"That's Wisteriawren - she's recently joined - trust me, no outsiders are gettin' into RiverClan camp under my watch," the dark tabby purred to her apprentice, glancing at the other cat who was still crouched behind her. "Wisteriawren, this is my apprentice Cobs - Cobwebpaw." Dusklion had a feeling the two would get along.
Then, her brother started in and... it was finally time.
Thankfully, there were no ghostly wisps of gray fur to distract her as Dusklion returned the nod to her brother. Cobs cheer next to her was expected and she grinned at her. "Thanks Cobs." And then, because she had grown to feel rather protective over the kid, she added, "...hope I can keep makin' you proud." Outside of Cobs, and maybe the Lionhearts, Dusk wasn't expecting anyone to like the choice. Hell, she expected a majority of this Clan to try and kill her the first chance she got. So when she heard numerous voices speak up - mostly Talonpaw and Wrenpaw - she was prepared.
Before anything though, the newly named deputy looked to Berrypaw and ducked her head in deep respect. "Congratulations, kid. Mists is a fine cat 'n you're gonna learn a lot from her." After all she deserved this moment of recognition far more than Dusk did. She could swallow her pride for a kid.
She would wait. She would wait until everyone got their whining and bickering out. If any of these cats thought that she was still standing beside the words she had spoken about her brother at the last meeting, they were wrong.
Once things had quieted down, the deputy lifted her tail. "No one is taking Wrenpaw anywhere, 'n no one is tearing any ears off! Fogmuzzle, if you say one more word about harmin' your own Clanmates I will drag you out of this meetin'." Her harsh glare swept towards the she-cat, disappointment evident in her eyes. She had appreciated the kind words but she didn't need cats to defend her - especially when she hadn't proven herself yet.
"Wrenpaw." She understood this she-cat, and perhaps before she might've bit back with a harsh reply of her own. But after what had happened with Talonpaw the last meeting, and how Fades had berated him... "You're right. I acted like a newborn kit instead of a warrior, 'n I know I can't take back what I said. I won't ever apologize for wantin' what I want 'n goin' after it, but I didn't handle it the best, 'n you're right. I'm not perfect, not by a long shot. But you know what I am?"
This time her gaze leveled to the entire Clan as she spoke to them all. "I love this Clan. I love this home. With everythin' in my heart, I want nothin' more than to see us thrive! To see us rise up to the greatness we once had!" A scoff left Dusklion. "I don't care if you hate me, or hate a decision I make. I don't care if you come, stick your muzzle in my face, 'n yell at me! Do it if it'll make you feel better! What I do care about," she glanced at Wrenpaw, then Fogmuzzle, then Cobs, and finally back out towards the Clan, "is that you take this same energy, and you put it into makin' RiverClan better. I've done nothin' yet but be named, 'n even though I could sit here 'n bark about how much I have done, 'M not gonna do that. Instead 'm gonna show you. RiverClan comes before everythin'. Both me 'n Fades - ever since we got here all we've done is put our dedication, loyalty, 'n sometimes even blood into this Clan."
Whether these cats believed her or not, she didn't care. "You don't have to believe me right now. 'Nfact, I wouldn't believe me either. I'm not askin' you to 'n I never will. But I ask that you believe in RiverClan. Believe that we can be great again, 'n actually put that work in!" Another swift glance up at Fades, then Wrenpaw again. "No one is escortin' Wrenpaw out. She's got every right to speak her mind 'n not believe anythin' until its been shown to her that RiverClan will be stable again."
With that all said and done, her gaze narrowed. "With that said, we've also got a new medicine cat apprentice - who is a kid. I suggest you save whatever opinions you've got of me 'n show her same cheers you would any other newly named apprentice." Dusklion remained standing, eyes daring anyone to come forward and ruin this moment once again for Berrypaw.
"That's Wisteriawren - she's recently joined - trust me, no outsiders are gettin' into RiverClan camp under my watch," the dark tabby purred to her apprentice, glancing at the other cat who was still crouched behind her. "Wisteriawren, this is my apprentice Cobs - Cobwebpaw." Dusklion had a feeling the two would get along.
