[Bunny!!]

Username:
Cat Name:

Gender:
Rank:
Age:
Clan:

Prompt: (2000 words + 4 art pieces max


/res with he is a bit oblivious to how annoying he can be sometimes./

[SpotSong]

Mark :3

[Wet Bread]

Username: Wet Bread
Cat Name: Bravefern

Gender: she-cat
Rank: Medicine Cat
Age: 24 moons
Clan: Brightclan

Prompt:



Calla dreamt about the starry cats again. There was one in particular that called to her. The large she-cat with fur the color of bright falling leaves contrasted by her bright sprout colored eyes. The she-cat always had a kind expression on her face and, while Calla could never remember what the she-cat said to her, Calla was sure she had called her Mother.

~~~

The day Calla had her kits was a sad one. All of them had been born to never take a breath again, all but one. A large, orange tabby she-kit. That night in her dreams, Calla spoke to a different starry cat, and she didn't forget his words.

"Brave is with you now." He assured her. "She is one of the first cats of Brightclan, and will be responsible for saving cats all across the lakeside."

Although Calla did not know of any Brightclan yet, she knew her last remaining kit had an incredible destiny. She was sure to be an incredible warrior. Calla gave her small kit a lick and snuggled her close.

"My little Brave," She cooed with a purr.



Brave followed her mother as she weaved swiftly through the trees, stalking a turkey hen.

"Keep up, Brave!" Her mother snapped from ahead of her. "Turkeys may be dumb, but they can put up a good fight against one cat." Brave willed her paws to move faster but still kept a tail length behind. It seemed like her mother was after larger prey every day. Why couldn't they just hunt mice? Brave was perfectly happy with a couple of them to keep her full.

They stopped as they reached a clearing the turkey was in, Brave nearly running into her mother from behind.

"I'm going to loop around to the other side." Calla whispered. "I'll chase the turkey right into your paws. You'll finish the kill."

"Why do I have to?" Brave asked, trembling as she eyed the turkey's taloned feet and sharp beak. The turkey was bigger than her altogether!

"Don't worry, I know you can do it." Her mother reassured her. "You're the toughest cat I know." Brave wondered for a moment if her mother even knew her, as Calla slinked away into the underbrush. Brave waited patiently for her mother to take her place on the other side of the clearing. Brave braced herself as Calla slinked closer and closer to the turkey. She could feel tension in all her muscles. She could do this, she could do this. Suddenly, Calla burst forward, scaring the fowl, which let out a loud screech and turned and ran right for Brave. She felt her muscles tightening in fear as the turkey grew closer. It really was very big. Her fur fluffed out and just as the turkey reached her, Brave dodged out of the way. The turkey disappeared into the underbrush. Calla spat in frustration as she sprinted after it, only to stumble and fall.

"Mother! Are you okay?" Brave asked with concern as she rushed to Calla. Brave sniffed at her mother's twisted paw. "Don't worry, I know just the herb for this." She reassured Calla as she sniffed around the plants around them.

"Enough!" Calla snapped as she forced herself to her paws. "I don't need a kit that can heal me, I need a kit that can hunt! And fight! You're Brave, remember! You have a grand destiny." Brave flattened her ears and backed away from her mother. Calla was wrong. She wasn't brave, she was a big coward, scared of everything. Brave had no idea why her mother was so sure that Brave would have a grand destiny, she wasn't good at much of anything, especially not fighting or hunting. She lowered her head. She'd never live up to her mother's view of her.



"Where are we going, Mother?" Brave asked as Calla led her through the forest to less and less familiar grounds. Calla looked at her over her shoulder, eyes glimmering. Brave couldn't help but notice her mother was still limping slightly. She never treated that twisted paw.

"We're going to a place where you can finally fulfill your destiny." Her mother answered vaguely. Brave grew increasingly confused and concerned, but pressed forward with her mother nonetheless. Eventually they emerged from the forest beside a large lake. Brave's eyes widened in amazement. This was the largest body of water she had ever seen. Calla sped up in front of her, moving with more determination.

