Fadingstar's Den (Only open to RiverClan cats) - Page 5

**Neptune.** · #41 July 21st, 2024, 09:51 PM

Larkwing
~<>~
24 moons || she/her || RiverClan Warrior || Kitty Softpaws, Mind Reader, Beefed Up T2
scarred, scrawny dilute tortoiseshell; green eyes

He'd gone missing as well... why? Where had he gone? What drew him away? They may not have been close, hell, Lark didn't even know he was kin until just before her own vanishing act, but anyone could see plain as day how dedicated Rushwater was to RiverClan. He wouldn't just disappear. Rushwater of all cats would never do that willingly.

Her expression gives little way about her thoughts on the matter, the only acknowledgement being a flick of her ear and the minuscule tightening of her pursed lips. "Alright," is all she says, and, with a nod of her head Lark ducks out of Fading's den.

[ @occultation ]

**Marigoldwhisper** · #42 July 25th, 2024, 11:08 PM

`~Owltalon
She, Her\Lionheart\44 moons\Riverclan
"Are you listening, starchild?"

Purrks: Agatha Kitty [ACTIVE]

- - -

"Aye, chief? It's Owltalon. I'm comin' in, al'ight, chap?"

Owltalon had just set down the two kits in the nursery. She still gave them a stern few words before padding off, but didn't see it fit to scold them into oblivion. That warrior however... Oh, it made her blood boil. Especially with the issues surrounding kits and young apprentices out of camp, Owltalon would've thought somecat would have half the brain to make sure that they stayed in camp, like they were supposed to.

The large cat ducked underneath the rock and crawled into the shade. She felt oddly comfortable in the space yet homesick. She looked around the den with a wide amber eye. It looked bare, empty. Replaceable. Not home, Owltalon reminded herself. Once they got back to Riverclan she'd give Fadingstar so many dismembered heads shells and skulls he wouldn't be able to contain them. Right, right, she could focus on gifts later. There were more important matters at paw.

"I've come ta ya regarding a recent departure of kits. Two had some rendezvous outta camp. Willowkit and Wolfkit. They were accompanied by Starrypaw and Floodsight." Owltalon's jaw began to tighten but she held her gaze with the leader. "Ya know the drill, chief, stuff like this shouldn't be happenin'. I scolded 'em and dragged 'em back inta camp walls. The kits might be a bit frazzled, but they'll be fine." Hopefully.

"I just wanted ta let cha know. It's a serious issue. Gee, it seems one cats always gotta do... Somethin' stupid, yeah? I gave Starrypaw a punishment though, a quarter moon confined ta camp."

Tags:
@occultation // Fadingstar

***occultation*** · #43 Yesterday, 01:50 AM

Fadingstar shifted into a sitting position as Seakit entered his den. This was the first time anyone had come to him to discuss their name, so his interest was certainly piqued. "Of course."

Well, that seemed to be easy enough. Hopefully Rosehawk meant what she said and didn't run off doing the opposite. With a curt nod, Fadingstar dismissed her. "That's all, Rosehawk. You're dismissed."

Ah, Skyfall. Or, rather, Skypaw for now. Fadingstar had overheard Dusklion issue the punishment from his sunning spot several tail-lengths away. Granted, he'd been half-asleep, but he'd certainly been awake enough to hear what punishment Skypaw had been given.

That's why it surprised (and frankly angered) him to hear Skypaw try to tell him that Dusklion had demoted him for a few moons, rather than the half moon she'd said. The leader took a deep breath and let it out in an annoyed huff.

"If you'd come in here with honesty instead of a lie and an attempt to get me to pity you, you'd be much better off," he muttered. Voice raising to an annoyed, snappy level, he continued, "I heard what Dusklion said. She demoted you for half a moon, not 'a few moons'. And you didn't just get a little sidetracked, you chose to go help your friend instead of doing your job as a warrior."

Fadingstar lashed his tail. He understood that Skypaw had been going through a lot of struggles, but his patience was wearing very thin. "I've tried giving you chances, Skypaw, but my tolerance for your problems is running thin. First you botch the Appleberry situation and put Dusklion at risk in the process, then I hear from Crowglow that you're moping around about Appleberry instead of helping the Clan while we're reeling from the worst disaster to hit us in modern history.

"Then Crowglow comes in here and says that apparently you aren't helping Moonpaw and Grimpaw as you should. I remember you saying that you wanted to help with Moonpaw's training when she joined, so I'm not sure when or why that suddenly changed. But it seems like Crowglow has taken up the slack, on top of trying to keep up with Grimpaw's training. That isn't fair to Moonpaw or Crowglow.

