let's start at the rainbow - gossiping

[Howlfire]

It had nearly been a full moon since Orangestar had demoted Cherryblossom and most of her lead warriors. It was still a big shock for most of the clan, and some days Howlfire genuinely struggled with remembering the changes had happened. Howlfire had been meaning to sit and gauge Figfeather's opinion on what had happened properly, but their duties had made it difficult to get a good moment to sit and speak. So, since they were sharing tongues anyway, Howlfire saw no harm in a little light teasing and gossiping. "So," She mewed, snatching the conversation away from the idle chatter they had been making before. "Should we be expecting to see a deputy Figfeather soon?" If the other she-cat looked around at her, Howlfire would give her a wry grin, before going back to her grooming. "As one of Orangestar's remaining council members, I assume you would know best after all..."

Howlfire would carefully work out a kink in Figfeather's before speaking again. "I mean why else would she keep you around?" It is said playfully, knowing full well her friend had genuine ambitions to become deputy one day.

/ please wait for @FIGFEATHER to post first!​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

Her tongue laps over Howlfire's shoulder, lying flat a clump of fur that had stuck from her pelt. The last moon had been filled to the brim with uncertainty and confusion throughout the entire clan. With Cherryblossom no longer SkyClan's deputy and the responsibility of lead warrior only split between Twitchbolt and herself, no one knew what was going to happen.

Of course, Figfeather had an outcome she was hoping for, but the new rule Orangestar had introduced threw a wrench in her ambitions. Still, she hungers for that seat of responsibility and does what she can to prove to her leader that she is worthy and ready for the title. Besides... it wouldn't be too much longer until Daisypaw earned his warrior's name, perhaps with how well he was doing Orangestar would name him warrior early? She had to hope so.

Figfeather liked to think she masked her ambitions well, but she did not. Howlfire knew well what her tabby friend yearned for and teases her with it. The flesh beneath her face turns hot with embarrassment. It was relatively taboo to be open about desiring to climb the council ladder, most cats would silently expect you to keep your dreams to yourself. To Figfeather, it had always been out of respect for the present deputy... but no one currently sat in that position, did they?

Figfeather licks her own shoulder shyly, "...I don't know... Orangestar hasn't said anything to me about it." Was that a bad sign? Did she inform her chosen in advance? She doesn't think so... all the past deputies had turned into deer in headlights when she had asked them to head her call.

"...You... think I have a chance?" She looks around, nervous as to who might be listening. "With the new rule... I'm not sure I'll make the cut in time."

​

 

[Sorrelsong]

"mmm, you've practically mentored most of the warriors here. Just not officially." Though Sorrelsong didn't think of herself as a close friend to either molly, she was never one to miss out on a gossip session. Figfeather and Howlfire were cats she looked up to from afar. They were stoic but still warm, an odd mix she hadn't seen much in the clan. Honestly, she wished to be more like them, but that wasn't a thought she wanted to share right now.
She finished perfecting her grooming partner's fur before speaking again. The words came from her chest, so the tone was a bit shaky.
"It would be a bit..."Short-sighted? Silly? She flicked both words away, not wanting to talk ill of someone she held in high regard. "I don't think there is a cat better suited for the position."

✧ Out with lanterns, looking for myself

• 
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  — A chocolate point tabby molly with icy blue eyes and a slightly uneven pelt. She has small scars on her back, her shoulders and a slightly crocked tail.
  
  
  
  — 57 moons old; ages the 1st of every month
  
  
  
  — aro/ace. ; currently not looking
  
  
  
  — child of NPC and NPC :: sibling to Duskpool, Shadowfire and Smokefang
  
  
  
  — Mentoring Flora
  
  
  
  — Sky Clan; warrior since 3/11/24 ; loyal to Orangestar, Flora, and Duskpool
  
  
  
  — Not hard to befriend ; trusts easily
  
  
  
  — "speech", thoughts, attacking
  
  
  
  — peaceful powerplay allowed

​

 

[BLAZINGHEART]

𓆩✦𓆪 — Blazingheart never could see Orangestar's reasoning for promoting her own daughter to the spot of deputy but it hadn't gone in her favor and the tortoiseshell molly had been demoted with no one else being put in her place, the rest of the council facing demotion except for Twitchbolt and Figfeather. A part of her wonders who Orangestar would ask to join her council and who'd be her successor after she loses her final life despite how early it is to be thinking such things. Tidbits of nest material are laced in her plush coat as she slips out from the warriors den only to see her mother and Figfeather, her eyes brighten but as she draws closer she can't help but feel just the tiniest bit awkward at the conversation that they're having. The red tabby does her best not to cringe at the thought of this being spoken about so openly even if no one sat at Orangestar's side as her righthand cat, she awkwardly laps down at the unruly clump of fur on her chest and uses a claw to pluck off some moss from her pelt.

