Warrior Cats Online - RiverClan Leader's Den

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- - RiverClan Leader's Den (https://warriorcatsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35)

Ears perked as the sound of shouting echoed from Lionsden. Yes. Excellent. Clearly, Lionstar would be in need of this... thingy after what he could only assume was a disappointing turn out. Well, the leader liked shouting often, so maybe it was going well? Whatever, it didn't matter. Pebblepaw back pedaled through the crowd, dragging the stick pile along with him. Hopefully there weren't a lot of cats gathered inside, because it was about to get crowded!

Presenting himself rump first to leader, Pebblepaw struggled for a moment to pull the invention fully into the den, wiggling with mumbled apologies to anyone in the way as he was clearly in their personal space. Once it had made its way into the den, Pebble gave it a push with his head into the perfect spot - or in front of Lion as best as he could get it. Sticks... Moss... they were all over the place, but Pebblepaw didn't seem to mind as he quickly scooped them up and placed them back on top the pile.

"Lionstar!" He mewed excitedly. Any sign of his former grief upon hearing the news of Shiverpetal's passing was gone, replaced only with a shining smile and upbeat attitude. "I heard auditions and immediately went to grab this!" He flicked his tail to the stick pile. At first glance... definitely not anything to 'wow!' over. "I know, not much to look at right now.. but I've been working on this for a while!" He gave a dramatic pause, as if to let Lionstar guess what it was... but decided against that as he hurriedly replied,

"An elevated nest!" Pebblepaw gave a small bounce on his paws, his tummy chub sloshing around in sync with his movement. "I wanted to see if maybe I could show Shiverpetal at some point in time, but hrm.. may be hard now. Plus.. he was kinda weird. Nice, but.. weird! I was thinking he could have used this for his patients, you know when your sick 'n bugs start crawling up into your pelt and it's all icky and blegh!" A shiver ran down his spine. "Instead, you can sleep on this! It holds all types of cat and any weight-" To demonstrate, Pebblepaw slowly, and tentatively, stepped up on it. As it began to creak and the snapping of a few twigs could be heard, Pebblepaw let out a nervous chuckle, "Well, still a work in progress." Pebblepaw stepped off the stick contraption and shuffled his paws, green eyes excitedly locked onto Lionstar. Puffing out his chest, the apprentice waited for the obvious praise he would receive!

Morningmeadow padded to Lionstar’s den. Whoa, so many cats. I bet a lot of them want to be Medicine cat. She thought. She had always wanted to be medicine cat, it always seemed so nice to be able to help cats in need. “H-Hi Lionstar. I’m here to audition for Medicine cat.” She said. “I know i have my flaws, like not being the strongest, being anxious and panicky sometimes, and not being able to just let things go. But, i think- I think I could be at least a Semi-good fit for the role.” Morningmeadow said. She was getting really anxious now, shuffling her feet and not making eye contact. But, she took a deep breath and calmed down. She looked at Lionstar with determination. “I’m persistent, i’ll do everything in my power to make sure a cat is okay. Nothing, not even the toughest leaf-bares, or the biggest set-backs cat shake my optimistic attitude. I know i don’t know everything, but I’m very willing to learn and adapt to different situations.” Morningmeadow took a breath. That was a lot that she just said! “So, as I said, I think I’d be at least a Semi-fit for the role. But that’s for you to decide, not me. So, what do you think?“

The Calliby made his way into the Leaders den, fur incredibly messy and a serious expression plastered on his face. As the warrior pushed his way past the fronds he strut in and stood there for a few seconds. No words were said and Gentlethunder didn’t even move an inch before a gigantic grin bloomed on his face. “Want me to preform an act for you? Little River dance?” he snickered.

Honeyflame had been waiting outside Lionsden, wincing at all the harsh yowls and hisses coming from within. Nobody seemed to be impressing him, and that worried her. Was he being too critical? Surely the Clan was not that pathetic...were they? It took her a while to gather everything she needed for her audition, especially since it was winter. Hopefully she'll be able to impress him enough. She could really use a way out of her current situation with Goldenshade...

When the last wave auditioners came out of the den, Honeyflame took a deep breath, scooped up her ingredients, then went inside with the next group. “Hello, Lionstar.” She gave her golden leader a warm smile as she took a seat. “I’m here for the medicine cat auditions. Hope you’re hungry.” She winked, then spread out all her ingredients on a clean mossy surface in front of him: a freshly caught salmon, some mixed berries, dried flower petals, and wintergreen. “Today, I will be preparing a meal for you.”

Unsheathing her claws, Honeyflame began to carefully split the fish down the middle of its belly. “Back when ThunderClan was full of prey, I used to hunt and prepare meals like this all the time. My favorite one was pheasant with parsley, mmm mmm!” Once the salmon had a fairly clean split down the middle, she peeled it into two separate halves, then shoved it’s guts and funny head aside. “But after the fire, it became impossible for me to experiment with my meals anymore. So when I came to RiverClan, I was DYING to experiment with all the different kinds of fish and creatures of the water! A salmon was the first fish I caught, and I was just so inspired to make something fun with it!”

