, loved and valued- what else would a cat ever /want/? This was their way to it- now they just needed a way to this... Although delighting in the view and the dreaming, their overbearing exhaustion and ache soon overtook them. Stumbling down the slope, Dusted sulked back to camp, throwing themself into their nest. The moon had taken quite the trip in the sky but had not quite set, leaving Dust uncaught- for now, at least. They didn't quite care right now, either. The apprentice fell into a easy sleep, dreaming lofty dreams with a conviction set. ❝I asked about your name on the moon, it was quiet, nobody knew you❞ ⟵——————⟶ ᴮᵘᵗ ᶦᵗ'ˢ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒⁿˡʸ ᶜʰᵃⁿᶜᵉ ᶦ'ˡˡ ᵉᵛᵉʳ ᵍᵉᵗ ᵗᵒ ˡᵒᵒᵏ ˢᵒ ᶜᵒᵒˡᵎ uh if you think your cat would. have an interesting interaction with dust during / after this throw a claim in the comments ig. im always open to doing threads i am very much behind on that lol T-T ⟵——————⟶ [ ended up changing a bit of it but i think i'll leave the rest as is ]