Then, her brother started in and... it was finally time.
Thankfully, there were no ghostly wisps of gray fur to distract her as Dusklion returned the nod to her brother. Cobs cheer next to her was expected and she grinned at her. "Thanks Cobs." And then, because she had grown to feel rather protective over the kid, she added, "...hope I can keep makin' you proud." Outside of Cobs, and maybe the Lionhearts, Dusk wasn't expecting anyone to like the choice. Hell, she expected a majority of this Clan to try and kill her the first chance she got. So when she heard numerous voices speak up - mostly Talonpaw and Wrenpaw - she was prepared.
Before anything though, the newly named deputy looked to Berrypaw and ducked her head in deep respect. "Congratulations, kid. Mists is a fine cat 'n you're gonna learn a lot from her." After all she deserved this moment of recognition far more than Dusk did. She could swallow her pride for a kid.
She would wait. She would wait until everyone got their whining and bickering out. If any of these cats thought that she was still standing beside the words she had spoken about her brother at the last meeting, they were wrong.
Once things had quieted down, the deputy lifted her tail. "No one is taking Wrenpaw anywhere, 'n no one is tearing any ears off! Fogmuzzle, if you say one more word about harmin' your own Clanmates I will drag you out of this meetin'." Her harsh glare swept towards the she-cat, disappointment evident in her eyes. She had appreciated the kind words but she didn't need cats to defend her - especially when she hadn't proven herself yet.
"Wrenpaw." She understood this she-cat, and perhaps before she might've bit back with a harsh reply of her own. But after what had happened with Talonpaw the last meeting, and how Fades had berated him... "You're right. I acted like a newborn kit instead of a warrior, 'n I know I can't take back what I said. I won't ever apologize for wantin' what I want 'n goin' after it, but I didn't handle it the best, 'n you're right. I'm not perfect, not by a long shot. But you know what I am?"
This time her gaze leveled to the entire Clan as she spoke to them all. "I love this Clan. I love this home. With everythin' in my heart, I want nothin' more than to see us thrive! To see us rise up to the greatness we once had!" A scoff left Dusklion. "I don't care if you hate me, or hate a decision I make. I don't care if you come, stick your muzzle in my face, 'n yell at me! Do it if it'll make you feel better! What I do care about," she glanced at Wrenpaw, then Fogmuzzle, then Cobs, and finally back out towards the Clan, "is that you take this same energy, and you put it into makin' RiverClan better. I've done nothin' yet but be named, 'n even though I could sit here 'n bark about how much I have done, 'M not gonna do that. Instead 'm gonna show you. RiverClan comes before everythin'. Both me 'n Fades - ever since we got here all we've done is put our dedication, loyalty, 'n sometimes even blood into this Clan."
Whether these cats believed her or not, she didn't care. "You don't have to believe me right now. 'Nfact, I wouldn't believe me either. I'm not askin' you to 'n I never will. But I ask that you believe in RiverClan. Believe that we can be great again, 'n actually put that work in!" Another swift glance up at Fades, then Wrenpaw again. "No one is escortin' Wrenpaw out. She's got every right to speak her mind 'n not believe anythin' until its been shown to her that RiverClan will be stable again."
With that all said and done, her gaze narrowed. "With that said, we've also got a new medicine cat apprentice - who is a kid. I suggest you save whatever opinions you've got of me 'n show her same cheers you would any other newly named apprentice." Dusklion remained standing, eyes daring anyone to come forward and ruin this moment once again for Berrypaw.
Skyfall quietly and worriedly noticed Appleberry had slunk off somewhere and decided to go and investigate, but loudly yelled out a "WELL DONE, DUSKLION! YOU EARNED THAT RANK FAIR AND SQUARE!" which he didn't know if Appleberry had heard beforehand. Then he went to go look for his annoying older brother.