Her tongue stuck out as she carefully overlapped the two pieces of salmon, skin sides down. Now that the fish was done, Honeyflame scooped all the colorful berries together and began squishing them into a fine jelly. “It can be a little tedious, but if I had access to all herbs, I’d be able to perfect my craft. Medicine cats should do more than offer treatments and checkups, ya know? If chosen, I'd be honored to teach the Clan how to make easy and healthy meals on the spot." Done making the jelly, she gently glazed the salmon with it, "As you can see, I have an eye for perfection..." once the purplish-red glaze was oozed nicely over the fish, she grabbed a pawful of the wintergreen leaves and sprinkled them over the meal for a splash of contrasting color. "Who knows, maybe I'll even host some festivals since I love socializing so much. I could even decorate camp, too. I'm not limited to just food! But you know what they say – food is the ingredient that binds us all together.

"To be honest, I didn't have to make this meal all fancy looking...but this is a competition, after all." Honeyflame puffed her chest proudly, giving a nod of satisfaction. The flower petals were all she had left now, and with her meal finished, she scooped them all up and threw them in the air! "Voilà! We have ourselves a lovely fresh salmon, glazed with sweet mixture of berries, all accompanied by some wintergreen, which will help balance out the sweet richness and give it a little texture...it also adds a splash of color!" Her cheeks puffed as she spoke, smiling ear to ear. "And it's all yours. Let me know your honest opinions, please."

"Hey Lionstar-r-rrrr..." the brown tabby sneezed onto the leader's pelt. Embarrassment stirred inside the warrior's belly. "S-sorry!" he bowed his head, pleading for forgiveness of his sickly actions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hxneysuckle (Post 639234)

Speeding to the Lionsden, Palepaw rushed inside and bounced on his paws, waiting for Lionstar to stop SCREAMING at another cat before he spoke. Once he was finished doing so, the apprentice hopped closer and stopped in front of the leader, a wide grin on his face. "I wanna help take care of cats while Shiverpetal is sleeping!" he exclaimed excitedly. His copper eyes were bright, opened as wide as they could be as he stared up at the tree-like cat. In order to look Lionstar in the eye he had to upturn his head backwards almost completely, making the young tom look rather silly. "I can take care of the leaves until he wakes up, and make the Clan all better!" Palepaw bounced back and forth on his paws as he spoke, spinning in a circle a couple times to release the bubbling excitement within his body.

"Who let the kit in here?!" Lionstar hissed loudly at the sight of Palepaw. "Sugarapple [ @vermin ], get your son out of here!!!"

More quietly, Lionstar loomed over the bubbly tom with a snarl. "Let me get this straight: Shiverpetal is dead and he's not coming back, and you need to stop pretending like he is. Besides, I made it clear at the meeting I want warriors not kits or stupid apprentices! Get out of my den! NEXT!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silhouettes (Post 639236)

Stepping into the den with a bounce in his step, Amberdawn surveyed the surroundings. Wow, there were a lot more cats up for the position than he anticipated. Taking the opportunity to (attempt) to fix his always messy coat, he quickly gave up after the tangled mess prove to be quite... difficult. That's what he got from runnin' around so much. When no cats seemed to be talking, he took the chance to pipe in. "Lionstar, I'm here to audition as the medicine cat." Grimacing slightly as his voice came out as squeaky and high-pitched compared to his usual forced deep and lyrical tone, the ginger feline cleared his throat before resuming. "I think you should pick me for this position because I would be able to comfort some of the younger members of the clan if they happened to get injured." He started cheekily. The tom always had a connection with kits and the more playful apprentices. Some would say it was because of how "immature" he was, but he liked to think that he just... well no it was just because of his childish personality. "I'm not very, well, invested in much as of yet, so I would be able to put it all into this position. And the reason why you should pick me over the others is because I would be easy to work with, and would... try not to difficult, for both the patients sake, yours, and my own." Did that seem good? Well he hoped it did. Since the leader seemed to be prone to anger issues and explosions, Amberdawn presumed that he would want the ease of being able to rely on someone. If getting the role meant he would have to stop pulling pranks and whatnot, so be it. He could just do it more sneakily, anyways.

"If I wanted to be bored to death by an audition, I'd have asked for Sootfather to preform! NEXT!" For Star's sake, did Amberdawn think this pathetic display of trait listing would make Lionstar consider him? It was so lame.

Quote:

Originally Posted by :Grimm: (Post 639282)

"I think you need to work on your acting skills, Morningmeadow! NEXT!" Another trait lister, but this one screamed with nervousness and uncertainty that Lionstar didn't care for. It wasn't even endearing like Fawnsqueak's-- it was just.. distracting, annoying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ever (Post 639235)

Goldencloud winced as he stepped into the threshold of the den to hear the yelling of 'NEXT'. Though it didn't intimidate him, he just felt bad for whoever was on the receiving end. Hopefully they had enough guts to handle that and walk out with their dignity. He wasn't certain he was right for the position, but at least he was confident that he could do it well. So why not? He had thought about it since hearing of the passing of the last medicine cat. Golden knew little of herbs, but he did know how to stuff a wound with cobwebs, what more did they need? He'd learn the rest later if he got the position.

He slunk in, golden eyes quickly looking over the large cat that resided in the den. The large leader made Goldencloud look life a dwarf of a cat, so he ruffled his tabby coat up, trying to make himself seem larger. In all honestly, it just made him look like a puffball.

