THE LIGHT'S GONE OUT FOR ME \ gathering chatter

[CRAGPAW]

Cragpaw's ears twitch at Ferngill's remark, his sharp gaze following the direction of the nearby conversation. The scent of ThunderClan and SkyClan are unmistakable, and he can’t help but wonder what the fuss is about. Typical ThunderClan, He thinks with a faint smirk, always too loud for their own good. He briefly considers what they could be arguing about, but the thoughts dissipate as his uncle’s encouragement nudges him forward. His mentor's words hang in the air: Go have some fun. Fun? With the other clans? Cragpaw's nose wrinkles at the idea. He is loyal to RiverClan through and through, and mingling with outsiders feels like walking on thin ice. Still, Ferngill's guidance as a lead warrior carries weight, and Cragpaw isn’t about to disappoint his kin.

But fun? At a Gathering?

"I guess I'll see what I can manage," Cragpaw murmurs under his breath, his tone dripping with sarcasm. He shifts his weight, glancing warily at the clusters of cats around him. "Not sure how much 'fun' there is to have with cats who aren't RiverClan," he adds, quieter now, mostly to himself. Still, a flicker of curiosity pulls him forward. He’s skeptical, as always, but part of him - probably the part that envies the other clans' talents - can’t resist sizing them up. Would any of them stand a chance against him in a battle? Not that he'd say that out loud. Instead, he strolls forward, shoulders tense beneath his tricolored pelt. He'll try to blend in, maybe crack a few jokes if it gets awkward. Humor is his shield, after all. But deep down, Cragpaw can’t shake the feeling of discomfort as he nears the unfamiliar scents. He’s doing his best to avoid getting too close to anyone. The swirl of voices makes him go rigid as blue and gold eyes dart around, sizing up the other apprentices, but he keeps his distance. Keep your head down, make it through the Gathering, and maybe throw in a joke or two. Simple. That’s his plan.

But then, something - someone - breaks through his space bubble. A soft collision jolts him out of his thoughts, and before he can fully register what had happened, a voice fills his ears. ‘Ohmygosh! Sorry! Are you okay?’

Cragpaw blinks, whipping his head around to see who'd bumped into him. His first instinct is to snap back with some sarcastic remark, but when he sees her - a ThunderClan apprentice, her face flushed with embarrassment - his words catch in his throat. She has a fluffy ginger and white coat with flowers decorating it, and despite the hurried apology, her green eyes shine with a mix of nervousness and confidence.

"I - uh…" Cragpaw stammers, for once at a loss for words. This was not how he expected the night to go. Straightening up, he tries to shake off his initial surprise. "Yeah, I'm fine. No worries. Guess you got lost in all the excitement, huh?" He attempts a smirk, but it comes out more awkward than confident. He glances away, trying to play it cool, but something about her throws him off balance. "What about you? You okay? I mean, you didn't get knocked off your paws or anything," He adds as he looks back at her, hoping to keep things light. He isn’t sure what has gotten into him, but the pretty she-cat makes him fumble in a way he isn’t used to. And for some reason, he doesn’t hate it.

// Interacting with @FERNGILL and then @Meadowpaw
​

 

[Bugpaw !]

*+:｡.｡ In any way she can, Bugpaw longs to cheer up her brother. As she walks alongside him, with Littlepaw on his other side, she babbles on pun after pun to get him to laugh. When that doesn't work, she challenges Littlepaw to a silly-face contest, and does her best to pull the most amusing contortions with her facial muscles and tongue as she can...but Falconeart's attention remains ever elsewhere. By the time they enter the clearing, filled to the brim with even more new faces than last time, Bugpaws efforts have gone without much reward. Still, Bugpaw's determined not to give up!

That being said, her paws itch with the need to socialize. Eyes darting from new face to new face, she gasps in awe at the many she doesn't recognize - many she was certain hadn't been here last gathering, either. Restlessly, she dances on her paws, wondering if Rowanpaw is among the many gathered here tonight. But at Falconheart's trepidatious request, Bugpaw would firmly sit her butt down, refusing to leave her brother's side. "Ill stay with you!" she promises, although her eyes wander trecherously back to those milling about. Oooh, she hopes Rowanpaw finds her! Or a new friend wanders close so she can speak to them!

Before Falconheart has the chance to answer, Bugpaw chimes "They are all strangers, from all the different clans! I met one last gathering, her name was Rowanpaw and she had such pretty eyes! The gathering is so the leaders can share news and you can make friends with cats you might never have met!" she purrs.

Bugpaw glances up when Stormywing approaches to comfort Littlepaw. Since the battle...since Pebblestep...Stormywing hadn't acted the same. Bugpaw can't say she's surprised, but her heart aches as badly for Stormywing as it does for Falconheart. "Hey Stormywing! I'm practicing my silly faces, what do you think!?" she suddenly chirps, tugging on Stormywing's tail to grab her attention. Once she has it, Bugpaw does her best to produce the silliest of expressions; crossing her eyes, pulling her nose up, sticking her tongue out between theatrically snarling teeth - it's actually painful to hold but if it gets Stormywing to smile...

"Beef 'at 'Ottled'aw! 'Olt'aw!" she teases Stormywing's apprentice, hoping to incite another competition with her denmates.