Ashstream listened to Fadingsun intently. He didn't mind that Fadingsun chose his sister too much, but it was still weird to begin with. But oh well, nothing could be done. Mistyshard chose Berrypaw to be their apprentice, nice. The ranks of Riverclan were finally filled again. Hopefully this will be the last new leader for a while...
The weather was cool but sunny as he sat there listening. He had nothing to say to anyone at all in this moment. All he could do was acknowledge the new ranks. Which he did, with a dip of his head. Ashstream was thankful that the weather was nice to sit near the stream stone for the meeting otherwise it would be almost unbearable.
If she were to be lying, Stick had been paying full attention to this meeting. Totally not zoned out and not spacing in during the new High Rank selection was made. It was just their luck that suddenly it go so much louder than before. It hurts the white and brown apprentices ear. It got to that point where she was tempted to full on leave. The distance in her gaze is noticeably there. Stickpaw was tired and wasn’t fully aware of his surroundings until now. Paws twisting to make them face Wrenpaw. It was a good stance to take, Stickpaw let’s put a very quiet sigh. Her speech isn’t yelling but her normal volume. Stars, they wanted a nap. Away from the loud noises for just a moment. “I. Fogmuzzle, please excuse yourself because you have no right to speak to my den mate like that. So how about you leave her alone…maybe?”
Stickpaw doesn’t want to interrupt the meeting, she grounds themself using his claws that dig into the earth. But it just has to be expressed or she is fairly sure they would start snapping at their clan mates if she didn’t get it out now. Stickpaw takes a white paw and rubs her eye. “You need to just respect everyone. You aren’t above Wrenpaw or anyone else and I honestly hated how you spoke to her. You do not have any right to threaten my denmate whatsoever! So please, don’t do that again or I’ll uh…uh bite you? Maybe?” Stickpaw has nothing good to say to Fogmuzzle, they thought about slapping the cat but that wouldn’t go well at all. But they were defending Wrenpaw and nobody wasn’t going to speak to her denmate like that!
Dusklion took over and Stickpaw couldn’t help but agree with the now Deputy. Sigh, Stickpaw was tired. The white and brown cat turns to Wrenpaw. Sure, she was snarky, rude as hell, and Stickpaw could call her an asshole, but she was still a clanmate. Clanmates defend clanmates. Stick gives the apprentice a small nod before leaving the meeting. He was tired and didn’t even know why he came to the meeting in the first time. He shuffles off silently.
hunting kat and dark in leafí’s basement
“I would've died for your sins
Instead, I just died inside
And you deserve prison, but you won't get time”
--
✰ [ stag’s carrd ]✰
kat sneaks away from aries... and runs into carmen
Ignored as usual, though Wrenpaw at least seemed to have the same idea as him. She stated it much more fiercely than he had which caused a slight smirk to curl on his muzzle. Or it did until Fogmuzzle opened their mouth. The words spoken caused Talonpaw to freeze for a moment—process what the warrior had just dared to say—before he burst into motion.
Fur fluffed up to make himself look twice his already massive size, Talonpaw shoved his way through the crowd to stand in front of Wrenpaw protectively, shoving his face right into Fogmuzzle's with bared teeth. Dusklion hadn't done enough, so he would.
"How DARE you?! You say you're sorry, but you just threatened an apprentice for having an opinion. You're disgusting. I didn't realize that disagreeing with something meant our High Ranks would kill us or exile us now. And no, Wrenpaw may not know everything, but clearly she knows enough since a warrior feels brave enough to threaten physical violence against their Clanmates for having a different opinion."
Talonpaw was enraged. His claws sunk into the ground as his eyes flashed wildly around at those around him, looking for any sign of a threat against Wrenpaw. He wouldn't let what happened to him happen to her. "If you want the old RiverClan back then you might as well leave because that's never happening. And if you want to kill Wrenpaw, any of you, you will have to kill me first. So I dare you, Fogmuzzle. Raise a claw against me. Get a Lionheart or one of the High Ranks to do it. Trying to use fear against me won't work. I know the fear of death. I know what it's like to die. Wrenpaw doesn't, and I will make sure it stays that way. I didn't claw my way out from my own grave only to nearly get killed by dogs to let attitudes like this continue."
