THE LIGHT'S GONE OUT FOR ME \ gathering chatter

[MERLINPAW]

Merlinpaw practically clung to Flamewhisker's - no, it was Flamestar's now - side as Thunderclan filtered into the space beneath Fourtrees, like the prickle of a thistle-flower hanging off her mentor's flank, as close as the young molly could get to practically gravitating around the flame-brushed leader. Moonlight filtered upon her dull-hued pelt, as though the beams rested heavily upon her nape and her back, ephemeral satin draped upon peach-fuzz angles. She wondered if it were strange that she hadn't attended a Gathering when she first became an apprentice, if the other Clan cats could somehow smell it on her like muck and grime infesting her plumage. It seemed that Flamestar would depart from her, though, as expected - she was not Merlinpaw's babysitter nor her mother... "Um, um, okay..." The tortoiseshell sepia muttered in response to Flamestar attempting to shear her away, and the molly shuffled off to find some comfort within the blusters of tangled conversation, like spines intertwining and fog-breath culminating in the same space. Flamestar said something about... Skyclan? Um, where is Skyclan? Dusk... Duskpool? Should I call for them? Hummingbird heart beat even quicker now, as though it had been set aflame, and clawed at the walls of her spirit to seep out of her very body. Shame at being alone in the vast sea of unfamiliar faces and names and verses plucked at her hackles, thorns between strands of fur. Breath came out as leaden as morning mist, as though she had to heave twice as hard to get them out of her throat, and she would sooner start retching for release from her own suffocation. Merlinpaw had been walking all the while, though she hadn't noticed when she started, or when she stopped. Did the world usually spin on its heels every full moon, or was it just her? Her wandering footfall led her to a couple of cats that couldn't be much older than her, and she shuffled quickly to be within their vicinity, as though the two strangers could grant her the solace from the grating drivel around her. One of them turned out to be Spiderpaw, a peer of hers that she had never exchanged more than a few passing, bumbling words towards. The other was a complete stranger, though he carried heather-nectar and sawgrass-dew scent alongside him. "M-M' name's, uh, Merlin... paw... M... This 's my f-first one, um, yeah. Like y-you..." You probably look and sound so stupid right now. Don't tell them who your mentor is, or they might burst out laughing at you!

( Talking to @Flamestar , then interacting with @Vulturepaw and @SPIDERPAW )​

 

[Flamestar]

〔✦〕The face to greet them next was one she had not seen at a gathering for quite some time. She had seen the flame splashed molly on her way to the moonstone, but before that she couldn't recall the last time she had seen her. "It is good to see you too." she would respond, dipping her chin slightly. "I wish it were under better circumstances." They still had awhile to chat before the gathering began, so she would lean back into a sit. She cast her head over her shoulders to look for Merlinpaw, and spotted her conversing with Spiderpaw and another apprentice that she did not recognize. Both of the apprentices from her clan were on the shy side, so it pleased her to see them talking to another apprentice.

As she went to return her gaze to Scorchstreak, she spotted Howlfire and Fireflyglow in the crowd. Two cats that she wanted to speak with before she announced the passing of their grandmother. Burnstorm was with them, and after some exchanged words, she could see the shock, pain, and anger on their expressions. He told them... Flamestar let out a sigh, and returned her attention to the deputies. "Apologies...I was checking on my apprentice, it is her first gathering." It was the first gathering for almost every apprentice she brought tonight. Many of them should have attended last moon, but their opportunity had been stolen away with Howlingstar's last life. "I will no longer be sitting down here." She assumed Windclan had pieced together the passing of their leader, but the news would likely come as a surprise to Twitchbolt. "But I will speak more on that later. How are your clans fairing? Leafbare will be upon us soon."

even on my weakest days ( I get a little bit stronger ) //

• ooc. interacting with @TWITCHBOLT and @SCORCHSTREAK
• FLAMESTAR —— leader of thunderclan , mentoring merlinpaw . storm x lily . littermate to nala, smokey, and nemo ✦ penned by icey !
  ✦ afab / she/her / 37 moons & ages every 20ᵗʰ
  ✦ widowed / heterosexual / closed to romance
  ✦ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline & tag account when attacking
  —— difficult in battle
  ★★★★★★★★★
  
  ✦ "speech", 'thoughts', all opinions are in character
  ✦ tags — msg on discord for plots — toyhouse
  
• 
  
  

  a longhaired red tabby with low white and green eyes. flamewhisker's fur is a vibrant hue of red, riddled with thick classic tabby markings. her fur is medium in length, and she has a large, feathery tail. her chest, belly, tail tip, and her paws are dipped white. flamewhisker's eyes are a dark, deep shade of green. her shoulder has a large scar on it from a fight with a dog. she also has a shredded ear from a disagreement with a loner during her time alone before joining thunderclan. on particularly cold days, or sometimes before a major weather change, she will walk with a slight limp from her shoulder injury.

​

​

 

[eaglepaw.]

Eaglepaw hadn't been.. all that surprised about Cloudpaw approaching him after it was announced she won the tourney. He was a hint surprised after all, but it was expected. Who else would Cloudpaw ask? He was sure she had plenty of friends, right? Eaglepaw is quiet as he follows her, wearing a warm expression with relaxed ears. If you had to ask him, he'd gladly follow her anywhere, if anything to keep his friend close.

