WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[lio]

Bramblebear didn't care who was the leader as long as something was done about the Clan. She looked amongst the clearing, taking note of the starved bodies all around. She herself was beginning to grow quite thin, giving up all her food to ensure that the elders and kits ate instead. But she didn't mind. She would continue hunting and trying to feed the Clan as much as she could, whether or not Brightstar or Twilightshine were in place as leader.
She found herself narrowing her eyes at Coldsong, a strong sense of dislike rising within her. Bramblebear's tail flicked and she lowered her ears closer to her head, a frown pulling at her lips. "Cold cat be quiet. Keep words to self. Keep snow on ground," she stated, then continued to focus on the meeting ahead of her.

--

Tawnystep's tail thumped against the ground below as she listened intently, her ears perked. Really? That lazy lump of fur is already becoming leader? She was just made deputy, and even then she barely did anything! The russet warrior scoffed and rolled her eyes, sinking her claws into the ground below. I'm sure Blazingnight would love to hear about this, she thought, smirking slightly as she stared at Twilightshine through narrowed eyes.

--

Cloudswirl snorted loudly from his place outside the elder's den, a visible frown on his face. "Both of you have barely done any good for the Clan, you really think switching places will do any better?" he questioned, rolling his eyes. The elder's gaze then snapped to Coldsong after his outburst, anger boiling inside of him. "And you- you better shut your maw before I shut it for you," Cloudswirl growled, his tail flicking in annoyance.

[RedHead]

"So?" She questioned, a snark in her voice, but it was good-humored. "What makes you think that I don't want to continue doing stuff for my clan?" But she did see where her mate was coming from. It was a little bothersome to her, the loneliness that encompassed the elder's den. She did wish her kits visited more often, and she also wished she was still younger, more able-bodied like she used to be to help with clan duties and watch over younger cats. She fell silent for a few moments, just enjoying the comfortable silence between her and her mate. At least she still had Cloudswirl. Willowsmoke didn't know what she would do without the lovable grump. She laughed at his rhetorical question, giving him an affectionate bump on the shoulder with her muzzle. "With your attitude, sometimes, yes." She mockingly chastised, a kind smirk implanted on her maw. At his next statement she let out a full laugh, though quickly purred with gratefulness afterwards. "And you're still a flatterer." She snickered, tail flicking Cloudswirl's playfully.

@hxneysuckle

[Jesse]

The medicine cat let out a vaguely amused snort as Coyotesnarl stood up to leave, finally tearing his attention away from Twilightshine to give his apprentice a scolding, but friendly look. "If you had to survive two generations of idiots you'd have gone grey too." he joked. Mistyfern was glad to see Coyotesnarl being agreeable for once- he was even a little disappointed to see him scamper off- although he was sure that would change the moment they were forced to cooperate again. "I think I'll follow. If I have to listen to these morons bicker for another moment I might claw out my ears." Muttered the big blue tom as he rose to his paws. Just as he was beginning to limp off toward his den, a grating caterwaul from across the crowd of cats stopped him in his tracks. He turned and shot the owner of the voice a withering glare. What a loud-mouthed dumbass...

"Well, then sorry to offend our new leader, but we have more important things to do with our time than sit here kissing ass." Growled the medicine cat.

@Alaska @tutler @Fuzzy @Moonraven

[lio]

[ @RedHead ]

Cloudswirl chuckled and looked to his mate, love in his eyes. "I speak only the truth of your beauty, dear. You are absolutely stunning," he purred, nuzzling into her fur with a grin on his face. His tail flicked back against hers, an equally playful hint in the action. The tom's voice trailed away into soft rumbles, simply resting his head against Willowsmoke's shoulder, his eyes closed. Cloudswirl enjoyed these moments, simply resting in his love's presence. Despite his grumpiness and his boredom in the elder's den, she would always make him happy. And he wouldn't give her up for the world.

[Solstice_X]

Stormjump's tail swished back and forth with agitation as he could do nothing but sit there and watch the arguments unfold. He hadn't been a warrior for long, and piping into the conversation was most certainly not his place at this time. Still, it didn't stop him from physically displaying his disapproval of both the conflict and the focus on the changing positions. Though he too doubted that merely switching who was in what position of power would change anything, what he wanted to see more than any was the so-called change.; not this, bickering back and forth.

---------

"Greetings." The gray-blue warrior dipped his head in acknowledgment of the apprentice's approach, his ear twitching uncomfortably at the outbursting arguments. For Starclan's sake...just He stopped in his thoughts, Right, I'm a mentor now. I've to keep a level head on these shoulders. Giving himself a brief shake to get the angered thoughts out of his mind, he turned to face the annoyed appearing apprentice, "I take it you're not too fond of this situation."
[ @~WolfDen~ ]

[Kitty Mama]

Leopardflare was jubilantly returning to camp with a little mouse in his jaws, an exceedingly small addition to the food pile but still something... after what felt like a whole day and night's worth of hunting. It hadn't been that long, but waiting there, scenting the air, praying something would happen had been a test of patience. With his long, confident strides and eyes closed in joy, Leopardflare was a perfect sight of obliviousness as he pranced into a warzone. When he realized there was a meeting in progress, he paused in his tracks.

