pafp BIG CITY, WRONG CHOICES ✦ INQUIRY

[MIRESTAR]

@shrike ​

Clover and cedar pull Mirepurr by their nose, one pull at a time, still more unfamiliar than their Clanmates' scents... but gaining more and more familiarity with each passing day that Shrike spends here. Outsiders have seldom been accepted into their ranks before, but now there's four of them in alarmingly quick succession- although Stryker is the only odd one out so to say, since he lacks the blood that'd tie him to Chilledstar and force their paw with loyalty to family.

Shrike is the one that has caught Mirepurr's attention for the day. It's probably because they feel an odd sense of responsibility for the newcomer due to their swiftness in spotting those antsy paws by the border. Ripplestream had been quick to welcome them in, and it had been almost awkward to watch the reunion when they had to worry about the scent lines and everything else that makes them a warrior.

The time between that moment and right now had slipped past them in a blur. Both Ripplestream and Rook still feel strange, so Shrike will continue to stand out for an undetermined amount of time.

Except, of course, if Mirepurr tries to mend the distance between them both. "By any chance, are you up for some interrogation?" They come to stand beside Shrike; close enough to indicate they wish to converse for more than just a fleeting moment, but still staying mindful of personal space.

"It's just... there's been more and more of you- family of Chilledstar, that is. Can't fault me for wondering if we can expect even more tomorrow." Surely Shrike understands. If Mirepurr had to guess, there's already been an onslaught of curious eyes... some more hostile than the rest. They just hope that Shrike deems the blue gaze as anything but hostile.
​

 

[shriketalon]

Mirepurr stood out to them, if only because they were the first shadowclanner they had the pleasure of meeting. Well, pleasure was doing a lot of leg work but they were trying to be more upbeat about their time here. None of their littermates seem to be unhappy here so this was going to be their foreseeable future, they were working on acceptance. Maybe they could even grow to like it here, they supposed the idea of a community was nice.

The warrior was stern, at least according to Shrike’s own perceptions on them. Which they understood now was to protect their home but Shrike didn't appreciate that they were what had stood between them and Ripplestream at the time. They huff as the warrior approached them, first presuming that they were about to get an earful over some moment of perceived disrespect that the recent joiner didn't understand.

When that earful didn't arrive there was a quiet suspicion, the question seemed polite enough and clearly it seemed like they weren't going to leave any time soon. “Is it a mutual interrogation?” They couldn't say that they were thrilled at being at the mercy of others' questions. To be poked and prodded with inquiries that were more likely to be invasive than not, they could subscribe to it being a mutual concept. Besides, there was that inherent curiosity that Shrike held towards the warrior, a privilege reserved for the fact that they were the first face they saw.

“Sure, lay it on me then” they decide with a roll of their shoulders. There's an audible sigh when it swings towards the fact that they're related to Chilledstar. It made sense, they were their leader right? So that curiosity was understandable but it still annoyed them. Instead of snapping any remarks they tense and un tense their paws. They had sworn to themself that they would be trying, for Ripplestreams sake at least, maybe even for their own sake too, they hadn’t decided on that. Trying to like it here meant trying to like their? clan-mates? too and this was going to be the best start to this.

“Hm, there's one more to our litter. Her name is Lotus, she'll probably appear soon to yell at me for running off” they replied with a snort. They could already picture that sour look she was probably going to give them. “That should be it though, unless there's another litter that none of us know about. You won't get anymore scary outsiders infiltrating your camp. At least, none that are related to Chilledstar.” There's an undeniable bite to their words, unable to shake off a snarky attitude. It was mixed with a warmer tone when compared to what they had carried since joining, they even had a small smile.

---

‎‎ ‎┌── Black sheep ⤜ Come home ──┐‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• 
  OOC.
  
