RiverClan Clearing

[:blue:]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

A large, confident looking Savannah Cat entered the clearing. Staying in RiverClan was not that much of a problem for Servalspots, honestly - he didn't mind being here with the other Clan. So far there had been no problems. No one had been making fun of him here. And no one had been picking on other "different" cats. Servalspots had encountered some homophobics and transphobics in his lifetime, but he honestly didn't care for them much. Here in RiverClan? With their own leader being homosexual, he doubted that many of the RiverClan cats would be speaking out against it. It was too bad things weren't quite the same in ShadowClan. The tom settled down in the clearing, his large frame taking up more room then a smaller cat, but of course Servalspots didn't care much about it. There wasn't really a problem, to him at least, with hanging around the clearing. He had done some hunting - caught a small shrew that was barely enough for him (no, he didn't eat it) and had been working to meet as many of these RiverClan cats as possible. He thought that ShadowClan should try and get along with their RiverClan saviors.
@Blue Wishes

Goldenstar was still almost in a shock, as much as the Starcave ceremony had calmed him, he was still somewhat tense. He became leader while in another clan's camp. He should really have been talking to Russetstar, or Fallenstream, or some high Rank from Riverclan, just so he could understand things better. He had to pick a deputy, he had to eventually get Shadowclan back to their own territory, so many things were hitting him, all at once. Here he was, however, calming himself in the clearing. What a leader. Glancing around, he Servalspots. One of the cats he had been debating for deputy, along with a few others. Padding over, he decided to get to know the tom better, despite his uneasiness when talking to others. The more cats he talked to, the better he would get to know others, and then he would be able to make a decision. He stopped himself for a moment, before pushing himself forward. "Hello Servalspots!" He said calmly, smiling. Even though he had only said two words, he was already panicking about saying something wrong. You never knew what cats would get offended by now. That was what added to his fear, forcing his face to stay straight, he looked at the other tom. "How're you doing?" He was surprised he had said this much now, maybe he was slowly getting over his anxiety! A smile spread across his face at the thought, looking at Servalspots calmly.

[Fel]

Originally Posted by woly

¨I know..I know..¨ the tom mumbled quietly under his breath hearing his mates words. He knew because he was leader he would feel the need to get involved--and Whisper loved that about him. But he couldnt help but go over Clawpaws words in his head. Pet.Russets pet. No. He couldnt let his mate get involved, he would never hear the end of it from Claw. He didnt want to seem weak-he didnt want to rely on tohers for help like he always did. ¨I can deal with this o-on my own okay? Ill tell you if anything happens.¨ his voice sounded distant, blue eyes looking towards the ground. He wasnt crying anymore, cheeks slowly becoming dry, yet the words still lingered and hurt him. Because here he was, crying to someone about his problems again, instead of dealing with it himself. He was nothing but weak--a coward like she said he was.

russetstar didn't know that whisperblaze felt like that- he was really only trying to protect him, he promised. russetstar had never felt anything for another cat like how he felt love for this tom, someone he had loved and cared about ren before he was willing to open up his eyes, to shock himself into realization. "...alright- but please, dear, stay safe- i love you, okay? if she hurts you one bit, i won't hesitate to take action." he murmured in his lover's ear, his eyes reflecting constant caring, worry for how his mate was acting- and nothing could ever change the way he felt about him. maybe it was a weaknes, to put so much faith in one single cat, but russetstar adored him beyond anything he had ever felt before, and he would always feel that every time he gazed into his beautiful, baby-blue eyes- like everything about him was just so perfect, so amazing. someone he would never match up to, someone he was so glad to stand by every day, to talk, to smile with.

[aleka!]

Originally Posted by Chameleon

He snorted," If you asked me, you coulda bossed me around." He paused," My head is straight anyways, besides, I have the best looks in all the clans."

