camp BLOOD MONEY & . MEETING 3.30

[CICADASTAR]

there is little lead up. from his temporary den he stalls, head low and sharp shoulders high. he is of the least injured from windclan’s vicious attack, though even his wounds sting. his muscles ache, thin bones stressed to their limits. he just hardly suppresses a groan“ riverclan, gather. “ he does not have the time nor energy to utter his usual call — it seems forbidden, here on this battle - tred ground. he comes to a stop between two beech trees, hops the short distance onto a gnarled root, “ we have.. much to discuss, but first : our new warrior. “ the one good thing to come of this moon, he was sure of it. the dappled leader settles down, wraps a thick tail over pristine paws. his claws are unsheathed.

icicle eyes find a wide - eared apprentice amidst the crowd, blinks slow, “ i, cicadastar, ask our ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. lightningstone has trained them well, and i, in turn, commend them with a name in your honor. koipaw, do you promise to uphold our ways and to protect, defend your clan, even at the cost of your life? “ an acceptance. any form of acknowledgment, and he would continue, “ from this day forward, you will be known as koispots — for your dappled coat. riverclan thanks you for your strength, your perseverance. “

“ now, onto more disheartening business. “ despite the pitch down of his voice, his expression does not change — a stony, wide - eyed stare out just over the eyes of those that gather to stare at him, “ as it sure most of you have heard.. “ a trickle of guilt. a gleam in the narrowing of dark pupils, “ after a rather.. heated discussion with buckgait, i’ve come to the conclusion that she has not made the improvement i had once thought, and she has thus been removed from her deputy position. understand now that there is no room on my council for insubordination. i will not be disrespected on my own land, certainly not by those i am meant to trust most. “ his ears flick back, “ she has been retired to the nursery, under supervision, until we can see more eye to eye. “ perhaps a surprise to some, but he’d no choice but to announce. the molly was showing clear by now, anyway.

he clears his throat, “ moving on, it has been many sunrises since we’ve last seen or caught scent of gloompaw. those of you assigned border patrols, it would be wise to ask of her. “ he hopes the worry does not convey too clear in his voice, but he knows he is far from successful. rubberblack lips purse, “ her disappearance so soon before windclan’s attack, i.. worry for her. “ he has to be honest. he doesn’t have much hope for her safe return — memories of peachpaw, of rainwhisker flit before his minds eye and he fights to keep paperthin lids open. it’s fine, it’s probably fine, “ smokethroat will be handling the days patrols, those sent to check flood levels keep an eye out for her as well. if you find so much as a hair, report it immediately.” perhaps she’d gone back to their camp, gotten hurt. his claws tap nervous at the gnarled root undefoot.

his throat clicks, but he continues, after a beat of silence, “ today, we are also mourning the loss of a great warrior, and a close friend. a clanmate. clearsight lost his life to windclan claws, to an attack brought on by their own fallen clanmate’s foolish actions. “ his teeth grit, “ juniperfrost was caught trespassing and got what he deserved. he was treated the way any intruder would be treated, and windclan could not handle such a blow to their ego. they attacked us in the night like cowards because her warriors seem to forget where the borders lie. “

he sits straighter, voice casting louder to emphasize his point, “ for those not present at the gathering, windclan claims him to have been pulled over, ha! but we all know how willing they are to stretch the truth in their favor, yes? ” pathetic, “ i should not have to say this, even a kit knows if you are to see a windclanner — if you see anyone other than riverclan step paw on our land, you are to treat them the same. “ hyacinthbreath had defended her clan, clearsight had breathed his last defending his clan. he would not let his death be placed on her shoulders. who of them would not? “ we are not taking this lightly. should windclan wish to fight this dishonorably, we will treat them with the same kindness they’ve shown us and skyclan. windclan has burnt us for the last time. “ his tail flicks, clockwork back - and - forth. he would have more news for them soon enough, surely, “ meeting adjourned. “

/ takes place just before sunningrocks raid!

− ♱ information out of character ⟐ visual reference translated ♱ −

• ˖ ⁺ ｡ ˚ ⠀ CICADASTAR⠀⠀−−−c−−−⠀⠀king of the rivers.
  m. he / him. black smoke & tortoiseshell chimera with intense salt - blue eyes. a handsome, looming tom bearing patchwork black - silver curls that fall over his slim figure in loose, shining rivulets, broken with white and glossy from his fish diet. descending from a heritage of overtyped oriental shorthairs, cicadastar stands unusually tall amongst his peers, and holds himself with a tragic grace, poised and prim and ever - aware of how he is being perceived.
  
