Surely we won't be walking for much longer? Twistedpaw wondered silently as they trekked across the grassy green moors. A stiff breeze blew through her matted black fur, driving away the greenleaf sun's warmth with its chilled touch. Her paws were beginning to ache, and her crooked jaw swung disturbingly. A shiver rippled through her skinny body. After the disastrous conclusion to their tour of the newly-named Twilight Falls, she was eager to move on and explore more of WindClan's new territory. But the move to the next place was longer than anticipated, and Twistedpaw certainly wasn't the strongest cat. She'd built up stamina over time, though, so that had to count toward something.
As they ascended an incline, the black-and-light-gray apprentice glanced at Brightpaw. She wondered how her foster sister was doing. Then they reached the top of the hill, and Twistedpaw couldn't help but let out a small gasp as she looked through the bodies of her Clanmates and at what lay beyond.
It was beautiful. Long green grass stretched toward an open sky, vast, blue, and endless. Many types of wildflowers bloomed in shades of red, violet, orange, and yellow. Twistedpaw noticed Wolffang eyeing them and vaguely wondered what the large, muscular warrior was thinking; he didn't seem like the type of cat to be interested in wildflowers. But she didn't dwell on this, so lost was she in the grandeur of the place. So many flowers... She remembered how Cowtuft had said he wanted to make flower crowns. Maybe he'd like to get some from here?
Then she noticed the mound of freshly moved earth and listened to Twilightstar's grim words. Twistedpaw's mismatched eyes widened, first in shock, then shame. Poor Maplepaw... She remembered the ginger apprentice with the smushed-in face. She'd wanted to talk to him, and now she never would. I hope he's happy in StarClan. This place was going to be the new Juniper's Rest, a sacred burial ground for WindClan's dead. I can't pick the flowers. I shouldn't even think of picking them. They weren't hers to take. They belonged to the dead.
This place held a different sort of beauty than Twilight Falls. While the water glimmered with dancing, golden sunlight, a place of warmth and light, the flower meadow was a place of mourning, the flowers a symbol of those spirits that would never rise again. It made her quite sad. "I... I wish Fireflame was here," she whispered to Brightpaw without thinking. Tears sparkled in her eyes, one colorless, the other a dull shade of blue. "I... I think she liked flowers." Her distorted voice was more choked than usual, and she barely remembered to tense her crooked jaw so it looked less atrocious.
What about Willowsky? she wondered, feeling a twang in her heart. Her poor mother, exiled for her daughter's mistakes. Her daughter's deformities. The daughter she didn't want. Twistedpaw swallowed hard, hastily swiping her pink tongue around her black mouth to erase the dribble of drool that escaped her mouth. The crooked jaw, her mangled tail, her blind eye... all examples of what made her so despicable to her beautiful mother. I don't know what's happened to her. I really, really hope she's alive. But what if...
Twistedpaw shook her head. She didn't want it to be true. Desperately didn't. If she does die... I wish she could've been buried here. This place had one thing in common with the falls: It was beautiful, unlike Twistedpaw.
The she-cat's gaze swept across the flowers. Colors bobbed and danced, swaying to an invisible melody of birdsong as tears continued to cloud her gaze. "It's beautiful," she whispered once more, suddenly feeling the urge to convey her thoughts to Brightpaw and Mousefern. Subconsciously, she raised her voice. "Like Twilight Falls, but... different. More sacred. Where the dead go..." Her throat clogged for a moment before she managed to speak again.
"Where cats go to join StarClan. Under the open stars, too, so close to the sky, like Twilightstar says. With all those flowers and the grass... It's like a Starry Meadow."
(This first post takes place in Twilight Falls. Unless you are mentioned, please do NOT respond, and if you are, please scroll down and reply to my post in Starry Meadow!)
~ WOLFFANG OF WINDCLAN ~
Large, muscular, dappled gray tom with light fluff on the front of his neck and chest; amber eyes.
