IT'S HARD TO LIVE YOUR LIFE IN STRIDE (Pre-Gathering)

[Badgerstrike]

Badgerstrike strode into the clearing with wide eyes. The large molly had never seen so many cats in one place before. She was easily able to identify each clans scent, something she worked on during outings. She wanted to be absolutely sure of what scent belonged to who. Wouldn't be any good to confuse one enemy for another.

Rabbitnose made her promise to behave. She didn't quite understand why at first, but she did now. All these cats in one place was sure to be a volatile situation, wasn't it?

She took a seat and scanned the clearing, familiarizing herself with the faces of each clan. Scouting the competition, should they meet on the field of battle one day.

((Open for interactions!))
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[Grapejuice]

Grapejuice made his way into the clearing and took an attendance check of all who was there already. The fish food....The roadkill.....The shrimps......And Thunderclan!

Everyone was here. All in one space, trying not to kill each other. Sure, there was a truce. But what was a truce, really? Words dependent on morals? Any one of these cats could just. Break it. Easily.

He was just here for the drama.

Starclan knows those windclan and shadowclan cats adored it.

He sat his happy pudgy ass down where the kittypet haters could see him, with his ragged purple collar on display.

Grapejuice was a menace to society and these nights were no different.

((Open for interactions!))
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[SOOTCHASER]

sootpaw strides into the clearing behind his mother, with his head and tail raised high. normally, sootpaw doesn't care for idle socializing. but tonight, like every other full moon, he is representing windclan. representing his mother. it's a chance to make her proud of him, and more importantly, to gather information about the other clans.

as he moves through the crowd, the hair on the back of his neck prickles. someone's watching him. sootpaw pauses mid-step, one paw raised. when one lives without the cover of undergrowth, exposed and vulnerable, they learn to always remain alert. to be watched is to become the hunted, metaphorically or literally.

his hackles want to rise, but sootpaw forces them to remain flat as he surveys the clearing. olive eyes are reflected back to him. a young tom, who sootpaw wagers is around his age, is the one gawking at him. loitering around a group of apprentice-aged cats, with eerily familiar gray-and-white fur. a wave déjà vu crashes into the windclan apprentice, a feeling of should i know him? dredging itself to the surface. brows pinch together, his nonchalant facade faltering for a heartbeat.

no, sootpaw decides after a moment's hesitation. he's certain that he's never seen this apprentice before. it must be a coincidence.

he brushes it off and regains his composure, padding over to the group of apprentices wearing an impassive expression. it seems they're all quarreling with each other, and sootpaw snorts as he stops a considerate distance from them. "starting shhh-" his question is cut off preemptively as he realizes the profanity he was about to let slip, cheeks burning as he once again breaks his facade to glance furtively about the clearing. did mom hear that? no, no, she isn't nearby... thanks the stars. she'd have his tongue if she had.

sootpaw clears his throat and tries again, trying to pass the stumble off. "starting a fight already? the moon has scarcely risen; do the other clans not teach their apprentices how to behave?"

[ interacting with @GRANITEPAW @. Roepaw . @LIGHTPAW . @brookpaw. ]​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

It was the SkyClan girl's first gathering. She's been an apprentice for two moons now yet never has been graced with the opportunity of coming to a gathering. Whether it was because Blazestar, Daisyflight, or Tallulahwing didn't find her ready or because she always happened to be swamped with chores on the full moon, who knows! But boy was she glad to be here, fourtrees was just as pretty as she had been told and the leaders rock? It was HUGE! The biggest rock she's ever saw!

With a reminder from a few older warriors to behave herself, Figpaw departs excitedly and begins to be a social butterfly. The first cats she stumbles upon were from two separate clans. Figpaw with all the scents can't place from which yet, but she doesn't think it matters too much... Excitedly she hops over to them, "Hiya! I'm Figpaw- I'm from SkyClan." She introduces herself to the two, a wide grin plastered on her face. "Which leader up there is yours? Mine is Blazestar- he's pretty cool and also really big." She tries to point him out with a silver claw, in case they've never seen him before.

