This was fun and Crowtooth couldnt stop himself from chuckling fondly as Mistlewhisker even joined in and called herself a frog. Honestly if he was a shadowclan cat with the choice of a derogatory creature name (them being the one clan without a common nomenclature) he'dve gone for rat or bat instead of the amphibian. Rabbit was cooler regardless, rabbits could be lethal even if others underestimated them.
He did have an interest in how the molly ran her patrols, given that he was the tom who was currently doing windclans and idly asked "Im curious actually, how do ya handle patrol punishments, specifically for apprentices who's non completion is linked ta their warrior leads not goin' out at all. Been strugglin' ta find a balance between 'not yer fault, no punishment' an' 'shouldve tried an' come ta me regardless before it became too late' personally." That wasnt secret knowledge and wouldnt be frowned upon for the two to share right? Every clan had idiots who didnt patrol when ordered and apprentices who got caught up in it. Maybe shadowclan had an established method to this issue windclan had lost with Fallownose it wouldnt be horrible to share.
But on the topic of battle Crowtooth was a little smug, smirking up at Mistlewhisker with the full knowledge that her words meant she didnt get as much as she migthve wished. "Frankly wanted ta give them the chance ta learn from this lesson, figured loss of their territory an' the exile would be vengeance enough so didnt go in ta kill but the fish were dumb as rocks.
Killed one that refused ta run, near maimed another that also didnt run (she was a warrior an' just froze like a kitten after I told her ta bolt, dunno what riverclan is teachin' their members it was shameful), an' drove off a third who decided ta interfere in my apprentices battle 'cuz he was winnin'."
Coward. One was a fox heart to be a warrior and interfere in two apprentices battle unless it was dire and one was going to die, winning and loosing was important to learning to be a good warrior so if you couldnt handle your apprentice loosing to one of their same level (something that spoke more of you as a mentor then them) you shouldnt be a mentor. Harsh as it was loss was life and taking a loss gracefully and well was important.
"My apprentice still won though, both o' them did Im really proud."
Stars shadowclan had a bunch of rank ups though and the the windclan tom huffed, commenting on that fact. "Seems the battle did yer clan well though, good on ya'll." Dawnstar of all cats knew how to benefit from battles, he knew well.
Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 42 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye] Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
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Asking about patrols? Hm... Mistlewhisker considered his conundrum. She definitely had that problem. "First offense, set the expectation of them coming to you. Second, extra patrol duty, usually served with me. It could be the next day, as long as the apprentice eventually gets the patrol experience they missed, as well as a reminder. Third offense, demotion for a moon. If they cannot be bothered to learn, then they should spend time being a kit again." The ShadowClan deputy canted her head. "My goal is to ensure patrols are completed, even if they have to happen later. The incompetence of warriors should not be an excuse to neglect training." Hell, it shouldn't even happen in the first place. Warriors who couldn't be bothered to complete their duties made her claws itch. She wouldn't mention the more serious punishments warriors got now. Ever since exile or execution was threatened, the clan seemed to clean up their act. She was not looking forward to the next time she would have to exile someone for missing a patrol.
She smirked as Crowtooth walked her through his fights. "That little apprentice Lionheart, Springburst? She tried to get between me and a RiverClan warrior." Honorable, but foolish. "Did not end well for either of them. Though she did give me this." Mistlewhisker licked at a scarred-over gash on her shoulder. The molly had fought fiercely, and if she wasn't dead in whatever bush her body had landed in, Mistlewhisker would consider a rematch. "Congratulations to your apprentice." She meowed. Learning through battle made the best warriors.
Dawnstar stepped up, beginning the Gathering in full. Mistlewhisker twisted her long neck up so she could watch her leader, taking a moment to marvel at the figure she cut in the moonlight. Then she felt a little stupid, so she looked away. As she finished her updates, Crowtooth's smug chuckle caught the deputy's ear.
Mistlewhisker glanced around before letting a broad smile bloom on her maw for a brief heartbeat before fading again. "Squirrelrise was my apprentice."And my daughter."That group of warriors is very promising. Two of them became Enforcers immediately." Even though Squirrelrise hadn't made the cut this time, she could sense that the new warrior was shooting for the stars. She knew she was bragging, but pride was one of the emotions Mistlewhisker showed best.