As Wolffang sat beside Leopardsong with a wet, heavy plop, careful not to squash Littlekit, he forced himself to lift his head. He'd rather keep it aimed at the ground to save himself from the expressions of his Clanmates, but he wanted to see what happened after. Twilightstar looked furious. His cheeks and ear burned, but the sensation was quickly overtaken by alarm as he saw a sodden black shape hacking up water onto the flowing green grass. It was Owlkit, and from the looks of it, he'd fallen in. Had Twilightstar gotten him about? I hope I didn't knock him in, Wolffang thought with a flash of concern. Dangerous - that's what this place was. Especially for kits. They could accidentally fall in and drown easily. He wondered why Twilightstar had decided to include this place in their borders. It was beautiful, yes, but it held little prey, and all this water... WindClan cats didn't swim. They weren't RiverClanners. It had plentiful herbs, though, and it wouldn't have been practical to angle their borders around it. Still, Wolffang thought sullenly, his tipless tail flopping to the ground with a wet thump.
A warm, gentle tongue rasping over the large warrior's cheek made him jolt. Turning, he found Leopardsong caressing his fur. Some of his shame, anger, worry, and embarrassment faded as he looked into her copper eyes, and his pelt flushed. A low purr rumbled in his throat. Her bright smile when he'd initially come to her and her bright, friendly, compassionate nature made him wonder how he could ever think she might abandon him for Leechscar or because she was upset with him. If she's upset at me, I'll know, he assured himself. Wolffang knew he had to stop making irrational, quick statements with little logic or reasoning, even if they felt real to him. He had to keep his head.
A smile tugged on the corners of his lips as his embarrassment faded. He'd expected Leopardsong to tease him, but she wasn't. Well, mostly. She called him a featherbrain, but that was the extent of it. She understood the fear he'd felt when he'd seen Fallownose launch himself into the water like a featherbrain. She knows I thought he was in danger and tried to save him. Not knowing what else to say, he leaned forward, rasped his tongue over her slim shoulder, and murmured, "Thanks for understanding."
He pulled back and felt a flicker of shock. Leopardsong had gone from warm and gentle to a startled, guilty one. Following her gaze, too surprised to ask her what was wrong, he saw an angry Twilightstar stalking their way. He straightened his shoulders. Was she angry at him? I looked like a featherbrain, but I didn't do anything wrong! he thought indignantly. But nope, she was there for Leopardsong, scolding her for not keeping a better eye on Owlkit. Wolffang felt a pang of pity for the Snow Bengal, but he kept his mouth shut. Twilightstar had a point, but he knew Leopardsong had done her best and would keep a better eye on WindClan's young. The thought of what would've happened if Owlkit drowned... He forced back a shudder.
As Twilightstar left, a sudden thought struck Wolffang. He'd jumped into the water to save Fallownose, believing him to have been drowning... which, had the water been deeper, could've put Wolffang's life into jeopardy. Leechscar's words about blindly sacrificing himself for his Clanmates came back into his mind, and suddenly, he realized how it must've looked to Leopardsong. That day, with the dogs, when he'd lain dying in the sandy clearing that had once been their home... He swallowed hard, a haunted look entering his amber eyes. How must he have come off to Leopardsong, plunging into the water? He glanced at her. She seemed a bit upset after what Twilightstar had said, but she hadn't been mad at him. Hadn't seemed to associate it with his death. She wore her heart on her pelt, so if she was upset, she would've shown it.
Wolffang knew he should trust Leopardsong. If something bothered her or him, they'd talk it out. He didn't want to be paranoid or overbearing. However, there was nothing wrong with caring or being worried, especially considering their history. He didn't want to hurt her or bring up the ghosts of the past. He considered apologizing but promptly stopped himself. I did the right thing. I thought Fallownose was in danger, and I went to help him. I don't want to die, but if saving a Clanmate means putting my life at risk, so be it. Life was a constant road of risks, rewards, and devastation. He shouldn't apologize for doing what any loyal warrior should've done. But he didn't want Leopardsong to think he didn't care about her. He did, so much that it made his heart burst, his head spin, and his stomach feel as if it were full of butterflies sometimes. He loved her, and he didn't want her to think she would throw away their life, their relationship. But he had a duty to his Clan, too. He prayed to StarClan that she wouldn't hold that against him. At some point, he should talk to her about that, he realized. And confess his love. The thoughts made him anxious, but... He'd waited long enough. Soon, he promised silently.