*+:｡.｡ Updated 3/22/24

• Iinteracting with @COLTKIT @mottledpaw @FALCONHEART @LITTLEPAW @STORMYWING
  
  
• 
  
  
  GENERAL:
  ♫ Bugpaw
  ♫ DFAB— She/Her
  ♫ 6 moons — Ages
  ♫ Daughter to Flamewhisker and Flycatcher
  ♫ Sibling to Falconheart, Stormfeather, Lilykit, Butterflykit, Scorchedpaw, Squirrelpaw, Sunpaw
  ♫ Thunderclan — apprentice
  ♫ Apprenticed to Falconheart
  
  
  
  
  COMBAT:
  ♫Physically easy | mentally easy
  ♫ Attack in bold pink
  injuries: None currently

​

 

[lichenstar]

✦˚.✦˚✦˚✦˚ ✧ ˚✦˚✦˚✦.˚✧

CLAIM THE BURIAL I SEEK IN DREAMS FLOWING RIVER CEMETARY ✧

• It would seem that Mirepurr doesn't fault her awkward phrasing... other than to tease her, of course. The molly gives an exasperated sigh, ears folding back in a display of embarrassment. Yes yes... ha ha... Lichenstar trips over her own tongue again. She is relieved that Hazecloud is distracted elsewhere and cannot offer her own jabbing jokes to fuel the flames that burn behind her cheeks. "My mate... will have your tongue... you pesky thing," she replies, attempting a joke that establishes a polite boundary. There would be no more unintentional flirting on her end... and most certainly not with a ShadowClanner (she had enough headaches in the form of snow-dappled girl).
  
  At the very least they both are quick to move past the weird moment, diving into Smogstar's status as ill. It defies even Starlingheart... which creates a worrying knot in her belly. There is little Starlingheart didn't know or had not witnessed. Surely nothing more sinister than even yellowcough? It reminds her to take up a conversation with Moonbeam about her herb stores, to ask if she needs any further help before plants start to wither under the chill and frost. But the topic shifts to the roseate marks of fresh scars adorning her body and she grows rigid. Right... The lynx point tries to wave off her tension with a well-meaning smile, "We've been having... some issues... with predators. A group of... raccoons.... grew competitive.... but I am well." Well enough that Moonbeam did not bark at her to sit out the rest of her healing before attending the Gathering...
  
  Fortunate that StarClan's stitching was so effective.
  
  "You seem... confident... growing more comfortable...?" Being in any sort of leadership position was strenuous and she hadn't relished in filling in when it had been her turn.
• about
  
  speech hex code ✧ #6368A5
  
  ooc notes ✦
  tagging ✶ @MIREPURR + open
  penned by tieirlys
• ˚　　★⋆. ࿐࿔　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 .
  
  　　　.   　　˚　　 　　*　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　　　✦　˚ 　　　　 ˚　.˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　 　　　　 ੈ✧˳·˖✶ ✦　　˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚ ★⋆. ࿐࿔
  
  　　　.   　　˚　　 　　*　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　　　✦　˚ 　　　　 ˚　.˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　 　　 　　　　 ✦　　​

​

 

[mottledpaw]

· · ───────────── ·𖥸· ───────────── · ·

It should be something to celebrate and delight in... her first Gathering as an apprentice (the empty spot beside her where her parents should be standing feels like claws dragged down her back with every step). It was a month overdue now... but Skyclaw had isolated ThunderClan on purpose... and maybe he knew he was doomed to fail, had stalled getting his nine lives on purpose. Maybe he just missed her mom too and had been looking for an explosive way to reunite with her. Mottledpaw couldn't help but feel abandoned... by everyone. By her clan. She had no friends to speak of... there was not love and excitement hidden in Stormywing's eyes when she looked back at her and Coltpaw. Just.. thinly veiled disdain.

She hardly notices the approach of a snobby RiverClan apprentice, one that bumps into her silver-furred chaperone and offers some nasty retort about paying attention. Like that girl didn't have eyes of her own she could've been using too. She runs off to chase some she-cat that looks like her... and nothing further goes said. Not until she's being dragged along again... What was even the point in all of this yammering?

It wasn't like she was going to form a meaningful bond here that could transcend borders. Bugpaw and Littlepaw are with them and she glances towards the over-excitable Bugpaw with a lack of investment in her little game of funny faces. A competition... ? Mottledpaw screws up her face into something like a rejection, "Pretty sure you'd be Funnystar in another life Bugpaw..." It's as close to a compliment she can muster though... it's more back-handed than anything.

Her eyes skip over the throngs of cats, realizing just how... dull everything feels. It isn't what she dreamed of. It's empty without the kin she looked up to. "Coltpaw... you try," she suggests, hoping to use him as a scapegoat so she's not drawn any further into this.

// interacting with @Bugpaw ! + @COLTPAW​

 

[SHARPSHADOW]

For the second gathering in a row, Smogstar would be absent. Extremely shockingly... Sharpshadow is not freaking out about it. Um, she's actually feeling completely fine about it, and has never once worried about the untimely resurfacing of yellowcough. ( Untimely as in, literally any resurfacing of it would be untimely. Stay away forever, please. ) Who cares that even if he didn't think such a terrible sickness must mean her leader is dying, the other clans probably definitely would, and ShadowClan for the umpteenth time probably looks like a complete joke. definitely not her. No, she would never care about that.

