[ @canineantics ] BEASTFLAME
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Relief flooded the warrior’s mind at the warm reception of the leader upon his arrival. Beastflame was used to doing things for the clan, usually by hunting a rather excessive amount or other miscellaneous tasks that no one really noticed. He didn’t do it for the recognition, though, since he actually preferred to stay out of the spotlight whenever possible. He did it so that he would stay sane, to feel satisfied knowing the work he did was going towards something larger than himself. And of course, to keep himself busy. Still, it was nice to see that his help was welcome.
He nodded once more, this time in acknowledgement of Pikestar’s words, and sat down across from the tom to hear the instructions. He was unsurprised to hear that the other cat did daily rounds at the border, it seemed like just the type of thing Pikestar would do to keep busy. And it also seemed like something Beastflame would enjoy. He was already near the borders quite often due to his own preference, but this would give him something new to do besides hunting. He loved hunting, of course, but even the most enjoyable traditions had a way of getting stale and boring.
Beastflame’s amber eyes flashed visibly in amusement at the leader’s point about chasing out any unwelcome visitors. Now that was something he could get behind. Surprisingly enough, he was starting to feel a bit of excitement for the task at hand. Of course, he supposed he would do his best to be just with the assessment process, but he didn’t think he’d lose any sleep if any cats in question didn’t turn out to be up to par.
“Sounds doable,” Beastflame rumbled as Pikestar finished up the instructions. “Assessment, decision, warrior name, Lilycreek or apprentice den, report,” he summarized, double-checking that he got everything right. “Just one question,” he said, “Would you like me to do the same for cats from other clans, or just the rogues and kittypets?” he inquired. The leader hadn’t specified, and for all he knew perhaps Pikestar would want to take a personal look at those trying to enter from one of the other clans.
“Also, I would be happy to take the dawn patrol,” he offered, hoping that was okay. He got up rather early anyways, so the task would give him something to do with all the extra time.
The mighty Lord of the River was very pleased to hear that his terms were, as Beastflame said, doable. It was a careful process and he was not going to let just anyone assist him with this very important part of RiverClan’s future. This particular warrior has shown Pikestar that trust could be given, however, so the large oriental tomcat was quick to give Beastflame a further chance to prove himself useful. “We might as well do the same for those who've come from other clans," He remarked, before licking his paw and casually drawing it over his face, "I do not like to judge others based on where they've come from, but you can never be too careful." The last thing any of them needed was to have more nasty individuals like Hollowstorm and Beastgrowl in RiverClan, although they came from their own, so that argument did not hold up very well actually. All it took was one bad seed to ruin it for the rest, and accidents were bound to happen, but Pikestar hoped that with the other tom's help, he could learn to better at dealing with these situations.
"Overall, the important thing is to just be a good judge of character." He said quietly, thoughtfulness swirling within his partial gaze, "If they're kids that has been basically abandoned, or escaping an awful situation, you let them into the clan, alright? If they're six moons or older, regardless of where they came from, you test them, you question them, you find out all their motivations and reasons. Then, if they do come across as trustworthy to you, or at the very least, appear good enough to be given a chance, then you should let them in too." The vast majority of clanborn cats tended to not understand why Pikestar had such a unique outlook on outsiders, but there were times where even they didn't understand their own views. It was a strange thing that he dealt with, but he did know that he felt relief that RiverClan did not vote to close their borders.
Brushing away the pensive emotions, Pikestar gave Beastflame another warm smile. "So be it. The dawn patrol shall be yours then. You will start tomorrow morning." The lanky RiverClan leader exclaimed with a twitch of his whiskers, "Thank you for volunteering to help me. I appreciate it a lot. I'm not really good with saying stuff like this, but I trust you." Their single blue eye lingered on the large gray tomcat for a moment before he turned away, letting a small smile stay on his expression. "You're dismissed, if that is all." Hopefully, this'll allow Pikestar to focus on other things.
[ Now that Pikestar has given Beastflame permission to handle outsider joinings, you'll find forms in the RiverClan Resources and accept them for Beastie to handle however you wish -- whether it be in a private thread or the public joining thread. I believe there are around two I have yet to accept in there. ]
[ @canineantics ] BEASTFLAME
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Beastflame nodded once in understanding at the leader's response to his question. Pikestar was a better cat than Beastflame, that was for sure. He usually did judge cats by their origins, but he told himself he'd try to avoid doing so for this assignment. It couldn't be that hard, could it? Well, he supposed they'd find out. At least Pikestar seemed to have a healthy amount of caution for those joining from other clans. It was impossible to shake all of the influences from your clan of birth, he was sure. If he were to join another clan (Starclan forbid), he was certain he'd never stop thinking like a Riverclanner. But perhaps other cats were less impressionable than he.