The muscular, dappled gray tom was drawn out of his thoughts when Twilightstar spoke his name. Lifting his broad head, Wolffang realized his leader had commanded Fallownose to apologize for scaring him. He felt relieved that she wasn't angry at him but also a little sheepish. His actions were justified, but having Twilightstar order her deputy to apologize... It was a little awkward, y'know? But an apology certainly isn't unjustified.
Wolffang's gaze drifted to Fallownose. StarClan, his cheeks were burning again. The dark-gray-and-white tom's face was split in a timorous grin that made Wolffang's whiskers twitch awkwardly. The former deputy dipped his head to the current one as he accepted the apology, though thoughts raced through his mind. How would I have known you could swim? We aren't RiverClan cats! And what "fun" are you talking about? It was that word again - "fun." Wolffang kind of knew what it meant. Is "fun" teaching kits that it's okay to jump into bodies of water you could drown in? He was positively baffled. But he recognized the need to help everyone feel at ease in their new territory, just not doing hare-brained things.
Still, Fallownose was the deputy, and Wolffang respected him. He wasn't one to argue, and he knew the other tom had reasons, even if those reasons were more than a little concerning. "I accept your apology," he meowed. "Though I don't think teaching kits to drown themselves is 'fun.'" He twitched his whiskers at Owlkit and hoped his tone sounded somewhat... amusing? Joking? It was meant to be a light-hearted tone, but Wolffang was being genuine here.
Twilightstar called the cats together, and Wolffang rose to his huge paws, taking up his place beside Leopardsong and being extra careful not to squash Littlekit like an ant. It was time to move on. Hopefully, they could leave this little fiasco behind them.
@Moonraven (Leopardsong - Wolffang will respond to her question in the post below!) @Leafie (Littlekit) @Woodlow (Owlkit mention) @Lillian (Fallownose)
(Starry Meadow - if I mention you in this post, feel free to respond!)
~ WOLFFANG OF WINDCLAN ~
Large, muscular, dappled gray tom with light fluff on the front of his neck and chest; amber eyes.
As they trekked to the next area, Wolffang's thick fur slowly but surely drying in the warm greenleaf sun, he turned to Leopardsong. She'd asked before about Moorpaw, and he wanted to answer her question. "Moorpaw is my kin. I knew her when I was a kit," he meowed. "She died around then. My memories of her are... clouded. But they're good." Leopardsong knew a lot about his dysfunctional family, so she probably assumed Moorpaw was another cat he'd abused or cast away. Wolffang flinched at the thought but kept his face as calm as he could as he continued, "But... like me... StarClan sent her back. She's been back for some time, and I've meant to catch up with her, but I haven't yet." Guilt gnawed at his insides. "I had plenty of time to, but... I didn't. I could say I was wrapped up in my duties and there was never a good time, but... that doesn't feel entirely true. I might've been nervous or something." He shook his head irritably. "But it's featherbrained. I - I don't know what's wrong with me."
He took a deep breath, trying to cool off from the complicated emotions. Then, after waiting a moment for her response, he fixed his amber gaze on Leopardsong. "I, uh... had a question." Oh, StarClan. He could already feel his cheeks heating. Leaning close to her delicately tapered ear and lowering his voice, he asked, "Um... you've mentioned this concept of 'fun,' and Fallownose did just now. He said he wanted to have 'fun' to lighten the mood or something like that." Whenever he said the word "fun," he put vocal quotation marks around it, speaking the term like it was a foreign name. "Does 'fun' involve jumping in ponds against your leader's orders and getting your fur wet?" he inquired curiously. "And, when you said you wanted to 'play in the snow' as a concept of 'fun'... Why would you do that? How would you do that? Isn't snow cold and wet? Won't it make you sick? It's unpleasant; why would you want to play in it?" The former deputy was truly bemused.