// @nettlepaw. and @DARKPAW :))))​

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Spoiler: TAGS ★ 11/17

( primary character / "speech" / ic opinions )​

╰ ★ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· FIGPAW, AMAB — she / her
╰ ‣ 6 moons .
╰ ‣ skyclan apprentice . believes in starclan, doesn't fully understand

╰ ★ ჻ 002 VISUALS & AESTHETICS ,
· DOMESTIC FELINE, smells like pine nettles & sap, status — 100%
╰ ‣ A red tabby she-cat with orange eyes.

╰ ★ ჻ 003 MENTALITY & MANNERISMS ,
· ENFP-A ❝ CAMPAIGNER❞ , Gryfindor, Lawful Good
╰ ‣ Excitable, generous, caring, quick-to-act, daft, naive
╰ ‣ finds relative ease relating to others . kind-hearted, will show mercy

╰ ★ ჻ 004 INTERACTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS ,
· NPC X DAISYFLIGHT, sister to Greenpaw, Violetpaw, Snowpaw & Butterflypaw
╰ ‣ IDK HER SEXUALITY I LIED . mistakes admiration for romantic feelings
╰ ‣ poor fighter . okay hunter .
╰ ‣ unlikely to start fights . will flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.

 

[MORNINGBIRD]

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His head snaps over to Flycatcher, before some of the fur relaxes as he notices just how young the other tom is. "Its that obvious then." He gives a nervous chuckle. "I haven't been around this many cats since I was your age, and to be frank, the Great Battle is all I knew of the clans until a few moons ago." That alone says many things. The old tom makes himself a bit straighter and goes for a proper introduction, "I'm from Skycl-"

"The anger isn’t worth it- it’s a classic case of a pest not getting enough attention from mommy at home, has to compensate somehow."

Morningbird looks over Flycatcher's shoulder at the gathering of apprentices, and already knows he's in for a long night, unless the moon decides to cloud over as he'd been told it would if Starclan did not wish it to continue. "Do any of those youngins happen to be yours? Some of them look a might itchin for more than a spar."

@Flycatcher //mentioning LITERALLY ALL THE APPRENTICES THAT ARE MAKING A FIGHT CLUB​

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header by lleafeons on DA, fancy via chérie​

 

[DARKWHISKER]

this gathering is darkpaw's very first, and the young boy is practically bursting with excitement. there are so many new faces, so many new friends, he doesn't even know where to begin! should he join that rather large group of apprentices over there? or should he try chatting with a warrior? maybe he should find an elder to tell him stories, ones that he's never heard before!

turns out, darkpaw wouldn't need to decide. another young cat, presumably around the same age as him, bumps into him. she introduces herself as figpaw, and darkpaw sets down his pebble to beam at the bright-furred she-cat. it's then that he notices another apprentice he doesn't recognize... so, definitely from another clan, but which? darkpaw has no clue. there's so many smells here, he can't tell which is which! "hi! i'm darkpaw. i'm from riverclan. and this is my magic pebble; it was blessed by starclan when i was reaaaally little. do you wanna hold it?" then, he looks to the other apprentice, who hadn't introduced himself yet. "where are you from? do you wanna hold my pebble too?"

figpaw asks which leader is darkpaw's, and points out the flame point atop the great rock as her own. blazestar, she calls him. darkpaw stares up at the large tom in awe. "wow! he is big. he must eat a lot." that's how cats get really big, right? they eat lots and lots of prey. "my leader is cicadastar. he's also really tall, but in the skinny kinda way. and he has pretty blue eyes, just like blazestar does!"

darkpaw looks to the other apprentice, obviously waiting for him to tell them about his leader. but, while he is waiting, he decides to satisfy his curiosities he has about skyclan. "is it true that skyclan has warriors who sleep in twoleg dens at night? and can you really leap all the way to the top of the tallest pine tree?" the last question is obviously a myth drummed up to wow naive kittens, but darkpaw knows no different. glancing at blazestar, he's sure it must be true, because that guy looks like he could leap all the way to starclan if he tried!

