EVERYWHERE, EVERYTHING ☀️ january pre-gathering chatter

[Bugchaser !]

*+:｡.｡ Bugchaser enters the gathering place with a beaming smile set to rival moonhigh's glow. The second gathering she's been to, but this time as a full warrior of Thunderclan! EEK She's so excited! What fun it'll be, introducing herself as BugChaser!

The second her paws step foot within neutral territory, already filled to overflowing with all kinds of scents and faces, her pale yellow eyes scour the sea to find a specific chimera. I wonder if Rowanpaw is here she thinks, but finds no such Windclanner among the throng. What a shame! Disappointment is, unfortunately, compounded by discomfort as, instead of Rowanpaw she notes closely every Riverclan and Shadowclan cat milling amongst the other clans. Fur prickling, she very nearly takes a step back when instead she's pulled from her thoughts by @shroudedbeam 's presence. It's very comforting.

Fulling pressing against her friend, Bugchaser purrs, "Aren't you excited? Today we're going to introduce ourselves as WARRIORS!" she cheers, tail waving back and forth with all the overflowing energy she has no other place to expel. Sadly for Shroudedbeam, Bugchaser is too wrapped up in her eagerness to show off to consider her friend's reluctance. Like a gunshot in a horse race, his question instantly sets her off -
Bouncing on her feet, Bugchaser peers around those gathered, "I have no idea! But lets see who's available to chat with!" she purrs, wrapping her tail around Shroudedbeam's and pulling him along as the two dive into the crowd. Preferably not Riverclan or Shadowclan she thinks offhandedly...trying not to picture Campionsong and Freckleflame's faces....and failing.

*+:｡.｡ ♫ Updated 1/13/24

• //Dragging along Shroudedbeam, OPEN TO INTERACTS! Note: she'll be stiff with any Riverclanner or Shadowclanner that attempts to speak to them,,, but don't let that stop you from throwing them over >:3c
• "Speech"
  
  
• 
  GENERAL:
  ♫ Bugchaser
  ♫ DFAB— She/Her
  ♫ 12 moons
  ♫ Daughter to Flamewhisker and Flycatcher
  ♫ Sibling to Falconheart, Stormfeather, Lilykit, Butterflykit, Ravenblaze, Squirrelsong, Sunbird
  ♫ Thunderclan — warrior
  
  
  
  
  COMBAT:
  ♫ Physically semi-hard | mentally hard
  ♫ Attack in bold pink
  injuries: None currently

 

[Pinefrost]

-ˋˏ ༻ ❆༺ ˎˊ- The evening air is crisp and still, leaving stinging kisses on Pinefrost's nose, but there is nothing in the way of the tortoiseshells confident stride tonight; honeyed hues frequently seeking Shellpool's petal-laden pelt. This would be her first gathering without Iciclefang, her first gathering since Flamestar had stolen her eye and her kill. The thought of seeing the fiery-pelted leader again knowing she had earned her warrior name by killing one of her faithful subjects was exhilarating- even if Pinefrost wouldn't get to share the news herself.

Finally RiverClan has arrived to the Great Oaks, and as clanmates begin to stream past her, Pinefrost gravitates towards Shellpool's side, the breeze pushing the soft scent of salt and blossoms towards her. Following her friends gaze, Pinefrost's singular eye narrows at the amount of ThunderClanners in attendance tonight; her scorn is brief, however, as she feels Shellpool's tail brush against her flank. Stay out of trouble tonight, the lilac warrior hums, and Pinefrost returns the ask with a good-natured roll of her eye. "Me, trouble? I could never."

With that, Shellpool is off and gone to mingle. Pinefrost has half a mind to seek her brothers out when another golden gaze captures her attention first. Nearby, she recognizes the brown tabby that she makes eye contact with, the name is faint on her tongue but spat in her mind all the same. Raccoonstripe, a ThunderClan Lead Warrior who she had never exchanged words with, but who's Clan and high title are enough to pull clear detestment over Pinefrost's marred features. The flash of recognition she recognizes in his gaze reminds her of that trespassers, right before the RiverClanner had sunk her fangs into her throat. Anger pulses hot in the back of her throat, and before Pinefrost can think her mouth is moving- "got a problem, squirrel muncher?" The dappled warrior scoffs, half-expecting him to brush her off altogether.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── AND I BEG TO BE TESTED ⋅ ࿏ ⋅ BY GODDESSES RESTING ──┐‎

