PUSHING THE TIDES ↷ [ pre-gathering chatter ]

[SHARPSHADOW]

† I don't want to see any smiles tonight.

Sharppaw doesn't think it is a thought worth sharing. A metaphorical gloom hangs over them all – not limited to only ShadowClan, he thinks, as he watches cats from all five clans filter into the clearing. There are low - spoken words between clanmates, a few cats preen at their own pelts. Nervousness – it must be. What did it matter, how neat their fur was when they were dead in a ditch somewhere?

Chilledstar's announcement had been sudden. Way too late, had he realized that this journey would not be a lone suicide mission for ShadowClan and ShadowClan alone. All of the clans needed Lungwort, after all – though he cannot help but look to ThunderClan and SkyClan in skepticism. They had fought over the forest for a reason, hadn't they? And in the end, ShadowClan had been content to stay doomed to a boggy wasteland. Briarstar had been just as much an idiot as the rest of them had been.

At least he has an excuse to get away for a bit, even if he dies on the way. At least if he died this way, he could be someone worth remembering. Could be.

She abruptly veers away from her mentor as SkyClan's deputy comes toward them. This was their fault, wasn't it? Some kittypet disease streaking through their forest. In his hurry to get away, he nearly crashes into several cats, only pausing when he catches a familiar tortoiseshell coat. Was she going? He hopes that she's going.

Or maybe he should hope the opposite. Where were they even going? An indefinite amount of time was too much – too easy for her to know how he really was. The thought makes his pelt prickle uncomfortably.

As if they would have time to even talk with who knows how many cats between them both. What made Sharppaw so special?

He could be someone new.

Sharppaw stares for a little too long, before he's squaring his shoulders and and lifting his chin, not so much that he'd seem to think highly of himself, but enough to know he was judging you, the way that Smogmaw looked at him. Too late, does he notice the kittypet striking up a conversation with her – Sharppaw's eyes abruptly narrow into slits, his face peeling into something between disgust and discomfort.

It was probably a gross face. Sharppaw tries to put it away. He tries to think of what Honeyjaw may say – and momentarily, he is relived that the warrior would be accompanying him – he tries to think of what Smogmaw may say – and he balks, at that.

Look like you don't care. " I'm glad SkyClan is fixing this. " The comment is not as cool as he would like it to be, his eyes are still owlish as they look to the tawny kittypet, though he guesses its better than squinting like an angry kitten. And then – to Iciclefang. " Hi. " Yikes. Say more, please. " I'm going. " Not like she asked. Maybe she'd been wondering? " Um, I'd trust RiverClan a lot more... if you were going. " Is that weird to say? She kind of just says it.​

OOC † IN THE MIRROR 08.30.2023

• OOC: this ended up so long for no reason tldr leaving Smogmaw to go talk to @CHALK & @iciclefang !
•  

• SHARPPAW: brother to Rookpaw. Mentored by Smogmaw
  —— he / she , no pref , icked by they prns ; fine with gendered terms ( tom, molly, etc... )
  —— currently 14 moons old. warrior ceremony delayed due to lackluster progress.
  
  anxious, antisocial, paranoid. Sharppaw is a creature living in constant fear. Most thoughts are irrational, but consistent in that they are borne from pessimism and generalized anxieties.
  — In an era of assessing what has set him back and figuring out what he wants.

​

 

[FERNGILL]

Instinctively, Fernpaw kept near his sister; the reality of his situation was truly beginning to set in, having said his goodbyes to his father and Steepsnout. His family had always been something to lean on, a streak of support- and despite their differences, he and Iciclefang had gravitated toward each other for a word more than once. They clashed, but it was never something that blew into spark and flame.

Though he truly believed he could do this, he was capable enough to get the lungwort, he wasn't without caution. Maybe that was why he stuck with what he knew; it was a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

A single verdant eye tracked a tan Skyclanner striding over to his sister, and that was when he realised that he had been stood in place, thoughts astray. As a Shadowclanner with a glint of recognition in her eyes approached, so too did Fernpaw, studying them both. Going. It sounded so final, and- and maybe it was. This wasn't a heroic dream, but... this time, Fernpaw had known that.