The molly purred softly, peeking her ears. "Just because I believed that all the rules about the clans were important and there for a reason, doesn't make me bossy." She responded, blinking a bit too innocently at him. What am I doing? Cranefeather fretted inwardly, her bright gaze suddenly darkening slightly. Maybe they were just made by a cranky old leader that was going crazy or something? The feline wondered. She slowly scooted away from him, turning to look in the other direction, her ears flattened. A detached part of her mind knew that Sunstrike might get a bit hissybat ger about this, but she didn't care. She knew that deep down, he really loved her, and that was it. Then why does it feel like this isn't right?

[graves]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Nightpaw's whiskers twitched sadly. She actually was well aware of how little sleep Daypaw seemed to get. It was hard not to notice while cooped up in the medicine den with them. And when the medicine cat did sleep, they never seemed to sleep peacefully. From all the groaning and uncomfortable twisting, Nightpaw would have swore the enby had the worst case of bellyache every night, but a couple of distressed-sounding mutterings now and again made her think it might be bad dreams instead. Nightpaw knew a little something about that these days. It seemed like every few nights now, she'd have dreams about the dog attack. Terrifying images of slavering jaws, blood, and pain would haunt her until she woke up in the dead of night, panting. She had no doubt it was being noticed by the other apprentices... Still, the nightmares were bound to stop eventually, right? She went through something scary, but she was safe now. It probably would just take a bit more time...right? Nightpaw nodded gratefully and lied on the clearing floor beside Daypaw, comfortable as she felt her friend's warm flank against her own. "It's been really great overall," Nightpaw said. "I've made lots of friends out here: Dewheart, and Applepaw, and Ebonymist. Oh and I got to meet Halestar! She seems really nice. Training is hard though. Like sometimes, Skunkbelly will take me out into the woods and just ask me what I smell and see. I'm not sure what he wants me to say. And also..." Nightpaw hesitated, not sure how the born and bred clan cat would respond to her confession. "I kind of miss my old name. I like Nightpaw, but I miss being Lucky." The little black shecat rested her head on her front paws. "You probably think that's silly."

Daypaws ears twitched, settling down next to the molly listening. They listened, nodding along to whatever she was saying. It wasnt easy being the new cat in town, especially being a kittypet of all thing. Hunting for your food, learning how to fight and defend. It was alot, it was something Daypaw longed for. They were only a moon away from getting their warrior name, anyway. ¨Its all new stuff, youll get settled in more eventually.Its hard to train as apprentice in a territory that isnt theirs.¨ they mewed. Which was true. The scents were different then what Lucky was brought into, the earth was damp and wet under their paws compared to the harsh feel of pine needles. They tilted their head hearing Luckys confession,¨Just combined them, problem solved.¨ they replied easily. The clan wasnt strict like others might be with their names, or atleast thats what Daypaw knew atleast. They had trouble referring to her at Nightpaw as it was,it didnt seem to fit or sit right in their mouth.

Originally Posted by Clover

She let out an audible, disappointed sigh; the disappointment was, quite obviously, directed straight back at her. Geckoleaf didn't shy away from the question though; no more than Daypaw did at asking it. "Daypaw, I won't lie to you; I won't ever lie to you. Beyond my best efforts, Juniperpaw has received less than effervescent treatment. Her ceremony..." Geckoleaf paused, her words grinding to a screeching halt; it would be hard to talk openly about what she had felt at the Starcave, even to her child, but she swallowed down her mounting apprehension, and let loose.

"Her ceremony lacked any excitement on my part. I had no want to be there, Day; it's not that Juniperpaw did anything wrong, or that I don't want her to be my apprentice, but everyone who've I've taken to that cave has died, Daypaw. My mentor, Marshsnow? Drowned. Arcticpaw, my first apprentice? Disappeared, without a word. And... and... and Cricketpaw? Well, Cricketpaw... She was murdered. Died in my embrace." The molly's voice was harsh through the first through the first few sentences, but by Cricketpaw's name, it was wavery and insubstantial, through lubricated with tears and emotions."And Juni... I don't want... I don't want Juni to leave me too, okay? Already, Daypaw, she is dearer to me than anyone realizes. If she died, I'd be gone; there'd be nothing left of me. A barely working body; a husk."