•  
• Shrike│Bio
  ⤜ They / Them, Loner , 27 moons {ages on the 1st},
  ✧ A long haired black feline with low white spotting and hazel eyes.
  ✧ Jagged x NPC
  ✧ Speech, #ad744a, thoughts, attacking
  ✧ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ✧ penned by Juice ↛ @/ouijeejuice on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​

 

[CHILLEDSTAR.]

mirepurr has always been a kind soul. a little timid, but they always mean well. and that is truly a breath of fresh air in a place where hostility has become second nature to those around them. they can't blame their clan for being angry and bitter with newcomers. they don't have good luck in the area of trust. anytime they tried, they were burned and each burn may have been soothed but they all left behind scars– both physical and mental. starlingheart can attest to that. chilledstar can attest to that. many cats can. shadowclan does not have the luxury of trust– not when they constantly had to make sure a cat did not wish to stick its claws into them from behind.

"that's good to know, I guess."

they muttered so they could not be heard. they didn't want anymore siblings. and suddenly they had four. they eyes closed as they listened to the soft gusts of wind against pine needled trees, tail swaying almost in rhythm.

"you're not scary. it is not that outsiders are scary. it is that you are untrustworthy. simple."

even if they wanted to, their voice can't help the way its so monotonous. lacking anything, and somehow their gaze is even duller.

"cats being weary of you has nothing to do with you. don't take it so personally."

except maybe they should have when it came to chilledstar. chilledstar just didn't like them. but that was a personal grievance, brought on by their most lovely father. it didn't really have anything to do with shrike, ripplestream, rook, and this supposed lotus, either.

———————---***ALL OF MY FEELINGS ARE GONE***———————---​

I LEFT 'EM ALL ON THE FLOOR✧ MAN WHO'S TO BLAME IF YOU DON'T LOVE ME NO MORE

•  
• — black feline with a white marking across their face, a white chin, a white right front paw, and blue eyes. chilledstar is covered in scars, the most prominent ones being the one across their face, and the one across their neck.
  — 46 moons old; ages the 3rd every month
  — they / them pronouns
  — aromantic / homosexual ; currently not looking / looking
  — child of JAGGED and RAVEN
  — shadowclan ; loyal to shadowclan ; other info if applicable
  — mildly difficult to befriend ; trusts barely anyone; trusts no one outside of shadowclan
  — "speech", thoughts, attacking
  — peaceful powerplay allowed

​

​

 

[MIRESTAR]

Shrike doesn't immediately turn them away and that has to be good for something. Even with hints of frustration radiating off them, they allow it; and Mirepurr imagines it's not like there's much of a choice. The seriousness of what it means to be a Clan cat has been explained to all outsiders... they can't possibly think that nobody will bat an eye or ask uncomfortable questions, watching their every move to determine whether they'll be a good fit or if driving them out will save everybody the trouble.

"Sure, it can be," they decide because it's only fair. If you take, you have to give. If you ask, you have to answer. Some bits of fairness must be put into the world that likes to be so cruel and unjust.

Mirepurr refuses to look at anyone in the vicinity when Shrike mentions Lotus. They can almost imagine Clanmates sighing and making faces not another one, they'd mutter and roll narrowed eyes. "Don't tell me you didn't warn her about your leave?"

There's little room for further comment when Chilledstar themself chimes in. That voice of them can be as frigid as the gaze that they had been named for, cutting straight to the point- and to bone with its coldness. History oozes from every syllable and every bit of raised fur. Mirepurr cannot imagine looking at their own siblings with the same expression, but then again, they never had to experience the division that this family seems to face.

"On that topic-" They say only when Chilledstar is finished, not wishing to cut them off. There's awkwardness in the breath shared between the three of them, causing Mirepurr to shift their paws, but at least they didn't have to be the one to admit: nobody here is scared of loners. Numbers and ferocity would be no match to any cat unwilling to learn their ways. "What made you all want to join so bad? If... it's not too much of a personal question, of course."

All the tense air... is it really worth it to Shrike, to Rook, to Ripplestream? They had grown up in the wild without an entire entity to consider in their daily lives. Why the abrupt change?
​

 

[Snowlark.]

[ ༻❄༺ ] The overflooding amount of newcomers that came from the outside had been overwhelming, and alarmingly strange to say the least. Yet, three of the four that had recently joined were related to Chilledstar-ableit that relation, they could still be dangerous, or using it as an excuse to backstab the clan later, either way the clan's distrust in them was warranted. Yellow eyes watching Mirepurr approach Shrike with a calm look in his yellow gaze before Chileldstar joined them, giving their remarks to Shrike about not being trustworthy, which was true but, there seemed to be one more of them and that was it. Of course it will be a relief after the last joined that they had no more strangers joining them unless Starclan wanted to play games with them.

