It had been some time since Rosewood had walked in any cat's dreams - except Golem, perhaps. Golem was her mentor and her special friend, he seemed to enjoy her company even though she was... unalive. But some nights, she couldn't seem to find him - she always thought that meant he was still awake. Maybe it was still light out in his world - in her forest home, it was always dark, making it hard to tell the difference in time, especially when she tried to dreamwalk.

So, when she stepped out from beyond the trees into some cat's dream this time, she didn't quite recognize the setting. She looked around curiously, treading forward with wide, round eyes, before she stopped short. There was something long and fleshy and... weird a few leaps ahead of her. Had she walked into the dream of a toad? She wasn't entirely certain what that was, only that it was crouched away from her, so she couldn't make out anything like a head or tail. So, deciding to get some stalking practice out of the bizarre encounter, Rosewood dropped into a hunter's crouch and started scooting forward on her belly.

"A mighty hunter prepares to pounce on her unsuspecting prey." She whisper-narrated to herself. "She bunches her muscles, hard from training and then jumps-" And she sprang forward with a ferocious mew, landing on the whateveritwas's back, tiny claws aiding her in keeping her balance on a smooth surface. "And she succeeds in catching her prey - ha!" She purred her triumph, only to feel the odd creature shifting underneath her. Wait... were those ears? Was this weird thing a cat? @astralboy

astralboy — 02/12/2022

[9:12 PM]
Frost was a relatively lonely cat, with no known family to call his own, no mate or real close friends within the cold peaks he called home. All he had was the fox pelt on his back at which he wore to stay warm. He'd never admit to it, but sometimes he ended up talking to it, as if it would come to life and console him in some way. But, he didn't really want consoling, he was... okay, with where he was.

Safe to say, he had never been visited by the hunters that roamed the stars, he had no connections there as far as he knew, unless foxes could go there as well and the previous owner of his fur had chosen to get a bit of vengeance.
He surely didn't think an angry vengeful fox was the case here, though, as he opened his eyes with a yawn, lifting his head and expecting to be met by cold stone ahead, instead he found forests.. many many trees. And, to top it all of, it was still dark! He'd heard of this place before from fellow clans and other cats in his own tribe.. and he didn't like them one bit. What if therre was danger?! Oh, but why would HE recieve a prophecy?!

His ears perked at the sound of a quiet.. voice..? Whispering to itself just out of his view, as he frantically began sniffing the air. "Hello-?!" His call was cut off as he saw the brush shift, a tiny blur of movement leaping onto his back with sharp little claws scratching at his side. He let out a yowl, more of fright then pain, stumbling to the side. "Hey- Get off!" He screeched, shaking his body lightly. "What are you! Get off!"
@belloblossom

belloblossom — 02/12/2022
It was most impressive that Rosewood managed to stay atop the writhing creature for as long as she did, but when it started talking, she let go and topped gracelessly to the ground.

"You can talk!" She squeaked and whirled around. "I've never met a toad that can talk! Well, I've never met a toad, but Burningnight told me they don't have fur and you certainly don't." She peered up at the creature-toad curiously. "You almost look like a cat. What are you?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. @astralboy

astralboy — 02/12/2022
His head scrunched back as he lifted a paw, taking a large step away from the tiny little thing- oh, that's a kit..! What is a kit doing with HIM? She doesn't look like anyone he's ever met before. And, apparently, they hadn't met, as this cat accused him of being a toad.

"I'm a CAT, you senseless little kit." He hissed, his ears folding back against his head. He looked quite offended by the statement. "I don't know what this Burningnight has told you, but cats can be hairless just like.. like a toad!" He hmphed. "I should be asking who YOU are, and why you're even... here!" He violently gestured around. "Is there no prophecy? No problem? Why am I here?" A lot of questions to be shoving on a poor tiny kit, but he may be a bit salty about her unkind clawing.
@belloblossom

belloblossom — 02/12/2022
"You don't look like a cat, but you're right, I suppose, you're much too skinny to be a toad. Maybe you're a snake? I hear snakes are supposed to throw hissy fits when they get agitated too." Rosewood replied, matter-of-factly, narrowing her eyes at him. She watched him coolly as he threw question after question at her and her ears perked on the word prophecy. Was that what he was expecting? All the cats she'd dream-walked with in the past had been loners. She didn't know if this was a Clan cat in front of her, but if he mentioned prophecies, she supposed he had to be.

Alright, Clan cat. She thought. If you want a prophecy, I'll give you one. She straightened her back and sheathed her claws, her tiny tail curling along her spine - as far as it would reach anyway.

"Do not question the will of the ancestors!" She intended to intone it, but her high pitched kitten mew didn't aid the impression she wanted to pass on. "I indeed come with a prophecy that shall rattle the lives of all your kin!" She started to roll her eyes back, showing the whites of her eyes and shaking her body violently as though in some sort of horrific trance. "I predict, that come the dawn of tomorrow, a great horror will bestow itself upon you for your insolence this night!" Her shrill voice sounded more like a shriek now - that was a little more thematic, wasn't it? "When you awaken, all your kin shall turn from you and flee, for you shall be cursed with..." She paused for effect. "Really stinky breath!" She said dramatically and then fell over, cackling as her eyes slid back into place as she laughed at her own silliness. She couldn't wait to see his reaction! @astralboy

astralboy — 02/12/2022
He let out a soft hiss, rolling his eyes. "Snakes don't have feet, kit." Frost grumbled softly, plopping himself down to sit and staring away from the kit, quite a bit grumpy now. How dare she waltz into HIS head and treat him like this? How rude..