  ᨒ gay, mated to smokethroat. smells like wet stone & moss.
  ᨒ speaks with a german accent. 43 moons, ages every 50 posts.
  
  penned by antlers​
  
  
• 
• none.

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[CRAPPIEPATCH]

The destruction that WindClan wrought has not been easy to handle; Crappiepaw’s own cowardice during the raid weighs heavily on them—just as the bundles of reeds that they have spent their time carrying back and forth to their temporary camp have. They deserve the ache between their shoulder blades, they think, for hiding away in their den during the fight. What if their participation was the difference between life and death for the warrior, Clearsight?

No, they remind themself, as they step forward to hear the leader announce the clan’s newest warrior. Cicadastar calls Koipaw’s forth, and they feel a smile gracing their face. They turn to their friend, eyes wide and bright as she receives her warrior name. It is bittersweet, really, because there is someone absent, someone who should have been here to see their friend become a warrior. But Gloompaw is gone, missing, and they can only cling to the hope that she is not dead.

"Koispots," they say under their breath, testing out the feel of it in their mouth, the sound of it in their voice. It will take some getting used to, but they are sure their friend’s new name will sound normal once they get used to it. "Koispots!" It is a good name, they think. It suits her.

The rest of the meeting is grim, though. The joy of Koipaw—Koispots becoming a warrior is overshadowed quickly by bad news. Buckgait, their deputy, has been ousted from her position for reasons that Crappiepaw does not quite understand. More importantly, though, the brown she-cat is pregnant. They thought she was just getting fat. That tells them something about assuming, they suppose.

The next thing the leader discusses is the matter of Gloompaw’s disappearance. They wince, and look to Koispots—they do not want to see the look on her face, hearing it, but they feel the need to offer her their support either way. There is also mention of Clearsight, and their shoulders slump further. A warrior died in a battle that WindClan started. And WindClan will likely never let up, not when their warriors treat borders like suggestions, not when Hyacinthbreath was only defending RiverClan territory but is now marked both a traitor and a cold-blooded killer. It is unfair. Cicadastar calls the meeting to an end, and the little calico is quick to retreat, back to their self-appointed task of weaving.
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[ FORTUNE LOVES THE BOLD ]​

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[koispots]

A meeting, Cicadastar calls for. A new warrior, he says, and its her. Oh, Stars, was it already time? Has… Has it truly been this long? His eyes settle on her and she feels unusually scrutinized, shifting her weight. He asks her if she’d defend her clan, even at the cost of her life. It is a terrifying thought, but a valiant death it would be, so her head shakes in a yes. Koispots, for her coat. Strength and perseverance, he says, but she doesn’t feel any of that as a chill creeps in to replace any amount of warmth she feels. Why?

Koispots… She hears her new name. She’s… Not sure that she even likes it, but she hears it leave Crappie’s lips and the turmoil feels a little less lighter. Koispots! It’s a louder cheer that drowns out the rest in her ears.

Her best friend looks at her with such pride and sunshine in their eyes, a vibrant beacon. If it were under any other circumstances, Koi would smile back, walk over to bump her shoulder against theirs, but the times have so vastly changed. Koi only stares back, empty and void until she adverts her eyes to stare at her paws. Shame. She feels guilty for feeling so terrible, for feeling like a failure, for feeling so down on her special day.

Its a day that most apprentices dream of and Koi couldn’t even muster a smile.

Gloompaw’s gone, Cicadastar announced. You shouldn’t be missing in the first place, mournfully, chin cast to the sky as she blinks a couple times to keep building pressure back. I miss you. She bites her lip, ears flattening back. But I won’t give up on you. I’ll bring you back, I promise. Just please, please wait for me. Hold on a little longer. Shes struggling to keep her composure as he goes on. Her disappearance has destroyed Koipaw- Koispots from the inside out. Her confidant, partner in crime, her everything, gone like that.

Death, death, and more death. She, for once, has nothing snarky to say about the fight. She only feels terrible for Clearsight, for Clayfur. No one, ever, should have to depart from each other so soon.

Koi only shakes her head, fighting back the mist that threatened to fall, and only when the meeting is dismissed does she start to crumble. Tears come freely now. Gloompaw was supposed to be here, she was supposed to see this and even despite her earlier promise she still feels terribly hollow. This was supposed to be her day, Koi’s day, and nothing, nothing will ever be the same again.

