July Gathering 2020

Heatherpaw excitedly padded into her first ever Gathering. Almost squealing, the tan and cream pointed apprentice immediately zoomed into the clearing, before sitting down in an empty space and contemplating her choices. Heatherpaw could make new friends or just...sit here. Yeah, maybe she’d do that. Sit and...wait for someone to talk to her. Her golden-brown eyes glimmered in anticipation as she awaited for someone to be friends with.

((Heatherpaw is open to talk to.))

Mistpaw walked into the Gathering silently. She didn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention to herself. Attention made her nervous and she would either stutter or just stay very...very silent. Sweeping her eyes across the crowd of cats, her gaze caught her brother’s. Bloodstrike was the only cat she felt comfortable in sitting and talking to. They were siblings, after all. Hazel eyes glimmering in the moonlight, she padded next to her brother and sat down silently, waiting for him to strike up a conversation.

((Mistpaw is sitting and hopefully going to talk to Bloodstrike. Frostpaw is sick so she will not be attending.))

While Olivestone was a cat that certainly preferred the heat of greenleaf as opposed to the cold of leafbare, the deputy found that her coat was still too thick to cope with the heat that bore down on the territories day after day. Even then, she was still grateful that her pelt was fairly light both in color and in fur density, and certainly didn't envy cats like Ravenstar for their dark pelts.

As she padded into Fourtrees right behind Ravenstar, she was glad to feel the coolness of the air as the heat of the day faded, and took her place at the base of the rock with the other deputies. For once, all five Clans were on time, seemingly in unison with one another, and it didn't take long for the clearing to fill with scent and chatter.

However, her attention was brought away from the crowd and back to the leaders as Oakstar missed the first jump up to the rock, and winced at the sound of his claws scraping on the stone. She didn't bring any attention to it, and simply cast her gaze elsewhere, looking around at the cats gathered there.

---

Another moon, another Gathering. They weren't her favorite things in the world, but if Flintstar chose her for a Gathering, then she couldn't oppose. She padded into the clearing with a scowl on her face, and settled down in a cluster of her own Clanmates. She wasn't in the mood for socializing, but then again, was she ever?

---

Pep back in her step, Cherryblossom followed her Clanmates into the clearing, and once she was there, she looked around for anyone to talk to.

---

ooc: olive's open to talk if someone's got something important to tell her
red isn't in the mood to talk to otherclanners
and cherry is open to talk!

Beecloud whined, futilely trying to shake heat and stickiness off of his thick pelt. He cursed his father in StarClan, then quickly retracted it with a silent apology. He knew better than to attack heavenly bodies. He followed his Clan at the rear of the group, Fourtrees weighed down with the thick foggy humidity that became commonplace during these Greenleaf nights. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the dark and found the Great Rock, where Oakstar was desperately struggling to ascend it. Beecloud cringed, averting his eyes from the beloved leader's climb as respectfully as he could. He rounded a patch of grass, beginning to settle down, when a glint of white caught the corner of his eye.

He perked up instantly, waves of excitement driving his head and eyes up to the RiverClan side. No, not who he was looking for. If he found the RiverClan tom who fought the raccoon with him (was it too arrogant to say he rescued him?) on neutral ground, they could have a real conversation. No territory to be chased off of. Until he showed up, if he did at all, Beecloud stretched out and observed the leaders atop the rock.

---

Aspenheart gritted his teeth as he hauled himself into the clearing. He was in no mood to be at the Gathering. Heat was among the more irritating feelings a cat could experience. He was especially grumbly.

Still, he felt an obligation. He only had so many duties. He considered Gatherings one of them. He found the medicine cats' corner, where Mothglow had already settle down, and practically rolled into a comfortable lay, his four limbs splayed out around him. He glanced vaguely up at Mothglow. "I think I earned the right to relax for once," he hummed, elongating his spine as the faintest of smiles covered his face.

---

(Aspenheart is talking to Mothglow, and Beecloud is reserved for Snowflight)

Snowflight’s limp had just about vanished, thanks to the passage of time and Spiderquill’s care. The injury that caused it was another story. No matter how he’d tried to manipulate the surrounding strands of fur, he couldn’t hide the bite marks for long. He didn’t normally mind other cats looking at him—he’d always enjoyed the stares his mismatched eyes drew—but the lines on his face and the bare, pinkish patch of skin marring his rear leg left him feeling vulnerable, as if he’d woken up to find his warrior’s pelt swapped for kitten fluff.