[ interacting with @FIGPAW & @nettlepaw. ]​

 

[DogTeeth]

His curls knew not hostile bristle, the gentle tom would waltz in the clearing on soft blonde paws. A fragile smile on his muzzle despite the tension surrounding him like an icy barrier between the clans. Dogteeth had not an ill bone to pick with anyone, not unless met in battle. Otherwise, like a butterfly he simply floats under the moonlight offering only his kindness and willing ear.

He pads past a small bickering match being settled between young Thunderclanners and Shadowclanners. Dogteeth pauses to raise his brows at the hideous exchange of words before shaking his head softly. A sigh lifting his lips as he makes his way toward an unfamiliar pelt. A ragged purple collar hung on a thick neck.

" hello~ " he meows, curling his thick twisted furred tail around his hocks as the cold air tugs at his damp shoulders. " that poor collar is getting ready for the elder’s den " he comments with a quiet chuckle, not meaning to offend but the state of the thing was quite blatant.

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OOC INFO REF

• — interacting with @Grapejuice
  
  
• — Dogteeth | twenty-five moons | cis-male
  — warrior of Riverclan
  — gay | crushing on n/a
  — small curly-furred blonde and tan tom with dazzling blue eyes.
  — very gentle soul / easily upset and sensitive
  — deals a nasty bite | physically medium / mentally easy
  BIOGRAPHY——— ✧
  
• 
  
  

​

 

[spiritpaw]

Wow, her first gathering, and it was HUGE. So many cats mingled beneath a gigantic rock, where the leaders have broken off to and she almost bumps straight in to Hyacinth trying to crane her neck up to see everyone up there (five leaders, all there, wow). She tells her not to get in to any trouble and a mischievous smile spreads across her face, evil in nature- but then she uses her nickname and shes giggling, her ear tips burning. "Okay, mom." she smiles at her mentor, teasing, before she steps away as she hears fighting. Oh, she wants to join, she really does, it sounds like fun, but unfortunately she knows she'd end up disappointing the one cat she feared to let down, so instead she turns back one last time. "I'll come find you when its over!"

Then shes off by herself, and its slightly scary considering she was itty bitty compared to half of them. She huffs as she almost yet again bumps in to someone, just narrowly dodging as she grumbles to herself. Gah, she already hated this place, maybe she'd beg Hyacinth to stay home next time.

// open for interactions !! just tag <3

"speech"​

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[smogstar]

A minimal amount of relief washes over him when the other tom returns the nonchalance. It isn't enough to fully put him at ease, as the tabby lived with his heart in his mouth on the best of days, though Thistleback's decision to put pleasantries before politics certainly took a load off his mind.

Smogmaw pays heed to the other warrior's words, breaking eye contact only when a hearty yawn overtakes him - which happens to occur mere moments after a proposition to cuddle is made on the stranger's part. No thanks. Such advances would only be accepted if made by a particular torbie queen. At the thought of Halfshade, his eyes skim over the cats who have made the scene after him. He cannot spot her, though he does pick out the faces of Granitepaw and Brookpaw amidst the throng. Apprentices did not make for good company, hence his focus returns to Thistleback for the time being.

"Smogmaw" he shoots back, mimicking the simplicity in the other's introduction. Although cuddling was not on his itinerary, the he moves to sit beside the black-and-white Skyclanner, a good half-leap away from his haunch. A shiver creeps across his shoulders, eliciting a groan of sorts. "It's gonna be a rough Leaf-bare, I'll tell ya that much, Thistleback" says the mackerel tabby, not facing his company but rather the horde of kitties in the clearing before him. "I don't know how much prey you've got runnin' around your little nick of the woods, but we're barely surviving as is." The only time he's slept with a full belly recently is after he shared that rabbit with Halfy; and that must have been some weeks ago.

"Add the cold to the equation and- well, it ain't a pretty picture." Narrowed eyes fall upon the collar once again. "Are you planning to stick around Skyclan for the chilly season, or do you have another home to go to?"