No more late night walks, no more energetic talks with Gloompaw. Buckgait, no longer deputy, casted to the nursery like tadpoles to the tide. Lightningstone, shes out of his fur and he has Poolpaw to focus on now, his duty with her was done. She’d rarely see Crappiepaw now that she was a warrior. She’s… Never felt so, so lonely in a world with so many cats, in a world that was supposed to feel warm and welcoming. Koi moves to go set up a new nest in the warriors den once the meeting was dismissed.

Gloompaw should have been here to see this.

 

[Petalnose]

I FIND COMFORT IN THE SOUND AND THE SHAPE OF THE HEART ⋆⁺₊⋆


The clan had always been in low spirits in her point of view. The camp was gloomy the night of her memory loss and the camp was even more so when she returned. Petalnose shifted uncomfortably as she listened to the news. She didn't know Gloompaw but there was a pang of sympathy as she felt the sadness lurk silently in the air. Buckgait she hadn't met, at least from what her mind allowed her to remember. She swayed back and forth lightly, quietly clearing her throat as it had seemed to be a tense situation. She had wondered what was the downfall, but she let it go knowing she'd probably never know.

It seemed spirits lightened at the call of the new warrior's name, glancing over at Koispots with a forced smile. She felt proud of her clanmate, wondering how she herself personally felt during her own naming ceremonies. She'd never have the chance to remember. She couldn't help but feel a wave of jealousy but she quickly let it go. Petalnose lightly lifted to her paws, turning her gaze until she met Koispots again. She couldn't really tell if the other was sad or not from looking but it was as if she felt it. Petalnose hesitated to comfort her, but she didn't know the other. Maybe she'd make it worse. "Congratulations." Mewed the she-cat, a friendly tone to her voice and a smile added to it if she ever turned her way. Then she turned herself fully and continued her day.

[⋆]​

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[iciclefang]

Iciclepaw comes to stand solemnly with her Clanmates, the confidence snuffed from her expression and posture. The WindClan raid on their home -- Clearsight's death -- her ruthless defeat at the paws of the one-eyed WindClan warrior -- all of it has worn her into dust. She sits in silent contemplation as Koipaw is given her warrior ceremony. The tortoiseshell can see a deep sadness in her denmate's expression, and Iciclepaw feels sorry there is such a damper on what should be a joyous occasion. No doubt the mottled feline is mourning Gloompaw's disappearance on top of everything else.

Still, Iciclepaw, even if it's weary and without much enthusiasm, adds her voice to Crappiepaw's as Koispots receives her name. It's fitting; she's anointed for her dappled fur. "Koispots! Koispots!" She gives the new warrior a weary look, hoping she can find some joy in the knowledge her hard work has been recognized.

The rest of the meeting leaves Iciclepaw only feeling more exhausted. Buckgait has been banished to the nursery, her pregnancy revealed for all of RiverClan. The tortoiseshell shoots Smokethroat a questioning look, but Cicadastar says nothing further, except for to mention their vigil for Clearsight and to keep an eye out for enemies on their territory.

She dips her head. Where otherwise, there might be ambition and a desire to scrap with outsiders who trespass on their territory, there is only defeated acceptance.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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[LAKEMOON]

LAKEMOON — me and the devil, walking side by side.
Silent as white paws carry her to her leaders call, Lakemoon doesn’t find herself surprised by the sudden but weary call to a meeting, it seemed so much had been happening recently, her own head was spinning.
Quietly, she sits next to another warrior, who murmurs something to her. She cannot muster even a whisper in return, her full attention was on Cicadastar.
They welcome a new warrior to their ranks, Koispots. Warrior ceremonies are a part of meetings that Lakemoon actually enjoys, the excited nods and prideful smiles of the newly named remind her of her own warrior ceremony, where she was dubbed Lakemoon. Even if by pure coincidence, she could not have chosen a more perfect name herself, her suffix carrying its own subtle legacy.
She chants for Koispot’s along the rest of her gathered clanmates, but is quick to ease back into silence when Cicadastar carries on, his words full of grief and darkness.
There’s a chirp from distant birds in the air, but what is normally a sign of Newleafs grace goes unnoticed by the young warrior as she listens with a narrowed gaze.
Karma would catch up to those weasels, Lakemoon would make sure of it. For Clearsight and the mate he had left behind, for the kits that watched their home get washed away in the icy cold of leaf bare. The grizzly molly decided that her clan would simply not lose anymore.
"speech"

tags​

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[SMOKESTAR]

