THE WORLD FORGETS I'M COLD ✘ mini-meeting

[SMOKESTAR]

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"RiverClan, gather, I will make this quick." The gathering had concluded and they'd returned but the cats back at the camp needed to know of what was agreed upon before anyone could take to their nests to rest for the night. The dark tom clambered up the river rock slowly, pausing once he'd found his perch and looping his tail around his paws to warm them from the trek through the snow and frozen waters. "Blazestar proposed a new code for the clans and it was agreed upon unanimously." With the exception of WindClan, but frankly who cared for the opinions of those moor rats anyways.
"Kits will now be apprenticed at six moons." His lone gaze wanders to the nursery, he can just barely see the dark gray figure of Hazecloud there with the kits crowding around her to listen in on the meeting they were not old enough to be properly present for yet. "The additional three moons should be spent teaching them to swim before they become apprentices, it is my hope this extra time in the nursery will ensure they pick up their training more easily and are taught proper respect for their superiors while still being confined to camp." Maybe they'd have less mouthy little upstarts this way as well, the less Otterpaw's he had to tolerate the better. "Cats who are under six moons and already apprenticed will continue their duties as they are - I will not be sending you back to the nursery or making you stay at camp. This extra time you have to train should be taken seriously, I would like to see you all become warriors by twelve moons."
And not be held back, they had a headstart on it and should embrace it with as much effort as they could muster.

"...one more thing before you are all dismissed." His amber eye locks onto the sleek black and blue-eyed figure of his kit, still sullen from their discussion most likely, but he did not falter, "Starlightpaw, step forward..." His voice held a tiny edge, willing the young apprentice to not cause a fuss.

✘ I've got a reputation and a name to uphold. ✘ Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves.

• Tag - @Starlightpaw
• 
  
  
  Smokestar
  —⊰⋅ Leader of RiverClan
  —⊰⋅ He/Him
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ Black tom w/vitiligo & one orange eye.
  

​

 

[Mosspool]

𓆝 . ° ✦ Mosspool could not help how her ear flicked as Smokestar declared the new code. It had not sat well with her when she heard it at the gathering, and it still did not now. There must be some wisdom in it or he would not have accepted it, but she could not see it. He claimed that these three moons would give time for kits to mature in preparation to receive their mentor, but maturity was something that apprenticeship could impress upon them. Shortening that apprenticeship meant that there would be less time to teach them everything else. Future apprentices would have to work harder and learn faster than she had or they would simply end up worse warriors for it.

Her gaze followed her leader's, drifting to the nursery, and the kits crowding near the entrance to hear his announcement. She felt bad for them. It was a blessing she had been apprenticed before this code, she would have hated being trapped in the nursery another two moons.

Still, she would not question her leader's decisions. Smokestar's word was the word of the stars. If he supported this code, than so did she. She would not speak out against it in front of him, especially not in the middle of a meeting.

Later though...

✧　°　.　✶　.　°　✧​

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 

  MOSSPOOL — SHE/HER･ 12 MOONS ･ WARRIOR & RIVERCLAN ･ PENNED BY @empyrean !

  Longhair black tabby with deep green eyes. Mosspaw is a very tall molly, standing a head above most cats her age. She has a slim, willowy physique with subtle musculature built up from a lifetime of constant training that lends itself well to swimming and running. Long, thick brown fur falls over her form with tabby patterning across it. Her eyes are a vibrant green, and shine with a bright intelligence and confidence.

​

 

[RAVENSONG]

The new code was needed. Ravensong had been an unconventional Clan cat from the start. It had been difficult for him to begin dealing with injuries born by four moon olds. And the scuffle at the WindClan border in which Cottonpaw had been held hostage had always ruffled his fur the wrong way. He had been conditioned to keep that feeling under. When the code had been proposed at the Gathering, the relief he experienced was tenfold anything he could have ever imagined. Finally his beliefs were validated. It was a shame that the leader's own grandkits were the impetus for the Clan leaders to finally see sense, but he was glad a kit did not die for this code. So many had died already. Ravensong imagined their blood singing their approval.

