The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
Welcome to WCC! Here are our latest announcements:
Activity checks take place on the 1st of the month. PM a staff member with the completed form if you missed it.
Newleaf is finally here, and the Clans hope to find reprieve from the tough Leaf-bare.
Gatherings take place on the 1st of the month; keep your eyes out for a staff member's post!
Please feel free to hit up any staff member if you have any questions!
Sandy head swiveled as he took in the crowd of cats, though it was the first time Vinecrawler didn't feel the need to chat with anyone. A calm had washed over him, content in his own silence.
Vinecrawler is not open to talk to. Heatherberry clamored in behind ShadowClan, taking a seat at the base of the Great Rock near the deputies and other medicine cats, her eyes briefly scanning to see who all was there before tucking her paws underneath her as she laid on the cold ground. Her eye closed as if she were taking a power nap before the gathering was set to begin.
This time, she needed to attend the Gathering. Though Harebounce’s heart still hung heavy with grief for the loss of her daughter, a spark of hope came in the form of rumor: that Sleepycloud was still alive, in ThunderClan. The old she-cat’s heart thrummed in her chest as she entered the clearing, her eyes flitting wildly, praying that if she really was alive, she would be here, and that Harebounce hadn’t forgotten what her own granddaughter looked like after all this time.
After a few exceedingly long heartbeats, a spike of recognition. Not too far into the clearing, she was there. Before her mind caught up with her paws - although who was to say that wasn’t how she normally operated – the white hare-pelted warrior swerved and leapt and dashed across Fourtrees at a record pace, nearly bowling over the younger she-cat in her rush. “Sleepycloud!” Her words came breathlessly. “Oh, thank the stars, thank the forest, thank everything, you’re alive! Where have you been?” She pressed her head into the grey tabby’s shoulder. In this moment, she forgot that her hare pelt was an entirely different color now and her grandchild might not even recognize her.
Harebounce is reuniting with Sleepycloud!
Redsun was less than happy to be here. His grief for Mottlestar had fed into something nastier, something that sat in his gut that despite making him feel sick, he didn’t want to be rid of it. For the clan’s sake, he sat as far away from any SkyClan cats as he could, even if his claws were itching for a fight. For some way to relieve the injustice of it all from plaguing his heart.
Redsun is fuming and will bite any SkyClan cat that comes near.
After watching Boarpaw safely enter the crowd, the young she-cat took in a deep breath. In contrast to many of the other cats here tonight, Snaildance had always felt a sense of relief wash over her whenever she entered the Gathering. Her earliest days and indeed most of her kithood was spent here, never knowing ShadowClan’s own camp until just before her apprenticeship. Some part of this place felt more like home than anywhere else. Everything was so vibrant, so energetic. Visiting on any other night filled her with sorrow at the empty clearing and dead quiet atmosphere. Gatherings were nostalgic events, even if now she had the experience that put contexts to overheard conversations, that tonight’s peace between the clans was equivalent to the ashes of a once raging fire.
Quillsplash’s warmth along her side encouraged a quiet purr in her throat. Noting his nervousness – or maybe it was just unease, she hadn’t yet mastered the subtle differences in what all his frowns meant – she spoke with a motion towards the bushes lining the clearing, each covered in sleeping flower buds. “It’s quieter near the edge, why don’t we sit there?” Perhaps the nervousness she’d attributed to him was in fact her own. The brushes of fur against her flank reminded her of that. ‘I never thought he’d be the affectionate sort, but it’s… nice.’ She returned his lean with one of her own.
Myrtlepaw Tier 2 Warrior on Probation | Skyclan | She/Her
Myrtlepaw followed her clan to Four Trees, her one good ear turned back, and her head hung low. This was the last place she wanted to be. She noticed Shatteredsky sulking in a corner and made a point to find a corner that was the furthest away from him. She finally sat down in a dark corner and watched as the gathering commenced.
