The Snake That Waits || attempted joining

[Cedar]

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Beyond the borders of the five clans, rogues and loners battled among fields and streets alike. Competition for resources made life difficult for everyone involved, even those who thought themselves the most fierce in the land. Claws were not the only thing that were so freely shared in such a world, though. Words and rumors drifted just as quickly. Tales of colonies and clans, of starlit phenomenon that seemed impossible to most. It was a priceless opportunity, one that Cedar had been quick to seize. Security, food and shelter, communion with gods, and all the power that seemed to come with it. There was just one small problem, and that was the fact that these so-called clans were notoriously territorial. Cedar can't blame them. He knows the burn or starvation all too well. With so many cats in one area, there would have to be laws in place to help keep the peace, and that was all the more reason for him to make his journey. These were things that Cedar could capitalize on.

The first territory he comes across runs parallel to a rushing river. The local ambiance is serene, and Cedar can almost taste the scales of a fish upon his tongue. He's not entirely new to the idea of fishing, but neither is he a master of the art. Still, instead of attempting a hunt, he instead stops near what appeared to be a scent line, to the southern tip of this newly discovered wetland. He has heard tales of these borders, too. Has heard that claws and teeth will sink into fur and skin alike, should he not have a fine excuse for his lollygagging. Cedar's not completely devoid of intelligence, though. No, he has a plan. A plot. Something that was, perhaps, twisted and nefarious. But he doesn't care. All that mattered was his success. As he sits in silence, he tastes the wind, grooms down his tangled fur, and thinks on the words he plans to speak. Though he does not have every detail, he knows from many tales and rumors that these are the cats who revere the stars, who claim that gods walk among the night sky and pass down their sparkling blessings to those worthy. Cedar doesn't know if it's true or not, but he supposes that, for now, it doesn't matter.

Tall ears flick as a sound is heard nearby. Was it a bird? A mouse? No, larger. So quiet, so well-practiced, he can hardly detect it. Akin to a low breath upon the breeze. But his senses are sharp. He is a hunter, and never the prey. Fiery eyes dart toward the source, among tall grasses and reeds, where a flash of fur is spotted among the greenery. Another cat, a clan cat? Nostrils flare as Cedar takes in the scent, curious, and cautious, still sitting politely behind the scent line. He does not lay a paw in trespass. He shows his respect, his understanding of scent, and his keen eyes and hearing display experience. His body language is confident, but not prideful, not authoritative. He wants to make a good first impression. Jaws part as the stocky tom speaks, a smooth rumble of vocals, uttered with purpose to those who he knew lurked nearby, "I am Cedar, and I know you are there." Not challenging, but pointed. In this way, he shows that he is also not some mewling kitten. Not a burden.

"I do not seek bloodshed. I have dreamed of this place. A grassy path lined with starlight has guided my paws to this river." A smooth lie, spoken easily. "I do not know the significance of these dreams, but the urge to follow that path here was irresistible." He pauses there, waits for a reaction, for a face, for a voice. Eyes scan the reeds, piercing the shadows of the morning light. He's hungry, tired, but all but certain that his plan will work. All he needs is time to spin his tale, and ears that are willing to listen.​

Spoiler: tags

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cedar .

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— rogue; no previous allegiances
— male, he/him; bisexual
— 16 moons

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brief description muscular and powerful, cedar is a fairly large sized tom with a broad-shouldered and bulky appearance. thick, oily fur drapes his stocky frame, an earthy blend of tans and mud browns, with eyes akin to fire.

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cedar is a rogue with a history of violence. having been through more than enough dangerous situations, he has since learned to use his tongue before his claws, sparing him from further injury, or a gruesome death. having heard of the clans, he seeks new opportunities.