Not showing up tonight would’ve been easy. Between this, the weather, and the Righteous Few, he had more than enough reasons to justify it to himself. He wasn’t the sort of cat who looked back at his decisions once he’d made them, and according to the warrior code, he’d done the right thing. Challenge all trespassing cats didn’t come with an asterisk. But that ThunderClanner had…saved his life, probably. He shuddered. If there’d ever been time for a do-over, it was now.

Thankfully, a face like the ThunderClanner’s was unforgettable. Not long after he’d broken away from RiverClan’s part of Fourtrees, he spotted the brown-and-white tom stretched out alone on a patch of grass. Good. Throwing himself at another, bigger raccoon would’ve been easier than doing this in front of a pack of strangers. Snowflight swallowed. He brushed a paw over his forehead in one final, failed attempt to cover the wounds there. Then he took a breath and padded toward the ThunderClanner with a shout—”Hey!” was all he could say, since he hadn’t gotten a name—and as much confidence as he could muster. A few tail-lengths away, he stopped, leaning slightly to his uninjured side. ”I’m, uh.” At the edge of his tongue, sorry dug its claws in and refused to fall. ”Not here to fight this time?”

ooc: snowflight is talking to beecloud [grizzly]

Redfall flicked his tail as he stalked into the Gathering with the others. He kept to the group of SkyClan cats, giving a small nod to Bloodstrike and whipping his tail around as he sat down, making sure to pointedly ignore any non-SkyClan cats. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. He wanted to hear the news from other Clans, and then get some relief during the few cool hours of the night. His thick coat kept heat in easily. This hot Greenleaf was not easy on him.

---

Emberspark padded into the Gathering, an easy grin on his face. He scanned the crowd, looking for familiar faces, when a russet-brown pelt struck him... Bloodpaw! He pushed his way through the crowd until he stopped a few lengths away from the younger cat, and nodded to him. “Bloodpaw! Hi!” Suddenly he realized there was another SkyClan cat sitting next to him, and he blushed slightly. “Oh, sorry about that. Were you two talking...?”

---

Wildflower stayed at the edge of her Clanmates, unsure who to speak to, if anyone. Eventually, the tawny molly steeled herself, and padded near the ThunderClan cats, eventually stopping at a random she-cat. “Hello there,” she meowed. I hope to StarClan she’s not talking to anyone else. That’d be awkward.

ooc; emberspark is talking to Bloodstrike and Mistpaw. Redfall doesn’t want to interact with others. Wildflower is talking to Cherryblossom.

For about the tenth time since they had left camp, Wrenspring shook his coat in a futile effort to dispel the heat that seemed to cling to each fur. Coming back to the gathering, having missed the last one, send a contrasting chill down his spine. Starry bodies had once stood before them and demanded their own sense of justice. While he had not witnessed it, the picture of writhing cats was one that came freely to mind. He flickered his gaze across the clearing, seeing Flintstar above and offering a nod that the other tom probably missed. The young warrior settled down near the other Skyclan cats, close to Redfall. His shoulder butted that of his friend, an awkward attempt at closing the rift between them, "We should have held the gathering in the river this moon. It'd be much cooler there." This was coupled with a sheepish grin and glistening eyes that held a silent apology.

Bloodstrike stared at all of the cats that came in, trying to commit every face to memory with the clan they belonged to. He probably wouldn't remember everyone but he'd certainly try. Mistpaw padded up to him and sat beside him. He looked at her and broke his stoic expression to give her a warm, encouraging smile. Gatherings had always been hard for her, she was so shy.

"I will always keep you safe," He started softly. "But only you can break out of your shell." It was all he would say about it. If she decided to break off from Skyclan and speak to other clan cats, good for her. But if not, she would do it when she was ready and he wasn't here to push her.

A familiar voice rang out across the clearing and Bloodstrike's attention was pulled away from Mistpaw. His green eyes landed on Emberspark and he smiled, flicking his tail in a friendly manner.

"Actually, it's Bloodstrike now." He informed him gently. "You can come talk to us. This is Mistpaw, she's my sister." He leaned into his smaller sister gently and nudged her encouragingly with his shoulder.

"How are things with you Emberspark? Is Shadowclan still doing well?"