The yelling and fighting said this was not a meeting Leopardflare wanted to be a participant in. He dropped the mouse to mutter, "...I'll just come back later." Leopardflare said that to no one specifically and so he didn't think anybody's permission was needed to backtrack right through the way he came.

[BEAR.]

"Not fighting in the traditional sense is not, fighting, Twilightshine.." Foxpudge was growing tired of this by the moment. Was.. Twilightshine that dense that she didn't see the flaw in her 'master plan'? "You're so focused on us playing 'weak' you're not looking at the big picture. What do you expect the other Clans to do once they realize we're not going to even try to defend our territory? They'll take more. And more. And more. Hell, at this rate they might not even bother moving the border, they might just walk in and take whatever they goddamn want."

And judging by Twilightshine's dismissive nature, he doubt she'd have the Clan do anything about that invasion of space. Of course not. "There's not going to be any living if we don't have a territory to live in." Who's to say how long the ShadowClan border had been like that? Could've been moons, could've been days. The important thing was to recognize that the other Clans were testing the waters-- and once they realized they'd get no bite, they'd go in deeper.
@Moonraven

[wren]

The tabby tom let out a snort at his comment, choosing not to fire back as he was about to slip into the den. “How wise of you to join me. Maybe she was gonna send us both” he mused giving a playful roll of his eyes. “I can just see it now... windclan medicine cats killed after menacing leader sends them on too many patrols” it was rather nice to converse with misty, well now at least. He could remember other less fond conversations here and there. He was turning to wait for the old tom to join him before he heard that shrill voice yowling across the the clearing. Irritation rippled through him like a wave teeth clenched against his revealed gums in partial frustration. Oh what now Coldsong? Did I step somewhere I wasn’t supposed to? The toms ears flattened against his skull. “So close...” he whispered under his breath.

However he was pleasantly startled to see the big blue tom step up and in a way defend his actions. He paused shuffling the weight on his paws, stunned but very pleased. Maybe they would get along some day. ”oh my I’m so sorry I don’t recall the last time I cared to stay long enough.” he took a long step shrugging his shoulders as he came up next to misty and looked Coldsong up and down. “Besides...” he paused trying desperately to find something snarky to shoot back at him. “Like misty said I think we both have something more important to be doing instead of supporting her tangents” he muttered

@Alaska @Xeno @Fuzzy @Moonraven

[Moon Lily]