"We're going, yeah," Fernpaw said- oh, that Shadowclanner was rubbing off on him. Their nervousness about something or other only increased Fernpaw's own precarious mood. Be strong, he told himself, and slightly stiffened.

\ talking to @SHARPPAW. , @iciclefang and @CHALK ​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[DOEBLAZE]

✿—— "i know," she murmurs. it soothes her heart, the way blazestar returns her goodbye, though his voice is a sad murmur that matches her own. it's a reminder that she has a home to return to now, a clan, a friend—that she is not risking it all for nothing. she feels safe, now, in the knowledge that he, too, does not yet want to turn away - she knows that in a matter of moments she will likely have to leave with the rest of the journeying party, but for now, she can stand and feel his muzzle brush against the rounded shape of her ear. the tabby's eyes are heavy-lidded with sorrow as she begins to lean into the touch, feeling an instinctive warmth begin to blossom in her chest - begins to feel reassured about the undertaking that awaits her.

that is, until he pulls suddenly away, leaving her to blink up in hopeless confusion. rosemary eyes follow bruised blue, and—.

oh.

a small, scarred black cat nearly brushing against a mound of pale fur. a cat she saw on the border, greeting her daughter, perhaps even accompanied by the cat besides her now—little wolf. little wolf, who blazestar speaks of in the sadly worshipful tones of some long-lost spirit to the point that bobbie had almost forgotten she was a tangible cat, a real thing. the golden tom looks to her even as he addresses bobbie herself, and the lilac tabby feels something twist painfully in her chest. his tone crawls with a formality she hadn't heard directed at her since the early days of their friendship, and she drops her eyes from the pair of thunderclanners towards white-tipped paws. another reminder of who she is - that she will forever be standing in the shadow of that small black pelt. she chides herself for ever thinking otherwise—she is one face in a crowd he must oversee, after all.

"i hope they will. this is goodbye, i guess," she rasps, already turning on her paws to leave. foolish. bobbie murmurs, "i'm sure you're busy. i'll - i'll leave you alone, then."

pain thudding in her chest, eyes burning with held-back tears, walking nearly blind with her eyes trained on her paws, she bumps into a cat standing in the midst of the crowd. a jolt that makes her remember where she is and she's sputtering, "i - sorry, i wasn't looking where i was going."

NO LOVE, HOWEVER BRIEF (✿) 𝑰𝑺 𝑾𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑫

• ooc: walking away from @BLAZESTAR & bumping into @Periwinklebreeze.
• nothing here, have a nice day :-)
• 
  — bobbie
  — she/her ; warrior of skyclan ; 40 ☾s
  — "speech" ; thoughts ; attacks
  — chibi by its_oliverr
  — penned by dejavu

​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

Howlingstar's paws are heavy as she leads her clanmates into the clearing. Instead of the formal, excited chattering she is used to being surrounded by in Fourtrees, there is soft sorrow in the air. Somber goodbyes said between friends and family, mentors to their apprentices, and she feels her own heart ache. Many friends are leaving the forest today. She weaves through the crowd, murmuring soft goodbyes and words of care to each and every ThunderClanner that prepares to leave.

Finally, she stops in front of her daughter, who stands pressed against the burly form of Hailstorm. She is no fool; she knows what this is. Gentle eyes look upon them, but she cannot bring herself to smile. "Could I have a moment alone with my daughter, Hailstorm?" She asks, tilting her head up to look at him. Her voice is choked with grief; she isn't prepared to say goodbye to one of her kits. She has faith she will return; Little Wolf is strong and reliable. But still...she isn't naive enough to forget this journey's dangers. Who knows how long she will be gone? Who knows what obstacles they'll face? She needs to say a proper goodbye.

// interacting with @LITTLE WOLF @HAILSTORM.​

 

[Mosspool]

Mosspaw was silent as she surveyed the other clans with narrowed eyes.

Some of their number would be accompanying her on the journey, and she could not help the discomfort she felt at that idea. She would not protest thought. If the stars wanted all the clans to go, then she would not oppose their will. Still, she would rather have taken the journey with only her fellow Riverclanners. This undertaking was already treacherous enough without cats she could not trust at her side.

All the clans needed lungwort desperately, that much she knew, and once they found it would Windclan or Thunderclan really be inclined to share? The latter had been kind enough to share the secret of the cure with her clan, and she would not forget that, but neither would she forget how keen they had been to take Sunningrock when they decided it was what they were owed.

