Alpinepaw noticed something was watching her for several seconds. She heard the screams from two of Spiderthroat's kits and looked in their direction. "Hmm...Looks like they got the kits thing sorted." She thought and watched them for a while before looking around carefully.
A cat a fox length away had caught her eye! Alpinepaw narrowed her eyes for a moment before looking away. She was looking at Stormtail for a few seconds.
Alpinepaw noticed something was watching her for several seconds. She heard the screams from two of Spiderthroat's kits and looked in their direction. "Hmm...Looks like they got the kits thing sorted." She thought and watched them for a while before looking around carefully.
A cat a fox length away had caught her eye! Alpinepaw narrowed her eyes for a moment before looking away. She was looking at Stormtail for a few seconds.
Stormtail felt a cat watching her so she snapped her head to see the apprentice she sat nearby watching her. Stormtail blinked, then merely dipped her head, returning her gaze to the leaders. Well, that was a good start. She chuckled inside her brain and shuffled her paws. Stormtail continued to lick her chest fur as if there were no kits screaming or no stinky Riverclan scent wafting over Seastones.
Alpinepaw did not see that Stormtail dipped her head. Instead, she saw some movement out of the corner of her eye. Alpinepaw moved closer to the Shadowclan cats and scented the air once again. "These cats smell like pine needles mixed with marsh...They must be Shadowclan." The young cat thought as she slowly backed away.
Alpinepaw did not see that Stormtail dipped her head. Instead, she saw some movement out of the corner of her eye. Alpinepaw moved closer to the Shadowclan cats and scented the air once again. "These cats smell like pine needles mixed with marsh...They must be Shadowclan." The young cat thought as she slowly backed away.
(Have my 250th post for Alpinepaw! You are fortunate to receive this.)
STORMTAIL
SHC WARRIOR - FEMALE
Stormtail frowned as the apprentice started to back away. "Aw, what's wrong? We stink too much?" She suddenly growled which was totally unlike her. She blinked and shook her head. Stormtail sighed and looked at her paws. "Sorry. The scent is just getting to me. Not used to having that clan back." She apologized and sniffed as the icky fish scent drifted.
Burnedpaw nodded as each cat introduced themselves. He could tell that Wavebreaker was a little more...pensive than the others, but that was to be expected. The warrior seemed old enough to remember the great battle, whereas the apprentices most likely only knew of it through stories. His whiskers twitched thoughtfully. Did Wavebreaker know his mentor? He wasn't sure if Hawkthorn was old enough to have been present at the war, it wasn't something that came frequently in conversation.
"I'm not sure if you know my mentor." He answered truthfully. "His name is Hawkthorn. He's a gray tom with scars on his muzzle." Burnedpaw lifted his forepaws to demonstrate, claws sheathed of course. "His mate is Flowernose." But Burnedpaw wasn't sure if Wavebreaker would know her either. He omitted a description of Flowernose, since she wasn't his mentor it seemed unnecessary to describe her in too much detail. But he knew for certain his mentor was around here somewhere, he just wasn't sure where exactly. They had split up pretty much upon arrival.
He looked at Cricketpaw and tilted his head curiously. Could she be scary? He stared at Cricketpaw a moment, considering her appearance carefully. He noticed that she seemed lost in thought, and then suddenly almost...sad? He wasn't sure. "I don't think you're scary." He mewed finally, his voice matter-of-fact and not meant at all to be rude. "But I don't think that's a bad thing either." He added quickly, he could almost hear Charredpaw lecturing him in his mind... "We're not here to scare each other, this is meant to be a time of peace. I'm sure all of us would look scary in a different setting." Then he thought about it a moment longer. "Although, I suppose that was ultimately your point wasn't it?" He asked, looking at Wavebreaker.
He blinked back to Cricketpaw, decided not to ask her about her apparent sadness earlier. She probably wouldn't like that. "Is Wavebreaker your mentor then?" He asked casually, hoping to move the conversation away from anything that might create conflict or tension among them.