Brave saw a small white and brown cat sniffing near the water curiously. He looked up at the two she-cats and his green eyes lit up as he came running to them. Brave fluffed her fur in alarm, but Calla rested her tail tip on Brave to calm her. Brave glanced at her mother, who looked very happy to see this strange cat. They'd obviously met before.

"Nice to see you again!" The tom chirped as he halted in front of them. Brave couldn't help but notice the strange glow in her mother's eyes. She dipped her head.

"Thank you for meeting with me again, Duststar." Calla responded respectfully. Brave was astonished. She'd never heard her mother be respectful towards anyone before. "This is my daughter, Brave." Duststar turned his gaze to acknowledge Brave. He had a much smaller build than her. If Brave had been any good at fighting, she wouldn't even be fearful of him. Duststar dipped his head and Brave did the same. She swore she had seen a sparkle in his eyes when they locked gazes. This was all oddly suspicious to Brave.

"What's going on here, Mother?" Brave asked in a small voice.

"I already told you, I brought you here to fulfill your destiny." Calla responded, positively glowing with happiness. "There is something I never told you. Brave, this is Duststar, the leader of Brightclan. Long ago, Brightclan was led by some of the strongest, most noble cats in the forest. You are one of those cats reincarnated, Brave. That's why your destiny is so great."

Brave felt icy from ears to tail tip. So this was why her mother had such crazy expectations of her? That's why her mother fought she could hunt and fight well when in reality, Brave was mediocre at best? That's why her mother ignored the things her daughter was actually good at? Brave was devastated. Her mother wasn't seeing her the way she was at all. She only cared about Brave's destiny.

"That's not true at all," Brave responded quietly, her mouth dry.

"It is!" Her mother insisted, nudging Brave. "That's why you have to go join Brightclan with Duststar."

"What do you mean, I have to go?" Brave asked, shaking under her pelt with growing anger. "What about you?"

"Well, I'm not suited for clan life at all." Calla responded as she sat back and gave her paw a lick. "But you were obviously made for it." Calla could leave her that easily? She was her mother though! Had she ever loved Brave at all? Brave took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Okay, fine." She responded as composed as she could muster. She turned away from her mother and faced Duststar, the ambassador of her new life. "It was nice knowing you, Calla." She said coldly as she left with Duststar towards her new home. It was only when they were well away from Calla that Brave allowed her ears to droop. Duststar gave her a sympathetic look.

"It must be hard leaving your mother." He commented softly. Brave didn't look up to meet his gaze.

"She never wanted me to begin with. She wanted the cat she idealized." Brave responded softly.

"Well, she was right about one thing. I'm sure you'll find your destiny in Brightclan, whatever that may be." Duststar assured her.



Brave was horrified by the state of the Brightclan camp when she arrived. She expected bright, happy cats bouncing about like Duststar but instead was greeted with a handful of sick cats. Polliwog, a warrior Duststar quickly introduced Brave to, was laying in the clearing to soak up the sunshine, her stomach aching something fierce. The deputy, Vervainstrike, didn't even greet Brave, she was laying in a makeshift den, chewing on dandelion to attempt to ease her stomach pain.

"Don't any of you know anything about herbs?" Brave asked, horrified that the cats would be in such a state. Duststar shook his head pitifully.

"I learned a little in the past, but not enough to know what to do for stomach problems." He answered meekly.

"Wait here." Brave commanded with more authority than she'd ever used in her life. Brave rushed out of camp and sniffed for drier ground. She reached her goal near a place where twolegs frequented quite often, she could see what she was after just across the small twoleg path: chamomile. It was just the herb the Brightclan cats needed. Brave waited until she didn't see any twolegs coming and darted for the chamomile. She picked the small sprigs as quickly as she could but was alarmed as a dog started barking loudly in the distance. She looked up to see a large dog come barreling at her, full speed. But she just needed a little more...

