February Gathering

[lio]

Stoatdance almost scoffed at the other Clans' reports, rolling her eye at the rivalry between each of them. She stood and began to limp her way back to camp, her tail lashing.

--

Palepaw hopped to his paws, clueless about the arguing between Clans. He followed after RiverClan and made his way back to camp, wonder still filling his copper gaze.

--

Bramblebear eyed the other Clans with a frown. Thunder cat. River cat. Shadow cat. The leaders of the other Clans were so indescribable. She found herself stifling a sigh as they all spoke, ignoring the urge to roll her eyes. So much babbling, couldn't they all relax for just a moment? WindClan had it worse than any of the Clans. Starving cats, brainless healers, a lazy leader and magical disappearing deputy. Bramblebear was honestly surprised Brightsky had shown up for the Gathering. With a shake of her head, the silver tabby stood and began to make her way back to camp, not listening for Twilightstar's call to leave the clearing.

--

Hogpaw looked around as RiverClan began to leave, though he didn't move to join WindClan in preparation. Instead, he buried his head further into Foxpudge's fur, ears pressed flat against his head as he waited to move with the warrior.

--

[ @Ever ]

Toadbounce moved to join Flintstar's side, though he stopped and looked over his shoulder at Cedarstream. "Are you coming, darling?" he purred, raising a brow at the she-cat.

[Terrestrial]

Nightheart left to camp not caring for Twilightheart's signal.

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Darstorm padded to join Flintstar his tail held high as always with a smirk on his face.

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Flamepelt joined Flintstar and the others eyeing Cedarstream and Toadbounce.

[lio]

High Rank Announcement [#hrannouncement]

Duskfeather quickly rose to her paws, sending a distrusting glare toward the other leaders and deputies before she bounded to join Flintstar's side. Mocking the less fortunate? How hilarious. ThunderClan was still on the verge of starvation due to the burnt territory. They needed those Outskirts as leaf-bare held no mercy. The Torbie didn't comment, however, not wishing to have the leaders or deputies direct any of their childish words to her. She simply held her head up and looked around the clearing, making sure all of the ThunderClan cats were following. She turned to Flintstar and smiled. "I'll take up the back and make sure nobody gets lost along the way home," the deputy stated, flicking her tail, "Come on ThunderClan, let's go! Everyone needs to rest before the morning patrols, I don't want to catch anyone being lazy!" She let her voice rise, repeating the call for ThunderClan to usher everyone out of clearing faster.

[duckie]

Sootflare was taken aback by the apprentice's question and for a moment wasn't sure how to respond. It was a fair question to ask. For all the leaders' squabbling, it didn't seem like they could be at all bothered to care who might be hurt in their little game. He glanced around and it wasn't hard to catch sight of the WindClanners - skinny bodies and tired, desolate faces. Their clan was being trampled on without remorse. Who is really to blame when you're following orders? The one who gave the command, or those who followed it? Yellow eyes caught Fawnsqueak's gaze, hoping for some help - some tactful way to answer the question.

He glanced up as Lionstar called an end to the gathering and began collecting his clanmates to leave. It would certainly be an easy out, to just answer the leader's call and go home but it would leave the warrior with a heavy feeling of something left unfinished. He didn't want Elderpaw to believe he condoned the leaders' recent actions but wasn't sure how to convey that without taking responsibility for something they hadn't done, Lionstar had chosen to leave WindClan alone, after all. It wasn't like he could simply say sorry. Besides, what good was 'sorry' when your clan was starving?

"We should probably head out," he said, with another pointed look at Fawnsqueak, "Elderpaw, just- Just know we're not the bad guys, all right? We're not -... I just-... We should go."

