ShadowClan Leader's Den - Page 88

**SuspiciousMindz** · #**871** April 5th, 2025, 11:00 AM

[Hawkbite]
Enforcer Commander
Shadow Fiend | Agatha Kitty | Kitty Softpaws T2

It felt like he was just here... which he was. It had probably been a couple days since the Enforcer challenge, but this visit wasn't about that. Instead, history decided to repeat itself. It'd been a couple seasons since it happened last, but Hawkbite approached the den with a protesting kit between his jaws. They were still dirty, but much more presentable than when he first found them. The red pelt and markings were much more visible now.

He pushed his way into the den, stopping when he was inside, and his gaze adjusted to the lighting. Hawkbite would place the kitten at his paws, in the same spot he always took up within the Leader's Den. "I found another one of these within the territory. Mom's scent was very stale, clearly hadn't been around to check in or feed them. This one looks to be a tom, too young to remember anything. Would be easy to raise him up knowing nothing but ShadowClan," he commented. He had already planned to bring them to Mistlewhisker before Nightshiver -- who would have to help with raising again, moreso to feed this kitten milk and babysit when needed. "Mistlewhisker and I could discipline and keep a better eye on him compared to my first run around with Fishpaw," Hawkbite almost winced at the memory of her and Nightshiver with that fox.

"Would name him Dogwoodkit if accepted."

He wouldn't know what to do if Dawnstar turned him away. Hawkbite wouldn't kill a kit or leave it to die, regardless of what the leader said. It would be on the few reasons he could lose his position if he was really tested.

@Undertaker - Dawnstar | @burntToast - Dogwood(?)

***Undertaker*** · #**872** April 7th, 2025, 05:08 PM

Her claws slide from their sheaths while the massive feline digested the news. So he had gotten close to a Thundervermin. Her scowl grew into a grimace at the foolish assurance the apprentice sprouted. "I chose you as ShadowClan medicine cat because I thought you were loyal. Yet now I hear that you've strayed. Whether you were young or not means nothing to me, a true ShadowClan cat would never have allowed a squirrel to mean anything to them in the first place." Dawnstar hissed, suspicion emitting from her every word.

"If I had been made aware of this before, I would never have chosen you as Sleepysunrise's apprentice. I can't have disloyal mousebrains as my medicine cat, who knows when you'll have another lapse in judgement." Dawnstar needed complete and utter trust in those who were her medicine cats, even more so than her deputy. This was quite the troubling development.

"You'll remain as ShadowClan's medicine cat apprentice for now. However, know that I will be keeping a close eye on you. You give me even an inkling to suspect you, and you'll be replaced." The only reason Dawnstar kept Silentpaw was because she had Sleepysunrise and to give Silentpaw a chance to prove his words were more than just hot air and fanfare. Which was very unusual, perhaps due to some lingering guilt regarding Rookefire. She did not like how nonchalant he seemed with being disloyal to his clan, but it didn't seem like he was trying to lie. That could be just how he was.

Yet, what little trust she had in the young tom was gone. The second he gave her even the smallest reason to doubt him, he would be booted from the rank. "Dismissed." She ordered.

Oh, one of the grandbrats were back. Dawnstar dropped to the sandy flooring and lashed her fluffy tail. She turns to face the lichen-covered entrances and can only guess why Hazycry was here.

"Enter," She commands while returning to her nest. She sits down on her haunches in her comfortable bedding of fur and moss and licks at her sharpened claws, cleaning dirt from them. "What is it that you need to speak about?" She asked with a final lick to her left set of claws. She gave Hazycry a curious look while waiting to hear a response.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rani

Bleedingpaw
Shadowclan Apprentice | He/Him | 11 Moons

Just a Scratch | Shadow Fiend | Hulk SMASH!

Blue eyes were always a little disconcerting, especially the light ones. They hid nothing like the dark could, pupils clear and their target clearer. Windows to the souls as all eyes were, but no dark curtains to hide them.

Bleedingpaws were akin to headlights for a car you could not see on a back country road, boring into your soul, making you unable to see anything else, and the only thing that existed amongst the dark. Ghostly, in a way. It was needed. He needed to claw into Dawnstars soul and know, see, it all.

It was only after she stopped speaking, only after he mustve seen something that changed things, did he blink.