• briefly interacting w/ @shellpool
  talking smack to @RACCOONSTRIPE
  

• 

• 
  PINEFROST ✩ she/her, warrior of riverclan, 11 moons.
  ⭃ brawny coarse-furred tortoiseshell she-cat with large, white dipped forepaws, a white tail tip and muzzle. Her left eye is scarred over and blinded, while her right eye is honey-hued and almond-shaped.
  ⭃ apprenticed to Iciclefang.
  ⭃ daughter of Iciclefang && Stormywing ࿏ sister to Cragpaw && Crabpaw
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Noor ↛ @toyangel on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[FROZENPAW]

Frozenpaw pads into the clearing with hesitant steps, the excited energy radiating off Bouncepaw making him even more unsure about the whole thing. His ears twitch uncomfortably at her endless chatter, and though he would never admit it, a tiny part of him is glad she's distracted enough not to notice how quiet he's being. He casts an anxious glance at Batchaser and Snowlark, as if silently pleading for rescue, but Bouncepaw is already off, darting through the crowd like a squirrel on a sugar rush. The sepia sighs, muttering under his breath, "We're so dead if we get in trouble…" Still, he can't just leave her alone. Reluctantly, he trails after her, his glossy pointed fur prickling with unease as they weave through the bustling crowd of cats. The scents are overwhelming - fishy RiverClan, earthy ThunderClan, sappy SkyClan - but he tries to keep his focus on his best friend, who has already thrown herself into the middle of a group of apprentices. His stomach twists as he realizes there's no avoiding it now.

Standing slightly behind the she-cat, Frozenpaw gives the group an awkward nod of greeting, his gold eyes darting between the unfamiliar faces. Before he can figure out what to say, Bouncepaw had already introduced him, her enthusiasm spilling over like an overfilled beaver's dam. When Sealpaw speaks up, the young tom blinks, taken aback by the SkyClan apprentice's sunny demeanor. A daylight apprentice? Frozenpaw had heard whispers about SkyClan's connection to twolegs, but he doesn't know much about them. Sealpaw's pride in his rank is strange but oddly endearing, and the sepia finds himself relaxing just a little.

"Yeah, we're from ShadowClan," He mews quietly, his voice a stark contrast to Bouncepaw's and Sealpaw's excitement. "It's…um, dark and marshy there. Lots of pine trees. I guess we're good at blending in." He shifts uncomfortably, unsure if that's enough of an explanation. "It's…different, I guess, from SkyClan. You have twoleg nests near you, right?" He wonders if his old one is near their territory. He glances at Bouncepaw, hoping she'll take over again before the attention lingers on him too long. This is already more socializing than he'd done in a moon.​

// interacting with @BOUNCEPAW and @sealpaw

 

[SCORCHSTAR]

༄༄ The leader of WindClan stalks her way into the gathering in the same way that a panther would: golden eyes narrowed, wiry muscle shifting beneath coarse fur, ears pricked and attentive, tail lashing slowly side to side. Their gaze scans the crowds of cats gathered on each side, flitting past faces both known and unknown. Truthfully, the deputy has never looked forward to these gatherings; they are purposeless affairs, façades of togetherness, all put on by each clan like a friendly little parade. If only the peace weren't entirely false, and the claws of each cat unsheathed behind their backs. If only these times of peace weren't frequently interspersed with tense arguments—and sometimes claws—and declarations of battle. If only these gatherings weren't held upon what was once a massive battlefield, according to those who had been there.

The calico's hope for calm tonight is reflected in the way that they pause and turn to their new apprentice, murmuring, "You have been to a gathering before, yes? Keep your wits about you, and start no fights." Pride shines somewhere in fiery depths, but it is briefly overshadowed by concern for Splinterpaw. They may choose to stay by their aunt's side, but if they do it will only take them closer to each of the clans' leaders; it is up to them whether they stay close until the announcements begin, or strike out on their own for the evening.

OF THE FOLKLORE AND THE FABLES ☽♰☾ SHE’S THE TALLEST TALE OF ALL

• ooc: talking to @SPLINTERPAW. & open to interactions !
• 
• SCORCHSTAR ⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆ she/they, leader of windclan, tunneler
  ༄ small, slim flame-streaked calico with fiery golden eyes. stern and serious, ferociously protective of her clanmates.
  ༄ mate to bluepool ; sibling to rattleheart & rabbitclaw
  ༄ mentor to bilberrypaw & splinterpaw
  ༄ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ༄ penned by foxlore

​

​

 

[BOUNCEPAW]

Bouncepaw's eyes jump to Sealpaw as he begins to talk. She hardly hears that he's a new apprentice, too, as her ecstatic smile turns into an almost horrified expression. "You're a kittypet!" She blurts rudely, she momentarily covers her mouth with a paw to shut herself up but, ohhhh! She can't help it! Bristletooth has told her about kittypets and hadn't had anything good to say about them, neither.