He knew this would be an adjustment for many of them, so he searched his Clanmate's faces for their reactions.

☾₊ ⊹ темная ночь — dark is the night

•  
• 
  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"

​

 

[SWIFTFIRE]

I'VE LEARNED LOVE IS LIKE A BRICK — The thundering pawsteps of many cats moving at once had been enough to rouse Swiftfire from her slumber, blinking wearily as she realized it was the full force of those returning from the gathering. It was a relief that they seemed to have made it out without any of the terrible arguments or infighting that she had heard about since joining Riverclan - at least, judging by the lack of annoyed scowls on their faces - but she didn't allow herself to scan any of them over too closely. Her eyes were already drooping only a second later, body eager to slip back under the comforting sway of sleep. Only for Smokestar's firm voice to drag her out of her drowsiness entirely, every strand of fur rapidly on edge.

She couldn't think of anything at the gathering that would have motivated Smokestar to finally exile all of the leftover former colony members, but that was where her mind immediately went. A tight knot of anxiety sat in her throat, waiting to hear the leader announce that she and her friends were out of a home. Relief only came in the form of the leader's next words, all of the fear draining out of her at once. Her shoulders slouched one more, a faint laugh leaving her muzzle before she realized how inappropriate that may have seemed and hastily looked away. Temporary panic aside, it took a moment for the new code declaration to truly sink down into her mind. She had known that kits were made into apprentices fairly early, but she had never really dwelled on it long - due to never having been a Riverclan apprentice herself. It didn't seem like a bad code though, allowing kits to have more time to just simply be themselves before more responsibilities were piled atop their shoulders.

It was doubtful that any kits would be all that enthused about such a rule, but Swiftfire hoped that they could at least see the positives of it eventually. Her gaze darted over to the nursery and the tiny shapes crowding around the front of it, offering a soft purr of encouragement. "More time to play, too." Though she doubted that would satiate them for too long. Either way she accepted the new ruling without protest, her attention being pulled over to Starlightpaw soon afterward.

YOU CAN BUILD A HOUSE ✿ OR SINK A DEAD BODY

• 
  ✧ shorthaired blue and red tabby chimera molly with green eyes
  ✧ 38 moons old; ages the 1st every month
  ✧ bisexual; currently not looking
  ✧ daughter of lilou and germaine
  ✧ formerly of the ripple colony; loyal to riverclan
  ✧ easy to befriend; desperate to improve the former colonists' reputation
  ✧ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ✧ peaceful powerplay allowed

​

 

[BUMBLENOSE]

Hearing the leader's call had lured the napping youth from her nest mind suddenly buzzing to life. They're back! With haste she rushed out into the clearing spotting her sister's tabby coat and intentionally veering away from them. She still hadn't quite forgiven Mosspool but her eagerness to hear what Smokestar had to share overshadowed her annoyance. Finding a decent spot she hurriedly sat on her rear paws tucked neatly and wispy tail laying across inky paws. Looking up she tuned in to her leader's words with rapt attention. Brow furrowing at the news of a code meant to keep kits in the nursery longer. What does that mean for me? After the tuxedo made it clear Bumblepaw would in fact not be losing her privileges the paw' sighed with relief.

It was hard to keep the feelings of shock from painting her mug but the molly seemed to manage with a grimace. Bumblepaw wasn't entirely sure how such a law could pose as a positive especially for all the excited kits waiting to step up. She felt lucky to have already been apprenticed and the looming threat of losing her freedoms was enough to keep her yapper shut. Leaving the finer details to the adults her curious gaze drifted over to Starlightpaw as they were called forward.​

 

[PERCHBERRY]

Another meeting so soon afterwards...it still gave him anxiety just thinking back on it. But he understood it needed to be done. What had happened during the gathering couldn't just be ignored. Everyone needed to know. Perchberry could do nothing but seat back far away while secretly feeling sympathy for Smokestar for having to stand in front of them all like these to announce the new code. One he could do nothing but agreed with. Maybe if he himself been been apprenticed later he might not have had that drowning accident. Perhaps his life would have looked different then.