"And now, you've missed a patrol because you decided to wander off and help your friend with what didn't sound like any sort of urgent situation. On top of that, you just lied to my face. Frankly, Skypaw, I have half a mind to actually demote you for a few moons, and make you repeat your training so that you can remember how to actually be a warrior. I don't tolerate cats who constantly cause problems; I get that you have emotional issues, but ultimately your mental health is your responsibility. I've tried to be understanding, but I'm starting to feel like that empathy is being taken for granted.

"Do you have any sort of explanation for yourself?"

Fadingstar wasn't expecting Cobwebfern to ask him for a spar; he would've assumed she'd go to Dusklion for that sort of thing. Had they had some sort of falling out? No, Dusklion was probably just busy.

He didn't have anything planned for the afternoon aside from spending time in his den in case anyone wanted to speak with him, so a spar sounded like a good idea. He blinked a few times at her proclamation that she might get violent if she didn't get a spar in soon; it sounded eerily similar to what a ShadowClan cat might say.

Based on how she followed up, however, it sounded like a quick choice of words rather than any sort of potential issue. Relaxing, the leader nodded in agreement to the offer. "A spar sounds nice. Care to lead the way?"

( You can post a starter and tag me whenever! )

Fadingstar perked his ears as Owltalon entered his den. He couldn't remember the last time this particular Lionheart had paid him a visit. Unfortunately, she came bearing bad news.

Apparently a warrior and apprentice had seen fit to bring two kits out of camp. The news got the tips of the leader's claws scraping against the stone, irritation flashing through him. What in the stars was going on with the nursery lately? It seemed like that particular part of the Clan was devolving into chaos.

Starrypaw had been rightfully punished, although it seemed that Floodsight had been let off with only a scolding. Fadingstar would've preferred that the warrior be punished as well, but he supposed a scolding was fine for now.

"I'm not sure what's going on with this Clan and its kits these days," he grumbled. "They hardly caused any problems for ages, and now all of a sudden we're having multiple problems. I'll address this at the next Clan meeting; hopefully if I start threatening to delay apprentice ceremonies that will be the end of it. Apparently I also need to remind our older cats to act intelligently and not bring small, untrained children out into the wilderness."

He had no clue why anyone would think it wise to bring kits out of camp, where they were at risk of falling, getting attacked by predators, or some other calamity. Kits belonged in the camp, plain and simple. If there was one thing that got his blood boiling without fail (aside from the other Clans), it was any sort of unnecessary risk brought to the kids in this Clan.

"Thank you for letting me know, and for handling the situation. Please rendezvous with the other Lionhearts and Dusklion and let them know to continue keeping an eye out for kits leaving camp, with or without an older cat. Let me know if anything else happens." Even though Dusklion still hadn't been found, he refused to accept that she might never return. She had to be alive out there, somewhere.

**Goopysharkboi** · #44 Yesterday, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by occultation

Fadingstar shifted into a sitting position as Seakit entered his den. This was the first time anyone had come to him to discuss their name, so his interest was certainly piqued. "Of course."

Well, that seemed to be easy enough. Hopefully Rosehawk meant what she said and didn't run off doing the opposite. With a curt nod, Fadingstar dismissed her. "That's all, Rosehawk. You're dismissed."

Ah, Skyfall. Or, rather, Skypaw for now. Fadingstar had overheard Dusklion issue the punishment from his sunning spot several tail-lengths away. Granted, he'd been half-asleep, but he'd certainly been awake enough to hear what punishment Skypaw had been given.

That's why it surprised (and frankly angered) him to hear Skypaw try to tell him that Dusklion had demoted him for a few moons, rather than the half moon she'd said. The leader took a deep breath and let it out in an annoyed huff.

"If you'd come in here with honesty instead of a lie and an attempt to get me to pity you, you'd be much better off," he muttered. Voice raising to an annoyed, snappy level, he continued, "I heard what Dusklion said. She demoted you for half a moon, not 'a few moons'. And you didn't just get a little sidetracked, you chose to go help your friend instead of doing your job as a warrior."

Fadingstar lashed his tail. He understood that Skypaw had been going through a lot of struggles, but his patience was wearing very thin. "I've tried giving you chances, Skypaw, but my tolerance for your problems is running thin. First you botch the Appleberry situation and put Dusklion at risk in the process, then I hear from Crowglow that you're moping around about Appleberry instead of helping the Clan while we're reeling from the worst disaster to hit us in modern history.

"Then Crowglow comes in here and says that apparently you aren't helping Moonpaw and Grimpaw as you should. I remember you saying that you wanted to help with Moonpaw's training when she joined, so I'm not sure when or why that suddenly changed. But it seems like Crowglow has taken up the slack, on top of trying to keep up with Grimpaw's training. That isn't fair to Moonpaw or Crowglow.