She doesn't answer Sealpaw's question, too startled by the fact one of these kittypets were right in front of her. She had so many questions! "Do you really eat pebbles? Bristletooth told me you eat small pebbles your twoleg gives you instead of mice and frogs." She screws her nose and sticks out her tongue, icky! "He also—he also said kittypets are too fat and lazy to become warriors. I guess you don't look too bad, though." Despite her words being rude in terms of tone she doesn't sound hostile. In fact… wedged within her shock was excitement to get to ask all these questions. She's never met a kittypet before.

She glances at Frozenpaw and wonders if he too has heard this about kittypets. She knows regardless, it's true. Everything her dad says is both true and correct. "Yeah! You live in a twolegnest? Do your twolegs ever trap you inside? I can't imagine being told when I can and cannot see my Clan." She continues her waterfall of questions, StarClan knows the girl always had an endless amount of them.

OOC: interacting w/ @FROZENPAW and @sealpaw​

ღ

BOUNCEPAW . BIOGRAPHY / TOYHOU.SE
✦ female (she / her) / heterosexual, single
✦ 6 moons old / ages realistically, every 1st of the month
✦ apprentice of ShadowClan
✦ Myrtlefoot x Bristletooth / littermate to Juniperkit
✦ mentored by Batchaser
✦ penned by ava / message av.a on discord for plots!

Bouncepaw is a warm, brown she-cat with black tabby markings caging her fur. She has a broad muzzle and big, cream colored paws. White fur cascades from her chin and flows all the way down to pool at her underbelly. She has big, owlish, hazel eyes.

 

[BATCHASER]

It has been quite some time since he'd been to a gathering. He languidly drifts through his clanmates as his new apprentice chatters on and on with questions, he answers with a chuckle. The moon's rays slipped through the canopy above, as the long - limbed tom weaved through his clanmates and dipped into the hollow with his excitable apprentice in tow. The overwhelming smell of multiple cats gathered here makes his muzzle wrinkle slightly, while he cranes his neck towards the Great Rock.

The voice of Bouncepaw's gasp, makes him snort at the young tabby. A mentor mustn't have to keep their apprentice in eyesight at a gathering. A tail flick and a jerk of his muzzle, he allows the molly to on her merry way. Before he even has to say something, the young tabby is squealing and already diving into the fray of cats in the hollow, before he watches her spin around and say something else. He raises a brow at the excitable apprentice. "Don't cause any trouble tonight!" He calls at the retreating back of one Bouncepaw and Snowlark's apprentice, Frozenpaw. Batchaser pauses a few lengths away shy, while his hidden gaze beneath his curled fringe seek a purpose, though to no avail; the nearest candidates are Thunderclan nobodies he doesn't bother to look at for long. Then, blinked went to the gaggle of Windclan and Skyclan felines in tom's proximity. He part ways with Snowlark weaving his way towards shade where the sun would be present in the day. He rests on his haunches, the bicolored black smoke surveys the crowd, his vision halting upon Skyclan's medicine cat for a passing moment before drifting at random felines. He settles on eavesdropping on gossip and the like, well— an attempt to. The phantom finds himself sitting silently in the shade, hearing no recognizable voices, only white noise buzzing in his ears.

𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 ☽ 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙃𝙄𝘿𝘿𝙀𝙉 𝙎𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙒𝙄𝙏𝙃 𝙎𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙋 𝙂𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙎

• ooc. briefly interacting with @BOUNCEPAW, open to interacts >:3

• no ref yet.​

• ( A PROPER RED EYE ORB ) ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ BATCHASER. ╱ SHADOWCLAN WARRIOR.
  ᯓ☾ CISMALE ; HE / HIM ; curently 39 moons old & ages every 10th.
  ✦ pansexual / not actively looking — mentoring Bouncepaw.
  ✦ a tall shorthaired curly black smoke bicolor with hidden gold/green heterochromia beneath his curly fringe. a laid-back warrior who'd rather sleep and roam around the marshes. the cryptid being who speaks in a different tongue but has an obsession with the moon.
  ✦ thoughts ; "Speech, 7077A1" ; attacks only
  ✦ may powerplay minor harm ╱ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ✦ smells like rain-soaked pavement & sweet leaf rot
  — all opinions are ic
  
  — biography / @ on discord for plots
  — penned by calzone
  

​

 

[Newtpaw.]

