backwritten ONE BY ONE // COUNCIL MEETING

[Ternstar.]

SCORPION STING,
I DON'T WANNA BLEED​

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ternstar & 26 moons & female & she/her & leader of shadowclan

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★★★★★★★★★

—— ─ ─ Exhaustion and hunger weigh heavily upon the leader - in both mind and body. Still, in the aftermath of the gathering, she beckons her council upon her return - blue eyes weary. " Tonight was... enlightening. " she starts - knowing that not only do they have much to gossip about from the gathering, but that her lead warriors - her deputy - are likely to once again nag at her for her choices. No matter how much a comfort Sunflowermask's presence is to her, the rest of the clan don't seem to share her sentiments.

─ actions & " speech " & 'thoughts / qoutes'​

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( TELL ME THAT I'M NOT LOST )

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. ݁₊ ⊹ Ternstar is a massive blue-silver tabby she-cat with an all white head and striking vibrant blue eyes. She is far from the kindest of cats, often cold and aloof - with a notable soft-spot for kits, and a rather dark streak for mischief. She is supposedly mates with Wormwatcher, and is parent to Rainbowpaw, Cornflowerpaw, and Ivorypaw. She is gifted in battle, and still maintains all nine of her star-given lives. ​

// @Amberhaze @MARBLELEAF @Snowlark. @SHARPSHADOW

 

[SHARPSHADOW]

Her second gathering as deputy had felt just the same the first: blasphemous... Or maybe pointless was more accurate. They were on opposite sides of the spectrum, really... something that meant too much and something that meant too little. It was something that probably only makes sense to herself. It'd be far from the only thing like that.

A wary gaze finds Ternstar as she beckons them— all of her council to her den. She didn't seem to give a rat's tail about their opinions the rest of of the time, so he can't imagine what about the gathering so shocking that she suddenly welcomed their word. ...Not like Sharpshadow was haughty enough to expect cats to listen to her. Not like she wasn't aware of Leaders having the right to do as they pleased. Maybe once upon a time, it would've been a privellege to do so; one bestowed upon the cats that have served ShadowClan for moons... Oversaw them as warrior, as deputy, as leader. Had it been Smogstar, Sharpshadow wouldn't have much of a problem.

But it wasn't Smogstar. It wasn't Mirestar, even. It was Ternstar, a name that tastes odd on his tongue over two moons later. She hadn't earned the right to anything. She just... seized it, had it handed to her covered in flower petals by the starry paw of StarClan. He understands why Scorchstar had said what she had, he really does...

( Of course, hindsight and all of that... It'd be a lie to say he'd be blind Smogstar's wrongs in a world where his successors had never existed... It's those successors that keep her loyal to a dead man, after all. What a joke. )

Face furrowed, Sharpshadow waits to hear what she wants— and what they'd all do, regardless of what she said or how she said it. He waits... and waits. Silver eyes narrow to slits. His gaze darts to whoever else is closest to him for a moment, before shifting back to Ternstar. "Is that it?" He sounds more annoyed than he'd meant to, but his mental shadow-puppet of Ternstar ended up making him more mad than anyone else at the gathering had, apparently. If she was going to be aggravating, could she at least be straightforward?

"What, did you call us here to whine about how no one agreed with you and Lichenstar?" he deadpans. Hopefully not, because then he'd have to form an opinion on something he doesn't really care about. Obviously StarClan exists, but making it a part of the warrior code to believe in them was about the same as making, a warrior must not be an idiot, part of the warrior code. As much as he'd love to do that, every clan would be pretty damn barren afterward. She sniffs. "I hope your friend believes in StarClan after you said all that."

 

[MARBLELEAF]

MARBLELEAF

SHE / THEY ◆ SHADOWCLAN MEDICINE CAT

Marbleleaf, along with the deputy and lead warriors, is summoned with a quick, hard glance and a flick of the tail. She shuffles into Ternstar's den obediently, seating herself to the right of Sharpshadow. Her mind churns after the events of the Gathering; the code so loftily proposed by Lichenstar, a bid for morality and a plea for religious sanctity, had been shot down by the bulk of the forests' Clans. Ternstar, curiously, had thrown her agreement in… and the pale tawny healer regards her leader now, wondering. Perhaps their leader's fervor was a direct result of StarClan's meddling; it would be easy, she reasons, to dictate an adherence to StarClan's will when her rise to leadership had been exactly that.

