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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Subject: We Were Never Friends [Poppyshine] Sun 14 Jan 2024 - 15:34
Dawn's pale light turned the snow bright as Wolfblossom leaped through the trees, steadily following along the not-so-distant shore of the lake. Her blue eyes swept over the territory that was slowly beginning to become somewhat familiar, searching for signs of life. Prey, but the deputy had found herself more on edge, on the lookout for cats as well. Things with Thunderclan were tense and yet to be resolved, and Riverclan... Her claws dug into the bark for a moment, the deputy took a slow breath. Riverclan was a threat. They always had been. Beechfang's presence would never have escaped their notice for long, and it was only a small miracle that the lie had lasted as long as it had.
Windclan and Shadowclan, at least, seemed to be uninvolved with the troubles of the clans that had once been allies. They had more sensible leadership, or at least Shadowclan did with Leopardstar now. Tigerstar was an unknown to Wolfblossom, though she had spoken briefly with his deputy who seemed decent enough. She would need to make the effort to get to know those of the other clans better than she did.
Right now though, she had to focus on her own clan and the potential risks they faced. With a shake of her head, the deputy leapt into the next tree branch, pausing once more to stare out over the territory.
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: We Were Never Friends [Poppyshine] Sat 20 Jan 2024 - 9:17
Poppyshine
Poppyshine sometimes neeed a moment away from clan, just to clear her head. She tried not to stay away for too long, for Perchstar was still ill and she needed to be around to help assist anyone who needed it…but she did not want to push herself beyond her limits. That’s what these quiet walks were for. Just moments to clear her head, maybe find some prey to bring back, and then continue on.
She drew to a stop when she saw a familiar face several foxtail-lengths away and up in a tree. The clans had their own tentative borders. They were not as heavily enforced as back home, given how sick everyone’s clans were, but they were still maintained to a degree. Wolblossom was still on her side, and Poppyshine on hers. Poppyshine wondered briefly if she should turn around and pretend to have not seen her. They weren’t supposed to interact, after all, given Perchstar’s orders…but she still liked Wolfblossom. They always spoke at borders. And there was still a tiny naive part of Poppyshine that hoped this mess could be avoided if they could just talk. (Even if the more rational part of her mind that Perchstar had fostered knew that would not be the case.)
Subject: Re: We Were Never Friends [Poppyshine] Sun 21 Jan 2024 - 18:06
Being in the trees, Wolfblossom spotted a familiar calico pelt before the owner of the pelt spotted her. The Skyclan deputy remained in her perch, blue eyes unflinching as she stared down at Poppyshine. Bitterness clawed at her throat as the Riverclan deputy glanced up, spotted her, and then spoke, but Wolfblossom forced it down. "Poppyshine." She greeted, gone was the warmth in her tone so often heard at gatherings or along the banks of the river. Gone was the forced cheer. All that remained now was a frosty politeness.
She wasn't bitter about the relationship of their clans deteriorating. She was vindicated. Poppyshine's concern and hope that Skyclan was healing would likely be just as false as Skyclan's part in alliance was.
"It is. Not that my clanmates are any more safe for it." Because of Riverclan. Because of grudges one old cat couldn't put aside. Wolfblossom once might have offered up similar diatribe, inquiring about Riverclan's conditions... Today she didn't care to. They were no longer allies, and Poppyshine no longer someone to feign concern for. "Our medicine cats are skilled and our warriors are tough." They were strong, despite the circumstances. That was all Poppyshine needed to know.
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: We Were Never Friends [Poppyshine] Fri 26 Jan 2024 - 21:22
Poppyshine
Poppyshine’s ears lowered at Wolfblossom’s cold tone, but she cannot blame Wolfblossom for the reaction. She knew that things were tense between their clans, and polite niceties could not be expected to be upheld when war was being threatened. But it still…hurt. She still liked Wolfblossom and cared for her. She hated that this dispute was going to cause tension…and most likely break off any peace between them in the future.