// interacting with @ThistleBack, open to other interacts! ​

 

[ThistleBack]

The leaves bristle menacingly above as the gathering is swarming with chatter. Thistleback’s eyes return to his angel dutifully, to make sure that smile was still intact. Paying a tattered ear to the striped man as he introduces himself in turn. “ it’s gonna be a rough Leaf-bare ”, he nods stiffly along with Smogmaw’s words.

" groundhog’s seen his shadow has he " Thistleback plays on an old tale, telling of the threat of winter. " The colder it gets, the fewer the birds " he admits, a respectful nod to Smogmaw’s own admission. " If anyone will, we will . Shadowclanners- I’ll admit, you lot are some tough bastards " he pays the man and his own clan a compliment.

The marshlander’s final question earns his metallic gaze, a brief wondering as to what prompted such a question. uh-huh, he follows the tabby’s narrowed gaze with a chuckle. " I never was a kittypet- this belonged to a friend… not much they can do with it under the dirt. and… I’ll suffer with my clan- maybe even more for their sake " he answers, bladed tongue flicking with accented eloquence. His paw lifts, toes idly stroking his collar once

" your coat pattern will do well in the coming snow though, i’m sure you’ll be put on all the hunting patrols. " he wagers aloud around a sharp smirk.

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OOC INFO REF

• — interacting with @SMOGMAW
  
  
• — Thistleback | thirty-two moons | cis-male
  — daylight warrior of Skyclan | leaves rarely
  — bisexual | fallen for Deersong 9.29.22
  — mentoring Coyotepaw
  — very muscular piebald black and white tom with spiky fur and cold silver-grey eyes. Wears a purple collar with brass clasp.
  
• 
  
  

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[Sporecloud]

Amanita strode into the clearing lacking her usual composure and elegance. Her eyes were tired and dull and her tail dragged along the forest floor. Being alone with her thoughts was agonizing, so she hoped the gathering would provide a distraction.

She sat with her tail wrapped around her paws, gaze pointed at the ground. Grief was hard to deal with. Even moreso when your first love dies at your paws. The scene would be etched into her memory for a long time, but she would force her mind to think of the better times she and Leopardcloud had together.

((Open for interactions!))
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[iciclefang]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

Iciclepaw heeds her mentor's warning with a bored ear flick. The apprentices who are causing problems are all from other Clans, thankfully. She has no interest in ShadowClan, and she doesn't know the ThunderClan apprentices who are participating in the altercation. "I have more sense than that," she says to @Smokethroat dryly. "Follow your own advice." Insolence and moonlight gleam in her eyes, but Smokethroat is preoccupied with greeting one of the WindClan lead warriors.

Iciclepaw hears a familiar high-pitched voice, and her attention diverts to the WindClanner's apprentice. She dips her head, a cool greeting. "So, we meet again. What's your actual name? Since I'm assuming it isn't kittypet." A shadow of a smirk creases her muzzle; she's referring to the brief argument they'd had from across the gorge at their shared border. "And I'm Iciclepaw. Nothing to do with fish, I'm afraid." She flicks her tail tip.

/ talking to @Smokethroat briefly; interacting with @spiritpaw

- ,,​

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[willowroot]

( ☾ ) striding in near the front of the group, the lead warrior gazes around her in muted enjoyment. gatherings so far have not been the most fun affair, but as leaders begin to leap towards the great trees and deputies take their places below, she can't help the shiver that trails up her spine. it's rather astonishing to see the members of the forest gathered like this. she prays to the stars that the peace will last.

feathery tail lightly touching the flanks of her two apprentices, she bends to murmur to them. "feel free to go and talk to the other clans. i trust you both to behave well." there's a purr in her voice as she gazes at their bright eyes. "find me when the meeting ends and we can head home together, okay?" steeppaw and ashpaw have worked hard this moon - yes on different things, but they've completed a lot nonetheless. willow is rightfully proud of her girls. they'll make respectable warriors one day. when the venomous voice of of an unruly apprentice hisses insults, she's confident her two will have nothing to do with it. the shadowclan and skyclan kids who spit back and forth are the responsibility of their superiors. still, as she passes the scene, she'll hiss softly, muttering, "a full moon means peace time."