In that moment he bled his emotion, it all draining like a lanced wound and the bubble of tension popped before being refilled. Exhaustion, though so deserved after everything in this, did not take its place however. No it was something more like a vow, like determination. If that made any sense at all.

Bleedingpaw forced himself to his paws through tired shaking legs to stare the leader face to face and chuckled something broken. He couldnt, just couldnt as a cat manage solitude. It'd consume him or he'd lose himself in it. So to stay he had to trust someone, or at least try to. And Dawnstar was telling the truth.

~Purrk Mind Reader acquired~

He wasnt sure how he knew, and a park of him so distrusted himself and his own judgements after how badly Lostspark had betrayed and tricked him it'd take time and proof for that truth to settle into his bones. But he believed the leader, at least until proven otherwise.

"I-I can accept those terms."
Because he could. He could accept all sorts of horrible lies as long as they werent about him. Everyone around him lied he was learning. He could accept cruelty. He'd loved Rosa despite her physical and emotional cruelty until abandonment and time had washed that to tatters.

"I can be loyal to shadowclan, to you, I can be the best possible warrior, I can not make you upset with me, I can never betray you just dont- Just dont betray me."

Maybe he couldnt uphold his word but it was Bleedingpaw. Love hungry, desperate, needy, Bleedingpaw. He could and would die trying if it came down to it. As long as someone loved him for it he'd do anything, so as long as Dawnstar didnt betray him, as long as her care didnt hurt him like Lostsparks did, the tom who genuinely cared so much for all life and at core wanted to do naught but help would commit atrocities.

It was kind of funny. Had he the sense of self to act on his own behalf for once he'd be a totally different cat, but now as he was he was more of a reflection of the cats around him. Completely unintentionally. Though his almost demand here was a rare bold act he was taking for himself, a potential sign of change.

"A-and as for her.... Ill make myself not care." Impossible, but also necessary for survival. "Theres so many more important and better cats then her that are still here, why should I care what she does. If she comes back it wont fix what she's done anyways." An ironic chuckle as the tom fixed gaze with Dawnstar "S-she cant even come back really can she? Even if she's not done anything she's betrayed us, I dont know that a cat like that would have worth anymore..." It was the leaders decision of course, but he'd like to know, to be warned, of her thoughts on the matter.

In the end it didnt matter, and endless further realizations almost choked him. "I-I have siblings. They saw it... They saw her for who she was and were disappointed long before I was, no wonder... I thought the pity was because of my disability but maybe they saw this all coming in a way..." For the first time Bleedingpaw wished he could talk to Howlingpaw who spewed vitriol he hadnt understood and had feared. Now he got it though.
"Some of them must feel the same betrayal and hate it, maybe I could trust their love...."

There had to be cats, he couldnt trust them but he could watch, he could be wary and prepared but still bask in the care they gave he craved. Blind faith was dead, but he could at least try and see if trial would reveal those who wouldnt return his devotion with pain. This all could be done, if "You, you just have to not betray me." It was said with the dying cries of a child Bleedingpaw no longer was, the last gasp of faith that kitten had once had in the first cat to ever show him care.

Ever a desperate thing, this freak.

@Undertaker (ive no clue how to end this but I thiiiiiink this is most of what bleeding has to say, I am freed from desperate stream of consciousness speech!)

Huh, she thought he'd have a bigger fit about the whole withholding the truth. For some reason, she naturally believed that if you were willing to deceive or lie, that meant everything out of one's mouth to be a lie. But then again, Bleedingpaw hadn't spiraled down the paranoia hole as hard as Dawnstar had, hopefully, he never would. He only had Lark to attribute betrayal and distrust to. Dawnstar had lost count of how many cats had betrayed her.

It was more than she had toes, she knew that for sure. Still, she had thought getting his trust would have been more challenging. She wasn't going to complain about it. If she had his trust, it was hers now, no takebacks. She blinked slowly at his desperate pleas, she had already assured him she wasn't going to turn on him. She doesn't make light promises.

Dawnstar let him go through his emotions and talk while observing. He was lucky he had so many siblings. Dawnstar wondered if she'd be as messed up as she was if she had more siblings with her. What if it had been that weak little brother who had survived instead of her? She didn't dwell on the thought what ifs only brought her fleeting comfort. It was safer to live in the present and plan for the future.

"No, she'll never be allowed to return here. She made her choice when she walked away from us." Dawnstar answers. She had never thought about it like that, she always wondered why some of Lark's kits had been so distant and disliked her. Perhaps they always knew, but that was ludicrous, right? Maybe they had seen something in her that Dawnstar hadn't and kept their distance. It was hard to say.