Littlewish glared in defiance at the crowd. How could they be judging Brightstar? How could they be judging Twilightshine? But mainly...how could Brightstar be stepping down!? A mix of emotions rushed through his veins. He gave a puff of protest as the cats and the leader went on. Back, and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Starclan, help us! He cried silently. He flattened his ears against his head.
"Oh, shut up, will you..." He muttered.

~~~

Runningpaw shivered at the violent discussions, trying to comprehend why the clan would do such a thing. It was all because of that evil, high-and-mighty cat Thunderhowl...mousedung. She pouted angrily, joining in with the jeers of the others. Brightstar is just weak...we need a real leader, not our deputy! She thought with all her might. She bared her teeth at the others. This calls for rebellion!
@Moonraven

[Moonraven]

THEY'RE ALIVE!!!!!!! Coldsong was Amazing! He actually got some of the cats to open their mouths and speak, they weren't the intelligent expressive thoughts she was hoping for, but he got something. Twilightshine was kind of impressed with him. If she had a hat she would have had taken it off for him, seriously that tom deserved a round of applause. She wasn't overly pleased that he got them arguing but right now beggars couldn't be choosers. The she-cat hadn't failed to notice Coyotesnarl's departure nor Mistyfern trying to follow after him. Shockingly they both had actually stopped for Coldsong, the she-cat almost laughed out loud.
That was rich! Seriously, she kind of wished she could swap ranks with Misty or Coyote, then she could go off and act all self-important, narcissistic, and just not give a damn about anyone or thing. She honestly wanted to know what they had to do that was so important, go bestow nonexistent medical knowledge upon each other? That reminded her to tell them to go and visit one of the other clans and ask their med. cats to actually teach them something or bother Starclan, something other than act like snobby know it alls. Their basic knowledge was going to get them all killed if it did come to war. Not that they would get over themselves enough to help their clanmates.
Anyway, back to a more important matter like why the clan only understood like right now that she and Bright had swapped ranks? Was that the only thing they had heard because they were all deaf or because of Coldsong.
It wasn't even the fact that he was being an obnoxious, attention-seeking, brat. It was the fact that he was actually contributing and trying... Twilightshine wasn't sure what it was Coldsong was actually contributing but it was something which was not nothing and thus that made him light-years better than a majority of the clan. Besides him and Foxpudge, it felt like she was talking to a wall.
The first day or rather five minutes as leader and Twightshine already wanted to retire. Catching Cloudswirl's words made her want to bang her head against the rock, it was like talking to newborn kits, at least they had an excuse. Had it not been made clear that she and Bright had done a crappy job? Summernight's words were way too nice, that the kind of mindless thinking was what got cats killed, Lambkit was kit so she wouldn't be savage with him.
It wasn't even the fact that they were calling her and Bright out, it was the fact that they were all still stuck on this! Out of everything she's said they only got the rank swapping thing. That's all they took out of it!!!!! Why did they keep calling her Twilightstar? She didn't have her lives yet, and at this rate, she wouldn't at all. This was exhausting, she understood why Bright didn't want to lead these cats anymore.
Seeing how they were all attached to this rank thing and not one of them had offered any type of actually logical questions, criticism, or advice for things that mattered as Foxpudge had done, she decided to see if they could give her some answers.
"Alright, let's talk about the whole rank thing. When Brightstar made me her deputy, the laziest good-for-nothing, most boring, nonexisting cat in the whole entire clan, I don't recall any of you saying anything. Then you all complain when nothing is getting done, what were you expecting?" Twilightshine had no problem bashing or tearing herself apart so nothing they were saying or thinking about her bugged her in the slightest. "No hunting nor border patrols are going out, still, no one says one word. Not one of you went to Brightstar and complained about me nor her lack of doing anything about it. Then when we figure out this isn't working and try doing something, even if it's the wrong thing, about it, you decided to whine now!" Honestly, some of these cats needed to get off their damn high horses! "I know I was a crappy deputy, just terrible and horrible, and yeah I'll probably be a crappy leader but at least I'm trying to do something which is better than nothing. Or maybe it not, I don't know. I'm more than happy to get down and go back to doing nothing if that's what you'd like? I just assigned like half the apprentices here, even if they didn't show up, mentors, Brightstar's going to get borders done so the clans know that we're not dead... yet, and I"m trying to figure something out with our hunting situation. Knowing that probably won't be good enough for you, those of you who still hold resentment over how utterly useless Brightstar and I are, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Twilightshine was going to end this meeting very soon, she wasn't getting anything out of this clan at all. She wanted to walk away, the clan could go back to starving, dying in one-sided battle, or maybe she'd see if Coldsong wanted to be leader? At least he got the clan to speak! He'd probably lead them all off a cliff or war but again it was something. Anything was better then this endless circle of stupidity it was murdering what little brain cells she had left!
"This is really tedious." She meowed, this time directing her focus on Foxpudge. "I've already explained why I don't believe it's a good idea to push our luck, and I've already said that if we have to we will fight, you must have selective hearing! Why out of everything I just said to you the only thing you got is the first part?" Foxpudge listened like the rest of the clan. If he was going to argue with her give her a reasonable argument. Don't just pick that one piece out of everything she said and deliberate it with her. Did he have an answer to the lack of warriors, the untrained apprentices, their self-important medicine cats who knew as much about healing as she did about leading?!
"The borders haven't been patrol in how long why haven't they come and stole everything by now? I doubt Windclan could get any lower than it is now, I mean you have me as a leader." There was a sarcastic edge in her words. "If the other clans wanted us out they would have hit us already in leafbare when we're our weakest and they could actually use the extra territory for hunting prey they need." Starclan knows that Thunderclan could do with more territory, Shadowclan probably as well. If they both drove Windclan out now they could split the territory 50/50.
"Nothing's been defended, nothing's been patrolled and the other clans could have taken so so much more by now." He seemed to think she was slow, he was probably right, she was the dumbest cat here. Twilight didn't think the clans wanted to give Windclan the boot. How many clans would be driven out before Starclan threw a fit?! "But you're so certain that they're going to drive us out right now, fine. We'll push the borders back, Shadowclan's and Thunderclan's. Give them a reason to fight us, to pay attention to us, so we can defend our territory as you want." These guys were going to make her fur go white and she hasn't hit thirty moons yet. "What about all of you, do you want to go and fight Shadowclan and Windclan?" If they wanted to fight, she'd let them fight. They could go get themselves killed and she'd go try her luck as a loner, she'd have to stea- Err, take the chilly egotistical tom with her it wasn't like they appreciate him here. He could at least entertain her along the way.
Twilightshine didn't like arguing over something stupid like this. Look at them! They were all bickering over Coldsong, they were all most likely mad because he was pointing out the obvious truth, but whatever. They were in no position nor ready to fight and defend anything. Foxpudge was wrong, but if he wanted to lead the clan to extinction so be it, at this rate they were going to die anyway from the number of missing cats and inactivity.

@tutler @Xeno @Fuzzy @Alaska @Ever @BILL. @SilentLamb @.:Raven:. @Solstice_X @Blissie Bliss @WaywardAngel @~WolfDen~ @hxneysuckle @MagicCat99 @Tundra @Kitty Mama