[ CREATE A CLAN ] [ ROLEPLAY THREAD ]

[eagle,]

QUICKCLAN
cyanstar | tom, leader, 82m, tagged: fogspirit
indentCyanstar listened curiosly as Fogspirit explained her clan's history, ears pricked. He nodded sympathetically, having seen so many clan cats join QuickClan after their previous clans were scattered ad split. He hoped that he offered them security in their new homes, and that Fogspirit would be able to hold their new clan together for many, many seasons to come. "I've been leading for many seasons now, but I'm certainly not an expert," he said with a laugh, before growing somber as he thought of how he became leader. "The leader before me, Redstar, was a strong leader. He meant well, and we all thought that he would lead for a long time with his first deputy. But, his deputy stepped down after losing his mate, and Redstar named me as the deputy's temporary replacement," Cyanstar explained. He hoped that he wasn't rambling. "I was a young warrior then, and I still don't know why I was given the deputyship, but it became permanent after a few moons. Then there was... trouble with some rogues. Redstar didn't make it, and suddenly I was leading QuickClan into a war." A clouded look past Cyanstar's face. It held his sorrows, regrets, and lingering questions, but he shook his head and the moment passed. "It was a tough time, but there have been much better days since then. I've been leading for a long time, though I'd be lying if I said that I didn't miss the quiet times from before. But - don't let me talk your ear off," he said, managing a much brighter and more genuine smile. "All that's to say that if I can do it, so can you. Have you had many cats join FogClan recently?" he asked.

splashfall | tom, deputy, 86m, tagged: northstar
indentThe stranger had a confident and strong set to his shoulders, that much was evident to Splashfall right away, and the lithe deputy grinned. He knew that the purpose of his attending the gathering wasn't to sit alone for the entire evening. As much as he enjoyed the peace, it was important to get to know the other clans and become acquainted with cats from far different walks of life. So, when the stranger introduced himself, Splashfall nodded politely to him. "Oh yes, it's a lovely night. StarClan sent us good weather this moon, thankfully," he said. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Splashfall, deputy of QuickClan," he introduced himself. Once more, he spared a glance in Cyanstar's direction, wondering whether Cyanstar might be interested in meeting Northstar himself, but the QuickClan leader was still deep in another conversation. Instead, he turned back to Northstar. "I don't believe I've ever heard of your clan before, but I also haven't been to a gathering in some time. What's your clan like?" he asked.

alpinemask | tom, medicine cat, 87m, tagged: charcoalgleam
indent"It's not easy," Alpinemask admitted, pausing to consider his words. "My relationship with Valleymist's mother was relly short. We were young and it was just a fling. But I never got to know my other kit, and Valleymist never got to know her sister once she joined QuickClan. And that... that's something I'll always feel guilty about." His smile was sad, though Alpinemask shrugged his shoulders. "I had another mate from a different clan as well. I guess I hadn't learned my lesson the first time. And she became like a second mother to Valleymist. Darkflower, my mate, actually lived in QuickClan for a while to learn to be a medicine cat, and those were some of the best moons of my life," he said, throat feeling tight when he spoke of Darkflower. "We were lucky to live in ally clans that also share a border, so it wasn't hard to visit each other often. That helped a lot. Even though we didn't live in the same camp, we could still spend a lot of time together." Alpinemask's voice grew quiet, and he took a moment to compose himself once more. He cleared his throat, forcing the words out as he looked at Charcoalgleam. "Darkflower passed away some seasons ago, while her clan was fighting a large battle. I lost my love, and Valleymist lost another mother, and that's something I carry every day. But, the thing is, I wouldn't want to have lived without having Valleymist or meeting Darkflower. If I hadn't been young and foolish, I wouldn't be with my daugter. And I'd never regret a moment with Darkflower." Despite hisclear sorrow, Alpinemask's smile slowly grew brighter. His grief would never fully go away, but his shoulders felt lighter. "For me, the happiness I've had isn't overshadowed by the tough times of being apart." It wasn't much of an answer, and maybe it wasn't the type of story that Charcoalgleam wanted to hear, but it was all Alpinemask could offer.

