CaC - Roleplay thread - Calling all cats,Calling all clans -

[obnixious]

IslandClan
please let me know if you'd like to to bring anyone else! I have more spots open

Swanstar | 101 Moons | Female | Leader | Tags: Duckstar (DuckClan)

paraSwanstar carefully picks her way through the crowd, head held high as she make sher way to where the other leaders gather. Her soft brown fur has been gaining more white recently, but it still carried much of its shine. She looks over the small crowd for a few moments, before carefully picking her way over to a soft yellow and white molly, a soft smile on her muzzle. "Hello there," she greets, head tilting gently to the side, "would you mind if I joined you?"

Minnowflight | 85 Moons | Male | Deputy | Tags: Richterscreech (ChessClan)
paraThe paler coloured tom nods as Richterscreech speaks, whiskers twitching in amusement at hearing about Tourbillonpelt. "Well, I'm sure they're just getting used to being part of the rest of the Clan! Pampaspounce used to be pretty quiet too, but she's definitely one of the loudest of our younger warriors." His tail hits the ground gently behind him, and Minnowflight then focuses for a moment on wrapping it around his paws, pinning it under a paw to stop himself from starting up some kind of mess with it - just because he's getting older, doesn't mean he's mature enough to not go home with his pelt full of leaves and annoying little branches. "Hm, Swanstar's been losing lives a bit more often than is often comfortable, but she still seems to be doing fine! Outside of that, and a few deaths here and there from some predator issues, IslandClan's been doing fine!" The deaths hurt, but Frostfur had always drilled it into his head to not show any kind of weakness when at a gathering, even around friends. It's a hard habit to break; especially knowing that once he leaves to StarClan that Frostfur will be sure to berate him on every stupid thing he'd done since her passing.

Poppyflower | 81 Moons | Male | Medicine Cat | Tags: Open

paraThe ginger tabby scoffs as his mate prances off, playfully complaining about how the bite had hurt, and watching him head off to the other deputies with a clearly besotted look. Then he looks back to his apprentice, and gasps in mock offense at the look, swiping out to bat at his ears with a soft paw. The little apprentice ducks away easily, and before he can tell the little tom to go make some friends, he's already darted off into the crowd. It makes Poppyflower smile, remembering fondly when his and Minnowflight's own kits were so small, and makes his way over to where the other medicine cats have gathered.

Frostbitepaw | 10 Moons | Male | Medicine Cat Apprentice | Tags: Lichenpaw (ChessClan)
paraVisibly perking up at hearing the familiar name, Frostbitepaw shuffles his paws a little in excitement. "Oh, ChessClan! You're one of our borders, yeah? Poppyflower taught me about your Clan!" Not a whole lot, but that's not important. Poppyflower had only really taught him the basics about all their neighbouring Clans, and most importantly which ones were friendlier that he could potentially reach out to in times of need. At hearing that Lichenpaw is also a medicine cat apprentice, he somehow manages to perk up even more. "Oh! I'm a medicine cat apprentice too! Have you ever eaten a dock leaf? Poppyflower says they're important, and it's easiest to break them down by chewing them, but they leave such a gross taste in my mouth!"

Splitfire | 74 Moons | Female | Warrior | Tags: Lotusfall (VagaryClan)
paraSplitfire keeps a steady purr rumbling at the back of her throat, carefully taking in the look of Lotusfall's face while she can, dual coloured eyes softening with every passing moment (as if she wasn't looking softly enough at her mate). "An apprentice!" she exclaims, tail lashing in a moment of excitement. "Why! She must be growing like a weed!" Splitfire meows with a small laugh to her voice.

Badgersniffle | 64 Moons | Female | Warrior | Tags: Rippledream (Celestial Beings), Shadowgaze (TidalClan)

paraBadgersniffle heads into the gathering at Splitfire's side, happily splitting from the older molly as they both set off to find their own respective mates. She's used to seeking out Rippledream, and it doesn't take her very long to catch sight of her mate, and the stranger that she's talking to. The sight makes her laugh a little, hoping that her mate has maybe made a new friend! So she prances over all the same, big fluffy tail leaving a meandering trail in the dirt behind as it flicks back and forth absently. "Rippledream!" She greets excitedly, bounding over to the two with a bounce to her step. "Who's your new friend?"

Pyrespire | 60 Moons | Male | Warrior | Tags: Willowdance (Celestial Beings)

paraThe large laperm heads into the gathering with a single goal in mind, dipping his head politely and mewing gentle "hello"'s to anyone he passes, but only having one he truly wants to speak with. He's looking for Willowdancer, and is excited to tell her about Maplespirit's new name. Her agreeing to be his mate had been quite a shock, and part of him feels guilty about his first litter, but he wouldn't trade Singehowl in for the world, nor does he regret having them with one of his best friends. Ivyblossom was a delight, and he still thoroughly enjoys her company, but he's glad to have settled down proper with WIllowdancer.
paraAnd speaking -- well, thinking -- of Willowdancer, he catches scent of her, and reroutes his course to follow her smell, excited to see her once again. Sure they can meet at the border, but it's much more fun to spend a whole night talking with her at the gatherings.

[chaotic creativity]

CHESSCLAN !!
ROOKSTAR - Tom - 57 Moons - Roi - Tagged: Night of the Stars (Kyanite Keep)


Rookstar nodded along as Night of the Stars explained courtiers. "I believe you've misunderstood," he said with a chuckle. "I have a deputy, we call him the Tour, and he will take over when Chasmstar and I pass away. All cavalier are one and the same, but the oldest and most experienced of the cavaliers help me. I feel as if I can trust them, their moons of wisdom offering insights to me that I can't see. They have no special rank, but they help guide me in the right direction," he meowed. Loonfrost, Sweethen, Versaillesheart, and Sopranocavern were his most trust senior Cavalier, the four mollies all having been in the Clan for nearly as long as he had. Loonfrost and Sweethen had also come from the wreckage of JaggedClan alongside Rookstar, so he trusted them more than any other cavalier in the Clan. Loonfrost was essentially his mother, she had raised him since his own mother had been too busy with her duties as deputy. He could barely remember his short six moons in JaggedClan by now, and he could barely remember his father, mother, and sister's faces.


