ThunderClan: Life Before 2020's Fire

[Moonraven]

@RedHead
As more cats gathered around to listen to Flintstar, Dragonlily's interest picked up as the tom started speaking. She digested his words, piece by pieces. It was true that Thunderclan had been somewhat rather peaceful...at least concerning the other clans. It's been nice not having to worry about blood being spilled and all of that with the cold months coming up. However, the fire had been more than enough for Thunderclan to deal with. The flame-point's face pitched itself up at the word adapt, she was hoping whatever next was said wouldn't be something outrageous. She relaxed, however, once he merely said he wanted to take more territory for the clan. That wasn't as bad as what she had running through her mind.

As much as Dragonlily liked to consider herself a peaceful cat, she had no issue fighting tooth and claw for her clan. She had a desire to fight and see the clan thrive even at the cost of another's livelihood. If taking land and prey from another clan would ensure that Thunderclan remained strong than that was what had to be done. She was in full support of Flintstar's plan and would do whatever was asked of her to help him and her clanmates carry it out. As one cat spoke up in agreement, Dragonlily added her own voice to the masses. "Peace won't fill bellies. If taking territory from another is what must be done to make sure Thunderclan stands strong then I say we do it." She let it be known that no one would hear any objections for her. All that matter to her was Thunderclan and supporting those in it even if it cost her her life. Whatever consequences that came with these actions, with extra territory and prey she was sure the clan would be able to face together.

[Sharp moon]

@RedHead
Rockclaw was going to be the first one to disagreeto this, but he held his tongue not saying anything but shaking his head."I can't agree to this." He mumbled to himself knowing if he tried to say it out loud, it would only make the leader and others furious of him.

Rockclaw had to betray his own words. "I also agree with this." He spoke out loud, But is it necessary to fight for something that's not worth fighting for?

[sunflowers.]

@RedHead

"I believe this is what is best for us, Flintstar." Adderfrost spoke up. He beamed with excitement and eagerness. To prove himself, he must help around the clan. "If you would like, I can lead something out that way. I want to help ThunderClan as much as possible."

[lone]

Originally Posted by RedHead

The large tom’s head tilted slightly. He knew Junipertail well enough to know that simply coming to spend some time with him wasn’t her sole purpose. She wasn’t exactly quiet about her opinions, as he’d learned.
There it is. He snickered to himself as she began rambling about her current state. The tom listened politely, thankful for the distraction from the looming task of cleaning out the den in front of him.

He chuckled as she finished her ramblings, shaking his head. “We all got a pretty good beating out there, didn’t we? I doubt any of us are any sort of pretty right now. So don’t feel like you’re unique.” There was a mischievous twinkle in his green eyes as he said this, a smile playing on his maw.
At her compliment though, Flintstar frowned. “I suppose I did do the best I could. Everything just came on too fast though. I was definitely thrown into something I wasn’t ready for.” His ears dropped slightly in embarrassment. He’d been deputy for nearly a whole season, and, even after a moon, the task of being leader continued to be a daunting role he had to fill. “But thank you for your compliment anyways, I’ll take any positivity I can get.” He smiled at her, before the sound of approaching paw-steps diverted his attention.

“Ah Twistedstalk!” The leader gave her a toothy smile, glad to see one of the clan’s hardest workers. Maybe she’d be open to helping me clean out this den. He waved his tail towards the ashy, branch covered entrance of the leader’s den. “Yes, I would certainly love some help from both of you to help clean up this monstrosity.” His smile faltered slightly as he glanced up the ashy highpeak. ”I haven’t let anyone touch it yet, it’s a job for myself to do, but.... I’m kinda scared... if that makes any sense.” Flintstar shook his head in exasperation, mostly at himself. “I guess I’m just a big baby about these things. I didn’t take... Passionstar’s death very well.” Most cats wouldn’t see that on the surface though, as Flintstar had been thrown headfirst into being leader and leading his clan the through a harsh time. There hadn’t even been a proper vigil for the former leader. Something with which Flintstar was still slightly upset about. He also was upset that Passionstar hadn’t given him a life or even visited him. But that’s in the past. I’m just being petty now.

Originally Posted by Haunted

"I s'pose so." Twistedstalk raised a 'brow', eyeing what she could of the leader's den, and snorted softly at the mess. The pale dapples of her pelt disappeared as she snuffled at the start of the den, scouting out what really needed to be sorted out first, and then making a mental list of this. She was so focused at the task at hand, she almost didn't catch the latter of Flintstar's words, but she managed to perk her ears just in time. In this moment her grey eyes softened and she softly padded over to his side, trying to find the right words to placate the tom..for the moment at least. A sullen cat, wouldn't make a helpful cat, and the clan needed all the help it could right now.

