RiverClan Clearing

[SacredMadness]

Originally Posted by The Little Robin

Sproutwhisker was overjoyed to hear her agree to having kittens with him and he smiled, feeling happier than he had ever been in a long time. “Thank you so much, Talonfang..” He murmured, nuzzling her while admitting a warm purr, “I love you so very much. I just know our kittens will be beautiful and amazing in every way.” The black-furred warrior could hardly contain his excitement, knowing that now he would be having a family with the female that he loved with his whole heart. “I feel so honored to have the chance to raise a family with an amazing cat such as you.” He licked her muzzle softly, a smile staying on his face the whole time. Despite all his worries, the tom felt like he was on top of the world and all his dreams were coming true. ( Ah, that’s fine. We can stop for the night so you don’t have to worry about passing out on me. I hope you feel better soon. )

(Okay, thanks, should one of us put up a kit finder, crap I forgot what Talonfang looks like.....)

[graves]

Originally Posted by Clover

@woly
Geckoleaf stared down at the limp piece of brown trout in front of her, internally shuddering at consuming the body of what had been a living creature. The fish was large, and caught fresh; it had to be a few cat-weights heavier than her, at least. She'd need someone to come help her eat it; otherwise, it would spoil by sundown. Face twisting in disgust, she reached down, and delicately nibbled at the pink flesh; it tasted delicious, but the thought of eating something that had once breathed, lived and mated still irked her. Worse, the marks of death; four puncture marks, marring the neck, placed by a skilled warrior, she knew; whoever had caught it was so skilled that they had only pierced the scales using their canines. Plus that, the head had a sizeable dent; probably from the hunter crushing its head on a rock to prevent furthering suffering. That, at least, she could respect.

Despite her lingering aversion to death, and food, things were looking up for Geckoleaf; her mental health had stabilized considerably, though she was still plagued with night terrors, which usually consisted of her waking up to being paralyzed, with a vague shadowy Dusk Syndicate cat pinning her throat under needle-sharp claws. Daypaw had noticed, and tried to help; she knew that they, also, suffered from nightmares. In general, though, Daypaw had been a heaven-sent blessing; having someone to care about really helped her, and the guidance and reciprocation, in turn, were immensely important. Beyond that, the added help of Juniperpaw taking on basic duties would relieve her of some of the pressure. At that thought, she felt a whisper of guilt snake through her guilt; at the Starcave, she had been less than enthusiastic, and felt almost sour towards that area; it wasn't Juniperpaw's fault, but instead the ghosts of her past, coming and haunting her in the one place they could certainly appear. Her darling mottled apprentice should have had a mystical, enchanting experience; at some point, Geckoleaf would take her back, before Halfmoon, and lead her into a dream of her ancestors, and remedy the injury of her past. But, for now, she nibbled on her trout and basked in the early morning light.

Daypaw often forgot that they were in Riverclan. The place seemed more welcoming day by day. Every time they actually left their shared den, the clearing wasnt as shadowy or eerie as Shadowclans. They no longer felt that fear when walking outside of camp, the feeling that monsters were after them, hallucinations from lack of sleep. They still had nightmares, plenty of them. Most relating around their father, Moutianfog, Most of them relating to their insecurities, shadowy blurry figures shouting every single one of them at Daypaw constantly. It was exhausting, to have no sleep and have every single one of your flaws known at all times. But being here made it a little more..tolerable. They had nightmares, sure, but Geckoleaf would have them too.It felt nice to relate to someone, to not feel so alone. Here, they had Geckoleaf. They had Russetstar. They had Minkpaw. They had many others, they didnt feel alone anymore.

But they were a pessimist.

They knew they would be going back to Shadowclan soon. They were going to be going home to nothing. All of their picked herbs, everything they had stocked up for, everything they had worked so hard for, gone. Their den, gone. Everyones den, gone. Prey, gone. They had nothing to go home to, and it scared them, it made them think to hard, it stressed them out more then they knew. At home, Geckoleaf wasnt there, Russet wasnt there, no one was there waiting for them. They had a few close friends like Acornfall, but not many. They sighed, slipping outside of their den. They were skin and bones, fur lining tightly around their ribs and spine. They couldnt remember the last time they had eaten, but they werent really hungry, yet their stomach hurt. Probably due to stress, and the worry of still recovering patients from the flood. There were so many cats that wouldnt be the same after that storm, and Daypaw wished they couldve saved them all.