Burnedpaw answered Wavbreakers question first, and the name he dropped made his eyes open slightly wider than before, quickly betraying his familiarity with Hawkthorn. He felt one of his ears lay a little lower, feeling suddenly apprehensive about explaining his connection to the irritable ThunderClan warrior that Burnpedpaw claimed as his teacher. He opened his mouth attempting to trace the mossy scent of the large gray warrior, but it was impossible. There are too many cats here tonight, he appraised feeling frustrated. He and Hawkthorn weren't exactly on good terms, even if it had been at least 9 moons since Wavbreaker had given him the scars on his nose.
Knowing he needed to answer quickly or be subject to interrogation by the savvy apprentice he replied, "He and I have met once or twice before when he was a much younger warrior, aside from just gatherings. But I don't see him or Flowernose around. Did they not come?" Hawkthorne almost always kept his sparkling blue eyes closely on his fluffed up calico mate. He figured if they were here, they were together as usual. But as he scanned the throng of bodies that intermingled he could not pick out Flowernose's emerald green eyes among them. He hoped they wouldn't notice him talking to Burnepaw, Fadingstars words were still floating in his mind. Hawkthorne was the aggressive type. Wavebreaker wanted to avoid conflict if at all possible.
The brown spotted tomcat lowered his head to rest again on his large paws starting to answer Bouncepaw about Bluestrike when the sound of squealing kits distracted him. He turned his head back to the Seastones. The brown tips heading his black ears were twitching like antenna. Two equally loud and small balls of fluff were demanding they be let up the stones to see Spiderthroat. Wavebreaker couldn't help but laugh watching the chaos unfold. Thank goodness Kitepaw never did anything like this! His deep blue eyes were sparkling with amusement as Bumblestar chewed out her deputy, and he began making a swift exit with the pair. A pit slowly settled in his stomach with the realization that he wished Kitepaw would do something like that. At least for Irisdreams sake. It might do some good to reassure his former mate that her daughter needed her.
He was jerked from his somber thoughts by a new voice and smell. Bluestrike had padded up the group now too. And was asking his apprentice about a scratch on his nose that Wavebreaker hadn't noticed before. He also saw that Cricketpaw seemed to be distracting everyone with her general chatter about catching fish. "Did one of your battle practices get out of hand?" He inquired. He had seen Bluestrike around, but Wavebreaker hadn't ever really interacted with the WindClan warrior before.
Burnedpaw answered Wavbreakers question first, and the name he dropped made his eyes open slightly wider than before, quickly betraying his familiarity with Hawkthorn. He felt one of his ears lay a little lower, feeling suddenly apprehensive about explaining his connection to the irritable ThunderClan warrior that Burnpedpaw claimed as his teacher. He opened his mouth attempting to trace the mossy scent of the large gray warrior, but it was impossible. There are too many cats here tonight, he appraised feeling frustrated. He and Hawkthorn weren't exactly on good terms, even if it had been at least 9 moons since Wavbreaker had given him the scars on his nose.
Knowing he needed to answer quickly or be subject to interrogation by the savvy apprentice he replied, "He and I have met once or twice before when he was a much younger warrior. But I don't see him or Flowernose around. Did they not come?" Hawkthorne almost always kept his sparkling blue eyes closely on his fluffed up calico mate. He figured if they were here, they were together as usual. But as he scanned the throng of bodies that intermingled he could not pick out Flowernose's emerald green eyes among them. He hoped they wouldn't notice him talking to Burnepaw, Fadingstars words were still floating in his mind. Hawkthorne was the aggressive type. Wavebreaker wanted to avoid conflict if at all possible.
The brown spotted tomcat lowered his head to rest again on his large paws starting to answer Bouncepaw about Bluestrike when the sound of squealing kits distracted him. He turned his head back to the Seastones, the brown tips heading his black ears were twitching like antenna. Two equally loud and small balls of fluff were demanding they be let up the stones to see Spiderthroat. Wavebreaker couldn't help but laugh watching the chaos unfold. [b][I]Thank goodness Kitepaw never did anything like this![b][I] His deep blue eyes were sparkling with amusement as Bumblestar chewed out her deputy, and he began making a swift exit with the pair. A pit slowly settled in his stomach with the realization that he wished Kitepaw would do something like that. At least for Irisdreams sake. It might do some good to reassure his former mate that her daughter needed her.