tufted ears swivel as the feline works their way around the clearing, pausing to greet friendly faces and nod to stranger ones. just beyond the gaggle of apprentices sit two warriors that they haven't had the fortune of meeting yet. the grizzled sunset tom looks about as lost as any newborn, and the blue-silver tom beside him smells of thunderclan. with a soft smile gracing their features, willowroot pads over, offering each a nod of greeting. as they settle, they are aware of ashpaw's presence, ghostlike beside them. beckoning their apprentice closer, the lead warrior of riverclan addresses the two toms. "greetings," they say, taking in each in turn. "i don't believe i've had the pleasure of meeting either of you. let's see... flycatcher? from thunderclan, yes?" they'll tip their head, assessing the other. "and i'm afraid i don't know your name. mine's willowroot, this is ashpaw. i hope you don't mind me joining you two?

// arriving with @Steeppaw and @tinyleafs (ashpaw), passing the quarreling apprentices, addressing @Flycatcher and @MORNINGBIRD ​

( THE LIGHT YOU GAVE ME )

 

[spiritpaw]

Theres a painfully familiar voice that addresses her, the same voice that had shouted across the border, the same voice she had shouted across to. Theres a large smile that spreads slowly across her face, her head turns to meet the maker and yup, its the familiar calico from earlier. She had dipped her head, and in a bout of playfulness, she herself dips in to a bow- her tail wags back and forth much like the dogs she'd spot from the safety of the barn. "I would never be one of them, can you imagine?" her eyes slide to the Skyclan warriors as she rises back up to her paws... Her smile twists in to something more devious. "At least you can be satiated knowing i'm a real apprentice." sometimes Spirit doesn't get what shes saying, parrots words back and forth, a sponge of information- shes sure this is the right thing to say, however.

"I like your name, miss fish." she shoots her own tease back, especially when Icicle says it has nothing to do with fish, twitching her tail in amusement. "I'm a spooky ghost. My names Spiritpaw, and i'm gonna haunt people, uh huh." she giggles at her own joke despite it not being funny. "Is Riverclan cool?" she'd ask in genuine curiosity, blinking towards the girl besides her. Hopefully she doesn't get asked about Windclan... It was... Kind of a mess.

// being a stinker and interacting with @iciclepaw <3

"speech"​

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[Grapejuice]

He hadn't expected to actually be approached, especially not by someone so beautiful???? Holy shit???? He almost felt bad for sitting here trying to cause problems with his existence.

"Hello! I'm Grapejuice." He replied, introducing himself.

He put a paw on his collar. Yeah, it sure was on its last legs isn't it. "Yeah, it sure is, isn't it? It's been through a lot. Eventually the twolegs will change it...If they can catch me!" He said.

He kept his collar specifically to see how long it would take for his twolegs to catch him. It was for no reason other than to be a butt.

"You're a riverclanner, right?" He could smell the fish smell. But he had a question. "Do fish get cold?"

Yes Grapejuice, they do.

@DogTeeth
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[Flycatcher]

The older tom chuckles nervously, asking if his uncertainty was so obvious. "Don't worry, I am certain my expression was much the same when I first attended a gathering," Flycatcher confessed. "So many cats all in one place...it seems almost hard to believe, doesn't it? Especially after the Great Battle."

The two are joined in conversation by Willowroot and her apprentice Ashpaw. Flycatcher cannot claim to know the RiverClan lead warrior very well he vaguely remembers their face from the brief time ThunderClan spent in RiverClan after the fire. Before Flycatcher has much chance to respond to either of the cats the sound of raised voices draws their attention. Morningbird asks if any of the culprits belong to him and he is surprised to see Roepaw among the apprentices itching for a fight. Though he also cannot say he is surprised it wound up that way when he also recognises the ShadowClan apprentice who had goaded her on the border recently. "Unfortunately, yes," Flycatcher answers with a small sigh. "Forgive me," He says, dipping a head apologetically to Willowroot and Morningbird. "I need to go and ensure my apprentice doesn't start a mini-war with ShadowClan tonight."