Her ear flicked. She made an effort to look strong, stoic, and indifferent even as her nerves ran wild. Not just from her worries about the other clans, but fear that she might not see her family again. In her mind, the fact that the stars had willed this journey guaranteed their success, but it did not guarantee that it would be without cost.

//open to interaction​

 

[STORMYWING]

☁︎

She can still see the crumpled form of her sister in Berryheart's den as she said goodbye. She can still smell the sickness heavy in the air. I'll bring the lungwort back, Cloudyfur. I promise. I won't fail. She had spoken the words with a sad determination, standing over the fluffy warrior's sleeping body. She meant it with every hair on her pelt - she would save her littermate.

She strides into the clearing with blazing eyes, the hazel appearing as a burning golden flame. She is more ready than she's ever been in her entire life. And already, she is scanning the crowd, appraising who it is that will be traversing the lands beyond at her side. Who will be holding us back? She can't help but think judgmentally as she halts at Flycatcher's side. Her bicolor pelt brushes against his, as if she is subconsciously seeking comfort from her uncle. She says nothing to him yet.

// interacting with @Flycatcher

I WANNA TASTE LOVE AND PAIN ☁︎​

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​

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[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
Lightstrike was unusually quiet on the trek to Fourtrees. Just last moon he had made this journey to the Gathering. How ignorant he was to the things that awaited not too far in the future. Tonight, he would be going far, far beyond Fourtrees, further than any Clan cat has gone before.

Rather than mingle immediately, to see who may have also volunteered from the other Clans, the golden tom opted to sit near the outskirts, expression troubled and jaw set. Moonwhisper's angry words were still rattling in his head. Brows furrowing in annoyance, he scoffed under his breath. I'm not going to die. He wasn't so weak.

How many would die, though? His Clanmates- his friends? The cats from the other Clans? Would he care if cats from the other Clans died? He didn't want to think about it. Lightstrike turned his head away from the gathering of cats. Letting his Clanmates die wasn't an option.

// open for interacts

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

​

 

[batwing]

.i'll be your calm, —————————

————————— before the storm!.

▵ ———————— ◮ ———————— ▵

This gathering was... not like the rest that Batwing attended. It wasn't tense air floating above every cat's head, it wasn't the nasty glances- no, things were of... unease tonight, tense shoulders and grief-filled faces. Goodbyes were stated, some unsure if they'd even make it home. Some unsure if their clanmates would survive until they returned. And he himself was one of them, the last week filled with some folly of emotion that he didn't even want to describe it.

Unless he did, which would be.. what, insanity?

His pawsteps lead him behind Howlingstar to the gathering. On his heels was a chocolate tabby, his green eyes cast back towards her. Upon descending into the hollow, he found his pawsteps drawing to a decrescendo of movement. Leopardtongue may have pulled past him, or drawn back, but either way he turned his vision to face her. A breath inhaled, then his eyes squinted. To her, it may have looked a little funny, but to him, he was trying his best to muster all the urge he could to get this conversation even opened.

"Leopardtongue, I... Fuck." He ground the last word out oh so quietly, oh so painfully. His shoulders tensed up, trying to place his words. He finally inhaled deeply, looking at the other- deep into her eyes, as far as his vision would allow. Trying to connect their souls together and speak to some level of understanding. How could he have possibly prepared better? "What... what I'm trying to say is- I think that you and I... you and I should be friends. Not friends- no," He groaned loudly.

"Do you know how cats talk about like, different.. no, that's stupid." Batwing ground out, his ears lowering. His head turned away, feeling warm all over. Stars, he wasn't sick, was he? No, no, it wasn't that. The warmth in his chest, what was setting his nerves abuzz, his paws feeling like they were floating.. He didn't want to admit to it. He had to before he left. "Leopard, I think... you and I..."

// talking to @leopardtongue , no interactions please! (blitz u know what to do...)

"speech"​

​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Blazestar's ears pull back at the tone Bobbie's voice now holds. He does not know that she had seen him looking in Little Wolf's direction, and puzzlement creases his features. "I—wait, I'm not…" But she's right, he is busy, and the distance he'd put between them had been purposeful in it's own way. The flame point watches her pad over to a WindClan warrior, and he sighs, resigned.