Myrtlepaw is sulking in a corner and isn’t open to conversation unless it is Yewshade. Discord: ChaoticCrow | Timezone: Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) | Code (c) Kieer
Larkshine Tier 2 Warrior | Shadowclan | She/Her
Larkshine made her way into the gathering spot. There were a few new faces in the other clans but along with them, was an unfamiliar scent. It didn’t seem to belong to any clan and the young warrior split off from her clan mates to find the source.
A slight distance away sat a Black and white tom, Larkshine acknowledged this tom to be the source of the strange scent. She approached him cautiously and sat down, “You’re not a clan cat.” She mewed softly without taking her eyes off the spot where the clan leaders sat. Her grey tail flicked behind her before she tucked it around her feet.
She turned her golden gaze on the rouge, she was curious as to why he had joined the gathering. “My name is Larkshine, what is yours?” She gave him a slight smile. Maybe she was wrong, maybe he was new to a clan, only time would tell.
Larkshine has approached Asmodeus. Discord: ChaoticCrow | Timezone: Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) | Code (c) Kieer
Sycamorepaw Apprentice | Windclan | He/Him
Sycamorepaw followed behind Oatfluff until they made it to the gathering and then he branched off on his own. He was sure to find someone to talk to, right?
Sycamorepaw spotted a calico cat that he thought he remembered seeing at the last gathering. He decided to go talk to her and expand his knowledge on the other clans since it was basically non-existent. He approached her carelessly and plopped down beside the molly. “Hi, My name is Sycamorepaw. I am a Windclan apprentice!” He purred loudly before continuing, “What is your name and what clan are you from?”
Sycamorepaw has approached Lilyvalley Discord: ChaoticCrow | Timezone: Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) | Code (c) Kieer
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Larkshine of Shadowclan Art:
Myrtlebloom of Skyclan Art:
<- I mess up coloring my own character I just don't want to fix it!
Sycamorepaw of Windclan Art:
Last edited by ChaoticCrow on Thu 11 Apr 2024 - 18:08; edited 1 time in total
Kitty Former Staff
Characters : Murkyriver ♀ | Mistwalker ♀ | Mintglade ♀ | Crakeburn ♀ | Snowvixen ♀ | Hollowpaw ♀ Clan/Rank : Riverclan | Skyclan | Windclan Number of posts : 4942 Gender : She/Her - ash was here :3 and Ro! Age : 21
Murkyriver found herself coming to the gathering with less of a somber air than she had during the previous moon. Even though it did not cling to her fur like a sticky pelt, she still felt her opinion refuse to change. The offer had been made to allow her grievance at her kin's burial site, but the denial had been swift and sure. She did not hold tether to any other cat in that Clan aside from the one that she had told Perchstar about in her vow. The same cat that she would tell Poppyshine about all the same, that she would tell any generation of leader to come that she still held some affinity towards. She no longer had an apprentice to look after (not that she did much anyways, he was plenty self-sufficient), and so, her arrival was tame by all other counts. She stuck to her typical companion, having no interest in chatter with any other Clan's cats.
Murkyriver has entered the gathering alongside Dovetail! You can try talking to her.
Leafbare had seemed to be the harshest on her poor joints as they had grown particularly stiff and fragile, but as the weather warmed, it seemed she had been gifted an easier ability to walk. Though her steps still found themselves mistimed and poorly patterned, they were with more strength than they had been, and that was all that mattered for her. With a pelt that had also significantly lost the bulk of its fluff thanks to the warming weather and her lesser movement, the molly somehow managed to resemble her mother even more. She would go, simply to listen, if for perhaps one of the last times she could manage. Her joints were already complaining as-is.
Mistwalker has entered the gathering! Come talk to the Perch-copy elder!
Crakeburn had followed amidst Tigerstar and her father's lead, padding into the clearing easily. She found herself sending a glare towards the base of the Great Rock where a particular one-eyed tom sat, but there would be no disrupting the peace tonight. Instead, she weaved about, looking for a cat that would be interesting to talk to. Though nobody immediately caught her attention, she noticed how particularly... quiet cats seemed to be. Her whiskers twitched, finding a bit of disappointment in that fact, but ultimately acceptance. More would arrive soon, she hoped.