"Lionstar, if you want a good medicine cat I can do it. Let's be honest, I don't know anything past cobwebs in terms of care but I learn quick." He looked at the lion and shrugged, he didn't really know what to say. He wasn't very unique, but he told things like it was. Sometimes maybe a little too honestly for his own good. "I'm pretty stern, but I can have a good time when I need it. I don't put up with crap either, so the weak links of the clan wouldn't be getting anything out of me for help. I only care for those who are worthy."

He had a hard set in his eyes, though he doubted anything would come from the interaction. He had no experience, no personality to stand up to that of Lionstar's anyways. He'd decided his fate was to be a decent warrior, y'now do his part. Though it did make his blood race a little to at least try for it. Why not? He was devoted, loyal and would do anything for this clan. No reason not to at least try.

"Goldencloud, if I wanted a dad as a medicine cat I'd make Firehawk take the position. NEXT!" At least he appreciated Goldencloud had some less common traits than the others: nice, nervous, helpful-- those were all overdone and undesirable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by x ghostie (Post 639261)

the warrior listened intently to the sounds coming from the devious lionsden. their was a line for auditions-- pretty much and in all truth, slivershade was.. beginning to feel.. dare they say.. nervous?
they would chew on their bottom lip, trying to think things over for once. impulse. everything they did was on impulse. slivershade believed as a pacifist, medicine cat was the best route. even if herbs made their nose hurt and dealing with.. b..blood would prove to be a difficult task, that didn't matter. they could figure it out later.
so, slivershade took a deep breath and entered the den. flashing their sparkling grin. lights. camera. action!
"HELLO DEAR GOLDEN LEADER, " they started off, bowing slightly in respect to the fluff known as lionstar. slivershade's eyes gleam with excitement, lifting their head back up to meet lionstar's gaze. "you can assume why ive come to visit your lovely,, place!" they smiled, glancing around the den. could use more décor. yes. yes. "you may be questioning why, why should i let slivershade attempt this role? WELL!" slivershade clear their throat, taking a prep breath for the yelling they were about to attempt. "FIRSTLY. I CAN OFFER MY ENDLESS AFFECTION AND DETERMINATION!" they started off, twirling around dramatically. the yelling strain slivershade's voice, causing some voice cracks to appear in the statement. "i'll experiment with herbs until i get them right. either on prey or me. or both. it's not perfect way to learn but i promise to ensure i'll learn quickly, " slivershade explained-- nodding along as they talked.
"SECONDLY, i plan to make an impression on this world. using my claws is an option i'm trying to avoid. if being a medicine cat is the less harmful choice, why not then?" slivershade grin, finishing off their rather short and dramatic speech. considering what they had planned... this was tame. ''let me undergo your heart-racing, blood pumping, dangerous trail lionstar." slivershade stated. it didn't matter if the warrior was thrown out and rejected. they had said this before-- they were determined and had plenty time to repeat their speech over and over until they received a maybe.

"Silvershade, I appreciate your attempt of a performance but having a dislike for fighting is not unique! Besides, I don't need you trying to take MY SPOTLIGHT." Lionstar could see Silvershade's flair for dramatics and he wasn't digging it-- this was his Clan, and no one would outshine him. "NEXT!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dust (Post 639279)

Oh, not the fat one!!!

"Pebblepaw, where do I even begin with you?" Lionstar growled. "Your pile of sticks couldn't even hold a kit, and if I let you near that den you'd suck the herbs down like you suck down prey!! I don't need you getting even fatter, I'm amazed you could even get through my den entrance. NEXT!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fae (Post 639443)

Lionstar didn't really know how to touch this one..

"Okay." A.. fancy fish?? Lionstar didn't see the purpose of it but at least it was more interesting and engaging than the Graypelts of RiverClan. "Thanks for your audition, Honeyflame.. it's definitely one of the better attempts tonight!"

He'd give her that hope and a small smile. At least she showed him innovation and creativity, unlike the slackers telling him their personalities. Who the hell cared? "You're dismissed!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starfall (Post 639382)

At Gentlethunder's entrance, Lionstar quirked his brow. "You can call me Lionstar, not little river dance, but okay. Sure. Fire away, Jerknose."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirtfur (Post 639449)

Lionstar recoiled at Dirtfur's attempt to sneeze on him, claws lashing out to slash at Dirtfur's face. "Get away from me you disobedient pig!!! I told you to rest, you piece of fox-dung!! What is wrong with you?? You can't even listen to a simple order!"

Dirtfur bend his head down, locking cold amber eyes on the sandy stone. Embarrassment swallow the deputy. Then a new heated pain came in. The claw of the leader slashed down. It started on the right-top of his head through his nose, and down to his left sided chin. Luckily, it didn't scratched his eye.. but that is another time. "I-I'm sorry... This won't happen again!" he apologized again, scampering off out of the den and to the medicine cat's den, hoping that the leader doesn't follow him.

"You bet it won't!" Lionstar spat after him, fur bristling. Did Dirtfur think Lionstar was just going to let this slide after everything Dirtfur had done?? "Because you're not going to be a deputy anymore!"