If there was something he had never been able to get his head around it was how they did it. Smokestar or their previous leader Cicadastar. Perhaps, maybe, just maybe they where imaging all of their heads to be rocks?. Eyeless with no mouths. Just walking cat bodies with a rock as a head. Aha. That could be it. If so he wouldn't shame them. Just looking at Smokestar right now made his legs tremble. It was an amazing trait to have to stand so tall and stoic to speak in front of so many cats without vomiting or fainting. Meanwhile here he was trembling just by the thought of it. Scary.

Soon after Smokestar had announced the new code and allowed the clan to take the news in the leader called their child forward. Starlightpaw. Uh, what could this be about?. He hoped there was nothing bad, that Smokestar would scold his kit in front of them all. Perchberry prayed for that to not be the case. With anxiety he waited for what the new thing would be about, an anxiety that he could have carried for both of them. That was right. He could be anxious for both him and Starlightpaw's sake. At least something he was good at and the only support he could give, honestly.


​

 

[FERNGILL]

The new Code- it sat oddly on Ferngill's shoulders. Thinking of it now, small kittens sent into battle- the look of anguish, regret in Blazestar's eyes- he couldn't turn a blind eye to it. Maybe it made him soft, but... Ferngill had already decided that he would like a happy family in his future, and thinking of even hypothetical children being torn apart at the seams- there was a twist in his chest. t... it just wasn't worth it, was it? To cry anything other than tears of happiness for their young... as reluctant as he knew some other cats to be, Ferngill had felt the sting of Blazestar's words, and he was without protest.

Then, though- Starlightpaw, called forward. At first, stupidly, Ferngill thought Starlightpaw must be some sort of unprecedented prodigy, to be made a warrior so early- and then critical thought began to flow forth, and he figured it must be for something else. Not a punishment, surelt? An eye, meadow-green, settled inquisitively upon the young apprentice.​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[valesight ➶]

⸙͎｡˚⋆ ⍋ ѧѦ ѧ⍋ ⸙͎｡˚⋆

What a total.... sham! Valepaw thinks to be outraged, that Smokestar would come back from the Gathering with promise of a code that might protect those of them that are still small enough to be taken advantage of and he isn't retracting his apprenticeship? After the spat with Otterpaw and Asphodelpaw he is more sure than ever that he is in a constant state of danger.. that he can be murdered by his bloodthirsty den-mates at any moment. He wants nothing more than to sprint back into the nursery and curl up in a little ball as tight as he can besides Apricotflower. He would even suffer Hazecloud's company if it meant he could feel safe again.

He is gawking, horrified and disappointed to be told he doesn't get to be considered as someone deserving of extra time to be safe. But those... those little rats that were Smokestar's niece and nephews, they were worth protecting and coddling instead?

He furrows his brow, lips creasing into a tight frown as he searched for his older brother in the crowd, slinking past Ferngill as an easy beacon of security. Rookfang won't let them do this to me... There's no way! He didn't even want to be a warrior under Redpath's training. He didn't want to go out and fight and battle and die! He just wanted to eat... and be warm... and not feel hunted.

Starlightpaw's name summons a verdant gaze to snap back to the vitiligo-riddled leader. He really had made up his mind then.... to give the name back to the stars.

Good.​

​

 

[Silverbreath]

*+:｡.｡ Silverbreath felt an ancient weight upon his shoulders suddenly crumble away. A sigh slips past his softly upturned lips as he lets the feeling enwrap him. Only apprenticed at six moons...what a relief. At that age, kittens were nearly completely fully grown, how important those three moons would be before they were set upon a path that demanded so much sacrifice. 3 more moons where they'd be allowed to eat as they should he thinks, searching the crowd for any sign of his daughter or mate. His ears would snap up as, speaking of kits, Smokestar then called upon his own child. He hoped the young one hadn't done anything to earn his father's ire.