Ah, more cats being idiots. Bumblestar tipped her head to the side, wracking her brain for anyone notable who matched that description. Nothing quite came to mind, so she sniffed and shrugged. "I can't think of anyone, so I don't think it was one of mine." No one that mattered, anyway. "Appreciate you checkin', though."
Once Dawnstar apparently thought it was a good time to start, Bumblestar turned away from the WindClan leader to idly watch the larger ShadowClanner as she spoke. Just the basics, it sounded like: apprentices, warriors, battle news, kits. She was more interested in the Twoleg trouble and how it connected with ThunderClan.
Her whiskers twitched. "I'll have my cats keep an eye out for Mirepaw, 'n I'll make sure to let you know if we happen to find her. Thanks for the heads-up about the Twoleg problem." She had enough to worry about already without that, so hopefully it was a one time issue that wouldn't pass on to her Clan.
She figured that now it was her turn, so with a flick of an ear she rose, stretched, and made her way to the front of the stone.
"ThunderClan's been doing just fine. Rosepaw 'n Ivypaw have started their training, 'n the raid on RiverClan led to two new warriors. Fallingpaw and Treepaw have both earned their warrior names: Risingstorm and Treetiger.
"Unfortunately, we've still had our fair share of idiots. Had to execute a couple of fools trying to instigate things in my clearing, and Bravestripe 'n Rubblecrash have both been exiled for their involvement. If you happen to come across a tom with red fur, or a gray one with golden eyes, feel free to run 'em off or kill 'em. Bravestripe was trying to start a mutiny for no damn reason while Rubblecrash stood around 'n didn't do a thing about it, neither of 'em are cats you want in your Clan. We've lost an apprentice, Mushroompaw, to a rogue attack as well. Can't be sure if it was one or two, but be on the lookout for strangers wandering near your borders.
"Following the raid, Drizzlecloud decided to step down from her role as our medicine cat. Springlight's taken over as our sole healer.
"We've also taken a chunk of RiverClan's land for our own territory." She tossed both leaders a glance as she stepped back to make space for Twilightstar. "Whatever's left, you're free to take for yourselves. Won't trouble you for any of it."
The little rat was looking far too smug for Brindlepaw's liking, but as they had been taking it in turns to pontificate on their superiority he felt it would be quite rude to speak out of turn. As irritating as the small Shadowclanner was, sniping at him was far more entertaining than listening to the reheated hash of clan announcements (if you'd heard it once as Brindlepaw had you'd heard it a million times). If nothing else what little brain he had was engaged in trying out moderately creative insults, and planning ways to improve his skills so that if he ever DID happen to meet the little stranger he'd know exactly how to deal with him. The laughing did try his paw, almost tempting him into an angry outburst. But if Brindlepaw was only one thing it was confident despite evidence to the contrary, and he just managed to wait for his little adversary to start babbling so he could more effectively shut him up later.
One Marshypaw had finished speaking (and Brindlepaw had spent a moment formulating his response), he was more than happy to launch into a torrent of verbal abuse. It was not so cleverly crafted as that of Marshypaw, but it was imbibed with the blunt force of one who thought they were supremely correct. I'll take being a man-child over an actual child, thanks. he huffed, blissfully unaware of how embarrassing his statement likely sounded. At least I have some sort of training even though this was a blatant lie rather than being a kit fresh out of the nursery. A horribly standard and mundane insult, but this was Brindlepaw we're dealing with. He is the height of stupidity, if not all the time then at least in this particular conversation.
What he couldn't stand for was being told that the Shadowclanner's confidence was warranted, whereas his was all ego. That was such a double standard! A massive one at that! I think you'll find he mewed, tail lashing that my confidence is also vested in my real abilities. I've no proof you've any training nor strengths to speak of, and yet I'm expected to believe you when you say your confidence is warranted? I know MINE is again, a bald faced lie but his own inflated ego allowed him to say it with no hint of shame which might allow it to be detected as such but there's nothing to assure me you aren't the one puffing yourself up on empty promises of skills.
And then the Shadowclanner tried to spin some victory for himself out of the size situation. There was no victory to be had for him. If things came to blows at that moment, it was highly unlikely that Marshypaw would emerge victorious, though Brindlepaw didn't know that. He was, in fact, slightly nervous that Marshypaw did possess the battle training to kick his butt, not that he would admit such a thing. The Gathering was just as much a protection as a restriction. What, are you planning to grow to the size of Dawnstar? he chuckled, glancing up at the imposing Shadowclan leader. Now SHE was big. And battle trainied. And all around terrifying. At an equal level of skill, a big, strong cat will always beat a little shrimp like you.