He didn't back down. He stared at the warrior, muzzle to muzzle, unwilling to break eye contact even as he moved on to Dusklion. "Dusklion. You say you love RiverClan, yet Fogmuzzle said Wrenpaw would be killed or exiled for speaking her mine, and yet she's still here. Last meeting Redmire got kicked out of the meeting for speaking her opinion. It's good to know that threatening children at meetings is okay by yours and Fadingsun's standards. And Stickpaw might not bite you, Fogmuzzle, but I will. And not just you, but anyone who tries to lay a paw on Wrenpaw for speaking her mind. You all have to go through me first, since no one else is willing to give a mouse-dung when a full grown warrior decides that death or exile is the punishment High Ranks should give out for speaking your mind."
Talonpaw finished, but he didn't move. His fur remained bushed out, his claws sunk in the ground, teeth bared in Fogmuzzle's face even as he kept glancing away to make sure no one approached Wrenpaw. He didn't make any threats. If they wanted to kill his fellow apprentice, they would have to kill him first. And he wouldn't go down without a fight, especially when he had nothing lose.
@Neptune. @paris @redshiftreign @Dust @stag @taillow @/anyone else [Just mentioning those Talon either directly addressed or are near where he would be in the meeting but anyone can interact!]
So far, so good... maybe Fallenwish could let her guard down. The only thing out of the ordinary was Windy.. Wist... Wisteriawren. She couldn't pronounce Wistria. Wisteria. Wisssssssteeeeerrriiiaaa. Yeah, she got it now. She didn't know why she couldn't in the first place.
She gave the newcomer a welcoming look. She wouldn't say anything because it was a meeting. Maybe Fallenwish could befriend the former outsider. They didn't look like they bit. Whatsoever at all.
All high ranks were to be announced. That meant either she was about to be pretty sad or happier than she had ever been in her life, and at least a little happy at the deputy. She wanted to contain it, but her hopes had created a garden of sorts in her mind. Vines, a little bit of humidity radiating from a pond, some herbs growing. A couple curious kinds of mushrooms pushing there way out of trees and the ground and patches of moss sprawled. At least, that's how she envisioned her hopes. Was she nature-obsessed? certainly, just like her roleplayer who keeps influencing her posts and she had no idea exists. The grass in her forest choked out the little You're gonna be reallyyy disappointed here in a second!
First, a deputy. And a good one, at that. She eyed Cobwebpaw for a second and focused back on the Floodstone, like in the monkey meme. Evidently, she was happy with the deputy as well. Just a smidge happy.
Alright, here it came. She tried to be very pessimistic but she wasn't the best at bracing herself. She knew what was coming but couldn't manage to tell herself to stop.
Berrypaw.
What.
The.
Hell.
Berrypaw had never even shown interest in the medicine cat position?! No, she had to stop being jealous. Fallenwish was selfish and she couldn't stand it. But no! Stop justifying yourself, it's pointless. There were others who had wanted the position? What had they learned from Minkpaw, to tell people, "nope! You thought you were ever going to complete that goal? AHAHHAHAHAHAHHA." That forest of hope was now burning in the pits of hell.
But did the others care? She glanced at Cobwebpaw again. Not her at the moment, she was ecstatic. Sweetsong had suddenly changed her mind on a walk one day. There was Eaglepaw (She wasn't sure about them wanting to be a medicine cat, but she was guessing), she looked pretty sad. But she did before then. Did they all just give up when Mistyshard was announced? How dedicated they were. Was she in the wrong for caring.
She was in a bad mood. The outburst didnt'tt help with that. "Yeah, Dusklion's the hot-headed one?" She muttered quietly to herself. She didn't think she needed to comment on the fact Dusklion could defend herself because wouldn't that count as defending Dusklion? Besides, they just started talking.