Groaning inwardly, she dismisses her remaining apprentice with a halfhearted nod and flick of the ear. Her gaze trails after the receding form of Mirepurr, who was now caught up in conversation with Lichenstar... He wonders what they're telling her. ...Not like it was any of her business. Leader and acting-leader business, or whatever... Past the throng of RiverClanners, her gaze lingers. Iciclefang is in there somewhere; and his mouth dries at the thought of talking to her. A ruddy form being left by their shadow, she catches the eye of her brother, instead.

" ...Ferngill, " Sharpshadow mews. He looks downtrodden as he approaches, but that's probably normal to him. " It's... Um. It's been awhile. " Did she sound stupid when she said that? Did it sound like she thinks the two of them are friends? It was her fault that they weren't. She didn't want to detest all of RiverClan, but her skin still crawled when she looked at him...

" I never did congratulate you on, um... you know. " It's been awhile, hasn't it? ...For the both of them. " So... yeah. Congrats. " This idea sucked, she should've talked to literally anyone else. Except Iciclefang. Definitely not Iciclefang. Or Mosspool, for that matter... Weirdly, she's a bit sad she isn't here.

OOC: awkwardly chatting w @FERNGILL <3

​

 

[CELANDINEPAW]

A somewhat familiar feline greeted Celandinepaw as she sat down, with soft moonlight marbling upon the purls of the young apprentice's fur, like the lambent brilliance radiated outwards from her outlines. Her olive gaze creased as she worried for Windclan, for there was little one could do except turn one's eyes inward to the dome of suffering. Celandinepaw wished that was her sometimes, up upon a roost of ignorance, with the only concerns of hers to pray to some unknowable cosmos. She wished she only had the power to hope, and not to be the granter of that hope. "Hiya, Marblepaw." The wheat-hued apprentice purred, and as Cottonsprig padded over to the two medicine cat apprentices, she filled in for what Celandinepaw would have said. She was glad that Cotton said that, as she was sure she would have made it sound worse than it actually was. Maybe she's been through this so many times that every tragedy just seems a little smaller each time. "What Cottonsprig said, basically. I'm sure everyone will be fine within the moon. Is Shadowclan doing alright?" Now that Celandinepaw thought of it, she hadn't seen Smogstar among the ranks of the swamp-walkers, as though even the leader concealed himself in the nocturne of his gloom-laden land. Not that she ever truly looked out for the stranger, so she surmised that she simply had missed the storm-grey tabby within the sea of shifting faces.

𝘚𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈 𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘐𝘊𝘈, 𝘠𝘖𝘜𝘝𝘌 𝘉𝘌𝘌𝘕 𝘛𝘖𝘖 𝘎𝘖𝘖𝘋 𝘛𝘖 𝘔𝘌 ₊˚❀ ༉ ‧₊ ˚. ☘︎ 𝘐 𝘞𝘖𝘕𝘛 𝘔𝘈𝘒𝘌 𝘔𝘠 𝘔𝘈𝘔𝘈 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘜𝘋

• OUT OF CHARACTER. EDIT OOPS. Interacting with @MARBLEPAW and @cottonsprig
  
  

  ❁ — MEDICINAL EXPERTISE: Celandinepaw is the current medicine cat apprentice of Windclan. Although she is quite new to her position, she also has much expertise with treatment regarding infectious diseases and basic remedies. As for anything more complex... you're better off asking a more experienced medicine cat. WOUNDS — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES — ★☆☆☆☆ INFECTIONS — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES — ★☆☆☆☆ CONTAGIOUS ILLNESSES — ★★★★☆ CHRONIC ILLNESSES — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS — ★☆☆☆☆ KITTING — ★☆☆☆☆ TRAVELING — ★★★☆☆​

• ​
  
• 

  CELANDINEPAW & TRANS WOMAN & 12 MOONS
  —— Medicine Cat Apprentice of Windclan / Mentored by Wolfsong & Cottonsprig
  —— A shorthaired, wheat-yellow spotted tabby with yellowish-green eyes. Somewhat pudgy, though lean and able to hold her ground in the wild.
  —— Extroverted and unafraid to speak her mind, she is a friendly and affable face in Windclan. Though ditzy and somewhat cowardly, she tries her best to help her clan. She is prone to outbursts when spurned or stressed.
  —— Penned by Tempest. Contact on Discord (naruk4mi) for plots and threads.

​

 

[STORMYWING]

// interacting with @Bugpaw ! @mottledpaw @COLTPAW

Bugpaw's chirp breaks through the haze in her mind. She looks down, catching the younger apprentice's wild attempt at a silly face. Normally, that kind of thing would pull a smirk from her, at least a chuckle. But tonight, the smile doesn’t come. She stares for a moment, trying to muster some of her normal self for her excitable cousin, but the weight in her chest is too much to shake off after seeing Pinepaw and Iciclefang.