MIND OUT OF ORDER
AND HEART ON MY SLEEVE​

---

newtpaw & 08 moons & agender & they/it & riverclan apprentice ​

---

━━ It isn't the first time Newtpaw attends the gathering - and if Splashdance continues to train them, it probably won't be their last, since the newly dubbed lead warrior seems intent to drag them along with her. Not that they mind - ginger pelt twitches excitedly where it brushes against her, rocking on it's heels, eyes scanning to crowd.

A group of apprentices - a bit young, by the looks of it - catches their eye, and an excited "Mrrrrp" leaves their throat. " Can I-? " they squeak out excitably, barely waiting for permission before tearing off. Newtpaw will rejoin her later, when things settle down and it's time for the leaders to speak.

" Hiya there! I'm Newtpaw! I couldn't help but overhear you - do you really live with twolegs? That sounds awful - they smell so bad, and they make such weird sounds! " They'd seen them before on the water and on the ice, had heard stories of the way they liked to set things on fire and wrap strange pelts around cats necks. Sealpaw, it seems, is even wearing one - it's wide eyes linger upon it. They pause, realizing with a faint giggle they'd forgotten to actually answer any of the questions asked. " Oh yeah - sorry. I'm from riverclan - we don't eat rocks, but we do eat fish! Though I actually like lizards sometimes too. I'm named after one! "

Oops, thay'd already said that, hadn't they?

━ actions & " speech, " & 'thoughts/quotes' ━

---

j u s t ━ t h a t ━ k i n d ━ o f ━ b e a u t i f u l ━ a n d ━ i m ━ h e l p l e s s

---

// interacting with @splashdance and then joining the convo with @BOUNCEPAW @FROZENPAW @sealpaw

 

[DOEBLAZE]

For the first time in quite a few moons, Doeblaze dips into the hollow apprentice-free. The moon is a benevolent eye watching from the silver-threaded tapestry of Silverpelt, bathing her shaggy spine in cool rays. Without Cloudywhisker to mind, she lets the flow of bodies buffet her where it will, content to shift through the crowd with little aim—so long as she doesn't run into Raccoonstripe.

Thankfully, she does not, but she almost runs into a bristling tortoiseshell shape. Someone's errant shoulder sends her forward; luckily, sinewy forelegs save her from tumbling straight into Scorchstar. Doeblaze blinks and takes a purposeful step back. She'd come close enough to the ginger-marbled leader that she feels compelled to offer a polite, " Sorry. "


" WindClan fares well, I hope? " Some variation of this leaves her lips every Gathering, she muses, and very rarely is it genuine. Her last proper brush with Scorchstar had been on the Journey; the tortoiseshell had been less than friendly, and looking back, she almost can't blame her. Nearly five seasons ago, and she had been so naive it seems laughable; endlessly believing in the good intentions of all, assured that things would simply figure themselves out. In the harsh scarlet light of SkyClan's past moon, the motion is so sadly simple it verges on the amusing.

// interacting with @SCORCHSTAR

​

 

[Dayfern]

Dayfern

Status: Curious, Calm

---

Dayfern watches Downyfur. Watches as she tilts her head. It was good that she was alright. "That is good." Dayfern nods as if agreeing. "Am alright. A bit cold, snow is very cold." She shivers in memory of the blizzard that raged a few moons ago. Her fur was not built for that kind of cold. "Not made for cold. Kits are... hmm... warm? Alright." She's not entirely sure how to explain or put into spoken words her thoughts. As far as she knew the kits were alright. She'd not spent a lot of time around Doepath's and Sunshinespot's little family to know for sure. Dovekit was funny though. "Funny. Yes, they are funny. And fun. Asked me questions. About hunting, and moss."

Dayfern curiously looks around briefly as she sorts her thoughts, attempting to remember how old some of the kits are, "Think some will be apprentice soon? Believe old enough..." She trails off in thought trying to remember. She wasn't sure how old Scarkit or Rosekit were, she knows Doepath and Sunshinespot's litters were too young. "Don't know to who. Will be fun." Dayfern grins at the Windclanner as she finishes talking. It would certainly be interesting to see who would mentor the newest apprentices. Her tail lashes in thought. She hadn't yet had one, maybe one would be under her mentorship? That would be fun.
​

---

Give me one reason why ☼────☼────☼ I should give up the fight

• OOC: Interacting @downyfur
• Dayfern - Female black tortie silver blotched tabby ☼ She/Her ☼ Warrior of Thunderclan ☼ Penned by Snowy ☼ 25 moons
  ☼ Contact TimelordSnowy on Discord for plotting
  ☼ "Speech"
  ☼ Thoughts
  
  

​

 

[SEDGEPOUNCE]

A snake-like figure slinks beside him, his fur a dark cloak around his rib-jutting body. He has round, moon-like eyes that pierce him with an almost sickly glow, and a jagged scar etched across the bridge of his nose. "Hey, Amberhaze," Sedgepouce meows amiably. He lacks a whole lot of bright energy, though the smile he gives is easy.

