Burnedpaw’s dark amber eyes scanned the gathering, expressionless as usual aside from a tiny spark of intrigue this time. A Gathering…fascinating. All of the different scents, cats from different clans mingling. It was quite the sight to behold. He padded around aimlessly until he noticed a couple of apprentices and a warrior conversing. RiverClan based on the fishy scent. And…WindClan? Burnedpaw shrugged lightly. His mentor expected him to enjoy this time right? And…mingle or something. That’s what apprentices did at such events.
Burnedpaw padded over and dipped his head respectfully. “Hey.” He greeted. “I’m Burnedpaw.” He was certain that Charredpaw and the rest of his family were around here somewhere. But sitting with them would be a cop out, he could hear his sister’s jesting already. “Mind if I join you three?” He asked politely, tilting his head to the side slightly to show that he was being sincere with no ill will. Huh. Almost have all four clans in this one little group. He noted suddenly. “I’m an apprentice in ThunderClan.” He added, although he was certain the warrior at least would already be able to tell that based on his scent. Burnedpaw knew he was a little bigger for his age, so they may not have guessed his rank, but disclosing that was only good manners at such events. Right? He waited patiently before sitting, his gaze calm. He didn’t want to sit with them if they didn’t want him there.
Another cat had walked over. A very polite one, she might add. "Yes, of course." the other continued to say that his name was Burnedpaw, and she smiled. Poor Wavebreaker is surrounded by apprentices.Her wide eyes aimed to portray friendliness and her fluffy tail wrapped daintily around her paws. "You are Thunderclan, yes?" her voice caught a little at the end, oh dear, what a great first impression she mused. However Burnedpaw just made a comment about all the clans being in one group. "Yes, you make three now." then Cricket'Paw realizes how badly she might have just messed up. Startled by her own repeating words, she appeared flustered. "I'm sorry, that must have sounded real dumb, when I repeated yes, one after the other. I'm sorry." her ears dropped slightly, how could she have made such a mistake, for moons she had chattered, and now, just as she is making new friends does she make a mistake. Don't be silly Cricket'Paw, they won't really be your friends, no one really ever is, it's why you talk so much. Nodding, she gazed at Burnedpaw, trying to study the differences between the clans, maybe she should just keep her mouth shut.
(I am sorry, I didn't see Burnedpaw's post this morning. )
Cloudsong sighed. He decided to look up after being mopey and grumpy
(as usual, but he wasn't going to say that). He looked around and spotted a cat. An apprentice, probably. Maybe just turned into one? Cloudsong opened his maw to scent him. Cloudsong wrinkled his nose. Smelled gross. Shadowclan, of course. Probably their first gathering too! Cloudsong smirked as the Shadowclanner looked around(Cloudsong snorted. Probably looking for his mentor! He thought to himself). Cloudsong watched him for a bit, wondering if the paw noticed him staring.
Nightpaw had been looking around for a while to find anyone interesting to talk to. Surely cats from other clans must have lots of stories he hasn’t heard before! It took him a little while, but then he eventually noticed an older cat from another clan staring at him. Meeting the other cat's gaze, Nightpaw slowly stepped forward, tilting his head a little as if to ask what the staring was about. Then the scent hit him. Yep, that was definitely RiverClan scent, unmistakable. "Eh…hello." He began, stepping a little closer. On first impressions, he always said very little.
__________________
"You'll take the high road and I'll take the low road
And I'll be in Scotland before ye
Where me and my true love shall never meet again
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond!"
Nightpaw had been looking around for a while to find anyone interesting to talk to. Surely cats from other clans must have lots of stories he hasn’t heard before! It took him a little while, but then he eventually noticed an older cat from another clan staring at him. Meeting the other cat's gaze, Nightpaw slowly stepped forward, tilting his head a little as if to ask what the staring was about. Then the scent hit him. Yep, that was definitely RiverClan scent, unmistakable. "Eh…hello." He began, stepping a little closer. On first impressions, he always said very little.
CLOUDSONG
RC ELDER - MALE
Cloudsong flinched. Oh geez. They had come up to him! "Yeah? What?" He grumbled, the gross scent hitting him entirely. Cloudsong didn't resist the urge to wrinkle his nose. He was an elder after all. "Tsk. First gathering?" He asked and looked around to see if any of his clan was watching him interact with a--He shuddered internally--Shadowclanner.. Cloudsong frowned and blinked his blue eyes.