After making his departure, he dashes over to the apprentices and steps in between them, stopping either side from getting close to each other. He gives a warning glance to the ShadowClan apprentices before his ire turns to the ThunderClan apprentices. "Roepaw! Lightpaw! Hold your tongues!" He snaps, giving them a warning glare too but it's not as fierce as the one he directed toward Granitepaw, Sootpaw, and Brookpaw. "You were two not permitted to come so that you could bicker with other apprentices tonight. Now, I don't care which one of you started this but I am ending it." With this, he looked at the other apprentices as well. "Roepaw, Lightpaw, you will sit with me for the rest of the night," He told them. "And if I hear another misplaced peep from either of you I will recommend to Emberstar and Howling Wind that you be kept in camp for a week and have den cleaning duties for the rest of this moon."

// responding to @MORNINGBIRD and @willowroot - intervening between @. Roepaw . @LIGHTPAW . @GRANITEPAW @brookpaw. and @SOOTPAW ​

 

[DogTeeth]

A fragile and hesitant smile turns brilliantly wider as the pleasantries are returned by the Skyclanner. Grapejuice, he introduces himself. " Dogteeth!, I-… know I don’t look like a Dogteeth, my name is way cooler than me" he admits with a dry chuckle, tail flicking idly as he listens to the man speak. Taking the icebreaking comment in stride and explaining his reasons for wearing such a beat-up thing.

Dogteeth’s butterfly laughter flaps gentle wings again, " you’re funny, Grapejuice" the laperm mrrows, paying hardly any attention to the lack of his own clanmates around him. Riverclanners didn’t associate with really anyone but themselves statistically. " Does it mean a lot to you? … maybe you can hide it in your nest and- trick em’ into getting you a new one!… then you can have two " it seemed a genius enough plan. " Mine means a great deal-… my clanmates give me shit for it but… I love it " he props a paw under his slim chain collar for emphasis.

Do fish get cold, huh- a good question. Dog tilts his head sideways with a pensive crook of his brow. " I’m thinking… maybe…but, I’ll ask one for you next time i’m fishing " a chuckle snorting out his muzzle once more. Long lashes pepper his cheeks as he looks the blue hued warrior over, noting the diamond shaped spot on his muzzle. Feeling as though he was staring though, the curly coated Riverclanner looks away with shy blinks. " the colder it gets- the more the river feels like claws on the skin. " he adds.

​

OOC INFO REF

• — interacting with @Grapejuice
  
  
• — Dogteeth | twenty-five moons | cis-male
  — warrior of Riverclan
  — gay | crushing on n/a
  — small curly-furred blonde and tan tom with dazzling blue eyes.
  — very gentle soul / easily upset and sensitive
  — deals a nasty bite | physically medium / mentally easy
  BIOGRAPHY——— ✧
  
• 
  
  

​

 

[hyacinthbreath]

♚ She'd never thought much about befriending people before she had become Lead Warrior of WindClan. The idea that she needed anyone other than Sootstar and Lavenderstorm seemed like blasphemy to her. After all, nothing ever went right when you put your trust in too many cats at once. It was only after she realized how many people she hurt, and her own resignation from the Lead Warrior position, did she realize just how lonely the world was. With Sootstar's faith in her dashed by her own broken confidence, it was only a right that she fix the broken relationships she caused.

Her apprentice dashes off to speak with Smokethroat's apprentice, and Hyacinth listens in to the conversation for a moment until Smokethroat greets her. She nods towards the tom, tail-tip twitching in salutation. She was never really good at being friendly with people, but she was learning- she was trying, and that's what mattered. Hyacinthbreath seats herself as she listens to apprentices bicker, a Warrior scolding them for their behavior. Those little rats were so loud and obnoxious.. Irritating. She was lucky her apprentices knew when to pick their battles.