Crakeburn is open to talk!
Having just earned her name, there was an additional boost of confidence that she had been given than usual. Her snow-like pelt now had her sticking out in the crowd rather than blending in, and the swiftness at which she moved had been now reflected in her name, too. It wasn't long before she found a familiar set of eyes looking back at her, their deep amber catching her attention more than Larchpaw's flame-pointed pelt did. A smile reflected itself onto her maw, a hint of affinity dancing in her hazel eyes, as she paused as the tom seemed to come right up to her. With her head swooping in greeting, she was quick to sit, comfortable with the company that now had found her. "Wolfpaw, I am glad to see you. I have earned my warrior name since we last saw one another... would you like to hear what it is?" She wasn't going to just go about gloating her new name. Besides, if he wanted to still call her Pipitpaw? ... Snowvixen supposed she might let him.
Snowvixen is talking to Wolfpaw!
If she had thought that there were a lot of cats in Shadowclan, this was absolutely nothing by comparison. Hollowpaw found herself rather overwhelmed as she followed the rest of her Clan into the clearing, her onyx chest rising and falling in rapid succession as she found the anxiety creeping further and further. The idea of talking to other cats had her particularly troubled, and she was certainly in favor of coming to as few of these as Leopardstar would allow her to. With honey-yellow eyes that darted about, they landed on a cat whose emotions seemed to be imbued into the red of his pelt itself. At least if he was angry, he could yell at her, and give her an excuse for Heatherberry to take her home... so that was her plan. A foolish one, but at least she could say she tried.
With reluctant steps, the black-pelted apprentice approached. She didn't know what to say, especially as words caught in her throat, but she made herself rather small as she gently lifted a paw... and placed it square on his nose. Just as she had done in greeting with her Clanmates. Her ears stayed in such a manner to convey the friendliness of it all, and her claws stayed far, far from sight. A little hopeful twinkle registered in her eye... but there wasn't a singular mew out of the apprentice. Just the simple gesture of her paw lightly, with the weight of a feather, placing itself on the firey tom's nose.
STOATPAW Stoatpaw twitched his tail, dragging his gaze across the sea of cats. Not many seemed to be in a particularly good mood this time. Tense, still, and why? He knew there'd been a battle not long ago, but weren't they over it by now? He supposed he understood; he wasn't terribly fond of ShadowClan after they had taken part of their territory and his leadership just rolled over and accepted it. Though, his quarrel was less with ShadowClan and more with his leader and deputy.
Setting his eyes upon SkyClan's medicine cats, he ambled over to them. He figured it would be easier to ask cats who were more peaceful over rowdy warriors. "Hey." He greeted with a dip of his head. "Why's every cat got a thorn in their pad tonight? Seems like you're all real jumpy."
MALLOWCLOUD ! Mallowcloud's paws tingled with excitement. This was his first gathering as a warrior! His tail curled with delight and he had bounded in with the rest of SkyClan with delight, a smile plastered across his features. Even if he was an adult now, his kit-fluff had still stubbornly stuck around.
He was... Excited to talk. To any cat, actually! He brushed past his Clanmates and sat down in a particularly comfortable patch of grass, quickly shifting into a loafing position.
Mallowcloud would love to talk to some cat!
BATPAW.if i get high enough, nothing can burn me.
Batpaw didn't want to be here. Batpaw wanted to be back in camp. Every cat here smelled foul and their chattering made his ears ring. He was supposed to be in his den, getting beauty rest, but here he was, at a gathering, listening to the other Clans share whatever worthless news they had to tell.