CHASMSTAR - Molly - 48 Moons - Dame - Tagged: Frost's Sheen (Golden Kingdom)


Chasmstar covered her muzzle as she snorted with laughter. She couldn't help but giggle at the thought of Frost's Sheen not expecting her to cause fights. "If the first words out of a cat's mouth aren't kind or proper, it rather sets me off. I am more of a claws before words kind of cat," she chuckled. She'd shredded a few ears in her moons, and she'd always loved sending a rogue or kittypet running off with their tails between their legs. She protected her borders fiercely, throwing herself nose-first into battle at the front of her warriors. She would never send her cavalier to fight a battle that she wouldn't lead the charge in. "I've always enjoying sparring and using my claws. You'd never guess it, but I constantly got in trouble for fighting when I was just a wee apprentice," she chuckled. Rookstar had always been the prey of her choice, and she almost recoiled as she remembered those times. That was when she had decided she had loved him, but that love had rotted and withered away by now. Now, all she harbored in her heart for him was hatred.


RICHTERSCREECH - Tom - 67 Moons - Tour - Tagged: Minnowflight (IslandClan)

Richterscreech’s eyes widened with shock as Minnowflight spoke so casually about some unfortunate deaths. “Oh, I’m so sorry for your losses,” he meowed mournfully. It was rather unusual that Minnowflight had so quickly shared news of his leader losing several lives, but some Clans were more open than others. “I hope these things are less and less common in the coming moons. ChessClan’s been fortunate enough to evade many deaths and injuries over the past couple of seasons,” he sighed thankfully. They’d only had maybe two or three new additions to ÉtoileClan, which made the Clan seem as if it were flourishing. He chose not to speak of the tensions that were as tight as spiderwebs between two clear groups inside the Clan. Chasmstar had nearly half of the Clan on her side, and the other half of the Clan backed Rookstar. “Our nursery is just about to burst, so if you see cats spilling over our borders in a tidal wave, have no worries,” Richterscreech joked. It would be no surprise if they had to expand camp yet again soon.

WOLFWHISKERS - Tom - 72 Moons - Fou - Tagged: Emberspark (HazeClan)


Wolfwhiskers's entire body burned as his cheeks reddened. He ducked his head and cleared his throat, wishing his heart would stop racing. She was the cat he looked forwards to seeing the most, but he couldn't tell if it was appropriate to tell her. He knew he meant something to her, but he didn't know if it was enough to warrant him speaking his feelings. "I've been told I radiate it worse than the sun," he chuckled, leaning slightly towards the molly. His ill patients often asked him to sleep outside the den just because he kept the den so warm that they just wanted a cool breeze. He sat there beside her in silence for several moments, the beating of his heart drowning out any possible sound. "It's a rather nice night tonight," he mumbled awkwardly, sneaking quick glances towards her out of the sides of his eyes. He knew he could be himself around her, but he still got flustered when he wanted to tell her how he felt. Every time, he shut it down before it ever happened, and this time was the same. He was too worried about how she might react, even if he longed to know what she would say. "I'm sorry," he suddenly apologized, mostly meaning how he had grown clammy and awkward but also how he wasn't fully opening up to her and potentially never would.


FAONDAPPLE - Molly - 26 Moons - Fou - Tagged: Cloudtongue (PineClan)


As the tom introduced himself as Cloudtongue of PineClan, she smiled. She'd heard of PineClan before; Rookstar had spoken to their leader once. As he asked her about why she was called Faonpaw if she had her full name, she dropped her head to hide her blush of embarrassment. "I meant Faondapple," she meowed sheepishly, knowing she'd messed up. She was still getting used to calling herself Faondapple, and she couldn't believe she'd already goofed up at her first Gathering as a full fou. "I'm still getting used to the name," she chuckled lightly, hoping Cloudtongue wouldn't make fun of or laugh at her. She'd worked so hard, training entirely as a warrior apprentice and then switching to be Wolfwhiskers' apprentice, that she'd gotten so accustomed to being called Faonpaw. Her training had taken nearly twenty moons, after all. She had been Faonpaw longer than both Faonkit and Faondapple combined, and yet she was still entirely embarrassed to call herself the wrong name. "This is my first Gathering with my full name, and I'm so excited to be here," she purred, tail curling high over her spine. Most medicine cats that she had met had been kind, if not a little grumpy, and Cloudtongue seemed to be on the kinder side. She had yet to meet a genuinely cruel medicine cat, but she doubted that would ever happen. Why would a cat who hated other cats want to help them? In any case, she hoped to never meet a medicine cat she didn't like.


LINDTPAW - Tom - 14 Moons - Fou Apprentice - Tagged: Open


Lindtpaw let out a quiet growl as Lichenpaw began to chase him. "You'll never catch me!" he cried, running in a circle around Faondapple. The two cats were delighted as they ran, and he skidded to a halt as Wolfwhiskers began to scold them. "I have more sense than a kit," Lindtpaw gasped, placing his paw on his chest as if in shock. Wolfwhiskers just shook his head and padded off, quickly followed by Faondapple. "Well, where would you—" Lindtpaw was cut off as he realized Lichenpaw had already dashed away. The molly was clearly eager to be at the Gathering, so he stumbled through the crowd slowly. He wanted to find other apprentices, maybe even another medicine cat apprentice, but he felt that the chances were low. With a grumble, he sat down and let his eyes flutter closed. He was just going to take a quick nap, and then he'd find someone to talk with.