"You and Sleepysunrise are terribly alike. I can't speak on behave of your other siblings, but I would think you can trust her love. She's the only one who's shown me she was betrayed like us." She wasn't going to promise that he could trust his sibling's affection, not after what hers did. She would like to believe in Sleepysunrise, not completely, but enough.

"Bleedingpaw, I won't betray you." She reassured with a soft growl. Look at her repeating herself... how annoying. The things she did for family. "Now go rest, you looked like you need some sleep." She got to her paws and dipped her head to butt against his flank lightly, a mild show of affection for the brute of a she-cat. This little talk had been draining, even if she didn't show it, too much emotion for someone who rarely used them.
[Okay, we can wrap this up here then.]

Yup, she was a weird one. A special kind of weird that is entirely her own. It was harder to notice when the entire litter was together when one of the parasites was distracting her. She might have to spend a little more one-on-one with Scorpionpaw.

"Oh, well I'd prefer if you all got your names that same time, but if you get your full name first, you can help the rest of your siblings earn theirs. Plus, bragging rights are always fun to have. Not to mention they have to listen to you until they earn the same rank as you." Dawnstar mused while leading the way out of her den.
[I can do the starter for their training, although if you get one up before me that works too.]

Dawnstar lifted her head and lazily glared at Hawkbite as he strolled into her den with a small hairball trapped between his teeth. Again?! Her left lip twitches as the start of a snarl bubbled within her chest and died out before it reached her maw. As of late, Dawnstar's found that she really didn't like kits, well, she wouldn't say she normally liked kits, she found them all tolerable, including her own, but these especially young ones really bugged her.

They were so useless at this age, they didn't have much of a personality, so rather bland, and they needed to be fed constantly. They couldn't speak up for themselves, and they were all around more of a burden than anything else. A pain in the tail. Even though she knew every cat started off this way, those blessed with being born into ShadowClan were spared Dawnstar's scorn as she already considered them hers and a part of the clan.

This shift in her mindset might also have something to do with the last two mewling hairballs under two moons that she allowed into the clan. The one disappeared, and Fishpaw, Fishkit at the time, got Nightshiver mauled and nearly killed herself. Dawnstar was usually not so biased when it came to outsiders, not nearly as much as she had been when younger, but the only useful outsiders were the ones who were full-grown and could carry out their duties. Those too young to understand what they've been given seemed to take it for granted.

Plus, she had yet to have any ShadowClan born kit cause as much trouble escaping camp as Fishpaw had. She should have tossed Fishpaw out after she nearly got ShadowClan's only forever queen killed.

"No, he's too young to appreciate the honor of being given a home in ShadowClan, and I find those in need of weaning are a waste of space and time." She huffed after a long pensive silence.

"I don't care what you want to do with him, but I don't want him in the clan. Take him to the twolegs, toss him in the outskirts, put him out of his misery, whatever, but make sure he's out of my territory. Do not bring me another suckling or I'll be forced to test your loyalty to ShadowClan." She warned with a grimace that showed just a little too much teeth.

**c1nder** · #**873** April 9th, 2025, 03:45 PM

☆｡. o Hazycry
❧ Shadowclan Warrior | She/Her
❧ Purrks - Shadow Fiend, Kitty Softpaws T2, Silver Tongue T1, Monkey's Paw
"I once believed that the road of happiness continued forever and ever into the distance. When it was destroyed, I realized for the first time that it lies upon a thin sheet of glass."

as she stepped into the den, she dipped her head to dawnstar, gaze sweeping over the colossal size of her great-grandmother. no wonder she was so feared, she could likely overpower any normal sized cat.

"two things, firstly... ever since hawkpaw.... died i... can see. i don't know how, or even why. but i can see. i... don't want the clan to know, i dont want them to tell anyone anything and its easier if they think i'm still blind. if you wish to tell the rest of them, that is your decision." her maw opened and closed a few times as she thought of how to word this next portion.

"although i am considered a... newer warrior, i would like to challenge tuftedtusk for the rank of enforcer. i have barely seen much of him around, and i feel as though i have the ability to be greater. as far as i'm aware, he does nothing other than the bare minimum, my current apprentice is about to be a warrior, i've done both fishpaw's and hollowpaw's assessments, i've done far more than he has done in three almost four moons." she paused for a moment, gathering a few more thoughts before continuing.