@implimm @Dipper

[Moonraven]

High Rank Announcement [#hrannouncement]

Twilightstar didn't bother dignifying the insensitive Flintstar's words. This day and age the world was a harsh place, she didn't expect empathy or pity from him. It was nice and all that the tom was so blindly devoted to his clan, but could he not cut her clan a little break. If they had new territory to hunt couldn't they give back WindClan's? Every cat knew that even a sliver of territory could turn the tide between life and death during leaf-bare. She watched as Lionstar gathered his clanmates, uncertain on how to feel about his comment to Flintstar before his departure. Her eyes glanced in Flintstar's direction as he took his leave, uncertain what was going on between him and Icestar as she caught that small nod he gave to the Shadowclan leader.
That was it! In their former lives, Lionstar, Icestar, and Flintstar were in a love triangle! Since Lionstar and Icestar clearly weren't together anymore, Icestar has sunk her claws into the naive yet irksome Flintstar. It could be vice versa but she doubted it considering their personalities. Or maybe Icestar and Flintstar were having an affair behind Lionstar's back so he left her and that's why they fought like cats and dogs all the time? This could also explain why Lionstar was sort of standing up for Windclan. Twilightstar was an unfortunate extra in this soap opera and she wished they'd leave her and her clan out of.
The WindClan's leader's head was screwed on a little oddly, she blamed her mother for her former thoughts. Spotting Bramblebear as she walked off without any orders, Twilightstar parted her maw and called out. "WindClan, wrap up your chatter, we're heading back." With that she leaps off the rock, grimacing with at the nasty feeling of sand between her paws and began to head out, although she pauses as she spotted Mistyfern's familiar bulk with the medicine cats. Now, what were they up to?

[Fawn]

Fawnsqueak was a bit puzzled by Twilightstar's nonchalant attitude at the gathering, but her professional address appeased any feelings of uncertainty over her qualifications. She seemed more involved and knowledgable than Bright... Brightsky, was it? He just wished they were doing better and hadn't been forced to resort to...

He shuddered. No, not the time to think about that. It was still as disturbing as the first time he'd stumbled across that WindClan cat eating another.

His attention was stolen by Flintstar speaking again. He wasn't even ThunderClan and wished he could hide under a rock after that string of embarrassments. The nicknames, the lighthearted tone, the mocking... it was gut-twisting to kick a Clan already down, one that had been out of the game for moons on end. It was just so tone deaf that it had Fawnsqueak, socially inept himself, cringing from how far from the mark it landed. "Wow.." it was an awed murmur, and he glanced around at the ThunderClan cats as if to measure if they were hearing this too. If they were proud of this, or if any of them had enough integrity to step up and tell their leader his bully behavior was atrocious. That was when his eyes paused on Duskfeather, recognition sparking-- the new deputy, according to a previous announcement. She'd been the one to receive him and Ferretwatcher, and have given a collected, serious appearance. Maybe she should be the one providing the announcements, as he was certain she'd have greater tact. An apprentice would, or perhaps a mature kit!

On behalf of Flintstar, he murmured with burning cheeks, "I... am so, so sorry. I don't know why he'd do that." Even Fawnsqueak had to hang his head a little, a thick swallow forcing its way down his throat. "You guys-- all of WindClan, are worthy of respect. And.." And they weren't getting it, at least from Flintstar. He missed Sootflare's silent cry for help, pawing at the ground in sheepishness.

Fawnsqueak's head raised when he was spoken to, trying to shake away the clawing guilt in order to actually focus. "H-hm?" He spared a glance from the Seastones to Sootflare, realizing. Lionstar had already jumped off. "Oh, I guess we're leaving?" That was probably for the best, he didn't think he could stay longer. The mention of not being the 'bad guys' had him grimacing, averting his gaze-- it sounded far too close to what Lionstar said when he was in the wrong. His jaw was working with no sound coming out, awkwardness catching up to him. With the rest departing, he felt confident enough to drop his voice to meow to Elderpaw, "If things ever get... really bad-- like, you need somewhere to go, or... something to eat..." Fawnsqueak peered at her pleadingly in hopes she understood.


@implimm @shortstack

[Freesia]

Originally Posted by doghouse

Thrushfeather's tail twitched slightly as he gazed around at the gathered cats. He wasn't really a huge fan of crowds, and had often opted out of coming to most gatherings. But, he did still come ever once in awhile, and this happened to be one of those times. And yet, the Shadowclan had somehow ended up a short ways from the rest of his clan, not that he really minded. He could still see and hear just fine, minus the chatter going on around him. And upon feeling a cat bump into him, the tom startled. Whirling around to face the other cat with a wide eyed expression, the ginger warrior was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry, was I in your way?" He hoped not, but regardless, he hoped this other cat would accept. Taking a step back so that the other cat- and himself- had more space, Thrush hesitantly sat back down and gave his chest fur a few quick licks to calm himself. He really shouldn't be so jumpy, but he was. And he couldn't really help that, as surrounded as cats as he was.