"Not bad," She manages, though the words came out flat, lacking the spark they usually carry. Her tail twitches away from Bugpaw's playful tug, and she glances at Mottledpaw and Coltpaw. Mottledpaw's apparent disinterest doesn’t escape her. Stormywing takes a deep breath, forcing her shoulders to straighten. She needs to get her head on straight, at least for her kin, for her apprentices. "Yeah, Coltpaw," She tacks on, her voice a little steadier this time. "Let's see if you can outdo Bugpaw. Bet you can make a face that'll scare off the whole Gathering." Her eyes flick to Mottledpaw for a moment, as if silently urging her to join in too, but she doesn’t push it. She doesn’t really know…where she stands with the other. As she stands there and watches the apprentices’ antics, she fights the urge to look over her shoulder to catch her eye again, or catch another glimpse of her daughter’s pelt.
​

 

[Meadowpaw]

She must've bumped into him a lot harder than she originally thought! Or, well, that's the only explanation she can think of for why he would be fumbling with his words like that! A long heart-beat passes and Meadowpaw is almost inclined to go seek out a medicine cat, but then finally he speaks. He's fine he says and she lets go of the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, her shoulders relaxing as she gives her chest fur a couple of quick licks. "Yeah! There's just SO many cats here! Yknow?" She had only ever seen other clans at the borders, brief glimpses into another life where she saw only a paw-full of others at a time. "Im okay though!" she quickly hurries to add, realizing she nearly forgot to address the second part of his question Why do I feel so nervous? she thinks to herself Im tough! I fight monsters! I shouldn't be this scared to talk to another apprentice! But there's just something about those mismatched eyes creased with concern, that lopsided grin, that is making her heart flutter in her chest in a way she has felt only once before.

"I'm Meadowpaw, by the way! From ThunderClan" duh she thinks, immediately chastising herself for stating what must be an obvious fact. "And you must be from RiverClan, right?" she adds swiftly, covering up her own embarrassment with another question. "You don't smell as bad as I thought you would!" Did I really just say that out loud?

// interacting with @CRAGPAW

( ❀༉ ) there's love in the lightning ₊˚༉‧₊˚

• 
  
  
• 
  MEADOWPAW THUNDERCLAN KITTEN ; SHE / HER
  LIGHTSTRIKE X MOONWHISPER SISTER TO SCARLETPAW & MOTTLEDPAW ; MENTORED BY PALEFIRE
  

  A large fluffy red tabby kitten with a white chest, stomach, tail, muzzle and stripe running along her back. Her eyes are a deep, forest, green and in her pelt one can usually find flowers woven

  ✦ easy in battle + no formal training
  

​

 

[pebbletail]

(☼) her chest rumbles with a purr, and pebblepaw feels his skin warm, pleased with the reaction she has to his presence. "still, you stand out among them," he responds, not allowing her to duck her head beneath the reasoning she's provided. he feels slightly more confidant now, even as his cheeks flush, because it is clear she takes as much pleasure out of him being there as he does her. "if lichenstar hadn't let you go tonight i would've fought her," he quips, bonking his head gently against her shoulder. "you being my savior and all. plus the winner of the contest, and a new warrior." the blue boy lists his friend's achievements, eyes sparkling as he forces her to be proud of herself.

at the gentle touch of her tail, he feels his heart stutter, but he allows her to loop their two tails together. it looks almost effortless, the flowers woven into both of them mixing in a pleasing spectrum of colors. blue tabby and pitch dark fur mingle. pebblepaw lets out a soft purr.

as splashdance's body tenses, pebblepaw's does too, ears flatting as her tone does. "o-oh!" he stutters, eyes wide as he stares openly at the shadowclan tabby. he has never pressured splashdance for her history, never given in to the rumors of her kin, nor her apparent abandonment of one clan. having this confirmation does not change anything about that. the white-dashed she-cat pulls gently from his side and he selfishly mourns her absence, while still watching with moonlit eyes her approach of the stranger. snowypaw, ferndance had called her, and pebblepaw smiles briefly at the old name. while splash is what peb has always known her as, snowy isn't a bad name either.

he pads forward, though ghosting behind her as if not sure he is apart of this reunion or not. certainly his best friend will want to speak privately with her mother, catch the woman up on all she's missed. but splashdance beckons him forward, and so he moves closer, allowing his shoulder to brush hers, his tail creeping across to hook loosely around hers. he does not speak, does not allow himself to interrupt this precious moment, only listens, ember eyes wide but kind.

I DO NOT HAVE WINGS, LOVE ☼ I NEVER WILL

• // interacting with @splashdance and @FERNDANCE " #848DAE"
• 
  
  
• 
  PEBBLEPAW ☼ HE / HIM, APPRENTICE OF RIVERCLAN. MENTORED BY FOXTAIL. 11 MOONS OLD, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  a large blue tabby with low white and vitiligo. pale blue fur covers the length of pebblepaw's stocky body, sliced through with darker tabby stripes and spots. baleful orange eyes peer out of heavy set sockets, and his muzzle, paws, and tail tip are dashed with white.

​

 

[DAWNGLARE]

Dawnglare hardly restrains the roll of his eyes. He can hardly imagine caring this much about what's shared across borders... What most aptly keeps SkyClan from having secrets spilled is the fact that he cares so little for those secrets in the first place. In the back of his head, he had noted that the place beside Orangestar has once again shuffled... For whatever reason, he could not possibly tell you. " Oh, you've caught me. I will be storming RiverClan soon. " His gaze flickers sideward, as if gazing something other than this pale-blooded warrior would dull the throbbing in his skull... " ThunderClan, " he halfheartedly corrects. The throbbing does not stop.