Cloudsong flinched. Oh geez. They had come up to him! "Yeah? What?" He grumbled, the gross scent hitting him entirely. Cloudsong didn't resist the urge to wrinkle his nose. He was an elder after all. "Tsk. First gathering?" He asked and looked around to see if any of his clan was watching him interact with a--He shuddered internally--Shadowclanner.. Cloudsong frowned and blinked his blue eyes.
Nightpaw again tilted his head in confusion a bit. This RiverClan elder seemed a little…what’s the word…on edge, was it? "Uh, yeah this is my first gathering…you?" And then he realised what he'd just said. 'WHAT IN THE STARS, NIGHTPAW?! OF ALL THE THINGS, WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?!' Right, he could fix this…"S-sorry, I meant is this your first in a while?" Was that better at all? Nightpaw wasn’t too aware about the whole situation with RiverClan, he'd heard something about them being exiled, but he was a kit when it happened.
__________________
"You'll take the high road and I'll take the low road
And I'll be in Scotland before ye
Where me and my true love shall never meet again
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond!"
Burnedpaw blinked and dipped his head graciously, taking a seat in between the two apprentices, facing the warrior, tail curled neatly around his paws. He didn't mind that Cricketpaw had repeated some (or all) of what he said. If anything, it meant she was listening. He waved his tail dismissively when he saw she was flustered, hoping that she would interpret it as he meant it - which was that she didn't need to feel bad or flustered. "We're just missing ShadowClan right? Then we'd be able to have our own Gathering right here." It was Burnedpaw own attempt at a joke, but his calm, stoic demeanor may ruin the delivery. Not that he noticed that, he was only trying to break the tension some.
"RiverClan I take it?" He asked, gesturing to the warrior and the silver tabby apprentice. His question genuinely innocent. He didn't care about any of the tensions the older cats were holding onto. He knew the war was devastating for RiverClan, and that wasn't a history he was proud to carry. But he wanted to keep his paws moving forward. Feeling guilty for something he wasn't around for won't solve anything. "And...WindClan?" He guessed, looking now at the yellow apprentice.
"Oh, right." He mewed coolly, even though it was a sudden mew indicating he had forgotten something. Burnedpaw tilted his head to the side slightly, curiosity showing in his otherwise calm dark amber eyes. "What are your names?" He asked. He hoped that wasn't rude, but as he had shared his name and clan, he hoped to discover their's as well. It seemed like a fair exchange of information at the very least, and he was pretty Charredpaw instructed him earlier that it was polite to exchange this particular information.
[@Silvershadow13 - Cricketpaw - LOL no worries! He just kinda jumped in. ]
[@Quietheart - Wavebreaker]
[@Badwolf - Bouncepaw]
Nightpaw again tilted his head in confusion a bit. This RiverClan elder seemed a little…what’s the word…on edge, was it? "Uh, yeah this is my first gathering…you?" And then he realised what he'd just said. 'WHAT IN THE STARS, NIGHTPAW?! OF ALL THE THINGS, WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?!' Right, he could fix this…"S-sorry, I meant is this your first in a while?" Was that better at all? Nightpaw wasn’t too aware about the whole situation with RiverClan, he'd heard something about them being exiled, but he was a kit when it happened.
CLOUDSONG
RC ELDER - MALE
Cloudsong snorted. "A while is right." He muttered, half to himself. He sighed. "So, name?" He asked, not really a question but more a demand. Cloudsong decided to ignore the apprentice's fumble and he narrowed his eyes. Did this paw not remember the exile? He wondered to himself. Cloudsong frowned. But this apprentice looks like he was just made one! Surely, he must not.. Cloudsong retortrd in his mind and looked at his paws absentmindedly.