He's annoyingly aware of the fact that WindClan and ShadowClan aren't exactly best friends at the moment. He tries not to be too friendly, too ThunderClan-alliance-threatening, but Amberhaze has been popping up with all the frequency of an immortal fruit fly and it's hard not to find some comfort in a familiar face. Despite all his initial hesitation, Amberhaze has proven to be a pretty friendly guy. Sedgepounce likes him, he thinks.

His question slowly fades at Sedgepounce's smile. "Yeah, I'm..." Bunnypaw's gone. Peri's also...The absence of his clanmates hovers overhead like the impossibly tall pines. "Alright." he decides. "I'm alright."

He gives Amberhaze another brittle smile. There's only so much he can say before the leaders' announcements. It's just the way gathering chatter is.

"How're you, though? No more, uh, spontaneous choking fits around ShadowClan, huh?" he jokes, aiming to jostle Amberhaze with his shoulder good-naturedly.

// talking with @Amberhaze < 3
​

 

[SCORCHSTAR]

༄༄ It does not surprise Scorchstar that she ends up trapped in some conversation or another at every gathering. Talking amongst themselves does seem to be the initial point of these things, after all. But the faces who approach her are normally so dull, having nothing to say that is worth listening to for en entire night. Tonight, however, the face that nearly crashes into her is familiar—and it comes with a relieving lack of bared teeth or unsheathed claws. The leader's gaze snaps up at the apology, golden eyes meeting a single jade one. The work of Harrierstripe crawls like a signature across Bobbie's—Doeblaze's—face, and if the calico were not familiar with suppressing their reactions, they would have either flinched or pulled a frown so stark it would have seemed pitying. How much of the tension between SkyClan and WindClan can be blamed on that single fateful interaction, that escaped rogue who decided to exact vengeance upon cats who had nothing to do with Sootstar's fall from grace?

"Doeblaze," they say, politeness coating the other's name. They have not spoken to her since… well, probably since the journey. They may not have enjoyed it, but they had expected to continue feeling some sort of kinship with those they had risked their life alongside. Thankfully, they look at the molly before them and feel only the respect owed to a lead warrior who has proven herself worthy of her position. "I offer the same hope for SkyClan. Orangestar seems to be leading well, now that she has solidified her council." A flash of desperation lights behind her own eyes; her own council is falling apart, but she is trying to do the same. If only her most trusted clanmates would stop dying and disappearing on her.

OF THE FOLKLORE AND THE FABLES ☽♰☾ SHE’S THE TALLEST TALE OF ALL

• ooc: interacting with @DOEBLAZE
• 
• SCORCHSTAR ⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆ she/they, leader of windclan, tunneler
  ༄ small, slim flame-streaked calico with fiery golden eyes. stern and serious, ferociously protective of her clanmates.
  ༄ mate to bluepool ; sibling to rattleheart & rabbitclaw
  ༄ mentor to bilberrypaw & splinterpaw
  ༄ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ༄ penned by foxlore

​

​

 

[SPLINTERPAW.]

SHOULDA TAKEN A BREAK, NOT AN OXFORD COMMA​

---

they hadn't actually ever been to a gathering but part of them doesn't want to say that. when they became an apprentice they just... didn't go. but now, being here, they find themself unwilling to do much, aside from look around. their ears pinned back as their eyes moved from side to side, listening to their aunt say something about... not starting fights. how fun would that be if they know that they'd have to go home all injured? besides, what if they managed to lose? in front of all the clans? not a chance in hell they would let that happen. so, they suppose, they must behave. their tail lashes as they gently bump against scorchstar, before heading away to find a more quiet place to be. was every cat always this loud? it was overwhelming here. they could feel themself about to have a panic attack, already, and they've hardly been here that long. great. really. this was exactly what they needed right now.