Batpaw is open to talk, but won't like it.
xaandiir Former Staff
Characters : [P]oppyshine; [Pi]neblossom; [W]hisperear; [C]rookedlight; [L]arkspring; [Wi]llowwisp Clan/Rank : RC T5 Deputy; SC T5; WC T5; SkC T5; RC T4; RC T4 Number of posts : 2969 Gender : Any Pronouns Age : 25
Poppyshine’s eyes continued to sweep the forest until she saw ThunderClan enter. Her eyes widened when her eyes caught on a familiar pelt and she quickly rose to her feet. She managed a tiny “Excuse me,” to her fellow deputies before she hurried away from them and towards Sleepycloud instead. Harebounce beat her there and she stumbled in her steps, wondering if she should leave them be for the moment…but she could not resist going over anyway.
“Sleepy?” Poppyshine said as she came up behind Harebounce. Her heart swelled. Sleepycloud was older and looked different in some little small ways, but there was no mistaking her. “It is you…Oh we’ve missed you, sweetheart. Are you doing alright?” There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but Harebounce had already offered her own. She held her tongue and let Sleepycloud answer the ones already thrown at her.
Crookedlight didn’t see Rowansong anywhere. Crookedlight wished that he was more aware of who Rowansong was close with in his own clan, but admittedly he was not sure. He barely knew any RiverClan cats at all. His eyes swept around until he spotted an elder that looked like a carbon copy of Perchstar lounging in some grass. There would be no mistaking it; she was RiverClan. Perhaps she would know.
He approached cautiously. He knew that tensions were likely still high between their clans, and he hoped that there would be no mishaps as he approached a RiverClan elder. He could just be quick.
“Excuse me,” he says, “is Rowansong not in attendance…? Is he doing alright?”
Huh? Thrushnose lifted his head to find an unfamiliar, fluffy brown tom with fur much thicker than his own greeting him with a bright smile. A few quick whiffs told him the tom was a WindClanner. It wasn't someone he'd necessarily met before, but then again - he wanted change. He needed social interaction, really. His world seemed to have too much gloom for long—Mottlestar and Murkyriver wouldn't want that for me. So despite the lingering ache in his chest, Thrushnose straightened himself up and tried to flash a more genuine smile back at him this time.
"Hey, Oatfluff. I'm Thrushnose, from ThunderClan. It's nice to meet you," He grinned, keeping his tone somewhat optimistic. Just some small talk should be alright. "You're from WindClan, right? How is it going over there?"
Everything I say is a lie, but they’re the only things keeping me alive
Snaildance's voice pulled him away from his thoughts, and the tom lowered his head to blink at the molly as she continued. "...Alright," Quillsplash agreed at last, relieved that they would be heading out of the mess of bodies. He... still had not gotten used to being around so many unfamiliar faces and scents. And she was right; the sides were much quieter. He let the she-cat lead him to a suitable position, content with just starring at her. Her soft white fur was painted a pale silver-blue by the moon's glow, and he wondered what it would look like under the golden sun's rays. Would she shine a brilliant gold? Would her green eyes reveal flecks of amber within them? If only they weren't surrounded by so many cats... he'd tell her what he was thinking. Maybe she'd agree to stay awake a little longer, just to help him satisfy his curiousity as he knew she would. She was just that kind of a friend.
Juniperkit, Tawnyshadow and Ajex are not in attendance Sootstorm is with the deputies Quillsplash is by Snaildance's side Shatteredsky is sulking by himself
"If we did what was easy, then there wouldn't be anything to live for."
One thing Lilyvalley noticed at gatherings was that a lot of cats had no problem walking up to cats they didn't even know. Lilyvalley knew this was supposed to be a time to mingle. That didn't mean she wanted to.
Of course, even when her whole posture seemed to scream 'leave me alone', that never seemed to stop cats from coming up to her. Just like right now. She didn't have to wonder who this cat was for long, he was quick to give an introduction. And of course he was from WindClan. She was pretty sure Leopardstar wouldn't want them interacting with WindClan too much, given everything that had happened. And apparently, Tigerstar did not ask the same of his Clan. Lilyvalley took note of that. Was he so arrogant to think that ShadowClan wouldn't even be a little upset at losing the outcropping? He must have been delusional.