With a gentle sigh, she prodded Flintstar's side with a paw; "We all did, my good Flintstar. We all took it hard. The fire was very unexpected, and caused a good many losses," Twistedstalk's voice seemed to mellow out as she spoke, a hint of wistful saddness buried deep in her Southern tones, "But also, after the devastation of a fire, what comes next? Rebirth. Regrowth. New life. Thunderclan will survive." At this last statement, she tipped her cranium in a kind of solute, "And we need you to lead us, Flintstar." She gave a toothy grin as a sort of return of his as she had approached, "So come now, dear leader, and let's get that den sorted out before it's infested with rats."

Junipertail scoffed at his comment. Was he brushing her off? It wasn't funny! "Well, I'm pretty now. Thanks to us being back here." The clearing, despite having no sort of magical hold over her appearance, at least made Junipertail feel better. She'd had the energy to clean herself up more, and now that she wasn't laying out in the woods among the bugs and dirt and StarClan knew what else, she definitely felt more like herself. Not to mention, she'd finally gotten all that off her chest, so now she was doing even better than before.

"Oh, it's my pleasure." Although a flicker of worry went through her mind for Flintstar (their leader should be in a solid mental state, shouldn't he?), Junipertail soon put it aside as Twistedstalk approached. The other she-cat was a hard worker, something Junipertail herself lacked, and while she didn't know Twistedstalk very well, she guessed she was about to. Annoyed at being ignored, the she-cat cleared her throat (loudly) and flashed Twistedstalk a charming (albeit forced) smile.

"Of course, that would be fantastic. Have fun." She was preparing to leave (the last thing she wanted to do was get covered in ash) when Flintstar asked for both of their help. Junipertail sighed. She shifted her weight, trying to avoid giving an answer before heaving another, more dramatic sigh.

"If I must." As she headed towards the ash-covered den, the she-cat thought back on what he'd said after asking for helping cleaning it up. "You know, being hard on yourself isn't going to help anyone. Find some confidence in yourself, or do I have to develop mind-control and force you to find it?" That was all the advice Junipertail would give for that day. This was her being a dedicated warrior and a good clanmate. Enjoy it while it lasts, because I'm going to sleep after this. There wasn't a doubt in her mind.

She scoffed again at Twistedstalk's advice; it sounded weird to her ears, but, while she was attempting this whole "good clanmate" thing, she chose to keep her mouth shut. Besides, she could have a mental conversation with herself, couldn't she? Glancing up at the ugly-looking den, Junipertail gave a dramatic groan, ears pinning back against her head. "Alright. Let's do what needs to be done here." Mainly so I can go to sleep.

[wren]

@RedHead

Roaringthunder had emerged from the den just in time to catch the tail end of the explanation. Not soon after the passing of their own leader Flintstar seemed pretty set on taking territory for them- he wondered whether or not Passionstar would’ve done the same. The large grey tom had seated himself just outside the group watching as the cats bickered amongst each other.
The tom was quiet for the most part head shifting to each cat to hear their input then back to another as ideas bounced from one cat to the next. He was a senior warrior scars telling the stories of his experiences. “Have we thought to ask? Discuss this amongst the other leaders?” his voice was hollow and monotone. He wondered when the next gathering would swing around, it was bound to be soon. He hadn’t been paying as close attention as he’d been focused on rebuilding and salvaging what he could from camp- perhaps it was too early in the moon for another gathering. Then he guessed in a sense he could just go and claim what he could. “I-“ he paused again then quickly withdrew his thought.

———

Tangleburr had been seated just beneath the highpeak ears angled to listen as Flintstar spoke. She wasn’t enthused to hear they’d be searching to steal territory though the idea was... well it made sense to say the least.
She was convinced it would mean battle, nothing they did in this situation wouldn’t end up in some sorts of conflict. Even now the cats seemed hesitant to share their opinions freely. She examined as the cats piped up or seemed to quiet down, Rockclaw seemed quite hesitant. She would’ve brought it up but rather kept herself quiet. Most cats seemed eager eith the idea, yet she pondered the possibility of a battle that could be drawn from this conclusion. Could thunderclan suffer another hit? Especially drawing nearer to the colder seasons it meant that if- or rather when they encountered resistance from the clan they chose to steal from that good warriors would be sent into the battle. Receiving wounds and being weak and at the same time not having consistant prey flow would stunt growth. Even then there was pros and cons... having the extra territory as he’d said meant they’d be given more space, at the expense of lives and possibly moons of recovery. The suggestion was up in the air.. it could go any way.