[ @Dirtfur ]

[ @vermin ]

He cowered down as Lionstar stood over him, ears flattening against his head. The marbled apprentice's lip quivered and he gave a quiet, barely-audible whimper. Palepaw's eyes were wide with shock and fear as the leader yelled at him, paws frozen in place. He felt the urge to dash out of the den. Why was his heart beating so fast? Where had all of his excitedment gone? What was this bad feeling? Palepaw must have scared away the happiness he had felt. Did he need Shiverpetal to bring it back again? He didn't know. All he could think to do was flatten himself against the floor of the den and cover his watering eyes (why were they raining?) with his paws, flinching every time Lionstar yelled at another cat.
He just wanted his Momma.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BILL. (Post 639468)

slivershade's eyes crinkled, not so surprised at the rejection. you cannot judge a character without properly knowing them. so this was only stage one of performance. take it as.. a preview. slivershade only smiled brightly at lionstar, "aww.. lionstar, " they sniffle-- tilting their head as their expression became more soft and fond. "you're such a sweetiefluff! complimenting me like this? so soft, aawh, " slivershade would swoon-- filled with honor. yet they shook their head to the other part. still a compliment in slivershade's opinion, daring to suggest the cat would try to take lionstar's spotlight. too stressful and formal. only cats who wanted to die of exhaustion would step into a leader's spotlight.
slivershade turn away, satisficed with what they had gotten in response. if it had gone worse, endless pestering would have to be sentenced to the golden leader. yet lionstar's anger also played a factor. very much ready to explode any moment. "i shall come back with the second stage of my performance! adjusted to fit your picky taste! you can just exist and be a darling!" slivershade purr, skipping happily out the den. yes. yes. time to figure out what herbs were tasty.

[ @BILL. ]

Goosepaw shifted on his paws, glancing at the ground. How was Lionstar so calm about this? At least I didn't get screamed at or smacked. I get that he has to be tough for his Clan, but... Wasn't he the least bit upset? It was hard to lose cats you had grown to know, to like... to love. He flicked an ear, as if dismissing the thought, then turned to leave.
But he paused, hesitating at the edge of the den. The notion of asking for the position, of trying out to replace Shiverpetal, briefly flickered through his mind. It would make Shimmeringpaw proud, wouldn't it? Maybe reassure her, let her know she had someone she could trust in a position of power to make sure everything went right for her. But according to what he had heard, medicine cats couldn't have kits, couldn't raise families. They were restricted for life to watch as they cat they loved change and grow and pull further and further away.
And you know what? It isn't worth it. Because I have unfinished business... and I have Shimmeringpaw. "Yes, Lionstar," he murmured, "that's all." He departed from the den.

@BILL.

Otterleg strutted into the den, her golden eyes were hard, irritated...
She gazed around the den, this was a dung-show. She could hear screams coming out of Lionsden all day. Cats being shoved in and out, cats dragging things in and out.

Ugh...
She wasn't up for it today.

But she put on a smile, put on her charms (she knew she had them).

She padded in and looked around. A few apprentices scattering before Lionstar, a fish with some berries smushed on top (greeaatee....) and a few other things.

Otterleg padded close to Lionstar, and grinned at him.

"I've been a warrior for thirteen moons, I've gone from losing my leg to climbing my way back to being a great warrior."

She padded around him and back to his front, lighting her tail across his shoulders with a soft smile.

"And now my clan needs someone to heal these sick cats." Her voice hardened with determination. "Dirtfur needs someone to help heal him. He's sick, and even though he can't take care of himself...." She paused, pursing her lips. "The clan cares for all of their cats."

"Darlin'," a soft voice echoed from the entry way as the tortie queen walked in. A few words she'd caught but not all of it. When it comes to Palepaw's sweet and pure self its so hard to tell..the cold, honest truth. But, he's an apprentice now and will have to face many misfortune in the future. It's about time he knows the harsh reality of life. "He's right, Palepaw," she stood behind him, brushing her muzzle against his fur to solace him. "Shiverpetal is gone forever. I guess you can see it as a endless sleep.." Flinching from Lionstar's shouting at other cats she gently shoved Palepaw to stand up properly so they can walk out together. "No time for fear or sadness, now. You're in front of leader here!" her voice elevated in hopes to raise up his spirit. A small smile spread across the feline's maw. "Stand up tall, look 'em dead in the eye and tell Lionstar that he's missin' out, oh well for you! And walk out with pride. C'mon, let's see it."
[ @hxneysuckle ]

Lionstar twitched his ears at Otterleg's touch, tempted to tuck himself closer together out of discomfort-- not because of her, but because he could still feel the disgusting sneeze on his pelt.

Ugh.. "One moment, dear.."

Lionstar got to his paws to briefly leave his den, using the snow to wipe the grossness from his pelt before he returned, damper but feeling better. "Your Dirt-friend decided to disobey my orders and spread his sickness about like a slob. Once these auditions are over, I'll be calling a new meeting.. for both a new medicine cat and a deputy." Continued disobedience was not something he'd take lightly, and he wanted Dirtfur's crush to know he failed in his duty. "I cannot have him act out any further. I'm sure you understand, even as his friend."

Lionstar was aware this was an act, an attempt to flatter him to alter his decision-- but he wasn't in a rush to jump to picking her. "I hope you have more of a desire to be in the position than just your tom-friend? You know medicine cats aren't supposed to be in a relationship, Otterleg."

[ @CheetahPelt ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BILL. (Post 639497)

She looked at Lionstar with her brow slightly furrowed. She sighed slightly. Of course Dirtfur tried to do more and just got Lionstar angry. “You must think ill of me if you think I don’t know that.” She sat up straighter.

His words hadn’t broken her resolve. But maybe they had opened another option up...

