RiverClan Clearing

[Shade.]

Lizardpaw was feeling slightly better though not OK. As someone who had never been sad, she didn't know how to handle grief and emotional distress properly.

[panchiko]

Spiderpaw sat.

-

Dayheart existed.

[Fawn]

Originally Posted by ghostwriter

@Dipper

Stormcall was unused to high maintenance company—she needed about as much as a dandelion in sidewalk crack to survive, herself. Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, the Russian blue warrior padded into camp, and seated herself at the epicenter of the sandy clearing.
Dealing with a newcomer this time of day could prove to be troublesome. She could pick up pieces of every conversation in her vicinity, the wind in the reeds, the distant cry of gulls, each individual scent of her clanmates, the way the feathery clouds shifted across the sky—she could not afford to become overstimulated now, and attempted to ground herself, relaxing her jaw and inhaling deeply.
She hesitated, and raised a curious brow at her counterpart’s minuscule legs, and couldn’t help but shortly softly.
“Lost then in battle, did you?” She remarked, her tone lilting only briefly to reflect the joke, “You say that you can fight, and hunt, and considering that you have been surviving alone for some time I am inclined to believe you. Can you swim?” The deputy inquired.

↬ Alouette ✨

Lazily stretching, Alouette was unbothered by the remark. "Clearly," she started, straightening up and sizing Stormcall, "you are unaccustomed to what little monsters kits can be. Yes, I lost half of all my legs to those anklebiters. It was a terrible, dreadful war, but thankfully I am a resilient beauty and have 'adapted' to the circumstances." She tried to hide the smirk from her voice. That was a much better tale than a boring 'I was born like this'--ugh! She'd save that one for when she was trying to put her audience to sleep.

Alouette's demeanor rapidly shifted when Stormcall uttered a .. a filthy word. "You mustn't say that so loudly!" she complained, whipping her head around. "I will have you know I am a lady, and I do not take kindly to that kind of language." SWIMMING. Gross. Disgusting! Who in their right mind--?

Tsking, she shook her head. "I will forgive you this time, but please. Try not to be so vulgar."

[ghostwriter]

@Dipper

Stormcall was growing irritated. Confusion was not an experience she found to be particularly pleasant—vulgar? She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to separate herself from the delusion.
“I...have no idea what you mean,” The deputy admitted, shaking her head a bit, “I ask because it is a requirement to join RiverClan. You have cross the river to exit camp—I’m not entirely certain what your aversion is, but if you cannot swim I will have to admit you as an apprentice.” She explained, voice measured and terse; an attempt to apply some practicality to the situation.
“I am not petitioning you to enjoy it, I simply need to know whether or not you are capable.” She clarified, exasperation beginning to wear on her.

[Fawn]

↬ Alouette ✨

Alouette was not impressed. These... these creatures swam? For fun? She thought the stories were exaggerated! Imagined! She didn't believe they'd actually lower themselves to such standards, willfully inject their fat fishy bodies into a river. It brought a heavy shudder through her.

"No, no, no--I am perfectly capable," she stressed, "of s.. ..swim-- partaking that activity." It even felt gross in her mouth to say it. The lie didn't feel nearly as bad. Giving her chest a few licks for good measure, ensuring every fur was prim and proper, she stated, "I have conquered many a water in my day. When I so much as step in a puddle, it ripples in fear."

Perfectly capable. Ha. She would find a different way, a better way to leave the camp. And she would then be celebrated for ages to come in RiverClan like the goddess she was, the cat who single-pawedly solved their water-problem.

Huffing, she refused to become an apprentice. To consider her part of "the help" was downright insulting! She was nobody's servant, much less not a RiverClanner's. "Please, darling. Surely I don't strike you as the type."


@ghostwriter

[ghostwriter]

@Dipper

Stormcall drew in a measured breath, her ears flattened, jewel-toned eyes reduced to slits as she contemplated this assertion.
“Very well. I do not doubt that you can fend for yourself, if you have made it this long in the wild without any assistance. You are of more use to me as a warrior than an apprentice, constantly reliant on supervision.”
Stormcall rolled her shoulders, attempting to dissipate the tension from her neck. She could feel a headache climbing up her nose as she attempted to process the newcomer’s complicated requests, the sound of apprentices scuffling across the clearing, the croaking calls of a heron—this next question was certain to earn a convoluted response, she feared.
“You must know that...we require you to take a Clan name. I am open to requests.” She offered,

[Mango]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Yeah, he was a troublesome kit. She let out a little snort remembering how he used to act as a kit. Spirits he was in everything! First time she met him was seeing him try to drown in the Cattail pond. "You really where a troublesome kit," She agreed remembering back when they were younger. "Though what we can do now is try our best at everything we do and make sure we live our life through for her. She would want us to be happy, healthy, and to do good." Petuniapaw added glancing up at him.
Yes, she just kept giving herself more and more reasons to do better. To really work to be a good, useful warrior of RiverClan. One that would make Sugerapple proud from where ever her spirit was watching them from. They'd get through this, she'd get through this. Yeah, Petuniapaw would miss her mom, who wouldn't? But, she would be able to make it, she'd done it before and even if it was different this time she'd get through this. Day by day she'd make it, maybe she'd cry herself to sleep some nights but that wouldn't stop her.
Leaning deeper into Blizzardsky's fur she just let out a long sigh, honestly relaxing enough to stop herself from quivering. She was already doing better, not as fast as she wanted but she was calming down. "We'll be okay Blizzy, Sugarapple will always be with us in our hearts and her spirit is watching over us." Petuniapaw agreed, partly to herself. She tried out a new nickname, she liked it really, it was cute.