[lone]

Rosebriar wasn't opposed to taking what was needed. Whether that was attention (good or bad), prey (she'd eat out in the territory at times), or company, she'd do what it took to get it. Flintstar's plan sounded... risky, to her. True, the other Clan might not notice, but what would happen when they did? "Have you thought about what happens when they realize we did it?" She asked, watching the leader carefully. Hey, if it came down to it, she'd do what it took. She was used to taking risks; if this was the plan, she was on board. Might as well get her thoughts out first, though. "Besides, wouldn't it be easier to take some territory from the outskirts, or something?" Maybe there wouldn't be as much prey, but it would involve less risk. Still.. if they wanted to go down this weird, risky path, she was with them.

"But hey, you feel like pushing some boundaries? I'm there."

@RedHead

[lone]

Originally Posted by Moonraven

[Open to any apprentices who wants to help]

Phoenixpaw finished clearing out the debris and old sooty bedding or rather what was left of it on one side. She glanced over her shoulder at the tawny pelted tom who was snarling at something caught on his paw. She watches her brother for a few more seconds before shaking her head back and forth and padding over to him as he muttered a few cat curses that would have had Riddlemask growling at him. "Hold still." She meowed, carefully pulling off dark moss off his paw with her own. She got a glare in return for her help but that was expected with Apocalypsepaw. "Why don't go and gather some stuff for the bedding? Dragonlily and Riddlemask left some out there earlier." She meowed, tail waving back and forth. Phoenixpaw liked keeping busy. It was easier to deal with stuff when you were busy. Apocalypsepaw was only here because Dragonlily asked/lectured him until his ears were about to fall off. "Ask if anyone would like to help too!" She called out to her brother who decided to act like he hadn't heard her. He wasn't going to ask. Even though the camp was mostly up and running there was still some work to do here and there, like clean out dens and what not.

Adderpaw was filled to the brim with energy. For the most part, the rebuilding of the camp was boring, especially when he was surrounded by stuffy warriors who wanted to do nothing but criticize the way he did things. Were they even trying to help, or were they just there to bother apprentices? Despite his annoyance at the rebuilding efforts, the apprentices' den was more important to him than his wish to go find something exciting to do, and as a result, he trotted in with his tail up, prepared to do whatever he could to help.

The entire den was a mess in general. The fire had really taken it out of the clearing, and their poor den hadn't managed to fare any better than the rest of the clearing. Spotting a she-cat near the back of the den, Adderpaw's ears flicked forward in a pleased manner. "Oh! Hey, you look like you've started on restoring this," He mewed, with a friendly grin in her direction. "How about helping a fellow apprentice out and giving him something to do, yeah?" At the very least, he wouldn't be bored anymore. This would give him someone to talk to.

[|+sari+|]

owl

Originally Posted by Calliecat

Wrenfeather had just returned from a hunting patrol with Gingerscruff and Tigerstripe, and although she'd nearly caught a mouse between her paws, it had scrambled away at the last moment. Now that she and the others were back empty-pawed, she was sure Flintstar would be disappointed - she spoke a few words with Gingerscruff, telling him to go speak to the ThunderClan leader. He nodded and went off to do so, leaving Wrenfeather to go scrounge for something to eat on the half-empty fresh-kill pile. As she approached she spied Bumblestep, casually studying the droopy-looking prey. "Hi," she meowed, "Yup, I was just going to tuck in, actually. No luck on Tigerstripe's hunting patrol," she sighed, leaning down to scoop up a small thrush, "Want to go sit by the stump?"

Bumblestep raised a brow in surprise at her offer for him to eat with her, tilting his head in slight confusion. Nobody's ever wanted to eat with him before; he's usually too nervous to ask, so he always ate alone. After a moment he gave a thankful nod and padded over to the stump in the corner of camp, leading the way. Once he reached the stump, he settled down, tucking into his meal. After a few bites, the heavyset grey tabby swallowed and glanced up at his new companion, searching his mind for some topic of conversation. And, since he wasn't the most intelligent of cats, this wasn't an easy proccess for him. He hummed a few moments as he thought, until finally something came to mind. "So, Wrenfeather... I think our clan is recovering from the fire quite well, don't you?," he inquired, slowly blinking his green orbs at her.