"The moon is at it's peak!" He pads to the center of the clearing, his pale fur aflame with moonglow. He sweeps his gaze about the cats of all five Clans. "Journeying cats, you should say your final goodbyes and leave now. The sooner you go, the sooner you can find the mountains where the lungwort grows." There's a lump threatening to harden in his throat, but he speaks around it. "All of you, regardless of Clan or heritage, have all of our thanks. StarClan be with you."

He searches for the SkyClan cats going, pelts turned to ivory and silver under the full moon's light, and bids them farewell with a deep incline of his head. Their perilous quest will begin as they begin to filter out of the clearing, side by side, as though boundaries had never existed for any of them…

✧ INFO.

• the journey has BEGUN! cats who are meant to leave should wrap up conversations and leave Fourtrees! :D
  
  cats who are attending the Gathering but not leaving, please feel free to continue chatting and gossipping! Blaze is now open for interactions from those cats left.
• 
  — blaise . blazestar
  — he/him ; leader of skyclan
  — pansexual ; divorced ; single
  — longhaired flame point Ragdoll with blue eyes
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Mercibun

​

 

[falcongaze]

❝ CALLIN' IT QUITS NOW ✧°.☀ ————————————
The Gathering. He had been once before- the same night of his apprenticeship, only a moon into his joining of Skyclan. Joining, or harboring? He wasn't sure. Maybe he'd have flippant doubts about Skyclan with Greeneyes gone, but that was a problem for later. His paws carried him into the hollow, heart thudding in his chest as he listened to the sound of the gathering. It was eerily quiet for it's normal cadence, the grim faces shared amongst each clan's members.

A breath left his nose as he came to a stop beside Greeneyes. Blue eyes watched Cherrypaw amble off. Yeah, they had their differences, but Falconpaw didn't want her to die- he had thought that briefly before he left camp, hadn't he? His face grew weary, but his vision turned away. If he looked any longer, he was slightly afraid she'd find another reason to whack him. Probably for good reason this time, too.

He watched Orangeblossom slip off, same as his mentor, before he was being spoke to again. His vision shifted towards Greeneyes, and the ache in both of their expressions was obvious. Their time together had been short, but Falcon had latched onto the older- after all, he became somewhat of a... normalcy, in Falconpaw's life. Which had been nothing but twists and turns in a dark alleyway of sorts. The sewer cats, his father taking him to Skyclan's border, his sisters acting out, the bullying, then finally Greeneyes.

Blazestar's words echoed, and a low noise left him, something filled with grief.

For the first time in moons, Falconpaw had actually made a low noise of complaint. He often didn't groan, sigh, or bemoan his tasks. He was dilligent, quiet even. But he had never whined, and that's what he had done. He stepped in close to his mentor, forehead pressing against the other's shoulder. "... Who else would be around to cause trouble? Cherrypaw is going." He mumbled out. A cough left him, and he drew back, settling down. "I hope your journey is.. fruitful, and safe, Greeneyes."

// talking to @GREENEYES , open to other interaction!

"SPEECH"

[penned by dallas - ☀]

———————————— ☀.°✧ BABY, I'M A WRECK ❞ ​

​

 

[iciclefang]

She doesn't recognize the pale tawny warrior who approaches Fernpaw and her, but his scent is piney. There's something dusty about the way he smells, too, and although it isn't altogether unpleasant, she finds her nostrils flaring just slightly. He tells them he's going, and asks if they are. Her brother earnestly responds, and Iciclefang tilts her head. "Indeed. I'm Iciclefang and this is my brother, Fernpaw." She regards him coolly, wondering if she should ask the question that's immediately sticking out to her—are you some kittypet?

Sharppaw—stars forbid that's still her name—ambles over from where the marsh-dwellers cluster. Her silvery eyes are wide and nervous, her tone biting as she addresses the SkyClan cat. "I'm glad SkyClan is fixing this." Iciclefang humors him with a small smile. "Not alone, they aren't. I'm afraid we're all in this for better or worse." She flicks her tail toward the SkyClan cat and Fernpaw. "I'm not sure if you're acquainted, but this is Sharppaw." She moves questioning eyes over her friend's spiked fur, suddenly unsure. "Or…? Has it happened yet?" If not, she thinks humorlessly, at least the ShadowClanner is in good company.