shellpond | tom, warrior, 31m, tagged: moonblink
indentShellpond ducked his head, bashful as he spoke to Moonblink about his crush. It was a secret that he'd worked to hide for the past several moons, since the other tom had arrived in QuickClan - so much so that Shellpond had neglected to confide in any of his family about his feelings. So, when Moonblink offered her advice, Shellpond managed a tight smile. "I'll try. Thank you," he said. Though he wasn't sure if he was confident enough to make himself known, let alone have any clue what he could do to make Marigoldstream notice him, he knew that Moonblink was right. He'd never be happy unless he tried something. He let himself get caught up in her description of the coast. For a moment, he could've sworn that he felt the pull of wind in his fur and smelled the salty sea. "That sounds so strange," he said, though not unkindly. "Salty water that you can't even drink? That sounds useless. Could you at least fish or swim in it?" he asked. He felt an immense respect for Moonblink, having traveled so far, seen more in her lifetime than Shellpond supposed that he ever would. "It sounds like you've seen everything. That's amazing."

ambergleam | molly, warrior, 16m, tagged: bearstripe
indentambergleam hummed thoughtfully at bearstripe's words, thankful that she wasn't alone with her anxiety surrounding the gathering. "i'm not sure. i hope that they do, so we aren't alone feeling like this," she said. she turned her head, looking to where the leaders were gathered. though her view was partially obscured, she saw a flash of cyanstar blue pelt, and smiled to herself, feeling more secure with the knowledge that he wasn't far away if anything bad were to happen. "on the way here, cyanstar told me that he used to be super nervous when he started coming to gatherings. but that was ages ago, when he was a brand new warrior. now, i don't know if anything makes him nervous."
indent"no twolegs? that sounds like a dream," ambergleam gushed. just the thought of twolegs and their massive dogs made ambergleam shudder. but instead she leaned forward, ears pricked as bearstripe described meadowclan's territory. "meadowclan sounds gorgeous. we have some flowers in quickclan, but nothing like yours, i'm sure. but, don't you have to worry about bees? when i was a kit, my moms were always super nervous when we went near flowers, because she was scared that i'd get stung." she laughed at the memory of dandelionspring and autumnflower fussing over her and her siblings. "oh! or does anyone ever breathe in too much pollen and have to sneeze a lot? if i lived in meadowclan, i think i'd do that all time, i'd try to get to close to a flower to sniff it, and then regret it right away!"

russetpaw | molly, apprentice, 9m, tagged:
indent

[selkirks]

𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙣 !!

isopodstar - male - 57m - leader - tags; cricketfur

isopodstar gazed around the gathering, seeing a few other clans. he glanced back at his small party. the black tom much preferred having a small group go to the gathering with him- much easy to keep eyes on them. with a flick of his tail, his cats dispersed. as isopodstar looked around, he sat down, folding his paws below him.

sootblotch - nb - 43m - deputy - tags; lechwe's flinch

the tabby nodded in understanding. they had heard of lineage-based roles before. "that makes sense, having your own kin be matriarch after you." sootblotch didn't like to think about what would happen if isopodstar lost all of his remaining lives- they just assumed that the role of an idol would go right to them. and that slightly freaked sootblotch out. they couldn't help but nod in agreement as lechwe's flinch mewed about not wanting to be matriarch. to be honest, sootblotch didn't want to be idol, either, and after lechwe's flinch talked about the sacrifices hyena's breath made for the order of the hyena, the tabby gasped, "she must be amazing." sootblotch mewed. as their companion asked about squidclan, the earl wondered where even to start, "well, we live on a beach! we have a forest near us, but our camp is on the beach. it's great- the sand gets all warm during the day and its lovely to just lie on the sand all day." they purred, "we dont have hyenas, but we have sharks. we don't see them much, but just the thought of them being near us is terrifying." sootblotch meowed.

basatan - male - 41m - healer - tags; sandsplash

basatan smiled at sandsplash, glad that he had chosen such a friendly cat to strike up a conversation with, "yup! im what most clans call a medicine cat." basatan sat down before continuing, "i like being a healer, especially in the warmer months. lots of herbs to gather under the warm sun." he stopped and licked his paw before dragging it over his ear. noting sandsplash's longer coat, basatan added, "but in the colder months its a pain to gather in such cold weather. especially going to gatherings- its a bit of a nightmare for hairless cats like me." he chuckled.

[chaotic creativity]

CHESSCLAN !!