LICHENPAW - Molly - 10 Moons - Fou Apprentice - Tagged: Frostbitepaw (IslandClan)

Lichenpaw nodded slowly when Frostbitepaw asked if she’d eaten a dock leaf. In all honesty, she’d eaten too many herbs to count by accident. It’d taken her a few moons to perfect the chewing of herbs to make poultices without swallowing any. “Mouse bile tastes the worst,” she meowed, the tremor in her voice less noticeable than before. She was slowly becoming more comfortable around Frostbitepaw, but she still had a little bit to go. Herbs always tasted bad to her, and she avoided chewing them any chance she got. It was the main reason she preferred treating illnesses; sick cats had to eat their own herbs, not have it smeared on wounds. “Wolfwhiskers hasn’t told me much about IslandClan,” she admitted, her voice a fraction stronger than the last time.

OISEAUDAPPLE - Tom - 21 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Quakestone (Highgarden)


Quakestone spoke of tournaments, and Oiseaudapple longed to have something similar in ChessClan. "It's feather-brained that roses can't participate in the spring tournament. If you could, I might just sneak in to watch you put all the toms on their tails," he meowed with a huff, pretending to be more serious than he really was. As she mentioned the rose tournament to find an heir if there wasn't one, Oiseaudapple shuddered. "I couldn't imagine having to rely on a tournament for the next dame and roi. It's a good thing that we have a tour to take over when they pass," he meowed. Richterscreech was getting old, so it was clear that he would be replaced soon since it didn't seem that Rookstar and Chasmstar were going anywhere anytime soon. Quakestone asked about traditions in ChessClan, and he just shrugged. "Our final assessment is a two moon ordeal. We have to start at the far point of the Northern Pass and survive on our own in the treacherous terrain until we make it back to camp. No cat comes back unscathed, and many don't come back at all," he meowed. He was reminded of when Fourmisplash took off after a gut feeling told him that Acaiheart was hurt. When the tom returned with the injured apprenti, it had only made Oiseaudapple even more afraid for his own final assessment. Yet, all he'd returned with was a hidden scar on his belly from a close call with an eagle. "It's a shock I made it through with just the one scar," he purred, his heart racing as he remembered the fight for his life.


SPIRIT - Molly - 21 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Sunlight (The Fallen)


Spirit nodded as Sunlight shared her name and her Clan. She had heard snippets about The Fallen, she believed that one of her leaders had spoken with One at a previous Gathering. "I guess apprentices would like that sort of thing," she meowed, sticking her nose up as if she hadn't been their age less than a season-cycle ago. She was glad she had joined ChessClan when she did, just barely old enough to be a cavalier. She didn't know how she would have reacted if they had wanted her to train as an apprenti despite being as old as the oldest apprenti. She did watch the other cavalier closely, having so recently escaped from being a kittypet, but she was learning quicker than if she were being taught one on one. She had learned through trial and error during her journeys, but she was still a weak hunter and fighter. She participated in more drills than the average cavalier, mostly learning from those sparring around her, and she attended as many hunting parties as she possibly could. "Some of those apprentices are probably stronger and more skilled than I ever could be," she chuckled. Several young cats dedicated themselves so whole-heartedly to their studies that they were able to outsmart even senior warriors. Those were always the apprenti that brought the most honor and pride to their mentor, and Spirit hoped that one day she could train her own apprenti like that. "Have you been in The Fallen for very long?" she piped up suddenly, remembering she was in a conversation with Sunlight.


LAPINHOP - Tom - 22 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Shadowgaze (TidalClan),


Lapinhop's long legs were aching by the time he reached the Gathering. His eyes were strained from being narrowed against the bright sun through most of the journey, so he walked with his eyes mostly closed until they reached the crowd. He stepped on several paws and tails until he stopped to apologize to one molly. "I'm extremely sorry, my eyes still hurt from that intense sunlight we had today. Why couldn't we have had a single cloud for cover?" he moaned dramatically, resting his paw on his forehead and swooning backwards. He had hoped to make a good impression on the molly, who was just a blob in his sight as he tried to open his eyes wider. He knew there was only the light of the full moon, but it would take him several moments to adjust to the semi-darkness. He'd been warned as a kit that his eyes would make him more easily hurt by the light, but he hadn't believed them until recently when he couldn't leave the trees until the sun was beginning to set. He sat beside her and rubbed his eyes with his paws, the blurryness beginning to retreat from his vision until he finally stopped and turn to look at the molly fully. She was rather pretty, with her pelt shimmering in the moonlight. Lapinhop noted that every pelt seemed to shine in the moonlight in a way completely different than in the sunlight. "It's beautiful out here tonight, now that I can see," he chuckled. He was tired and could have taken a nap right there, but he knew he needed to stay awake and at least talk to one cat at his first Gathering.



THE ORDER OF THE HYENA !!
HYENA'S BREATH - Molly - 36 Moons - Matriarch - Tagged: Open


Hyena's Breath narrowed her eyes as she approached the Gathering. The last time she had attended the Gathering, she hadn't had a single member in her Clan other than herself. Now, she had an Aide, an Herbalist, and three Scavengers. All five cats followed along behind her, and she turned to nod at them slowly. They fanned out behind her, their thin frames hidden behind long claws and bared teeth. She wouldn't do to have her Clan present themselves as quiet and calm, and she nodded as she saw them hiss at the cats who got too close to them before they reached their destination. "Now, you know to only gain information. Never give away any news about the Order," she meowed, slinking off towards the leaders as the rest of her Clan broke apart behind her. She sat down and swept her tail close to her, her strangely mottled tortoiseshell pelt making her blend into the dappled shadows across the ground.