Ternstar gathers them, but the silver-hued she-cat says little, and Sharpshadow fills the resulting silence with a gruff response. He had not been impressed, clearly, by the code proposal… Marbleleaf shuffles her paws at the bite in his voice. "I hope your friend believes in StarClan after you said all that," she bites, and the medicine cat's eyes go round with surprise.

The friend… Yes. The outsider. They had been let into StarClan without much thought at all from Ternstar, and they had infiltrated their camp like some pale-patterned, wide-eyed ghost. Marbleleaf has spoken to the intruder very little, but if they were truly lonerborn, then she supposes it's possible they have never been exposed to their warrior ancestors.

"There are cats in ShadowClan who would not have agreed with that code." Doubt creeps into her voice. "This is not a Clan who trusts easily. And they have every reason to feel that way." The medicine cat's whiskers shake as she shakes her head. "Are you going to… tell us anything? About the friend?" She decides to push, though her voice is pallid and mild compared to Sharpshadow's. "Like—where you know them from, and why you let them join us? The Clan deserves to know."

ooc:

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accordion

Marbleleaf is the ShadowClan medicine cat. She is thin, with a short fawn tabby pelt; the base color is a dull, almost-gray slate, and the whorling classic stripes are deeper shades of wet sand. She has white facial markings, chest, and paws, an angular face and build, and moss-colored eyes.

Lilacfur x Siltcloud / sibling to Sycamorebloom / mate to none / parent to none
mentored by Starlingheart / mentoring none
14 moons old as of 02/01/2025

penned by Marquette

 

[Ternstar.]

SCORPION STING,
I DON'T WANNA BLEED​

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ternstar & 27 moons & female & she/her & leader of shadowclan

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★★★★★★★★★

—— ─ ─ ' "What, did you call us here to whine about how no one agreed with you and Lichenstar? '

Once again, it seems, Sharpshadow does not bother to mince her words - and Ternstar only levels a glace at them, gaze as cold as frost. At least this time, she thinks, he has done so in private. Still, she cannot help but wonder what she'd been thinking - to choose her, to think that she would be a good deputy. True, he challenged her - something Ternstar was sure she'd need, if she was to adhere to starclans warnings... but that seemed to be the only duty he'd taken to.

" It does not need be a code for us to still adhere best we can, " she says lowly, a warning in her tone. Shadowclan has always been devout, no matter what her council says - star-blessed, with medicine cats who shared tongues with starclan both in the waking world and not. And for all that Marbleleaf is young, less trusted then some Ternstar has given her ear, she knows she too, follows in her predecessors pawsteps.

" Sunflowermask- " the name feels heavy on her lips, foreign despite it's familiarity.. They'd never had much need for words in their companionship, both seeking the silence and solitude. " believes in starclan as much as any other clan cat. " at least, she thinks they do - it is not as though she'd asked, but truly its irrelevant. It's not what they really want to know, is it?

' Are you going to… tell us anything? About the friend? '

A quiet sigh then, her face otherwise blank, tail flicking slowly. " I have known them for many moons. As a friendly face, and even as an enemy on the battlefield. We have exchanged blows before... and they have saved my life. That is more then many can say. I offered them a place because they have earned it. " she says. Shoulders tense, as she speaks the inevitable - but she knows it cannot be avoided. Already, she think she has seen Halfsun putting the pieces together, has seen that familiar flicker of knowing. Of familiarity. Her council, to, will put two and two together... even if she does not bother to spell it out.

" I spoke to Scorchstar tonight, of Sunflowermask's presence. It will not cause us any problems. "

─ actions & " speech " & 'thoughts / qoutes'​

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( TELL ME THAT I'M NOT LOST )

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. ݁₊ ⊹ Ternstar is a massive blue-silver tabby she-cat with an all white head and striking vibrant blue eyes. She is far from the kindest of cats, often cold and aloof - with a notable soft-spot for kits, and a rather dark streak for mischief. She is supposedly mates with Wormwatcher, and is parent to Rainbowpaw, Cornflowerpaw, and Ivorypaw. She is gifted in battle, and still maintains all nine of her star-given lives. ​

 

[SHARPSHADOW]

Sharpshadow blinks in reply, frown creasing further. She hates to look like Ternstar's wormed her way underneath her skin— but at the same time, didn't owe it to her to not look annoyed. She bites her tongue, doesn't bother to explain that she doesn't give a rat's tail about the code. She'd run her throat ragged correcting every cat that didn't know her. No one knew her, really.

