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.
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Characters : [P]oppyshine; [Pi]neblossom; [L]arkspring; [Wi]llowwisp; [R]ashoumon; [B]lazekit Clan/Rank : RC T5 Deputy; SC T5; RC T5; RC T5; Rogue T1; WC App Number of posts : 3162 Gender : Any Pronouns Age : 26
Subject: Stormpaw's Moonstone Journey Mon 20 Jun 2022 - 10:34
Poppyshine
Poppyshine had never been to the moonstone herself, and it was strange to be going there now. She led Stormpaw through the territories, ensuring she wasn’t going too fast for him. While she’d never been to the Moonstone before due to the occupation of the Dark Forest during her apprenticeship, she still knew where it was and had a rough idea on how to get there. Perchstar had told her about how the ceremony worked, so Poppyshine had an idea. Perchstar was still dealing with the fact that they didn’t have a medicine cat at the moment, and still needed to get justice for Cloverheart. There was still so much on her mind that Poppyshine didn’t mind taking up moonstones for the apprentices.
She looked back at Stormpaw and smiled. “Are you excited?” she asked. Moonstones always seemed like such an important rite for cats. She was glad that the Dark Forest was long gone and cats could start participating in them again.
The past few moons of his apprenticeship had been kind to Stormpaw. He had grown quite a bit from the tiny, round kit he had been. He still wasn’t a terribly large cat, but he had filled out. There was strength underneath his soft body now, and the Riverclan sheen to his pelt. There was a bit more confidence in his step, and his bright blue eyes shone with determination as he walked beside Poppyshine. He hadn’t spent much time outside Riverclan territory aside from the one trip to Fourtrees, so he looked around, taking everything in as they traveled.
Stormpaw couldn’t believe he was on his way to get his moonstone ceremony. It didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel like he was ready. He felt like he did when he was a kit first becoming an apprentice, dazed and half-convinced someone had made some sort of big mistake. But even if Stormpaw didn’t think he was ready, Owlshriek, Perchstar, and Poppyshine did. If he didn’t trust in himself, he could at least trust their judgment. He just hoped that he wasn’t going to let any of them down. He was so lost in thought that he almost didn’t hear Poppyshine’s question.
“Hm? Oh, yeah, yeah.” He turned and looked at her, giving a shy little smile. Excited, sure. Mostly nervous, though. “What… what should I do when we get there?” He asked hesitantly. He doesn’t want to mess anything up.
Characters : [P]oppyshine; [Pi]neblossom; [L]arkspring; [Wi]llowwisp; [R]ashoumon; [B]lazekit Clan/Rank : RC T5 Deputy; SC T5; RC T5; RC T5; Rogue T1; WC App Number of posts : 3162 Gender : Any Pronouns Age : 26
Subject: Re: Stormpaw's Moonstone Journey Sun 26 Jun 2022 - 13:28
Poppyshine
They continue their journey and are quickly approaching the Highstones. Poppyshine sets a paw on the first stone and looks back to make sure that Stormpaw is with her as they ascend the steep path. “When we get inside,” she explained, “it will be dark. Stay close so you don’t lose your step. We will descend down until we get to where the Moonstone is. When you’re ready, you’ll lay down and touch your nose to the Moonstone, and be greeted by StarClan.”
She wondered how Cloverheart used to conduct these journeys. Poppyshine never got to go on one; never got to see Cloverheart’s spiritual side of being a medicine cat. Poppyshine had no idea if she was doing this right, as she only asked Perchstar before she left how the ceremony actually works. She is confident that Stormpaw will do it correctly though. He had a lot of anxiety, but he had good intuition about things.
They stepped into the cool cave, finally being shielded from the harsh sun of greenleaf. “Stay close now,” she mewed to Stormpaw. Poppyshine went carefully down the steps, and she strained her eyesight to see where to step. It was a long trek down into the cave until they finally arrived at the great moonstone, which shone brightly. Poppyshine smiled and stepped back. She looked to Stormpaw and gave him a nod. “When you’re ready.” She flicked her tail towards the Moonstone and then settled down.