Sootpelt | Tom - Warrior - 61 Moons - Tagged: Troutpelt (MeadowClan)

"Oh, come on now! There's just something about running so fast that the entire world blurs and you can barely feel the ground beneath your paws," his voice turned wistful as his eyes glazed over with the memory of his journey here. Realizing he had trailed off into daydreaming, he shook his head and sighed at himself. "Well, welcome to the Gatherings then! Yeah, ChessClan comes just about every time now that I think about it. Obviously the same cats don't always go; it's such a long journey to ask the same cat to make over and over again. That's why it's just me this time around," he explained quickly, wondering if Troutpelt would think it weird that he was the only one of his Clan attending. As she admitted her worries of sticking out, Sootpelt couldn't help but roll his eyes and gesture at the huge crowd of cats. "With so many unique cats here, there's absolutely no way someone could stick out, even if they had horns growing out of their head! And that's saying something, considering one of my clanmates actually does," he snorted, thinking about Taureauwhisper. "Trust me, there's new cats every single moon and most cats here don't even notice it. The attendees change just about every moon, so we're all used to never seeing the same face twice," he said as he cast a glance around in a futile attempt to spot even a single cat he recognized.

OUTBACK RUNNERS !!

Charcoalgleam | Molly - Warrior - 66 Moons - Tagged: Alpinemask (QuickClan)

Charcoalgleam couldn't stop herself from murmuring a quiet "I'm sorry", quietly hating that she'd drug up painful memories. She couldn't imagine the grief she now knew he sheltered in his heart. She'd seen the haunted looks in the eyes of her clanmates when something reminded them of someone they'd lost. She'd been fortunate to never lose someone she loved, but perhaps that was because she'd never let anybody be that close to her in the first place. "Darkflower sounds like she was a lovely cat, and I bet Valleymist feels the same way you do. I can only hope to love someone the way you obviously loved Darkflower," she smiled, hoping it was the right thing to say. She'd never fully understand the pain he was going through, she thought, but a part of her shied away from ever caring about another cat as she saw just how deep some wounds could run. "A lot of my clanmates end up with kits from the Gathering, actually. I've seen a few of those loners who hang around, I think," she said suddenly, craning her neck and trying to catch a glimpse of them.

IGNEOUSCLAN !!

Ghost | Tom - Warrior - 58 Moons - Tagged: Fawneyes (PinyonClan)

Ghost nearly wrinkled his nose at Fawneyes's pity, the flashes of the pure agony in his clanmates' eyes when asked about the incident dragging to the front of his mind. "It's a bit of a story, if you don't mind," he murmured, looking over at her. "I wasn't a part of IgneousClan before they lived under the island. When I got there, they were a quiet and somber bunch. They used to be called AviaryClan. They shared a connection with a bird, and that bird carried the consciousness of all who came before who shared the connection with the same bird. It seemed the ancestors were unhappy with the way they were living, so they broke the connections. All at once, they said, like their hearts were being torn from their chests. Still reeling from the agony and confusion, a fire erupted from nowhere. It destroyed the forest faster than any natural thing should have been able to, toppling trees and destroying the camp. The fire stole over half of AviaryClan's lives from them. The few survivors were forced to travel away, and they were forced to settle beneath the island when they couldn't go on any longer. We haven't been able to find a new territory, so we're still there," he sighed, lifting his eyes to the sky. He hadn't witnessed the breaking of the bonds or the fire, but he could imagine the howls of terror and grief filling the air in the way Ravenstar had described. Some had even watched their own loved ones be ripped from them, others watched those they cared about sacrifice themselves to save another. It's no wonder they couldn't stomach the idea of ever living in a forest again. "As for prey, well, there's lots of fish!" he shrugged, remembering the way the scales felt on his tongue every time he was forced to eat one of the disgusting creatures. "I just know I'll be thankful once we find a new suitable place to live. I swear I can feel my lungs withering the longer we stay there," he chuckled.

THE ORDER OF THE HYENA !!

Lechwe's Flinch | Non-binary - Warrior - 22 Moons - Tagged: Sootblotch (SquidClan)

Lechwe's Flinch could feel the warmth radiating into their bones as they thought about lying on the sand all day. It had to be similar to sunning on the giant rocks near the pond, they thought. "Oh, what's a shark?" they asked, the world rolling around their tongue as it got used to the unfamiliar word. "Living on a beach sounds like a dream, except someone else's dream. I'd rather not get soaked any time a large wave crashes nearby, y'know? Plus, does your fur always feel gritty with the sand and sticky with all the salt? I know some of my friends would love to live where you do," they chuckled, thinking about some of their clanmates who preferred swimming in the pond to cool off over taking a quick dust bath.