What she says is perhaps more accurate than she could ever hope to realize. To say such a thing was to resign yourself to being miserable, so was the nature of this life. There were better ones out there, he would like to tell her... or, perhaps he wouldn't. Perhaps he did not care at all, what this sickly soul did with her lifeblood. Deaf-ears, always. Her kind thought it wise to only pick out the words of his that benefitted them... Unforgiveable, it was... And yet, he's still here. His ears press flat against his skull.

" Why, why, why is ev-eryone asking me this, now? " — One other. One other it had been, but one was enough; two, too many. He'd hated the question then, hated it now, would hate it in the future, when another tick came seeking the blood upon his back. Agitation flicks his ears this way and that. " If I tell you no, " with the visage of an irate fox, he leers toward her. ( But perhaps, there is something desperate in that look of his as well — ) " What will you do about it? "

OOC: @Softsight

​

 

[FERNDANCE]

Hi mom. Two words were all it took for that perceived ghost to turn tangible. A dark nose booped her cheek and all the cinnamon tabby could so was laugh at how real it felt. How real it was. With no hesitation and her heart soaring amidst the clouds, Ferndance aimed to wrap her forepaws around the other to drag her into a smothering hug as she reclined on her haunches. She laughed and laughed and laughed some more until the childlike giggles turned to sobs within a warbling throat. "My baby... My baby..." You made it.

She didn't want to let go. She'd already let go once and it had been agony - how many times could that same scar reopen before it never healed? Each time may be the last she felt her fur or heard her voice; but Ferndance's mother had let her go, and knowing such journeys were generational was a small enough cobweb to make it stop hurting as much. Her head moved from her daughter's shoulder to slick down a patch of fur between her ears, her nostrils flaring at the new scent that accompanied her. Beneath it all, it was still Snowypaw.

Splashdance.

Her eyelids fluttered and gently, she released the other from her tight hug.

It wasn't Snowypaw. It was Splashdance. And she was a RiverClan warrior.

A side-eyed glance was offered to where Lichenstar sat for these things and then back towards the newly-named she-cat, a millisecond of worry replaced with a glimmer of pride in her emerald eyes. "The best of both of us..." It couldn't have been intentional, which meant it could only be fate. A white paw rubbed against her own cheek to clear away happy tears. "I'm so proud of you." Weird words for one who alleged not to know of Splashdance's plans, but the hustle and bustle of the gathering was loud, and she cared little for eavesdroppers.

Only... one seemed more interested than the rest of them. He'd been at her daughter's side since the moment she arrived and even now he approached, urged forwards by Splashdance's request. Her gaze settled upon their interlocked tails like a hawk. "Oh my... you even have a boyfriend?!" Ferndance's voice raised a dramatic octave, an impudent grin stretching across her muzzle as she sought to embarrass the awkward tom. Such affection was bold when introduced to one's parent for the first time, she was not interested in admonishing someone for something she'd do too, but to her, Pebblepaw looked out of place. It was a friendly gesture to let him know he was part of the family. It was just that being apart of Ferndance's family meant forgetting things like shame and decency and rules and... being usual.

[ interacting w/ @splashdance && @PEBBLEPAW ]

​

 

[FERNGILL]

An unsteady voice caught Ferngill's attention- but he'd never forget he face he turned around to meet. Yeah, him and Sharpshadow hadn't been super-close buddies on the journey (she'd always seemed to prefer Iciclefang, which he chose not to be offended by), but anyone who'd braved those mountains alongside him would earn a plasant glance, a casual smile upon fiery features. He hoped she wasn't too nervous around him, but- Ferngill could feel a tangible distance between them, a slight awkwardness that he tried not to let bother him. They were on friendly terms, the two of them, certainly. They could be friends, too.

"Oh, thanks," he chirped, grin sun-bright upon is face. It was easy to shine so brightly - he always found it much mor comfortable, much easier to step into a familiar cheeriness, rather than attempt to meet anyone on their level. It was the best way to make someone feel at ease, right?

"And- hey, congrats, too. Y'know ..." he shuffled his paws a bit, but looked at Sharpshadow all the same, verdant gleam in his eye. He'd always had a bit of trouble reading the guy, but ... he surely didn't hate him or anything if he was approaching him like this, right? "Gosh, it was seasons ago now, but I never would have seen myself here." Idly, he wondered if Sharpshadow shared his sentiment ... they'd both been overgrown apprentices, back then. Literally.

\ interacting with @SHARPSHADOW ​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[MARBLEPAW]

Marblepaw's eyes round with obvious surprise when a soft-pelted gray she-cat comes to join Celandinepaw and her. "We're doing much better," she helps answer the apprentice's question. Then, Cottonsprig mews, "Hello, Marblepaw. Long time no see, huh?" The ShadowClan medicine cat's smile is bashful; she dips her head with respect to the older, more experienced healer. "It's good to see you home. I hope you've been alright?" It feels rude to inquire too blatantly, but curiosity gets the better of her.

She flicks an ear at Celandinepaw's question; she turns to face the golden-furred girl with a sigh. "Well... Smogstar is sick." Her whiskers twitch as she speaks. "It's not the same kind of sickness WindClan is dealing with, but he isn't well enough to attend the Gathering, and he's hardly left his den at all. Starlingheart doesn't seem to know what's causing it..." Her voice fades, and then she realizes her folly. Fool! Why are you sharing ShadowClan's weakness with WindClanners?