Amber hues scanned the clearing, planning to sunbath. It was a nice way to get enegery besides eating, it wasnt healthy not to eat, but Daypaw simply didnt care at the moment. Trying to find a clear spot in the clearing, their sight came across their..mother. It was still weird to give someone that title, to let someone raise and guide them, but Daypaw couldnt see any other thing to call Geckoleaf.It was a fitting title. Ever since she came into their life things had turned around, they werent alone anymore. There were still alot of issues they were dealing with, but it made it easier with support. Slowly padding up to the molly, and as if on instinct, settling down next to her, snugging close to her side without a word.

[lone]

Originally Posted by woly

He could feel a lump in his throat form, speechless. She took joy out of this? Hurting him? he choked on a sob, letting silent tears run down his fur once more. he wasnt going to bawl infront of her. he wanted forgiveness. Not so he could clear his conscious, but because he missed his sister. He had left everything behind, he had nothing.No family. Nothing. Again, he thought back to Russet. He was his light, his other half, his everything. They had kits together. He was the only one would never hurt him, who had only showed him nothing but kindness, who loved him unconditionally. But...was Whisper good enough for him? Was he worthy of his love? Compared to Russet, Whisper was nothing. he was no leader, he had never done good by anyone. If he died, no one would care. He felt useless at this point. He stared at Clawpaw for a moment, unsure of what to say. He knew that if he plead and begged, apologized over and countless times, it would be like talking to a brick wall. It would go in one ear out the other. It hurt, really. For his sister not to want anything to do with him. They were so close before he left, joined at the hip. Now it was all gone. It felt like a stab right through the chest, all of their history blown away in a single moment. He could feel nothing but sorry.¨W-would...it make you feel better if you never saw me again?¨

-
[lone dont get confused this is taking place after Whisper walks away from clawpaw ;w; like a fast forward]
starter for @fenic!
Whisperblaze could feel sobs rumble in his chest, eyes glassed over with tears as they stremed down his pale fur, making dark trails. He was looking for the one cat that he always went to--Russet. He was in a mix on if he wanted to see him or not, though. Clawpaw had triggered so many thoughts, he felt almost shamful to even look at his own mate right now. He had lied, he was no better then his parents in Shadowclan, he wasnt worthy of anything. He wobbled around the clearing, lunging heaving as he panted slightly, trying to catch his breath but only let out more small sobs and whimpers. Everything was blurry, distorted version of camp in his gaze as he searched for the nursery.

"Do whatever you want. It won't make a difference either way." The she cat shrugged, suddenly appearing much calmer then she had before. Her voice was calm, eyes calmer, but there was a certain carelessness to her words that couldn't be faked. She didn't care what he did. It wouldn't fix things. "You know what, just... go. Just go. I don't - care. You can't do anything right by me anymore. So just go." Maybe it was because she wasn't yelling that made her sound so serious, almost defeated. There wasn't even a growl in her voice. Because she was done, and she didn't care what he did. He could go or stay, to her, it wouldn't matter. Although perhaps she would be a little better if he did. Her blue optics glinted and she turned away from him, almost as though she were shutting him out. Pretending he wasn't there. For a second, earlier, she had almost felt flickers of what had once been. What they had once been like. She had... almost remembered. And then it was gone, taking some of that anger with it and making it easier for her to speak without half-choking on her rage. She had been angrier then she could remember, but all that she felt now was a dullness. A dullness that was definitely coming from inside her.

[Fel]

Originally Posted by woly

Feeling his mate pressed against him only made Whisper cower away slightly, shaking his head. He had never cried infront of Russet before, not once. There had been many close times, but Russet had always calmed him down before it had lead up to crying. He didnt want to seem pathetic, he didnt want to look weak. ¨I-its nothing,¨ he looked towards his mate, teary eyed, once bright blue eyes now clouded over like glass. ¨Im f-fine I just..¨ he looked to the ground, unsure of what to say. He could tell Russet everything right now, he wanted to. He wanted to tell him what his sister had said, how she had hurt him. But that would mean telling him he was from Shadowclan. He didnt want Russet to look at him like a liar, or some two faced cat that wasnt truthful. He played it off like he was a loner when joining, not giving a clear description of his history. And no one had questioned it, and Whisperblaze was starting to let it all be behind him. But now Clawpaw was here, his birthclan was here, and his past and lies were all to real. He couldnt tell Russet he left simply because his family abused him, he didnt want to seem like a coward. he wanted to lean on Russet on instinct and cry into his shoulder and tell him whats wrong, but he couldnt. Even if a large part of him wanted to. Instead, he gave a broken smile,¨Im fine.¨