But then, the apprentice clearly couldn't even name the Clan she was from. He seemed like an older apprentice, couldn't he tell by her scent? She had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes. "Lilyvalley. Of ShadowClan." She didn't offer much in terms of conversation. She had no doubt in her mind that this apprentice could manage it all on his own. discord: karunamaya | timezone: edt | code (c) kieer | images:12
Hemlockfox was hesitant to join WindClan for this gathering, but since it would be his first and probably only chance to talk to anyone from SkyClan for a while, it was something he couldn't pass up. The tom slunk into the clearing in the rear of WindClan's party, his blue eyes shifting uncertainly from side to side. Would the other clans take notice of him entering the gathering with a different clan than usual? Would they say something? Or, even worse, what would his clanmates say when his they saw him? As far as they probably knew, he'd been helping WindClan get back on their paws, but it must've stung that he'd left without a word.
Though, to be fair, it wasn't as though he'd planned for this to happen. He'd actively been trying to prevent this, but that would likely be little consolation to the friends and kin he'd left behind. With a heavy sigh, the color-point tom lifted his head and, with as much nonchalance as he could muster, made his way to the small spot reserved for him and the other medicine cats. After how the last half-moon meeting had gone, the last thing he wanted was to talk to Smokepetal who he was still rather upset with. The only cats who'd stuck by his side were his sisters and, unfortunately, none of them seemed to be here tonight. Well, that settled that.
Somehow, he'd managed to alienate himself from both of SkyClan's medicine cats. Granted, every reason he had to be mad or dislike them was poor at best, but Hemlockfox was determined not to be the first to apologize. At least, not to Smokepetal, as harsh as it was. Thymelight he was...still working on hating less. That said, there was still no fondness in his heart for the she-cat so, without sparing either SkyClanner a glance, he settled down beside Fawnshine.
"Evening." There didn't seem much to say, though, so he didn't say anything beyond that. Though, looking at her again, she seemed just awful. So, after a moment, he continued. "How are things in ThunderClan?" Usually, Hemlockfox wasn't one to be particularly concerned about cats who were basically strangers, but he already had enough on his plate with WindClan being without a medicine cat. It would be like StarClan to drag him off to ThunderClan next should something happen. Which, ugh, would be even worse than being stuck in WindClan.
Historically, gatherings never went well for Wiggleworm so, as he padded into the clearing alongside the rest of ThunderClan, he was determined to change that! Logic would dictate that his best bet lay with his clanmates or even a clan they were on good terms with, but a small part of Wiggleworm wanted to meet some SkyClanners. If nothing else than to prove to himself that they weren't all as bad as he thought they were. It was a touch selfish, but if he could see that not all of them were like Sunfire, he might be able to let go of his absolute distaste for the tree-dwellers.
It took some time but, eventually, Wiggleworm spotted a lonely-looking tom sitting far apart from the rest of the gathered cats. Well, lonely was a nice way of putting it. He seemed downright enraged with the world. What in the name of Gekala had happened to him to put such a foul expression on his face? Well, if he knew anything about bad places, it was that having someone there to pull you out of them was never a bad thing. So, with a bounce in his step, he trotted up to the sulking SkyClanner with a warm smile on his face.
The warrior before him was by no means a small cat but, even so, Wiggleworm easily dwarfed him in size. "Hello, friend." He meowed gently. "May I sit with you? You look as though you could use the company." Without pausing to consider the fact that he may actually deny his request, the spotted warrior settled down and smiled. "My name is Wiggleworm."
Wiggleworm is talking to Shatteredsky.
moonazyne
Characters : [C]indersky, [W]olfpaw Clan/Rank : RiverClan, T3 Warrior| ShadowClan, Apprentice Number of posts : 330 Gender : They/She Age : 20
Wolfpaw Apprentice | ShadowClan| he/him "You don't believe me? You will. You will become a true believer."
Wolfpaw blinked, partly in surprise of how quickly he had been welcome, partly because of the fact she had her warrior name? He was going to question it, but he supposed he and his siblings had become apprentices late. He sat beside her, owl-wide eyes fixed on her.