As he steps into the moonlit clearing, green eyes shift over the massing of cats. A lot of them- it nearly set him on edge, defensive and guarded, before he felt warm fur against his. Bright greens met softer ones, and he relaxed into her, a breath leaving his maw.
"There's a lot of cats." He hummed, neither in disagreement or agreement- simply his observation. Her comment caused the breath he exhaled to get sucked right back in.

"I'm glad you invited me." He responded after a few heartbeats, his voice quiet, larger frame finally, and gently, pressing back against her.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ┌── PUTTING DOWN THE ROSES ⋅❁⋅ PICKING UP THE SWORD ──┐‎

• "speech"
  // talking to @CLOUDPAW

• 

• EAGLEPAW he/him, apprentice of riverclan, six moons.
  ⭃ LH black tabby with intense, greenleaf-green eyes. a bit taller then average, with a powerful frame and graceful movements, carries himself with pride. normally seen with a slight smile or a serious face. someone you can rely on.
  ⭃ mentored by npc / / mentoring no one
  ⭃ padding after no one / / littermate to graypaw, and streamkit
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[BUCKFIRE]

Buckfire thought that WindClan had a lot of cats, but Fourtrees was utterly awe-inspiring. Clusters of cats flocking from various clans were all mingling with one another, a massive chorus of voices—young and small and deep and light—ringing out and bouncing off the trees.

His mentor leads him into the crowd, molten eyes dancing around and observing the space around him. The molly points out a certain cat to him—Flamewhisker—a ThunderClanner who had apparently ventured onto the renowned Yellowcough journey many seasons ago. Her orange pelt was striking to the eye, her scars indicative of experience and ferocity. "Go-lly." Buckfire breathes, admiring the stranger from far, though it isn't long before other mollies catch his eye. There were so many beautiful felines here — they were hotter than a Thunderpath on a sunny greenleaf day, that was for certain.

"Gotcha." The former loner murmurs to Scorchstorm half-attentively, his focus now on a particular trio of cats a few paces away. One of his clanmates was already present, making it easier for Buckfire to slide into the conversation. "Howdy, Periwinklebreeze. Mind if I join ya'?" The brown tabby chirps as he pads over, shoulders squared and head held high as he radiates blinding confidence.

Not bothering to wait for a response from the tom, Buckfire's orange gaze rests on the other two now—not that he could tell where they hailed from, not just yet. One smelled of river water, which led him to believe that she was from RiverClan. "Ladies, I don't believe I've had the pleasure." He drawls, offering a respectful tip of his head. "M'name's Buck." A moment passes before he corrects himself swiftly, "... Fire. Buckfire. Apologies."

𝐈 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 ✹ . + ˚ · 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐈𝐌 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋

• parting from @SCORCHSTORM , interacting with @Periwinklebreeze. @lichenstar @Orangestar ( lmk if it's okay for him to butt in i thought it would be funny )

• 

• 

  a new warrior of windclan, buckfire is thirty-one moons. he is a ruggedly handsome tom, sporting lean muscle and a slightly taller-than-average stature. there is a nick in his left ear as well as a small scratch on his right lip. he smells of cotton grass and gorse. ✦

​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

To Flamewhisker, he wasted not a moment in dipping his head hello; first time he'd seen her he'd been an anxious mess, must've looked awful, like he was on the verge of collapsing. Was his posture better now? It was probably important to keep on good terms with ThunderClan, after all of the effort Howlingstar had gone through. And speaking of her ... Twitchbolt was beginning to feel a terrible pit in his stomach, like some shadow-cloaked information was about to punch him in the stomach.

Scorchstreak murmured her hello, too, and then set expectant yellow eyes upon him. Flamewhisker's question hung in stasis, but he snapped it up before it stagnated, cutting the pendulum. "N-no, she's well. Thankfully. B-but... I have returned as SkyClan's deputy." And more than he'd ever before, Twitchbolt spoke as if it was where he was meant to be.

Now she said it, Twitchbolt took notice of the fact there were many young apprentices among ThunderClan's throng. "Oh, you're- you're fine. They can be a handful ... in fact I'm not sure where mine's gotten off to ..." Candorpaw wouldn't be too hard to find, thankfully. His noble, singing tones were as inspiring as they were an exact beacon to his location.

I will no longer be sitting here. "Shit, I knew it ..." Twitchbolt grimaced, half in embarrassment and half in genuine grief. Howlingstar hadn't been his leader, but from afar he'd always thought her as noble. "Howlingstar- I'm... I'm sorry to hear it. SkyClan will- will be grieving alongside you, I'm sure." Some of us, anyway. They didn't all have a fondness for their neighbours, but ... Twitchbolt had always been able to trust they had an ally there.

\ interacting with @SCORCHSTREAK @Flamestar ​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[MARBLEPAW]

Marblepaw's first gathering had been with Smogstar at the helm of ShadowClan; now, it is Mirepurr she follows, her steps quiet and muted as she follows her deputy and her mentor into the clearing. The stars blaze with fervor tonight, and the air sings with the mingling scents of all five Clans. Her mind is elsewhere, however. She thinks of her leader, slumbering in his den, the scent of sickness moldering over him; she thinks of the herbs Starlingheart had shown her, how none of them seem to be working. How can there be a sickness even her mentor cannot cure?