Was he placing his hope in future training? Yes. Was Marshypaw likely to shred this defense into ribbons? Also yes. Was this going to stop Brindlepaw from doing so? Absolutely not! As I've said, you're speaking a lot of nonsense for a kit who can't prove he's all he is either. Brindlepaw mewed, puffing up his chest a bit. Your hypocrisy is truly astounding. You say my confidence is false and all ego, but then spout off about how great you are without any way to prove it either. As sure as you are that you would emerge victorious in our hypothetical battle, I'd think it would be to your detriment that we aren't capable of settling it here and now.
Of course, the little rat had to circle back around to size. Now it was Brindlepaw's turn to laugh. It seems I've struck a nerve there, eh? he chuckled, reaching out with a paw in an attempt to pat Marshypaw on the head. You're awfully defensive about something that you claim doesn't matter to you at all. So no, I wouldn't say you're clear, little Stranger. All you've done is accuse me of being egotistical and overconfident and then acted exactly the same. See, Brindlepaw was RIGHT in this situation. He might not have been able to employ the same dastardly tricks as the Shadowclanner with his eyes and voice that made him squirm under his fur, but he wasn't wildly wrong in his poorly worded assertions. @Weekend-Wondering
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All hail the Rat Queen's!!
Shrewstep has Silver Tongue and Mind Reader purrks
Pit has Just a Scratch and Beefed Up Tier 2
Cinderpaw
~<>~
40/100
9 moons || she/her || ShadowClan Apprentice small black tabby with minimal white markings and 3 legs; amber eyes
Ah... Cinderpaw had half expected to come across as unintelligable - most cats either didn't know sign, or they did, but they weren't aware of some of the signs Cinder used (the curse of having no one to teach you the proper way, she supposes).
Pursing her lips, Cinderpaw nods in response to the question of her being mute. It's not that it's physically impossible to talk, she'd done so for the first... four moons of her life? But she just hadn't been able to get any words out since events that have happened after that. And it all came back to her missing leg. That was the start of it, she remembers, and then there was that 'family meeting' that swiftly turned into a screaming match.
"Sorry," she signs with what she thinks is the universal motion, lips pursed and embarrassed.
[ so the way cinder signs, because she didn't have anyone to really teach her, is she uses a combination of signs she made up herself and some universal signs as well that she's picked up here and there !! ]
Mallowpaw
87/100
The apprentice nodded, confirming Mallowpaw's assumption, before signing an apology. "It's not your fault," she told her, shifting uncomfortably. She didn't know what to say. How was she supposed to communicate with her if she could barely understand what the she-cat was saying?
Silence stretched between them as Mallowpaw tried to think of something that would stop the conversation from drying up. "How's your training going?" she asked eventually. Hopefully the question was closed-ended enough for her to understand the black tabby even if she didn't use the signs Mallowpaw knew; she should be able to recognise 'going well' from 'going horribly'.
Marshypaw
Male / 7 Moons / ShadowClan / Pansexual
Russet tabby tom with cream-brown fur around the torso, blue and yellow heterochromatic eyes, and a naturally sinister expression
“Well there’s no point to misery without joy, now is there? Just like there’s no point to beauty without brains! That last part is something that you, my friend, need to work on!”
~Marshypaw
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Marshypaw finished speaking, and with a soft smile, he stared at Brindlepaw kindly to wait out a response. The large tawny and brown apprentice spent a moment formulating his response, and Marshypaw’s expression did not falter as he did. So far this interaction has proved itself to be… not slow going, of course, but certainly… average! Somebody snaps at me, I politely offend the, in return, they get angry with me and start ranting at me, I rant back, all of that… lovely nonsense… but this is no different than the usual, is it? Oh, what a shame. I suppose I will just have to pull through, move on- it’s only one encounter. And who am I to say, he might pop out with some sudden backfire of his own… that’ll be… interesting, for a change! Marshypaw definitely did not like Brindlepaw, but at least at the moment, he appreciated him. Marshypaw appreciated anybody who was willing to have a timely, decently dramatic conversation with him, and arguments were a big part of that. Brindlepaw had personality, even if this said-personality was not exactly a happy personality, and the newly made ShadowClan apprentice was overjoyed to have the opportunity to bicker with him. This was a truly amazing start to this gathering, was it not? When Brindlepaw appeared to be ready to speak, Marshypaw readied himself to listen- and, of course, to backfire whatever comments and/or tried to knock him down.