Blizzardsky gave a small nod,” That’s true. I suppose we should head out to her burial site. Only if your ready ofcourse.” he meowed he didn’t want to rush her over to the grave that quickly, if she wasn’t mentally ready for it yet.

[Fawn]

Originally Posted by ghostwriter

@Dipper

Stormcall drew in a measured breath, her ears flattened, jewel-toned eyes reduced to slits as she contemplated this assertion.
“Very well. I do not doubt that you can fend for yourself, if you have made it this long in the wild without any assistance. You are of more use to me as a warrior than an apprentice, constantly reliant on supervision.”
Stormcall rolled her shoulders, attempting to dissipate the tension from her neck. She could feel a headache climbing up her nose as she attempted to process the newcomer’s complicated requests, the sound of apprentices scuffling across the clearing, the croaking calls of a heron—this next question was certain to earn a convoluted response, she feared.
“You must know that...we require you to take a Clan name. I am open to requests.” She offered,

↬ Alouette ✨

. . . Supervision?

Oh. OH. "Mmm, yes," she hummed, knowingly, as if she was in on a new secret, "so that's what they call it around here. Supervision. I like that. Very nice, classy." It was better than outright stating they were at the will of the warriors--and queens--and needed to cater to her every whim as one. Alouette noted that she'd have to express her interest in being one's supervisor for a while, particularly when her nest needed its morning fluff or to fetch her meals throughout the day.

The part she'd been waiting for! A reclaiming of her name. Nobody would suspect a thing, she was certain. Well, no RiverClanner would suspect a thing; she had her suspicions about how capable they were.

"I suppose I must," she began dramatically as if it were a chore. Alouette put on a show, hmming and contemplating to determine the perfect means of address. "Since my preference of Stormcall appears to be taken, I imagine I'll settle for Daintybird. However, you can call on me anytime." She wouldn't mind answering to Daintystar either -- she was simply generous like that.

On the same note as generosity, she continued, "You may skip the formalities." It was maybe possibly because she wasn't going near the Streamstone, much less on it with the size of her legs. "I do not require much fuss for my joining, so it will be perfectly suitable if you condense the ceremony to a mere parade in my honor."

[ghostwriter]

@Dipper

(Storm.exe has stopped working)

The blue-gray she-cat's eyes were wider perhaps than they had ever been--Stormcall had calculated her way through the heat of battle without ever being particularly surprised. For once, she was robbed of her innate ability to predict and disassemble a situation. She did, however, allow herself a clandestine chuckle, tilting her head ever so slightly. Once her confusion gave way to veiled amusement, the tension ebbed from her silhouette.
"A suitable name." she agreed coolly, nodding her assent. However, Daintybird's following statement stole her next comment right out from under her.
Stormcall raised an eyebrow and could feel her stomach flip, her skin growing hot beneath her pelt.
What in StarClan's name was--oh. The candid forwardness was not unlike that of a particular WindCl--
Stormcall coughed a bit, her dignity fading a bit. She tilted her head ever so-slightly, unable to resist a subtle smirk.
"We tend to keep things fairly practical...I was merely going to allow you to introduce yourself to your clanmates. It doesn't seem as if you need me as a social crutch." She was slowly catching on, a hint of humor working its way into her authoritative voice, "Wouldn't want to make any...tacky exhibitions." she tried out, trying not to chuckle to herself.

[Fawn]

↬ Daintybird ✨

"Practical! Nonsense," Daintybird replied, shaking her head. "I will not stand for it. This is the Clan of culture, of festivity!" Her tone rose and fell dramatically, but she was perhaps no longer acting since the notion of entertaining fine arts and performance naturally appealed to her. She smoothed the fur on her paw with a lick and added, "...Or, at least that's what I intend to do now that I have assimilated into your ranks." That alone was a stretch. More than a stretch, an impossibility.

After a moment's hesitation, it clicked into place, another connection drawn where there wasn't any to be made. "You are absolutely right. It isn't your job to organize such an affair -- now, that would be tacky indeed. I'll get right on it at once." Psh, it was so silly of her in hindsight! To think that burly Stormcall would meddle with that kind of work, it simply wasn't right. She would handle this on her own, posthaste.

So off she went to string together a welcoming party for the one and only her, plumy tail swishing leisurey.


@ghostwriter