// open for interacts but will not act nicely towards many cats but especially to riverclan

​

 

[TWITCHSTAR]

Twitchbolt shivered among the deputies, as ever, rightful place taken- eyes stained wide, he perused the inflated ThunderClan patrol with a wrinkled nose. Not that he'd ever really been fond of that oak-scent, but now it brought no trace of welcome, when once upon a time it had spoken of allyship. And it was cloying- like smog in his lungs, rolling wildfire. It set his pelt prickling; what, were they bringing a war patrol to the gathering? Bolstering their ranks with fighters, to- to call out some injustice? And that would be like ThunderClan, wouldn't it...

Juddering pupils darted to a spiny shape, nearing- he bristled a tiny bit, but the hunch in his back lessened as he realised the other was ShadowClan, not anything else. A sigh slipped through his nose, vision refusing to settle in one place- his claws flexed nervously in their sheathes, one eye winking with a spasm. "W-what do you think they've brought so many warriors for?" he remarked lowly, tone near-conspiratorial. Fangs pinched into pursed lips. It couldn't be for no reason... but why, why the Gathering? ShadowClan bordered ThunderClan, just as SkyClan did- maybe, maybe this tom would have some answers. A theory, anything that'd stop the swatting of his tail.

\ talking to @SHARPSHADOW ​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[Amberhaze]

His Windclan companion's despondence was thinly veiled by a smile that he wore just a bit too well. It wasn't difficult to put two and two together- Windclan had come up short at least two members- Bunnypaw and the much more renowned Periwinklebreeze, one of which was of quite notably important to him. She had been there when Shadowclan asked for their aid- when Amberhaze had asked for their aid- she seemed to be in good health and equally good spirits then. But life was unpredictable, something that he knew all too well...who knows what misfortune could have befallen not only her, but Periwinklebreeze as well in the short time their clans had been apart. He did not want to dig into his already weeping wounds, and so he would leave his curiosity hanging limply at the back of his mind. It was none of his business anyways, and his concerns could very well be mistaken for something more malicious...like gathering information. If he was even capable of such a thing. Which he wasn't.

"I'm...glad to hear it. Y-You look well, at least." He would reply with fractured nervousness, Sedgepounce's outspoken and almost overly friendly personality doing well in the ways of tearing Amberhaze's paranoid walls down. "How're you, though? No more, uh, spontaneous choking fits around ShadowClan, huh?" The strength used against Amberhaze was minimal, however their difference in strength could not be overlooked- they were both slim, sure- but Windclan was not starved. He felt his claws unsheathe and dig into the earth until they ached, acting as an anchorage between himself and the gravitational pull that threatened to send him barreling downwards.

His face flushed as he shuffled his paws, silently willing that he didn't come off nearly as weak as he thought he did. He had a standard to uphold now after all, or so he assumed. Either way, it wasn't a very elegant look for him or the clan he represented, even with all of their aired-out flaws. "Uh- Haha, n-no thankfully. That was just a o-one time thing. Truthfully I think t-that Vulturesong- Batchaser's sister- w-would have had my head if I d-didn't make sure h-he didn't choke himself t-to death." With a nervous glance around him, he would confess in a much more hushed tone, meant for Sedgepounce's ears alone; "I think t-that she scares me m-more than Ternstar..." Buy he wasn't really scared of Ternstar, he realized...she just made him nervous. Whether it was the good or bad kind, he wasn't sure, but the feeling it evoked was similar enough for him to assume the more negative option.

Talking to @SEDGEPOUNCE

☣

AMBERHAZEㅤTAGS
⚛ㅤmale (he / him) / bisexual aroace, single
⚛ㅤ20 moons old / ages semi-realistically, every 21st
⚛ㅤlead warrior of shadowclan for 0 moons
⚛ㅤnpc x npc / younger brother to wormwatcher
⚛ㅤmentoring talonpaw / mentored by wormwatcher
⚛ㅤpenned by sloane / encarcerated on discord

a short but lengthy black cat with a boney build and luminous ocher eyes
⤷ black oriental shorthair x cornish rex

​

 

[DOEBLAZE]

Scorchstar's vivid tortoiseshell pelt, rippling spirals of flame under the moon's light, would be pretty if not for its scent. The smell of open, ozonic sky and high golden grasses rolls off of her like sulfurous fumes oozing from a mineshaft. Caution, caution, says the heather and breeze slipping from strands of mottled fur, this one is dangerous.

Affronted at her own thoughts, Doeblaze shakes out her pelt. Scorchstar's very presence, the hallowed suffix she bears, are evidence themselves that the tortoiseshell has long parted herself from the blood-gorged leech that was Sootstar. The tawny warrior's composure has thankfully improved over the moons, as well, and so her hackles lie flat and her face remains neutral in the stark light of the canary's-egg winter moon drifting sluggishly above.