Perhaps the other medicine cats would know. A golden-furred she-cat sits where the healers congregate. She recognizes her as Wolfsong's new apprentice in Cottonsprig's absence. "Celandinepaw," she greets, sitting a respectful distance from the other medicine-cat-to-be. "How is WindClan faring? Is that sickness any worse?" She frowns, tightening her tail about her paws.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: interacting with @CELANDINEPAW but open to the other interactions :] she is sitting with the medicine cats!
• 
• Marblekit . Marblepaw, she/they w/ feminine and non-gendered terms.
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — 8 moons old, ages realistically on the 1st.
  — mentored by Starlingheart ; mentoring n/a ; previously mentored n/a
  — shadowclan medicine cat apprentice, formerly a rogue. siltcloud x lilacfur, gen 3.
  — currently mated to n/a.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  sh fawn tabby with dull green eyes. courageous, curious, introspective, observant, judgmental, snarky.

​

 

[Orangestar]

It isn't Hazecloud who responds first. While RiverClan's deputy does hear her, Orangestar's eyes dart sideways towards the cat who has addressed her. Brown meets blue, a heartbeat of hesitation tempering her words before she recognises the long-legged WindClanner who has addressed her. How could she forget the one who had saved her life on the Journey, nearly four seasons ago now? Orangestar would be a dog's meal, that cursed leg of hers her undoing, had he not intervened. Orangestar shifts to make room for him, offering a nod. "Periwinklebreeze."

RiverClan's news, informally, brings good tidings. A hunting tourney, won by the Clan's youth, sounds like a curious and clever thing. For Hazecloud to have ranked so highly speaks of her skill as a hunter. But there is more: their trio is a quartet now, Orangestar realises as Hazecloud introduces her apprentice.

"Eveningpaw." Orangestar repeats, committing the name to memory. Her own apprentice had worn the same name, once. Eveningsun she was, now, but some part of the SkyClanner's mind would always see the calico as that bright-eyed kit who had climbed the sunning-stump. "I'm sure you will make your mothers proud in your training. I look forward to hearing your warrior name when the seasons turn."

Next, she turns her eyes back to Periwinklebreeze. His gentle attention carries with it no scorn or Clan-loyalty separation, as if this truly were a meeting of friends and nothing more. Orangestar doesn't allow herself to relax all the way, but her shoulders lose a small amount of their rigidity.

"Leaf-fall has so far been kind to SkyClan." She confirms to him with a nod. "Kits on the way, all the way to new council and an elder. How is WindClan faring?"

An unfamiliar drawl alerts them to the arrival of another. StarClan above, half the Gathering would be mingling here soon enough. Orangestar glances the tom up and down upon his introduction. Buck... fire. He could not be any more different than the other cat she knew who once wore the same kit-name, and her heart aches briefly upon feeling the empty space where Buckgait should be. This scruffy, earthen tomcat isn't someone she knows, and so one torn ear twitches with thought. "Orangestar, of SkyClan. You're new to the moors?"

ooc ✧ 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦

• // @Periwinklebreeze. @hazecloud @EVENINGPAW @BUCKFIRE
• 
  
  [ art by pin ]
• ORANGESTAR ✧ she/her, leader of skyclan | seven lives
  
  
  — "a scarred white-and-ginger she-cat with brown eyes."
  — (undisclosed) mate to slate ; currently expecting kits
  — speech is in #D2977D
  — tags | penned by mercibun, contact on discord for plots.
  
  
  
  

​

 

[beetlepaw]

His first gathering. Barred from going by his great-grandmother's dead, it brought almost a shiver to his spine as he gazed upon Fourtrees. He felt small, in that moment, compared to how many other cats were here. Some of them he had passed on patrols in the past moon or two, but seeing them here was totally different. No river to seperate, no Thunderpath to clog his senses. Beetlepaw breathed heavily for but a moment.

Then his father was bidding him to mingle- he stuck out his tongue before bumping Coalpaw with a shoulder, moving into the crowd. He isn't afraid- of course he isn't. Taller then some of the adults here, green eyes swept the crowd before finding a familiar dark pelt. He briefly frowns before crossing the gatherings space, looming behind @SPIDERPAW before stepping about him to peer curiously at Vulturepaw.

Windclan- the moors, of which smelt of hay, barley, and barely ash- he quickly catalogues the other. "I'm Beetlepaw." He breaks in, nudging Spiderpaw with a shoulder before fixing his vision to the other apprentice. Nothing about this apprentice screamed danger, so a grin split onto his muzzle. "That makes two of us. First gathering, though I could've gone last month if not for..." Beetlepaw pauses- his eyebrows draw together and ears lay backwards.