CIVET'S SCURRY - Molly - 34 Moons - Aide - Tagged: Wispwillow (SnowClan)


Civet's Scurry noticed Wispwillow get suddenly silent, as if she had something on her mind, but she didn't want to open up the discussion to anything that might make the molly uncomfortable. "Have you been in SnowClan for very long? I'm not even sure how old your Clan is," she meowed. She knew next to nothing about any other Clan, so she wasn't aware if SnowClan was a rather new Clan or one that was countless seasons old. The Order was a relatively new Clan, that much was clear, but Civet's Scurry felt as if she had been a Clan cat for her entire life. She felt comfortable in the camp, as if she'd always lived there, and she knew the daily duties like the back of her paw. "The moon is rather lovely. I wonder what the surface of it is like. Do cats walk on the moon as they do here on the ground? Hyena's Breath once spoke of a story of cats who tried to travel to the moon through its reflection in a pool," Civet's Scurry chuckled. She didn't mention that the story had ended with the cats never being heard from again, even if Civet's Scurry believed they had made it to the moon rather than the alternative that most cats claimed to believe. She typically chose to believe the brighter option of things, even if most cats chose to believe in the darker option. She could imagine them now, the cats walking happily across the moon, content with their lives since they had reached their destination when many cats said they wouldn't. Civet's Scurry dreamed of a grand adventure like that someday, to defy the odds, but she doubted a random cat like her would ever be the one tossed into one.


OSTRICH'S CRY - Molly - 43 Moons - Herbalist - Tagged: Halepen (CascadeClan)


Ostrich's Cry bit back a sharp retort as Halepen indirectly called leaping across the backs of crocodiles not dangerous. "The river is where we drink. The stagnant watering holes smell and taste like large prey," she turned her nose up with a sniff. "The running water filters the dirt and grime until it tastes as clear as a mountain stream. It doesn't matter that we must watch for hippos and crocodiles every time we bend down to drink our fill," she curled her lip with an eye roll. "As for our apex predators wasting prey, it's that they don't. The hyenas and vultures eat the unwanted parts, the parts that large predators do not wish to eat," she snorted. It was true that the lions wasted next to nothing and that the scavengers had evolved to eat the leftovers, but it was also true that this tom was doing his best to get under Ostrich's Cry's skin. She thought for several seconds, trying hard to think of a dangerous act to show him up once and for all. "I doubt your Clan has a test of courage like the Order's. I doubt you make your members snatch a hair off an elephant's tail. They're large enough that a single toe could crush a cat, and their trunks could life a full grown cat like a feather," she snarled, lowering herself to the ground as she spoke. She only spoke of the first trial, the following three remaining unsaid as she hoped it would be known that they only increased in difficulty.


ZEBRA'S GALLOP - Molly - 40 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: The Tree (DuckClan)


Zebra's Gallop's mind was racing as The Tree spoke. She was still perplexed, but she chose not to press the issue. Some traditions of other Clans would never make sense to her, and she felt it not to be beneficial to try and understand. With a sigh, she listened to where he came from. She had never heard of tribes, but she had definitely heard of Clans. "Matriarch Hyena's Breath might know more about tribes, so I'll have to ask her for more information about them. I've never actually heard about them," she meowed. The savanna was only home to the five Orders, none going by the name 'Clan' or even using traditional Clan naming systems. The only reason they were considered a Clan was because they claimed themselves to be one. "If I'm being honest, I've never heard of DuckClan. I've never actually heard of any Clan, but that may be because I'm so new to the Order, who is not bordered by any Clan," she chuckled. They were a secluded Clan, and she rather liked it that way. There was a high chance that this would be her last Gathering, mostly because she never wanted to return to such a large group of cats. It was rather unsettling to be surrounded on all sides after living in such a small Clan as the Order. She wasn't used to the large number of cats in one place, but she wondered if the Order would ever grow large enough to have more than a dozen cats in their camp. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, especially since the Order had been so small for several moons now.


WILDEBEEST'S STAMPEDE - Tom - 38 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: Fairytail (MoonClan)


Wildebeest's Stampede could see that Fairytail was slowly becoming more comfortable the more they spoke. Fairytail was a rather unusual name, mostly because Wildebeest's Stampede didn't know what a fairy was. "You have nothing to apologize for, Fairytail. Some cats struggle with conversation and meeting new cats, and that's completely fine. Several friends I've had were the exact same way," he chuckled, remembering how Crash and Boom had always frozen and mumbled any time they met a new cat. At the thought of his old friends, who he hadn't seen in many moons, he couldn't help but wonder what they were up to now. What was in the past stayed in the past, so he turned his attention back to Fairytail. "It's good to be wary with what kinds of cats are running around nowadays. There's been too many stories of cats trying to take over Clans to fully trust a cat at your first meeting," he rumbled, hoping to comfort her but wondering if it was at all the right thing to say. "I'm not saying that I'm one of those evil cats, at least I don't think I am, I just thought it might help. I mean, with your nerves. Well—" he quickly clamped his jaws shut and shook his head, refusing to speak another word before he fully thought out what he was meaning to convey. Zebra's Gallop always teased him that he had a tendency to get tongue-tied out of the blue, but he always hated it when it happened around a cat he'd never met before.


LION'S SHADOW - Tom - 41 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: Mallowbrook (LightClan)


Lion's Shadow stared at Mallowbrook as she mentioned never hearing of the Order before. "We've come a rather long way, if I'm being honest. It was a several day journey to attend, which is why we don't make it to every Gathering. This is my first, and my Clan has only attended one other," he meowed, his voice just as quiet as when he had introduced himself to Mallowbrook. They had left approximately three sunrises before, and they'd traveled for several days to attend the Gathering. Hyena's Breath had spoken that she would only like to attend a maximum of every other Gathering, but Lion's Shadow knew they wouldn't even make it to that many. It was simply too far, and too tiring to attend very many. Lion's Shadow may still have been a relatively young scavenger, but he didn't want to spend most of his life traveling. He had settled in the Order for a reason, but he was willing to attend a Gathering every now and then. "Have you had to travel far? I'm not sure where any other Clans come from," he meowed. As a new member to the Order, he only knew that they didn't border a single Clan. Before the Order, he hadn't even known Clans outside of the five main Orders of the savanna even existed. Now that he was here, he was aware that Clans came from all around. While the Order may be removed from most of the Clans, he knew that he would happen across a Clan no matter what direction he traveled in. There were too many scents of different Clans to count, and it almost shocked him that this was just a small fraction of most of these Clans. It was beyond thrilling to think that so many Clans existed.