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injuries and illnesses:
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[coyotecreek]

( ★ ) eyes of crystal and honey scan the horizon as he leads his patrol along the riverside. though his paws are large, he walks softly, barely rustling the reeds that droop and wither in the dry air. when the strange scent hits his nose, the tom flicks his tail, halting. just beyond, a pale figure stands, posture strong but not defensive looking. glancing at the warriors at his sides, coyotecreek finally pushes out of the undergrowth, prompting his patrol to follow. "howdy," he'll offer a greeting, vocals tinged with an accent. he allows his gaze to rake over the tom's form, head tipped as he tries to read the body language.

"this is riverclan territory. best not trespass unless you want a torn pelt and wet paws." whiskers twitch, but coyotecreek is not joking. with several clanmates off on their journey and more sick in the medicine den, riverclan has grown defensive. cicadastar will not appreciate newcomers during this troubling time. as cedar speaks, the warrior narrows his eyes, allowing his imagination to paint a vision of the tomcat's dream. odd for starclan to reach out to a non-clan cat, but then, he had been a non-clan cat many moons ago. he knows very little about starclan, allowing those smarter than he to interpret signs. "fetch cicadastar and ravensong," the patched tom prompts one of his clanmates. turning back to the sun-eyed stranger, he flicks his tail. "that's an odd story you tell, loner. you'll have to run it by our leader and medicine cat, but i'll give you a warning- it is rare that riverclan accepts joiners."

with this, he snaps his jaw shut, curling his tail towards his flank as he awaits his leader's arrival. his odd eyes still examine cedar, facial expression as unreadable as he can make it. "where do you come from, cedar? have you heard of the clans?"

// apprentice tag @otterpaw @CICADASTAR @RAVENSONG ​

 

[Petalnose]

"I suggest you leave." A chilled voice smoothly fell from her lungs like a breath of air, pushing out of the undergrowth to stand beside coyotecreek. However, she neared closer as of a warning itself. Her tail twitched in an irritable manner at this proposed dream, voicing her thoughts at once, "It seems like you have been here before. Hm.. or It's almost like Starclan sent you themself." It was sarcasm, of tone of hostile disbelief. "That doesn't happen with cats like you. Were you on our territory before?" She added, her tar black lips pulling to show her disapproval. She believed this was false or he was mistaking the wrong place. Maybe he was delusional, or just maybe he was a spy.. a threat?

Coyotecreek was right, humming in her approval. Cicadastar was likely not to accept this soul, not how she seen him treat loners. Smokethroat too. Although, that didn't give her the authority just yet merely being a lead. So a warning to strike unease into Cedar was her best plan of action. Brutal honesty, threatening posture and sarcasm to slice his so called dreams into little pieces. These dreams were mistaken, Riverclan wasn't so friendly to outsiders. Especially loners. Only of the youth she had seen acceptance and even then the River king still wasn't happy to take in anything not of River blood. There was a low chance. In Petalnose's mind, there was no chance.

Tags​

 

[Sablemist]

In every situation you give me peace

Eyes of periwinkle peer beyond the shoulder of Petalnose, spotting a most unwelcome stranger. The ivory of her jaw splits away from ebony lips as she addressed the white splashed warrior. "Has starclan ever done such a thing?" Sablepaw murmurs in a hushed tone, gaze lingering on the named Cedar. She had a hard time believing his dreams were true. Would starclan really guide a loner to their border during rampant sickness? Leaders and medicine cats were well versed in the knowledge of starclan's will. Surely the river king would know what to make of this regardless of what spews from the tom's mouth. ​

Don't gotta be afraid because you're in the lead​

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[otterbite]

Outsiders from the Clan's had often been met with hesitant acceptance, Otterpaw noticed. He had first seen it with Boneripple, despite how she had already been apart of RiverClan moons beyond his birth. Not that he would have ever admitted to it, but she had been his favorite warrior to bother. Their dealings in trades and goodies were the reason for several interesting items that had collected around his nest. Then she had disappeared, abandoned them. He heard Hyacinthbreath had done the same, too, abandoning them against WIndClan.