Stubby tail twitched as he slipped closer to the group with ears perked forward to hear what exactly was going on, hearing the question Mirepurr introduced their first question, why did they all want to join so badly? A good one he had to admit, why did a bunch of loners all of a suddenly want to join a clan? It couldn't simply be that Chilledstar was their older sibling. Perhaps... they were sent here with ulterior reasons but, if that was the case, then Ripplestream was way too nice to be someone to cause harm to the clan, Shrike was blunt and cautious, so there was most definitely more to the reason why they were here.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── You ve wasted your life , but thanks for applying ──┐‎

• 
  "speak""Thoughts"
  
• 
  Snowpaw ❄ He/Him, apprentice of Shadowclan, 9 moons.
  ⭃ Lithe long hair blue lynx sepia with high white, and yellow eyes. Stubby tail, permanent resting bitch face
  ⭃ Hailfreckle x Mudsplash
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted (ask first) / / underline and tag when attacking
  ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by Ryn ↛ @/Rynnaro on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​

 

[shriketalon]

They take note of the fact that this is going to be a mutual interrogation, trying to think of what questions they'd want to ask. Truthfully Shrike was angling to have something to be annoyed about. Mirepurr seemed respectful enough despite the fact that they had deemed them to be quite stern. Being seemingly so respectful made their skin crawl, though it did seem like they weren't going to get to be annoyed over that much at least, to their disappointment.

Shrike opens their maw to comment on the muttering about not telling Lotus when they left. Chilledstar cuts in easily enough before they can actually reply, as usual their words only make them roll their eyes. “I'm sure it has the tiniest bit to do with me” they can't help but glare at their half sibling as they speak, words mostly pointed at them rather than anyone else.

Since their blow up recently those spouts of anger and irritation didn't last long. Shrike's expression quickly softened and they shrug, telling themself that it's not really worth it. Trying to bicker with Chilledstar was not helping their image of being trustworthy, they were self aware enough to realise that. Instead, Shrike pivots back to the comment about Lotus.

“I said that I was going to go find Rook and Ripple..stream. She still had things to do and I didn't want to wait. So technically I did warn her, I just left earlier than she expected.” They can't help but laugh as they speak. They knew their littermate could hold a grudge, if or when they saw her again they were certain that's going to be hung over their head for a while.

The warriors next question causes them to blink as they stare at them surprised. Oh wow they are polite aren't they? They can't recall whenever someone had tried to soften a question or give them an out like that. Nothing comes to mind, this was the first that this has happened. Shrike's stunned into silence for a moment, processing what they should even say to this. “Well, Ripplestream wanted to look for Chilledstar, I think? I'm not sure what his reasoning was, I haven't been able to corner them about that yet.” Their tone is dismissive, it's still a hurdle to remember to use the name the clan had given him.

“It's hard out there, I’m not going to put myself through that without my littermates. I love em you know? Where they go I go, it's pretty cut and dry. ‘Sides I always hear about you clan cats. Anything is better than roaming around unmarked land at the mercy of those around you. Being around other cats is a pretty good bonus, even if I'm deemed as untrustworthy or whatever. It gets pretty lonely otherwise.” They rush past the last part of their sentence pretty quickly, wanting to treat it like it was no big deal.

They speak with finality, not opening themself up for further discussion about their motives. Sometimes they think it was a bad idea to come here, other times they don't. Not having to constantly look over their shoulder sounded nice, even if that’s a distant goal. It's hard to have that openness though when you're raised to be closed off. Ripplestream managed to avoid that side effect of their upbringing, they honestly came here to look after them, putting themself in second place. That was a little too open for their liking though, Shrike held no plans to admit that. “I get to ask something too right? What keeps you here? Like, I know there's rules that keep you here and what not but beyond that.” The question is aimed at all that have gathered, it seemed unfair if it was only aimed towards Mirepurr after all.

---

‎‎ ‎┌── Black sheep ⤜ Come home ──┐‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• 
  OOC.
  