Only... well, Cottonsprig and Celandinepaw were just medicine cats. They weren't going to attack her Clan, right? She tries for a smile, hoping to cover up any of her latent anxieties.

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

• ooc: interacting with @cottonsprig and @CELANDINEPAW
• 
• 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.
  
  

​

 

[cottonsprig]

For a brief moment, Cottonsprig damns herself for interrupting Celandinepaw. The younger she-cat should be allowed to make her way now, establish herself among the team of experienced medics across the Clans. And in her awkward return, the smoky grey she-cat fumbled it. She tenses her jaw, twitching her tail to her friend's side in a silent apology. Marblepaw doesn't seem to take to the jilted encounter, instead bidding to her own curiosity to ask of her. Cottonsprig only smiles - and to the experienced in all that is her, it's hollow. "I'm better now. Thank you," she chirps, noncommittally.

ShadowClan, Marblepaw's home, is brought into question simply by way of conversation. Cottonsprig hadn't known that Smogstar wasn't at the last gathering, though it troubles her greatly to learn he is sick. Her fur ruffles uncomfortably, but the younger she-cat assuages the worry with, it's not the same kind of sickness. Her fur struggles to lie flat again but the breath of relief that leaves her is telling enough. It seems that they each will just struggle and struggle, and that the stars will not let up on their mishappenings anytime soon.

"Should ShadowClan need any help," she starts, leaning her shoulder casually into Celandinepaw's, "You know where our border is. Wolfsong has always offered help to our fellow Clans, after all. We intend to uphold his values. Right, Cela?" she turns to the other, and though her smile is soft, her gaze is sharp. She doubts the apprentice will spout anything different, but in the face of being their solely active medicine cats whilst Wolfsong is sick... it is in their power to uphold the image he has set.

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

• ooc // edit: interacting w @MARBLEPAW and @CELANDINEPAW :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.

​

 

[Softsight]

Softsight's features strain as Dawnglare gives a noncommittal response to what she had meant as a light-hearted comment about the way that the Clans were so guarded with how they spoke to one another. There had been a time where they had all had to work together to drive out rogues, and in the end, they had all gone back to having that wariness of one another. Perhaps naively, Softsight didn't understand why they all had to be at odds so often and for such brittle reasons. She wouldn't make a good leader, she knew that much; but maybe there had been reason for wy she had sought out Dawnglare's advice so long ago.

Ears perk and swivel as Dawnglare blanches in the face of the simple question that she has reflected back at him, and she frowns. It wouldn't be odd, she supposed, for others to be asking the medicine cat if he was happy, since he gave many traits to the contrary, or to some sort of mania, she was sure. But he seemed so bothered by the question, staring down his nose at her like she'd stepped where she shouldn't have. She thinks to retreat when he spits, but there's a flicker of something there that stops her.

"Dawnglare, what good would it do to live life wallowing or full of spite?" She returns, stifling a sigh lest the tom take it the wrong way. "I doubt I could do anything about it. We both know that much. But surely there's reasons for you to be happy. People who want you to be happy. That's why they ask." Reasons beyond me, she thinks - she knows. But even someone as finicky as Dawnglare has to know that there's reason to be happy.

"Forgive me for saying so, but I would like to see you content, Dawnglare. You deserve that much after all you've given." She can recall how Dawnglare had proclaimed that he'd been swept up in the current of Fate - or whatever it was that was his mistress - and that was why he was still here after all these moons, the deepest root of a tree that he thought himself to have grown - and in some ways, he had.

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

• ! @DAWNGLARE
  

• 

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

​

 

[SHARPSHADOW]

Isn't he lucky that Ferngill is so much better than him? That he'll ignore the awkwardness and say thanks with that grin that other cats would probably swoon over? Maybe he wouldn't notice his frown, or mistake it for a contemplative one... It definitely wasn't a jealous frown, even less so, something crazy like, perchance, an If-you're-a-loser-like-me-why-do-you-still-get-to-be-so-kind-and-sociable-and-happy-and-handsome frown. That'd be... weird. Good StarClan, were all RiverClanners like this? Just... perfect? So perfect that even the losers amongst them were perfect? He should just be better, he tries to tell himself. But he can't. He couldn't possibly. Smogstar had come on the journey. Had met him too. Should she try to be him, instead?

Or maybe he should just... be nothing. Be himself. It's here that he realizes, he isn't even sure what himself is. It's... this, he thinks. All of it. The miserableness. The ire that Ferngill didn't even deserve. ...What did that say about Sharpshadow?

Um. Anyways, she would carry on as if this guy hadn't just given her a crisis, she guesses. Oh, he's even peachy enough to congratulate her too. ( Carrying on includes continuing to hate him, apparently. It's not like she wants to hate him. )

" Thanks, " he says, and he thinks he only musters the response because he's copying the guy. She mirrors the shuffling paws too. Hopefully its not obvious, how she can't do anything for herself. He wonders if Ferngill has the same problem. " ...Me neither, " she says. There's... one point to her. Well, no, actually. Even if she wasn't literally repeating him, she was still just agreeing. " It kind of pisses me off, how similar we are sometimes, haha. " Thinly-veiled jokes. She could do those. And yet — why couldn't they be similar in a way that's useful? Like similar pleasant personalizes or similar good looks... Ferngill's fake-laugh was probably way better than his, too. At least Sharpshadow got to keep his eye.