*+:｡.｡ Updated 12/15/23

• 
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  GENERAL:
  ☮ Silverbreath
  ☮ DMAB— He/Him — Bisexual
  ☮ 35 moons — Ages 1 moon every month real-time
  ☮ Father to Carp-paw, Mentoring Goldenpaw
  ☮ Riverclan — Warrior
  
  
  
  
  
  
  COMBAT:
  ☮Physically hard | mentally hard
  ☮ Attack in bold #7d7d7d
  injuries: None currently

​

 

[claythorn]

Silently did Claypaw come as Smokestar spoke. She hadn't been present at the gathering, perhaps for the better that an ex-colony cat didn't show their face there. However, she slowly sank down to her haunches as she listened, her mentor present somewhere in the crowd. Mismatched golden eyes flicked over the crowd briefly, before back towards Smokestar as he began to speak. She bit down on her cheek as the announcement of the new law, her head dipping to hide the brief agony that tilted over her features.

If only I had that luxury in the wilds. If only I hadn't been tossed to the rogues- would I not have these scars? Could I have been whole? She inhaled sharply, fixing her face before her head lifted- icy cool on the exterior. The only remaining indication that the new law made her bitterly jealous of how easy these clan kits have had it was the twitch in her eye. She spared a glance to the crowd alongside her- some trembled, others looked relieved... Valepaw's mouth was gaped wide open.

Claypaw resisted the urge to roll her eyes, shifting her vision up towards Smokestar as he called his own daughter forward. Fed from the mouth of the stars themselves, are you?, was the brief thought in her head, but that soon cleared as well.

✧　°　.　♦　.　°　✧​

ooc Information

• ooc: —
  "yuh"
• 
  
  a large, lh chocolate torbie towering, nine moons old, she/her. well-build and muscled. a drypaw. former river colony cat.

​

 

[BEEFANG]

I HEARD, I HEARD ACROSS THE MOONLIT SEA — At the call of a meeting, Beepaw walks forward with both of her ears pricked in the direction of her father's voice and settles down in the crowd. An announcement of a new code being proposed at the gathering and she can't help but frown and a part of her understands, she's grateful that her cousins would be tucked safely away in the nursery for longer not suffering the horrors and cruel truth that had been thrown at her when she had barely turned five moons. She tries not to think about it much but the scars on her leg burn for a moment to remind her what had happened and why she held no trust for outsiders, she nods her understanding. Smokestar beckons for Starlightpaw to step forward and Beepaw narrows her eyes having heard from a few apprentices mumbling rumors that her sibling would be getting a change of name and she hardly believed it at first.

Her stomach twists in the slightest not knowing how she would have to get used to saying a name that's anything but Starlightpaw, a new name would be bestowed to their youngest littermate and she's uncertain if she likes that. She can't imagine that it's easy for her littermate either to be stripped of a name so blasphemous and hurt the tongue of those who spoke it... It had been normal to her but that didn't apply to everyone else and the thought of getting your name changed so late into apprenticeship doesn't sit well with her either but if her sibling catches her gaze, they will find sympathy and unspoken words of I'll be here for you. She supposes that Smokestar will finally get to name two out of three of his kits now.

THE OLD VOICE WARNING ME ✦ BEWARE, BEWARE THE DAUGHTER OF THE SEA

• 

• 
  ✦ shorthaired black smoke molly w/low white and mismatched eyes
  ✦ oftentimes comes off as untrusting of those around her, closed off, and not the easiest to engage in conversation with, she's not easy to befriend. all her opinions are IC only.
  ✦ 7 moons old; ages the 10th every month
  ✦ sexuality unknown; currently interested in no one
  ✦ currently being mentored by smokestar
  ✦ firstborn daughter of cicadastar and smokestar
  ✦ sister of cicadapaw and starlightpaw
  ✦ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ✦ peaceful powerplay allowed

​

 

[Cricketchirp]

( ✩ )　 There is a tension to Starlightpaw's steps as she comes to the meeting. She moves stiffly, strangely, pulled puppet-like in a toy soldier's march. They cannot avoid the call of the leader, of their papa, but for once in his life Starlightpaw thinks they might want to. Still, they are summoned and so they come.