"Tell me," He rasped, one small ear flick the only indication that he felt something other than apathy toward it. It felt uncanny to him that he had left his siblings for this. They were probably sharing the sentiment. He craned his neck around to find them again-- make sure they were all okay-- and then fixed his eyes back on the white she. "You must be a good warrior to earn it so sudden."
Dovetail did not really like Gatherings. He did not know whether anyone actually did. However, if any of his siblings or Murkyriver came, then he had to come, too--just on the off chance that something unfortunate were to happen. What with ThunderClan recently backing out of the alliance, there was bound to be some kind of issue, wasn't there? And so the tom made his way with RiverClan's group all the way to Fourtrees. Murkyriver stuck by him, as she usually did, and so Dovetail did not leave her side. He had left the fox pelt at home this time, worried about wearing it out or potentially losing it on the way despite how he'd grown into its shape. Hopefully his face would be enough to scare away those he did not wish to speak to.
Dovetail is sitting with Murkyriver, but potentially open to conversation.
--
Bubblebeam had not really wanted to come this time, either... moreso than last time. At least last time, she'd gotten to speak with Silverbird for a brief while. That had been a nice change of pace from the cacophony around them. But after her brother had gone--had gone, most likely to WindClan--she wanted even less to go to the Gathering. She did not want to see him sitting there with his new Clan. But it would be worse, even worse, if she did not see him there at all. If he had simply abandoned them entirely, or gotten eaten by a wolf, or something else terrible. The thought consumed her. So when the group of SkyClan cats set out for Fourtrees, Bubblebeam found herself joining them. At least knowing would be less painful than this torturous uncertainty. So she padded into the clearing, trying not to let her fur bristle at the noise cascading in on her senses. One eye she kept out for a silver or bright white pelt... for a friend she might like to talk to. Someone, anyone to distract. But her searching of the crowds ceased immediately when her gaze strayed to the base of the Great Rock and saw him. Hemlockfox.
He was here. He'd left without her, after all.
The quiet voice of logic in the back of her mind said that he had not wanted to--that of course he'd had to leave, whether or not he wanted to. That was the entire problem, wasn't it? That he didn't want to leave. But despite knowing that, her heart still clenched tightly at the sight of her brother walking in with WindClan and not looking at her. He must have just... not seen her. She was pretty far at the back of the clearing, after all. But what if he'd ignored her? What if he forgot his promise? What if she now just had to live without him for the rest of her life? That wasn't a thought she could bear, so she shook her head violently to clear it. She couldn't think about that. And yet, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him, somehow. So she kept staring, sitting emptily in the crowd, looking at where Hemlockfox and Thymelight sat so close and yet so far apart.
Bubblebeam is looking for Silverhawk or Hawkmist... and staring at Hemlockfox.
--
Hedgepaw hadn't done much at the Gathering, last time. The sheer amount of sound and sight and smell had been nearly too much for her small frame. She hadn't really grown in that moon, either, but... she was determined to at least talk to someone new, this time. That was what Gatherings were for! She wanted to make more friends, anyway! Even Wolfpaw, gruff as he was, appeared to have some acquaintance in WindClan to go speak to. But as the crowd of ShadowClan cats dispersed, Hedgepaw found her paws frozen. She couldn't move. She couldn't stray too far from the familiar scent of the marshes, from being in sight of her brother and her mentor. The idea terrified her. But she wanted to go. She wanted to make new friends! Even the younger apprentices had gone off already. Yet the small brown tabby stayed standing where she'd first arrived, green eyes darting around the crowd and unable to focus on any one stranger. Maybe someone would come up to her. She wanted to move and find someone, she just... couldn't. Not yet.
Hedgepaw is open to interactions! She's just a little shy. Larchpaw may come later.
i don't have any big lasting plans; i'm too cowardly to take a stand;
This was Flickerpaw's first official Gathering. He had been an apprentice for several moons now but always found an excuse not to go, not wanting to admit he was nervous about the horror stories older cats tossed around of previous Gatherings. It always seemed like something terrible happened, and Flickerpaw would sooner jump into the River than be willingly caught in a catastrophe. He was progressing well in his training, however, so he couldn't put off the Gathering any longer.