Whatever he thinks of crosses quickly, and the smile is back, as if he was never interrupted by whatever he thought. "No matter! How do you like it? This is pretty nuts, yeah?" He grins, turning his vision towards the rest of the gathering.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ┌── KEEP YOUR APOLOGY ⋅❁⋅ GIVE US MORE DETONATION ──┐‎

• "speech"
  // interacting with @SPIDERPAW and @Vulturepaw

• 

• BEETLEPAW he/him, apprentice of thunderclan, eight moons.
  ⭃ LH black smoke with bright green eyes. growing into a very broad and built tom-cat, mirroring his father's build. of average height, with a shit-eating grin more often then not.
  ⭃ being mentored by burnstorm / / mentoring no one
  ⭃ no romantic interests / / BURNSTORM X ROEFLAME - sibling to dovepaw and littlepaw, adoptive sibling to hopepaw and coalpaw
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[ivorypaw]

Palefire walks slowly, deliberately, into the clearing, flanked on either side by one of her apprentices. Ivorypaw looks at her mentor with concern — it's clear she's still in pain, her wounds from the battle with Skyclaw's warriors still not fully healed — but she only nods when the blue-eyed warrior tells them they can stay with her or branch off. The clearing is abustle; the scents, all of which she'd encountered at each Clan's respective border, mingle into an overwhelming crescendo. Ivorypaw watches Meadowpaw confidently stride away, but she clings to Palefire's flank like a burr.

A warrior approaches, elegant, smoke-furred. Their green eyes are luminous in the starlight. "Good evening," they greet, their words like cool water. Ivorypaw stifles her nervousness; she dips her head as respectfully as she can muster. "I am Willowroot of RiverClan, and this is my apprentice, Echopaw." Ivorypaw offers a smile to the other apprentice.

"Yes, we are ThunderClan," she answers, giving Palefire a look, as if to check it is okay to speak. "I'm Ivorypaw. I... I went to your border, the other day." She twitches the tip of her tail. "You all really swim, huh? Do you think swimming is better than walking?"

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: interacting with @PALEFIRE @willowroot @Echopaw~
• Adora . Ivorykit . Ivorypaw, she/her w/ feminine terms.
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — 7 moons old, ages realistically on the 16th.
  — mentored by Palefire ; mentoring n/a ; previously mentored n/a.
  — thunderclan apprentice. npc x npc, gen 1.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh white she-cat with curled ears and brown eyes. compassionate, righteous, naive, idealistic, self-doubting, self-destructive.

​

 

[Ghostpaw!]

My first gathering! Ghostpaw stared around just like she had during her tour of the territory. Somehow there were even more smells, and more cats than she'd thought possible. I didn't know there were this many cats in the whole world! She was only exaggerating a little. This was the second time Ghostpaw was separated from her grandfather during such a stressful time. As such, she clung ever closer to Howlfire. Despite the rocky start to their relationship, Ghostpaw was glad, because it had allowed her and Howlfire to get to know each other before she was apprenticed. She couldn't imagine being brave enough to face the gathering with a cat she'd never spoken a word to.

She nodded quietly as her mentor promised to stay near. Thank you, she thought, for words were still a little beyond her right now. Ghostpaw had been content with her offer, and planned to sit right with Howlfire the whole night. She could make friends next time, when things weren't so, new. Then came a... confrontation. The sound of stern words and scarcely hid frustration sent a jolt through Ghostpaw's fluffy body. Though it wasn't Howlfire who spoke, it took the young molly back to when it had been her, when Ghostpaw had interrupted a moment of dear grief for the new lead warrior. She shrunk back, her pale eyes darting from cat to cat as a familial drama she couldn't begin to understand unfolded. I'll... I'll come back, she thought, backing off step by step.

Duskpool was around, he had to be to bring Foxglovepaw to his first gathering. I bet I could find them, she thought. She walked carefully, head held low and ears twitched back. She wove through the crowd, craning her neck every few steps in search of her family. Overwhelmed by scents and sounds, they were impossible to pick out. Ghostpaw dropped her head once more, only to run headlong into another body. Oh no! She stumbled back, nearly stepping on her own tail which had been dragging through the trampled leaves.
"H-Hi! Excuse me, I mean, I'm so sorry, I, um... I wasn't looking where I was going." She had done it more than once in SkyClan. Hopefully the embarrassing truth worked as well here as it did at home.

// leaving @Howlfire 's side, wandered into @WOLFPAW​

 

[Pinepaw ⭒]

-ˋˏ ༻ ❆༺ ˎˊ- Pinepaw was lucky, maybe the luckiest apprentice in the whole of RiverClan. Though she had gotten to attend the last gathering, the honey-kissed apprentice craved for another turn, and her wish had been easily granted given her mother- and mentors- status.

Last time her experience had been quickly soured by that perky ShadowClan apprentice, but that right had quickly been wronged with Pinepaw's much better gesture. The shimmery to my shiny. The sentiment echoes fondly behind electric golden hues, and Pinepaw breaks into a subconscious hum as she trots beside her mother.

The clearing has already begun to fill, and Pinepaw keeps her ears swiveling in alternating directions, catching broken glimpses of irrelevant conversations. What did this full moon meeting have in store for the apprentice? The tortoiseshell hardly notices when she's begun to put distance between her and her mentors mirrored flanks, if only by a tail-length.

"Ack!" The burst is an instinct when something, or someone abruptly clashes against her shoulder. The ashen hue catches in Pinepaw's peripheral, though it is only vaguely familiar. The tortoiseshell barely spares a glimpse over her shoulder, and it is only to scrunch her nose in the waning face of equally citrus-toned hues. "'Scuse you!" Tree-licker, the girls mind silently adds. Iciclefang would use the apprentice's fur to line her nest if she caught her apprentice spitting insults under tonight's moon.