She's preparing herself to say more when a voice calls attention to itself in the middle of the clearing. SkyClan's leader struts forward, telling them it is time for the journeying cats to embark. She blinks, a sudden pull of adrenaline tugging at the fur on her paws and belly. It's time.

"Right. Well, we are all going, aren't we? We can walk together, I suppose…" She shrugs, rising to her paws. "Let's not waste anymore time here."

With that, the tortoiseshell begins to make her way toward the woods beyond Fourtrees.

✧ INFO.

• engaged with @FERNPAW @SHARPPAW. @CHALK but also //OUT !!
• 
  — iciclekit . iciclepaw . iciclefang
  — she/her ; warrior of riverclan
  — lesbian ; single
  — short-haired tortoiseshell with white and ice-blue eyes
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Pin

​

 

[Foxfire]

Foxfire has never been to one of these gatherings before. Where normally she had planned to strut into the crowd of cats with her held held high, looking down on those that would look down on her for being a skyclanner and a kittypet, she walks into the clearing normally, looking at everyone gathered. Most of these cats... Weren't coming home with them tonight. They were heading off on a perilous journey, and she knew better than to act high and mighty at a time like this. Still, she does not slouch. She will not show weakness.

She feels...Strange, as she looks at her clanmates selected for the journey. This really, truly, could be the last time she sees them. She doesn't care for the other clan's cats. Her sentiments are for Skyclan only. And oh, the feeling of dread and anxiety she feels for them. Skyclan truly saved her sanity, all by just being themselves. Without them, she would be festering in hatred and wrath. She still is, but Skyclan's family has abated the flow.

If any of these other clans get the idea to harm them on this journey, she will visit upon them the same hellfire she rained on the twolegplace rogue population. She looks to the stars that the clans so fervently revere. She hopes they watch over them and keeps them safe, even if they will be so far away.​

 

[LUCKYPAW]

┌─────────────────── ☽【❖】☾ ───────────────────┐​

Anxiety rolls off of Luckypaw in waves, he's certain, but he can hardly help it, not with so much going on. All around him, cats from all five Clans stand, sit, mingle with one another, and the sheer volume of competing scents and sights and sounds is almost enough to send him running all the way back home. The only thing stopping him, besides sheer obligation to not embarrass WindClan, is the very fear that makes him feel the need to escape in the first place. If he made any sudden, rash moves, that would probably be unusual, he thinks, and more than likely, it would draw even more attention to him than he could handle. For perhaps the hundredth time that night, he finds himself longing for Cygnetstare, wishing that she were going with them on the journey, or at the very least that Sootstar had permitted them to join the gathering party. He can't blame her for not wanting to go - to be frank, he's not even sure he wants to go anymore, not when everything suddenly feels so real - but the sight of her dirt-marked frame beside his would soothe him at least a little bit, he thinks. In another lifetime, perhaps a second bicolored cat, standing strong against the crowd, might comfort him, too, but in this one the thought of seeing Badgermoon here, now, only sends him grief.

With Scorchpaw already off somewhere into the crowd, somewhere he can't see, the only solace he has left besides his fellow WindClanners still milling about is a small butterfly wing, tucked gently in the curve of his flank, to remind him of back home. Maybe if he closes his eyes, focuses really hard, he can imagine Thriftpaw giving it to him, how much fun they had chasing the insect down. In a swelling sea of cats, memories like those are what keeps him feeling grounded, though a new thought suddenly occurs to him - what if he lost the wing, somewhere out in the mountains? Who knows what kind of trouble they'd run into out there? Luckypaw's tail curls tightly around his flank, as if to shield the trinket from any coming harm. Maybe he should have left it at home, in his nest; maybe he should have left it right there alongside the soft green one he'd already been keeping safe, whose not-quite matching pair is surely out in the crowd somewhere right now. It's too late now, though; the harm is already done, and he's already brought it along, so he'll just have to work extra hard to make sure it returns in one piece. It could be a reminder, something tangible so that he doesn't ever forget the mission - if they don't make it back with the cure, then the wing could very well be all that's left of WindClan.