"four moons ago i was sulking, broken. but as a warrior i've found purpose. as an enforcer i will find more. tuftedtusk has been an enforcer since i was a young apprentice, yet i rarely hear of any accomplishments he has done." that was all she had, her still-foggy eyes almost glinted with ambition, ambition to do better, to be better.

"that is my reasoning, if i am turned away, i understand."

- @Undertaker [hehe]

**Dolomedes** · #**874** April 12th, 2025, 05:18 AM

Mushroomkit | Dovekit
@Undertaker | @sturgeonwind -> sorry for the delay!

Mushroomkit hums in agreement, “Like Adderpaw! She’s very quiet but very good!” And no, “Wellll the worst that Dovekit has done is like.. ask really rude questions without the manners mama taught us! Like one time, we were talking to Tinywolf, and she’s been in the nursery a lot because she likes to play and teach kits and stuff, and Dovekit was like ‘are you expecting kits, Tinywolf?’ And I was like, what the heck Dovekit, you can’t just ask someone if they’re expecting kits. But it was okay because Tinywolf understood that Dovekit just needs better manners sometimes.”

She quieted after her ramble as the leader addressed Pinekit, who she kind of forgot was even there after getting distracted with her Dovekit story. She shuffled away from him slightly as he started to speak, it seemed that Dawnstar was on her side, but last time Pinekit managed to convince Tinywolf that Mushroomkit had attacked him even though it was true. She hoped that Dawnstar would understand that he was lying, and this time! Since thinking about what happened, Dovekit told her how to explain the case that the mean kit tried hurting her with lies or physically again.

The dark russet feline shook her head, only after Pinekit was finished speaking. “That’s not true! Me and Dovekit were trying to find something to do and then Pinekit came over and wanted to play wrestling and I was like okay! Because it seemed fun, but then he used his claws and you aren’t supposed to do that until you are an apprentice, and then I started crying because it hurt and then he lied about thorns!” Dovekit reminded Mushroomkit to take a breath, the sound coming like a breeze brushing past the threshold of the leader’s den.

“There aren’t any thorns in the nursery and if he pushed me off of him and into thorns I would’ve been all scratched up on my back, not one scratch on my face. I went to Sleepysunrise and she helped me so she knows I only had the one cut from him!” She didn’t really have much to say about the incident with the event, Mushroomkit has been trying to stay away from Pinekit but he just wouldn’t let go of whatever it was that made him hate her so much. “I keep trying to stay away but Pinekit keeps following me everywhere. The event with Pondlily, the enforcer fight, and even when he was forced to apologize to me he still said he would make sure I get kicked out of Shadowclan. I just want me, Dovekit, and Adderpaw to be left alone.” Truly she just wanted to live without being paranoid in her own home, to stop being hunted by someone that should be a friend of hers.

**SuspiciousMindz** · #**875** April 13th, 2025, 05:18 PM

[Hawkbite]
Enforcer Commander
Shadow Fiend | Agatha Kitty | Kitty Softpaws T2

Honestly, that wasn't the answer he was expecting. Not that he always expected a yes, but to turn away a kitten? That earned a very disappointed glance from Hawkbite. The disappointment would eventually shift to that of annoyance, but Hawkbite would stare downwards at the kitten, instead. The annoyance flashing in the direction of Dawnstar momentarily while his eyes moved.

Maybe he should be annoyed at the kitten for being too young? But... that was cruel. He often forgot the leader was once much worse. These last couple season rotations had been tamer than a majority of her leadership. She could've killed the kit here and now but spared it. Now for Hawkbite to end this life? He wouldn't. He'd lose his rank and position in the clan before he'd harm, let alone kill, a kit.

Dawnstar certainly wouldn't be seeing the kit again, though.

As for loyalty? Hawkbite would put down any of his warriors if it meant he'd have to prove himself to her. Perhaps his loyalty was questionable a time or two, but that'd been... seasons now. Surely she didn't truly believe he wasn't loyal. This was a ridiculous accusation of disloyalty if Dawnstar was seeing bringing a kit as such.

Whatever.

Hawkbite would let out a grunt of reluctant obedience before lifting the red kit up and turning out of the den to "deal" with it. Not a single word. As he'd typically be one to mouth off to a clan mate, he knew better than to put his life on the line inside her den.