Jostled from her line of thought, Pinepaw finally notices the way her gait had become misaligned from Iciclefang's. Shit. Hopefully the steely warrior hadn't been trying to get her attention. Dutifully, Pinepaw gravitates back to her rightful place, blinking at Iciclefang somewhat defensively. " He'now, that lady ran into me, I swear." Nevermind the fact that the ThunderClanner had been standing still, or Pinepaw's tendency to knock into her own clanmates shoulders. "Where to?" Hopefully if she changed the subject quick enough, her indiscretion could become a quick thing of the past.

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

• Interacting w/ @iciclefang
  Briefly Interacting w/ (shoulder checking) @STORMYWING
  open for other interacts !
  

• 

• 
  PINEPAW ✩ she/her, apprentice of riverclan, 6 moons.
  ⭃ stocky, coarse-furred tortoiseshell she-cat with large, white dipped forepaws, a white tail tip and muzzle. Honey hued optics take the shape of almonds.
  ⭃ apprenticed to Iciclefang.
  ⭃ daughter of Iciclefang && Stormywing ࿏ sister to Cragpaw && Crabpaw
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Noor ↛ @toyangel on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[iciclefang]

The last Gathering had been uneventful, in truth, but this one seems promising. The moon is low and full, voluptuous; there is easy chatter in the air. Iciclefang guides Pinepaw into the clearing behind Lichenstar and Hazecloud, tasting the air and relishing the bite of leaf-fall behind it. "Smogstar doesn't seem to be here tonight," she murmurs; unknowingly, her apprentice has disappeared from her side, her spotted head in the clouds.

"Pinepaw? Where —" Her blue gaze sweeps the crowd, more annoyed than anything, when she finds her dappled daughter swinging back toward her. Pinepaw's own face is creased with displeasure. "That lady ran into me, I swear." Iciclefang turns to scan the crowd for the lady in question, and when she finds her, her blood freezes.

ThunderClan had been absent last moon, but Stormywing is here tonight, flanked by cats Iciclefang can only assume are proteges. The tortoiseshell feels a burn begin to work its way from her chest to her belly. "Did you apologize?" She doesn't know what else to say — her lips feel numb. She strains to meet Stormywing's glossy golden eyes for only a heartbeat before she twists them onto her daughter's — their daughter's.

Iciclefang blinks rapidly. "Nevermind. ThunderClan cats forget their manners." She shakes her fur, letting her insecurities roll away like riverwater beading from her pelt. "Let's... let's find someone we haven't talked to before." Stars, don't let her come over here.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: interacting with @Pinepaw ⭒ ; staring at @STORMYWING ; open for interactions :]
• 
• Iciclekit . Iciclepaw . Iciclefang, she/her w/ feminine terms.
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — 28 moons old, ages realistically on the 17th.
  — mentored by Smokestar ; mentoring Pinepaw ; previously mentored Cicadaflight
  — riverclan lead warrior. mudpelt x icesparkle, gen 2.
  — former mate to Stormywing ; current mate to no one.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  sh tortoiseshell and white she-cat with ice-blue eyes. confident, capable, proud, dry, conceited, condescending, distrustful.

​

 

[cottonsprig]

Cottonsprig must hold to her composure. She's home - she's not well fed, but she's well groomed enough to hide the way her skin clings to her bones. It's only when she crosses the threshold of the clearing that the stunning shame of her visage sinks in. She rounds her shoulders and holds her head up, hoping to not be inquired of her doughy midsection paired with her gaunt face. It'll clean itself up in moons time... surely.

Celandinepaw finds Marblepaw instantly, the ShadowClan apprentice making conversation with ease. Cottonsprig flicks her tail, her own unease making it difficult for her to segue into mingling so easily. After all, to these cats she simply... disappeared. Will some ask for her tale of adventure and return? Or will they afford her a sideways glance and then move on? She's not sure which is worse.

"We're doing much better," she doesn't mean to interject, but staying silent feels wrong. "Everyone is treated, so now we're just waiting on... recovery, I suppose." A pause, and then a dip of her head as she adds a belated, "Hello, Marblepaw. Long time no see, huh?"

𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖ 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

• ooc // interacting w @MARBLEPAW and @CELANDINEPAW + to any of the other meddies :3

• ❥ MEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE
  ♥♥♡ WOUNDS ; can confidently stop bleeding and mend lacerations. will often request that you keep your injury clean and wait it out first.
  ♥♥♡ INFECTION ; as a side effect of likely her own doing, very dutiful with technique and treatment shortly thereafter.
  ♥♡♡ ACHES & PAINS ; will defer to a dark tunnel and rest. if pain persists, maybe she will offer something.
  ♥♡♡ BROKEN BONES ; has never dealt with a broken bone. likely will ask that you never move. ever again.
  ♥♥♥ TRAVELING HERBS ; learned well from her previous mentor. will pile even too many remedies to tough the wilderness with.
  ♥♥♥ KITTING ; having kittens of her own and helped several others with their litters, she is very well versed with calming techniques and quelling pain.
  ♥♡♡ POISONS ; she knows what they are... but that isn't enough, isn't it?
  ♥♥♡ ILLNESS ; having worked through two yellowcough bouts, she is confident in her remedies. much else... she's operating on trial and error.
  ⸻ cottonsprig is a dutiful and excitable medicine cat. she enjoys company and loves conversation. she'd rather not have too many curious noses snooping around her den... but who is she to quell curiosity?