" It's appreciated. " She inclines her head politely. Scorchstar may not be her leader, but she is still a leader, and that begets some amount of respect.

" It took some time, but we all seem to have found our footing, " she agrees in cool puffs of mist. Doeblaze does not mention Kite's betrayal, Sorrelsong's rants, the tension simmering painfully beneath SkyClan's quivering behemoth skin. But a flicker of something—dismay? regret?—slips velvet through her eye. " I hope the same holds true for your reign, Scorchstar. " She tips her head slightly, tone polite but genuine. The tortoiseshell is WindClan's third leader, the second yet to be a tyrant; it is not a position she envies. Orangestar had inherited a much more favorable lot, she thinks, tensions and all.

// interacting with @SCORCHSTAR

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[SHARPSHADOW]

Sharpshadow's only ever known two places amongst the gathering, really... All the way at the edges, ducking his head as an apprentice— as a warrior too, for a bit, trying to stay out of the way, but most gathering-goers being too nosy to just let him sulk. (It's kind of a lie. He's too nosy to let himself sulk, most of the time). He never really found that in-between place. No— otherwise he had been as close to his Leader as he could manage, as a plain Lead Warrior... To judge them, mostly. It didn't have anything to do with who he was. Which was... no one, really.

It's why this was weird— sitting amongst cats who were somebody. Snakeblink was nearby... she had no idea how old the guy was, but it had to be getting closer to dirt's age, right? Roeflame undoubtably milled about, though catching the weirdly-small ThunderClanner in this crowd would be a blessing. Who knows what was going on with WindClan, and SkyClan...

The weird thing about them was they stuck around, despite the rumors, despite the names, despite the... look. He thinks StarClan might take him out if he dares to think of it as "ratty." Something-something... hypocrisy. How much could he judge a kittypet if they lasted longer in the forest than many mrash-born could?

Sharpshadow sits where somewhere else says he's meant to. That's... beside Twitchbolt apparently. She might think she'd chosen a bad time, if not for the name... She follows his gaze, out into the crowd... Fourtrees' scent was thick with oak, huh... The most he pays attention— the more he stops worrying about himself ( selfish ) he sees the many pelts hes unfortunately gotten accustomed to at his border...

" To show off, " he scoffs. It's easier than he thought, to talk to him. ( Had he really been worried to speak to someone named Twitchbolt? ) " Anything ThunderClan does... s'probably the answer. "Look, it's Leaf-Bare, and we're doing just fine!" " His voice is caught somewhere between a terrible Raccoonstripe impression and an even worse Flamestar one. ...Not that the two sounded even remotely alike.

OOC: grumbling to @TWITCHBOLT :3

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

He had intended to keep his muzzle out of trouble tonight — on StarClan's honor, he really had. But his single auburn eye meets the gilded orb of a troublemaking RiverClanner, and he's drawn to her gaze as if magnetized. Her pelt is familiar — she's the spitting image of the RiverClan lead warrior who'd mated with Stormywing, who'd stepped down from her position, as Hazecloud had so delicately put it at a previous Gathering, but Raccoonstripe can recognize the figure, the color of that eye, anywhere. No matter how she may wish to deny it, Stormywing has left her mark on this wretched girl, on this half-Clan abomination.

Raccoonstripe intends to walk away, but her muzzle curls, and she spits, "Got a problem, squirrel-muncher?" The tabby slinks closer, his mouth cutting a smile that does not reach his eye. "Problem? Me? I just caught a whiff of fish-stench and had to see what was disrupting the Gathering." The bridge of his nose wrinkles. How had Stormywing ever stood the smell of these water-dwelling fools? Even without scales in their fur, they reek of spoiled water. He has to suppress a shudder; his imagination tries to force him to rub his pelt against a RiverClan she-cat, to twine his tail with one. How did we never notice? She must have bathed for hours after meeting with that she-cat to get the stink out of her fur.

"I don't suppose you dishonorable cretins have any shame about showing your face here after what you did?" His laughter is low and warm, deceivingly so. "If there weren't a truce, I'd claw the other eye from your socket." His fur remains flat, and any passerbys would almost mistake his demeanor for placid friendliness if they hadn't listened to the content of his sentences.