somehow, something russetstar did had made whisperblaze scared. this had never happened before- he was never scary before. perhaps he'd been too busy with his duties to pay attention, to talk to him and give him the treatment he so terribly deserved, but was he... was he scary? maybe leaders were supposed to be scary, but he never thought of himself as a scary cat. he used to be so positive and optimistic, but he had been getting rougher around the edges, more reserved, more responsible- was that not what whisperblaze wanted? he doesn't sound fine, he doesn't seem fine. did whisperblaze see him as someone he couldn't confide in anymore, like someone who couldn't be his mate and his best friend at the same time? "whisperblaze, you don't look fine- even if it's the smallest thing, please, i'm here for you." he mewed, almost pleading for him to open up, to tell him what was so wrong that his voice seemed to broken and cracked, that he seemed so unhappy. he wanted whisperblaze to be happy. not like this.

[Aquarius]

@Lonestar23 !

//

A tom padded through the clearing, attempting to force the scowl off of his face that he always seemed to carry around with him. Darkzephyr had always been known as a dark tom, even going so far as to train a cat secretly from another Clan, ruining the young apprentice's life. But no one needed to know that, did they?

Darkzephyr purred to himself, but it soon turned to coldness again as he looked around at where he was. The slimy, water-surrounded RiverClan cat. He hated the mere thought of being surrounded by sopping wet cats who smelled of fish and pond scum, and the sight of them nearly made him retch. Sorry excuses for warriors is what he called them - too soft that they can't even face a forest. That's how he had always thought.

But lately, after another session with Duskpaw, he had began to think about something. His ambitions to be leader were clearly dying away with every day, and he had been thinking of how he could still somehow rule. He remembered something someone had told him when he was younger, just a mere pessimistic apprentice with no real clue of how cruel the world would be.

"Blood runs thicker if there's more to run."

Back then, Darkzephyr hadn't known what that had meant, but now he understood. Legacy was more important than immediate leadership, because a true legacy never dies - his blood could still one day rule. And carry out his intentions - he needed the one thing he loathed most - a family.

But he wasn't just going to change. He would stay the way he was, like he had always been - but manipulation was one of his biggest skills. One of his biggest pawns.

He was ready to begin playing.

Carefully, he sat down next to some reeds, and angrily moved away as they dipped and brushed his head in the breeze. The side of his face that was all but bone ached in the cold that had begun to move through the day, and he almost wished he could hide his wounds. He looked around, wondering if anyone was near. Anyone who could - or would - be his next victim.

[graves]

Originally Posted by fenic!

somehow, something russetstar did had made whisperblaze scared. this had never happened before- he was never scary before. perhaps he'd been too busy with his duties to pay attention, to talk to him and give him the treatment he so terribly deserved, but was he... was he scary? maybe leaders were supposed to be scary, but he never thought of himself as a scary cat. he used to be so positive and optimistic, but he had been getting rougher around the edges, more reserved, more responsible- was that not what whisperblaze wanted? he doesn't sound fine, he doesn't seem fine. did whisperblaze see him as someone he couldn't confide in anymore, like someone who couldn't be his mate and his best friend at the same time? "whisperblaze, you don't look fine- even if it's the smallest thing, please, i'm here for you." he mewed, almost pleading for him to open up, to tell him what was so wrong that his voice seemed to broken and cracked, that he seemed so unhappy. he wanted whisperblaze to be happy. not like this.

Whisperblaze let his fake smile falter. He couldnt lie to Russet, no matter what he did. He couldnt pretend to be fine when he wasnt, he couldnt bottle up emotions around him. He was his mate, and so much more at the same time, and Whisperblaze couldnt put it into words how much he adored him. He didnt want Russet to look at him differently because he lied about where he came from, hell, he even changed his name when he came to Riverclan! Would he look at him differently? Look at him like the liar and pet that Clawpaw had called him? He didnt like crying, he didnt like feeling useless. And right now he felt terrible, having his mate worry over him. he was a leader, he had lost so much more then him, he had so many other things to worry about then Whispers insecurities. He felt like a burden. But he broke when he saw the look in Russets blue eyes, once bright and optimistic now filled with worry. The tom let out a shaky breath,glancing from the ground to his mates eyes, focusing on them. ¨W-will you..promise not to look at m-me differently? P-please?¨ he didnt want Russet to look at him differently. he was so scared to even open his mouth, but his sister had made him feel guilty. Nothing but a liar, no better then his own parents,¨please I just..I dont want you to be angry with me Russet.¨