Amidst all the conversation, a lone voice rings out, louder than all the rest, and around him, cats begin to quiet down. It's hard to see, but he thinks he catches a glimpse of golden fur, a sturdy frame. It could be anyone, for all he knows, though surely it must be one of the leaders, what with his announcement that it's time to go. So, this was it, then, was it? The last moments he'd spend with those that weren't going on the journey. Suddenly, Luckypaw feels as though he has a million regrets - a million things he should have done, a million more he should have said - but there's nothing more to be done about it. Silent as he's been the whole time, the apprentice shifts a little closer to the rest of the WindClanners, searching for Scorchstreak's lead. How many of these other cats are going with them, he doesn't know, but all he can really hope is that the others are tolerable, at least. With one final glance spared over his shoulder, as if he could see all the way back to WindClan, Luckypaw follows, making his way after the others, and though he's never been more afraid, he keeps his head and tail high for all to see, trying to summon a confidence he doesn't have and a steadiness he doesn't know.
​

i'm falling into place, but still the timing's not right (☘) yeah that's a fire i just can't seem to light

• OOC: In and then out!! ^^​
• 
• 
  - Luckykit Luckypaw
  - He/him (AFAB)
  - 5 moons (Ages on the 1st)
  - Kit Apprentice of WindClan
  - Small blue tortoiseshell with white spotting & green eyes
  - Art by myself & meghan respectively! <33
  - Minor powerplay allowed!
  - Penned by Hijinks​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
Just like that, it was time to go.

The booming voice of Blazestar was what finally drew his gaze from his paws, searching out the hulking tom in the crowd, head and shoulders above the rest. It was time to go, he said. Like shifting sand, cats began to rise all at once, a ripple in the water and the crowd beginning to separate.

Suddenly, part of him wished he had gone around to speak more good-byes, made his rounds well before leaving ThunderClan's camp. Had it crossed his mind that he wouldn't be seeing home again for a long time? How long? Lightstrike should have paid more attention to it.

Along with the others the golden warrior rose, searching out his Clanmates and falling in line with them as they began to divide from the rest of the Gathering. His head was high, shoulders squared as he looked ahead, seemingly prepared for what lie ahead. Tumultuous feelings squirmed in the pit of his belly.

For a moment he paused and turned back, green gaze searching the crowd for an icy blue, perhaps a dark pelt or any lingering ThunderClanners, but he stopped himself. He wouldn't let himself dwell on it. With a puff of breath, he turned and followed his Clanmates out of the clearing.

// out

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

​

 

[Periwinklebreeze.]

❀​❀ OH HOME, LET ME COME HOME ❀❀​

---

periwinklebreeze & 14 moons & demi-boy & he/they & windclan moor runner ​

---

The touch of another is enough to startle him from his revere - blue eyes meeting green in shock and surprise. The first thing he notices is tears - unshed, but sitting there nonetheless. the next is her collar, and her scent. Sympathy and anger fight a battle within his gut as he blinks at her, mind scrambling to catch up to the situation. "N-no it's - fine. Are you l-l-leaving as well th-then?" he can't think of any reason else she'd be walking back this way, especially not looking so distraught. A paniced glance is given to those around him - even now fearing what he might hear from his clanmates, for talking to a skyclanner, even knowing this is what starclan wants. Unity - trust - kindness. The things that once came so easily to him are now hidden deep down, drowned out by reality. But nobody has noticed yet, nobody has glared or looked down at him in disgust, and so while his wariness doesn't abate he decides to treat her warmly. Her leader speaks, all but shooing them away, and the warrior agrees - tired eyes and a smile that looks as fragile as glass upon his face. "We sh-should probably g-g-get g-g-g.... leave with them th-then," he urges softly, voice hardly more than a murmur as he move, legs feeling as faint as a baby deer's beneath his delicate figure.

— home is wherever I&#039;m with you ❀

• Actions && "Speech," && ' Thoughts/Quotes '
  
  ooc: interacting with @bobbie and leaving the gathering; out <3
  tw/cw: —
  
• 
  — a lithe figured black and white tom with a false-pointed pattern and clear blue eyes that gleam periwinkle in the right lighting. he seems perpetually worn and exhausted, with heavy bags beneath his eyes and a slouched posture. he has a speech impediment which leaves him with a stutter and sometimes even completely non-verbal, and his fluffy tail is adorned with carefully woven daisies.
  