Sunflowermask, her ears prick to the utterance of the name. A Clan name. And suddenly, that gnaw of a long-lost memory is grating harder. Obviously, he bristles. A rat's nest of a coat rucks up in indignance. A pair of silver eyes narrow. Really, he's a saint for waiting here, the way he does.

She knows she isn't alone in her frustration... Amberhaze and Marbleleaf had both made it clear the day they'd found Ternstar with the stranger, an adder crumpled at their feet. Though, Marbleleaf had a bit more politely... Evidently, she did most things a bit more politely. Sharpshadow flickers an ear in agreement, gaze darting sideward to the Medicine Cat. Nothing as clear as appreciation glimmers in her eye, or anything but... something's there, she supposes. The both of them care, unlike Ternstar.

He hardly has to read between any lines, because he'd fought alongside their leader then, when her name had been Maggotpaw. He remembers Sootstar calling for Smogmaw's death. He remembers being terrified that his mentor was going to die, and suddenly not having the energy to worry about the tom's life anymore, when a WindClanner began slashing at his own face. And somewhere in the throng had been Ternstar, grappling with...Sunflowermask.

"They're WindClan!" he surges, a hiss bubbling sudden on his tongue. His jagged spine somehow sharpens further, porcupine's quills flaring to life. No, they hadn't reeked of them. But that couldn't be all it took. It couldn't just be recognizing someone. It couldn't just be chatting aimlessly at gatherings... It couldn't be no longer smelling like Sootstar's dogs, even if you still had the face one. It couldn't be believing in StarClan. It couldn't be saving her life, when Ternstar oversaw a Clan that would do nothing but the same. (Surely she knew that. Surely she did.)

"You're not an idiot, Ternstar." Even if he felt like she was. No- StarClan wouldn't choose an idiot, would they? "You- You wouldn't let in any mange-pelt that can snap an adder's neck." So what if she had died that day? She had nine whole lives to burn. (And he doesn't think that, really. His blood runs too thick for him to ever look away when ShadowClan's leader dies. But stars— would it kill any of them to lose anything? Anything but their dignity, and any will to fight? Clearly- clearly it would. ) "A friendly face..." his snort sounds more cruel than he'd meant it to be. "Who is Sunflowermask to you?"

 

[Amberhaze]

AMBERHAZE

HE/HIM SHADOWCLAN LEAD WARRIOR

Amberhaze followed the group in silence, his jaw tensely fixed against a coiled tongue. He would only nod in response to Ternstar's words, his mind still swimming with endless conceptualizations of their current state. He wished that he could share Ternstar's sentiment regarding the proposed code- Starclan seemed to be of immense importance to most within every clan alike- it may very well be the only thing that brought them all together. But he couldn't care, he couldn't give it a second thought beyond what had already conspired. His concerns were set on something else entirely- someone else- and it seemed he wasn't the only one, given the words of Marbleleaf and Sharpshadow. He was relieved that he wasn't the one to bring it up first, his shoulders losing some of their tension as he allowed himself to bathe in a miniscule amount of relief.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Nothing truly did in this clan, he supposed, and yet... he still hoped. Was it foolish to do such a thing, knowing that most if not every time it would amount to naught but disappointment- fear?- maybe. But it was all he had, all they had, and his heart beat with a yearning that remained unspoken. At the utterance of Windclan, the admission that fell from Ternstar's lips, his jaw would audibly click as it set stiffly behind a twitching maw. Windclan! He felt sick, memories of times not so long past that it still did not hurt began to flood his brain newly buzzing with terror. Sharpshadow was on her in mere seconds, Amberhaze's overblown gaze flicking to and fro before finally settling onto her rigid form. It grounded him, really... the sight of him, the way his outspokenness made up for his hesitation. He was afraid of Ternstar, to some degree... or perhaps, he was more afraid of letting her down. Of not being the lead she had hoped he might be, because he did not agree. But this was more than just Ternstar, wasn't it? This was about the whole clan, about their safety, about their protection. A good lead would consider danger from every angle, surely? Not only by the angle presented by their leader.