They ascended a hill and ended up in a flower meadow, which was exposed to the open sky. It was beautiful up here. Wolffang eyed the flowers, especially the purple ones. He'd have to pick some for Leopardsong. Then Twilightstar spoke right as he noticed the sifted mound of earth, and... oh. This was to be WindClan's new burial ground. Wolffang bowed his head in mourning for the dead apprentice, killed by his former Clan, and for the future souls who might be put to rest here. He wasn't touching any of these flowers. He'd have to get them elsewhere. As the somber mood enfolded him, Wolffang listened for Leopardsong's answer. This place was perfect for the dead. It was open to the sky, and he'd imagine that, at night, it would be exposed to Silverpelt. StarClan will watch over our dead - and send those they deem worthy back to us.
An apprentice spoke in a disturbingly familiar voice. Wolffang's gaze drifted over to the small, skinny black shape standing among the wildflowers. His stomach gave a funny tug. It was Twistedpaw, the Ashfeather reincarnation. The name she suggested was... good, he had to admit. But looking at her felt awkward. She resembled the cat he'd tormented too closely. StarClan, they could even be related - not by blood, but perhaps she could be Ashfeather sent back, but in the form of a kit. Had that happened before? Wolffang wasn't one to dwell on it. Her name was nice, and Twistedpaw was just another apprentice. He'd treat her as any Clanmate with no stabs of resentment for her resemblance to the cat he'd treated so unjustly but who he still didn't like. Still, it was awkward. He kept his gaze focused on Leopardsong.
@/Moonraven (Leopardsong) @/Lillian (Please have Fallownose overhear Wolffang asking Leopardsong about fun. That would be hilarious. /nf) @/Leafie (Littlekit)
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Not roleplaying for now; indefinite hiatus
@TheNyanCatMinecart - @Omari Wow. Brightpaw stared around the stretch of WindClan's new territory. This place was just as beautiful at Twilight Falls. She wanted to go run through those fields of flowers, but that thought died in her mind when Twilightstar mentioned what this place would be used for. She spotted the fresher earth, and guessed that was where Maplepaw was set to rest. It was still a pretty place, though. Fireflame. The name hit her like a badger. Brightpaw turned her head to look at Twistedpaw, seeing the tears already forming in her eyes. The newly-made apprentice moved to lick her ear. "She would have loved the flowers." She could feel her own eyes starting to sting, and moved away to wipe at them with a paw. Twistedpaw spoke again. "Starry Meadow. I like that name."
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Ain't much that I know what to put 'ere...
"And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies." - Haymitch
Hawksprint took in the sight of the beautiful sea of flowers in front of him. He had never been here before, but it was truly a mesmerizing place and a great choice for a graveyard. His tail drooped as his mind shifted to the thought that they already had to bury one of their apprentices here. At least, she'd have a beautiful resting place, he thought to himself.
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Slightpoppy
The molly stopped to look at the field of flowers. Yes.. she supposed it was pretty. However the thought of this being a place for burying their own, she couldn't find much happiness in the colourful flower field. Slightpoppy sat down, brushing her paw over a lone blue flower rather than lokking around. She'd wait for a more.. not so sad place.
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I won't be very active during the summer but I'll try my best to catch up with replies!
don't hesitate to bump me after 24 hours if I haven't replied!
He had decided to visit the graveyard to pay respects to those who had passed when the scent of kittypet hit his nose. The deputy's fur bristled and his eyes narrowed in rage. How dare a kittypet soil this sacred place where his Clanmates were buried?
Spotting the intruder, Fallownose unsheathed his claws and let out a warning yowl, his fur puffed as he bounded in front of them.
"I'm giving you one chance. Get the hell out right now or I'll kill you."
@LongForgottenSnowyPelt [If your character does not leave in your next post, they will be killed]
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passive & healing powerplay permitted The Archives
Leopardsong trailed along behind the other cats, making a point of keeping Owlkit close to her, and Littlekit never wandered far from her, thank the stars for that. She didn't want Owlkit to get scolded anymore, she felt quite bad that he had gotten scolded in the first place. She really hadn't thought he'd be reckless enough to take a dive in the pond, the water seemed cold and uninviting to her, but who's to say how the minds of kits work?