[alicent]

NORTHCLAN


northstar • 25m, tom, lord commander • tagged : splashfall

northstar brought himself out of his reminiscing — he must focus on the future of his clan. but even so, he still mourns for those he loved and lost. he sits back on his haunches, curling his tail neatly around his paws. the tom in front of him is welcoming, friendly, which he’s thankful for. “i’m not used to such nice weather in this season.” he admits, with a quiet chuckle. “it’s a nice change of pace. and it’s a pleasure to meet you, splashfall.” quickclan… he hasn’t heard of that clan before, just as the deputy hasn’t heard of his. looks like they’re both learning of new clans (to them, at least) this gathering. “ah, we live quite north from here, in the mountains. my clan is rebuilding.. i lost my clan to famine last moon.” a wince briefly crosses his face. “i was deputy just last moon, and now suddenly i find myself a leader. it was a sudden change — but one starclan thinks i’m ready for.” he tilts his head, looking at the deputy across from him. “i’d love to hear more about quickclan — what is your territory like?” he’s only really familiar with the mountains, the glade and the fields…and occasionally the summer hunting grounds, which is a forest of pine. anything else would be foreign to him, so naturally he’s curious.

[selkirks]

𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙣 !!

isopodstar - male - 57m - leader - tags; cricketfur

isopodstar gazed around the gathering, seeing a few other clans. he glanced back at his small party. the black tom much preferred having a small group go to the gathering with him- much easy to keep eyes on them. with a flick of his tail, his cats dispersed. as isopodstar looked around, he sat down, folding his paws below him.

sootblotch - nb - 43m - deputy - tags; lechwe's flinch

sootblotch involuntarily shuddered, much like they did when they first heard the nightmareish description of hyenas. "theres different kinds of sharks, but they're usually huge fish. bigger than any cats with huge teeth. they are terrifying! luckily, they don't bother us, and we don't bother them for obvious reasons." they chuckled. the only time the tabby had seen a shark was a few moons ago, and even though they were very far away from the shark, sootblotch decided that was the first and last time they'd ever see a shark. sootblotch was brought back into the present once lechwe's flinch meowed, and they gave a nod, "it's super annoying when sand gets stuck in your fur. im especially unlucky since i have such thick, long fur, which also makes it hard to swim." they meowed, "i like swimming in the ocean to get most of the sand off, but then my fur gets waterlogged, and that's a whole new problem for me." they purred with laughter.

basatan - male - 41m - healer - tags; sandsplash

basatan smiled at sandsplash, glad that he had chosen such a friendly cat to strike up a conversation with, "yup! im what most clans call a medicine cat." basatan sat down before continuing, "i like being a healer, especially in the warmer months. lots of herbs to gather under the warm sun." he stopped and licked his paw before dragging it over his ear. noting sandsplash's longer coat, basatan added, "but in the colder months its a pain to gather in such cold weather. especially going to gatherings- its a bit of a nightmare for hairless cats like me." he chuckled.

[chaotic creativity]

CHESSCLAN !!

Sootpelt | Tom - Warrior - 61 Moons - Tagged: Troutpelt (MeadowClan)

"Oh, come on now! There's just something about running so fast that the entire world blurs and you can barely feel the ground beneath your paws," his voice turned wistful as his eyes glazed over with the memory of his journey here. Realizing he had trailed off into daydreaming, he shook his head and sighed at himself. "Well, welcome to the Gatherings then! Yeah, ChessClan comes just about every time now that I think about it. Obviously the same cats don't always go; it's such a long journey to ask the same cat to make over and over again. That's why it's just me this time around," he explained quickly, wondering if Troutpelt would think it weird that he was the only one of his Clan attending. As she admitted her worries of sticking out, Sootpelt couldn't help but roll his eyes and gesture at the huge crowd of cats. "With so many unique cats here, there's absolutely no way someone could stick out, even if they had horns growing out of their head! And that's saying something, considering one of my clanmates actually does," he snorted, thinking about Taureauwhisper. "Trust me, there's new cats every single moon and most cats here don't even notice it. The attendees change just about every moon, so we're all used to never seeing the same face twice," he said as he cast a glance around in a futile attempt to spot even a single cat he recognized.

OUTBACK RUNNERS !!

Charcoalgleam | Molly - Warrior - 66 Moons - Tagged: Alpinemask (QuickClan)

Charcoalgleam couldn't stop herself from murmuring a quiet "I'm sorry", quietly hating that she'd drug up painful memories. She couldn't imagine the grief she now knew he sheltered in his heart. She'd seen the haunted looks in the eyes of her clanmates when something reminded them of someone they'd lost. She'd been fortunate to never lose someone she loved, but perhaps that was because she'd never let anybody be that close to her in the first place. "Darkflower sounds like she was a lovely cat, and I bet Valleymist feels the same way you do. I can only hope to love someone the way you obviously loved Darkflower," she smiled, hoping it was the right thing to say. She'd never fully understand the pain he was going through, she thought, but a part of her shied away from ever caring about another cat as she saw just how deep some wounds could run. "A lot of my clanmates end up with kits from the Gathering, actually. I've seen a few of those loners who hang around, I think," she said suddenly, craning her neck and trying to catch a glimpse of them.

