Black was padding nervously behind the big, menacing she-cat, though he did really put in some effort not to show it. He forced himself not to fidget in any way, but his whiskers twitched very lightly, in an almost imperceptible way.
He could not help but recall an old memory, an empty feeling that was not empty but felt almost surreal. The warm hug, the tight, warm, gentle embrace of a sweet-scented queen whose soft belly hosted the tiny, Black and Grey furball during day and night. But, wait - his mother had never held him like that! What in the world was his mind playing now?!
A reddish, black and white tortoiseshell she-cat was there at the entrance of the giant den. It was incredible, seeing a great home like that built by the paws of several cats living their daily life together. Did they have special duties? He could not help but admire the paw-work of the shelters, but the air was filled with strong, pine-scented cats' smells and this irritated him quite enough.
He shot her a menacing gaze. She seemed... way too open, compared to the other pine-scented cats. Was she a rival? Was she competing with him for a place in this huge, incredible place? Black could hunt and survive on his own, but he didn't want that life.
He wanted to thrive.
[Black's meeting and Nutmeg are separate. It would mess with the time if Mistlewhisker were to bring them in together since she met them at the same place, but during different times.]
As her mate strolls in with an unfamiliar stench beyond her doorway. Dawnstar's glare glues itself to the lichen-covered opening while Mistlewhisker briefly explains where the reek was coming from. Her lids narrow with suspicion and cold curiosity.
"You and Hawkbite have taken to picking up strays again," She grumbled to Mistlewhisker without shifting her gaze. "This better be worth my time." She states ominously.
She gives the unimpressing cat no chance to speak as soon as he set paws within her den.
"Tell me exactly what you told her to get past the border and into my camp?" She snaps in a gruff tone. If Mistlewhsker brought her a boring nobody, she might have to stop letting her bring in outsiders. Dawnstar knew what she wanted in potential clanmates. Granted, she did tend to let in the younger ones in on a pass if she found them interesting enough. The older ones she made work for it. As there were three other clans, they could go play in.
Mistlewhisker and Hawkbite seemed to let anyone in who had four working paws and showed they could hunt and fight, which normally wouldn't be bad, but after doing the same only to watch a cat disappear a few moons after being given their chance, it made her look for more in a cat. She couldn't fault the two; they haven't been doing this as long as she has, and rarely brought her outsiders. They didn't understand how tedious and repetitive these outsiders could get.
@Mica - Mistlewhisker
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beaan
BOUNCEKIT
He/Him - 4 Moons - Outsider ShC kit
two left paws [active] - bewiched [perm active]
Dawn...star? She had a weird name too? But a cool name nevertheless! "Dawnstar," bouncekit repeated, the name sounding foreign on his tongue. He would get used to it however. The fluffy kit tilted his head at the words that followed. Dawnstar had helped him, so why shouldn't he follow strange cats? But she would probably get mad if he did... "Okay, I promise I won't!" he purred, shuffling his large paws.
The nursery was for him so he could bother queens? That wasn't something he heard. To be fair, he had just been left to his own devices since arriving, and has just been bumping into cats and figuring it out as he went along. Nobody really told him what to do and that he was supposed to talk to the queens about all his questions. Oops. He didn't expect the large cat to launch into a speech, but Bouncekit didn't mind the knowledge, so he listened intently to every word she said. It might help him navigate Clan life.
So the first thing she explained was what a clan was. Joint belief in ancestors. That was...tricky. Back when he was Aslan, his mother never told him of any of his ancestors. Only that they lived and died. Boom. That was it. But the concept was intriguing. And doing everything together sounded nice to the young cat as well. And the fact they had a code made it cooler. Because that meant they weren't just groups of wildcats who had no sense of honor or rules - they actually had rules and guidelines to follow. So he was lucky to end up in the Shadow Clan needless to say.
And the next topic was the ranking system - a hierarchy as Dawnstar explained. So from what she said, Bounce would be part of his name forever. Huh. He didn't know why he would be named bounce, but he liked it anyway. And the second part - for him his kit part of Bouncekit - was going to change. Kit made sense, and the meaning behind Paw for the trainees was a really nice one in the young cat's opinion. And warriors had their name be something else? That was cool. So that meant Silentpaw, one of the herbcats, was an apprentice. Since he had a paw at the end of his name. That explains a lot now.