He was jerked from his somber thoughts by a new voice and smell. Bluestrike had padded up the group now too. And was asking his apprentice about a scratch on his nose that Wavebreaker hadn't noticed before. And at least for the moment Cricketpaw seemed to be distracting everyone with her general chatter about catching fish. "Did one of your battle practices get out of hand?" He inquired. He had seen Bluestrike before, but Wavebreaker hadn't ever really interacted with the WindClan warrior before.
Snakepaw watched as one of the two apprentices who were with Brokenstream stood up to speak. For a moment, Snakepaw thought about how to respond before saying anything. "Because ShadowClan smell horrendous and WindClan are annoying. I’m used to RiverClan scent at gatherings, so I don’t mind it as much."
Then Brokenstream seemed to realise what she'd just said a moment earlier. "I took part in the battle…as I’m sure you haven’t forgotten, but not because I wanted to drive RiverClan out. No, it was the first opportunity that came up for a battle. Besides, what's a better way to prove that I’m loyal to ThunderClan alone than by fighting against the clan half my kin are in." That sounded a bit evil, but it was the truth. "But yes, I do have a brother in RiverClan. You might not know him, he's not really the type of cat to be well known. His name's Duskleaf, dark grey cat with leafy fur." Then Brokenstream called her a…traitor? That was just completely incorrect. "And no I'm not a traitor, I've always been loyal to ThunderClan, and ThunderClan alone."
"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!"
Status: I just got here I am so confused and trying my best
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Re: September Gathering
Quote:
Originally Posted by Starphobia
╔══ ≪ °❈° ≫ ══╗ Silentpaw
Patched tortoiseshell tabby tom with deep blue eyes that look purplish in certain light sources and a short fluffy tail.
He/Him | 7 Moons | ShadowClan Apprentice | Silent
[21/100]
. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.
. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.
As Silentpaw sat alone, far from other cats, he couldn't help but notice a rather familiar red pelt. Great. The new apprentice was here. Firepaw. She wasn't so bad, he supposed, she seemed nice enough and actually seemed like she genuinely wanted to talk to him. Though, her cheerfulness was a bit overwhelming at first, but she was tolerable at best. Unlike a certain someone. What was it with dark-furred cats, always getting on his nerves? But he couldn't be distracted by petty apprentices. He'll never earn Clovepool's appreciation that way!
Silentpaw belatedly realized he was staring directly in Firepaw's direction, and hoping to StarClan she didn't notice, he quickly averted his gaze to the leaders, blinking. If she saw him staring, StarClan knows what she might do. Come over, talk to him, maybe take him to see a couple other cats from other Clans. No, no. That won't do. He would never speak to another cat from another Clan. Not after what happened with... Firepaw.
He wanted to stop thinking of her. He should stop thinking about her. She's a ThunderClan cat, no longer around him, no longer close to him. He didn't even know where she was, or how she was doing, and that was probably a good thing. No, it definitely was a good thing. He looked back at Firepaw... ShadowClan Firepaw, and noticed another cat? Talking to her? She's already making friends? Sure, given her personality, Silentpaw figured it was quite easy for Firepaw to make new friends. He didn't possess such skill. Firepaw seemed to do it so much better than he ever would.
As much as he didn't want to admit he was nervous, he was. Looking away from Firepaw, and around him, he felt overwhelmed around all these cats. It was his first Gathering after all, no one should be expecting him to breeze through this like it's only a Clan meeting.
Everyone except Clovepool.
And he expected Firepaw to be nervous as well. Only several days into joining the Clan, and already at a Gathering? Silentpaw wondered how that would feel for her. Was there a chance Firepaw could be feeling more nervous than him? If that was the case, she was excellent at hiding it. He wished he had enough courage to walk up and talk to her like any normal cat.