***Estelle*** · #**876** April 13th, 2025, 06:16 PM

ׂ╰┈➤ Sleepysunrise ✘ Shc Medicine Cat ←
☽ She/Her, 14 Moons ✧.* Petite dark semi-long-furred feline with white tufts across her body, white freckles and piercing blue eyes ☾
Shadow Fiend * CALL ME MONSTER * Purrk * Purrk

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

The young medic couldn't stop the smile that spread on her maw as soon as Dawnstar gave her permission, lip slightly slipping between her teeth. The smile, or grin, or however you might call it, was evident on her face; Sleepysunrise was happy. Without hesitation, she stepped forth in a slow movement to affectionally press her head against Dawnstar's chest.
"Thank you, Miss Grandmama."
The young cat purred softly, tail moving behind her in a slow motion. She held her position for a few second, before stepping back.

So wrapped up in her own delusions, Sleepysunrise had missed the confusion with which her grandmother had regarded her. Missed the tensity with which her jaw had been shut before approval left her maw. She was focused only on what mattered right now; on her very real presence within the den, and on the very real permission she had been given. I won't disappoint you, the words danced around her mind and help hope within her gaze as she observed the Queen of Mean. I can't disappoint you.
"I will tell you what I find;"
She added, head canting as she spoke.
"..Unless you need anything, I will be off."

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

⊹ [ @Undertaker - Dawnstar | @/mention - Character ] ⊹

***Beaan*** · #**877** April 14th, 2025, 04:12 PM

BOUNCEKIT
He/Him - 3 Moons - Outsider ShC kit
two left paws [active] - bewiched [perm active]

This den... smelt like the bigcat that let him inside the clan. He hadn't talked to her since he had joined the clan. the large kitten poked his head in, his eyes adjusting. "Uhm, hello?" Bouncekit called out, swishing his tail. "Big Cat? Are you in here? I have a few questions," the young tom stated, waiting with his head poked through the entry for an answer.

[ @Undertaker - for the next post i needa know - is there any rock/stone in dawns den? ]

***Undertaker*** · #**878** April 16th, 2025, 05:19 PM

Oooookay? Why does this keep happening? Dawnstar blinks her eyes slowly as her grandkit tells her that she can see now. She might have had a bigger reaction if Lark hadn't done it first. She loved an explanation on how that worked, however, she doubted she'd ever get it. So was simply going to fly with it for now.

"Well, I appreciate you sharing that with me. And don't worry, unless I see some point in sharing, I won't speak of it." There was merit in your enemy believing you were weaker than you were, and sometimes your allies as well. Was it strange that Dawnstar couldn't recall the death of one of her apprentices? Unless she got a report for it, she often assumed said cat had run off. She couldn't recall anyone telling her about Hawkpaw dying.

Well, that was irksome. She was going to have to ask around the clan about that. Someone's head would fly if she found herself as the only one not informed about a dead apprentice. Her tail slapped crossly on the smooth floor at the thought.

"Tuftedtusk again, he must really not be doing anything at all." Dawnstar didn't usually pick up on how her Enforcers were doing, it'd mean little if she was the one criticizing them instead of the cats who wanted to challenge them.

"Hmm, well, you have been working hard. I can't say you've made much of a name for yourself either, but I can see you're trying, which is better than sulking." Or whatever Tuftedtusk wasn't doing. She didn't understand Hawkbite's attachment to the tom, especially when the cats were saying otherwise about him.

"Why not? I'll approve your challenge. Go speak to Hawkbite, tell him that unless he can come to me with a genuine reason for keeping Tuftedtusk other than him being consistent, a duel is to be held. If Tuftedtusk wants the rank so badly, he can defend it."

Quote:

Originally Posted by sturgeonwind

PINEKIT | CINDERGROWTH
male - he/him | ??? - it/they
shadowclan kit | noclan creature
real | hallucination
purrks:
silver tongue t1 [t2 purrchased, post count too low for it to work] - active through all speech in this post
″ internal functions off, chaos has begun ″
★ - ★ - ★
- @Dolomedes - @Undertaker -

Pinekit was pleased that finally, finally HE had something to say. And oh boy he was going to use it. He was just pleased it was his time to tell the truth about Mushroomkit. How she hurt him and his paw, and how all he did was protect himself. The second time? Eurghhhh he couldn't explain thatttt... uh... he didn't have time to stall and make up an excuse.