•  
• Shrike│Bio
  ⤜ They / Them, Loner , 27 moons {ages on the 1st},
  ✧ A long haired black feline with low white spotting and hazel eyes.
  ✧ Jagged x NPC
  ✧ Speech, #ad744a, thoughts, attacking
  ✧ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ✧ penned by Juice ↛ @/ouijeejuice on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​

 

[FLINTWISH]

There's so many strangers in ShadowClan's camp. Flintpaw has lived here all his life, and yet cats cycle in and out through revolving doors. For each life gained there are more lost; for each kitten born there are warriors killed. Maybe that is just the cycle of life, but Flintpaw isn't sure. It's sad. It weighs on him; some of it, perhaps, is his own fault, but much of it is not. It makes him wonder how Starlingheart feels sometimes, with her paws so instrumental in saving lives or ending them. He only shoulders a sliver of the burden that she does, after all, so he wouldn't know — maybe he should be thankful for the influx of intruders to round out the effects of his own mess.

He approaches the interrogation without much intention. Chilledstar's littermates come flooding through their borders, but so do other strangers, some of them his own family. Skunktail's kits, he recalls, had ended up fine, but.... Flintpaw is weary of them. Maybe he should be grateful. These cats are ones that don't know his storied history; don't know his family or the curse that's been put on them. Surely they'd come to learn it in time, but for now they are blank slates that Flintpaw could, should approach with smiles and open paws. But he doesn't want to. They don't belong here — they belong here less than Flintpaw does.

The slate-hewn apprentice finds a seat at Snowpaw's side. Like him, she doesn't trust the way strangers have been flooding their camp so frequently, especially in the wake of losing cats like flies. Snowypaw is missing without a trace. Sweetpaw is dead. Magpiepaw is gone, too — wouldn't it be better to put effort into finding their lost than training duplicitous strangers to be warriors? But maybe there is a beat of jelaousy in the oil-black drum of his stomach. Maybe Flintpaw resents the fact that there is a world outside of this one; this one where he is bound to clan duty, bound to clan life, bound to this tarpit that he'd die in someday, just like everyone else did.

Chilledstar is cold to their siblings. It makes Flintpaw's joints ache. He'd been cold to Nettlepaw, too, but now he really wishes he hadn't been.

Shrike elaborates on all the ways it's better here than out there. Their question, though, gives Flintpaw pause. What keeps you here? they query, and she feels the fur at her shoulders brsitle ever so slightly. What keeps her here? What is her ball and chain? Maybe it's the fact that she doesn't know anything else. If there's not clan life, then there is nothing she can fathom, despite running in to loners and rogues in her time. But she could never be a loner. It wouldn't be right. There would be too many things to learn, too many hardships to face, and would Starlingheart ever forgive her if she left? She is the only cat her mother has left, aside from Lilacfur. She is the last child standing. She can't up and leave now, can she?

"I dunno," Flintpaw replies to Shrike with a partial truth. Her gaze flicks to Chilledstar; seeks Smogmaw at the edges of camp; her tail lashes behind her. What he would like to continue with is that it's sort of awful, actually, to try and live this way. Sure there's company, but Flintpaw's company is mostly comprised of cats who hate him. Wouldn't it be so much easier, so much better to be alone? Like Granitepelt. Flintpaw grimaces. "It's lonely here, too."

His mismatched gaze pierces Shrike for a beat, and then two, and then three, boring holes into the black and white feline. It's not the most encouraging reply, he supposes, but really, they shouldn't feel all that encouraged to live here. They'd picked the wrong sibling to seek out; picked the wrong side of the border. Flintpaw would have lived their old life in a heartbeat. It's too late for that now, though.

𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 ✧ 𝐈 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑

• 

• 
  
  — flintkit . flintpaw
  — he / they / she ; apprentice of shadowclan
  — short-haired solid blue tom with low white and blue/green heterochromatic eyes
  — "speech" ; thoughts
  — chibi by sixbane, signature by dreamydoggo
  — penned by meghan

​

 

[lilacfur]

For so long ShadowClan had only known Chilledstar's kin to be their younger brother and late mother. It was hard to imagine there could be anyone else, the leader was a very solitary cat. Yet now in the recent months, siblings of another queen began to crop up. Lilacfur was wholly hypocritical herself, the feelings she had regarding the continuous string of kin ending up at their borders. They were not all very agreeable folk from those she had interacted with and through word of others.