“I know that medicine cats need to be strong of will. To not give into temptation. I also know that you wouldn’t have a cat that wasn’t strong by your side. As deputy, or as medicine cat.” She tilted her head to the side, fluffy ears twitching. “This clan can’t have weak cats heading it. Sick cats or emotionally weak. That’s why I had no doubt we would win the battle between us and Shadowclan. We had you to lead us.” She smiled again at the big golden Tom.

"No, I wanted you to be aware of his behavior in case he.." Lionstar glanced outside of his den. "Tries, anything. His behavior has been erratic lately and I don't trust him in the slightest." The more of a wedge in place, the better. "After he decided to expel his disgustingness onto me-- Star Cats knows why, I told him to rest and recover, I lashed out at him to get his sorry hide away from me. He seems to have received a larger wound than I intended.."

His gaze was fully on Otterleg. "To not give into temptation means you'll need to be prepared to be unbiased in everything you do. Dirtfur has a facial injury, the severity I don't know. But would you be able to push your emotions for him aside in the event another Clan-mate is in need of more help? To allow him to be in pain longer because the well-being of another Clan-mate is at stake?

"To risk driving a rift between you, in the event he feels like he should be your priority?"

[ @CheetahPelt ]

Dirtfur, being erratic?
Lionstar didn’t trust him?
But when she had spoke to him in the warriors den, he didn’t even seem like he could get off the floor.

“Thank you for letting me know, Lionstar.” She dipped her head slightly, not breaking eye contact.

Not letting her emotions cause bias...

Now that wasn’t something Otterleg was the best at.

“Every cat has worth in the clan.” She meowed, furrowing her brow. Her determined gaze didn’t break from Lionstars.

It hadn’t been a very long time since Dirtfur and Otterleg has told each other they liked each other.

This might be more difficult then she thought.

Lionstar raised his eyebrow at her, noting the look of surprise on her face. "Have you not heard? Dirtfur accosted Fawnsqueak and I, demanded us both to 'get off our asses and do something for once'-- keeping in mind, both Fawn and I have worked our tails off for this Clan.. and to be disrespected out of the blue? Unheard of. I was willing to forgive him with a warning-- after all, being an asshole for no reason? That's not how you get a Clan to listen to you.

"... but then he decided to put himself on a patrol and take a nap. He abandoned his Clan-mates in favor of sleeping in the territory, and had no excuse for his behavior. He gave me some half-assed apology and scampered off. I had hoped, that'd be the last of his unruliness until I heard about the sick kit he found in the nursery. He apparently relocated her to Shiverpetal's den as I instructed, but left her without supervision-- he didn't even tell Shiverpetal she was there! She left the den to mingle with the other kits, potentially infecting them-- before she escaped camp and we caught her at the ThunderClan border. It was Fawn who took her to ShadowClan for treatment, and while she is on the slow road to recovery.. it seems Dirtfur has only become more careless.

"Mingling with our Clan-mates, spreading his sickness after I told him to rest.. he has become a danger to our Clan, and I need a strong-willed medicine cat to put him in his place and make sure he ceases his intolerable behavior. I need to know this, Otterleg: would you be able to handle causing a rift between you and him, to ensure the security of your Clan as a whole?"

[ @CheetahPelt ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BILL. (Post 639513)

She froze up.

Dirtfur?

The sweet Tom she had admitted she liked?

She knew he was irresponsible about his own health, wheezing in the warriors den.

But this was different...

He had broken her calm exterior. She squinted up at him, ears lowered. “Dirtfur did all that?” She asked, tone disbelieving. “That’s so reckless and lazy...”

And she did what she did best.

And started to pace, or more, shift from paw to paw to paw.

“I can’t believe he would do things like that.”

But he was sick, couldn’t that have messed up his brain? It was a chest sickness though.

She reverted to what she had been taught even as a kit.

She stopped. Stock still, and her head shot up. Her glimmering gold eyes met his.

“The clan always comes first.”

"It is reckless, terribly so.." Lionstar gave Otterleg a sympathetic smile. "I had high expectations for him, but he single-pawedly ruined everything I hoped for. I wish things could have been different.. I thought he was a better tom than he showed me he was.

"Alas, it's best he showed these colors before much time in the position has passed. I am glad.. this was revealed within a couple moons of his position.. and not many moons along.

"I appreciate your honesty, Otterleg. I know it's difficult to put aside your personal feelings, and I would understand if you found yourself ever in a wavering position. I have not made up my mind yet on who will take the position of medicine cat.. and I will leave auditions open for a bit longer, but know that you have had one of the best ones so far.

"I don't need personality traits preached to me. A conversation about intent goes a long way.. and it's nice to know there's a level headed but firm cat out there, prepared to sacrifice a relationship for the greater good."

Lionstar nodded to her, wrapping his tail around his paws as he took a seat near the center of his den. "You are dismissed. It may be in your best interest to see what Dirtfur is up to.. keep an eye on him for me, while I'm dealing with these lame audition attempts?"