Geckoleaf paused, purposefully, tears already streaming down her face, though her eyes were steely pieces of cerulean flint, harsher than they'd ever been before, and certainly the sternest thing Daypaw had ever seen. "I know that you could defend yourself. But Juniperpaw, well, she's as fragile as a butterfly as of yet. So yes, she was treated differently. And... I don't say that I can quite apologize for it, yet. One day, when she's older, I'll tell her everything. But for now... for now, I just want to protect her."

(a little bit of emotional development for geckoleaf; i see a bit of a sterner streak coming into her character, kinda reminiscent of marshsnow!)

Daypaw let her cry, they leaned closer as a silent comfort, eyes still in slits, listening. They did not cry, they did not have one bone of empathy in their body. Maybe it was harsh to think that way, or a mature way to think, but they couldnt help it. Cricketpaw is dead.It hurt Daypaw to think about it as much as anyone else. But she is dead. Soon, Daypaw will die. And the world will move in and forget, until they are nothing but decomposed dirt in the ground, letting grass grow between their bones. Cricketpaw was dead, a there was no reason to live every waking moment in grief, to let it consume you. They could understand why Geckoleaf felt that way, the amount of loss she had faced was slowly driving her made, and Daypaw couldnt blame her. But they couldnt help but feel sorry for Juniperpaw too. Daypaw had personally met her, personally talked to her. She didnt deserve to be dragged into this, no one did.
¨She isnt replacing Cricketpaw. No one can,¨ they mewed seriously. they meant their words, no one could replace their beloved friend, their other half. It was big paws to fill.¨Juniperpaw barely knew Cricketpaw. She didnt know what she was like. She doesnt know about your loss. Treating her differently because when you look at her you think she is going to die will only hurt her, its unnecessary guards youre putting around yourself.¨ their words were blunt, but its how they were. They made their to keep their tone softer despite the rather sharp words they were saying, to not make it sound like they were angry. ¨If you live everyday in fear you will drive yourself mad, youll already be on the pathway to being nothing but musk.¨ they sighed, looking towards the clearing. Not avoiding eye contact, but thinking. They looked around the Riverclan clearing. It wasnt their home no matter how much they wished it was. They wouldnt have Geckoleaf, or Russetstar back home. They wouldnt have anyone but a small pawful of cats that seemed like they cared. It would feel..empty. But that also meant Daypaw wouldnt be here. They focused their eyes on the edge of the clearing, the more shaded part of it. Reminded them of Shadowclan itself,¨I wont be here soon. Ill be going home.¨ they mewed,¨I wont be here for us to rely on eachother. I want you to open yourself up to Juniper.¨

Originally Posted by fenic!

russetstar didn't know that whisperblaze felt like that- he was really only trying to protect him, he promised. russetstar had never felt anything for another cat like how he felt love for this tom, someone he had loved and cared about ren before he was willing to open up his eyes, to shock himself into realization. "...alright- but please, dear, stay safe- i love you, okay? if she hurts you one bit, i won't hesitate to take action." he murmured in his lover's ear, his eyes reflecting constant caring, worry for how his mate was acting- and nothing could ever change the way he felt about him. maybe it was a weakness, to put so much faith in one single cat, but russetstar adored him beyond anything he had ever felt before, and he would always feel that every time he gazed into his beautiful, baby-blue eyes- like everything about him was just so perfect, so amazing. someone he would never match up to, someone he was so glad to stand by every day, to talk, to smile with.

Whisperblaze gave a small shudder feeling Russets words press against his ears. In a good way, of course. He could feel his pelt warm up again when he turned his head and looked into his mates eyes. They were a greyish blue. Not as bright as his own, but Whisper had always loved his eyes, despite how much his mate told him they were nothing compared to his own. Since he knew him for so long he could read them easily, he could feel the compassion, the fondness, the care. The love. It seeped into his fur and made his heart warm ans giddy, the thoughts and words Clawpaw had flooded his mind with slowly fading away. He could only give a soft smile and lean forward, running his cheek along his mates and resting his head on the taller toms shoulder, relaxing under his presence slowly. It was only Russet who could calm him down in moments like this, it was only him that could push those negative thoughts away, and the simple thought of him loving him beyond his history and origin, meant a lot to him. ¨Thank you for not looking at m-me differently,¨ his mew was soft, letting his eyes close softly to focus on how nice his mate felt pressed against him,¨I love you.¨