The lead warrior asks if she has a chance and before Blazingheart could say anything, Sorrelsong practically butted in saying how Figfeather basically trained most of the warriors within Skyclan and it causes her snout to wrinkle in silent disagreement. "No, she didn't." The large molly decides to say rather boldly but bites down her tongue not adding on the fact that the red tabbied lead warrior had not finished her littermate's training due to Wolfpaw having been taken away by twolegs. Daisypaw still had a moon or so of training before he graduated and Figfeather would have officially finished the training of her own apprentice. And yet, Sorrelsong continues to praise Figfeather about no one being better suited than the lead warrior.

Blazingheart grimaces only to glance in the direction of her mother with a shake of her head but she decides to hold off from her opinions not wishing to recieve any backlash from it, her whiskers twitch "You wouldn't be a bad choice..." The young warrior parts her jaws once more to speak being careful of her words not wishing to upset Figfeather, what the red tabby had done in going on the journey had been impressive and she had recieved a warm welcome when she returned... But there's a small voice in the younger warrior's head that Figfeather may not be experienced enough or she might burn herself out from her ambitions.

CHECK YOUR HEARTBEAT AGAINST MINE 𓆩✦𓆪 BUT THERE'S NO TRACE OF IT THIS TIME

• ooc — text here

• 

  WARRIOR SKILLS;
  — ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ HUNTING
  — ✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧ TRACKING
  — ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ COMBAT
  — ✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧ STEALTH
  — ✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧ STRATEGY
  — ✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ SWIMMING
  — ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧ CLIMBING
• 
  ✦ a large, longhaired red tabby feline with green eyes
  ✦ blazingheart's a sharp tongued warrior that can oftentimes come off as insensitive or uncaring even if it isn't necessarily his intent upon first meeting. she tends to come off awkward during small conversations so she will dismiss herself if she finds the situation tense. she's rather prickly due to several events in her life and seen tense for the most part but she's trying to improve, all of her opinions are IC only.
  ✦ 13 moons old; ages the 28th every month
  ✦ asexual biromantic; currently interested in no one
  ✦ child of coyotecrest and howlfire
  ✦ sibling to wolfpaw and hawkspine
  ✦ currently mentoring ... n/a
  ✦ hard to befriend due to how standoffish she comes off as ; oftentimes quick to anger ; very reckless
  ✦ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ✦ peaceful powerplay allowed

​

 

[DOEBLAZE]

The next meeting looms heavily in the coming quarter - moon . . . or maybe it's just the residual shadow of the last one. After all, not only had all but two of Orangestar's council—the majority of them a steady, constant authority for as long as she's walked the pines—fallen from grace, but so had her deputy . . . and daughter. Doeblaze wouldn't be so brazen as to say she'd expected it, per se, but she'd always had a small, nagging doubt about the young tortoiseshell, one she'd only become truly aware of during Orangestar's brief absence. Cherryblossom can't preside over camp forever, she remembers wondering, only to be confronted by the fact that that was indeed the entire basis of deputyship.

Of course, she'd never dared to vocalize any worries, even after the young deputy's sudden demotion; she'd chalked it up to the nostalgia of an old ex - queen. And she'd certainly never presumed to speculate on who might fill the void in their council Cherryblossom had left behind . . . and certainly not quite so plainly as her Clanmates do now. The tabby glances up from the nibbled - at jay wedged between her paws, its white breast plump with the dregs of greenleaf, her brow rumpling slightly as she runs her tongue over her muzzle to clean it off.

Howlfire's tone is teasing, but Figfeather's ducked - head reply speaks to some genuine ambition. Doeblaze's ears twitch curiously; she's never been one with much aspirations towards the council herself. Her own promotion many moons ago had come as a complete shock, and she'd submitted her resignation quietly . . . looking back, she feels like she's staring down the eyes of a whole different cat. In the end, it still feels like the right choice; clawing her way to where she is now had been hard enough without the additional burden of a lead warrior's duties. She'd hardly been in a place to keep herself functional, much less order around her Clanmates.

" Figfeather contributes a lot to this Clan, just as we all strive to, " she offers, ever the diplomat, hoping to put down any nasty tension before it can start. Besides, joining the chatter gets her out of her own head, which is always a good thing. Sorrelsong's lilt brings copious praise to the marmalade tabby, even as Blazingheart follows hot on her heels with a quick, bold rebuttal. The tabby warrior's tail swishes behind her and one forepaw kneads thoughtfully at the ground. Both sides have merit, she'd say; Figfeather has more than earned her retention of her council spot, of course, but she doesn't know if she'd go quite so far as to say nobody else was better suited to fill the vacancy. SkyClan's ranks were damn near bursting with capable warriors, after all.

" I suppose Orangestar will make her decision when she feels the time is right, " Doeblaze mrrows in a neutral rasp, hoping to withdraw from the conversation. She was regretting joining it . . . after all, it feels rather gauche to be discussing the potential promotion as if the candidates were dogs fighting for a scrap. Especially here in camp, where it seems very possible the ginger - and - white leader might be in earshot. Awkwardness ripples across her face before she can hide it; she solves the issue by tucking back into her bluejay before she finds some way to make things even more uncomfortable.