Ravenpaw felt her paws tingle and her ears grow hot when Brokenstream invited her to sit with him and Riftpaw. She hadn't been expected that! She nodded eagerly and immediately sat as close as she dared to her older clanmate, though their fur was not brushing. Ravenpaw looked at Riftpaw with a tilted head and narrowed eyes. Is he...being rude? She stared at him a moment, considering. I honestly can't tell... There was no hostility or sarcasm in his voice that she could detect. And as a sarcastic being herself, she could usually hear it. It was more like he was just...stating a fact. She decided to just treat it that way and see what happened. Ravenpaw flashed a grin, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. "Just can't get rid of me can ya?" She mewed teasingly to Riftpaw, flicking his shoulder with her thick fluffy tail to show she was kidding.
She frowned slightly and shook her head at Brokenstream's question. "No I haven't... I honestly wouldn't even know what to say..." She shuffled her paws timidly. Ravenpaw was too young to remember much from the 3v1 war, but she knew enough to know that she felt awkward just thinking about talking to cats from other clans. She noted that Rainpaw was having less issues than she was...but that was to be expected. Rainpaw was just fluffy sweetness, she was too kind-hearted to judge. She blinked at Riftpaw when he said they were safe. She knew that! Of course she knew that! She did know that...right? Was she giving off fear scent? She couldn't figure out why Riftpaw felt the need to comfort her, but it actually...wasn't bad? She nodded at Riftpaw, blinking at him gratefully. "I just don't even know where to start." She mewed, embarrassed that she must looked weak in front of Brokenstream and her denmate. But there was a logical reason - she wasn't used to having to start a conversation with somecat who didn't know her at all.
Brokenstream frowned at Riftpaw's words, but then after a moment realized that he didn't seem to be trying to sound hostile either. He sometimes forgot how odd the half-and-half apprentice could be. Well, as long as the two seemed to be getting along well. "I'm glad to see you're at least making friends in the Clan." The Lionheart purred, whiskers twitching. "Looks like your sister is doing alright tonight." He meowed pointedly, looking over at Rainpaw surrounded by other apprentices. "You're more than welcome to stay with me, but you don't have to stick with a boring old warrior like me." He joked, settling down with his paws tucked under him. "Just make sure if you wander to heed Fadingstar's warnings. It'd be a shame to lose an apprentice with such potential." He added with a small yawn, casting a glance towards the leaders.
-‘๑’- RIFTPAW | 6 MOONS | HE/HIM -‘๑’- split half solid black, half brown tabby with icy blue eyes
header by @/dino.
✮ ⋆ ˚｡
Riftpaw blinked slowly at Ravenpaw's response. "No, I can't." He replied. Why would he get rid of her? They were Clanmates! The question seemed incredulous to the young apprentice. His ears twitched as Brokenstream discussed meeting the other apprentices with Ravenpaw and his gaze followed the Lionheart's to Ravenpaw's sister. She seemed nice. Ravenpaw did too. Maybe he could get tips from them on how to make friends. But first, he had to make them his friend. "Want to be friends?" Surely that was enough.
Ravenpaw blinked at Riftpaw at his response to her tease, and she knew in that moment that this tom was as dense as a rock and straight forward as a stem. She couldn't help laughing. He totally missed the joke. Well, at least she knew now for certain that he meant absolutely no harm by the last comment. She once more felt that warm, tingly feeling when Brokenstream expressed pride and purred. His purr to her had such a soothing affect on her, she felt like she could listen to it forever! But then he mentioned Rainpaw. Ravenpaw followed Brokenstream's gaze to her sister, and she couldn't help feeling just the tiniest pang of jealousy at how easily her typically timid sister was making friends, both inside and outside the clan.
Ravenpaw's attention immediately turned back to Brokenstream when he referred to himself as boring and old. "You shouldn't talk about yourself like that!" She refuted. "Your not boring! Anything but! And you're not that old either!" She scolded him without even thinking, but she couldn't allow him to speak about himself like that!
Once more, Ravenpaw was surprised by Riftpaw. She blinked at him in her surprise, not able to hold back another laugh. "Silly furball!" Ravenpaw mewed at Riftpaw. "We're already friends!" She lightly jabbed him on the shoulder with her paw, eyes glowing. This guy is funny! She was glad they ended up on the same patrol before, and were getting to hang out now. No cat was as cool or treasured to her as Brokenstream - well, maybe her sister was more treasured - but Riftpaw was pretty cool himself! "You're gonna see a lot more of me back at camp, Riftpaw. No worries there!" She of course, meant more than he maybe did already. Since they were denmates. She hoped that Riftpaw would be able to pick that up.