Reluctantly, Flickerpaw padded into the clearing with the rest of ThunderClan, nearly stopped dead in their tracks by the sheer amount of cats that were there. It reminded them of the lake, with all five Clans grouped around the water, but less...stressful. At least, they really hoped no wolves would show up. They took a seat a few tail-lengths away from Redsun, still nervous but trying not to show it. Instead they cleaned their paws in the most casual way they could muster, keeping an eye out for anyone to talk to.
Flickerpaw is open for conversation.
Apprentice | ThunderClan | he/they
( credits )
Icepaw
icicles don't soften when they die; they sharpen into sabres and they stab you in the eye;
Icepaw had only just been made an apprentice, and here she was at the Gathering. Her first Gathering, one of many sure to come. Pride swelled in her chest as she padded alongside her mentor and the rest of SkyClan, pleased to see that they were the first ones there. That unfortunately meant, however, that she would have to wait to meet the other Clans.
Gradually, more and more cats from the remaining four Clans filtered in, the air thick with cat-scent. Instead of being excited to meet others, Icepaw found herself getting more and more irritated. There were too many cats talking, she couldn't understand what they were saying. Everything was too loud. Couldn't they all just shut up so she could at least hear herself think? Fur bristling, she crouched down on the ground and gathered her paws underneath her, eyes narrowed. This was stupid, Gatherings were stupid.
Icepaw is...open for conversation?
Apprentice | SkyClan | she/her
( credits )
Lightpaw
i see the light that's shinin’ on me; it's been waiting for a long time for me to see;
Lightpaw had no way of knowing, but he wasn't alone in being an older apprentice who was going to the Gathering for the first time. He was both excited and nervous as he followed RiverClan into the clearing. He knew he was expected to mingle, but Clan politics were confusing right now; he wasn't sure who he was allowed to talk to. Wide-eyed, he chose a seat near the edge of the group and peered around, looking for someone to try and introduce himself to.
Lightpaw is open for conversation.
Apprentice | RiverClan | he/him
( credits )
Cricketpaw
this is just a journey, drop your worries; you are gonna turn out fine;
Cricketpaw had a skip in his step as he limped alongside the rest of WindClan. His first Gathering! Despite hearing some of the stories of Gatherings gone wrong, he was excited for the chance to make new friends and talk to cats outside of WindClan. It was fascinating to him, the idea that the other Clans lived in dens instead of sleeping out in the open under the stars. And all the different scents! Each Clan smelled different; while he could pinpoint those that WindClan shared a border with, there were other Clan scents that were entirely new to him. With a cheerful grin on his face and his tail held high, Cricketpaw limped around, searching for someone interesting to talk to. His eyes landed on a small brown cat whose Clan scent he knew to be ShadowClan. She looked to be an apprentice like him, so he made his way over.
"Hi!" he chirped. "I'm Cricketpaw from WindClan, what's yer name? Is this your first Gatherin' too?"
Silverhawk padded into the Gathering alongside the rest of ShadowClan, walking at Hawkmist's side as always. His gaze swept around lazily, looking between his Clanmates and the others with mild disdain. Though there was a brighter look of interest when he found SkyClan's party amidst the clearing. He couldn't help the tug that arose in his chest. Silverhawk looked between each of the bodies filtering in, scanning ravenously until a line of pale skin drawn through gray fur caught his attention. Bubblebeam. It was like he'd been rolled to the ground, air momentarily stolen from his lungs by thrill. He looked back to Hawkmist, then around for his siblings, before focusing on his companion again. A heartbeat went by, then his tail curled to whisk across Hawkmist's shoulder. "Don't stay too close to my tail, alright?" There was a lilt to his request that betrayed the invitation it truly was. He lingered a moment, grinning mild and easy, before he winked and turned away.