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by woly

Daypaws ears twitched, settling down next to the molly listening. They listened, nodding along to whatever she was saying. It wasnt easy being the new cat in town, especially being a kittypet of all thing. Hunting for your food, learning how to fight and defend. It was alot, it was something Daypaw longed for. They were only a moon away from getting their warrior name, anyway. ¨Its all new stuff, youll get settled in more eventually.Its hard to train as apprentice in a territory that isnt theirs.¨ they mewed. Which was true. The scents were different then what Lucky was brought into, the earth was damp and wet under their paws compared to the harsh feel of pine needles. They tilted their head hearing Luckys confession,¨Just combined them, problem solved.¨ they replied easily. The clan wasnt strict like others might be with their names, or atleast thats what Daypaw knew atleast. They had trouble referring to her at Nightpaw as it was,it didnt seem to fit or sit right in their mouth.

Nightpaw listened to Daypaw, relieved at first by the fact that they didn't laugh or dismiss Nightpaw's troubles as unimportant. She tilted her head in confusion. "Combine them..." she repeated. "Is that something you can do here? I've only seen one naming ceremony, but it sounds like the leader picks the names, right?" Very few things about clan life had been explicitly explained to Nightpaw. Most of what she knew now had been things she'd just picked up from listening to other cats. Nightpaw watched Daypaw for a long moment. In the distance, a lark sang its cheerful song and the sky shone magnificent and blue. "Daypaw. What do you dream about?" It was something she's wished she could ask the medicine cat for a while. And here, when the day was quiet and peaceful, it felt like a safe time. She hoped she was right.

[~Breadsticks~]

Originally Posted by Raggedclaw

She purred and curled up to him happily. "You always make me feel so warm and safe.."

"I'm glad." The tom purred happily. His eyes met her's and he just kept smiling, "I've missed just relaxing. With you.."

[graves]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Nightpaw listened to Daypaw, relieved at first by the fact that they didn't laugh or dismiss Nightpaw's troubles as unimportant. She tilted her head in confusion. "Combine them..." she repeated. "Is that something you can do here? I've only seen one naming ceremony, but it sounds like the leader picks the names, right?" Very few things about clan life had been explicitly explained to Nightpaw. Most of what she knew now had been things she'd just picked up from listening to other cats. Nightpaw watched Daypaw for a long moment. In the distance, a lark sang its cheerful song and the sky shone magnificent and blue. "Daypaw. What do you dream about?" It was something she's wished she could ask the medicine cat for a while. And here, when the day was quiet and peaceful, it felt like a safe time. She hoped she was right.

They shrugged,¨You can request a name. Or a name change for that matter, it isnt to strict here. Im most likely picking my own name unless stated otherwise,¨ they mewed. They didnt think her thoughts were dumb of the sort, soem cats were proud of where they had come from, and a name is the best way to keep that intact. They felt relaxed under the day light, letting the warmth seep into their pelt, making it shine. There was a reason for their prefix-their pelt of course. It was a peachy ginger color, almost a pale cream, the tips shining like little bits of sun themselves under the light. It was often unkept and you could see the ridges of their spine and ribs from lack of food, but the wisps of their pelt were recently groomed thanks to their mother,Geckoleaf. Well, adopted mother.

They tensed at the question, eyes going into slits and whipping their head to face Nightpaw. This had come out of no where it seemed like, and it was obviously a rather sensitive subject to talk about regarding the enby. They didnt like talking about their nightmares. Almost no one knew of them. They rarely slept, often left pacing around their den to stay awake at night until days pass and they crash from exhaustion. ¨Why do you want to know,¨ their tone was more serious, an edge to it. Obviously it was something serious if they were up to talk about it upfront.