Mentors were next. Cats who trained the apprentices in their way to become a full warrior in the clan. That sounded cool! Bouncekit was excited for his apprentice ceremony now - he would get a mentor who would teach him all the ins and outs of clan living. He could really use that now. Hey, he was 4 moons. Would dawnstar maybe let him be an apprentice early? He would have asked, but he didn't want to be rude and interrupt the leader when she was taking time to explain everything to him. As she continued, Bouncekit grew more intrigued. The fact mentors were held to a standard and could be replaced in an instant if they weren't doing their job gave the young tom some assurance. Although the downside was chores. To be fair he had never done tasks, although his mother told him of having to do things when she lived alone. Can't be that hard if his mother could do it, right?
Next, the warriors! Bouncekit adjusted his posture to an upright sitting position, his small ears directed to the leader. These were the cats who were the foundation of a clan - he couldn't ignore it! A smile crept on his maw as she spoke of the duties. Soon he would be a big and strong warrior too! He would hunt everything for the clan and fend off every threat!
Then Dawnstar went ahead and talked about queens. Warriors who carried and nursed kits, like him! So that would have meant his mother would have been classified as a Queen, since she took care of Bouncekit (Or Aslan, as he was called Pre-ShadowClan). Apparently there was also a queen who always stayed a queen. That must be Nightshiver, since the leader stated her as a 'Forever Queen' earlier. Maybe the large kitten should take a look around the nursery and ask the molly some questions.
Oh, the leader moved on once more! The next cat rank they covered was an Elder. So basically, as the big cat put it, kits but... old? The tom tilted his head to the side, but didn't interrupt. Oh, stories! He was so going to stop by the elders den sometime in that case. Although he wasn't looking forward to the Bossy part.
And now High ranks. The cats who controlled the clan from the tipy tipy top. He thought it was cool how the leaders had their name end in Star. Like Dawnstar! He wondered what the other leaders were named. Thunderstar, Riverstar, and Windstar? He would probably call them that until he found out the leaders actual names. Then the deputy was below the leader. In ShadowClan's case, it was Mistlewhisker. Bouncekit silently memorized the description he was given for the Shadow Clan's deputy and made a mental note to talk to her later. And how did she lose an eye? That had the large cat curious. And so Mistlewhisker was basically Mistlewhiskerpaw, since Dawnstar said they were like a trainee leader. So once Dawnstar passed, Mistlewhisker would become Mistlewhiskerstar? That was a long name.
Herbcats! She was talking about the herbcats he had told her about. Medicine cats. Healing the clan. He had gotten a basic gist of it from Silentpaw, but the shadowcat one wasn't as talkative and wouldn't answer questions like the other one did. And from what he could hear, Shadowcat's name was actually Sleepysunrise. That made more sense. Sleepysunrise was a pretty name. But it was weird when she said they were supposed to communicate with their ancestors. So they talked to the old cats? Other than that, he couldn't think of any other way, since cats older than the elders were dead. Can't really speak with dead cats.
And the final one she went over was the clan's elites. For the one he called home, they were known as Enforcers. His amber eyes widened. So if he became one of the best of the best, he could land a spot in the Enforcers?? He wanted that. That would be so cool! As Dawnstar described the Enforcers leader - or rather, commander - Bouncekit remembered seeing him around camp from time to time. He would have to go bug him about the rank later. Andddd that was it!
Bouncekit purred once Dawnstar finished speaking. "So there are four clans - The Thunder Clan, the Shadow Clan, the River Clan, and the Wind Clan - each follow the warrior code and do everything together. And are also bound by a ranking system where cats work their way from kit to apprentice, where you get a mentor to teach you warrior stuff, to warrior. And cats who have kits are called Queens, and have one forever queen, you called her Nightshiver. And then elders are the old ones who are basically kits minus the age. And then the high rank has you, the deputy who becomes leader once you die, and the herbcats. And then the elites known as Enforcers, who help out the higher ranks, and their commander is named Hawkbite!" he said, summarizing everything he had just been told, a smile on his maw.