A good judge of character. Beastflame was a good judge of character, at least in his own opinion. He was observant, that was for sure. "Of course," he said with another dip of his head. He had a soft spot for younger cats, however much he tried to deny it, so that part shouldn't be too hard. And he could assess cats as well. He was a skilled warrior and hunter himself, so he knew how to recognize those skills in others. And if they had some other valuable skill, he figured it would be apparent enough to notice on his part.
"You're welcome," Beastflame acknowledged, amber eyes blinking once. He didn't react outwardly to the praise, but pride surged through him, mingling with concern. What if he didn't deserve Pikestar's trust? This uncertainty stayed with him as he rose to his feet, lowering his eyes and turning to leave, mumbling a quiet thank you over his shoulder.
✧ Throughout the night, the tall dark-furred tomcat hardly slept a wink. He was too stressed, too wired, too focused on what more they could be doing. His body ached for rest, for the sweet release of slumber, but all the RiverClan leader could do was stare up at the ceiling of his den. He needed to start doing more around here. With the dog attack, and everything else that came with it, Pikestar was left scrambling to find order and stability in their life. RiverClan was not happy with him, and he knew that. He didn’t deserve sleep. He didn’t deserve to eat. No. The dark oriental longhair was supposed to push himself harder, because that was what a true, good leader did. Sitting up in their moss nest, Pikestar’s body stung with exhaustion, wishing that it could sleep, but he knew well enough that rest would not come even if he stayed here. His mind was too awake to even consider sleeping, even though, way deep down, it also longed for a single hour to regain energy. Maybe after this was over, they'd attempt to sleep again, but there was work to be done. This was important.
Forcing himself up and out of his bed, Pikestar would push his body to move, stalking through the emptiness of his den to stop within the open mouth. The time was barely dawn yet, hardly any sunlight even to be seen at this hour so far. Details such as these did not matter, however, and they wanted to work. He wanted to show RiverClan that he could do better. Perhaps one more attempt to set things right would do. They didn't know what else to do to pass the time. And it was far better than just moping around, right? Pikestar gave a sharp huff in response. The fresh-kill pile was a pitiful display from what the clan leader could see. Was it a result of the dogs, or simply ignorance on his own part? He didn't know to be certain, but what mattered in this moment was that it was restocked once more. Hopefully, once Gingerfrost was up, he'd usher the deputy to send out emergency hunting patrols, but for now, Pikestar's only wish was to tackle the issue how he could all alone. It was always better that way. At least for them anyway. The Lord of the River rushed out of their den.
✧ Now that his little early morning venture was completed, the dark-furred oriental tomcat stepped back into the quiet space that he called their own. On his way from the fresh-kill pile to his den, the Lord of the Waters had made sure to quickly inform Gingerfrost of the dreadful state of their prey stores. The grumpy, yet hard-working tomcat was quick to handle it. His tufted ears twitched as they heard the deputy’s familiar yowl for patrols outside in the clearing. Good, good. That would hopefully fix that issue rather swiftly. For now, Pikestar stepped over to his large moss bed and collapsed into it. He had done his part and he would take a rest to regain his energy so that he could do more later today. After all that, the dark-furred tomcat felt very tired, enough to sleep finally, and soon would let his single eye close. Pikestar rolled onto their side and would eventually fall asleep, allowing his rper to hopefully do the same.
The siamese cat was still limping after the events of the dog attack. He hadn't quite recovered fully, and the wounds on his scruff were still bandaged with cobwebs, courtesy of Wormbite and Beastspark. His breathing hadn't quite returned to normal, and Beansprout had a sinking feeling in his stomach that it never truly would. Despite his still-healing injuries, though, he made his way to Pikestar's den. Heh, this seemed to be a theme now, going to see Pikestar while he was injured.
Pausing briefly at the entrance, Beansprout peeked in and let out a soft call. "Pikestar? I'm coming in. I've got a few things to talk to you about." There was a lot on the warrior's mind, and he figured getting it all out at once would be better for everyone. With that, he tentatively crept into the den and took a seat near its entrance.
The siamese cat was still limping after the events of the dog attack. He hadn't quite recovered fully, and the wounds on his scruff were still bandaged with cobwebs, courtesy of Wormbite and Beastspark. His breathing hadn't quite returned to normal, and Beansprout had a sinking feeling in his stomach that it never truly would. Despite his still-healing injuries, though, he made his way to Pikestar's den. Heh, this seemed to be a theme now, going to see Pikestar while he was injured.