Since then Otterpaw had been careful about any dealings with cats that weren't RiverClan-born like himself and Silverpaw. Like Chicorypaw, Brookpaw and her littermates. Slowly Otterpaw had snipped away the last of any connections he had with anyone outside the small circle of his denmates and his father, ensuring he wouldn't be abandoned again.

Otterpaw squinted at his mentor in growing agitation. Howdy?? Ripplewave wouldn't bother a greeting with a rogue. A scoff, with no attempt to hide his feelings, huffed from his maw. He found Coyotecreek hardly threatening in comparison to Cedar. Sunken into his dissatisfaction, he wondered if even the rogue would be a more sufficient teacher.

"StarClan wouldn't insult us, sending this stranger like it's a gift." He grumbled in reply to Sablepaw. They already sent their message, it cost them teeth and claws to catch enough food. "It probably just wants our food." It's deliberate, the way he avoided regarding Cedar as anything other than some object. He is not RiverClan, he is nothing but a waste on their border.​

RIVERCLAN APPRENTICE ✦ BLUE-BLACK CHIMERA ✦ 6 MOONS ✦ TAGS​

 

[RAVENSONG]

He is not as genuinely hostile as the majority of his Clanmates. Being a foreigner himself, Ravensong can understand the irritability outsiders have of the Clan's pompous self-righteousness, but as his paws are firmly in RiverClan now the most he can offer is indifference. His father's blood is long dried underneath his claws, but he does not forget.

He arrives rather unceremoniously. It is not often the medicine cat is seen outside of camp—even more so with the yellowcough running rampant. He eyes the dusky brown tom for a moment. There are no tell-tale signs of sickness clinging to his pelt.

"Ravensong. Medicine cat of RiverClan. Any cat can have a dream of starlight and treading down unknown lands." He remarks. "Dreams can really just be all that—dreams." The dark-pelted tom sits down and curls his feathered tail over his paws, regarding Cedar carefully though not so quick to disregard his words. It is strange that StarClan would send anything to a cat that was not a Clan cat, especially not a medicine cat or leader. But he does not know StarClan as well as others think, and his opinion of them is wavering.

"What made this one feel so different?" He recalls how he had stood at Cicadastar's den, fur raised and bristling in the aftermath of his vision. It had felt different than any other wild dream he had.


/ retro his illness! sorry for the delay I hadn't seen the tag : (

☾₊ ⊹ темная ночь — dark is the night

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  RAVENSONG of RIVERCLAN
  — LH BLACK POLYDACTYL MALE (CARRYING CINNAMON, DILUTE) a tall, slender creature with pitch-black feathery fur, large ears, and a sharply angled skull held up in an aloof manner. smells of dried herb, speaks with a low and rumbly accent and walks with an elegant slinking gait.
  
  — born in twolegplace and orphaned at a young age, he joined riverclan at its inception and began training as a drypaw warrior known for a bitter temperment until beesong made him his medicine cat apprentice. after his mentor's untimely death, he had been named ravensong at the moonstone, young heart revitalized with anger and guilt. he is a somber and thorough medicine cat that guards every word spoken in the confines of his den.
  
  — secretly loves "the stars but not so much what inhabits them"
  — openly suffers from chronic migraines
  — single, but "it's complicated"

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[CICADASTAR]

cicadastar knows of smoothly spoken lies. he knows of twisted words and the effectiveness of a tongue as sharp as icicle eyes, as the angles of his face before the water had taken his muzzle. the riverclan leader appears like an adder, something whiplike and dark, rising slope - faced from the tangle of reed and river lily dotting mottled paws. he stops alongside ravensong — his history with loners does not escape him — and looks down through narrowed pupils. a deep breath. the leader casts his arching muzzle towards the sky, breathes in the scent of the riverbeds. a beat of silence, thought. when cicadastar speaks, he does so towards the sky — " starclan would not stoop to a loner’s soul. to cast them dreams? laughable. " a decisive rumble, unwavering, as if a known truth.