"Thank you Dawnstar! I'm really excited for Clan life now, I can't wait to become a warrior and maybe even an enforcer, since I'll try to be the best of the best," Bouncekit purred, puffing out his fluffy chest. "I won't let you down. Oh, one more question, I promise! What do you mean by ancestors? You said we believe in them, and that the herb cats talk with them. So do they just speak to the elders? That's not a lot of cats, considering most cats older than the elders are dead," he spoke, tilting his head to the side.
[ @Undertaker - i did not mean for 1.3k words,,, oops ]
She did growl upon hearing Bouncekit had yet another question. Thankfully, he did seem to understand she could only handle kittens outside of her own in doses and promised this would be the last one.
"No, Elders aren't ancestors, they're retired warriors. Our ancestors are cats of the past, the dead. They live in the sky or down in the dark depths below. The ones in the sky are known as StarClan, and the ones down below live in the Dark Forest. If you want more details find one of the medicine cats. I doubt Sleepysunrise will be willing to indulge as I have, but Silentpaw might." Go away, shoo, she's done her due diligence with the hairball. Go yap off someone else's ear.
Briarsplash padded up to the mouth of the cave, pausing before the lichen. She knew far better than to enter in unannounced, even if the matter was more urgent. Glancing behind her to make sure Midnightclaw was following, the Enforcer cleared her throat to introduce her presence.
"Dawnstar." Her raspy voice rang out, surprisingly soft around the edges as she stood respectfully outside. "I've got a report from our patrol to Saltmeadow Marsh. Mistlewhisker said to come to you immediately — it's pressing."
Now, she'd wait until allowed inside, lest she want her fluffy pelt added to line the leader's nest.
New voice, one that rarely reported to her directly. Obviously, she wasn't aware she could avoid wasting Dawnstar's time by entering her den, her rank granted her such a purrk, but alas, she'd learn.
"Enter," Her growl thunders through the entrance. "Explain." She orders ass soon as Briarsplah is inside.
@Hex - Midnightclaw
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose
She/Her | Purrk(s): Dreamwalker & Bewitched
Awe. Nutmeg was kind of in awe. Well, more than kind of. Bursting at the seams with it, in fact. Except for the teeeny tiiny very ignore-able unsettled feeling thrumming in her chest. Though, had Mistlewhisker not issued those unintentionally direct words at her earlier, she'd feel nothing of the sort. It wasn't actually her in the end, and it was just... there. So, essentially manageable.
Yknow what, as much as Nutmeg loved tossing herself headfirst into danger, she wasn't quite sure how she felt about danger plus small spaces. It was quite lovely out here, in fact-- Aaaand there was no way to back out of this now - a tail to her flank had her shuffling forward, pupils dilating rapidly in an attempt to adjust to the darkness. "Helloooo..!...?" Oh wait. Mistlewhisker here hadn't found her chatter amusing (Come to think of it, a lot of cats didn't. What was up with that?), so she should probably not talk here either. Yep. Yep, she could soooo do that. She could so that so well it was crazy. Pure talent, obviously.
[ @Undertaker - Dawnstar | I was under the assumption that the Black/Nutmeg introductions were separate instances(?) so I tried to keep it vague enough. ]
She must be doing more patrols around the outskirts. There was another one. Ignoring the irritable twitch in her ear, her glare trails up and down yet another young furball. Yet another unremarkable cat. The leader was lounging in her nest, gnawing on the large snake bones that lined her nest. Her attention was caught for a total of three seconds, and then her gaze returned to the bones between her large claws.
"Let's hear it. What makes you so special that you're granted an audience with me?" She greets the nobody with utter confidence and the hint of a growl. She liked to think her mate didn't enjoy wasting Dawnstar's time, but with outsiders, there was always a 50/50 chances that it would be wastes. So let see what about this one caught Mistlewhisker's attention and made her think the brat would be a decent candidate for ShadowClan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dolomedes
Mushroompaw | Dovepaw #TheSweetestPoison
@Undertaker | @burntToast
-> Sorry for the delay on thisssss... also I'm not sure if Toast is back from hiatus yet or not honestly sooo I've left it vague on if Adder is joining or not
After the meeting that named her an apprentice- or really, rather a few days after that meeting, Mushroompaw had decided to go to the leader's den to discuss what happened with Dovekit's ceremony. Her sister has been worried about if she had gotten into trouble without her knowledge and that's why it was skipped over, and Dovekit's anxiety over the thought has been growing worse by the day. It really didn't help that they were separated more than ever because of the rank difference.