[ @CheetahPelt ]

STAGE TWO OF AUDITION.. COMENCE!

slivershade paddle into the den, unaware that there was a audition going on. considering it was pretty quiet. they took a step back outside of the den. must be respectful to the others. was that.. otterleg in there? they were pretty sure at least. slivershade would never forget a darling like otter! yet never had really interacted with the she.
slivershade blink, almost forgetting what they were doing. they heard the word dismiss and took this as a signal to reenter. after otterleg would leave, the warrior spoke up. it was noticeable that they were carrying.. something...? in their mouth? uh, sliver..?
"HELLO!! im backkk for PART TWO!" slivershade mrrow but their voice was extremely muffled. they dropped the mash of herbs-- generally withered up and old. slivershade didn't wish to waste good herbs for a non-existent wound. slivershade clear their throat, walking over to lionstar. they gently nudge the leader on the side, gesturing for him to roll over. "my good sir, if you would. i heard the great beast had gave you a nasty wound on your stomach! no, no. not acceptable. disgraceful the beast would dare but nonetheless, " slivershade gave lionstar another persisent nudge. "i have brought my WONDERFUL, not-- NOT withered herbs for you, " they scooted the herbs close with their tail.
slivershade's baby blue eyes gleam and you can assume the cat was missing a few braincells. though, in their opinion lionstar requested interesting auditions on such a short notice... slivershade was doing their best! hmph! they gave the golden leader a wink, "play alonggg… act as if im generally the medicine cat and you are wounded horribly!" slivershade whispered in a hushed voice.
luckily they brought a twig in case lionstar was being stubborn.

sorry lionstar about the torture youre going to go through.

Lionstar didn't know what Silvershade was talking about, and frankly he didn't want to. Perhaps he would have been more inclined to act along if he hadn't already dismissed this one, and it seemed this one.. was incapable of understanding that? He might be dealing with another Flintstar here!

"Didn't I tell you to leave?" He was more than a little annoyed, having wanted to see someone new-- fresh! Silvershade would probably be better off trying to pretend to be someone new. "Scram! Silver-be-gone! NEXT!"

[ @x ghostie ]

Omenshade exhaled a breath away, and with it, their exterior faded into neutrality fit for business. Not hard to do when their twoleg owner had been basically a grey rock equipped with a feeding dispenser and a revolving cast of strangers sitting on the furniture and blabbing nonstop, but those days were over. This was about survival, and keeping the clan fit to continue surviving through a mixture of traditional and inventive means. Yes, they had ideas. Unconventional, perhaps a war crime, but they were tactics. "Lionstar," they greeted cordially. "Your elite warriors are coming along nicely. May I ask when you intend on implementing poison? Starting with non-toxic substances for training, of course, but I expect you'll want to upgrade them after."
They waited a moment to reveal what they'd brought with to this audition, an assortment of leaves from Shiverpetal's den. Many smelled familiar, but they weren't here to list their names. They had something more important in mind. Omenshade organized them haphazardly between them and Lionstar. "I'd like you to look at these," they said and dipped their head to the pile. Voice a rumble, they went on, "It is very important that you concentrate, Lionstar. Ignore distractions, and tell me what you see. This exercise is most beneficial if you look beyond surface observations."

Hmmm?

Well, this was new.. and Lionstar could appreciate his knack for recognizing his unannounced brilliance when it came to adding poison to the claws of his elites. "I planned on waiting to add the non-toxic version once we had a steady amount of regular cats involved in the sessions." No point in sharing their secrets with those uninterested in attending.

He was curious.. if not a little wary of Omenshade's scheme when he whipped the leaves out. "I hope this isn't the opening to you showing me out to slice open a fish and sprinkle some herbs on it... is gazing into the leaves supposed to make me have a vision of what flavors are?"

[ @Kitty Mama ]

"I see. I suspect the regular trainees will also be most likely to appear on the battlefield anyways." Omenshade didn't care one way or the other, just was glad that the opening line managed to slide by Lionstar without a hitch. That was a paw in the den for the more important aspect of this discussion. Lionstar's response wasn't getting them anywhere, but Omenshade was unfazed. "I think it might help to relax. Take a breath in and a breath out," they meowed as Lionstar cracked a sarcastic quip. "Good. Now I'd just like you to look at this arrangement of leaves and tell me what you see."

What a weirdo..

But Lionstar was interested to see where this went.

Leaning over the arrangement, he did his best to focus on the stupid leaves without letting himself get distracted.

Huh, it was strange.. giving them a closer look, he could only come up with one solution. "... a bird...?"

He didn't really like birds, ugh. Stupid things with their equally dumb faces and cruel pecking.

[ @Kitty Mama ]

((sorry shorter))
Birds, interesting. They took note of that. Omenshade collected the leaves by gathering them toward themself with their paws, then spread them in another arrangement. "Let's do one more," they coaxed the leader, "then we can talk about you for a little while. But before getting to that, take your time and tell me what you see now."

As much as Lionstar loved to talk about himself, even he knew they were on a time crunch. So many wastes of time in so little time..

He'd humor this next leaf pile, but after that? He'd try to cut things short.

Lionstar would admit, he liked to gaze at the dumb little things. He could swear sometimes he saw his reflection in the shiny green leaves.

This time, it was harder than before. Less obvious, but there was only one thing that came to mind. "A ..puffy deer tail."