[Raggedclaw]

Originally Posted by ~Breadsticks~

"I'm glad." The tom purred happily. His eyes met her's and he just kept smiling, "I've missed just relaxing. With you.."

"I missed this too Splashfeather." She yawned. She was beginning to drift off.

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by woly

They shrugged,¨You can request a name. Or a name change for that matter, it isnt to strict here. Im most likely picking my own name unless stated otherwise,¨ they mewed. They didnt think her thoughts were dumb of the sort, soem cats were proud of where they had come from, and a name is the best way to keep that intact. They felt relaxed under the day light, letting the warmth seep into their pelt, making it shine. There was a reason for their prefix-their pelt of course. It was a peachy ginger color, almost a pale cream, the tips shining like little bits of sun themselves under the light. It was often unkept and you could see the ridges of their spine and ribs from lack of food, but the wisps of their pelt were recently groomed thanks to their mother,Geckoleaf. Well, adopted mother.

They tensed at the question, eyes going into slits and whipping their head to face Nightpaw. This had come out of no where it seemed like, and it was obviously a rather sensitive subject to talk about regarding the enby. They didnt like talking about their nightmares. Almost no one knew of them. They rarely slept, often left pacing around their den to stay awake at night until days pass and they crash from exhaustion. ¨Why do you want to know,¨ their tone was more serious, an edge to it. Obviously it was something serious if they were up to talk about it upfront.

"Oh I see," Nightpaw said thoughtfully. She had learned by this point that warrior names had two parts to them. Based on what Daypaw was saying, there might be a name that she could ask for that would let her find a way to keep both part of her. She loved her new life, but her past was a part of her. Then again, maybe it would be better to let the past go and let the clan give her a warrior name. Nightpaw would have to think about this. Still, it made her feel a touch of relief knowing she had a choice. Nightpaw noticed that Daypaw's fur, gleaming in the sunlight, seemed to have been recently groomed. Good. They're taking care of themselves, she thought, unaware of Geckoleaf's role in Daypaw's care these days.

Nightpaw flinched a little bit at the harshness in Daypaw's tone, her ears laid flat submissively. But she wanted to know the answer, so, swallowing, she pressed on. "Back when I was in the medicine den... at night sometimes...actually a lot of the time, I would hear you muttering and crying. It was like you were in a lot of pain. Sometimes, I thought about waking you up, but I was afraid to bother you..." Nightpaw averted her gaze, an involuntary tremble rattling her frame as she recalled the sight. "And sometimes you would twist and look like you were in pain. I wish I had woken you up... but I ask because, I wonder if you have bad dreams." The shecat looked back at Daypaw, hoping the enby wouldn't be mad. She didn't mean any harm in asking. She was just... worried for her friend.

[Fel]

Originally Posted by Sage

@fenic!

Coalpaw padded gracefully along the worn path beneath her feet. She listened to the sound of the river that she had grown up close to all her life. She inhaled and then exhaled, slowly. Coalpaw stopped for a moment and sat down to rest before continuing on. She raised one paw and cleaned it. Her tail swept along the ground beneath her before curling around her paws. Coalpaw yawned and looked up at the sky above. The clouds were just so white, fluffy and extraordinary. But the night sky, oh. The stars and the moon were just so much more brilliant than the cloud and blue sky above. Blue, just blue going on for miles and miles and miles. It was neverending.

well, perhaps the only good thing about growing older was the ability to explore so many new, different places. laurelkit didn't really care too much for other cats- she was close to her siblings and her fathers, but that was about all that she gave a care in the world about. she was a bit of a free sprit, though easily upset, and not one for even casual conversation. however, today she'd been feeling like less of a grump than usual, and the older kitten had been taking a few steps into the clearing cautiously, glancing around with a sigh as she began to pad around with a bit more confidence, despite all the cats gathered around her. humming to herself, she suddenly found herself face-first into another cat's jet-black fur- immediately jumping away with a surprised expression. "h-hey-- you should watch where you were going." she huffed, though it had been her who needed to exercise control in the first place. a shame.