Mushroompaw feels bad but wasn't really able to do anything about it besides pushing her sister to go to the leader's den to get it sorted out with Dawnstar. It was always met with resistance that the dark russet feline couldn't understand- after all, Dawnstar had defended them from Pinekit and seemed to not mind Dovekit the same way that most cats did. So it made no sense, the aversion. But Mushroompaw wouldn't make Dovekit do anything she didn't want to, even though it made her feel bad seeing Dovekit's condition decline so.
It wasn't until this morning that Dovekit finally admitted to being willing to speak to Dawnstar, which led them to the den, yippee. Mushroompaw made her way over, and waited outside of the space. "Dawnstarrrr?" The apprentice called out, flicking her floppy ears to listen out for a response, "Me and Dovekit have a question about the last meeting's ceremonies?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by burntToast
˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ─── °˖✿˚⋆|[ Adderpaw ]|⋆˚✿˖°
She/her | Shadowclan kit | 6 moons
“I wish I knew where to find my words so I could speak and be heard.”
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ─── |[14 / 100]|
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Adderpaw followed silently behind mushroompaw, head lowered so she was somewhat closer to mushrooms height. It was a habit she had started recently, she would slouch or lower her head so she wasn't constantly towering over her friend who just didn't match her size. She supposed she was used to this. She and her siblings were all naturally on the larger size due to their Mother. Adderpaw had no real reason to accompany mushroom to the Leader's den. It's not like she wanted to either, she often purposefully and subconsciously avoided coming near here. However she had an idea of how this conversation with Mother was going to go, dovekit would be revealed to just not be real. It might sound silly really, all this fuss over something so trivial like an imaginary sibling but she understood how important and real dovekit was to mushroompaw. So she was here only to comfort her friend, to be the moral support.
She had wanted to say something this morning when mushroompaw had told her they would be coming to speak to Dawnstar. The braided tabby would have rather been the one to tell mushroom the truth and spare her the embarrassment of this but she was selfish and was scared that by saying dovekit wasn't real she may sever her bond with her friend and she could have that! She just couldn't. Even if she had tried to tell her, she couldn't think of any words. She never could when it really counted. ”this will go badly and mushroom will blame you” the thought nagged at the back of her mind all morning even though it made no sense…she believed it. She made sure to brush her tail against the wall next to her and mushrooms nest to ward off bad lack- wait had she done that today or had that been a different day? Should she go back and do it again just in case??
Once near the dens entrance, Adderpaw slowed her pace and stood off a bit to the side. Green hues scanning the shadows within and wondered why it seemed so much more unwelcoming now? When she was kit she had wandered in and out of her frequently and found comfort within this den but now she couldn't even step another pawstep closer. It just felt wrong. Then again in recent moons she hadn't interacted with any of her direct family out of shame and embarrassment at staying an apprentice so long which once again had been her own doing. She couldn't even bring herself to look directly at Mother during meetings in fear of meeting her eyes and seeing that dreaded disappointment her mind constantly told her existed there. All her fears would be proven right. Ugh, even thinking about it could make it real.
Mushroompaw called for Dawnstar, starting the conversation. The conversation… Adderpaw hoped that this conversation would go at least a little bit well…or as well as it could go? If that was even possible. Either way she was certain the conversation was going to be one that mushroom liked.
She peels open one of her eyelids and peers through the dim lighting at lichen as that voice calls within. Ugh, her again. She had been hoping she wouldn't have to deal with Mushroompaw for a bit longer. She had already talked to Pinekit, he knew what was at stake with messing with his clanmates.
"What?" She yawns and leans over to lick at the mess of scars along her shoulder. Oh? Not Pinekit this time, but Dovekit the fake. Yea! This should be a fun conversation. Another test of her patience.