• 

  ⸻❥ cottonsprig is the primary medicine cat of windclan. a former princess to the moors, she harbors many guilts for her actions throughout her short life. she has no consistent partner, unwilling to commit and settle, and she is training celandinepaw in medicine.

​

 

[splashdance]

[ briefly interacting w @LAKEMOON + @Graypaw , continued interaction with @PEBBLEPAW + @FERNDANCE ]

There's a sense of trepidation beneath her skin. The last time she had seen the clearing, she had been smaller, thinner - she had been Snowypaw, a child of disgrace, lacking in skill where many others would've succeeded. Still many of her Clanmates do not know of her early start to apprenticeship, gifted by a leader she was named for. Now, it does not matter. For she is Splashdance, a proud and dedicated warrior of RiverClan.

She exhales deeply as she walks into the clearing, keeping close to Lakemoon (and Graypaw. The tom had become a sort of little brother to her, so she's glad that he gets to be here for her announcement, too.) She isn't sure what to do, admittedly, nor what to expect. She's almost tempted to hold her former mentor hostage for most of the night... almost. The gossip spins webs beyond her, but she knows when to listen. ThunderClan is here, and by some unknown thread, Lakemoon is sewn to them. Her own tail twitches as she smiles at the warrior.

"I'll be okay," she promises. "It's your gathering night too - both of you. Go enjoy yourselves..." Splashdance doesn't want to be alone, but she much less wants to tether either of them to her surprise bouts of anxiety. She watches whether they disappear into the thrall or not, her tail looping around her hind leg, when blue-grey fur brushes into her own. His scent is comforting, his presence moreso. The warrior allows a soft rumble in her chest as he grounds her, her smile widening with his compliment.

"Well - y'know, RiverClan cats are supposed to be the pretty ones..." like how WindClan prides themselves in their small statures, or ShadowClan with their... dark fur. She ruffles her pelt, which still shines beneath the moonlight. Still, Pebblepaw remains a spot of comfort, his voice smooth as he continues to remain by her side. "Yeah - yeah, absolutely. I didn't think I'd get to see one again, honestly." The stunt she pulled could've resulted in a disaster, she knows. She's just grateful that Lichenstar trusted and believed in her...

Her tail loops effortlessly, and loosely, around his, as if forbidding him from wandering far. Her maw opens to say more, gaze firmly set on the white speckled tom, when a heart-breaking tone instead breaks the air.

Splashdance will not admit then, but she's grateful for the chaos that erupts from the other Clans. In the aftermath of this moment she will learn that SkyClan's and ThunderClan's shared royal blood had gotten into a spat and obscured much of her own reunion. She will be thankful for the chance StarClan somehow gifted her, to be able to see her mother again after moons of nearly forgetting her face... and to not have to worry about who all will see. There is a sidewards glance, first towards Lichenstar, Hazecloud - then it falls to Pebblepaw as the tom inquires the obvious of her.

"Yes," she says, but her voice is too soft, trembling beneath the weight of surprise. She's missed Ferndance - terribly so. In the moment she hardly notices how her mother calls her by an old moniker that no RiverClanner would've known. One that Pebblepaw now holds, silently, should he want to. "Yes, Pebblepaw - that's -" her voice warbles as it picks up, and she wants to run into Ferndance's embrace, hold her tight and apologize for leaving at all. She wants to cry and return to ShadowClan and -

Her body tenses with the thought. "That's my mom," she says, and the memories of more recent filter in instead. Acceptance had been fought and earned, justified by the realm she put herself in. Her leader cared for her, she had friends here, nearly a family made by her own definition. She loves her mother, her siblings... but she does not love ShadowClan. Even in her emotional state, she can not and will not return to the shaded wetlands.

She pulls from the tom's side, finally. She buries the thoughts of leaving firmly beneath her paws, forbidding herself to ever think them again. It's a spot of weakness, if anything. Shock from seeing Ferndance again. She approaches the tabby on graceful paws, swallowing the lump in her own throat and offering her mother a pearly white smile. If allowed, she stretches her nose to the other, briefly touching it to a barren cheek.

"Hi Mom," she murmurs. Should Pebblepaw remain close, she beckons him closer. An anchor, a reminder of all she's fought for in her time away from her biological family. All that she will not throw away. I'm sorry, Mom. She doesn't say it, for she knows she doesn't need to. Ferndance knows all too well how important this was to her. She takes in a deep breath and introduces herself to her own mother, "Call me Splashdance, please. I'm... I'm a warrior now - newly made...!" her tone tilts up, teasing the older warrior gently.​

 

[LITTLEPAW]

༻ ♥༺ Falconheart was a good warrior, Littlepaw thought so. It's what she had to keep reminding herself whenever she looked to her mentor and it wasn't Howlingstar's wise gaze looking back at her. At least she got to train alongside Bugpaw, who's company she rather liked. Everything was just… okay, and Littlepaw cherished the content calm. Though, nightmares had begun to make her restless during the night.

As they pad into the moon-lit clearing, Littlepaw looks towards Falconheart. Stay close.
"Okay, I don't uhm.. mind." The apprentice didn't take any issues with staying at in her mentors sights tonight. Her gaze began to wander, brushing past one strange face to the next. "Uhm, who are all these cats?" The chocolate-furred apprentice prompted, though each word is slow and thoughtful to prevent her normal stutter.