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"Do whatever you want. It won't make a difference either way." The she cat shrugged, suddenly appearing much calmer then she had before. Her voice was calm, eyes calmer, but there was a certain carelessness to her words that couldn't be faked. She didn't care what he did. It wouldn't fix things. "You know what, just... go. Just go. I don't - care. You can't do anything right by me anymore. So just go." Maybe it was because she wasn't yelling that made her sound so serious, almost defeated. There wasn't even a growl in her voice. Because she was done, and she didn't care what he did. He could go or stay, to her, it wouldn't matter. Although perhaps she would be a little better if he did. Her blue optics glinted and she turned away from him, almost as though she were shutting him out. Pretending he wasn't there. For a second, earlier, she had almost felt flickers of what had once been. What they had once been like. She had... almost remembered. And then it was gone, taking some of that anger with it and making it easier for her to speak without half-choking on her rage. She had been angrier then she could remember, but all that she felt now was a dullness. A dullness that was definitely coming from inside her.

Whisper didnt know what to do. Maybe they needed a break from eachother, for awhile atleast. They were staying in the same camp for awhile, they had many other chances to rebuild something. He had lost so much. He had lost so much family, he had lost his past kits, past mate. He couldnt lose Clawpaw too, the one cat he was closest with, the one cat that treated him like a regular being. She was different now. And perhaps Whisper had to adjust to that, be he wouldnt accept it. he would keep trying, and trying, trying for something. Maybe each time he would be met with a cold shoulder, but he would be trying. She could say countless hurtful words that felt like arrows in Whispers flesh but he would take it over and over just to see that his sister, his Clawpaw, was okay. Once she turned away he was left standing there. ¨I love you.¨ he mumbled quietly, unsure if Clawpaw had heard or not. He meant his words, you could hurt him all he wanted but Clawpaw would only be met with never ending forgiveness and affection. It felt like a chapter was closing, like he had lost something. He lost his sister, and it felt like the greatest loss of all. Turning away, he let silent tears run down his cheeks and he made his way to the nursery.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Aquarius

@Lonestar23 !

//

A tom padded through the clearing, attempting to force the scowl off of his face that he always seemed to carry around with him. Darkzephyr had always been known as a dark tom, even going so far as to train a cat secretly from another Clan, ruining the young apprentice's life. But no one needed to know that, did they?

Darkzephyr purred to himself, but it soon turned to coldness again as he looked around at where he was. The slimy, water-surrounded RiverClan cat. He hated the mere thought of being surrounded by sopping wet cats who smelled of fish and pond scum, and the sight of them nearly made him retch. Sorry excuses for warriors is what he called them - too soft that they can't even face a forest. That's how he had always thought.

But lately, after another session with Duskpaw, he had began to think about something. His ambitions to be leader were clearly dying away with every day, and he had been thinking of how he could still somehow rule. He remembered something someone had told him when he was younger, just a mere pessimistic apprentice with no real clue of how cruel the world would be.

"Blood runs thicker if there's more to run."

Back then, Darkzephyr hadn't known what that had meant, but now he understood. Legacy was more important than immediate leadership, because a true legacy never dies - his blood could still one day rule. And carry out his intentions - he needed the one thing he loathed most - a family.

But he wasn't just going to change. He would stay the way he was, like he had always been - but manipulation was one of his biggest skills. One of his biggest pawns.

He was ready to begin playing.

Carefully, he sat down next to some reeds, and angrily moved away as they dipped and brushed his head in the breeze. The side of his face that was all but bone ached in the cold that had begun to move through the day, and he almost wished he could hide his wounds. He looked around, wondering if anyone was near. Anyone who could - or would - be his next victim.

The she cat entered the clearing, her golden optics sparking with happiness. A conversation with her best friend always seemed to cheer her up, or give her a new outlook on life - depending on the subject - and today had been no different. Except it had offered her a little bit of both. Spotting another feline in the RiverClan clearing, the ShadowClanner padded over with a puzzled expression. He didn't look too happy. She partly recognized him... it was Darkzephyr, right? Caracalfrost had made it almost a habit to learn the names of her clanmates where and when she could. "Hey! You're Darkzephyr, I think?" She mewed as she made her way over towards him. Her tail was down and swishing in a friendly manner, a bright smile on her maw. Never had she thought that he would have bad plans. "Reeds are a good look for you, you know. They mix well with your fur - it'll be the latest style," The she cat purred, her golden optics sparking in a friendly manner as she watched him.