Brave picked a few more sprigs, picked up her bundle, and darted away as the dog gave chase. The dog ran alongside her and snapped at her, grazing her ear. Brave darted between the dog's legs and out the other side, thoroughly confusing the dog. While the dog tripped over itself, Brave reached the underbrush and crept away safely. There was a dull pain in her ear, but Brave ignored it and pressed on towards camp.

Once she reached camp, Brave immediately gave the she-cats the herbs and upon their asking, embarrassedly told the story of how she got the chamomile. Duststar's eyes shone bright as he looked on.

"You are very brave." He complimented her. "And resourceful too. You have my thanks for helping us."

"Oh really, I'm none of that." Brave responded shyly. "It's not like I fought the dog."

"No, you outwitted it, which is twice as valuable considering you were carrying herbs the whole time." Vervainstrike pointed out. Duststar nodded in a agreement and stepped forward.

"Brave, would you consider being our medicine cat and continuing to heal Brightclan as we grow?" Duststar asked formally.

"Yes." Brave responded, eyes gleaming with happiness. She finally felt like her views of herself were starting to match up with another cat's. This was her destiny.

[ataraxic_gone]

Username;; dewly_noted
Cat Name;; DawnRush
Gender;; male
Age;; 31 moons
Clan;; BeachClan
Rank;; Wave runner

Prompt;;
Not worth much time, someone who should keep his head down. He doesn't do much right and even when he does it's not as good as anyone else's halfhearted attempts. He'll just mess things up, he'll just do people wrong. It's better for everyone if he just keeps his head down and does his job quietly.

"DawnRush? Oh what a sweetheart, gentle and hard working. I think I speak for most of us when I say that he's the best of us. Even when everyone else is cracking under the pressure you can rely on him to be stable, present and loving. I don't think a day has gone by that he hasn't brightened just a little with his soft smile. I don't think he realises just how much he means to us!" - BerryThorn

"Haha! DawnRush, man you get that cat talking about what he loves and he just get's the passionate look in his eyes, he's someone who really believes what he says! Not to mention dependable. Always can count of him for a terrible patrol- you can always count on him to make a terrible anything better. Really sunshine in a cat!" - CloudDust

"Not really as ambitious as most of our clan members are, sometimes I worry about him. Yet he's always there when needed, I don't think he's ever caused trouble! I know that no matter what happens I can count on him" - StormHeart

"I remember when that Dawn and Fallow came to our clan, they were scrappy adventurers who weren't much of anything. Since then DawnRush has become dependable, kind with a contagious passion that has touched many lives. He's so much stronger than he thinks he is and I'm proud to think of him as son." - MackerelReef

[ienrir]

u s e r n a m e : ienrir
c a t n a m e : ember risingoak

g e n d e r : male
r a n k : commander
a g e : 45 moons
c l a n : cryptclan

p r o m p t :

Perched on the highest step of the skystones, Ember stared out across the camp's clearing; comfortable in solitude. He watched as the rising sun climbed the treetops, bathing his pelt in its golden glow. The light voices of waking clanmates babbled far below, as gentle and familiar as the brooks that weaved through the territory. To him it felt a comfort to be high above it all. All the chatter and the noise.

After so many moons alone, adjusting to company proved a difficult feat. Like he was a bumbling apprentice, trying to learn a new skill for the first time. It frustrated him; this intricate dance of social cues and taboos. With each passing day he discovered some new phrase to decipher, some new expression to unmask. His clanmates spoke a silent language with their bodies and faces, one he had yet to learn. Instead he kept his distance, speaking only when necessary. Fighting, on the other hand, was easy. All he had to worry about was his claws and his foes. He longed for the time he spent as a loner. Simple, without so many prying eyes. But lonely.

"Your pelt is bright as the sun."