The first announcement is... Well, he supposed he's not in much place to question it. As much as he dislikes them, the other clans' leader are starchosen too. It is unsurprising that the kittypet king should be so soft as to coddle his young, but unfortunate that the other leaders must abide by such a law. Smokestar must have agreed, then. Did her sibling's scars scare him too much, perhaps? Still, as much as she doesn't care for the code itself Starlightpaw finds herself pleased that it has come now. An early start for the blessed children has already been secured; they will feel no effects from this soft-hearted change. Just as it should be.

And, ah. There it is.

His name is called, for what may be the last time. Starlightpaw. A name granted by the truest king of all, the rivergod that she calls father. A fitting name, a prophetic name, a perfect name. One he has dedicated his life to living up to.

A name Smokestar has apparently deemed wrong.

An inscrutable glance is shared with his siblings before he moves to meet his leader. Starlightpaw does their best not to let their displeasure show, standing tall, but their body betrays them. The twitching of their whiskers, flicking up and down as though to rid themself of an annoying bug; the rippling of their back, the tapping of their paws, the subtle tick of their head as they fail to hold their father's gaze. The whole of them screams out in displeasure, knowing that this change is wrong.

"Yes?" comes far too bitter and curt from their maw, accent spilling into the word in a ghostly echo of their father's voice. She finally settles her eyes upon Smokestar, eyes narrowed in the sun's glare and jaw clenched tight.

I WANNA SEE ✩ THE WHOLE WORLD! 【 1.13.23 】

• //
  ​

• "SPEECH"

• ✩ 　⁺　₊ 　⋆　STARLIGHTPAW.　APPRENTICE OF RIVERCLAN.　HE / SHE / THEY.
  7 MOONS & AGES ON THE 12TH.　PENNED BY SATURNID.
  
  

  

  ✩ — A WIRY, CURLY-FURRED BLACK SMOKE WITH CLOUDED BLUE EYES.
  

  
  SMOKESTAR xx CICADASTAR. LITTERMATE TO BEEPAW & CICADAPAW.
  
  MENTORED BY PETALNOSE.​

​

 

[SMOKESTAR]

—————————————————————⊰★⊱————————————————————

He's acutely aware of the look in sky night lit eyes that may very well resent him for this, he's accepted that even if it wasn't something he wanted to face but he would rather his child be angry at him for a brief time than grow to resent a name so heavy with unfortunate implications with a weight that should never settle on such young shoulders. He knew what Cicadastar wanted when he chose it, a blessing, a sign that their kits would be more important than any other - a touch of ego, a dash of devotion; the irony that they named a child such and his mate never made his way into the star lit fields for which they honored was not lost to him and he finds himself grimacing as he glances to the side as if expecting a looming shadow to be present there.
Smokestar's lone orange eye burns with intensity as he lifts his head, "Your name is a burden I do not wish you to bare, your father and I discussed changing it before we lost him." An outright lie, but one he hoped would soften the blow to come. If Cicadastar was willing to change it then surely it was fine? He felt a knot of regret in his stomach tighten at the blatant dishonesty but he didn't know what else to do - realistically he knew his mate would be livid over this but that made his decision all the more assured. His kits would not be star-cursed, he would not let that shadow taint them further.
"I say these words under StarClan, this apprentice's name no longer suits him - " In honor of moonlit walks along the river, dappled with light and the sound of insect song rising in the distance, " -and so from this moment forward she will be known as Cricketpaw in honor of your night streaked fur, your father, your siblings, your riverside home. A name does not define you, not even the stars can say otherwise, but you will bare their title no longer."
After Cicadastar, but not after Cicadastar, matching their siblings in their insect names and honoring the brief time spent before the sun rose and his world shattered once again. The star was gone, left only strewn across his own back for him to carry as it should be.

✘ I've got a reputation and a name to uphold. ✘ Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves.

• OOC can go here.
• 
  
  
  Smokestar
  —⊰⋅ Leader of RiverClan
  —⊰⋅ He/Him
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ Black tom w/vitiligo & one orange eye.
  

​