She didn't mind Dusklion and she wouldn't hold a grudge against Berrypaw. Fallenwish was only angry at the preexisting high ranks. They chose Berrypaw with hundreds of other people they knew wanted to be a medicine cat. She was also certain she was thinking this out of frustration and spite, right? As always.
Before Wrenpaw could inevitably say something stupid, Fallenwish wibbled to her feet unsteadily and took the subtlest, least noticeable path she could out of camp and sat near the exit to cool off.
__________________
"Tomatoes are in the same family as some of the world's deadliest poisons. That just goes to show how rebellious tomatoes are." "What about how the apple can fall far from the tree?" "No, sometimes the tomato falls from the plant."
Redmire was definitely more than a little late, but she'd slipped out of the warriors den just in time to catch the announcements of new high ranks. Berrypaw she didn't really care about, the medicine cats were far out of her field of appreciation, but Dusklion as deputy? Nepotism discarded, things might actually get done around RiverClan for a change.
And then some dolt named Fogmuzzle had to open her big mouth and talk about killing. Yeah, Redmire had her own way of handling cats who were looking to drag down her Clan, but only idiots actually spouted their plans out loud, and only idiots did it over something so trivial.
A growl rumbled in her throat and Redmire inched closer to Fogmuzzle, keeping to the outer edge of the others confronting the warrior but close enough to still be noticeable. "Lay a claw on anyone here and I'll make sure the first throat torn out is yours," she snarled.
Ignored as usual, though Wrenpaw at least seemed to have the same idea as him. She stated it much more fiercely than he had which caused a slight smirk to curl on his muzzle. Or it did until Fogmuzzle opened their mouth. The words spoken caused Talonpaw to freeze for a moment—process what the warrior had just dared to say—before he burst into motion.
Fur fluffed up to make himself look twice his already massive size, Talonpaw shoved his way through the crowd to stand in front of Wrenpaw protectively, shoving his face right into Fogmuzzle's with bared teeth. Dusklion hadn't done enough, so he would.
"How DARE you?! You say you're sorry, but you just threatened an apprentice for having an opinion. You're disgusting. I didn't realize that disagreeing with something meant our High Ranks would kill us or exile us now. And no, Wrenpaw may not know everything, but clearly she knows enough since a warrior feels brave enough to threaten physical violence against their Clanmates for having a different opinion."
Talonpaw was enraged. His claws sunk into the ground as his eyes flashed wildly around at those around him, looking for any sign of a threat against Wrenpaw. He wouldn't let what happened to him happen to her. "If you want the old RiverClan back then you might as well leave because that's never happening. And if you want to kill Wrenpaw, any of you, you will have to kill me first. So I dare you, Fogmuzzle. Raise a claw against me. Get a Lionheart or one of the High Ranks to do it. Trying to use fear against me won't work. I know the fear of death. I know what it's like to die. Wrenpaw doesn't, and I will make sure it stays that way. I didn't claw my way out from my own grave only to nearly get killed by dogs to let attitudes like this continue."
He didn't back down. He stared at the warrior, muzzle to muzzle, unwilling to break eye contact even as he moved on to Dusklion. "Dusklion. You say you love RiverClan, yet Fogmuzzle said Wrenpaw would be killed or exiled for speaking her mine, and yet she's still here. Last meeting Redmire got kicked out of the meeting for speaking her opinion. It's good to know that threatening children at meetings is okay by yours and Fadingsun's standards. And Stickpaw might not bite you, Fogmuzzle, but I will. And not just you, but anyone who tries to lay a paw on Wrenpaw for speaking her mind. You all have to go through me first, since no one else is willing to give a mouse-dung when a full grown warrior decides that death or exile is the punishment High Ranks should give out for speaking your mind."