clanless and straggling, as this feline was — how could the stars send him yet another mouth to feed? one without ancestors carved into the sky, white - hot eyes gleaming to watch them at night. ravensong speaks, a tinge of desperation that flicks his gaze sideward to peer his expression. conviction. briefly, memories of the same day flash through his mind ; of his medicine cat blurting out his visions, of panting out his words towards smokethroat and himself. his jaw twitches, a slight, fractional movement of hesitance — his gaze twitches back towards cedar with ears twitching towards his skull, swiveling to a low hover. his tail lashes, an ushering of excuse. if his medic spent the time to question this cat, he would hear it out as well ; his mainline, his guidance. though the tom stood on uneven ground with him, his position.. revered. respect was something bestowed, and not initially by him. cicadastar twitches his whiskers — he would hear this out, though if this creature took starclan’s name in dishonesty, he would see him shredded here beneath his own paws.

COLD & CRUEL LIKE WINDS ON THE SEA  ╱ INFORMATION ✟

• i. ‘prentice tags @CICADAPAW @Hazepaw
  
• ★ ⋆ CICADASTAR −−−− FOUNDING LEADER OF RIVERCLAN. HOMOSEXUAL, MATED TO SMOKETHROAT. FIFTY MOONS, FATHER TO STARLIGHTPAW, CICADAPAW && BEEPAW. PENNED BY ANTLERS −−−−− ⁺₊✧
  
  
  he / him. tall, elegantly curled smoke tortoiseshell chimera with intense salt blue eyes. his structure sings a feral sort of hymnal, presenting an almost dangerous sort of beauty veiling what monstrosities lie beneath the ivory of his skull. jutting jawline and a squared chin, sunken cheeks drawing a shadow beneath high, sharp cheekbones with tall, angular ears settling high atop the flatter slope of his cranium. he is beautiful ; lucifer in the eyes of an envious god. for all his looks, his expression is lax, void — corpse - eyed and hollow until spoken to, sparking the undead to life. he is tall, lean, cut - glass pretty ; he smiles with too - many teeth, blackened frostbite pulling back his maw to bear canines setn beneath curling whiskers, pantomime skeletal. a predatory gracefulness from the lines that press the image of exhaustion beneath ice water hues to the slow, sure gait in which he walks, nameless strength poorly concealed within the hard lines of his physique. descending from a heritage of overtyped oriental shorthairs, cicadastar stands unnaturally tall amongst his peers, always holding himself with a tragic sort of grace ; poised, prim, and uncannily aware of how he appears.
  
  ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── smells like wet moss and meadowland thunderstorms.
  ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── notoriously paranoid and closed off, cicadastar will tend to lie, assume, and jump to conclusions whenever it suits him. any 'suspicious' ic actions he witnesses or hears about will have a strong effect, and will have ic consequences! if you're unsure of an interactions outcome, please feel free to send a dm!
  
  no character opinions represent my own.​
  
  
• " speech "​
  
  
  

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[Moonbeam]

When Ratpaw had gone on the patrol for today she thought things would be normal - or as normal as they could be given the recent events - not that she would come across a loner asking to join the clan. Well not so much as asking as vaguely mentioning dreams and speaking of being led here, and Ratpaw found her nose scrunching in confusion as she cast a glance Ravensong and Cicadastar's way, listening to the words they both spoke before looking back towards the loner.

Though Ratpaw was young she had never heard of such a thing happening, a cat that was outside of a clan getting visions or dreams from StarClan, and by the words that others were speaking around her it seemed as though not very many others had heard of that either. For now the apprentice found herself silent as she did many times along the border, waiting to hear the words the loner spoke or to be told what to do.

ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ I thought that love would stay a mystery

• mentor tag - @salmonshade
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  ⋆ ratkit - ratpaw - rat???
  ⋆ female - she/her - 5 moons
  ⋆ homosexual - too young for relationship
  ⋆ apprentice of riverclan
  ⋆ attack - speech - thought
  ⋆ penned by tikki

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