The tawny and brown apprentice’s response came bluntly and forcefully, and tilting his head, Marshypaw lifted his eyebrows, whiskers twitching. He was really trying to prove to the apprentice that he was plain amused with everything he was being told. As annoying as he could be, it was nearly impossible to put his mood down. When it came to emotional triggers, there was really only one, and in the end, rarely was the russet and cream tabby tom-cat not smiling. Brindlepaw told him that he would actually prefer being a man-child over an actual child, and Marshypaw’s first response came quickly after. Laughing lightly again, he sighed, “Ah, that’s unfortunate, seeing as only actual children can grow, yes?” Brindlepaw then told him that at least he had actual training, rather than just being a kitten fresh out of the nursery. Marshypaw clicked his teeth, forcing an acted out gleam of doubt into his eyes. He had absolutely no idea how well-trained Brindlepaw was, but the russet and cream tabby was nearly certain that he was safe to say whatever he wanted in an environment as protective as a gathering such as this. So the ShadowClan apprentice gave Brindlepaw a lightning-quick scan, and the moment it was finished, he raised his head, the acted out doubt that filled his gaze growing more vivid, now mixing with some sympathy again. Quietly, he lied to the older apprentice, “That’s… quite a shame, it doesn’t… show. I may just be a small child who’s just left the nursery, but poor you, poor you.” His smile brightened. “I’ve seen decently trained apprentices, and… your training wasn’t exactly… enough… well, anyway, I’m always here to speak with if your confidence falls under, of course… always.” He managed to lower his voice and put an emphasis on the word ‘always’ simultaneously, before doing Brindlepaw a favor and shutting up again. Truth be told, Marshypaw had absolutely no idea what a well-trained apprentice was supposed to look liked and he just wanted to make Brindlepaw doubt himself and his physical abilities at the moment. So what better to do than lie? It was only a small lie, anyway, was it not?
Next topic, Brindlepaw told him that his confidence was also invested in his real abilities. Marshypaw raised an eyebrow. The tawny and brown ThunderClan tom-cat began to explain how Marshypaw technically had no proof to back up his claims that he was trained in combat and other forms of battle. The ShadowClan tilted his head, and his gaze flickered to Brindlepaw’s lashing tail. Well, at least they had gotten this far… he had successfully angered this stranger. Did they even know one another’s names yet? Goodness, Brindlepaw was even too angry to introduce himself? Marshypaw wanted to slip his own introduction into somewhere, but he was too busy listening to Brindlepaw snap at him. Once that section of Brindlepaw’s response was complete, Marshypaw dipped his head in a nice and polite nod, happily giving the tom, “Fair!” before looking up again, still smiling away. He just wanted to prove to Brindlepaw that he would not be effected much by a singular loss. But he wouldn’t just brush it off either, so he continued, “Yes, you speak the truth, I’ll give you that. But in the end, when I speak of confidence and weaknesses, I am mainly focusing on the emotional value of it all. You are… rather unkind, I’d say, and yet you still view yourself… very fondly, yes? I, however, am kind to whoever treats me with the same respect… and let’s see, hm… I am currently speaking to the apprentice who ran into me and accused me of being in his way. Now, everybody makes a mistake every once and a while, but Stranger… you simply don’t accept these mistakes of yours! Does that not automatically make me more deserving of the confidence I possess?”
Eventually, Brindlepaw asked him whether or not he was hoping to grow up to the size of Dawnstar, and at the sound of that, Marshypaw simply shook his head. His response was not drenched in confidence this time- or shame, for that matter. It was just average. Casually, he replied, “Of course not. I am actually quite small, even for my age. But let’s take a look at your own ruler for a moment, Stranger, shall we?” Marshypaw tilted his head in Bumblestar’s direction, a smug smirk fluttering up and onto his face. “She’s… a bit shorter than average… small, if you ask me. And yet she’s made it to a position of leadership? Oh, Stranger, don’t tell me that size has a single thing to do with one’s strength and success… well, other than you. Your size might just make up for your lack of intelligence, or at least, I would hope so.” He blinked up at the ThunderClan apprentice innocently for another moment or two, before turning back to face him fully. Then after hearing his own size get compared to a shrimp, a creature that Marshypaw barely knew anything about, Marshypaw’s response was quick and simple. “Once again, size means nothing. In fact, the smaller ones of us are stealthiest, oftentimes.” See, all Marshypaw had to do was face his perfectionist-fears and soak his entire body in mud, and then boom, he was one with the shadows! Ghost-like abilities seemed to run in the ShadowClan bloodline.