The familiar lul of his Monarch's voice pulled him from his thoughts. He met the gaze with an even stare, blank and unreadable. No words to offer, just a nod of acknowledgement as the other tom settled on the step beside him. To his leader, the silence felt comfortable; a gentle pause. But in the absence of conversation, Ember's mind whirled with doubt. Perhaps he was meant to speak, to reply, to smile? But small talk alluded him as always, and instead he found his eyes lingering on the other's tom's worn face.

"You're quite hard to read, you know. It intimidates some cats, they fear you might be heartless." Robinstar admitted, his brows furrowing absently. The admission, though soft, felt biting to the ginger tom. Heartless. Something about that word struck something deep in his chest.

"You're hard to read too. Not heartless though, not as far as I can tell." Ember offered in reply, watching how the other tom's whiskers twitched. The leader, let out a brief wheeze. A sound he had since learned was laughter.

"That's the first i've heard of it! The others say I have honest eyes."

"You have tired eyes, bloodshot and dull, m'lord."

For a moment a second silence settled between them. Though, it was swiftly broken by the leader's loud, hacking cough... no, not cough. Laugh. Ember shifted on his paws, startled by the sound; though his even expression didn't so much as falter. He couldn't fathom how his statement was amusing, but he waited with endless patience until the noise dwindled away. Not once breaking eye contact.

The others called him stoney-faced, wearing one bland expression carved out of rock. Each of them projected onto it whatever they wished to see. Be it judgment, stability or mystery. The assumptions felt silly to him. Often times he was nothing more than confused, fixing them with an intense stare as though it would reveal their inner workings. It was so easy for them to assign meaning to him when he was a blank slate. He felt no need to correct them.

"You're nothing if not honest. I think that's why it has to be you." He watched as the leader absently brushed a tear from his eye. Laughter can bring someone to tears, he noted. There was no end to the strangeness of other cat's emotions.

"What has to be me?"

"I spoke to the Oracle. He spoke back in tongues and riddles of course... but as far as I can tell, he spoke highly of you."

The news was surprising to the amber tom, as he hadn't spent much time in the company of the Oracle. Out of all his clanmates, they were the most erratic in their thoughts and feelings. Nonsensical at the best of times. Ember didn't favour the company of something without meaning. "He has no reason to."

"You have been a rock to the clan, they respect you as much as they fear you. That air of authority isn't something that can be taught. Not even to me." Robinstar mused, mistaking the shift in his tone for humility. "You've earned his praise. You've earned your place here." Ember accepted the compliment in silence, allowing the words to warm his chest. Though his leaders next words ripped the warmth from his bones. "I want you to lead beside me."

He blinked at the Monarch, rolling the words through his mind. Mulling them over in silence. When he opened his mouth to speak, there was no note of uncertainty in his voice. Though his stomach flipped uncomfortably, the leader saw nothing but his calm exterior. "Your clanmates find me cold. You said so yourself."

"Our clanmates are spoiled. Some paws are still soft from walking the path of a kittypet. There are those who ache for quick meals and cosy two-leg dens. A fair leader may lift their spirits, but a cold leader can harden their hearts. I'd trust no one else with the task."

Once again, he was subject to the desires of other cats. They needed a cold leader, so that is what they chose to see in him. Heartless, the word crawled back into his mind, nestling in his thoughts. They think me heartless. But it was a role he could fill, without fear of adhering to their strict social rules. He could be the coldness in their own hearts. Perhaps that was the calling the stars had spoke of in his dreams.

"Then, I take it with honour." He murmured, watching in fascination as his leader's face lit up like the sun above. Without hesitation the blue tom was on his paws, and Ember took that as his cue to follow suit.