"I'm Bouncepaw. Nice to meet you, Burnedpaw." Bouncepaw meows in friendly greeting towards the other cat. He would say more, but he's uncertain when to join in, since both Cricketpaw and Burnedpaw seem to be pretty talkative. Unlike him. He didn't dislike this fact, though; Bouncepaw didn't mind listening.
His ears twitch as he listens, until he hears Cricketpaw suddenly apologize. So she was nervous too. As were the rest of the apprentices. He didn't think this would happen.
"It's fine," he meows to Cricketpaw, "You're not dumb, you're really nice. I actually thought Riverclan cats were all big and scary, but you seem friendly." Friendly enough to talk to at the Gathering, at least. His words are mostly just to calm her down.
｡ﾟﾟ･｡･ﾟﾟ｡
ﾟ。 Mossfreckle (ShC)
ﾟ･｡･ﾟ they/he ~ medicine cat
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The High Priestess ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
❦ Watercolour hues hazed the dusky sky as the balmy summer sun dipped beneath the conifer canopies of tall pine and slipped into the murky embrace of the rippling hills of the horizon, gentle breezes carried the bittersweet scents of heat wilted flowers and heady alpine as the golden rays of sunlight were finally whisked away into the inky embrace of the shadowy night, lanky form stood and arched mountainous before the herbalists uprighted himself and ran a pink, burred tongue meticulously over his silken pelt in an absentminded monotony as he stood, leapt over the babbling rivulet with a soft thudding rhythm of paw falls, and padded silently to the mouth of den and through the lichen curtain which shrouded the idyllic burrow from the hustle and bustle of the clans central clearing. Dark tabby pelt loomed in his peripherals as the Shadow Queens authoritative tons settled clearly - never failing to be the smallest bit unnerving no matter how respectfully comfortable he had become with his leader as her medicine cat and healer even before his full title had been earned - on the sensitive hairs within his large ears which flicked and swivelled back in an adjustment of his senses to tune everything but Dawnstar out. Foresight broke from its fixation on the dark feline which had began her trudge forward and onwards to sandy, wave torn shores of the seastones as a a familiar presence prickled Mossfreckle’s chocolatey russet pelt as it grew closer as if he were flickering flame drawing in a silvery moonlight moth as petite paws shuffled almost knowingly beneath the healer, the true reason utterly unbeknownst to him the medicine cat canted his angular head and purred in cheery tones a chipper and affectionate greeting before mossy hues took in the thud, thud, thud of minglef anxious heart beats. Laid before white tipped paws was an offering… a gift… something he had grown accustomed to in the passing moments of his recent interaction with Rookfire but something still so beyond second nature for him, what he gotten… a flower from from Foggy… a fleeting yet lovely memory… Rook’s butterfly… he had almost cried and now… well… before him laid feathers - rook’s of course - and nonchromatic, mismatched bouquet of dried blooms still fluffed and beautiful in memorialised death. Verdant ords widened as a genuine smile tugged the corners of his white twinged maw upwards as the moment tugged achingly sweet at his heart strings, biting back the tears that prickled at his eyes, Mossfreckle gingerly brushed a small paw over the offering as he collected his words and pushed them through his cloyey throat, ”Thank you…” he started as his neck stretched so that he could lick the enforcers muscled shoulder sweetly, ”these are… beautiful… and the rook feathers, claiming me already,” tones became lilting and teasing at the end as the moonlit moths and the starry reelings of his mind settled from anxiety to contentment.
walk with me?
❦ Tempestuous feelings tampered angular head bobbed in acknowledgment as it dipped to gingerly pick up the dried flowers between his canines, a paw moving to tuck the feathers behind an oriental shaped ear within his medium length pelt, the sharp point of their rachis stabbed slightly into his soft flesh as he pressed them in, assurance they wouldn’t slip out, ”Wait here, I’ll be back,” the tom said curtly over his shoulder, it wasn’t rude, a reassurance that he wasn’t just up and leaving. With the belly of his den the wilted blooms scatters the corner of his nest in a delicate adornment of the silvery verdant colouring of the moss and downy nest which he and Rookfire resided - he was the ever cautious guard one most note - below the butterfly which hung in mock mid flight from its position balancing in a crevice of the stone wall, lapis and oceanic wings glinting in the starlight. Turning to address the eclectically moltted lone feline still with the burrow, ”Lets go Grouse,” he chirped on his way out of the den, making a beeline to the shadowy pelted feline who waited for him just beyond.