"And now, you've missed a patrol because you decided to wander off and help your friend with what didn't sound like any sort of urgent situation. On top of that, you just lied to my face. Frankly, Skypaw, I have half a mind to actually demote you for a few moons, and make you repeat your training so that you can remember how to actually be a warrior. I don't tolerate cats who constantly cause problems; I get that you have emotional issues, but ultimately your mental health is your responsibility. I've tried to be understanding, but I'm starting to feel like that empathy is being taken for granted.

"Do you have any sort of explanation for yourself?"

Fadingstar wasn't expecting Cobwebfern to ask him for a spar; he would've assumed she'd go to Dusklion for that sort of thing. Had they had some sort of falling out? No, Dusklion was probably just busy.

He didn't have anything planned for the afternoon aside from spending time in his den in case anyone wanted to speak with him, so a spar sounded like a good idea. He blinked a few times at her proclamation that she might get violent if she didn't get a spar in soon; it sounded eerily similar to what a ShadowClan cat might say.

Based on how she followed up, however, it sounded like a quick choice of words rather than any sort of potential issue. Relaxing, the leader nodded in agreement to the offer. "A spar sounds nice. Care to lead the way?"

( You can post a starter and tag me whenever! )

Fadingstar perked his ears as Owltalon entered his den. He couldn't remember the last time this particular Lionheart had paid him a visit. Unfortunately, she came bearing bad news.

Apparently a warrior and apprentice had seen fit to bring two kits out of camp. The news got the tips of the leader's claws scraping against the stone, irritation flashing through him. What in the stars was going on with the nursery lately? It seemed like that particular part of the Clan was devolving into chaos.

Starrypaw had been rightfully punished, although it seemed that Floodsight had been let off with only a scolding. Fadingstar would've preferred that the warrior be punished as well, but he supposed a scolding was fine for now.

"I'm not sure what's going on with this Clan and its kits these days," he grumbled. "They hardly caused any problems for ages, and now all of a sudden we're having multiple problems. I'll address this at the next Clan meeting; hopefully if I start threatening to delay apprentice ceremonies that will be the end of it. Apparently I also need to remind our older cats to act intelligently and not bring small, untrained children out into the wilderness."

He had no clue why anyone would think it wise to bring kits out of camp, where they were at risk of falling, getting attacked by predators, or some other calamity. Kits belonged in the camp, plain and simple. If there was one thing that got his blood boiling without fail (aside from the other Clans), it was any sort of unnecessary risk brought to the kids in this Clan.

"Thank you for letting me know, and for handling the situation. Please rendezvous with the other Lionhearts and Dusklion and let them know to continue keeping an eye out for kits leaving camp, with or without an older cat. Let me know if anything else happens." Even though Dusklion still hadn't been found, he refused to accept that she might never return. She had to be alive out there, somewhere.

Skyfall's ears immediately went down. They... told Fadingstar he had been doing all that? His eyes began to fill with tears, and in a fearful tone he quietly began trying to explain himself.

"Fine. You wanna know why I'm like this? Fine, ill break. I had to protect the clan somehow, so when I saw Appleberry had snuck back in I lost Control of my temper and killed him. I couldn't stop myself in time. Now he's dead because of me..." His tail swished. "...I can't stop thinking about it, I've not had any asleep because I've regretted it. I... I don't even feel like I belong here anymore from my actions... I'll leave RiverClan- if, if thats what it takes..."
Skyfall had completely broken at this point.

**Seamrog** · #45 Yesterday, 06:26 PM

Duskleaf

21 Moons | He/Him | No purrks

RiverClan Head Lionheart

Duskleaf wasn’t entirely sure that he should do this. He really didn’t want to bother Fadingstar, sure he already had enough stress right now. But he knew he couldn’t just go on without telling his leader this. What if he was asked to track something or someone down and no one was there to help? He couldn’t do it on his own, which could prove a danger to the clan if it was something high-risk. Just another reason he'd probably never forgive the other clans for this, not only did they murder his first apprentice and kill so many innocent cats who didn’t deserve it, but his nose injury wasn’t something that could be fixed, it was permanent.

"Fadingstar? I'm sorry to bother you, especially with everything going on, I know it must be a lot, but there's something important I have to tell you…" Duskleaf began. Well, now he had to go through with telling Fadingstar this, there was no going back now. To him, wasting another cat's time was the most disrespectful thing of all. "During that battle with the other clans, my nose was pretty badly damaged." He slowly took a few steps closer, lowering his head slightly to make the scars on his nose more visible. "I haven't been able to smell since, and now I'm pretty sure I never will." He really should’ve said something about this sooner, but secretly he feared that he might be demoted as he might not be able to perform all of his duties due to the injury. He thought he could continue on as normal like nothing had happened, but things that used to be so easy had become so difficult.