Littlepaw frowns, looking towards Bugpaw, perhaps for some sense of camaraderie. Though it was doubtful the other felt as nervous as she, Bugpaw just kind of had that gift. "What do y-you uhm… think?"

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── IVE GOT SO MUCH HONEY ⋅ ✩ ⋅ THE BEES ENVY ME ──┐‎

• Interacting w/ — @FALCONHEART @Bugpaw !
  

• 

• 
  LITTLEPAW ✩ she/her, apprentice of thunderclan, 6 moons.
  ⭃ powerfully built and dense-furred chocolate smoked she-cat with amber eyes and black ribboning stretching across her face, foreleg, and tail.
  ⭃ daughter of Roeflame && Burnstorm ࿏ sister to Beetlepaw && Dovepaw
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Noor ↛ @toyangel on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[Periwinklebreeze.]

LIKE A PICTURE IN A FRAME
WISH WE COULD'VE STAYED THE SAME ​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

periwinklebreeze ❀ 26 moons ❀ demi-boy ❀ windclan lead warrior ​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Periwinklebreeze is glad for the warm welcome he receives - nodding at Hazeclouds words, a truly it has been far too long." H-hello even-n-ningpaw, " he ays warmly, stumbling over the name for a brief moment. Theres no need to introduce himself really, as the riverclan deputy does so for him - easy going smile stretched across his maw. " My kits are h-here tonight as w-well... V-vulturepaw - my apprentice - bilberrypaw, d-dustpaw... weepingpaw, and m-mourn-ningpaw, " theres a moments hesitation between the names - a moment of sudden realization that, somewhere along the way, he'd stopped thinking of the latter two as just a responsibility and instead as his own. He's sure that if he'd asked, his mate likely felt the same - from the moment they'd found them wandering, perhaps it' always been starclans plan.

It helps to partially explain his absence - though he does not mention his roll as queen, the nar six moon absence almost speaks for itself. " Windclan is... r-rec-covering, " he says, more hesitant glance thrown towards his leader. They are not on good terms at the moment, and though deserved the icy wall between them hurts. " I c-caught yellowcough myself, believe it or not - b-b-but thanks to th-the hard work of our medicine cats, w-we have recovered.... and c-cottonsprig has been found " 'Among others' he thinks, mind drifting to thriftfeather and his kits with bluefrost. There are still many more at the sett too, and they are not without their losses - but he will not speak of the dead and ill here. Tonight is for sharing kinder news, not windclans grievances better left unaired.

Buckfires presence is more starling then it probably should be - they'd been laid up sick together, but n truth the smoke tom had been in no mood for chat during those days. Near stranger, despite his new warrior name - and blue eyes though friendly remain distant as Orangestar speaks.

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

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I ' V E - A L W A Y S - B E E N - R E A L - B A D - W I T H - C H A N G E

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

 

[DAWNGLARE]

What a shame it would be, to say the dip of her head is all he has ever wanted. No, he could afford to hope in full, to dream larger. He deserved heaven and earth, had deserved stardom at Blazestar's side. He deserved more than one head bowed for him. He deserved the shuffle of paws to part like waves... Oh, it's just this life of his. The circumstances that have led to this: appreciation in the dip of a strangers head. Of course, the fact that he feels this way at all embitters him more than she could ever hope to make up for. Dawnglare says nothing, but his eyes watch her like the sun.

We're looking forward to the future, actually. Interesting, how completely little that had to do with what he had asked. He knows — oh, he knows. He knows that is a yes, and perhaps above all else in this miserable little hovel, it is the fact that would lift is spirits. A warbling smile creeps upon him quick, snake-fanged and squinting. " How delightfully vague, " the purr is thick with poison you could mistake for honey. His gaze dances up and down her form, swimming in misanthropy. He would know of things she could not even imagine, he does hope she always know. Luckily for her, he does not care to press further. Knowing — obviously, of course — he giggles, feather-light.

She's keen to remind them of their last meeting. His smile is in part, a grimace. " Oh yes, I recall, " the very face grates on his nerves; makes his head throb harder. " Quite the chattering little bird. Are you as happy as you think you are, Ss...Softsight? " he would forget the name, come dawn.

OOC: talking to @Softsight!

​

 

[STORMYWING]

She is in the process of telling her apprentices exactly how to behave here, the weight of responsibility settling like stones in her stomach. It's ThunderClan's first Gathering since Howlingstar's death - it's Coltpaw and Mottledpaw's first Gathering ever. So much has changed from a pawful of moons ago. She smiles at them, trying to make them feel a bit more comfortable, and knowing full well she needs to set a good example for them tonight.

But her ears prick as she feels a sudden shove against her shoulder, her head snapping up just in time to see a RiverClan apprentice stumbling away. The young she-cat, with fur of night and fire, scowls over her shoulder with a brief, disdainful glance. Scuse you! Her eyes widen at the sight of her honey-toned gaze. Before she can really react, her breath catches in her throat. That apprentice...Pinepaw. Her heart stutters, an instinctive ache tugging at her chest. She doesn't know...