The copper-eyed feline doubted that there was any trouble the little rascal could get up to at this new landmark Twilightstar led them to. It was a beautiful-looking meadow, granted the climb and walk were a bit much, but worth it. Leopardsong absolutely adored the flowers. Her eyes dropped to Littlekit as she asked to bring to pick a few. Leopardsong glanced back over at Twilightstar as she spoke of this being WindClan's new burial grounds. The she-cat noticed Maplepaw's grave but decided against thinking too deeply about that.
Back to Littlekit's question. Twilightstar hadn't said anything about not picking flowers from here, plus there was never any rule about picking plant life at their own burial grounds, just no hunting. So.... "If you want to pick two flowers, go ahead. It should be alright. Just don't stray out of my sight and don't get under any cat's paws." Leopardsong told Littlekit. Worse comes to worst, she'll get another scold from Twilightstar if Littlekit couldn't pick them. She was hoping the leader wouldn't... oh.
Leopoardsong's gaze was drawn to Owlkit as he moved away a little and returned with a flower in his maw, he dropped one at her paws, and then another at Littlekit's. "Aw, aren't you a sweetheart?" Leopardsong purred softly, dipping her head to give the wet Owlkit's forehead a few affectionate licks. "Thank you."
"Look Littlekit, Owlkit got you a flower. Isn't he just the sweetest." Leopardsong glances at the she-kit. She was hoping this would be the start of a flowery relationship between the two. Littlekit was a shy one, she really didn't need to branch out and make more friends with her clanmates.
As she waited to see what she prayed would be an eventful interaction between the two kits, Wolffang settled at her side and answered her earlier question about Moorpaw. She was relieved to find that she had not been told about this kin. As she listened to him explained his relationship with Moorpaw she couldn't help but wonder why StarClan seemed to favor Wolffang and his kin so much. Not to say that she wasn't thankful for it, but if she told this to Leechscar... Yeah, let's not say anything about Moorpaw's returning to him even in passing. She could practically hear the tom spitting about Ashfeather again.
"Well, cats get busy clan life is rarely boring, always something to get done. I'm sure you'll get your chance to talk with Moorpaw at some point in time. Even late is better than never." The warrior reassured as best she could. They'd find time to talk sooner or later, the fact that Moorpaw and Wolffang were back was a miracle in itself. So doubted either cat was wasting such time.
Her ear flickers as he leans in whispering something he finds embarrassing again. "Oh, yeah, I completely forgot I didn't finish teaching you about fun." Leopardsong meowed, chuckling softly at the thought. "What's fun for one cat doesn't necessarily have to mean that it's fun for everyone else. There is more to fun than light'n the mood. Most cats do fun stuff because they find it enjoyable and unwork related. To Fallownose, leaping into the pond and splashing around seemed enjoyable to him. Also, technically he wasn't going against Twilightstar's orders, she never said anything about deputies leaping into the water." The warrior explained without losing the mirthful glow in her copper eyes.
"Same thing with the snow, I'm not fond of playing in ponds like Fallownose, but I do like tossing snow around and playing in it. Just because you think snow is unpleasant doesn't mean that I have to. Plus, you never played in the snow, how do you know it's as unpleasant as you believe if you'd never tried to play in before." Leopardsong purposely teased Wolffang, she had totally forgotten what a stick in the mud he could be.
His attention shifted from her to Twistedpaw as she spoke, Leopardsong's gaze followed his as the apprentice thought of a name for the place. "I think that's a lovely name," Leopardsong said with a broad grin. She hadn't been able to comment on Fallownose naming the Falls since she was too busy getting scolded, but now that she thought about it. WindClan had some really creative youngsters.
It was hard to believe that such a thoughtful apprentice was being mentored by that hulking, brooding, grumpy, geezer of a senior warrior. Like look at him, Batglare wasn't even with the tour group, he was just sitting in the back there brooding. Poor Twistedpaw. As if hearing her thoughts, Batglare's intense gaze fell on the white bengal who swiftly turned her head back to the front, eyes trained on Littlekit and Owlkit. The two better-become friends, she'd forced this friendship if she had to go out of her way.