Ebonysong turned her head to spot a rather familiar warrior. Oh! It’s him! I fought that Righteous Few cat with him! Smiling at him gently, Ebonysong nodded at Nightwolf. “I do remember you...back then I was still an apprentice...wow, I can’t believe that was just two moons ago...” It feels like yesterday... “So...how are things going in RiverClan? I hope your Clan is doing well in this heat...I know ShadowClan isn’t coping...that...well...” Ebonysong flinched uncomfortably as she thought of the searing heat of Greenleaf. It had dried off a small spot of rainwater in the marshes that she liked to drink in.

Mistpaw flicked her tail at her brother as he nudged her towards an unfamiliar ShadowClan cat...at least she thought he was ShadowClan. Mistpaw looked at Bloodstrike with a confused expression, before realization dawned on her. Oh...he wants me to talk to him... Smiling awkwardly, Mistpaw shifted her weight around on her paws. “Hi. I’m Mistpaw of SkyClan. Uh...Bloodstrike’s sister, but you know that already...I think. Maybe. So uh...how are you...doing in this uh, greenleaf temperature?” Flinching at her own words, the gray and white tabby panicked inside. Did I say something wrong? Didn’t Bloodstrike already say that I was his sister? What in StarClan am I doing talking to other cats like that?Could I be any more embarrassing? Mistpaw shrank back behind her brother after stammering the long strand of words.

Minkstream padded in, blowing out a breath at the sticky air and almost expecting bubbles to drift up from his maw. Hasn't been this bad for a long time. Though, if anything, the forest was better than the marshes of the river any day in this weather - less midges and buzzing flies droning in clouds where you least expected them. Unfortunately, on the other paw, the cooling water of the river was mostly off limits in ThunderClan.

A movement broke him out of his thoughts, and he twitched his eyes up to see Oakstar slide off the rock. Alarm rippled under his pelt as the leader tried again, this time barely making it, pain written clearly on his face. I know he's old, but I haven't seen a 'star fail to climb up... ever. Reflexively, his gaze turned to the others on the rock, half expecting to see contempt on their faces. But these weren't the aloof leaders he'd grown up with.

Still.... An uneasy feeling slid into his insides, and he felt his tail twitch behind him. Hopefully he'd make it through the rest of the gathering just fine, but there wasn't much Minkstream could do, apart from stare, and that wouldn't exactly help anything. So he sat down with the rest of ThunderClan, and tried to ignore the clinging heat clumping at his pelt.

---

Swansong glanced up at the moon, flicking her ears as a half-imagined leaf brushed over them, her paws uncomfortably hot as she walked in with the rest of SkyClan. The first gathering she'd attended since the fight with the Righteous Few. Already, the memory seemed faded, no sign of the blood that had stained the clearing, and barely any evidence of churned-up ground. Everything seems back to the way it was.

She flicked a glance in the direction of WindClan, hoping to see whether the apprentice who had faced down one of the Fallen Stars was there. A few pelts like hers were in the crowd, but the only one she recognized was that of WindClan's deputy, Olivestone, at the base of the Great Rock. And it looked as though ThunderClan's leader was having a bit of struggle to get onto it. A flicker of concern touched her gaze as she watched him clamber up, but he seemed to get there alright.

Letting her eyes come back to the cats around her, she padded up to sit beside Redfall and Wrenspring, a smile touching her maw at the young tom's words. "I think you're right. It might have been hard for us all to fit, though."

She cast a sideways look at her apprentice, the smile fading, just slightly. Redfall had been a bit more moody than usual, lately, his green eyes shadowed with irritation, and his words often terse when he did speak. Perhaps it was just the heat, but she couldn't help but feel something more lay underneath, especially considering how often he came back to the camp with scratches and various wounds. But... he was young - emotions were high and fights were bound to happen.

(Minkstream is open for talking; Swansong is talking with Wrenspring and Redfall, but is also open for conversation!)

Hickorypaw padded in to the clearing behind her mentor Cherryblossom, bushy tail raised high like a flag in her muted excitement. Her wide green eyes shone as she looked around at the gathered cats, a soft smile on her face. Her first Gathering...She wasn't sure what to expect, honestly, but so far it was pretty cool. It was so interesting to get to talk to cats from other Clans, or maybe she could just sit and listen while they told stories. Her heart felt like a fluttering bird in her chest, pounding with the thought of new opportunities.