[ @Kitty Mama ]

"A deer tail and a bird," Omenshade echoed thoughtfully while they scooped up the leaves again for the last time, but their tone didn't betray any way of feeling about Lionstar's answers. They were quite fascinating, definitely pointed to future sessions and alot left to uncover. Matter-of-factly, they began considering the reading, "The bird links us to the stars and the sun, and deer are often viewed as symbolic of authority. I believe something here points to an instability in your leadership, a hardship. The deer tail... has someone with authority turned their back on you recently, perhaps betrayed your trust?" Omenshade wasn't done yet, their claws clinking on the flooring of the den deep in thought. "The bird is... complicated. Maybe you felt you were robbed of a kithood by being metaphorically kicked out of the nest too early." He waited to give Lionstar a while to process that or connect it to events of his life. "I am feeling that you're looking for something- or someone- to ground you. Your 'tree' to land in and feel safe, even if you are still a bird and crave freedom." But he wasn't done yet, they had so much more to discuss! Lionstar was full of potential, and Omenshade yearned to get him to open up, take a real look at what was inside Riverclan's leader. "The deer may have a double meaning here, maybe there is someone 'dear' to you who brings out your playful and peaceful side, both traits of this majestic creature. Does this sound at all familiar, Lionstar?"

Lionstar was growing more and more uncomfortable with each word Omenshade was saying, and the fur along his spine bristled defensively at his question.

"No. I don't know what you're talking about, and I think you've shown me enough of this foolishness! If you want to play with leaves, Omenshade, the nursery is just a few dens down."

[ @Kitty Mama ]

Goldencloud considered what would result in walking our while saying he would simple take up quarters in the den. After a moment of thought he figured Lionstar probably wouldn't like the disobedience. The dad part did make him snort though, Goldencloud had never really seen himself as such a character. He found half the time he spent with Shimmeringpaw the truths he told her made her on the verge of tears. His tail tip curled amusedly behind him as he gave the lion one last glittering look.

"Well, when you've decided you've had enough of your fun with these auditions and would like to tell me what you need or want in a medicine cat, let me know. My offer doesn't die with your NEXT!" He tried to mimick the way Lionstar kept calling next at cats, though a little more shrill to add some bite to the word. He aught to not mock the leader but the chance was there and he couldn't resist a jab even if it meant a snarl.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BILL. (Post 639518)

“Thank you very much, Lionstar.” She meowed, dipping her bead once more.

She needed to talk to Dirtfur again. She needed to know if this was true. She needed to know if her Tom was as sweet as she thought.

“It’s good to know that I’m a strong competitor.”

She rose from her spot and padded out of the den, heading back into the clan.

Morningmeadow tilted her head slightly. Acting skills? she didn’t know what Lionstar has meant by that. But she bowed her head and said “Thank you for your time.” Before leaving.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BILL. (Post 639534)

slivershade nodded. yes. of course lionstar had told them to go off blah blah. "but i said i was going to go come back because of course, darling. you cannot make a proper audition in such a short time! you did not reject therefore you agreed to this " they explain, not moving an inch besides grabbing the twig from the pile.
determination was key. ish.
slivershade gently tap lionstar on the head with their twig, tilting their head to the right. "cmon, goldie. work with me. only for a few minutes. it doesn't have to be on your stomach! ill just check your side. then i'll leave you for a day. let me entertain you, please?" they pleaded, knitting their eyebrows together. oh hopefully this wasn't pushing it to far. slivershade moved the imaginary wound up and started to examine lionstar's stomach.
so much fluff. "i told you. i'm going to seriously commit to the role, "
slivershade moved to their withered herb pile and picked up a random herb. poultice. how did.. "chew, chew, chew." slivershade mumbled out-- not wanting to actually chew the herb up. they dab the herb on lionstar's 'wound'-- circling it. "tell me if im being too rough!"

Omenshade took the criticism calmly, it was to be expected when this was probably Lionstar's first experience with evaluating himself. "Don't fear," they meowed clinically, "denial is very common a defense mechanism. I will help you get past that. See you in.. lets say three sunrises?" Waving their tail in parting, Omenshade disappeared from the leader's den.

Well, this wasn't going to go as expected.

Honeywhisker was prepared to tell Lionstar of her personality and how she could do this and do that, and that she was a good pick for medicine cat. But considering the way he had reacted to the other trait listers, she felt that wasn’t the right path to go down. She made a quick and rushed idea in her head and prayed to Starclan that it would work.
“Hey Lionstar, I’m here for medicine cat auditions.” She started. “I WAS going to tell you all about my personality and such, but considering how well you reacted to the other trait listers, i thought, Hey! Maybe i shouldn’t talk only about my personality, Maybe it’d be a good idea to also talk about something a little more unique. ” She said. Honeywhisker wasn’t about to get herself lectured by Lionstar, it wasn’t going to help her low self-esteem, that’s for sure. “So, this may seem a bit rushed, I hope you forgive me.” She said. “I’ve always wanted to be medicine cat, ever since i walked into their den and got honey all over my face. That, was how I got my name. It just always seemed so appealing to help others in need, sometimes i used to dream about what i’d be like. Now, dreams don’t mean anything, unless you follow through with them. Unlike other’s, I won’t sit just on my ass and expect high positions in the clan to be handed to me on a silver platter. I’m not like Eveningpaw, I’m willing to work for those positions, and i’m willing to work to keep those positions.” She said.
Was that enough? Would she need more to convince Lionstar? She calmed herself down a bit, as she was getting a bit too excited. She didn’t want something to accidentally slip out that wasn’t suppose to. “In short, Even with my flaws, I won’t let cats die just because i’m too lazy. I’m not going to start out strong and then decline into a useless pile of dirt. I will stay strong, and i’m willing to do anything to prove that to you if you don’t believe me.”
Honeywhisker had finally finished. She hoped this was enough for Lionstar to at least consider her. She had talked about her personality some, but she hoped it balanced out with the other things she said. She was acting a bit out of her personality, usually she wasn’t so mean about other cats and she was usually a bit nicer. But she was determined to get this role, whether she had to fight for it or not.