[[kat]]

ᴠᴀɢᴀʀʏᴄʟᴀɴ

♪ Foxcatcher
tom ; warrior ; tags: ploverheart
When Foxcatcher turned and saw the attractive molly meandering towards him, suddenly his confidence started to slip. He recognized her scent from the PineClan border, so at least he knew she was friendly, but now he was aware that he wanted to make a good impression on her. He cleared her throat as she made it to him, and dipped his head politely, albeit a bit awkwardly. "Hey! Didn't think I'd meet such a pretty molly tonight, but here you are." He meowed, flashing her a wide grin with confidence reinstated.

❋ Brindlebirch
molly ; perma queen ; tags: mapleshadow
Brindlebirch couldn't hold back a purr when Mapleshadow spoke. "You know I'm always happy to see you." Her reply was soft, and laced with nerves, but genuine as it could be. Her eyes widened when the Highgarden molly produced a delicate rose, its petals still full of color despite not being in season, and she swallowed her surprise to hear Mapleshadow stuttering about something- not what she had ever expected from the confident molly. She leaned down and daintily touched her nose to the petals, holding her breath so as not to damage it, and when she rose again she couldn't keep the smile from her muzzle. "Mapleshadow- it's beautiful. Seriously, no one's ever given me something so lovely." She glanced at her paws for a moment, building up the courage to say what she next had in mind. "It... it's like you, in that way."

❧ Poppyshade
molly ; warrior ; tags: jayswoop
Poppyshade's mouth fell open in feigned shock. "Worship! Hardly. I'm not even going to mention you with Riverhowl because that would be unfair." She held back a laugh and opted instead for a cheeky grin. "You know what, though- Heathersong was a fantastic mentor. When Brambletuft told me what happened to her... well." Suddenly the tone had shifted once more, but Poppyshade did her best to clear it up despite the sudden pain that had returned to her heart. "Like I said, she was amazing. And Riverhowl was too. I bet you miss her a lot, but you know she's still watching. We, uh... we know ghosts exist, after all." She gave a lopsided smile, hoping the joke hadn't landed harshly.

✥ Lotusfall
molly ; warrior ; tags: splitfire
Lotusfall purred happily and nodded. "You wouldn't believe it! Lilypaw's at least half the size of you, now." She peered up at her mate with a sparkle in her eyes. Splitfire was certainly tall, and she wondered if Lilypaw would reach the same height. "And she's made friends, too! Her best friend is Ebonypaw, I think- that's Snowynight's daughter. The father lives in AspenClan, if I remember correctly. I can't wait for her to come to a Gathering so you can see her again- or maybe we can visit IslandClan. She's been asking!"

ᴋʏᴀɴɪᴛᴇ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ

♛ Night of the Stars
molly ; queen ; tags: rookstar
Night felt her entire face burn upon realizing that she had assumed something incorrectly about ChessClan. She inwardly cursed herself- she shouldn't be doing this. Assuming only led to mistakes, which led to making enemies. And with Rookstar's friendliness and ChessClan's size, she was certain she wanted to make an alliance here if she could. "Oh! So you do have a deputy. Is he here tonight?" She spoke quickly, doing her best to cover up her mistake. "And that's interesting. So if I am to understand correctly, is it more like a group of senior knights that you trust because they have served the Clan for a long time?" Night felt better phrasing it as a question this time.

☄ Blaze of the Stars
tom ; king ; tags: rusa's race
"Are you sure the Golden Kingdom won't fall apart before we get there?" Blaze purred, whiskers twitching in amusement. "I'll arrive and the castle will be burning down!" He was unable to hold in the laugh at his own proposed predicament. "But if you need me, I suppose I could be your royal advisor. I'll just, you know, run the entire kingdom for you, and you can call yourself the king and take all the credit. Oh, and Night can be the royal advisor to the royal advisor. Don't tell her I said that."

[ponz]

SPRUCECLAN
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CRICKETPOUNCE | Deputy | M | 82 moons | TAGS: Frostflower (PineClan)

A flash of waving white fur in his peripheral vision caught Cricketpounce’s eye. Perhaps it was coincidence, but the nearly inaudible one-two step of a PineClan cat, stealthy as even the clumsiest of their number were, could not be ignored. “Frostflower!” Cricketpounce called, whirling around to greet her with a smile. And as he’d thought, the white molly hovered just behind him, long tail swaying in the gentle breeze. “I’m so glad to see you here this evening. It’s really been too long. How have you and Ramkit been?”

JAYSWOOP | Warrior | M | 40 moons | TAGS: Poppyshade (VagaryClan)
“Riverhowl was practically my mother, she doesn’t count!” Jayswoop blurted, indignant. How was it that Poppyshade always seemed to be two steps ahead? “That is true,” he chuckled. “I never would have imagined that Tallthorn could get any grumpier, but lo and behold! There are so many new ghosts crawling around that he probably hasn’t had a moment of peace since.” Jayswoop hummed, contemplative. “It’s funny… I know I can’t see them myself, but having them there makes everything feel… lively again. Is that strange to say?”