Silverhawk trotted across the clearing, quick to find himself at Bubblebeam's side. He was tempted to approach with the same cheek as last moon, but upon drawing closer, he noticed the miserable way her eyes lingered on... There were too many bodies to decide where or at who she was staring at. But the sight of her made Silverhawk's steps slow, ears briefly ticking down before he shook himself out. Finally padding up to her side, he gently nudged Bubblebeam's shoulder and purred, "What a fine night. Is that your doing?" He squinted, overly warm, before fixing her under his attention. His eyes were suddenly cooler, more serious, than with his greeting. "Something have your attention?"
After seeing their apprentice off, Rookflight fell in step at Willowwisp and Sunpool's sides. It was good to be spending more time with the both of them. The arduous journey and sickness were now long past, and the war... while still fresh, it was over with. Things were becoming something like easy again. Rookflight was grateful for it. They always felt warm in either cat's presence.
Rookflight blinked at Willowwisp when she spoke. They hummed with consideration and looked around. There was a quiet spot near the back of the crowd, shaded from the moonlight by the rebudding oaks. "There?" They offered, gesturing with their tail. "It will be quiet. We will be able to talk without much disturbance."
Fish had gone out for a walk when the sun began to curve downward on its arc through the sky. Just following the road--that was all. Until he'd heard something unfamiliar in the nearby woods, at least. Ever submissive to his own curiosity, Fish swerved away from the road and trotted into the bracken. He wasn't concerned about getting lost. When the sky was starting to turn lavender with dusk, his ears grew alert to the sound of pawsteps following his own. He didn't need to look back to judge by their measure that it was Louse. By the time Fish was dipping off the path, he was too focused elsewhere to slow down enough to let his brother catch up. Either way, he knew Louse would follow.
The sun faded and the moon began to rise. The undergrowth rustled with Louse's tracing steps, too. Fish had lost track of his quarry (something small, like a mouse but not quite) but something new caught his attention: the sound of dozens of pawsteps, voices rising in a cacophony on the wind. Fish moved at a clip, ducking through moon-soaked ferns, untangling himself from bracken (and picking himself up when it tripped him), until the voices grew louder and louder and louder. So loud they all hurt his ears and made him wince. The smell of an unaccountable amount of cats bombarded his nose before he saw them. Squinting, Fish padded onward until he came to the crest of a small slope and found a swarm of cats awaiting him.
Excitement and, strangely, fear, surfaced in his chest. His eyes went briefly wide with amazement. They must have all been Clan cats--there certainly weren't enough rogues around to summon forces like this, even if they dragged all the housecats out into the woods, too. A tremor excitement ran through Fish's tail. He stalled where he stood, waiting for Louse to finally catch up with his own hasty flight. Immediately, he turned and issued an excited wink. "Took you long enough!" He chirped, whiskers quivering. After a brusque nudge to his shoulder, he said, "Let's check it out?" then disappeared down the hill without waiting for a response.
It was impossible to separate any of the myriad of scents. There were differences between each of them-- some earthy, some rich with tree-bark, one recognizably muddy --but none truly distinguishable. Fish couldn't tell which of the Clans he was approaching; he didn't know how anyone could in this mess. The overwhelm made his paws tingle, but he let eagerness carry them forward. Despite not knowing where he stood, he was, as he often found himself, particularly lucky: there, between all the unfamiliar bodies, he spotted one that was small and familiar. "I know her!" He hissed excitedly to Louse, ignorant of the suspicious looks he was earning. A smile broke across his face and he started to move forward. She was the only Clan cat who'd been nice to him; she was his friend!
Whipping back around, he shouted, "HEDGEPAW!" Who was she talking to? Or, more accurately, who was talking to her? He didn't care. Sharp, unkind eyes spun around, pelts bristling over his raise voice. Belatedly, Fish realized this was likely a good way to get skinned. He shuddered thinking of their interaction with RiverClan. But surely, if he was with one of them, he wouldn't be mauled. "Hedgepaw! Hey! I'm here too!" Fish called again, trying to bound forward through the bodies pressing in around him.
<- I mess up coloring my own character I just don't want to fix it!