When Brindlepaw explained to him that he found his hypocrisy truly astounding, Marshypaw only flashed a smile and bowed. “Why, thank you.” The tawny and brown apprentice, with a puffed chest, started to tell Marshypaw all about how he was accusing him of his own faults, and the ShadowClan apprentice listened patiently and quietly. Brindlepaw seemed to have him at what was almost a dead end here, so Marshypaw started plotting up his response as he listened to Brindlepaw speak to him. Brindlepaw, once again, brought up his possible lack of proper battle training, and Marshypaw felt the uncharacteristic urge to roll his eyes a little bit. Instead, he just stared and thought to himself. I’ll just have to blame him for constantly repeating himself, I suppose. It cannot hurt to prove to this apprentice that he is unable to hurt me emotionally… it just isn’t how I function. Maybe I have a big ego, but at least I’m respecting of those who deserve it, yes…? So when Brindlepaw left some open room for speech, Marshypaw yawned, and once he was finished, explained, “Oh, we’re going back to my hypocrisy, are we? Well, let me just say this: Now we’re fair. Fun, right? If I’m overconfident, well, you’re simply no different, are you now? See, stranger? How does it feel to struggle alongside me?” His smile stayed bright, and his expression stayed sinister as he brought up size again, just for ‘funzies’, but on the inside, Marshypaw was actually beginning to bet a bit bored of this constant, back and forth retorting. Arguments were fun until they weren’t, and this was getting quite slow if you asked him. They needed something more interesting to happen, but before Marshypaw could put any more consideration into that last thought, the sound of Brindlepaw’s voice met his earshot again. The ShadowClan tabby tom looked up, curiously.
Marshypaw’s smile even lifted a little bit when Brindlepaw chuckled that he seemed to strike a nerve about the topic of size, but Marshypaw didn’t stay quiet for too long. The young russet and cream tom began to say, “I can assure you that my nerves are just fine, as I am perfectly i-” He was interrupted by a paw. Uh oh. Brindlepaw had made the decision to reach out a paw in his direction, and Marshypaw’s words ended in a small stammer at the sight of it. What’s he try- hey, HEY- It seemed Brindlepaw had accidentally found Marshypaw’s actual nerve. The ShadowClan apprentice tried to shrink back before the incoming paw made contact with the top of his head, but he managed a pat before the newly made apprentice got the chance. Marshypaw’s gaze flashed, smile dropping completely, and with a new discomfort, he swatted at the paw, jerking his head back. As Brindlepaw continued to speak, he had some trouble bringing the smile back onto his face. What was that? A singular pat on the head, and Marshypaw had experienced a literal bomb of unease? It was an unusual feeling for him, that was for certain, and Marshypaw wasn’t too keen on experiencing it again, so he hung an extra step back and away from Brindlepaw as he listened. With a mildly faltering smile, he heard the apprentice out as he explained how he was awfully defensive about something he claimed did not matter to him. He told Marshypaw that no, he was not exactly clear, once again mentioning that he was a hypocrite. Marshypaw’s response was uncharacteristically stiff, but he was still forcing a smile, with some visible struggle. It wasn’t even the truth to Brindlepaw’s words that had finally struck a nerve in him, it was the stupid emphasis on paw in Brindlepaw. So tense, he came back with, “Y…up. All of this is true, I won’t lie. But again, goodness, Stranger, how many times must I repeat myself to be clear? We’re experiencing the same struggle. Now, if you want to keep arguing with me, suit yourself, but…” Marshypaw had given up on the whole make something interesting happen idea. Brindlepaw had unintentionally figured out how to truly strike a nerve, and Marshypaw? He hated it. He wanted to be finished with this interaction, it was making him far too uncomfortable by this point. “…otherwise, I will leave. Yes? You’re choice… Stranger?”
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// Hey, cats are slowly but surely finding Marshypaw’s greatest weakness. ;-; The poor drama king. \\
- My characters’ opinions, thoughts, and behaviors are not necessarily a reflection of my own. I can assure you that we are certainly separate beings. -
Re: July Gathering