Perhaps it was naivety that fueled her in this conversation; the hope that kindness could still remain in some form. She thought of Cloverheart and wondered what she could think of her, in wanting to remain friends with the daughter of her murderer…but Poppyshine cannot bring herself to hold any hatred towards the deputy before her.
“I am happy to hear that,” she told Wolfblossom honestly. “I don’t want you or the rest of your clan to remain sick.” Poppyshine should stop there; say her goodbye and take her leave. But she finds she cannot hold her tongue. She sighed softly. “Nobody desires this outcome, Wolfblossom. RiverClan does not take joy in the thought of our clans clashing.”
Subject: Re: We Were Never Friends [Poppyshine] Sun 28 Jan 2024 - 16:38
Wolfblossom watched the other deputy's reaction, disappointment, or maybe regret... But Riverclan's leadership had made their stance clear. Wolfblossom would back Birdstar, as her leader and sister, and Poppyshine would undoubtedly follow Perchstar's lead as well. Her face remained cold and impassive as Poppyshine spoke.
Happy to hear their clan was recovering from illness? Wolfblossom almost laughed as Poppyshine continued. "But here your leader is, still declaring war." No, she knew better. Riverclan's leadership desired it or Perchstar would not have made this their only option, "And for what, Poppyshine? A cat dead before the majority of our clanmates were even alive? To put more cats at risk for something they had no part in? To continue punishing someone who deeply regrets her actions? Not that her regret matters to you, I'm sure. She hasn't been near your borders, she hasn't harmed anyone since."
"You forced a queen with kits still in the nursery into exile. Birdstar and I were apprentices, not even in camp at the time. Why she insisted on an alliance with you I'll never understand." Wolfblossom's tail lashed once, though she remained on her tree branch. "It was always a lie. I don't like the thought of violence, but I don't think your tyrant-" She spat, refusing to acknowledge the Riverclan leader by name, "-will listen, as she already believes she has a say in what happens beyond her own borders. And you stand with her. Don't try and downplay it."
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: We Were Never Friends [Poppyshine] Thu 1 Feb 2024 - 19:00
Poppyshine
Wolfblossom’s words hurt, mostly because they were untrue. They had wanted justice, and it was Briarstar who had chosen Beechfang’s exile as punishment. Birdstar had been the one to lie and enter their alliance, and yet Wolfblossom spoke as though blame was on them. She called Perchstar a tyrant, and while Poppyshine took issue with some things she did, she was still anything but. She had always thought of Wolfblossom as someone who was cool-headed and capable of looking at things rationally like Perchstar was, and now Poppyshine could see she was as emotional as the next cat. She could not blame her, but it still hurt to hear.
“Wolfblossom,” Poppyshine murmured. She hadn’t moved back and her posture hadn’t changed from the sad stance she held. “I want you to be honest with me. If a RiverClan warrior murdered your medicine cat, would you be perfectly fine with letting them continue to live without punishment in RiverClan? Especially if the agreed punishment had been exile, only for us to go behind your back and bring them back anyway?”
Poppyshine sighed and looked down at the ground. “You may not have known our medicine cat. I know that your mother means so much more to you than some faceless cat from another clan. But what you’re suggesting is cruel. If your medicine cat was killed and you grew up with that pain, I don’t think you would want to let that go because not everyone who was around for that loss is no longer here. We were happy with the exile arrangement, and then you and Birdstar broke that. I can understand why. But that does not mean it was right.”
She lifted her gaze again to look at Wolfblossom. “I hold no ill will towards you or Birdstar, or anyone in your clan. I was happy being allies with you—I was happy being your friend. I don’t want to cause you pain. But…” Her ears pressed down again and she shook her head. “I just hate this whole situation.”
Subject: Re: We Were Never Friends [Poppyshine] Fri 2 Feb 2024 - 11:04
Poppyshine spoke, and Wolfblossom felt her ire only grow as the Riverclan deputy tried to justify it. Perhaps, perhaps if she had been thinking about this rationally, Wolfblossom would have saw the sense in her answer. Were it any other cat but family.