BRAMBLINGPATH | Warrior | F | 23 moons | TAGS: Owltalon + Hornetsting (The Fallen)

By her third circle around the Gathering place, Bramblingpath found herself succumbing to boredom. Surely, it would be more interesting to find someone to talk to! As she slowed her brisk pace to a walk, the nearby bushes rustled in the wake of a small clan entering. Two mollies, one a mottled tortoiseshell not unlike herself and the other pitch-black in color, trailed off to a stop as the two older warriors leading the way split from the group. Curious now, Bramblingpath let her head tilt to the side and padded closer. “Hello,” she greeted, smiling lightly at the two newcomers. “I’m Bramblingpath from SpruceClan. Mind if I join you two?”

STORMPAW | Apprentice | M | 9 moons | TAGS: Caperpaw (CascadeClan)

“Whoah,” Stormpaw breathed, awestruck. “That’s a lot darker than SpruceClan’s legends. I love it! The Cascade’s real different from my clan, it seems. Sure would be cool to see your jungle!” Caperpaw had so many interesting things to share; Stormpaw was glad he’d found such a cool friend to chat with. He brightened quickly when Caperpaw asked a question. “Yeah, I do! Nothing quite so cool as skulls, ‘course, but we have lotsa migratory birds that fly through th’ mountains. I collect their feathers!” At this declaration, he puffed out his chest. “I’ve already got ‘bout seven different types of bird now.”

GOLDEN KINGDOM
-----

FROST’S SHEEN | Crown Princess | F | 23 moons | TAGS: Chasmstar (ChessClan)
“Really?” Frost’s Sheen meowed, eyes wide. “How interesting! I suppose I should consider myself lucky not to have provoked those claws.” She laughed slightly, ears flicking back with the movement. “Unlike every other young cat in the Golden Kingdom, I was never really trained to fight. My education was centered around honing my political expertise and diplomatic abilities. To be honest, I think it just slipped my mentor’s mind. All the more reason to be thankful your claws are sheathed!” Frost sighed, then, a little bit wistful. “It must be nice, to have grown up just like every other cat. I can’t help but wonder if I missed out.”

LYNX’S PROWL | Knight | M | 54 moons | TAGS: Sunflicker (LightClan)

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sunflicker!” Lynx’s Prowl rumbled, offering his own smile in return. He stretched out slowly, dropping down into a seated position and tilting his head towards Sunflicker. “I’ve always thought these Gatherings were a nice place to make friends. Is this your first?” After a moment of thought, Lynx offered another question. “Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I meant to ask you what clan you call home! Myself, I come from the Golden Kingdom.”

DESDEMONA | Knight | F | 37 moons | TAGS: Fluttercloud (MoonClan)

“Thank you,” Desdemona murmured, climbing atop the rocks, and nodding in appreciation as she settled into the space that had been cleared for her. The stones were still sun-warm and made a pleasant surface to sprawl all four of her spotted legs across in contentment. For a moment, Desdemona just relaxed into the warmth, focused on nothing but the quiet breathing of her neighbor. But while sitting in comfortable silence with this unknown molly was already quite nice, she was curious as to whose company she was keeping. “My name is Desdemona,” she offered, flicking one silver ear in the molly’s direction. “What’s yours?”

RUSA’S RACE | Knight | M | 16 moons | TAGS: Blaze of the Stars (Kyanite Keep)
“Isn’t that what most monarchs have, anyways?” Rusa’s Race purred, flashing his friend a lopsided grin. “I won’t breathe a word to Queen Night, I promise. Having two advisors instead of one is too good to pass up!” Rusa hummed, flexing his claws and arching his back with a pop. “Although, I’m a little busy with being the coolest knight in the Golden Kingdom right now, so I suppose it will have to wait. If I became king now, there’d be no one to show all the knights and squires how to be awesome!” Saying this, he giggled, and turned to face Blaze of the Stars once more. “You’re a good king, King Blaze, but how about your clanmates? D’you think they’re cool, too?”
-

[[kat]]

ᴠᴀɢᴀʀʏᴄʟᴀɴ

♪ Foxcatcher
tom ; warrior ; tags: ploverheart
When Foxcatcher turned and saw the attractive molly meandering towards him, suddenly his confidence started to slip. He recognized her scent from the PineClan border, so at least he knew she was friendly, but now he was aware that he wanted to make a good impression on her. He cleared her throat as she made it to him, and dipped his head politely, albeit a bit awkwardly. "Hey! Didn't think I'd meet such a pretty molly tonight, but here you are." He meowed, flashing her a wide grin with confidence reinstated.

❋ Brindlebirch
molly ; perma queen ; tags: mapleshadow
Brindlebirch couldn't hold back a purr when Mapleshadow spoke. "You know I'm always happy to see you." Her reply was soft, and laced with nerves, but genuine as it could be. Her eyes widened when the Highgarden molly produced a delicate rose, its petals still full of color despite not being in season, and she swallowed her surprise to hear Mapleshadow stuttering about something- not what she had ever expected from the confident molly. She leaned down and daintily touched her nose to the petals, holding her breath so as not to damage it, and when she rose again she couldn't keep the smile from her muzzle. "Mapleshadow- it's beautiful. Seriously, no one's ever given me something so lovely." She glanced at her paws for a moment, building up the courage to say what she next had in mind. "It... it's like you, in that way."

❧ Poppyshade
molly ; warrior ; tags: jayswoop
Poppyshade, sobered by Jayswoop's thoughtful tone, placed a gentle paw on his in comfort. "No, not at all. In fact, I think knowing they're there is a lot better than some cats get. Like this one queen in VagaryClan, Brindlebirch. She had a friend called Silverbee who passed after giving birth, and Brindlebirch says that she likes to think that she's still with them. But it's hard to know for sure when you don't have a ghost translator, so... in that way, I think SpruceClan is kind of lucky." She looked down suddenly, a new thought dawning. "I hope... I hope Roselight isn't sad that I'm not there in the camp. I hope she knows I'm okay... and that maybe, she's still proud of me."