  — physically medium && mentally easy && pacifist
  — non-violent powerplay allowed && healing powerplay allowed && minor injury powerplay allowed
  — please attack using [b][color=#ccccff]action here[/color][/b] and tag account

 

[hazecloud]

She hadn't attended a Gathering for many moons now, she noticed as she had forgotten a particular root that kept itself hidden under plush ferns. Once there had been a time she could recall every hidden dip and curve on the way to Fourtrees, but her absence had left her clumsy. Thankfully it looked like no one was paying attention to the way she struggled to keep herself balanced, saving her face from meeting the ground.

What should have been excitement for her long awaited arrival at the Gathering was instead replaced with the overwhelming realization this could be the last time she would see any of this. The final time she could take in the sights of the oaks, the leaders perched on the stone. The overbearing scent of all Clans mingling together.

Hazecloud tried to focus on the rippling scent of RiverClan and found Iciclefang with her brother. She joined their side, tail-tip twitching as she bounced from looking at one cat to the next. "Would feel more like a migration than a mission." Her voice held a hint of humor, desperate to feel anything but the uncertainty that snapped at her thoughts.

Some more cats approach and by the sound of it, she will expect to join them beyond the forest borders. She isn't familiar with any of the other cats but that will surely change in due time. Introductions are wrapped up quickly as Blazestar opened up into the center of the clearing, sending them all on their way. Of course, it was hard to ignore the urgency to their cause.

Hazecloud glanced around once more to the cats that remained unmoving. Those that had to stay behind and hopefully survive. Do they think the same for us? The thought is brief, cut down as soon as it came. She had to remain confident, hopeful, it would go right. It was far too early to give up now.

// out!!​

 

[SHARPSHADOW]

† Sharppaw remembers him, the weird looking orange tabby at the gathering, back When Iciclefang was Iciclepaw. They're still close, even now. Sharppaw wonders if one of them had jumped in after the other, whenever Cicadastar asked for volunteers. Or maybe he hadn't asked at all, but rather, made them.

He learns that Fernpaw is his name – and also, he is significantly less weird looking, she thinks. The line Sharppaw's mind draws is done so slowly; a glance from Iciclefang, to Fernpaw. Siblings, littermates, even, and yet… Oh.

Fernpaw is like him.

Sharppaw does not know whether he should be relieved, or embarrassed. The frown he levels at the orange apprentice is disconcerted, more than anything. Sharppaw shuffles her paws, forgetting to say much of anything to Fernpaw at all, and instead replying to Iciclefang. " I mean – they're helping, " he amends, the floor suddenly exceedingly interesting to him. I'm not sure if you're acquainted. Sharppaw apparently knowing Iciclefang well enough for him to to be acquainted through her makes him blink.

But, oh – Or…? Has it happened yet?. " Um, " the embarrassment that comes isn't the sort that makes him want to claw pelts and stomp tails like it did in ShadowClan, rather, he'd like the earth to swallow him whole.

Blazestar's announcement is timed perfectly, allowing Sharppaw to conveniently, and obviously, avoid the question. Just like that, it was time. Startled, she nearly turns to Iciclefang to babble something like see you later, to her, before she is reminded that their destinations are the same. " Right, " she repeats, blinking. Sharppaw almost says something else really stupid, but ends up settling for, " Cool. "

A final glance is cast toward Smogmaw. As long as he knew where she was, everything should be fine, right? Sharppaw falls into step beside Iciclefang. …And the other two, she guesses.

OOC † IN THE MIRROR 08.30.2023

• OOC: talking to @iciclefang & sort of @FERNPAW and @CHALK &&. OUT!
•  

• SHARPPAW: brother to Rookpaw. Mentored by Smogmaw
  —— he / she , no pref , icked by they prns ; fine with gendered terms ( tom, molly, etc... )
  —— currently 14 moons old. warrior ceremony delayed due to lackluster progress.
  
  anxious, antisocial, paranoid. Sharppaw is a creature living in constant fear. Most thoughts are irrational, but consistent in that they are borne from pessimism and generalized anxieties.
  — In an era of assessing what has set him back and figuring out what he wants.