"Come in," she orders, dragging another set of snake bones closer to give her claws something to mess with. It helps resist the temptation to claw a kid's face. "What about the ceremonies?" She asks with a loud sigh without looking up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Estelle
ׂ╰┈➤ Sleepysunrise ✘ Shc Medicine Cat ←
☽ She/Her, 14 Moons ✧.* Petite dark semi-long-furred feline with white tufts across her body, white freckles and piercing blue eyes ☾
Shadow Fiend * CALL ME MONSTER * Silk Spinner * Purrk
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
She had insisted on going alone. Her paws were still mildly bloody from the fight, her fur still speckled with the red liquid and her throat patched up by layers of cobwebs meticulously placed around the scarring, holding a thick poultice beneath it. It itched, it was uncomfortable, but not as awful as having to report this incident. It was so, so loud in her mind, she couldn't hear her own thoughts. She could hardly hear the clearing buzzing around her, distracted only by what she had to do. Her walk here had been a bit wobbly, blame it on what she just went through. It felt like she was still within that fight, her body tingling and on edge at every little thing that came a bit too close. Sleepysunrise stood before the den, clearing her throat before speaking (argh, that stung). "Miss-- Miss Grandmama..?"
Her heart was beating loudly in her chest, but Sleepysunrise cast aside her nerves when permission came from inside. She took a breath, recalling his words. To stay calm, to not let her warring mind show, to remain in control of her emotions. She couldn't let her grandmother doubt her. Ducking her head with a light wince, Sleepysunrise came inside, expression demure, if shameful.
The den was dark and lightly illuminated. She could only guess that her grandmother might be alarmed or upset with the sight of her - it didn't cross her mind that maybe, in some universe, she might be concerned. A heartbeat passed and Sleepysunrise didn't speak yet, she felt the words heavy on her tongue but struggled to admit to her defeat. Her gaze cast down to her paws, steady on the ground, then upwards at her grandmother. "I was.. I was out gathering herbs. An outsider trespassed, and attacked me."
She paused. She did not want to admit to her defeat. "It overpowered... me. Then, Rookfire came, to my aid. I'm sorry, I didn't defeat it. Rookfire chased it back to the outskirts."
She sounded each word out carefully, reconstructing the events with reluctance and an unwilling calmness. She shifted her weight, paws coming together and eyes averting for a few select few moments; then she looked back up, trying to gauge her grandmother's reaction to the events that transpired, preparing herself for the judgement and berating that was bound to come. She had never lost a fight before, and the shame settled deep within the young cat.
She sounded strange. The scarred tabby's nose twitched, and her ears stood alert at Sleepysunrise's call. It wasn't uncommon for the molly to smell of blood and herbs; she was a medicine cat. Dawnstar wasn't troubled until Sleepysunrise stepped into her den and the leader's eyesight. Her eyes hone in on the glob of cobwebs on her neck. A growl built up in her chest, but remained suppressed while listening to the medic's report.
"Huh, and I was starting to like Rookfire again. Pity." The words come out level yet oozed with unspoken tension. Dawnstar rose to her large paws and barged into Sleepysunrise's personal bubble without asking. Her wet nose gingerly pokes along her flanks, and near her ears and the back of her neck, mindful of her wound, as she searches for any more injuries. Aside from small blood splatter, she couldn't find anything else. A bit of tension in her chest eased as she plopped down beside the smaller cat.
"I'm not happy about this at all. But you're not dead, so I suppose I owe Rookfire. I guess I'll let him keep his pelt despite not killing such an obvious threat. You're not allowed out of camp by yourself anymore, you're taking at least one Enforcer with you when you leave camp at all times. You don't seem to understand your value to me or ShadowClan." She hisses, annoyed more by the situation than with her granddaughter.
"Did you know that I've gone through more medicine cats since my leadership than I have deputies? What's worse is that I've lost more than Bunnystar, and she has four extra seasons on me as a leader. I don't know why, but every cat I name Medicine Cat seems to have some horrible habit of attracting danger the second they step out of camp alone." Outside of the traitors, every other med cat has died or disappeared, which was as good as dead to her.