✥ Lotusfall
molly ; warrior ; tags: splitfire
Lotusfall purred happily and nodded. "You wouldn't believe it! Lilypaw's at least half the size of you, now." She peered up at her mate with a sparkle in her eyes. Splitfire was certainly tall, and she wondered if Lilypaw would reach the same height. "And she's made friends, too! Her best friend is Ebonypaw, I think- that's Snowynight's daughter. The father lives in AspenClan, if I remember correctly. I can't wait for her to come to a Gathering so you can see her again- or maybe we can visit IslandClan. She's been asking!"

ᴋʏᴀɴɪᴛᴇ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ

♛ Night of the Stars
molly ; queen ; tags: rookstar
Night felt her entire face burn upon realizing that she had assumed something incorrectly about ChessClan. She inwardly cursed herself- she shouldn't be doing this. Assuming only led to mistakes, which led to making enemies. And with Rookstar's friendliness and ChessClan's size, she was certain she wanted to make an alliance here if she could. "Oh! So you do have a deputy. Is he here tonight?" She spoke quickly, doing her best to cover up her mistake. "And that's interesting. So if I am to understand correctly, is it more like a group of senior knights that you trust because they have served the Clan for a long time?" Night felt better phrasing it as a question this time.

☄ Blaze of the Stars
tom ; king ; tags: rusa's race
"Ah, okay, so you're the coolest knight, and everyone else is a dork. I think I'm understanding the hierarchy now." Blaze rolled his eyes playfully. "And of course you can't give up that responsibility- without you, the entire Kingdom is doomed to be dorks forever, and we certainly can't have that." His tail flicked absentmindedly as he thought about his Clanmates back at camp. There were only a few of them, but they were well-rounded and fit right in. "Well, I appreciate that, kid. And yes, I suppose I think they're 'cool.' Stallion's Canter is a bit of a grouch, but he's hardworking and analytical in the right places. And Silver's Gleam is delicate with her approach, but very talented and always seems to know the right thing to say." He couldn't help but puff out his chest a little. "That's just a couple of them, and we're still growing, so I think you'll have to give me some 'awesomeness' lessons so I can pass them on."

[ponz]

SPRUCECLAN
-----

CRICKETPOUNCE | Deputy | M | 82 moons | TAGS: Frostflower (PineClan)

A flash of waving white fur in his peripheral vision caught Cricketpounce’s eye. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but the nearly inaudible one-two step of a PineClan cat, stealthy as even the clumsiest of their number were, could not be ignored. “Frostflower!” Cricketpounce called, whirling around to greet her with a smile. And as he’d thought, the white molly hovered just behind him, long tail swaying in the gentle breeze. “I’m so glad to see you here this evening. It’s really been too long. How have you and Ramkit been?”

JAYSWOOP | Warrior | M | 40 moons | TAGS: Poppyshade (VagaryClan)
“Given what SpruceClan’s seen, I think it’s pretty safe to say that Brindlebirch’s friend is probably hanging around,” Jayswoop said, laughing just slightly. “Maybe we should send Tallthorn over to VagaryClan for the day. I bet he’d appreciate being left alone for once!” When Poppyshade began to falter, Jayswoop’s expression softened, and he nudged her shoulder with his forehead. “Roselight loves you. There’s no way she wouldn’t be proud of you. I mean, just look at you! You’re happy and thriving. That’s what every good mother wants for their kittens, right?”

BRAMBLINGPATH | Warrior | F | 23 moons | TAGS: Owltalon + Hornetsting (The Fallen)

By her third circle around the Gathering place, Bramblingpath found herself succumbing to boredom. Surely, it would be more interesting to find someone to talk to! As she slowed her brisk pace to a walk, the nearby bushes rustled in the wake of a small clan entering. Two mollies, one a mottled tortoiseshell not unlike herself and the other pitch-black in color, trailed off to a stop as the two older warriors leading the way split from the group. Curious now, Bramblingpath let her head tilt to the side and padded closer. “Hello,” she greeted, smiling lightly at the two newcomers. “I’m Bramblingpath from SpruceClan. Mind if I join you two?”

STORMPAW | Apprentice | M | 9 moons | TAGS: Caperpaw (CascadeClan)

“Whoah,” Stormpaw breathed, awestruck. “That’s a lot darker than SpruceClan’s legends. I love it! The Cascade’s real different from my clan, it seems. Sure would be cool to see your jungle!” Caperpaw had so many interesting things to share; Stormpaw was glad he’d found such a cool friend to chat with. He brightened quickly when Caperpaw asked a question. “Yeah, I do! Nothing quite so cool as skulls, ‘course, but we have lotsa migratory birds that fly through th’ mountains. I collect their feathers!” At this declaration, he puffed out his chest. “I’ve already got ‘bout seven different types of bird now.”

GOLDEN KINGDOM
-----

FROST’S SHEEN | Crown Princess | F | 23 moons | TAGS: Chasmstar (ChessClan)

“Really?” Frost’s Sheen meowed, eyes wide. “How interesting! I suppose I should consider myself lucky not to have provoked those claws.” She laughed slightly, ears flicking back with the movement. “Unlike every other young cat in the Golden Kingdom, I was never really trained to fight. My education was centered around honing my political expertise and diplomatic abilities. To be honest, I think it just slipped my mentor’s mind. All the more reason to be thankful your claws are sheathed!” Frost sighed, then, a little bit wistful. “It must be nice, to have grown up just like every other cat. I can’t help but wonder if I missed out.”

LYNX’S PROWL | Knight | M | 54 moons | TAGS: Sunflicker (LightClan)

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sunflicker!” Lynx’s Prowl rumbled, offering his own smile in return. He stretched out slowly, dropping down into a seated position and tilting his head towards Sunflicker. “I’ve always thought these Gatherings were a nice place to make friends. Is this your first?” After a moment of thought, Lynx offered another question. “Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I meant to ask you what clan you call home! Myself, I come from the Golden Kingdom.”