Firepaw took deep, steady breaths to try to calm herself. Her exterior was still as cheerful as always, becouse she was cheerful, it was her first gathering, of course she was! But that pang on her chest... No matter how hard she tried, she couldnt manage to make it go away, and eatch passing second it was growing stronguer, and stronguer... "Its ok" she thought to herself, "You are just nervous, its alright, it'l go away when you get confortable"
Those phrases were meant as reassurement to herself, but the older apprentices inner voice started to sound more like a plead. She hoped that it was ok, she prayed that she was just nervous. Becouse if not... Firepaw shook her head, no, it was going to be alright, she was going to be a Shadowclan warrior soon (if everything went according to plan, which it would, she was going to make it to go according to plan), she couldnt let herself get distracted by imaginary pains in her chest.
Firepaw breathed in again and looked towards the group of Riverclan cats she was standing near to. She should provably approach them, she thought, making contacts with other clans was provably a good idea, but every time she tried to move, it was almost as her paws were nailed to the ground. They provably wouldnt like her anyway, she was still too weak, she wasnt on their level yet, provably still not on par with a seven moon old apprentice... Instead, Firepaw looked around and in the crowd, spotted a familiar grey and orange pelt staring at her just before looking back at the leaders
Was that... Silentpaw? It was!
Oh thank Starclan he was there! Finally seeing a familiar and at least mildly friendly face made the tight knot on Firepaw's chest loosen a little. The tortoishell tom wasnt really much of a talker, so she didnt expect him to give her a lot of conversation to distract her, but right now his company would be enough. Besides, she could always just talk herself, he seemed to tolerate it well enough. Firepaw took a deep breath and raised a paw as high as she could manage to try to gain Silentpaw's attention back, not daring to yowl his name in case it would upset him and embarrass them both in front of so many other cats, and pointed with her tail to a spot beside her where he could sit. He was looking at her earlier, maybe he also wanted the company... Or not, it was hard to tell with Silentpaw.
IN A DREAM YOU SAW A WAY TO SURVIVE
AND YOU WERE FULL OF JOY
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ❊ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
GOLDENPAW . 7 MOONS . HE/SHE/THEY . THUNDERCLAN
Goldenpaw, quiet for a contemplative moment, follows Daffodilpaw's gaze skyward. Sitting under Silverpelt seems far more significant, tonight of all nights. She supposes that must be because, if there's ever any doubt on any other night that Starclan is watching, their attention is nigh-irrefutable on nights like these. Ones where the full moon and a littany of hawkish ancestors all have a vested interest in everyone down here conducting themselves respectably. She manages not to be starstruck for too long to respond, with a canned chuckle,
"Ohhh, I was bein' a bit much. 'N they were the shy sorts. I bet most of 'em are, really...'cept maybe their in-charge cats." Goldenpaw can't imagine posing even the slight joke that Dawnstar and Mistlewhisker are just big ol' shy babies, deep down. Some bits simply don't land, and that's okay. "You're real kind to think otherwise, though, sunny-cat. I woulda been heartbroken if I came outta this Gathering like I did the last." Goldenpaw still considers those two Shadowclanners to be confirmed friends of his, but even he knows that's a diabolical reach. A little delusion now and then is good! Keeps the heart light. "You, byy the wayy, are also pretty awesome, in case I wasn't communicatin' that bit well enough." See? Standoffish and difficult cats have their charm, certainly, but these are the talks he loves. Kind cats and a chipper energy. Goldenpaw's green with envy that they'll have to let Daffodilpaw go home to the moor, after this, but they rationalize that Windclan probably deserve nice things, too.
They wave a ginger-mottled paw. "Awh, but see, Windclan are built for that tousled look—y'all wear it well. You see a ruffled Thunderclanner, prob'ly means that poor guy fell out a tree just now." Goldenpaw tuts, mock-somber, and Daffodilpaw's words turn skyward once again. This time, Goldenpaw's whiskers twitch with interest. That's...nice, to think Starclan would want that. Just for a pair of apprentices, not for anyone special. Something in their chest goes tender at the edges over the idea of someone believing so wholly that that might be the case that she'd drop it into conversation so casually. Goldenpaw makes a quiet note to self to learn how to emulate that kind of easy candor in conversation, but he's almost certain it's one of those traits that can't be replicated falsely. Shame.