IGNEOUSCLAN !!

Ghost | Tom - Warrior - 58 Moons - Tagged: Fawneyes (PinyonClan)

Ghost nearly wrinkled his nose at Fawneyes's pity, the flashes of the pure agony in his clanmates' eyes when asked about the incident dragging to the front of his mind. "It's a bit of a story, if you don't mind," he murmured, looking over at her. "I wasn't a part of IgneousClan before they lived under the island. When I got there, they were a quiet and somber bunch. They used to be called AviaryClan. They shared a connection with a bird, and that bird carried the consciousness of all who came before who shared the connection with the same bird. It seemed the ancestors were unhappy with the way they were living, so they broke the connections. All at once, they said, like their hearts were being torn from their chests. Still reeling from the agony and confusion, a fire erupted from nowhere. It destroyed the forest faster than any natural thing should have been able to, toppling trees and destroying the camp. The fire stole over half of AviaryClan's lives from them. The few survivors were forced to travel away, and they were forced to settle beneath the island when they couldn't go on any longer. We haven't been able to find a new territory, so we're still there," he sighed, lifting his eyes to the sky. He hadn't witnessed the breaking of the bonds or the fire, but he could imagine the howls of terror and grief filling the air in the way Ravenstar had described. Some had even watched their own loved ones be ripped from them, others watched those they cared about sacrifice themselves to save another. It's no wonder they couldn't stomach the idea of ever living in a forest again. "As for prey, well, there's lots of fish!" he shrugged, remembering the way the scales felt on his tongue every time he was forced to eat one of the disgusting creatures. "I just know I'll be thankful once we find a new suitable place to live. I swear I can feel my lungs withering the longer we stay there," he chuckled.

THE ORDER OF THE HYENA !!

Lechwe's Flinch | Non-binary - Warrior - 22 Moons - Tagged: Sootblotch (SquidClan)

Lechwe's Flinch imagined giant, gnashing teach surging out of the water and eating six cats in one bite. They gulped and tried to toss the image from their mind, but it kept playing in the background. Lechwe's Flinch couldn't imagine swimming in the ocean with the amount of fur Sootblotch had. Their own fur was relatively thick and long, but they were only mediumhaired and not longhaired. "I can't believe the currents don't sweep you away with all that fur. I've swam in a river once, and I can barely stay up against the current. I can only imagine how strong it is in the ocean," they sighed. They knew some cats could swim fast enough to evade the crocodiles, but they were all small and shorthaired, prime for agility. Sometimes they thought their fur was a burden, holding them back from running like the wind with the way it always got in their eyes. Still, they loved the way it kept them warm enough in the winter.

[selkirks]

𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙣 !!

isopodstar - male - 57m - leader - tags; cricketfur

isopodstar gazed around the gathering, seeing a few other clans. he glanced back at his small party. the black tom much preferred having a small group go to the gathering with him- much easy to keep eyes on them. with a flick of his tail, his cats dispersed. as isopodstar looked around, he sat down, folding his paws below him.

sootblotch - nb - 43m - deputy - tags; lechwe's flinch

sootblotch laughed softly, "oh believe me, i spend so much time being careful to not get dragged in the currents that i can hardly focus on catching prey. nowadays i usually hunt in the forest near us." they meowed. "the ocean is so much stronger than practically anything else. its terrifying, to be honest." just the thought of the deep, expansive waters sent a chill down their spine. the ocean is huge and yet so little is known about it. there could be anything in the ocean. sootblotch shook their fur out, "usually, shorthaired cats are the ones who hunt in the water since they have an easier time swimming. sometimes mediumhaired and longhaired cats fish as well, but you won't see them deep in the ocean. im content to hunt squirrels in the forest near us," they purred before continuing, "not as tasty as fish, but i'd much rather eat a squirrel then tread in the ocean."

basatan - male - 41m - healer - tags; sandsplash

basatan smiled at sandsplash, glad that he had chosen such a friendly cat to strike up a conversation with, "yup! im what most clans call a medicine cat." basatan sat down before continuing, "i like being a healer, especially in the warmer months. lots of herbs to gather under the warm sun." he stopped and licked his paw before dragging it over his ear. noting sandsplash's longer coat, basatan added, "but in the colder months its a pain to gather in such cold weather. especially going to gatherings- its a bit of a nightmare for hairless cats like me." he chuckled.