He had wanted to ask since they overheard the noisy affair before but anytime he so much as breathed the molly's name he was met with a wall of silence and a curse uttered in broken words beneath his breathe; Cicadastar did not want to talk about what had set him screaming upon Buckgait that day and her sudden demotion to the nursery was met with narrowed eyes. He wasn't surprise to hear she was pregnant, any fool could see her and Lightningstone growing close and her softness towards only the kits and young apprentices of the clan was clear as day; she didn't much care for any cat outside the youth and her kin. But demoted...? For what? For being pregnant? Unlikely as that was, it was a possibility. His long orange eye watched the leader's towering form, expression drawn into a neutral frown at the lashing tail and hitched breathing scattered between his words; Cicadastar seemed far more stressed than usual and he couldn't determine why exactly. Was it to do Buckgait? Had WindClan's attack shaken him so severely? Clearsight's death? A combination thereof? He had usually remained so stalwart and unshaking but Smokethroat knew what lay under the surface, he'd shown it to him before; open heart and unease, shaking nerves and worry over every decision, every mistake. Out of the corner of his good eye he caught Iciclepaw's glance, and he can only shake his head once. He was not so stupid as to think Buckgait had done nothing wrong, she'd been strictly opposed and spiteful of their leader from the beginning, but what had set this off entirely? ThunderClan? It was a bit too much to dwell on right now. He prefered to just raise his voice to congratulate "Koispots!" before glancing back down in uncertainy. Gloompaw missing still, patrols were now set on his shoulders, and the wound on his stomach was not yet fully healed.
Irritating. All of it. The dark tom rises to stand and leave as they are dismissed, a tail flicking to gesture for Iciclepaw to follow. He'd need to place her with someone else for patrols and the thought annoyed him. Thankfully she was sensible enough no single fool could distrupt her training.

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[DARTERWING]

(=^･ｪ･^=))ﾉ彡♡ — ”Koispots! Koispots!” Loud cheers draw from the maw of Darterwing, giddy for the newly named warrior. It would be a welcomed sight to have the feline join the warriors den, StarClan knows they needed all the trained cats they could get. Her tail twitches in thought of Ravenpaw, hoping that soon she’d be able to present her apprentice to Cicadastar. The thought of the Tom earning his full name sends purrs through her throat, though any sign of joy for her fleets when Buckgait is brought up.

It’s… shocking to hear, Buckgait had been their deputy since the dawn of RiverClan. To be her equal was odd and a frown forms on her maw, but she understands this choice. Was good was a quarreling leader and deputy? Especially during times like these, she just hopes Buckgait isn’t taking too harshly to the demotion. The obvious question darts into her mind, who would replace her? She scans the lead warriors of RiverClan in expectations that one of them would be called forth as RiverClan’s new deputy, but their long muzzled leader announced nothing of the sort for now.

Gleampaw was still missing, the solemn look in her leader’s eyes in blatant. Her hope too she must confess, dwindled, but they would not give up on her yet. The search would still continue. As for WindClan? Darterwing nods, her typical drive for peaceful resolve gone for the moorland clan. They’ve caused her clan enough pain and loss, they must pay for what they’ve done. — tags​

 

[WOLFGLADE]

જ➶ There is alot to unpack in this meeting. They try their best to keep up with everything. Koipaw becomes a warrior today which is a call for celebration but the warrior doesn't find themselves shouting names and calling out. But Koispots is a good name. A fitting name. They listen and he is a little taken back by what is happening with Buckgait. But then again hasn't she always been hissy about them coming to the river? They frown, slipping into though before they force themselves back into reality. The words of Gloompaw still missing puts a deeper frown on his face and he sighs roughly. Right, right, the missing one. And they have not seen head nor tail of the other. They wonder if they are truly okay or not. Flicking their tail they adjust themselves and then they can not help but to snort.

Windclan. What a bunch of scat eaters. They lie about what has happened and that brute Juniperfrost got what he deserved for crossing the border. Really, he has had enough of that clan. They lack morals there and only when it seems to suit their narrative do they spring. The mere fact that they chase out their own left snd right should say as much. With a shake of their body he eyes Smokethroat who is to give out patrols. They figure they will be on one given he is fit for it. ​