[silver tongue t1 active]
"Weeeeell. Everyone is lying about the first time because she actually hurt ME the first time." he began, glaring at Mushroomkit out of the corner of his eyes. Looking back at Dawnstar, he continued, "She scratched my paw and -" he sniffed, feigning sadness, " - she- she keeps blaming the fact I pushed her out of self defence into some thorns - that I got some help to get removed - onto- onto my- claws..."

Drama act #1 over. He couldn't actually fake crying soooo this was the best he could do. Next up.. uh... explaining the thing where the feathers were and stuff... Hmm welll that was green creature telling him to do it, not him. He couldn't really... explain that without revealing the truth about green creature. And the fact it exists. Dawnstar might think he was odd. Uhhh... Well maybe it was part of StarClan! Yeah uh .. Would Dawnstar believe that... probably not.. But it was his only shot at anything. He awkwardly looked to the sides of him, unable to see the green creature. Weird. Maybe it had to go back to StarClan? Is it StarClan?? He mentally shrugged that off, that was a question for later... What he told to Mistlewhisker was too dangerous to repeat here because he needed excuses.

[silver tongue t1 active]
Time for drama act #2...
"Well. The second time, there was like... a message. It came to me and it was like 'We need you to try to hurt Mushroomkit.' or something.. I think it could have been StarClan! Or.. maybe it was the bad dead cats... I don't know - it was just in the moment, but the thoughts weren't mine - and then I realised I was scratching Pondlilly or something before I knew it and then Mistlewhisker came and.. yeah."

Pinekit shuffled his paws awkwardly, then looked at Dawnstar politely. "That's all." he mumbled. Now he had to pray to StarClan that he'd done enough to convince her...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dolomedes

Mushroomkit | Dovekit
@Undertaker | @sturgeonwind -> sorry for the delay!

Mushroomkit hums in agreement, “Like Adderpaw! She’s very quiet but very good!” And no, “Wellll the worst that Dovekit has done is like.. ask really rude questions without the manners mama taught us! Like one time, we were talking to Tinywolf, and she’s been in the nursery a lot because she likes to play and teach kits and stuff, and Dovekit was like ‘are you expecting kits, Tinywolf?’ And I was like, what the heck Dovekit, you can’t just ask someone if they’re expecting kits. But it was okay because Tinywolf understood that Dovekit just needs better manners sometimes.”

She quieted after her ramble as the leader addressed Pinekit, who she kind of forgot was even there after getting distracted with her Dovekit story. She shuffled away from him slightly as he started to speak, it seemed that Dawnstar was on her side, but last time Pinekit managed to convince Tinywolf that Mushroomkit had attacked him even though it was true. She hoped that Dawnstar would understand that he was lying, and this time! Since thinking about what happened, Dovekit told her how to explain the case that the mean kit tried hurting her with lies or physically again.

The dark russet feline shook her head, only after Pinekit was finished speaking. “That’s not true! Me and Dovekit were trying to find something to do and then Pinekit came over and wanted to play wrestling and I was like okay! Because it seemed fun, but then he used his claws and you aren’t supposed to do that until you are an apprentice, and then I started crying because it hurt and then he lied about thorns!” Dovekit reminded Mushroomkit to take a breath, the sound coming like a breeze brushing past the threshold of the leader’s den.

“There aren’t any thorns in the nursery and if he pushed me off of him and into thorns I would’ve been all scratched up on my back, not one scratch on my face. I went to Sleepysunrise and she helped me so she knows I only had the one cut from him!” She didn’t really have much to say about the incident with the event, Mushroomkit has been trying to stay away from Pinekit but he just wouldn’t let go of whatever it was that made him hate her so much. “I keep trying to stay away but Pinekit keeps following me everywhere. The event with Pondlily, the enforcer fight, and even when he was forced to apologize to me he still said he would make sure I get kicked out of Shadowclan. I just want me, Dovekit, and Adderpaw to be left alone.” Truly she just wanted to live without being paranoid in her own home, to stop being hunted by someone that should be a friend of hers.

Uh-huh, so it seemed like Dovekit was nothing more than a friendly... hallucination for a lonely kitten. So, currently, nothing to worry about, so Dawnstar would let Mushroomkit do as she pleased until it became a problem.