" Does it... Does it kind of freak you out too? " A bad question to ask, probably. Because if Ferngill said no, he would walk across the Thunderpath without checking for monsters first on the way home, probably.

OOC: idk what's wrong with this guy @FERNGILL

​

 

[CELANDINEPAW]

Celandinepaw had not been mindful enough to think of her question about Shadowclan as some tactical espionage into a potential enemy, never an inquest but rather a simple question she piqued, rustic barncat hospitality with homespun threads of curiosity. Her naivete competed against the guarded nature of the wild cats, of which she found herself too wieldy and clumsy to ever weave herself into. She felt too much like a beast of burden rather than one of them, at times. "Oh... I'm so sorry to hear. I hope he recovers well." The golden-hued tabby bowed her head in a show of respect, like an austere gesture in the thick of more reverent peers, a mimicry of what the young molly had seen been done before. Firsthand did the medicine cat apprentice face the ugly, snarling head of pestilence - and perhaps she did not tame it, but she subdued it enough for it to bid its farewell and fade into relative obscurity. The word still stained fresh upon her ears, though, and there existed some spark of worry for a fellow Clan. As Cottonsprig lightly brushed against her shoulder, Celandinepaw flicked her thin tail in response. "Yeah, I know, Cottonsprig. I'll be happy to help Shadowclan if you need it. I'm sure Starlingheart has a handle on it, though." A brush of defiance blinked through her peppy voice, as though a stark brand through hewn tone, though whatever flame had been bared soon extinguished itself as the conversation ambled on.

𝘚𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈 𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘐𝘊𝘈, 𝘠𝘖𝘜𝘝𝘌 𝘉𝘌𝘌𝘕 𝘛𝘖𝘖 𝘎𝘖𝘖𝘋 𝘛𝘖 𝘔𝘌 ₊˚❀ ༉ ‧₊ ˚. ☘︎ 𝘐 𝘞𝘖𝘕𝘛 𝘔𝘈𝘒𝘌 𝘔𝘠 𝘔𝘈𝘔𝘈 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘜𝘋

• OUT OF CHARACTER. Interacting with @MARBLEPAW and @cottonsprig !
  
  

  ❁ — MEDICINAL EXPERTISE: Celandinepaw is the current medicine cat apprentice of Windclan. Although she is quite new to her position, she also has much expertise with treatment regarding infectious diseases and basic remedies. As for anything more complex... you're better off asking a more experienced medicine cat. WOUNDS — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES — ★☆☆☆☆ INFECTIONS — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES — ★☆☆☆☆ CONTAGIOUS ILLNESSES — ★★★★☆ CHRONIC ILLNESSES — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS — ★☆☆☆☆ KITTING — ★☆☆☆☆ TRAVELING — ★★★☆☆​

• ​
  
• 

  CELANDINEPAW & TRANS WOMAN & 12 MOONS
  —— Medicine Cat Apprentice of Windclan / Mentored by Wolfsong & Cottonsprig
  —— A shorthaired, wheat-yellow spotted tabby with yellowish-green eyes. Somewhat pudgy, though lean and able to hold her ground in the wild.
  —— Extroverted and unafraid to speak her mind, she is a friendly and affable face in Windclan. Though ditzy and somewhat cowardly, she tries her best to help her clan. She is prone to outbursts when spurned or stressed.
  —— Penned by Tempest. Contact on Discord (naruk4mi) for plots and threads.

​

 

[splashdance]

Splashdance had giggled when Pebblepaw listed her accolades, the sorrowful thought of, I wish others saw me as you do, traipsing through her mind. If not for the commotion around them, or the encounter happening currently, she would've toyed with him. Splashdance would've held him closer rather than stepping away, thanked him for being her friend (for being more?) - maybe in the glowing moonlight, she would've even asked for his attention to forever be hers...

But the stars request a different stage setting. Ferndance now holds her daughter close, dispelling any worry that either of them were nothing more than a mirage. Splashdance discards her former thoughts too easily, eager to dwell in this moment with her mother. When they pull apart, her name is said. "The best of both of us," Ferndance says, pride imbued in her words. They must share the same thoughts - how chance and fate has brought her here, a treasure of her lineage, thriving in a Clan she was not born in.

"I worked hard for it," she chirps, brushing a paw across her eyes to swipe away wayward tears (when had she started crying?) Pebblepaw's appearance beside her is welcome, anchoring her further within her home beside the river. It's unexpected, then, how Ferndance reacts. Nearly as boisterous as she had been moments before, she exclaims, boyfriend for all of the gathering to hear. Warmth burns her cheeks and her eyes fly open.

She looks at Pebblepaw. She thinks, that would be nice. But in true adolescent fashion, she stamps out her feelings. It's all too overwhelming now. Splashdance pulls from his comfort, her side achingly cold now. "Ferndance!" She chides, offering humor in her tone. There's an unsaid apology to the tom as she says, "This is my friend, Pebblepaw. I... Trust him, y'know?" Her chest aches but she smiles in spite of it.
​

 

[Florabreeze]

Florabreeze blinks down at the apprentice that Foxtail introduces, Sunpaw, she’s quick to jump to involve the apprentice in her conversation as well. “Nice to meet you both” she bobs her head slightly in respect, Sunpaw and Foxtail, interesting names! She liked them, though it’s pretty easy to sway her approval. “You’re from RiverClan right?” She asks with a curious tilt to her head, fairly certain that she’s seen Foxtail on that side of the border before. Even without that uncertain memory the smell of algae and fish was enough to solidify that assumption.