Dawnstar had as much trouble keeping her medicine cats alive as she did with keeping her family alive and with her. She wasn't sure what she did to deserve such a tragic fate. But this was life. Bemoaning about it got her nowhere, so she'd figure out how to deal with it, but she'd appreciate it if Sleepysunrise didn't become another festering scar on her heart.
"I don't want you following in your predecessors' paws, Sleepysunrise. Be more careful, you can't afford to lose your life." She growled, lowering her head, pressing her ears against her skull, to duck underneath the molly's chin and sniff at the cobwebs and herbs on her neck. "You got away with your life, pure luck, I'm sure, but that's a win in itself. Learn from this, granddaughter, as it can not happen again. I'd hate to lock you in camp for the rest of your moons." She wasn't keen on further restricting Sleepysunrise's freedoms, but she'd take a restless, unhappy Sleepysunrise to a dead one. If she lost any more medicine cats, as she had her last few, Dawnstar would make a new rule just for them. No medicine cat will be allowed to leave camp without an escort or a patrol of warriors.
__________________
siggy art by redshiftreign
Dawnstar is the leader of ShadowClan. She has a semi-closed den policy as in do not enter without asking permission first or her fangs'll greet you. ShadowClan Resources ||| Dawnstar ||| ||| Kit Curriculum Finder
Midnightclaw padded in after Briarsplash, dipping her head towards the leader. "A loner attacked while on patrol," she explains quickly. "It only attacked me but it managed to get away, although I did get a good hit on him." Her tail now tucked under, she looked over at Briarsplash, waiting for her comments.
__________________
Ravenstar is Bloodclan's leader. He has a open den policy <3
Silentbreeze is one of Lavenderclan's Guardians. Mention me if she is needed.
Briarsplash heard the abrupt 'enter', and got the gist that maybe she could just duck inside due to her special rank. Maybe. She wasn't certain; after all, it wasn't like she needed to report to Dawnstar herself very often. The fluffy she-cat often preferred to just do as she was told and run her patrols. But such situations arise now and then, like today's.
The Enforcer let Midnightclaw speak first, offering an affirming grunt. Then she swiveled her large head back to the leader, eyes narrowed. Her body language screamed a bit of frustration, directed at the situation (and herself). Figuring she should repeat most of what she'd told Mistlewhisker, Briarsplash squared her shoulders and began.
"Darkpaw 'n I didn't even have a chance to move before he attacked. He almost looked sorta familiar, though I can't place why... but he was a wiry thing — black fur with a white front paw, green eyes, and a scar over his left eye. It looked blind, though I wasn't sure. He looked young, like a new warrior's age. Midnightclaw fought him off well, had him fleeing before we could even strike."
Briarsplash's nose scrunched in annoyance at the next part, tail lashing. She clearly wasn't happy about what she had to report, and still wanted to sink her teeth into the scum loner. If only she'd at least had some fur between her claws to bring back as a souvenir, then maybe the scowl would've lessened on her maw (maybe not). "I tried to catch him, but he got away. Chased 'im as far as the border to the outskirts. He called after us that he apparently had a group of others that were planning to attack our camp. We didn't scent or see anybody else, and I stayed there for a bit to make sure. But it sounds like we've got a growing problem now."
[ ooc info: i believe the rper said that the loner is an ex-shc apprentice, so that's why he's "familiar" even though she can't place him, but briar doesn't recognize him personally o7 ]
Hawkbite seemed to have gotten out of his slump. Perhaps it was just due to the fact Fishbite and Tigernight took up so much of his time while he was raising them. They were warriors now, so he didn't have to worry about supplementing their training anymore or watching them like a hawk to ensure they stayed out of trouble.
The Commander was feeling antsy enough to approach the Leaders' Den with something much more out of the normal. No bad news this time. Nothing annoying -- in his opinion -- to bother Dawnstar about. Just... a way to stretch some muscles.
"Dawnstar," the always silent Commander spoke out as he pushed his way into the den. "How do you feel about getting a little workout in and having a spar with me?" he'd inquire, a more mischievous light to his eyes. It wasn't like him to be so light and unserious around the leader, so it'd be interesting to see her reaction to a, seemingly, happier Hawkbite.
Re: ShadowClan Leader's Den
Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat! 