Back to Pinekit...who was trying to lie to her and doing a terrible job at it. The first lie might have been believable if the second wasn't a total load of dung. She doubted the kit understood how StarClan worked and didn't work, but the nonsense coming out of his mouth wasn't it. There was also the fact that, as far as she was aware, no one was in contact with the stars since the collapse of the cave. Or she assumed that as much. Plus, StarClan may be petty as hell, but to tell a kit to attack another kit over...nothing seemed a bit extreme. The Dark forest...possibly, but she felt like that would be an often-occurring event if they were messing with kits and quite low of them.

Mushroomkit piped up, repeating what she had already told the leader earlier, which made more sense than Pinekit's nonsense. Throwing in Sleepysunrise was a smart move for the young kit. She could bring the medicine cat in here, but why bother? There weren't any thorns in the nursery, it was a burrow under wildflowers.

"Wow, you actually tried to lie to me not once but twice. Has no one told you how much I hate liars? It breaks any sense of trust I had in you. If you can lie to me know you'll lie to me later." Dawnstar sighed and got to her huge paws. It was absurd to lie to a cat as seasoned and paranoid as she. Why even try it? At least make it believable.

"Mushroomkit, you and Dovekit are free to go. Whether or not Pinekit remains after our talk remains to be seen, but if he stays in the clan and continues to harm you in anyway after this chat, inform me and I'll deal with it." She told the other kit without removing her glare from Pinekit.

"Pinekit, you're getting one last chance to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth otherwise I'll banish you from ShadowClan. I've tried to be patience and understanding with you, but you're testing my tolerance right now." If it weren't a kit she would have already tossed him out of the clan and into the outskirts or twolegplace. Motherhood has helped increased her paitences for kits stupidity, but only by a little.

What was wrong with her? Dawnstar's tail tip coiled and uncoiled itself while watching Sleepysunrise with open curiosity. Her granddaughter didn't emote much, if at all. She's been like that since she was a kit. Granted, that didn't mean she didn't have emotions. One simply had to learn how to read her.

Dawnstar was drawn out of her muse to give her granddaughter's ear a light lick as she pressed her head against her chest. As she stepped back and left to depart, Dawnstar watched her with a bit of concern. She grunts and offers a "Be safe," in dismissal. Dawnstar wasn't going to worry about it too much, maybe she was just having a weird day.

[There is a bright red stone further in the back of her den, aside from that, no.]
Who keeps telling these brats where her den is? Even though it's been a while since she's gotten a baby hairball as a visitor that wasn't one she bore, she still found them annoying. The mild pout on the leader's face lingered as she sat in silence further in the back of her den, trying to ignore the kitten. But ultimately gave up when her curiosity got the better of her.

"Come in, hairball." She sighed, sitting up in her nest. "What do you need?"

**sturgeonwind** · #**879** Today, 07:54 AM

PINEKIT | CINDERGROWTH
male - he/him | ??? - it/they
shadowclan kit | noclan creature
real | hallucination
purrks:
silver tongue t1 [t2 purrchased, post count too low for it to work] - inactive
″ grab it... and throw it out the window! ″
★ - ★ - ★
- @Dolomedes - @Undertaker - :sweats: this took me like an hour. i should have slept wait WHO NEEDS SLEEP?? - he is telling the truth for once -

Pinekit stared as Dawnstar told Mushroomkit to leave or whatever. He didn't care didn't care. She was useless, irrelevant, pointless, similar words. Nobody needed to care about her. But why did everyone hate him?? They didn't have to. He was doing a good job trying to fend off the strange cats from the clan. So what was wrong with HIM? He was the most loyal cat in the clan to ever exist ever! Did he try too hard? Were people sad that they weren't as good as him? He wondered. Maybe Dawnstar was waiting for Mushroomkit to leave to praise him, tell him that she thought he was being good? Unlikely, not with how this was going. But he was still hopeful, because he knew he was the best one of the pair. Not a tormentor, why would he be one of those? The creature glared too, watching as Dawnstar spoke again, feeding on the words Pinekit heard, watching, waiting, like a trap waiting to close at the right moment. It looked with disgust at the kits. At Pinekit for his weakness, his inability to have killed her. At Mushroomkit for being who she was, that cat who everyone loved. Nobody would ever care for Pinekit. Nobody could. Being cool didn't mean anyone liked you.