Smokethroat asks how she's faring, and Hyacinthbreath frowns. Should she tell the truth? "I'm.. Okay." She half-lies, eyes fluttering down momentarily to the fresh scar across her chest; marking her exactly what she was. Someone who went back on her word, someone who chose family over power, over loyalty to Sootstar's cause. In the end, she was a cat with no belonging. "I don't believe I've introduced my kits.." She hums softly, feeling odd now that she can say such things to her friend. To admit it. "Aspenpaw, and Wisteriapaw. They're both probably in the crowd now. Can't miss 'em, they look almost damn near like my twins." She chuckled softly, a rare spark of pride in her eyes. "Periwinklekit is at home, but I'm sure he'd love to meet you one day, ja?" She smiles towards the other tom, tail flicking across her paws.

"How about you, my friend? I hope RiverClan is as peaceful as ever still."

// mentioning the arguing apprentices, interacting with @Smokethroat ​

 

[nettlepaw.]

Despite his age, it was his first gathering, though a first that was shared with many others. Oliveshade didn't necessarily want to participate in gatherings. It had taken all his courage to ask her, and while not outright rejected, he was sent along with another warrior to supervise him. It was better than nothing, he supposed. He trailed meekly behind his chaperone, a grey-and-white shadow as he entered the clearing with the rest of the Windclan cats. Nettlepaw was acutely aware of the staring eyes boring into his pelt ― maybe that was just him being paranoid. He shook himself in an attempt to free himself of the worry, to no avail.

If it was the only night within a moon to socialize, then he might as well. That's why he wanted to come, right? He'd envisioned... less cats. Or at least less chattering noise. His ears pinned against his head as he crept through the crowd, not paying attention to where he was stepping ― as long as he kept his head down, maybe people wouldn't notice him.

And suddenly, two other apprentices quite literally bump into him and are abruptly in his face, chatting away before he could even blink in surprise. Nettlepaw opened his mouth slightly, unsure of what to even say for several moments. The others ― Figpaw and Darkpaw, as he soon learned ― filled the silence for him. He sat back on his haunches, patiently waiting for his chance to speak in a conversation he wasn't sure how he got roped into. He absorbed as much information as he could: Figpaw was from Skyclan, with Blazestar overseeing, while Darkpaw was from Riverclan, reigned by Cicadastar. "Um. My leader is... Sootstar," he finally answered, shaggy tail waving in her direction on the rock. Young as he was, he couldn't grasp the full scope of implications that living beneath her rule brought; hopefully, his newfound acquaintances didn't either. "And my name is Nettlepaw. From Windclan." Arguably more important information ― he shook his head, mentally chastizing himself.

His face scrunched in confusion as Darkpaw presented a... magic pebble to him. Were all other clans this eccentric? Nettlepaw recoiled slightly from the rock, but his mouth spoke before his thoughts could fully connect. "Er - sure?" Whether or not Darkpaw actually gave him the pebble, it seemed he was stuck with these two for the night. At least he wasn't involved in whatever spat was happening between Thunderclan and Shadowclan apprentices a distance away.

interacting with @FIGPAW + @DARKPAW​

 

[WILDHEART]

"LITTLE HELLIONS, KIDS FEELIN' REBELLIOUS"​

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Wildpaw folded his ears back sharply as he snapped his attention towards Granitepaw. Every instinct urged him to attack then and there, but he forced himself to remain seated with his claws sinking deep into the grass beneath him. This was no place to start a war, and he also didn't want to lose the right to attend future gatherings. "I guess ShadowClan is lacking care givers if they're forced to bring their meekest along to this thing." He huffed as he shifted himself round so he could keep his back to Granitepaw, no longer interested in humouring them. Though he did find it funny that it was Roepaw and Lightpaw being cautioned by Flycatcher. He'd take the free shot whilst it existed anyway.

//Responding to @GRANITEPAW ​

★ ​