She's frozen in place for a moment, watching as the little tortoiseshell gravitates back toward her mentor - Iciclefang! Their eyes lock across the moonlit clearing and Stormywing's throat tightens. An unsettling tension is drawn between them like a taut vine. Once, she'd been the cat to make her heart leap from her chest, and perhaps there is still a small part of her that wants to. But grief is overpowering. The silence stretches between them before her former mate quickly looks away, leaving the tabby to swallow the unspoken words that burn like embers in her throat. She's happy. She's with RiverClan. That's what matters, She tells herself firmly, her gaze shifting from Pinepaw and Iciclefang to her own apprentices. Focus on them. You're their mentor!

With a deep breath, Stormywing flicks her tail, signalling for Coltpaw and Mottledpaw to follow her as she weaves through the gathering crowd. She spots Falconheart standing nearby with his own apprentices, and the sight of them brings a sense of stability back to her. "Come on," She mutters softly to her charges as they reach her cousin. "Stay close to me." She catches Littlepaw glancing nervously at Bugpaw, her gaze darting to all the unfamiliar faces, and she tries to muster some warmth in her voice as she gently assures, "You'll be fine. Just stick with your mentor." Oops. Her tone is a bit flatter than she intended, the lingering encounter with her kit still gnawing at her.

// interacting with @COLTKIT @mottledpaw @FALCONHEART @LITTLEPAW @Bugpaw !
looking at @Pinepaw ⭒ @iciclefang ​

 

[SCORCHSTAR]

༄༄ Her calico apprentice wanders off with only a brief confirmation of her words, and Scorchstreak takes a moment to stare after them. They greet a brightly-colored apprentice—a ThunderClanner, perhaps—and golden eyes narrow for a moment before relaxing once again. Brackenpaw seems to be getting along decently enough with the strange ginger tabby, so the deputy allows her attention to return to the two cats before her. Flamewhisker apologizes for doing the same thing, and Scorchstreak sighs. "This is both my apprentices' first gathering with me as their mentor." One of them being reassigned to her, and the other being tucked away in a badger sett for the past month. She does not elaborate on her words, however, as Flamewhisker—Flamestar—confirms her suspicions. The red tabby will no longer sit amongst the deputies each month.

"That is a shame to hear," she murmurs, giving her condolences in a tight voice. She had not known Howlingstar, not truly, but the old she-cat had been a solid pillar for ThunderClan—the powerful roots that had held up the forest, even through fires that had attempted to smother the entire clan and wolves that had attempted to devour it. Howlingstar may have been a stranger, but she seemed levelheaded enough. Perhaps a bit too self-righteous, but that seems to be the niche of ThunderClan as a whole.

Twitchbolt is indeed the deputy of SkyClan now, and so Scorchstreak's gaze returns to him as he speaks. Of all the clans' deputies, he is the most surprising. To the calico, he had seemed incapable, spineless when he had formerly held the position. That Orangestar has given him a second chance is… an interesting turn of events. The tom assures Flamestar that his clan grieves for Howlingstar just as ThunderClan does; Scorchstreak does not grieve, but she dips her head in agreement with him. "WindClan fares as always," she says in response to Flamestar's question, turning to glance at the red-hued leader. "The cold months will see myself and my tunnelers busy as ever."

YOU KNOW I DESERVE IT ☽♰☾ WELL, TAKE IT OUT ON ME

• ooc: talking to @Flamestar @TWITCHBOLT
• 
• SCORCHSTREAK ❯❯ she/they, deputy (tunneler) of windclan
  ༄ small, slim flame-streaked calico with fiery golden eyes. cold and closed-off, ferociously protective of her clanmates. rarely seen aboveground.
  ༄ mate to bluepool ; sibling to rattleheart & rabbitclaw
  ༄ mentor to bilberrypaw & brackenpaw ; previously mentored pinkshine
  ༄ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted, but may react aggressively
  ༄ penned by foxlore

​

​

 

[Softsight]

There's a little voice in the back of Softsight's mind that tells her that Dawnglare doesn't care and won't remember her name - she doesn't know how close to the truth that is, instead choosing to believe that she might make some sort of impression on SkyClan's strange medicine cat.

"Well, you know how it is," Softsight murmurs, lifting her head as she speaks. "We're all safer if we keep Clan matters to our own Clan." She wouldn't have expected Dawnglare to tell her anything about SkyClan, even if she didn't know if he might - knowing him, he could be as flippant about Clan matters as he could be. But small-talk isn't for Dawnglare, and Softsight knows this, from the conversation she'd had with him those moons ago. Dawnglare needed things to have purpose, lest they bore him.

"I'm as happy as I can be, in this life." She answers - Dawnglare seemed to gain little to no enjoyment from Clanlife. Softsight does not bend to that idea; all she's ever known is the forest, and there is truth in her words, now that Flamestar had regained her rightful place as leader in ThunderClan. What was there to be unhappy with? "Are you happy, Dawnglare?" She knows he isn't. The look on his face says it all; perhaps the better question might have been, Are you unhappy, Dawnglare? but that seemed rather rude coming from the mouth of a young warrior to a medicine cat.

There were better things to say. There always were, with Dawnglare, but tonight was not Softsight's chance to impress him by any means.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OOC ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ .ᐟ.ᐟ INFO ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• ! @DAWNGLARE

• 

• SOFTSIGHT ✩ warrior of thunderclan, twelve moons
  → peaceful and healing powerplay permitted.
  → penned by Archivist → .archivist on discord.

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