Talonpaw finished, but he didn't move. His fur remained bushed out, his claws sunk in the ground, teeth bared in Fogmuzzle's face even as he kept glancing away to make sure no one approached Wrenpaw. He didn't make any threats. If they wanted to kill his fellow apprentice, they would have to kill him first. And he wouldn't go down without a fight, especially when he had nothing lose.
@Neptune. @paris @redshiftreign @Dust @stag @taillow @/anyone else [Just mentioning those Talon either directly addressed or are near where he would be in the meeting but anyone can interact!]
Fogmuzzle AFAB - She / Her
RiverClan Warrior
No Current Purrks
A dappled silver-and-white Bengal she-cat with blue eyes.
_____________________________________
Fogmuzzle closed her eyes briefly before opening once more. They had narrowed down to dangerous slits as sharp as shards of ice. Getting to her paws, the warrior let out a scoff. Talonpaw wanted to speak to Fogmuzzle like that? He wanted to speak to Dusklion, his Deputy, like that? She lifted her head and glared straight into Talonpaw's eyes.
''Let me make this clear to you, Talonpaw,'' The RiverClanner responded calmly, her voice cold and dripping with venom. ''The only cats here that can be described as disgusting are apprentices like you who think they can be nasty towards their elders.''
A low growl rumbled in Fogmuzzle's throat. ''Apologize to Dusklion,'' She meowed, a hint of virulent ( malice ) in her voice. ''Apologize, Talonpaw. Now.'' Fogmuzzle stood up straight, her broad-shouldered form letting her loom over Talonpaw.
''You're scared,'' She commented. ''You. Are. Scared. You keep looking away.'' Fogmuzzle whisked her tail. ''You talked to your deputy as if she were crowfood. Apologize to her. Prove to me that you are not scared by apologizing to Dusklion.''
Fogmuzzle didn't want to fight, but she would if she had to resort to it. She glanced at Eveningthaw, and then at Dusklion for any type of signal that the High Rank would give her. ''I never said that the High Ranks would use exile and death as punishments,'' Fogmuzzle meowed coolly, blue eyes narrowed as she circled Talonpaw slowly. ''But it is possible that they're given out like them.''
''Oh, Talonpaw, honey,'' She hissed out coldly. ''I'm not going to let a High Rank or a Lionheart do my business for me. I'm a warrior, not a coward like you're trying to set me up as. I assure you, Talonpaw, that the moment you bite me, I'll bite back ten times harder.''
Fogmuzzle met Talonpaw's gaze with equal coldness, her tail tip twitching irritably ever so often. ''Well, what are you waiting for?'' She jerked her head over towards Dusklion. ''Apologize.''
Fogmuzzle looked at Eveningthaw - her father - and it was pretty obvious who she'd gotten her cold demeanor from. She glanced at Redmire through ice-cold, blue eyes. ''Lay a claw on me and see where that gets you. You'll never achieve Lionheart status, because then you would have broken the warrior code.'' There was a day when Fogmuzzle had overheard Redmire complaining that she should be a Lionheart. The silver-and-white molly's tail whisked in the air, on the verge of lashing.
She glanced from Redmire to Talonpaw and back to the she-cat who had threatened her. ''I don't lay my claws on others until they lay their claws on me.''
Larkswoop: Flock Together Tier 2, Beefed Up Tier 3, Lyrebird's Lullaby Alderblossom: Agatha Kitty, Well Insulated Fireflyflicker: The Collector, Mind Reader, Agatha Kitty
"If you have to tell someone all about how scared they are, you're probably more freaked out than they are." Redmire's hackles rose and she moved closer to Talonpaw, staring unflinching at the apparently eyeless, earless, brainless slug standing in front of them as if it lorded over the meeting.
"So how about you shut your ugly trap and sit down before you embarrass yourself further and I have to make you more of a displeasure to look at than you already are?" Redmire highly doubted Talonpaw needed any sort of protection, but she wasn't going to sit around and let Fogmuzzle speak to him that way.
[ @Ian @paris - won't be posting again till there's been another with fading ]
Re: RiverClan Floodstone
]
Re: RiverClan Floodstone