"Cats of the Crypt, I ask you to gather beneath the skystones so we may take counsel." The eyes of the clan below turned up to watch; a sea of faces gathering beneath the ancient staircase. A murmur rippled through them, but faded as Robinstar rose his tail for silence. "The kingdom of Stars have spoken out about our future. They call upon Ember to be our claw and shield." Uncertency settled in Ember's chest, but as the leader caught his gaze the doubts seemed to melt away. His eyes radiated with something just beyond Ember's reach. They were bright with faith. "Ember, while my subjects bear witness, do you promise to serve the clan as my commander and second?"

"Yes, m'lord."

"Then decent these stones and meet the clan as their ruling Commander."

His paws felt stiff, but they moved as his willed them to; descending the steps one paw at a time. As he wound down the staircase, the Monarch's voice rung clear above his head. "Henceforth he shall be known as Risingoak, for as sure as the sunrise he is a cat we may depend on. As unbending as the oak from which we make our dens, he will grace our clan with support and stability." He reached the last step just as the speech came to a close, standing before his clan and their wide-eyed wonder. Not one of them saw the tremble of his paws. A heavy silence few across the clearing, as though each cat held their breath. It held until the Monarch stood beside him on the grass. "Call upon your commander! Call upon an era of prosperity!" Then all at once, a collective exhale of "Risingoak! Risingoak! Risingoak!" His new name hit him in waves, a passionate chant for their Commander. Noble, ruthless and star-kissed in their eyes.

[katsue]

Please judge this competition soon-- thank you!

[Hawky<3]

u s e r n a m e : ienrir
c a t n a m e : ember risingoak

g e n d e r : male
r a n k : commander
a g e : 45 moons
c l a n : cryptclan

p r o m p t :

Perched on the highest step of the skystones, Ember stared out across the camp's clearing; comfortable in solitude. He watched as the rising sun climbed the treetops, bathing his pelt in its golden glow. The light voices of waking clanmates babbled far below, as gentle and familiar as the brooks that weaved through the territory. To him it felt a comfort to be high above it all. All the chatter and the noise.

After so many moons alone, adjusting to company proved a difficult feat. Like he was a bumbling apprentice, trying to learn a new skill for the first time. It frustrated him; this intricate dance of social cues and taboos. With each passing day he discovered some new phrase to decipher, some new expression to unmask. His clanmates spoke a silent language with their bodies and faces, one he had yet to learn. Instead he kept his distance, speaking only when necessary. Fighting, on the other hand, was easy. All he had to worry about was his claws and his foes. He longed for the time he spent as a loner. Simple, without so many prying eyes. But lonely.

"Your pelt is bright as the sun."

The familiar lul of his Monarch's voice pulled him from his thoughts. He met the gaze with an even stare, blank and unreadable. No words to offer, just a nod of acknowledgement as the other tom settled on the step beside him. To his leader, the silence felt comfortable; a gentle pause. But in the absence of conversation, Ember's mind whirled with doubt. Perhaps he was meant to speak, to reply, to smile? But small talk alluded him as always, and instead he found his eyes lingering on the other's tom's worn face.

"You're quite hard to read, you know. It intimidates some cats, they fear you might be heartless." Robinstar admitted, his brows furrowing absently. The admission, though soft, felt biting to the ginger tom. Heartless. Something about that word struck something deep in his chest.

"You're hard to read too. Not heartless though, not as far as I can tell." Ember offered in reply, watching how the other tom's whiskers twitched. The leader, let out a brief wheeze. A sound he had since learned was laughter.

"That's the first i've heard of it! The others say I have honest eyes."

"You have tired eyes, bloodshot and dull, m'lord."

For a moment a second silence settled between them. Though, it was swiftly broken by the leader's loud, hacking cough... no, not cough. Laugh. Ember shifted on his paws, startled by the sound; though his even expression didn't so much as falter. He couldn't fathom how his statement was amusing, but he waited with endless patience until the noise dwindled away. Not once breaking eye contact.