What truly shocked him, though, was this odd display she began to put on. Were any other cat to say he had offended the ancestors, or come with a prophecy, he very well may have been intrigued and a bit nervous.. but he forced himself to hold back laughter at her squeaking voice, biting his own tongue to stop from mocking her. He had to admit, her face was... Creepy.

He was beginning to get a little spooked by the end. How on earth did this kit know so many.. large words? She didn't look older than a few moons, where did she get so good at this... Maybe.. it was rea- aaaand there it is. He let out a snicker before his eyes widened. No! This is NOT funny, Frost! He straightened up again.

"It isn't funny to mock my ancestors!" He huffed. "The hunt masters of old would be very ashamed.. and my breath doesn't stink.."
@belloblossom

belloblossom — 02/12/2022
Rosewood rolled her eyes as she continued to giggle and she scooted back onto her paws, tail first followed by her shoulders and head.

"You're no fun." She mewed, but there was clear amusement in her voice, suggesting otherwise. "Hunt masters?" She echoed with a snort. "I've never heard them called that, but I'm sure they won't be offended, since I live with them. Your ancestors and mine are bound to be the same. Though... mine are still alive." She flicked her ears. "My parents, I mean. They're still- anyway! I can poke fun if I want to." She mewed. "And your breath does too stink!" She added. "It's okay though, Burningnight says my breath smells like rotting things and death when I wake up." She said and snorted a laugh.

"What's your name, anyway?" She asked, inching to move closer to him. "And I get that you're hairless - though I don't know why or how - did it all fall out in the hot season?" Maybe it grew back in the cold ones. "But why're you... in half?" She said, touching one paw to his striped half and peering oddly at the pale half of his body. @astralboy

astralboy — 02/12/2022
Frost was astonished. She'd never heard of hunt masters..? He knew many cats were unaware of the tribes unique way of naming things, but this truly confirmed that she had.. nothing to do with him. The purpose of this visit still eluded him, if one even existed, but he reasoned that trying to get it out of her wasn't proving affective.

"My ancestors are respectable cats who lived among tribes of old. I don't see how they'd have any connection to yours.." he felt a soft pang of sympathy as she went on to explain the fact her parents were still living. What a shame, a kit dying so recently that they still were seperated from their parents.. at least they had something in common. And then she insulted him again, and his sympathy went away. "You're cruel, kit." He sighed.

"My name is Strength Within the Frost. You may call me Frost." He raised his head a little higher, pride showing through him as he squared his shoulders. "And no, I was born without fur. Hairless cats are very common where I live, you know." While not.. common.. they were far more frequent than he had expected when visiting gatherings. "I'm in half the same reason you're orange and.. yellowy white.. that's just, how I was born. My parents probably looked a bit like me." He fought the urge to move away as she touched him, forcing himself to sit still.
@belloblossom

belloblossom — 02/12/2022
"I've never heard of a tribe, are you sure they're a real thing? I know about Clans - like the ones that follow StarClan." She rolled her eyes. "More like WorstClan if you ask me. They don't like loners like me at all." She shook her head and went on. "Or, there's the Dark Forest. Or, ForestClan, I guess? But the Dark Forest sounds way cooler, if you ask me." Which, he didn't, but she wasn't going to acknowledge that. "Anyway, all cats are kinda related, right? We have to be. Like, we're all cats, so we must all be related because we're all cats... I think?" She rubbed a paw over one of her ears with a sigh. "I... well, I think that's how it must be. Why would there be any connection between any of us, why would I be able to be be here, in your dreams, if we weren't connected somehow? If I'm not your ancestor in whatever form, or if we aren't related, then you shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be here. All of this... All of this is making my head hurt." She admitted with a grunt.

In her ramblings, she misheard him and looked up in surprise. Had he just called her cool? She offered him a little smile and tapped her paw against his foot.
"Thanks!" She chirped. "I think you're pretty cool too, honestly. Even if I did think you were a snaky toad at first." She told him with a giggle and then listened to him as he introduced himself.
"Strength Within the Frost? And I thought Burningnight was a mouthful." She mewed, considering. "Frost is easier. It sounds like a loner name anyway and that's much cooler. Double coolness for you!" She purred. "My name's Rosewood. I'm glad I met you and that we're friends, but I should go now." She decided this all on her own, with very little regard to what the tomcat in front of her thought. "I'll come by another time to give you another prophecy though, so watch out for me!" She mewed and without another word, ducked behind a tree in the dark forest and vanished. (Wanna wrap it up on your end? @astralboy )

astralboy — 02/12/2022
Frost snorted, rolling his eyes. "Yes, yes. There are clans. And there's tribes." He shook his head. It seemed destiny that cats would always be unsure of his homes existence, if they knew it existed at all. But he knew the truth, that the tribe of high mountain was strong and mighty, and no kit needed to assure him if that.

He has lost track of the small kits ramblings, in all honesty, trying to keep his head around where her brain was going. He supposed she was right, from what he could understand. They were all connected, that of which he knew. He had been taught by his tribe and those around him of their ancestors and the connection between them and their home, their prey, and each other. Although, he'd never put much thought into it. Maybe he should rethink the way in which he treated the loners and fellow clans.. if they were all connected.

These are the ramblinvs of a kit, pay no mind, he insisted within himself. "Yes. My name is very long.. Frost fits a bit better, I think." He didn't quite have the heart to correct her, so he simply let her believe whatever it was she had heard. "I will be expecting that prophecy soon for the trouble, little kit." He bopped her with his paw, watching her as she vanished behind the trees. "May our home have no reason for it, though, Rosewood."
@belloblossom and I'd call that a pretty good wrap!)