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[SCORCHSTAR]

The gathering is not bright and cheery, tonight. Where normally cats are mingling with one another—for better or for worse—now there is a heavy sense of dread hanging over them all. Golden eyes flit around the clearing, wondering which members of the other clans will be joining their little WindClan group on the journey. Flamewhisker's bright pelt stands out amidst the ThunderClan cats, and Blazestar's against the SkyClanners—will either of them be going? Soon enough, her questions are answered as Blazestar states that the time has come. They will be departing now, leaving on a journey that may not even help their clans. But what other option do they have?

Making her way to stand beside Luckypaw, she murmurs to her son, "Let's go, then." She will miss the moorland, and she hopes to return to it when all of this is said and done. But if not, if for some reason she isn't able to return—her kits will. The rest of the WindClanners on the journey will, no matter what she must sacrifice to ensure it.

In the crowd, she searches for a familiar ember-striped pelt, for broad shoulders and mismatched eyes. Where has Scorchpaw gone? She cannot find her daughter, but one of the leaders has announced that the time has come for them to leave, so surely the young calico will be making her way to them soon. With a final look out across the other WindClanners attending the gathering, Scorchstreak flicks her tail in farewell, and then turns to join the rest of the journeying cats.

// in and out​

[ LIKE A RATTLESNAKE ]​

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[LITTLE WOLF]

When her mother asks for a moment alone with her, her eyes flit momentarily to the cat next to her and she smiles at him reassuringly. "I'll see you soon" she says, her voice gentle and quiet. Her attention once he goes though is only for her mother.

She would try her best not to look as scared as she feels. She knows how hard this is, after all. She can imagine herself in her mothers paws but she would rather not. If one of her kits had even thought to leave and she could not… "I'm going to miss you… I'll miss everyone in ThunderClan" she admits quietly, her gaze dropping to the ground for a moment. It is hard to put on a brave face but she must try. Her mother needed her to right now. "I'll be back before you know it, mom, it'll be okay" she says, trying her best attempt at a reassuring smile.

A familiar voice is calling then and her ears angle towards the sound before her eyes find that golden pelt. Her gaze lingers and only for a moment he is the only thing she sees, everyone else burred at the edges, and then she turns her attention back to the striped she-cat in front of her. Her leader, her mother. "It looks like it's time to go" she says, her voice cracking "Goodbye, I love you. I'll- I'll see you soon" and then she leans forward, touches her mothers shoulder with her nose and then, with one last sad look over her shoulders she turns to join the other departing cats.

As she passed the SkyClan leader though, she cannot help but let her gaze drag across him. For a moment, a part of her wants to go to him, to say goodbye also but it would only make things harder than they had to be. For him or for her she is uncertain. Instead she gives him a small but sad smile and dips her head in his direction before flicking her tail in a silent farewell and then she quickly catches up with the others, eyes scanning for Hailstorm in the crowd.

// interacting with @HOWLINGSTAR
Briefly glancing at @BLAZESTAR
And looking for @HAILSTORM.
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[BLUEFROST]

Bluepaw has never been to such a quiet, depressing Gathering. The cats are bidding one another tearful goodbyes, and those like herself and Sunstride are lingering back, eyes on the cats who are commanded by Blazestar to begin their trek to the mountains. She watches young Luckypaw, who still seems half a kit to her, herded by his mother and shepherded toward the group of cats. "Goodbye," she murmurs softly, her eyes flashing. If this is their last goodbye, it will be a memorable one, at least.

She eyes the cats around her, sees a one-eyed tom who reeks of pine sap and one of Blazestar's lead warriors lecturing his apprentice. No, thank you. She goes to Sunstride instead, their Clan's newly-named deputy. "You and Flycatcher will be the only deputies here tonight, I believe," she mews to him, blinking.

✧ INFO.

• speaking directly with @SUNSTRIDE ; looks disdainfully at @Johnnyflame @Glimmerpaw @Dog ; open to other interactions from non journeying cats but will be dismissive toward sky and river :,)
• 
  — bluekit . bluepaw
  — she/her, apprentice of windclan
  — bisexual ; single
  — long-haired blue she-cat with white and green eyes
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — art by Meg

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