“Ohhh that’s right, they were weren’t they?” She’s sparked to memory, recalling the gossip from the previous gathering. Despite the dramatic gasp she tries to keep her tone low, from the ears of any thunderclanners nearby. “Do you think Howlingstar’s sick maybe?” Though that didn’t really explain why no one was there last gathering, it was at least some semblance of a theory. “It’s good to see that they’re here” she comments with a wandering glance at those in attendance tonight. The daylighter means it, while she wasn’t at the last gathering she can only imagine how weird and small it must have felt without everyone in attendance.

His careful mew brings her attention back to the conversation, she stares at him curiously. That collar feeling a little tighter once more, she chitters a laugh at the careful nature of his words. Trying to show that she didn’t take any offense to it no matter how constricted her neck feels in this moment. “That’s the correct term! And nah, not everyone’s twolegs are content with em being out this late” she knows that it’s optional for those picked to actually attend if they’re daylighters. Another aspect of them that stood out from most of the clans norms.

“I’m pretty lucky that mine don’t mind too much! As long as I show up without a scratch they’re happy as can be” at least she thinks so. She doesn’t understand twoleg warbling half of the time so maybe they were actually upset with her? “How’s RiverClan? You mentioned this is one of your apprentices, what kind of training do you do if you don’t mind me asking?”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Somethings coming ﻬ𖧧ﻬ So out of breath ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• 
  talking to @FOXTAIL + @SUNPAW.
  

• 

• 
  FLORABREEZE 𖧧 She/her || Daylight Lead Warrior of SkyClan || 36 moons
  ❥ A large black tabby maine coon with low white and bright green eyes, always wearing her mushroom print collar if she can.
  ❥ Mentored by Sorrelsong ／Mentoring Jellypaw & Sfogliatella
  ❥ “Speech”, thoughts, attacking
  ❥ Penned by Juice ⏐ouijeejuice on discord {open to being dmed for plots}
  

​

 

[BURNSTORM]

Lionpaw materializes out of seemingly nowhere "And who are you supposed to be?" he finds himself asking, a sneer curling up the corners of his lips "Mind your own business kid" he's ready to dismiss Lionpaw as nothing more than a nosy SkyClan apprentice, ready to send him on his way with a roll of his eyes and a flick of his tail but then he says something that gives him pause. "My brother and sister" a snort of mocking laughter flies from his flared nostrils. "You're kidding right?" He says and when he looks to Howlfire and Fireflyglow, sees the look on their angry faces, the hurt, he knows it's true. Even before Fireflyglow takes it upon himself to "introduce" them.

Lionpaw Lionpaw Lionpaw. The name roars like fire through his veins. What right did Bobby have to name one of her children that? Did she know it was his mother who had told Blazestar those stories originally? He hopes that she does, that she knows that everything she had ever gotten from him was secondhand, borrowed. It isn't the kids fault, Burnstorm tell himself, but still, he cannot bring himself to acknowledge those pointed features, those hauntingly familiar blue eyes. Instead he looks to his siblings. "And you think we didn't have to live with the consequences of his actions too? Have you ever thought for a second what it would have been like if he had chosen our mother, if he had chosen us, over his weird power trip? We'd be together! We'd be a family. Our father was selfish and greedy for forcing you two into that decision and if you two don't see that then I'm sorry for both of you." he would do it, he thinks. If the choice was between Roeflame, his kits, and leadership of his clan, he would choose them every time. Never would he ever force his kits to live through what he and his siblings had, what his father had made them choose. "Its not fair that you two were forced to choose, but then you stayed. You could have come back. You could have had a relationship with me, my family. Moonwhisper's kits. But you continue to choose SkyClan. So no. We cannot be close like you want Howlfire. It's a nice dream though." The dream of a kit, is what it was. Something he had given up on long ago.

Finally does he turn to acknowledge Lionpaw, his golden eyes dulled, his voice extinguished of fire as he says in a tired voice "Be glad you never met him Lionpaw, your life is better off for it." and then he turns to leave, not bothering to look back at the brothers and sister he leaves in his wake.

// Ic opinions only ): leaving to go somewhere else unless stopped @Howlfire @Fireflyglow @LIONPAW

( ☼ ) Darling, I'd go through it again

• 
  
• 
  BURNSTORM THUNDERCLAN LEAD WARRIOR ; HE / HIM ; BROTHER TO MORNINGPAW, MOONWHISPER, HOWLFIRE, FIREFLYGLOW, SKYCLAW & DUSKBIRD ; MATE TO ROEFLAME ; FATHER TO DOVEPAW, BEETLEPAW, AND LITTLEPAW
  

  A large, sharp tongued, tom with long black fur and golden, oval shaped, eyes.

  ✦ Difficult in battle. A skilled fighter + fights honorably
  ✦ Mentoring Beetlepaw and Coalpaw
  

​