[RoxyTBDW]

FogClan
Cats Attending: Fogspirit, Cygnuswillow, Garwhisker, Reedwade, Lotus

She sat in silence as he looked down in sorrow thinking about the war. "That sounds hard... Wars can be hard to bear once the damage is done to your Clan..." The silence sat for a few moments but then he spoke again. "Ah, not very many but they mean a lot to me. We have had a pawful of cats join, but one isn't exactly excited to be with us. He's quite a handful actually." She glanced at Lotus, watching for a moment to see if the deputy's apprentice would cause trouble or not. "But, he's beginning to settle a little bit. I really appreciate learning about your Clan and your advice. It really will help." She smiled and looked up at the full moon, counting the time they had left. "Hm. Has prey been well?" she tried. She sat for a moment, thinking if there was a better question to ask.

He sat over next to Fogspirit, tucking his paws underneath his body to loaf comfortably. He closed his eyes, slowly lashing his tail and nearly knocking his leader over. After she slightly hissed at him, he stopped lashing his tail and sniffed the air, eyes still closed. He opened his eyes, looking at the mass of cats. He reached over for a small stone and began batting it with his paws to keep himself entertained for the time being.

They slowly trudged over to the other medicine cats, trying to avoid anyone's gaze. They really didn't want to be here, but they decided that they couldn't make his first official first gathering bad, so Garwhisker looked over to the nearest medicine cat and cracked a joke to try and cheer themself up and potentially make a new friend. They smiled from whisker to whisker, trying to make themself as welcoming as they possibly could and puffing out their chest.

They nervously looked around. They noticed a sandy-colored she-cat and sort of 'hopped' over to them. They sat down with their paws neatly tucked into the grass and smiled. "Hello, room for me?" They were trying to brush off their nerves, but what if the other cats didn't like them? Were they too intrusive? Too open? Too cheerful? Should they be more serious? They fixed their face to look as serious as possible now that they thought about it.

She looked over and noticed a fellow apprentice. Slowly, she edged over. She didn't really feel in the mood for a conversation, but sitting next to another apprentice for once would be nice. She was still a bit grouchy from being dragged along to this stupid gathering, but she sat calmly and quietly and looked away as if she were curious of the amount of cats. Suddenly, she realized there were quite a lot of cats. She looked over at Russetpaw and decided to actually say something. Being cooped up in camp with a bunch of smelly older cats is boring, maybe a cat her age to talk to would be nice for once. "Uh, hey." She settled herself a tail-length away, still close enough to talk.

[eagle,]

QUICKCLAN
cyanstar | tom, leader, 82m, tagged: fogspirit
indentCyanstar remembered when Redstar has first bringing in cats to QuickClan many seasons earlier. "I'm sure more cats will find their way to you soon. News may still need more time to spread that your clan has been founded. But there are always cats who are in need of homes, unfortunately, and you'll find the members you need," he said with a nod. He followed Fogspirit's gaze to where a younger cat was sitting, and he smiled. "Of course, I hope I didn't overstep at all," Cyanstar said. "I had help when I was first becoming a leader, but I was fortunate that QuickClan was well-established by the time the leadership was passed to me. It's not ever easy but I'm sure starting a clan from the ground doesn't make it any easier." In that, he truly did admire Fogspirit. It took a lot of strength and tenacity - to a degree that Cyanstar didn't think he could. "Oh yes, thank StarClan, prey has been running very well. One of our warriors actually found a series of tunnels on our territory, where it seems a lot of prey likes to burrow during rainy and cold seasons, so we're trying to find out if there may be an opportunity to expand our hunting there as well. Though, I don't think anyone would find me hunting underground, I much prefer the open air," he explained. "How about in FogClan? I'm honestly not very familiar with marshes - what types of prey do you hunt?"

splashfall | tom, deputy, 86m, tagged: northstar
indentThough Northstar was much younger than Splashfall, the QuickClan deputy couldn't help but admire the clear strength and determination that Northstar held about himself. From the set of his shoulders to the way he spoke, it was clear to Splashfall that this was a cat who was focused on securing his clan and doing what must be done. "I'm sorry to hear that, that's horrible," Splashfall said, eyes wide with sympathy. "I can't imagine how much you've had to go through this past moon. But StarClan surely doesn't trust just anyone with such immense responsibility." Though it had been many, many seasons earlier, when he was still a young warrior, Splashfall had experienced a clan in war, friend turned on friend - and it haunted him to this day. He couldn't fathom Northstar's pain. "It's no wonder that you're not so used to such nice weather - the mountains must be freezing, even now," he said, feeling the phantom of a shiver pass through his short fur despite the comfortable breeze. "We live on a stretch of moorland. It's very open, for the most part, with not too many trees, though we do see some small forests near our borders. It gets very windy, as I'm sure you could imagine, and nearly unbearable in the winter, when it get frigid. Though I'm sure you might think it's just another day compared to what you're used to," he said with a lopsided grin. "What types of prey do you find in the mountains?"