OOC : —

✦

​

 

[Howlfire]

Figfeather's worries are understandable in the wake of Orangestar's recent amendment to the warrior code. Any future deputy would need to have mentored at least one apprentice before they would be considered for the rank. After Cherryblossom's inexperience, it was definitely a fair addition and one that made sense. That wasn't to say cats who hadn't mentored apprentices would make bad deputies- certainly, there were enough former deputies among all the clans that could attest to that - but by adding that new rule, it ensured they had a little more experience under their belt, and that warriors fresh out of the apprentice's den wouldn't be thrust into a position they weren't prepared for.

Sorrelsong's words seemed to cause a bit of a stir among those gathered. She speaks well, and Howlfire could tell she meant no true harm, but can also understand why Blazingheart was quick to rebuke such a statement. She gives her child a quick glance to settle her before an embarrassed expression takes hold on her face blushing at Blazingheart's suggestion that she wouldn't make a bad choice. "Oh, I don't know about that..." Howlfire trailed off, licking the fur on her chest nervously. Becoming deputy was not a rank she actively strived for, though she had once admitted to Figfeather she would not have turned it down if offered to her. In the end, she nods to Doeblaze's words. "Yes, there is no hurry, and I'm sure Orangestar will make a fine choice once she decides the time is right," Howlfire mewed in agreement.​

 

[Sorrelsong]

She can't help but frown a bit at Blazingheart's sharp statement, grateful the conversation moves quickly to Howlfire. Why did the molly not agree? Her tail flick as she thinks. Had Figfeather said something to upset the molly? Had Sorrelsong? Biting the inside of her cheek, the brown molly returns to grooming her gossip partner's fur. Frustration builds in her chest, but she can't think of any way to question Blazingheart without it sounding aggressive, and starting a fight was the last thing the molly wanted to do, especially when it could just be a misunderstanding.
Embarrassment burning in the molly's cheeks, Sorrelsong nods with Doeblaze's assessment.
" Figfeather contributes a lot to this Clan, just as we all strive to, "
Perhaps the molly had been to quick to speak. Even though Sorrelsong was quite fond of Figfeather - the orange molly has been a consent since she had joined Sky Clan all those moons ago - she did admit that other cats had been there, too. Cats such as Howlfire, which she silently admitted would make a good deputy, too. Really, the clan had a multitude of honorable and capable warriors. Perhaps Sorrelsong was just sweet on Figfeather for one reason or another, but the molly had looked up to the golden tabby during her transition into being a warrior. Goodness knows Tigerscar left... well, he wasn't all that motivating.
Wolfpaw The realization hits her square in the shoulder. Her embarrassment deepens. Right. Her chest aches for a second, remembering the announcement that the cat has gotten catnapped. Duskpool and her had shared their fears of what had happened to the cat under a blanket of stars, though regretably she had not been strong enough to leave and look for Wolfpaw. Not in the kitty pet place. That had been around the time of the fox attack - so many were lost during that time.
Embarrassed at her strong claim - but still not willing to change her mind - Sorrelsong simply dips her head in agreement with Howlfire.

✧ Out with lanterns, looking for myself

• 
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  — A chocolate point tabby molly with icy blue eyes and a slightly uneven pelt. She has small scars on her back, her shoulders and a slightly crocked tail.
  
  
  
  — 57 moons old; ages the 1st of every month
  
  
  
  — aro/ace. ; currently not looking
  
  
  
  — child of NPC and NPC :: sibling to Duskpool, Shadowfire and Smokefang
  
  
  
  — Mentoring Flora
  
  
  
  — Sky Clan; warrior since 3/11/24 ; loyal to Orangestar, Flora, and Duskpool
  
  
  
  — Not hard to befriend ; trusts easily
  
  
  
  — "speech", thoughts, attacking
  
  
  
  — peaceful powerplay allowed

​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

Whispers of deputyship ran rampant in the air, naturally ... no-one was bold enough to discuss it extremely loudly and openly, but he couldn't help but overhear this conversation in particular. A deputy Figfeather. His friend did not hide the hope in her eyes, just as she had not hidden the scorn when she had heard he had stepped down from that role. It was clear by now to Twitchblt that attaining deputyship was an ambition of Figfeather's. Something so good, so honourable, that couldn't be thrown away.

He stood on paws that had trodden upon that honour. But what these cats did not know was that he had retraced his steps- that he had stepped out of the dark and faced Orangestar with a boldness he was without moons ago. Quivering lips had admitted his wrongness. Admitted that he could do it, if he was ever called upon again. Admitted that, even, there was a part of him that wanted it.

They didn't know, of course ... and he wouldn't tell them. There was no presumption that slumbered within him. If it were to happen, and only if, it would not be thrown away. Whoever was named, it would be an honour- one not to be thrown away. And most important of all, Orangestar's choice had to be one imbued with faith from every watching eye. A lot of embarrassment could have been saved if he'd just... just trusted her, the first time.

Twitchbolt's ear flicked, but he did not intervene. Figfeather would be a fine choice, truly.​

penned by pin ✧​