Characters : Stormdance (S) Rainfrost (R) Sunpool (Su) Wrensong (W) Hawkmist (H) Clan/Rank : Riverclan, Tier 5 Warrior (S) Skyclan, Tier 3 Warrior (R) Riverclan, Tier 2 Warrior (Su) Riverclan, Apprentice (W) Shadowclan, Tier 2 Warrior (H) Number of posts : 1051 Gender : Transmasc, he/they Age : 23
Subject: Re: Stormpaw's Moonstone Journey Sun 26 Jun 2022 - 14:12
Stormpaw
Stormpaw’s tail lashed anxiously as they paused at the entrance. He listened closely to Poppyshine’s instructions, afraid to get them wrong and mess up his chance to become a warrior. He took a deep breath, steeling himself against his own fears, and then stepped into the darkness with Poppyshine.
The cooling air was a relief, as the Greenleaf sun was harsh on his thick fur, but the darkness brought with it more doubts. “Okay,” He whispered in response to Poppyshine, though he didn’t need the reminder, sticking as close as he could in the tunnels. Poppyshine’s warm, familiar scent was a comfort in the unfamiliar darkness.
When they broke out of the darkness and entered the cavern where the Moonstone was held, Stormpaw stopped short. His jaw fell open in awe, and he stared up at it for a moment, taking in the dazzling sight of the moonlight dancing off the stone’s surface. The light bathed him as well, dancing off his gray fur and reflecting in his eyes, making them crystal clear for a moment.
When he recovered his wits, he turned his gaze back towards Poppyshine. The sight of the Moonstone had washed away his fears for the moment, and all he felt was a strange sort of calm. He gave Poppyshine a small nod before approaching the Moonstone. He settled down in front of it and stared up at it for another long moment. Then, finally, he closed his eyes and pressed his nose to its cool surface.
When Stormpaw awoke, he was surrounded by a field of soft, tall grasses, the stalks rustling quietly as they brushed against each other in the gentle breeze. Pools filled with stars surrounded his paws, dotting the landscape he found himself in. The air was warm, but not so unpleasantly oppressive as the green-leaf heat that bore down on the forest below. And he wasn't alone in the field either- a familiar figure sat quietly, her back turned to him. She seemed somehow aware of his arrival, an ear flicking vaguely in his direction before the former medicine cat turned to view the dark apprentice. "Hello there," she mewed, offering him a soft smile. With a nod, Cloverheart rose to her paws, stepping closer to the cat she had been waiting for.
"I didn't know you all too well, but of course you remember me. Maybe I look a little different." There was a familiar wryness in her voice as she raised a foreleg, stretching and flexing the limb almost eagerly. There were no more scars marring her pelt, and she angled her leg about without so much as a wince. "It's good to see you've finally made it to Highstones, Stormpaw. I'm a little sad I couldn't take you myself, but I'm sure Poppyshine is doing well enough. Oh- tell her hello, for me. But," reclining again, Cloverheart tipped her head, eyeing the tom curiously, "you didn't march all the way out here to act as my messenger. Don't tell me you came to StarClan with any questions in mind. We're notoriously vague." Mischief glittered in her eyes, and the tips of Cloverheart's fangs showed when her smile widened. "I'm teasing. Ask me anything, Stormpaw. Or just talk to me. Whatever you need."
Stormpaw isn’t able to speak for a moment. He isn’t even able to breathe. Do you need to breathe in a dream? Or in a vision. He’s not sure what you would define this as. He just stares at Cloverheart for a long moment, frozen stock still, probably looking rather foolish in the process. The sight of both his beautiful surroundings and Cloverheart, alive and well, so unlike the horrible sight he had seen last, washed him in awe.
And questions? Stormpaw had questions. Of course he had questions. Stormpaw always had questions. But what could he ask? What was important enough to say? Sorting through his jumbled thoughts was difficult, and it took effort to stop his racing mind enough to realize he should probably say something.
He shook his head. “Hi.” Well. Good enough start. “I’m sorry. I-I’m being a bit rude just sitting here staring at you. I-I knew I would be talking to Starclan, I guess, but it’s still…” He shook his head. “It’s- It’s good to see you. I'll definitely tell Poppyshine hello for you. I know I-I didn’t really know you, but it’s good to see you…” Alright seems relative. She is still. Dead.
He shook his head again. He’s rambling and he knows it. He kneads at the ground anxiously, watching the long blades of grass as they dance in the gentle breeze. “Questions?” He repeats softly. “I honestly… I honestly don’t think I’d be satisfied no matter what questions I ask.” He laughs softly, letting out a breath like a ball of tension unwinding within him.