alpinemask | tom, medicine cat, 87m, tagged: charcoalgleam
indentAlpinemask dipped his head to Charcoalgleam, too momentarily choked with emotion to express how much her words meant in that moment. He rarely spoke of Darkflower these days, the pain still raw after many moons, but telling Charcoalgleam his story made him, strangely, hurt a little less. So, he lifted his head when Charcoalgleam changed the subject and turned his attention into the distance. "Oh yes, some QuickClan warriors have mentioned that group as well. We have a fair few kits from relationships with the loners," Alpinemask murmured, his curiosity spiking once more. "I've never spoken to any of them, though. It's funny how there always seems to be a new group that comes around each gathering." He pondered it for a brief moment before shrugging. "Do you think you'd ever want to have a family? My daughter has no interest in giving up her warrior duties to be a queen. She says that she'll just squash any kits she gets close to. I had to remind her that they're kits, not bugs."

shellpond | tom, warrior, 31m, tagged: moonblink
indentShellpond ducked his head, bashful as he spoke to Moonblink about his crush. It was a secret that he'd worked to hide for the past several moons, since the other tom had arrived in QuickClan - so much so that Shellpond had neglected to confide in any of his family about his feelings. So, when Moonblink offered her advice, Shellpond managed a tight smile. "I'll try. Thank you," he said. Though he wasn't sure if he was confident enough to make himself known, let alone have any clue what he could do to make Marigoldstream notice him, he knew that Moonblink was right. He'd never be happy unless he tried something. He let himself get caught up in her description of the coast. For a moment, he could've sworn that he felt the pull of wind in his fur and smelled the salty sea. "That sounds so strange," he said, though not unkindly. "Salty water that you can't even drink? That sounds useless. Could you at least fish or swim in it?" he asked. He felt an immense respect for Moonblink, having traveled so far, seen more in her lifetime than Shellpond supposed that he ever would. "It sounds like you've seen everything. That's amazing."

ambergleam | molly, warrior, 16m, tagged: bearstripe
indentambergleam hummed thoughtfully at bearstripe's words, thankful that she wasn't alone with her anxiety surrounding the gathering. "i'm not sure. i hope that they do, so we aren't alone feeling like this," she said. she turned her head, looking to where the leaders were gathered. though her view was partially obscured, she saw a flash of cyanstar blue pelt, and smiled to herself, feeling more secure with the knowledge that he wasn't far away if anything bad were to happen. "on the way here, cyanstar told me that he used to be super nervous when he started coming to gatherings. but that was ages ago, when he was a brand new warrior. now, i don't know if anything makes him nervous."
indent"no twolegs? that sounds like a dream," ambergleam gushed. just the thought of twolegs and their massive dogs made ambergleam shudder. but instead she leaned forward, ears pricked as bearstripe described meadowclan's territory. "meadowclan sounds gorgeous. we have some flowers in quickclan, but nothing like yours, i'm sure. but, don't you have to worry about bees? when i was a kit, my moms were always super nervous when we went near flowers, because she was scared that i'd get stung." she laughed at the memory of dandelionspring and autumnflower fussing over her and her siblings. "oh! or does anyone ever breathe in too much pollen and have to sneeze a lot? if i lived in meadowclan, i think i'd do that all time, i'd try to get to close to a flower to sniff it, and then regret it right away!"

russetpaw | molly, apprentice, 9m, tagged: lotus
indentRussetpaw had never attended a gathering before, though her brother had been very eager to rub his experiences in his face the last time he'd been invited to join Cyanstar's patrol. Though the large warriors intimidated her, she stuck close towards the edge of the gathering, mindful of getting under any cat's paw. So, when another young cat approached her and settled nearby, Russetpaw perked up. "Hey there, is this your first gathering too?" she asked. "I didn't think that Cyanstar would actually ask me to come. But, now that I'm here... it's a little overwhelming. Like, there's a lot going on." She wrapped her tail tightly over her paws. "I don't want any cat to step on me."

[chaotic creativity]

CHESSCLAN !!