The others called him stoney-faced, wearing one bland expression carved out of rock. Each of them projected onto it whatever they wished to see. Be it judgment, stability or mystery. The assumptions felt silly to him. Often times he was nothing more than confused, fixing them with an intense stare as though it would reveal their inner workings. It was so easy for them to assign meaning to him when he was a blank slate. He felt no need to correct them.

"You're nothing if not honest. I think that's why it has to be you." He watched as the leader absently brushed a tear from his eye. Laughter can bring someone to tears, he noted. There was no end to the strangeness of other cat's emotions.

"What has to be me?"

"I spoke to the Oracle. He spoke back in tongues and riddles of course... but as far as I can tell, he spoke highly of you."

The news was surprising to the amber tom, as he hadn't spent much time in the company of the Oracle. Out of all his clanmates, they were the most erratic in their thoughts and feelings. Nonsensical at the best of times. Ember didn't favour the company of something without meaning. "He has no reason to."

"You have been a rock to the clan, they respect you as much as they fear you. That air of authority isn't something that can be taught. Not even to me." Robinstar mused, mistaking the shift in his tone for humility. "You've earned his praise. You've earned your place here." Ember accepted the compliment in silence, allowing the words to warm his chest. Though his leaders next words ripped the warmth from his bones. "I want you to lead beside me."

He blinked at the Monarch, rolling the words through his mind. Mulling them over in silence. When he opened his mouth to speak, there was no note of uncertainty in his voice. Though his stomach flipped uncomfortably, the leader saw nothing but his calm exterior. "Your clanmates find me cold. You said so yourself."

"Our clanmates are spoiled. Some paws are still soft from walking the path of a kittypet. There are those who ache for quick meals and cosy two-leg dens. A fair leader may lift their spirits, but a cold leader can harden their hearts. I'd trust no one else with the task."

Once again, he was subject to the desires of other cats. They needed a cold leader, so that is what they chose to see in him. Heartless, the word crawled back into his mind, nestling in his thoughts. They think me heartless. But it was a role he could fill, without fear of adhering to their strict social rules. He could be the coldness in their own hearts. Perhaps that was the calling the stars had spoke of in his dreams.

"Then, I take it with honour." He murmured, watching in fascination as his leader's face lit up like the sun above. Without hesitation the blue tom was on his paws, and Ember took that as his cue to follow suit.

"Cats of the Crypt, I ask you to gather beneath the skystones so we may take counsel." The eyes of the clan below turned up to watch; a sea of faces gathering beneath the ancient staircase. A murmur rippled through them, but faded as Robinstar rose his tail for silence. "The kingdom of Stars have spoken out about our future. They call upon Ember to be our claw and shield." Uncertency settled in Ember's chest, but as the leader caught his gaze the doubts seemed to melt away. His eyes radiated with something just beyond Ember's reach. They were bright with faith. "Ember, while my subjects bear witness, do you promise to serve the clan as my commander and second?"

"Yes, m'lord."

"Then decent these stones and meet the clan as their ruling Commander."

His paws felt stiff, but they moved as his willed them to; descending the steps one paw at a time. As he wound down the staircase, the Monarch's voice rung clear above his head. "Henceforth he shall be known as Risingoak, for as sure as the sunrise he is a cat we may depend on. As unbending as the oak from which we make our dens, he will grace our clan with support and stability." He reached the last step just as the speech came to a close, standing before his clan and their wide-eyed wonder. Not one of them saw the tremble of his paws. A heavy silence few across the clearing, as though each cat held their breath. It held until the Monarch stood beside him on the grass. "Call upon your commander! Call upon an era of prosperity!" Then all at once, a collective exhale of "Risingoak! Risingoak! Risingoak!" His new name hit him in waves, a passionate chant for their Commander. Noble, ruthless and star-kissed in their eyes.

the dialogue in this answer really helped develop his character, how wonderful! i loved the writing and the art was a nice addition. giving an HM to i love bees as well <3