"I know I've left it a long time to tell you, I'm sorry." He couldn’t remember exactly how long ago that battle was, but it was a good while at least. "I wanted to see if it'd get better first, I didn’t want to waste your time in case it was just a temporary thing, but now I'm certain it isn’t." Of course he was also worried that he could be demoted for not being able to perform his duties properly, but that was a pretty selfish reason and he didn’t want to make it seem like all he cared about was getting a good position, that wasn’t true at all, but it could come off that way. "But I knew I couldn’t just leave it since it could be a problem if I have to follow a scent and wouldn’t be able to do it."

@occultation

**Rose** · #46 Yesterday, 10:16 PM

She/Her | Purrk(s): Just A Scratch

She couldn't believe she was doing it. Telling him. Telling... him. Anticipation flitted through her, followed by dread, and then panic, and then anxiety, and then guilt, and then- No, she was overthinking again. She couldn't panic now, not when- Her thoughts, her breath, her everything stuttered to a brief halt at the sound of Fadingstar's voice. Oh no, had she woken him up? Oh no, she had woken him up! Stupid, stupid. Now she couldn't run away and pretend she'd never had this harebrained (oh, when had she picked that insult up?) idea-

No. This was what she'd decided to do, and she would go through with it... because even if she ended up without the answer she so selfishly craved, avoiding it and lying to herself would be worse. For how long could she evade the questions swirling in her mind, in her heart? Not much longer, considering they were already driving her crazy. She was trembling, the former kittypet realized. Vibrating, whether with hope or fear, she knew not.

She had to go in. This den always felt so inviting. Or, the cat behind it did (considering this was a brand new den), but now all she felt was anxiousness. At being shot down. Uncertainty, insecurity, a tidal wave of guilt at what she was doing. At what she had done to Dusklion and Antlerbranch, but now seeking the same thing they had been searching for - from someone else.

"Everything... everything is..." Two words in and she was already faltering at the entrance of Fadingstar's den, words trailing off, half of her body inside the den, her other half not. She felt like backing up and leaving and curling up in a corner and disappearing forever. So much shame in herself for seeking this guilty pleasure, for seeking out happiness for herself when she had hurt two of her closest companions so harshly.

"Everything will be okay." Was what she settled on finally, because it was the only way to not lie. She was being optimistic probably when saying that everything would be okay - because she'd rather pretend that than to admit that it was possible everything would go to hell.

Which it would. But Wisteriawren possibly couldn't know that - only her roleplayer was pointing and laughing at her in the background - and so the ex-kittypet harbored more hope than she cared to admit. She sat there, still as a statue for a moment, and then like an overflowing dam, erupted. All emotion, she was. There was no mask ever for Wisteriawren to hide behind; she was a hundred percent heart and soul.

"Okay-no-everything-is-not-okay-I'm-so-sorry-for-lying pleasedon'tbemad!" She sucked in a breath and then blundered on without pause, wanting to get it all out while she felt able to. She was speed talking, but it was the best Fadingstar was going to get. "The other day I kinda-maybe-almost okay-no I-really-hurt-Dusklion-and-now-she-hates-me and I don't know what to do."

That truth sank into her mind like a boulder after entering the water, and Wisteriawren shrank alongside the words. The cat she'd hoped would be her best friend hated her. Her voice grew softer, wobbly with the threat of impending tears. Darker-tipped paws lifted to rub at her eyes, no longer able to look at her leader because of the shame swirling in her heart.

"She said she likes me. But I... I wasn't going to lie to her, Fading..star. I wasn't going to lie just to make her happy. I don't- I mean, I do like her, truly, but not like that." Her voice lifted slightly, the earnestness evident. Imploring him to believe her, to... to make her hurting go away. "I told her-" ...Wisteriawren's mouth clamped shut, a million butterflies flitting around inside her. Not the nice happy butterflies, no. The ones that filled her with anxiety and self-doubt.

"Because it's you, Fadingstar." The words came tumbling out on their own; she had not meant to say them. (Or well, she had, but she had not intended it to sound like that). "I didn't know how to tell... your sister." Her voice receded again, embarrassment washing over her. Why was she asking him for this? Why was she so heartless? No choice but to roll with it now.

"You dont' have to- I- We dont' have to-" What was she even saying? Her words were tripping over one another, her paws kneading the ground in frenzied movements. "I couldn't not tell you anymore, Fadingstar, I know I'm being horrible, and selfish, and unkind, and- and-" Slow down. Stop. Spilling all her worst qualities in front of the cat she was trying to win over was a fairly stupid move. "You don't have to say anything, or you can, but you don't have to, I- pleasedon'thateme. Actually I can leave if that's better, maybe that's-" Ha. She could add capital C for Coward to her list of attributes too now. Just the thought made her heart pang with hurt. She was so useless, and she expected affection after she'd thrown it away so carelessly twice?

So instead of running away, Wisteriawren remained. And she forced herself to sit through and listen to whatever her leader had to say.

[ @occultation - Fadingstar ]