Pausing briefly at the entrance, Beansprout peeked in and let out a soft call. "Pikestar? I'm coming in. I've got a few things to talk to you about." There was a lot on the warrior's mind, and he figured getting it all out at once would be better for everyone. With that, he tentatively crept into the den and took a seat near its entrance.
✧ In the farthest left corner of the den, the dark-furred oriental tomcat sat alone and in silence, facing away from the entrance. His right paw gently rested over the scarred flesh across his throat, feeling the bare skin as Pikestar let his thoughts drift aimlessly about everything and anything. A softened call of a familiar voice would calmly bring him back to the present state of reality, and they'd turn to see Beansprout peeking into the dark, mostly-barren den space. There were some things to discuss, and the RiverClan leader nodded in silent agreement, although he doubted the siamese tom would see it. Inhaling and then exhaling quietly, Pikestar stood up and sat back down more towards the center of room, trying to look more presentable as he rested his long fluffy tail over his front paws. "...What's on your mind?" He said, voice rough and scratchy, barely above a whisper. His throat still hurt tremendously from the dog's teeth, but as long as he didn't strain his voice too much, then Pikestar could still speak to clanmates when it was needed. They'd just have to excuse his volume.
Make yourself comfortable. He wanted to say, but given the state of his den, saying such things seemed like a waste of time. Pikestar wanted to make the floor softer and better for clanmate paws, but it seemed like a waste of moss. The last thing they wanted was to be wasteful during a time like this. Maybe there were better alternatives for it, but right now, he was not exactly in the right headspace for brainstorming. At least, well, for things such as that. "There's something... I've been meaning to talk to you about as well." The Lord of the River added softly, before chewing anxious on the inside of his cheek, not knowing really what else to do as he waited for the warrior to speak. Sitting there now in silence, he could hear the light pitter-patter of rain outside. It was always raining.
The elderly tom had been pacing outside of the RiverClan leaders den for a little while now, biting his tongue just slightly. What was he going to say to them? He was worried beyond belief, hoping that the Lord of Waters would allow his request to leave RiverClan. He knew he didn't have much more time on these grounds and he wanted to spend it with his family. He had just regained his son; he couldn't lose him again. With a deep breath, Pondwhisker gently peeked his head into the leaders den.
"Pikestar? Can I speak to ya?" His gruff voice felt much louder in the echo of the den than he had expected. He hoped the leader was doing alright, especially after the dogs. He felt a shudder run through him as he remembered the carnage him and Stonepaw had walked in on.
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The elderly tom had been pacing outside of the RiverClan leaders den for a little while now, biting his tongue just slightly. What was he going to say to them? He was worried beyond belief, hoping that the Lord of Waters would allow his request to leave RiverClan. He knew he didn't have much more time on these grounds and he wanted to spend it with his family. He had just regained his son; he couldn't lose him again. With a deep breath, Pondwhisker gently peeked his head into the leaders den.
"Pikestar? Can I speak to ya?" His gruff voice felt much louder in the echo of the den than he had expected. He hoped the leader was doing alright, especially after the dogs. He felt a shudder run through him as he remembered the carnage him and Stonepaw had walked in on.
PIKESTAR
✧ While yesterday was quite sunny and filled with warmth, today was, well, still quite warm, but overcast with graying clouds. The newleaf moons were always a rather particular time when it came to weather, but Pikestar was not one to complain when there wasn't a single speck of snow to be seen. He had come to like the occasional rainstorms and listening to it pour down onto the roof of his den. For now though, the Lord of the Waters took a moment
in-between their daily activities to wash their long, darkened fur. He had hardly taken a spare moment for himself ever since the dogs had attacked, but Pikestar wanted to at least keep up his appearance to the best of his abilities. Drawing his tongue over his chest all while avoiding the nasty scar across his throat was quite the challenge though. Oh, if only Lynxfall were still here, maybe then he could help him with grooming. His heart ached for his mate.
However, his melancholy thoughts were soon disrupted by the sound of another kitty, making the tall oriental tomcat turn towards his den's entrance. "Ah, Pondwhisker!" He remarked with a smile, soon uttering a sharp cough that made him shake his head. "Ahem... My apologies. Come in, and sit down wherever you'd like." Pikestar gestured with a right paw for the elder tomcat to step inside. He was finally getting over that irritating sore throat he'd been battling against since the loss of his first life. Hopefully it would make talking to his clanmates much easier from here on. "I do hope your new denmates have been kind to you." They said lightheartedly, still wearing that friendly smile, "What brings you to me?" He respectfully awaited the senior's answer.