❦ Dainty and strong white tipped paws moved in unison as dark grey and reddish highlighted chocolate pelt brushed ever so slightly in wisping and fleeting movements as they stored at the front of the entourage behind Mistlewhisker and Dawnstar and a few other enforcers which lead the way through the underbrush and w to the gathering. Rookfire’s demeanour seemed to change as soon as the fishy twang of Riverclan hit their noses which wrinkles up gradually as it grew stronger and consumed their senses, memories seemed to hit him blow by blow but it only seemed to widen the smirk ever growing on his pale greyish muzzle, a sick satisfaction turned into something sweeter silver eyes gilded mossy hues for the briefest of moments as he paused to press a warmed cheek against a rouged before the duo split, alone once more with a bustling crowd of repressed tension and mingled clans of blossoming and tentative acquaintanceships and long term rivalries turned friendships.
❦ Picking his way through the bustling cliques of felines whom resided in haphazard closed off circles or semicircles of story recollections and updates the freckled tom couldn’t help but look back over his shoulder to watch Rookfire become just another blur of a pelt among the crowd, mentally the starry minded medicine cat had no problem following the enforcers path yet his mossy hues failed him as they flicked through their range of sight once more before he turned back to his task at hand… no distractions… distractions were for home and lack of task, not to say Rookfire wasn’t important to him - he truly was the dearest - but Mossfreckle had a rank to uphold and honour and that couldn’t be done when he looked like a pining idiot, so he was nothing more than highly ranked medic noting the location of an enforcer tasked with his protection, nothing more or less but the two toms knew which was all that mattered at the end of the day.
❦ Lanky body sat silently after the oriental feline leapt with the utmost grace up to the ledge and took his usual preferred spot, his feathery white tipped tail curling politely over petite paws as his mossy hues settled with skepticism on the two young felines that sat alongside him on the ledge. Something akin to distaste rose as bike within his throat, not particularly towards the apprentices themselves but towards those who had left them to half fill the position… it was pathetic… and it rubbed off on these too and clung to them like paranoid stereotypes of the past, such an oddly unnerving way that prickled at his pelt, he hadn’t like Springlight all that much and he hadn’t been the biggest fan of Mistyshard who he couldn’t even remember meeting formally outside of her grovelling in his dreams for knowledge that their prior medicine cat had taken and locked away within the their ribs alongside their tattered and aching heart. At the end of the day he wouldn’t make assumptions, wouldn’t let their mentor’s - could he even call them that? - failures define them, but he would reasonably roll the theoretical idea of each within his mind like a marble between fingertips, contemplating their worth and knowledge or lack there of, he wasn’t one to simply judge and dislike but the current view steak in the forefront of his vision and mind was a bitter tasting one indeed. The possibility remained that Springlight had simply taken an apprentice and Mistyshard was simply somewhere else… yet… Mossfreckle was willing to bet it was neither of those minute musings and more so a result of unchecked, harmful trends of shuffling ranks. Offering the two apprentices a soft and welcoming smile the spotted tabby played the part like a starlet, ”Good evening,” a shortly curt greeting of acknowledgment, all he would allow to them at the current moment, ”I am assuming that each of you is alone and not simply because your counterpart cannot be bothered to join us,” a question asked in calm and detached tones, this wasn’t an argument of fuel for any metaphorical fire, it was curiosity and as a medicine cat one must admit he was quite exempted from the old tale of curiosity being quite the deadly feline killer. As large ears swivelled to absentmindedly tune his sense on the medicine cat apprentices - they weren’t medicine cats even if they had taken the title on - in anticipation of their responses, his long tail thumping in an idle rhythm as his verdant gaze searched the crowd did a familiar multicoloured pelt which had slipped from his view somewhere along the travel from tightly woven barriers to conifer canopies to the current sandy and salt dusted rounded and looming rocks of he seastones.
Re: September Gathering
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Re: September Gathering
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