"Y'know, I bet you're right. You got someone special watchin' your back up there?" She asks, head tipping to one side. Really she's just trying to pick at the root of Daffodilpaw's faith, but it's not out of any desire to hurt it. Goldenpaw is outrageously curious about it, about her very first Windclan buddy's worldview, about what it takes to sound so effortlessly sure. But she lets that curiosity hang with the one quick question while she follows the conversation to the matter of Windclan and Daffodilpaw's particulr speediness—
"Yeah? Hey, I'll take your word for it now but I wanna see proof, someday." Not that they need it; Daffodilpaw's gone and said something with that honest conviction, again, and Goldenpaw's inclined to believe her because of it. Hey, why not?
"Ohh, Thunderclan...I love it so," they sigh theatrically. "Iiiit's alright. We've been doin' a lot of clean-up lately and that's pretty tedious," Goldenpaw decides not to divulge the details of all the recent camp repairs, just in case they're chewed out for exposing a vulnerability or whatever, "but on the whole it's kinda awesome. I haven't been up many trees but watchin' the warriors go up, you'd think they'd taken lessons from birds." Goldenpaw gushes. "You got many things to climb on, in Windclan? I betcha'd get the hang of it quick if you had a good spot to practice."
SOMETIMES MY MIND DON'T SHAKE AND SHIFT
BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT DOES
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ❖ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
WHITERABBIT . 20 MOONS . SHE/HER . WINDCLAN
Whiterabbit's first gathering had been moons ago. She doesn't recall doing much more than hugging her mentor's flank and marveling at all the life that had animated Seastones that night. The beach had throbbed with sound and movement, as though the surf had given way to hundreds of churning paws and burbling voices. The memory is thin, flimsy; a seafoam thing trembling at the back of her mind. It's nice to get a redo.
Sitting there now, all grown up and on her own besides the general company of the attending Windclanners, Whiterabbit's disappointed to see that it's not all as grand as the froth of her moons-old recollection suggests. Sights that had towered above and overwhelmed once her seem smaller, now; closer to mundane. Oh, well. That's just what getting older's all about, isn't it? It's still nice! Just...not nice enough that she isn't quickly bored, sitting there all on her lonesome.
Whiterabbit's never been very good at being bored. Something stupid and/or ill-advised is surely imminent...she just has to find out what it'll be.
Far off there seems to be some sort of commotion around the higher ranked cats, but the instant Whiterabbit thinks she hears a high and reedy kit-voice, she loses interest. She's had more than enough of kits, and the faintest possibility that someone, somehow, is being harassed by them here incites only pity and little else, in her. Not even the brief grimace that twists her muzzle up lasts long. Just...good riddance. Then, there's the other thing. The bigger and infinitely more amusing thing.
There's Riverclan.
While Whiterabbit had been nursery-bound for much of the recent, forest-wide debacle centering the li'l minnows, she had heard more than plenty. Considering Windclan's role in it all (rest easy, Fallownose), it'd've been harder not to. Even so, eyeing the returning clan from her chosen haunt tonight, there's no lurch of vengeful bitterness or patriotic outrage, there's just...she just—
She really wants to know—
Oop. Whiterabbit's body is moving faster than her sense can keep up with. That her current move might be not a very good idea doesn't have time to sink in, to stall her thin legs, to halt her in her tracks. Acting on impulse before her better judgement can catch up to her—she might be grown, now, but Whiterabbit's hardly any wiser tonight than she was those long moons ago, and it looks like Adderstrike is going to be the one that pays the price. Whiterabbit approaches fast, weaving her way to the Riverclanner, and she plonks down without ceremony.
"Hey, welcome back." It's quick but disingenuous because she doesn't really care to welcome this cat, in specific, nor their clan as a whole, back to the territories. Probably in some grand scheme, one in which balance is a holy and integral component, it's a great thing that Riverclan has made it back home. Whiterabbit's narrow worldview is not nearly as profound. Still: 'welcome back' is polite enough and a half-decent opener. "How uh," she twirls one pale paw vaguely in the air, finally digging at the matter that she's most concerned with, "how was it? When you guys were away? I mean, what was it like?"
Moons of interclan beef and political strife are taking a back seat to her genuine, honest-to-goodness nosiness.
Re: September Gathering