[Calliecat]

Originally Posted by |+Tired Rose Child+|

owl

Bumblestep raised a brow in surprise at her offer for him to eat with her, tilting his head in slight confusion. Nobody's ever wanted to eat with him before; he's usually too nervous to ask, so he always ate alone. After a moment he gave a thankful nod and padded over to the stump in the corner of camp, leading the way. Once he reached the stump, he settled down, tucking into his meal. After a few bites, the heavyset grey tabby swallowed and glanced up at his new companion, searching his mind for some topic of conversation. And, since he wasn't the most intelligent of cats, this wasn't an easy proccess for him. He hummed a few moments as he thought, until finally something came to mind. "So, Wrenfeather... I think our clan is recovering from the fire quite well, don't you?," he inquired, slowly blinking his green orbs at her.

"Agreed," Wrenfeather nodded her tabby head, plopping down next to Bumbestep and nibbling at the fresh-kill at her paws, "Some of the cats are complaining about it, though. Can't say I blame them to be honest. Prey's scarce, and I have to admit it sucks," she sighed, looking around camp with twitching ears. She'd hardly spent any time with Bumblestep, and although she wasn't one to judge, maybe the chubby tom should eat less. It seemed to her that he was eating half a fresh-kill pile a day, and that took away from the kits, elders, queens, and other able-bodied warriors. She twitched her tail.

[Haunted]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Junipertail scoffed at his comment. Was he brushing her off? It wasn't funny! "Well, I'm pretty now. Thanks to us being back here." The clearing, despite having no sort of magical hold over her appearance, at least made Junipertail feel better. She'd had the energy to clean herself up more, and now that she wasn't laying out in the woods among the bugs and dirt and StarClan knew what else, she definitely felt more like herself. Not to mention, she'd finally gotten all that off her chest, so now she was doing even better than before.

"Oh, it's my pleasure." Although a flicker of worry went through her mind for Flintstar (their leader should be in a solid mental state, shouldn't he?), Junipertail soon put it aside as Twistedstalk approached. The other she-cat was a hard worker, something Junipertail herself lacked, and while she didn't know Twistedstalk very well, she guessed she was about to. Annoyed at being ignored, the she-cat cleared her throat (loudly) and flashed Twistedstalk a charming (albeit forced) smile.

"Of course, that would be fantastic. Have fun." She was preparing to leave (the last thing she wanted to do was get covered in ash) when Flintstar asked for both of their help. Junipertail sighed. She shifted her weight, trying to avoid giving an answer before heaving another, more dramatic sigh.

"If I must." As she headed towards the ash-covered den, the she-cat thought back on what he'd said after asking for helping cleaning it up. "You know, being hard on yourself isn't going to help anyone. Find some confidence in yourself, or do I have to develop mind-control and force you to find it?" That was all the advice Junipertail would give for that day. This was her being a dedicated warrior and a good clanmate. Enjoy it while it lasts, because I'm going to sleep after this. There wasn't a doubt in her mind.

She scoffed again at Twistedstalk's advice; it sounded weird to her ears, but, while she was attempting this whole "good clanmate" thing, she chose to keep her mouth shut. Besides, she could have a mental conversation with herself, couldn't she? Glancing up at the ugly-looking den, Junipertail gave a dramatic groan, ears pinning back against her head. "Alright. Let's do what needs to be done here." Mainly so I can go to sleep.

And @RedHead )

Twistedstalk listed to Junipertail's advice next to her own with attentive ears, casting a sideways glance towards the uneager feline; despite the dainty character she played, she did carry well-spoken tongue with advice perhaps the leader needed most. Twistedstalk herself couldn't always find the words to weave together a good speech in front of her clanmates - she extremely disliked speaking in front of large crowds, even hating being present in these such crowds, and much preferred little troops like the one at the moment. Somehow, the slender feline didn't mind speaking to the leader like mostly any other cat, and even viewed him as a friend, in a way. She didn't formally know the tom, but she did believe him a reliable person, as well as this pretty lady on her flank.

Speaking off the other molly, it seemed she didn't share a mutual respect with Twistedstalk - she seemed a bit standoffish, but Twisted could figure out a way past that. She could take anyone on as an ally at this point. Her days of sitting around in a corner were done, the fire showed that. She had a tight-knit love for her clanmates, and was determined to gain the friendship of anyone she could, despite her more inward nature. She did enjoy her time alone, of course, as any respectable introvert would, but she wanted this. And she wanted this now.

She almost could've done a happy dance when she heard the seemingly most unbelievable statement from the other molly, to actually get on the den. Twistedstalk found herself airily crossing back over towards the leader's den, a chipper grin sprawled over her features, and tossed a, "Righty O' chaps, let's dig in!" Over her shoulder with the excitement of a kit about to be apprenticed.