[ interacting with @Pinefrost :) ]

… ❞​

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[SCORCHSTAR]

༄༄ Speaking comfortably with a SkyClan lead warrior would have been a laughable interaction to consider back when Sootstar was alive. The moorland queen had loathed the pine forest clan, and had made a point to do as much damage to the other clan as possible—even going so far as to lead WindClan's forces through a blizzard in her eagerness to steal their herbs. It is this exact madness that Scorchstar had sworn to never stoop to when she was gifted with her nine lives from StarClan. She could not imagine herself doing such a mad thing.

Doeblaze confirms that the council of SkyClan has found their footing, standing on solid ground. "That is good to hear." The way she sees it, the more stable SkyClan is, the less likely they are to push into the territories of the other clans or cause problems at the borders. WindClan need not be concerned if they do, not sharing a border with the pine forest… but issues always seem to trickle into every clan's attention when there are conflicts. Orangestar may be a stiff, somewhat unpleasant leader, but she is not unreasonable, and her straightforward attitude is a breath of fresh air at gatherings. Doeblaze offers the same hope of stability for WindClan, and the calico inclines her head at coincidentally the same moment as the tawny warrior does. A huff of amusement is her only acknowledgment as she speaks, "Thank you. We are certainly… figuring our balance out."

OF THE FOLKLORE AND THE FABLES ☽♰☾ SHE’S THE TALLEST TALE OF ALL

• ooc: interacting with @DOEBLAZE
• 
• SCORCHSTAR ⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆ she/they, leader of windclan, tunneler
  ༄ small, slim flame-streaked calico with fiery golden eyes. stern and serious, ferociously protective of her clanmates.
  ༄ mate to bluepool ; sibling to rattleheart & rabbitclaw
  ༄ mentor to bilberrypaw & splinterpaw
  ༄ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ༄ penned by foxlore

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[SEDGEPOUNCE]

A polite "Oh yeah?" escapes him at Amberhaze's words. Sedgepounce easily ignores the other tom's fumbling—it's weird, though, since Sedge is a WindClanner, and not even one of the biggest at that. He's never been strong enough to push another cat around. And yet it's Amberhaze's paranoid whisper that cuts closest to his traitorous, WindClan core.

For a long time, Sedgepounce thought it was normal to be afraid of your leader. Like, terrified for yourself, your friends, and your family sort of afraid. Sootstar crafted that kind of atmosphere so expertly that her iron-clawed grip over the moor lasted seasons, and it took a life-threatening Journey and inter-clan war for him to fully realize that it was wrong. So it prickles him, now, to catch even a whiff of that same sort of sentiment anywhere else. He tries to chalk it up to Amberhaze being anxious—still, the worry lingers.

"Scorchstar can be kinda scary," he responds lightly. That's true, at least. Nor is it a secret. "I mean, she's definitely a hardass. But she's good to us." He watches Amberhaze for...something. Some deep, looming fear that hunches his shoulders and quiets his breath, some sign that whatever terror plagued WindClan moons ago hasn't reared its ugly head again somewhere else.

Even so, Ternstar's less scary than Vulturesong. Reportedly. "We have a Vulture, too," he says, tired eyes sparking with amusement. "He's totally un-scary, though."

// talking with @Amberhaze < 33
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[TWITCHSTAR]

The bluntness of the ShadowClan deputy's response brought a laugh out of Twitchbolt before he could really think about it- something hoarse and short, a little bark bit back in these busy surroundings. Oh- he wouldn't think he was laughing because it was ridiculous, would he? No, it was because it was accurate- to cement it, maybe unnecessarily, he muttered, "Sss-sounds about right..."

His eyes flickered around- to Raccoonstripe, regular nuisance at their borders, who seemed to draw close to a Riverclanner with a sneer on his face. A sigh was not an uncommon sound from him, quiet in its exasperation- his tail flicked in vague annoyance, nose scrunching with something between amusement and distaste. Right ... he supposed it was better than having kittypet barked in his own face, to watch a Riverclanner be called... something else. Whatever ThunderClan could make fun of RiverClan for... oh, he didn't know why he was trying to think of something.

"... if it makes them feel better than us," he muttered, shrugging his shoulders. "S'pose they're quite happy looking b-better fed than the kittypets this time of year." Though, he hadn't forgotten that ShadowClan had no such flaw in their ranks. Flaw in the eyes of the oak-dwellers, anyways. Interest flickered sudden in his eyes, and he tore his gaze away from Raccoonstripe's brazen display to look at Sharpshadow, tilting sideways towards her and dropping his voice low.

"B-by how much time they waste bragging at our borders, I'm surprised they have much time for yours." Maybe they'd be even more glimmering in this Leaf-bare hunger if they wasted less time taunting.

\ equally grumbling with @SHARPSHADOW ​

penned by pin ✧​