And then he realises his entire plan was stumbling, stumbling. Nonono, this wasn't meant to happen to him. How- No. Dawnstar shouldn't have been able to know that. This was ridiculous, he was absolutely terrified now, but he tried his best to cover it up with a confident smile. No he wasn't the one supposed to be kicked out of the clan, this wasn't meant to happen. He was the GOOD CAT, and if he was kicked out- he'd- he'd never ever get to be the coolest cat in ShadowClan. This was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. This wasn't what he deserved. This was his home, he was born here!! Why? This wasn't fair, couldn't be, couldn't be. There was no way in StarClan that this could be happening. He never broke a rule. Okay maybe he did but nobody really actually said that yes you broke a rule. Okay maybe they did but NOBODY STOPPED HIM. Even that's a lie. Pinekit just kept lying to himself? How? Why? What was the point? He knew the truth, burying it with every other possibility wasn't going to stop it digging back out again.

So Pinekit sighed. A dissapointed one, one of giving up, one of regret. Not a lot of that last one, but only regret for himself. He didn't care, he was the one to do what he did. If anyone else cared, so what. The sigh was of... almost a hint of relief, only almost. He knew this was the worst he'd had yet, but he knew, he knew that this would be the worst he'd ever have. Because either he was getting out of ShadowClan for lying again and again or for what he did to Mushroomkit. He was going to lose here either way and he could swear there was no way out of this. He did have the courage to lie once, but he was in a trap of failure. Why everything had come together this way he'd never know, never understand. But at least he had tried. Liars weren't a part of the Clan to Dawnstar, so he'd have to... get these cats to shut up after they cried or something.

He couldn't tell if he was going to try to fight one last time, or maybe this was a trick, or something, anything, something new? Dawnstar had to be joking. But nothing came, this really was the end of the chaos, for now. Dawnstar had asked for the truth. Or else. Else else else. He didn't want that else to be true.

So with a quiet huff, he tried to mumble something. "I don't know, Dawnstar. I don't know why I'm doing-"

A flower and green eye glared at his own blue and green eyes as he tried to reply. He glared back, at the figure non-existent standing next to Dawnstar. Then, when turning back to face Dawnstar properly, the creature stood in the way. He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all, but he just had to ignore it, ignore it, ignore it. If he did, it might go away. And he'd be able to just stay a kit forever, he guessed. That was the best be could get.

He knew he was just a liar that everyone hated, but wasn't everyone supposed to like him? Lying was supposed to show his coolness. The creature had moved.

"I don't know." he mewed again, why again?, this was getting him nowhere, "I thought that fighting was meant to make you stronger, so I suggested to... Mushroomkit, but not Dovekit, Dovekit isn't real, that we practiced fighting. But then she started crying, and I had hurt her. It wasn't entirely supposed to do that much to her. It was just a fight. We wanted to practice to be better apprentices. Then I thought that getting rid of the weird people was good for the clan."

He paused. Again. What. He was supposed to lie, supposed to LIE. What was he saying? This was the truth, this would get him in trouble, in trouble. "You HATE her, Pinekit." it growled. But why? Did he really? He didn't know. He didn't.

"Then I don't know. For the second time, at all... I don't. I- Yeah." he meowed awkwardly.

Now he decided had to apologise. Why was he like this? He was supposed to be part of ShadowClan, he realised, and fighting his Clanmates would get him nowhere. He looked towards the entrance to the den, maybe he could apologise if she was still there. Or would he just go back to this again? Maybe he had to avoid her for a bit. He was so unsure. He didn't want to never ever be an apprentice.

***Beaan*** · #**880** Today, 11:46 AM

BOUNCEKIT
He/Him - 3 Moons - Outsider ShC kit
two left paws [active] - bewiched [perm active]

Bouncekit trotted into the leaders den once Big Cat gave him permission. His eyes adjusted to the lighting of the den - this was an area he hadn't been to yet. "I had a few questions for you. First off, I never got your name when I joined - I've just been calling you Big Cat," the name bouncekit had assigned the leader was pretty easy to see why he called her that, after all the leader cat was very big. "So what are you called? Speaking of names, how does this... Clan thing work? I saw herb cats like Silentpaw and Shadowcat, and a bunch of other cats with different names. But I've also seen cats with kit and paw at the end, like myself. How does that work? And are there other clans beside the Shadow one?" Bouncekit couldn't help his curiosity. After all, he had been stripped of the name Aslan by Big Cat and thrown into a new environment he had little clue of how it functioned.

[ @Undertaker ]