Glazewing looked the tom up and down. He didn't recognize this cat, but from his scent, he seemed to be in ShadowClan. He scrunched up his nose a little in disgust. He knew it was very out of character for him to act this way, but he justified his behavior by saying that he was grieving. "Yeah, you were," he answered bluntly. His reply came out a bit colder than he'd intended, and he tried to soften his expression. He sat down across from the tom. This ShadowClanner looked a little uncomfortable and skittish after Glazewing bumped into him, so the RiverClan warrior wanted to make up for that. He wasn't in a great mood, but he wasn't cold-hearted, either. "So...You're in ShadowClan?"

[Ever]

"Of course." She replied hastily, jade eyes rolling at his purr. She pushed her way past and through the dispersing cats to get to her gathering clan. Trying to make her way closer to the front. Cedarstream was eager to be back in the comfort of her territory.

@hxneysuckle

[plum]

All around her, it seemed like cats were rushing to say their farewells and leave. Nobody wanted to look another in the eye for long. Nobody wanted to linger, lest the truth bite them in the neck after being delicately avoided all night long. Elderpaw saw her leader leave her station and heard the summons for her Clan to follow her away. Overhead, the moon stared down at them and lit them up, exposing everything that laid in the shadows.

Earlier that evening, the apprentice had been so excited and anxious. Her first debut into the rest of the World among all the Clans and not just her own, it was meant to be a good night. She was supposed to be feeling good about herself! Shutting her eyes against Fawnsqueak and Sootflare, Elderpaw wills herself to be calm. And after a heartbeat passes, she reopens those green eyes of hers and looks from one tom to the other. They seemed so nervous all of a sudden. Speechlessness gripped them both as they struggled to find something, anything to tell her. She felt sorry for them, too, suddenly, as a similar question runs through her mind. Did the warriors carrying out their duties deserve her resentment, or just the ones who commanded them?

It felt like everyone was giving up on Windclan. Letting it become a perished, once-prosperous memory. Even Fawnsqueak, who meant nothing but the best in his pleading suggestion to her, only ventured that far because a part of him didn't believe in her Clan. She gazes at him in a span of silence in which she slowly rises to her paws, tail lifting high.

"The stars themselves can turn their backs on us before I do," she mews in a trembling voice. The words were heavy for the young cat, who thought of her father for a brief second as she uttered them. Even him... "Twilightstar will bring us back to our full potential. But she needs warriors who want the same." When Elderpaw first arrived at the Gathering, she didn't think she would be speaking the words rolling off of her tongue now. But as she takes a step away from the two, her aching chest felt moons older. After she had been apprenticed, Quincetail left her alone to seek a safe place to live with more prey and less company. Now she had a stranger offering another alternative. Their faith in Twilightstar was slim to none, and she only had so much time to prove they could survive before her father came to collect her or another Clan found her too weak to say no anymore.

"Thank you, both of you. I'll remember tonight. And I'm sure we will meet again at the next Gathering." Elderpaw forces a proud purr to bid the RiverClanners a good night before turning and trying to keep pace with her Clanmates.

@Dipper @shortstack

[BEAR.]

Originally Posted by Casper

@BILL.

Hailstorm padded quietly along, checking occasionally to make sure Falconpaw was keeping up. It was his first gathering, and she was excited for him. She remembered hers, but not quite as fondly. Her mother had been watching and controlling her every move, making sure she didn't make a fool of her. She would be far different with this apprentice. She didn't want him to have a bad memory of this.
"Are you excited?" she turned to ask him, a gentle smile on her face.

"Yes." To say he was excited was an understatement. Falconpaw was eager to explore the sandy shoreline, to pester cats from the other Clans..

But it seemed they didn't have long before the leaders began to talk, and Falconpaw was quick to lose interest in the news of the other Clans as he focused his attention on his surroundings. Who could he bother? There were so many cats here, he didn't know where to begin even as it seemed some were leaving.

[open if anyone wants a brief interaction]