Despite this, she was still unsure of where to go, so she stayed quiet and followed Cherryblossom, who was much more experienced than she was. The pale warrior was approached by a young she-cat with claw scars on both her eyes, the pupils clouded over, and Hickorypaw couldn't help but stare a little; this cat must be blind. She didn't recognize the scent on her, it was game-y like prey but also soft and light like grass...WindClan, maybe? The orange-and-white apprentice sat down next to her mentor and tucked her tail neatly around her paws, keeping an eye on the conversation between the two she-cats but also keeping an ear open to the chattering of others nearby.

(Hickorypaw is with Cherryblossom and Wildflower, but is open for conversation!)

Padding into Fourtrees after missing the last Gathering felt... weird. Wolfcall couldn't remember the last time he'd missed one - certainly not since becoming deputy - and going nearly two moons without meeting the rest of the clans, hearing the news of the forest, had unsettled him. As they crested the hill that sloped down into the clearing, the SkyClan deputy hesitated, eyes sweeping the landscape. He wasn't looking for anyone in particular... more, taking scope of everyone that was present. From what he saw, none of the leaders or deputies had changed, which was a relief. Hopefully last Gathering has been without incident - he'd been too hesitant to ask Spottedstar for a briefing, to be sure.

Flicking his tail, he waited until the rest of the clan had descended before following, dark coat gleaming in the moonlight. The deputy made his way towards where Bloodstrike and Mistpaw were, nodding a brief greeting to the other cats before lowering his head to butt his son in the shoulder, gently. He turned to them, lowering his voice, "Behave yourselves," he told them, though it was more of a habit than an actual request. His children were generally well behaved without having to ask. He moved away, brushing Mistpaw's flank with his tail as he did so, and padded to sit beneath the Great Rock.

A young ginger molly- with rippling stripes and starkly contrasting white paws, quickly padded into the Fourtrees clearing. The way she hesitated before jolting ahead a bit told anyone she was trying hard to contain her excitement. Flamepaw glanced around, taking in the scene. The huge oaks, the river behind her, the clearing swarming with cats of all clans... "Wow..." She breathed, slightly pressing against Beecloud. (He's here, right? Hopefully!) She bounded ahead of her mentor and tasted the air, spotting some other apprentices. Trotting over, she waved her tail. "Hello!" (Flamepaw is open to talk to!)

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Shadepaw slipped into the clearing, slinking behind Streamtail. He suddenly lifted his head and parted his jaws slightly as the tang of cats from every clan hit his scent-glands. The dark tom padded a bit quicker, but stayed close to his mentor. (Is she here as well?) His emerald gaze scanned the island, taking in the beautiful scenery. Nothing more than a shadow, he padded further into the middle of the clearing, sticking very close to Streamtail. He pricked his large ears he heard quiet talking and the rustling of paws, along with some apprentices practicing battle-moves and elders rasping gossip. He tilted his ears a bit to block out the noise from his very sensitive ears. Taking a seat, he looked around a bit. (Shadepaw is open to talk to! Even though he doesn't talk, he communicates in his own ways.)

Daisybloom walked into the gathering behind her leader. As she settled down by the medicine cats, she nodded too her companions quietly. Even though her confidence had grown, she still felt awkward standing among them. It was different within Thunderclan, where she knew cats better. Here, she knew only about a fifth of them, really.


Cedarheart followed after the medicine cats with a grin. She had gotten her first apprentice, and was ecstatic about that. She had a new little brother, which was great. He hadn’t been chosen to come to the gathering, sadly. But he would have fun at camp. She looked around for someone to converse with on the warm greenleaf night.


Applefang held up his head as he walked into the gathering. He felt better, more proud of himself. Really, he yearned for an apprentice. It would be a fun experience for him, and he loved younger cats. He wondered if him and Streamtail would have a second litter. Maybe he would get to apprentice one of his sons or daughters.

ooc: all are open to talk!

((Artistic (Arctic) Paws, yes, Streamtail is here))

Streamtail nudged her apprentice lightly. “Why don’t you maybe try to talk to some of the other Clan cats? I’m sure they’ll be really friendly.” Smiling encouragingly, she spotted another cat. Recognizing the warrior as a she-cat from ThunderClan, Streamtail laid a tail on her dark-pelted apprentice, leading her towards the ThunderClan she-cat. “Hello! I’m Streamtail and this is my apprentice, Shadepaw!” She smiled kindly at the other cat, hoping she was okay with them barging in. “Sorry for interrupting anything, but we just wanted to have a chat, right, Shadepaw?”

(Streamtail is talking to Shadepaw and Cedarheart. Willowheart is dead so...yeah she won’t be attending the Gathering, unfortunately.)