RiverClan Leader's Den

[BEAR.]

The idea wasn't bad but as much as Lionstar would love to spearhead it, he knew his paws were full. "Why don't we give it a shot?" It wasn't a question, more of a comment. "Since it's your idea, I'd like you to take charge of it. If anyone's giving you trouble, you can kick them out of the event and send them my way. How does that sound?"

[ @sinister soot ]

[sootsplashed]

Sootspring wasn't really expecting Lionstar to tell her she could lead it, but was totally cool with it. "Sure, I can lead it." She nodded. She really hoped no one would become a problem, but it was reassuring to hear she wouldn't have to deal with them alone. "That sounds good to me! I can go do it now if you'd like."

[teddy.]

Clam? He didn't even know what a calm was. "Is that like... a rock or something? Do cats here know what that is? Do you eat clams?" Waspkit scrunched up his little chewed up snout. "You're the leader of Riverclan, I'm sure you got better water-y names..."

[Abyssopelagic]

Halfpaw didn't know what a clam was either.
She shrugged as the soon to be renamed Waspkit.
"Clam is cute. I don't know what it is, but it is. But if you don't want it, what about tide? Or conch or wave."
Aaaaaagghhhhh.

@Romulus

[vellichor]

[i’m just loving that Lion is convinced that their name has "snow" in it somewhere]

Snailswirl
________

The tabby was met with an eager response and a surprising boop on the nose left them startled a little bit. Lionstar’s informal demeanor, quite unlike Twilightstar’s, made them relax a little bit. After the first sentence, they chucked a little bit. "You can say that again.," they remarked, emotions threatening to surge up again. No, not now. Snail perked up with interest as Lionstar announced that he knew a few herbs. "Oh—! Well, I’m sure you know more than I do. ...Would you mind teaching me? Oh! That is, if you have time, of course."

[Exis]

Foxblaze nodded and jumped one in place, just to get a bit of excitement out. “I won’t let you down Lionstar!” She mewed with as much respect as there was energy before hurrying to get started on her new duties.

[plum]

The run back to camp had left Plumpaw feeling tired, and very quickly into the trip, she'd managed to stumble in the mud and her paw was feeling sore of it. Still, and she wasn't keen on how this made her look, she felt it was necessary to let Lionstar know of how... Poorly... Her patrol had gone. Maybe it would still reap some prey if the warrior was still going to sit out there, but that didn't matter all too much. The she-cat still felt squirming anxiety in the bottom of her belly, the feeling that Springcry had given her was nothing short of repulsed. She'd tried to be pleasant at the Gathering, thinking that she would get to know her new home and its members better and that'd be good.

"Lionstar?" she hoped she wasn't interrupting anything, her mew kept soft in the event that he did indeed already have a guest, or was otherwise preoccupied. Blinking her eyes to adjust faster to the different light inside the den, curiosity momentarily draws her mind away from the events which had just transpired. She gazes around quietly, thinking to when she'd slipped in here last to unload onto him while he was looking for a medicine cat. Then, she didn't really absorb much. "I would like to talk privately, if you can."

[BEAR.]

Most of the cats in his den seemed to trickle out, leaving Lionstar alone for the most part. The peace and quiet was nice, less chaotic than he was used to, and by the time Plumpaw had entered his den he was falling into an uneasy sleep.

"Hmph?" Her voice made him jerk awake, flinching back as he blinked the glaring light of his den entrance out of his eyes. Shaking his head, he forced himself to sit up in his scattered nest. "What's going on, Plumpaw?"

[ @implimm ]

[plum]

Well, wasn't one of the biggest sins a cat could make waking their leader from an almost-slumber? The silver mau refrains from cringing too hard. She had something important to share, and was still very much shaken from it. Instead of dipping her head respectfully or apologetically, the apprentice steps a little bit closer so that she could speak in a hushed tone with him.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you," she meows unsympathetically, her tone light. "Sootflare just put me on a patrol with one of your warriors, Springcry. Just earlier. I'm sorry for coming back so quickly, but I couldn't carry out the entire patrol. While I was following Springcry, he started to talk really oddly. He acted really... Familiar with me..." This is where she trails off suddenly, looking down. It was nothing to be ashamed of, but she felt as if it wasn't something she should even be sharing with somebody else. She felt like hiding it. "It made me feel really gross."
She'd finished her statement meekly. But after a heartbeat, Plumpaw forces herself to shove the feelings of disgust and shame away to continue. "But he was also talking surprisingly poorly of you, Lionstar. Of you and your camp guards and warriors. He said Gentlethunder was... your advisor, controlling you from the background. And Lionhearts were brutes and thugs, and-" She had been trying so hard to recall the tom's exact words that she'd begun to speak quickly and harshly. Catching this now, the apprentice inhales and exhales slowly.
"'I wouldn't trust the camp guards, or Lionhearts, and stars forbid that Fawnsqueak.' is what he'd said, before promising... That... He would take care of me." Now, the silver she-cat stares at Lionstar in the dim den, her eyes glimmering.
"I don't care about being labelled a tattle-tail or anything, maybe you would prefer to not know. Maybe it doesn't matter. But I just- I needed to tell you before Springcry reported that I left the patrol to Sootflare. You had to know why. I'm sorry." Lowering her head, Plumpaw waits for whatever was going to come her way. She hadn't abandoned a patrol in a long time.

[BEAR.]

Lionstar didn't really care about the trash talking - he hardly knew who this Stinkcry was and there was little weight to such meaningless words. He must be slow, was his deduction on that matter, because he clearly didn't understand how the Clan worked.

WHAT he did care about .. was his weird, suggestive behavior toward Plumpaw. He could see how uncomfortable she was with the subject and frankly, Lionstar felt similarly toward it. It was inappropriate and disgusting, and it needed to end now. Right now. Gently, Lionstar reached to rest the tip of his tail against the top of Plumpaw's shoulder. "Plumpaw, I'm terribly sorry you had to experience that. His behavior toward is deplorable and I'll see to it he never talks to you again." Ever. Lionstar didn't plan on outright killing him but he wouldn't hesitate if the other tom had any semblance of resistance to his punishment. Exile.. Lionstar wasn't sure if he should do that, if this tom was preying on younger cats.

"I'm glad you told me." It was true - as unfortunate as it was, if Plumpaw was experiencing this it likely meant other cats were. It was.. almost heartbreaking? For this to be occurring in his Clan. And the more he thought about that, the pain these young cats were enduring - the less he wanted to spare Springcry. "To be honest, his whack job conspiracies are the least of his issues.. A cat can talk dung about me and others all they want, but I'm not going to let him abuse and manipulate my Clan-mates."

Anyone with half a mind would recognize Springcry was sprouting falsehoods, but how he approached apprentices - talked to them - that made Lionstar's pelt prickle with anxiety. The lingering thought of who else? didn't leave his mind. "I am.. going to ensure he doesn't even glance your way ever again."

[ @implimm ]