"Ternstar- Y-You..." His voice nearly broke as he stepped forward, and he would pause to clear his throat before making another attempt. He would allow his pelt to brush against Sharpshadow's as he did so, a breath catching in his throat as the other's frame kept his mind a little more at ease. "You remember... w-what Windclan's done in the- the past. To bring in one- one of t-their own, even if they c-claim to have no t-ties to them... is that really something y-you can be confident in? They lied before- d-deceived us before- who's to say t-they wouldn't do it again? A-And when every clan k-knows were so weak?" He willed himself not to break eye contact, the thick fur along his spine threatening to rise. "Why h-haven't you wondered why S-Scorchstar is okay with this? O-One of her own- even if th-they aren't in their c-camp anymore- now residing w-with us... she should be angry. N-No leader would a-accept this...not unless t-they were planning something. Unless they- they want them here." It had to be a trick, there was no other explanation. "How long w-were they sneaking around on- on our land before f-finally revealing themselves? If it weren't f-for that adder, who's to say t-they wouldn't still be doing that now?" The adder, he noted, which may have been some kind of foul play in itself. No reptile was so active in the colder months, and for Sunflowermask to have jumped in without so much as a second thought... was it some kind of ploy for them to display their willingness to follow Ternstar? To gain her trust and ensure they had a reason to be accepted with open arms? He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't.

ooc:

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accordion

Amberhaze is a black oriental shorthair crossed with a cornish rex. He has a sickly looking build with a rat-like tail and unnaturally wide ocher eyes.

npc x npc / sibling to wormwatcher / other kin unknown
mentored by wormwatcher / mentoring lostpaw
21 moons old as of 02/21/2025

penned by sloane

 

[Snowlark.]

[ ༻❄༺ ] Snowlark listened to the words tossed around from the council members, each pointing out Ternstar's mouse-brain actions. The first, being to accept a code that was foolish in the first place. How could she expect everyone in Shadowclan to take such a rule when all Starclan has done is kill them? Punishing them, and much more. Not only that, she invited a former Windclanner into their home while they can barely feed their own.

"Windclan, and hardly knows how to hunt in our lands. Sunflowermask is... as useful as a freshly made apprentice. We're starving Ternstar and you allowed an outsider into our home. For all we know he's still loyal to Windclan." he expressed bluntly, eyes cold on their leader. Unlike the previous leaders, Ternstar was picked by Starclan while Mapletuft was deemed unworthy. Had they wanted someone who had been making foolish mistakes as their leader? Truly?

He didn't want to doubt Ternstar but in the moment, they're struggling, a lot. "From the stories I heard, Shadowclan's relationship with Starclan has always been bad, and now you wish for us to all believe in them? Not only that, you allowed a Windclanner in, someone who hardly knows how to survive on our lands, you're dooming him for what? Your selfish gain? Do you think the clan will blindly follow Starclan when even they have seen to make some... questionable choices. And, Windclan and Shadowclan have always had a rocky relationship, they stole Halfsun and Laurelgrin from us, under the help of one of our former lead warriors. How do you know he's trustworthy?" he expressed lightly, a slight frown on his lips. Would Smogstar have easily allowed an outsider in?

Would Mirestar have allowed them to easily lose a piece of land during a struggle? Or would Chilledstar have sat idly by while their clan was starving because their food was turning bad. Was this a test from Starclan themselves to see how far it would take before Shadowclan begins to turn on their leader? Accepting a windclan, losing the territory to Thunderclan, and not doing much about it. Shadowclan seemed doomed.

It would seem everyone here was against Ternstar's choice, from Sharpshadow, their deputy, pointing out Sunflowermask's origins, to Marbleleaf questioning her agreeing to a rat-brained code, and Amberhaze pointing out in protest as well to Sunflowermask being here as well. So, he guessed it had finally come to his turn to put an input on the situation.

❄

SnowlarkㅤBIOGRAPHYㅤ/ㅤTOYHOU.SE
✦ Trans FTM (he / him)ㅤ/ㅤBi-sexual/Demi-Romantic
✦ㅤ19 moons oldㅤ/ㅤAges on the 3rd
✦ㅤLead Warrior of Shadowclan for 5 moons
✦ㅤHailfreckle x Mudsplashㅤ/ㅤN/A
✦ㅤmentoring Frozenpawㅤ/ㅤmentored by Mirestar
✦ "Speak" ❄ Thoughts
✦ㅤpenned by Rynnarooㅤ/ㅤmessage Rinnaroo on discord for plots!

A pale blue sepia lynx long-haired tom where the majority of his body is covered in white, pale yellow eyes that are normally unreadable by most. His sole blue ear was nicked from an accident that happened to him as an apprentice, something he carries with honor. Snowlark is considered strange by most due to his usual "stoic" tones underlined by his immaturity at times, be it pulling pranks on others, to making out-of-pocket jokes or moments of outbursts of anger, Snowlark is strange but isn't one afraid to be blunt and tell one how it is.