Her hypocrisy lied solely in that she believed her brothers sons had a patrimony to ShadowClan. Their grandmother carved a home in these marshes after the death of her predecessor. She was responsible for their being Clans at all, if she hadn't stood her ground against the Pine Colony. The blood of their kin bathed in these marshes far longer than other families can say, and it is for that reason why outsiders like Stryker being let in on such flimsy vetting disturbed her.

Mirepurr approached Shrike with the intent to question, and they expect to do the same in turn. While Chilledstar acted as their namesake towards Shrike's complaints, the newcomers words drew the lead to roll her eyes as well. They were not some kittypet home, rolling over and showing their bellies to every stranger.

"There is no rule saying you must stay." Lilacfur corrected coolly, flicking her tail over Flintpaws as she sat beside the apprentice. "There is only the consequence of willingly leaving- abandoning- the Clan. You cannot return. Many of us were born after the war that binded us into Clans, and we grew to understand the challenges of survival." She paused for a moment, recognizing how much looking at Shrike felt the same as looking at Chilledstar. "Isn't it as you said before? It's hard, out there, with just yourself or only a few others. We find strength in our numbers, and in where one of us is weak another succeeds to keep us balanced."

Now the rosette looked to Mirepurr, and her maw lifted with a smile. "You can make plenty of great friends and allies as well. Some that last more moons than you can count. It's not hard, proving your trust. My nephews did just fine doing that. One even got an apprentice the same night he earned his name." She couldn't help but brag just a bit. Pipitclaw had been hers to train for that, after all.

---

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── ooc ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ info ──┐‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• 
  //app tag @SHADEPAW
  

• 

• LILACFUR ✩ she/her, 20 moons, mother to marblekit and sycamorekit
  ⭃ lh lilac rosette with yellow eyes (carrying cinnamon, solid), a torn ear and claw marks beside her eye.
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by this loser ↛ @gonkpilled on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​

 

[MIRESTAR]

Once again, Mirepurr opts to not pay much mind to Shrike's response to Chilledstar. Whatever is going on between the two, between the entire family, is really not something any of ShadowClan could come to understand with just a few answered questions. Years worth of turmoil brims under the surface. Perhaps it'd simmer then boil and bleed over... but for now, it'd remain as private as their chipped conversation would allow.

They simply nod along, careful not to let anything slip by their attention. It feels important to remember details about new Clanmates who haven't had the privilege of being born here.

For all the ways Clan cats like to differentiate outsiders from them, Mirepurr finds something in common with Shrike. Love for siblings is much easier to admit than, say, a romantic interest... it's so simple, expected, but Mirepurr is still glad to hear it from Shrike nevertheless.

And then, Mirepurr finds themself stuck. Shrike doesn't quite admit that the way ShadowClanners look at them is a bother, but it is admission enough- and then Flintpaw says something that makes Mirepurr stifle a gasp.

"I never had to wonder," they say, "I... this is my home. I wouldn't leave it for the world." Rules or no rules be damned. Flintpaw wasn't able to answer; he only had indecision to utter out loud. The Clan doesn't have to think too hard before recalling recent transgressions. Granitepelt's crimes had been betrayal in more ways than one... Mirepurr doesn't care if the world outside of the marshes and the familiar borders is hard or not; stars, they could leave and become a kittypet if they really wanted, but Chilledstar would have to exile them first to get rid of them.

Their eyes betray the whirlpool of thoughts as they draw their gaze towards Lilacfur. At least Flintpaw has her... and Starlingheart. Would that be enough for him in the wake of such tragedies?

Mirepurr finds solace in Lilacfur's presence. They mirror her own smile, tension lifting from their shoulders. "Perhaps you and your siblings will think of this place as your home, too." Strengthened by the lead warrior by their side, Mirepurr risks a glance towards Chilledstar; it's not a knowing one, because they can't even pretend to understand, but it's meaningful anyway. Perhaps they, too, will find joy in having their family here, united within the Clan after so long of living scattered.
​