"You cannot honestly expect a leader to uphold every one of their predecessor's decisions, surely? Yes, Briarstar chose exile. Because the only other option given was death, Poppyshine." Wolfblossom snapped, "Solve one murder with another, and tell me how well that would have gone. Where would it end, Poppyshine? With both of our clans destroyed? I don't make excuses for my mother's actions - what she did was wrong. She deserved consequences and faced them. She was exiled for a year. Her kits faced those consequences, our father paid for those consequences with his own life by risking twolegplace. I have lost enough family because of you. Directly. Because. Of. Perchstar's. Actions." She hissed, "Are we so wrong, to have wanted her last days be in the comfort of her clan rather than fighting over scraps and facing danger at every opportunity? Are you so heartless you wouldn't do the same for your own family, were you in our situation?" Perchstar probably was that heartless, Wolfblossom thought. But Poppyshine had her head buried in the sand if she thought of things the same way. Especially if she thought that Wolfblossom would have agreed to such.
"She has been kept away from your borders - both her own choice and ours. She has harmed nobody since her exile. If Skyclan chooses to waste the fresh kill, why is that Riverclan's problem?" Her tail lashed, but she had not lost her temper entirely. She would keep her claws sheathed, even if she wanted oh so badly to rake them across Poppyshine's ears for the gall she had.
"When innocents who had nothing to do with this die because of Perchstar's need for vengeance-" Wolfblossom spit venomously, "-blame Perchstar. Blame yourself. It will be nobody's fault but those who chose a path of violence rather than let old foxdung be laid to rest."
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: We Were Never Friends [Poppyshine] Tue 6 Feb 2024 - 13:30
Poppyshine
Wolfblossom’s words tore into Poppyshine yet again and she let her head hang. Hurt clawed at her heart. She remembered a distant conversation she’d had with a ThunderClan cat far back just shortly before she became deputy. What was his name? Starling-something? His name didn’t really matter, but she remembered his words well: “Perchfall being in charge or not doesn't change the fact that there were serious code breaks that took place. A change of leadership does not forgive the sins of the clan.” It didn’t matter that it was Briarstar who had chosen Beechfang’s exile instead of Birdstar. It was a punishment that was chosen, and one that was silently agreed to be upheld. Birdstar and Wolfblossom both knew that they were doing something incorrect if they felt the need to hide Beechfang from them this entire time.
Poppyshine sighed. There would be no getting through to Wolfblossom…Not that she had expected to, but a small part of her had still hoped that there could be something of a conversation to be had, instead of dung being flung around. She looked back at her fellow deputy. “Wolfblossom, I wish with complete and utter sincerity that you never have to experience losing someone so important to you and being told that you should forget your pain. Or that the death that cat means nothing.”
Maybe that’s what hurts so much. She understood the unfairness of her mother being taken from her, but Wolfblossom didn’t seem to fathom the unfairness of her friend being taken from her. Poppyshine did not like the policy of an eye for an eye because it drew so much pain, but that didn’t mean there should never be any punishment. Wolfblossom’s blindness to such just…hurt.
“Have a good evening, Wolfblossom. I wish you good health,” Poppyshine murmured before she turned and left from the river as her heart sunk heavy in her chest.
Subject: Re: We Were Never Friends [Poppyshine] Thu 8 Feb 2024 - 14:43
"If you were sincere about that you would talk your leader down. She wants my mother, Poppyshine. How can you claim sincerity in wishing I don't lose anyone important while standing behind Perchstar?" Wolfblossom's tail lashed once more. "The death of your medicine cat is unfortunate, I'm sorry it ever happened." Wolfblossom wasn't sorry about it, not really. She would be as sincere as Poppyshine was being in this conversation. "But more death won't chance that."
Poppyshine wasn't listening though, and perhaps her decision to end the conversation and walk away was for the best. Wolfblossom did not offer parting words, simply watched the calico she-cat turn away, bitterness rising in her throat.