Sootpelt | Tom - Warrior - 61 Moons - Tagged: Troutpelt (MeadowClan)

"Oh, come on now! There's just something about running so fast that the entire world blurs and you can barely feel the ground beneath your paws," his voice turned wistful as his eyes glazed over with the memory of his journey here. Realizing he had trailed off into daydreaming, he shook his head and sighed at himself. "Well, welcome to the Gatherings then! Yeah, ChessClan comes just about every time now that I think about it. Obviously the same cats don't always go; it's such a long journey to ask the same cat to make over and over again. That's why it's just me this time around," he explained quickly, wondering if Troutpelt would think it weird that he was the only one of his Clan attending. As she admitted her worries of sticking out, Sootpelt couldn't help but roll his eyes and gesture at the huge crowd of cats. "With so many unique cats here, there's absolutely no way someone could stick out, even if they had horns growing out of their head! And that's saying something, considering one of my clanmates actually does," he snorted, thinking about Taureauwhisper. "Trust me, there's new cats every single moon and most cats here don't even notice it. The attendees change just about every moon, so we're all used to never seeing the same face twice," he said as he cast a glance around in a futile attempt to spot even a single cat he recognized.

OUTBACK RUNNERS !!

Charcoalgleam | Molly - Warrior - 66 Moons - Tagged: Alpinemask (QuickClan)

"I just can't figure out how there are so many out there to make sure that essentially the same group never comes twice," she chuckled, finally spotting a smaller black and white cat slipping between trees while seemingly yelling at the sky. They were a weird one, that's for sure. Charcoalgleam paused to snort as Alpinemask spoke of his daughter's potential treatment of kits. "I haven't given it too much thought," she admitted. "I mean, if I find a nice molly, I might settle down and raise a litter or two with her. And that's one big if," she laughed, admittedly a little forcibly. She'd dreamed of it as a kit, a family to call her own, but it just never seemed like the right place or the right time or even the right cat. "It's not some big end goal for me, like I know it is for others, more of a side quest to complete if the opportunity arises," she added.

IGNEOUSCLAN !!

Ghost | Tom - Warrior - 58 Moons - Tagged: Fawneyes (PinyonClan)

Ghost nearly wrinkled his nose at Fawneyes's pity, the flashes of the pure agony in his clanmates' eyes when asked about the incident dragging to the front of his mind. "It's a bit of a story, if you don't mind," he murmured, looking over at her. "I wasn't a part of IgneousClan before they lived under the island. When I got there, they were a quiet and somber bunch. They used to be called AviaryClan. They shared a connection with a bird, and that bird carried the consciousness of all who came before who shared the connection with the same bird. It seemed the ancestors were unhappy with the way they were living, so they broke the connections. All at once, they said, like their hearts were being torn from their chests. Still reeling from the agony and confusion, a fire erupted from nowhere. It destroyed the forest faster than any natural thing should have been able to, toppling trees and destroying the camp. The fire stole over half of AviaryClan's lives from them. The few survivors were forced to travel away, and they were forced to settle beneath the island when they couldn't go on any longer. We haven't been able to find a new territory, so we're still there," he sighed, lifting his eyes to the sky. He hadn't witnessed the breaking of the bonds or the fire, but he could imagine the howls of terror and grief filling the air in the way Ravenstar had described. Some had even watched their own loved ones be ripped from them, others watched those they cared about sacrifice themselves to save another. It's no wonder they couldn't stomach the idea of ever living in a forest again. "As for prey, well, there's lots of fish!" he shrugged, remembering the way the scales felt on his tongue every time he was forced to eat one of the disgusting creatures. "I just know I'll be thankful once we find a new suitable place to live. I swear I can feel my lungs withering the longer we stay there," he chuckled.

THE ORDER OF THE HYENA !!

Lechwe's Flinch | Non-binary - Warrior - 22 Moons - Tagged: Sootblotch (SquidClan)

"I'd eat squirrel over fish any day. The scales always get caught in my teeth," they groaned, remembering the last time they'd been spitting out scales for days. The absent-mindedly licked at their teeth, their imagination so strong that they almost could feel them there now. They knew fish wasn't a common prey in the Order, mostly due to the lack of fish in the pond and the abundance of crocodiles in the river, but they still could barely bring themself to eat it when it was the only thing available. "It's good to hear your Clan can delegate things to cats better suited for the task. My Matriarch likes to keep us 'well-rounded', so we're often stuck doing the things we're no good at," Lechwe's Flinch grumbled, remembering the scouting patrol they'd been sent on. They weren't fantastic at sneaking around and staying still, so it hadn't been a particularly fun evening.