“I guess I’m just…” He looked at Cloverheart again and offered a tiny smile. “Scared. I mean, I usually am. I kind of always have been? And I know that’s just… not really warrior-like. And I want to do right by my clan more than anything, and I’m scared I’m going to let them down.” He swallows hard and looks down at his paws. “I don’t know. I don’t know why I’m talking about that. I just. Do you think that’s… okay? To be scared?” The words tumble out of him and, in another situation he'd perhaps worry that he'd said too much or he'd bother Cloverheart, but he does feel a sense of... peace, here. It makes it easier to say the things on his mind.
"You're not rude," Cloverheart assured between the apprentice's words, tilting her head slightly as he spoke. The tabby waffled, dancing between paws and, for a while, looking anywhere but at her. The medicine cat exhaled a laugh, almost teasing but not at all malicious. After that, she let him speak, eyes widening slightly to display interest once he'd found his subject. What a funny thing to ask her, the cat who'd spent most of her apprenticeship scared- or angry, more than anything... or both. She laughed again, truly, and shook her head slightly. That was certainly a question to pose.
"Of course it's alright to be scared," she started slowly, humming slightly. Where to take this... hm. "When I was an apprentice, I was scared- often. But I was also vocal, and maybe a little mouse-brained-- not that I like to admit that. But... I was scared. I'd only been the medicine cat apprentice for a few moons when I earned the scars you knew me to have. Going to war so young is- well- defending your Clan is important, but I pity the cats that have to live through anything like that so young. I know we understand each other on that." Her eyes flashed, recollection of the great battle to drive out the Dark Forest, of her brief time spent in WindClan. passing through her. It was the last thing she wanted to share with Stormpaw, but she hoped it would grant him some relief.
Suppose... "I'm not sure how many cats in RiverClan know this anymore, but I was a warrior apprentice before Dennis took me on as his own. And it terrified me. I wasn't made for fighting, even though I had the personality for it." She snorted, only somewhat bitter. "There was one time where I fought a weasel with two older warriors. At the time, I thought the thing had almost killed me. In hindsight, I doubt it was even half so bad. But it terrified me. Still, I persisted. Even after I switched to the path of a medicine cat, I was determined to be useful." Cloverheart paused, and a sense of realization struck her. "Not to say that you'll be a bad warrior, or that you need to chase down poor Dovesight and demand you become a medicine cat, too. You're going to be a fine warrior, Stormpaw, just- well, every cat is afraid sometimes. Some of us, more than others. You wouldn't have been dragged halfway across the story if Perchstar and Poppyshine didn't think you were nearly ready to earn your name." Leaning forward until they were nearly touching noises, Cloverheart smiled- this time, toothless. "Being afraid just means you aren't going to die young, and stupid. It means you've got something more than fur and scales between your ears. Don't let it stop you from doing what you know is right, but listen to it. It's healthy, sometimes. Oh, and-" She leaned backwards, chuckling softly to herself, "don't be like me. I'm not the best role model you'll find, but maybe I've got good advice every now and again."
Stormpaw was surprised when Cloverheart laughed, but then he relaxed and gave a soft smile of his own. He listened to Cloverheart closely, his face settling into a serious, focused expression as he processed her words. He gave a small nod as she referenced the Dark Forest. He was young, too young to have been involved in any of the fighting himself, but he saw the effect it had on his clan. The far reaching effects that the terrifying times had on cats even now.
He had no idea Cloverheart was due to be a warrior before she became a medicine cat apprentice, though he supposed that made sense. Dovesight had already been named as a warrior before being brought on as a medicine cat. Stormpaw gave a little laugh at the mental image of chasing Dovesight around camp, begging to be apprenticed as a medicine cat.
Stormpaw met Cloverheart’s gaze and returned her smile, hesitantly at first, then with more enthusiasm. He had never thought of his anxiety from that perspective before. The idea that it could be useful, could help keep him or his clanmates safe… That gave Stormpaw an intense feeling of relief. “I don’t know,” He said softly, when Cloverheart finished. “I think that was some pretty good advice. It certainly made me feel better.” He gave her a little shrug and a smile, lifting his gaze to meet hers once more. "Thank you."