Caracalfrost did her best to make friends with any cat that she could, especially to take her mind off of her love for her best friend. It was awkward enough that she tried to push aside those feelings, but then when she wasn't around him they seemed to always be making up pretend situations. So the feline tried to take her mind off of it. Not to mention that Sorreltuft was not hers to make fantasies like that about. Maybe Darkzephyr was going to be a good cat to talk to. He looked a little dark, not that the feline minded. Caracalfrost hardly ever judged, she didn't seem to think much of it. Golden optics softened as she watched the tom, studying his expression for a reaction.

Part of her was worried that he might take her joke too personally. That happened every once in a while. And then she would likely lash back with something rude, and eventually it would end up in her making a new enemy. Even before Everwhisper and Sorreltuft had become mates, she hadn't liked the other cat. In another world, in another lifetime, things would have been different. In another world and another lifetime, they would have been... friends. It was weird to think about, especially since for so long Caracalfrost had disliked the other cat. Now she was going to have to learn to deal with them being together. She had dealt with it for this long. She could deal with it for longer and maybe someday, somehow, she would find love of her own.

[Captain]

@Shadomaru

Blackfrost missed their old camp, feeling unwanted and awkward as she sat here in the Riverclan camp. Some cats gave her dirty looks, almost silently telling her that she didn’t belong here - and she didn’t, none of her clan did. With all the chaos and terror that ensued from the raging flood, everyone seemed on edge and uneasy all together. The long-furred warrior shuffled her paws rather nervously, wondering where her mate, Crowhawk, was at the moment. She had planned to ask him something, but had never found the right time to do so. This only made her more anxious as she lowered herself into a laying position, her soft belly against the cool dirt floor. Blackfrost decided to pass the time by grooming her curly, mangled fur.

[Ainz Ooal Gown]

Originally Posted by The Little Robin

@Shadomaru

Blackfrost missed their old camp, feeling unwanted and awkward as she sat here in the Riverclan camp. Some cats gave her dirty looks, almost silently telling her that she didn’t belong here - and she didn’t, none of her clan did. With all the chaos and terror that ensued from the raging flood, everyone seemed on edge and uneasy all together. The long-furred warrior shuffled her paws rather nervously, wondering where her mate, Crowhawk, was at the moment. She had planned to ask him something, but had never found the right time to do so. This only made her more anxious as she lowered herself into a laying position, her soft belly against the cool dirt floor. Blackfrost decided to pass the time by grooming her curly, mangled fur.

Crowhawk sighed. He hated having to sit in this clan. He loved the water though, but he couldn't get in. The cats here were basically watching his every move. He stood up and tried to walk away from everybody, but that only led to more eyes on him and making him feel uncomfortable. He went over to look for his mate. When he found her, he sat next to her, letting her familiar scent wash over him and almost purred instinctively. Though he was happy to be with her, he was serious. "I can't stand it here anymore." He said with an exhausted sigh. "I can't sleep with that smell of fish in the air." He looked at the Riverclan cats around. "Or with the fact that they all look at us with hostility."

[Captain]

Originally Posted by Shadomaru

Crowhawk sighed. He hated having to sit in this clan. He loved the water though, but he couldn't get in. The cats here were basically watching his every move. He stood up and tried to walk away from everybody, but that only led to more eyes on him and making him feel uncomfortable. He went over to look for his mate. When he found her, he sat next to her, letting her familiar scent wash over him and almost purred instinctively. Though he was happy to be with her, he was serious. "I can't stand it here anymore." He said with an exhausted sigh. "I can't sleep with that smell of fish in the air." He looked at the Riverclan cats around. "Or with the fact that they all look at us with hostility."

A sense of calm washed over the young warrior as her beloved mate, Crowhawk, soon joined Blackfrost at her side, a passionate purr rumbling from him. She smiled at this, already feeling slightly better about being here, even though many cats still stared at them with hatred and disgust within their gazes. It was certainly not a place where she felt welcomed and by the words that her mate spoke, she knew that he shared the same feelings. “Me too..” She murmured, solemnly shaking her head, “Everyone here looks like they’ll scratch our pelts while we sleep.” The smell of fish, however, did not bother her that much for some reason, probably because she had slowly gotten used to it from being here for so long. How many moons had they spent their time here while they awaited their home to become theirs once again? She would never know. Blackfrost looked at the male beside her, resting a paw on top of his. “Let’s not let them get to us though.” She purred, giving Crowhawk a slight affectionate nuzzle, “Perhaps some hunting would get your mind off this? Or maybe simply a walk in the forest?” She offered, her whiskers twitching.