Twilightstar watched and listened quietly as her clanmates commented on took in the splendor of the meadow. Twilightstar hadn't a real clue on what they should name this place. She was sure that someone would give her something interesting to think about. Preferably not Fallownose, she adored her deputy; but she was not fond of naming things after herself. She might have to see about finding something to name after him, but unlike her, she was sure he'd get a kick out of having a landmark named after him.
So that plan kinda lost its meaning, but still, it might be something the clan would get a laugh about. She'll put that idea on the back burner for now, Twistedpaw was speaking up. The leader perked her ear and a half upright to hear what she was saying, something about Starry Meadow. The she-cat tossed the name around a few times in her head, she didn't find the wording off, and as Leopardsong said, it sounded quite lovely.
"Starry Meadow, it's a wonderful name." The Clan leader trilled delightfully, obviously more in favor of Twistedpaw's name than she had been of Fallownose's. "We'll deem this place Starry Meadow from now on. I suppose since there is more than enough," Twilightstar started, eyeing the flowers that lay nearby Leopardsong and Littlekit. "The flowers here can be picked, but sparingly. Our new territory has more than enough wildflowers to pick outside of the Starry Meadow." The leader didn't mind if cats wanted some of the flowers, she didn't want them picking them all the time. Most of the beauty in this meadow lay within their flowers.
"Now, we have one more place to visit, and then it's back to camp. Come along." The leader orders, rising and leading the group away from the starry meadows.
@Lunalis [Fogpaw ] @Alchemist Kitsune [Snowybreeze & Lightningpaw] @Lillian [Fallownose] @Silvershadow13 [Floatingleaf ] @GANDERGOOSE [Longmoor] @Radetzky [Hawksprint & Slightpoppy ] @~LeafRabbit~ [Brightpaw] @Froggy [Cedarpaw]
Littlekit
lSemi long furred grey and white tabby - 5 moons - She/Her
The little gray kit was patiently waiting on Leopardsongs answer green eyes bearing up at the bigger cat. She would wait all day for one if she had too, she didn't mind. So she sat there tapping her small legs into the ground as she once in a while looked at the flowers surrounding them. Littlekit turned to look over and spot Owlkit returning with some flowers in his grasp. She was curious as to what he was doing with them, did he want some too? Her questioned got an answer as she was offered a flower from the other and she was surprised not expecting it. With some hesitance she accepted the flowers, she wasn't sure what to do when someone gave her a gift no one has done it before. "Th-thank you, they're pretty!" a part of her felt giddy about getting a small gift, she had to think of where she was going to put it now. Now her other question got answered and felt happy to be able to take home some flowers. With a nod she looked at the arrangement of flowers she could nick a few, and gently took only three flowers. She was quick about returning her attention back to the group and offered flowers to the two, one for Owlkit and the other for Leopardsong. Hopefully she was quick about her actions before they moved on to anther part of the territory.
Owlkit
Windclan | Kit | He/Him | 4 moons a black-furred tom with golden eyes | mute (aphonic)
Owlkit purred as Leopardsong's warm tongue rasped along his wet fur. He decided that this was her way of saying she forgave him. He turned to Littlekit as she thanked him and gave him a flower of her own. He hadn't expected anything in return so it was a lovely surprise. He purred some more, picked up the little yellow flower, and followed the rest of the group to their final destination. Owlkit couldn't help but see their flower exchange as the blossoming of a new friendship and promised to keep it safe in his nest when they returned home.
(Hope you don't mind I chose the flower to be yellow because it symbolizes friendship~ )
(also no need to respond!)
╔════════ ════════╗ Mentions:
@Leafie Littlekit
@Moonraven Leopardsong
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Image of my oc was created using Clangen Cat Maker
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"If I had more time, I would have written a shorter post~"
Last edited by Tecumori; July 6th, 2023 at 06:56 AM.
Re: Starry Meadow
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