With a slight smile on his own maw, the elderly tom ambled into the den, taking his seat just across from Pikestar. He dipped his head with respect, nothing but kindess in his eyes as his leader coughed. "Don't you apologise, Pike. You lost a life. I should be the one apologising to you, for not being back in camp quick enough." Once he heard his leaders words about his denmates, he shook his head with a smile.
"They have welcomed me with nothing but kindness." He felt another wave of guilt start to crest and crash over him. Pondwhisker swallowed deeply. "I-I would like permission
to leave RiverClan. I need to go to ThunderClan. I have to be with my son, and my grandchildren." He was almost pleading at this point, mind flitting memories about as he remembered Crowpaws words to him, describing the chaos of life that Thrushstar was giving to the apprentice.
"I had a mate, in ThunderClan, many moons ago. If you'll believe it, that resulted in... Thrushstar. I don't know how to explain it, but, I need to protect my grandchildren."
__________________
once the strings are tied, you are nothing but a puppet
Fae/faer/moon/moonself/they/them
Characters | RP Tracker and Bump Policy
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velli was here <3
dracarys - dani <3
dino dropped a stolen treasure chest here and ran
✧ In the farthest left corner of the den, the dark-furred oriental tomcat sat alone and in silence, facing away from the entrance. His right paw gently rested over the scarred flesh across his throat, feeling the bare skin as Pikestar let his thoughts drift aimlessly about everything and anything. A softened call of a familiar voice would calmly bring him back to the present state of reality, and they'd turn to see Beansprout peeking into the dark, mostly-barren den space. There were some things to discuss, and the RiverClan leader nodded in silent agreement, although he doubted the siamese tom would see it. Inhaling and then exhaling quietly, Pikestar stood up and sat back down more towards the center of room, trying to look more presentable as he rested his long fluffy tail over his front paws. "...What's on your mind?" He said, voice rough and scratchy, barely above a whisper. His throat still hurt tremendously from the dog's teeth, but as long as he didn't strain his voice too much, then Pikestar could still speak to clanmates when it was needed. They'd just have to excuse his volume.
Make yourself comfortable. He wanted to say, but given the state of his den, saying such things seemed like a waste of time. Pikestar wanted to make the floor softer and better for clanmate paws, but it seemed like a waste of moss. The last thing they wanted was to be wasteful during a time like this. Maybe there were better alternatives for it, but right now, he was not exactly in the right headspace for brainstorming. At least, well, for things such as that. "There's something... I've been meaning to talk to you about as well." The Lord of the River added softly, before chewing anxious on the inside of his cheek, not knowing really what else to do as he waited for the warrior to speak. Sitting there now in silence, he could hear the light pitter-patter of rain outside. It was always raining.
At the leader's answering call, Beansprout felt a bit more at-ease. With a deep breath, he started trying to sort through the myriad of things on his mind. "Well, you and I both know the prey pile can be... an issue," the siamese started. "And that's not really an issue anyone should take lightly. So, what I'd like to propose is something both to keep the pile stocked and perhaps entertain the Clan for a day each moon." With a brief pause to properly sort his thoughts, Beansprout involuntarily tilted his head ever so slightly. "It isn't much, but I'd like to propose an event that I can host: a hunting competition. I know a lot of RiverClan is pretty competitive, and I think it's a great way both to keep the prey pile stocked and make sure that every cat, even if they aren't picked for patrols, keeps their hunting skills sharp." He let that idea hang in the air for a few moments, giving Pikestar enough time to input their thoughts.
"I also have something a bit more serious to report," Beansprout started, curling his tail around his paws involuntarily. "It's been about a moon, so I sincerely apologize for the delay; time got away from me." With a dip of his head, the siamese warrior continued. "I was patrolling around the camp when I heard Bouncepaw, caught in a human trap. It took some effort, but I managed to get the poor kid out. I made sure to set it off again so no one else could get trapped by it, but... it makes me nervous." Beansprout shuffled his paws. "I haven't seen any since, thank the Moon Spirit. But still. Perhaps, if you could tell the Clan to be aware of these traps, keep an eye out for them, we can determine if this is truly a one-time instance or something that needs to be investigated."
At the dark-furred leader's words of something else, Beansprout's head tilted to the side yet again. Nonetheless, he sat in silence, waiting for Pikestar to continue that aspect of the conversation himself.
Re: RiverClan Leader's Den
Re: RiverClan Leader's Den