Lionstar was glad when Omenshade got the hell out of his den, and he certainly wasn't going to meet him again in a few days.. what a freak.

But, perhaps that freakiness could be put to good use one day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ever (Post 639554)

"I told you, boring. Shoo, shoo, get out of here! If you want to act like a kit, Goldencloud-- you can play with Omenshade's leaves in the nursery."

Lionstar had lost interest in Goldencloud a long time ago, and further attempts of Goldencloud trying to be snarky would be met with disregard.

Quote:

Originally Posted by x ghostie (Post 639584)

slivershade nodded. yes. of course lionstar had told them to go off blah blah. "but i said i was going to go come back because of course, darling. you cannot make a proper audition in such a short time! you did not reject therefore you agreed to this " they explain, not moving an inch besides grabbing the twig from the pile.
determination was key. ish.
slivershade gently tap lionstar on the head with their twig, tilting their head to the right. "cmon, goldie. work with me. only for a few minutes. it doesn't have to be on your stomach! ill just check your side. then i'll leave you for a day. let me entertain you, please?" they pleaded, knitting their eyebrows together. oh hopefully this wasn't pushing it to far. slivershade moved the imaginary wound up and started to examine lionstar's stomach.
so much fluff. "i told you. i'm going to seriously commit to the role, "
slivershade moved to their withered herb pile and picked up a random herb. poultice. how did.. "chew, chew, chew." slivershade mumbled out-- not wanting to actually chew the herb up. they dab the herb on lionstar's 'wound'-- circling it. "tell me if im being too rough!"

In a flash, Lionstar was on his paws with an angry hiss! "I told you to get out, Silvershade! Get away from me and get out of my den! I don't want to see another piece of your hair, do you understand me?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by :Grimm: (Post 639774)

"Honeywhisker," Lionstar had to face-paw as he spoke. ".. at what point did you not list personality traits? Helpful, not lazy, strong-willed. That was the gist of the speech you gave me." But he could see the tension in her shoulders that screamed otherwise. "You're dismissed, and I think I'm done with these auditions."

What a waste of his time, honestly. He had been hoping for more creativity and all he received was annoyance, disappointment, .. there were only a couple cats he felt he could seriously consider for the role of medicine cat.

Shaking his head, Lionstar headed out of the den to check on the idiot of a former deputy he injured.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BILL. (Post 639888)

slivershade didn't seemed too bothered by the explosion. it was bound to happen. such a big fluff. they wondered how lionstar didn't get annoyed with the fluff. they would nod, "yesssirrrrrrr. take care and destress yourself!" he replied, hopping (quickly) out of the lionsden.
slivershade should probably send lavender the leader's way.

Lionstar was starting to get a headache, and he had chosen to sit outside his den to try to reduce the noise that would make it only throb harder.

Not only did he just sit through a dozen painful auditions, but he had to informally banish an idiot and disband the rabble in the medicine cat den. He was annoyed beyond all belief!

And now, Raccoontail was approaching him.. but Lionstar was more concerned with her apparent disobedience. "You didn't take Dirtfur far."

[ @Pepperkins ]

Raccoontail

As she padded up to the leader, Raccoontail deliberately decided to ignore what he said, considering she surely hadn't been the only one to hear him say he would willingly leave on his own. If he was found on the territory he knew what would happen, so that was pushed to the back of her mind for now. "I just wanna start with, your little attitudes are becoming a huge problem in this clan! Every time something happens that you don't like, because trust and believe, I'm starting to think Dirtfur was actually told that kit was gonna be put down, some innocent cat gets some huge unnecessary punishment that leaves a permanent mark on this clan. For Starclan's sake, Lionstar, you just banished your deputy! What type of leader banishes his own warriors without even bating an eye?" as she ranted everything she had held onto since she became a warrior, the grey molly paced back and forth, occasionally looking up to emphasize something big or important. This was literally the most she had ever said to Lionstar, or to anyone for that matter, and she wasn't even done. "I swear you are just doing this out like of impulse! Some of it is just plain stupid at this point! Let me bring up a prime example for you if you don't believe me! I respect you with all my heart, and I can't decided your love choices for you, but maybe don't ask a cat to be your mate at their warrior ceramony? It makes you look ten tails desperate and it puts all types of pressure on the cat! The way you acted after you got rejected was insane just a much, those kits were so happy to be apprenticed, and you just slid through them without the slightest care! I honestly can't say I've seen you show your love for your clan as long as I've observed! As she finally finished her speech, the young warrior tried to catch her breath, as she had gotten to worked up while talking. Finally breathing steadily again, she sat back down, ears flat in a angry, but not threatening way. She was already being way out of line, she didn't wanna start any fights, especially when she was out of it like this. "I say this with the utmost respect, as I've looked up to you since I was an apprentice, but you can't keep doing this to your clan, it's not healthy for everyone or you alone." With the last bit, she looked at her leader warily, just feeling something bad coming. Yet, even though she knew she was right, she couldn't help but feel wrong at the moment. It was an odd feeling, but until she knew why, Raccoontail held her ground as she awaited a response.

[ @BILL. ]