DESDEMONA | Knight | F | 37 moons | TAGS: Fluttercloud (MoonClan)

“Thank you,” Desdemona murmured, climbing atop the rocks, and nodding in appreciation as she settled into the space that had been cleared for her. The stones were still sun-warm and made a pleasant surface to sprawl all four of her spotted legs across in contentment. For a moment, Desdemona just relaxed into the warmth, focused on nothing but the quiet breathing of her neighbor. But while sitting in comfortable silence with this unknown molly was already quite nice, she was curious as to whose company she was keeping. “My name is Desdemona,” she offered, flicking one silver ear in the molly’s direction. “What’s yours?”

RUSA’S RACE | Knight | M | 16 moons | TAGS: Blaze of the Stars (Kyanite Keep)
“Stallion’s Canter is a cool name,” Rusa’s Race said in approval. “Silver’s Gleam, too. Reminds me of Opal’s Gleam— they’re one of our knights in the Golden Kingdom. Kyanite Keep’s definitely off to a good start!” At Blaze of the Stars’ joking request for lessons in awesomeness, Rusa’s muzzle cleared of humor and replaced its grin with a look of determination. “Right,” Rusa’s Race nodded sharply. “Lesson number one. Definitely…. make sure you, um, are always…..” he trailed off, brows furrowing, before he gave a defeated laugh. “Now that I think about it, maybe you just have to be born with it.”
-

[chaotic creativity]

CHESSCLAN !!
ROOKSTAR - Tom - 57 Moons - Roi - Tagged: Night of the Stars (Kyanite Keep)

Rookstar cast quick glances towards the deputies and pointed at the Chausie tom with his paw. “That is my Tour, Richterscreech. He’s well known amongst the Clans,” he chuckled, hinting at the several mates he had taken outside of his own Clan. “Our Tour accompanies us to almost every Gathering unless something holds him back,” he explained. Richterscreech so enjoyed socializing with other deputies in a neutral location, so Rookstar never barred him from attending. “That’s exactly it!” he exclaimed as Night of the Stars explained exactly what he had been trying to tell her. He’d never been as good with words as Chasmstar, but the molly had taken her ability and run with it. She’d charmed and persuaded half the Clan into turning their backs on Rookstar, and he was feeling helplessly lost. He’d been the Tour, not her, so he believed he deserved his position. At least, he hoped he did.

CHASMSTAR - Molly - 48 Moons - Dame - Tagged: Frost's Sheen (Golden Kingdom)

Chasmstar couldn’t understand why Frost’s Sheen hadn’t been raised like a typical warrior. “Why couldn’t you have been? Does your Clan leadership not pass to your deputy?” she asked. She might have missed the clues as to why Frost’s Sheen was representing her father, she just assumed that he’d chosen her as his deputy at a young age. Clans all differed in the ways their leadership was, and Chasmstar chided herself for believing the Golden Kingdom was the same as ChessClan. “I’m rather sorry I missed some details. Would you mind explaining why you couldn’t be raised like any other Clan cat?” she asked softly, hoping Frost’s Sheen didn’t think her to be ignorant or stupid.

RICHTERSCREECH - Tom - 67 Moons - Tour - Tagged: Minnowflight (IslandClan)


Richterscreech’s eyes widened with shock as Minnowflight spoke so casually about some unfortunate deaths. “Oh, I’m so sorry for your losses,” he meowed mournfully. It was rather unusual that Minnowflight had so quickly shared news of his leader losing several lives, but some Clans were more open than others. “I hope these things are less and less common in the coming moons. ChessClan’s been fortunate enough to evade many deaths and injuries over the past couple of seasons,” he sighed thankfully. They’d only had maybe two or three new additions to ÉtoileClan, which made the Clan seem as if it were flourishing. He chose not to speak of the tensions that were as tight as spiderwebs between two clear groups inside the Clan. Chasmstar had nearly half of the Clan on her side, and the other half of the Clan backed Rookstar. “Our nursery is just about to burst, so if you see cats spilling over our borders in a tidal wave, have no worries,” Richterscreech joked. It would be no surprise if they had to expand camp yet again soon.


WOLFWHISKERS - Tom - 72 Moons - Fou - Tagged: Emberspark (HazeClan)


Wolfwhiskers's entire body burned as his cheeks reddened. He ducked his head and cleared his throat, wishing his heart would stop racing. She was the cat he looked forwards to seeing the most, but he couldn't tell if it was appropriate to tell her. He knew he meant something to her, but he didn't know if it was enough to warrant him speaking his feelings. "I've been told I radiate it worse than the sun," he chuckled, leaning slightly towards the molly. His ill patients often asked him to sleep outside the den just because he kept the den so warm that they just wanted a cool breeze. He sat there beside her in silence for several moments, the beating of his heart drowning out any possible sound. "It's a rather nice night tonight," he mumbled awkwardly, sneaking quick glances towards her out of the sides of his eyes. He knew he could be himself around her, but he still got flustered when he wanted to tell her how he felt. Every time, he shut it down before it ever happened, and this time was the same. He was too worried about how she might react, even if he longed to know what she would say. "I'm sorry," he suddenly apologized, mostly meaning how he had grown clammy and awkward but also how he wasn't fully opening up to her and potentially never would.


FAONDAPPLE - Molly - 26 Moons - Fou - Tagged: Cloudtongue (PineClan)


As the tom introduced himself as Cloudtongue of PineClan, she smiled. She'd heard of PineClan before; Rookstar had spoken to their leader once. As he asked her about why she was called Faonpaw if she had her full name, she dropped her head to hide her blush of embarrassment. "I meant Faondapple," she meowed sheepishly, knowing she'd messed up. She was still getting used to calling herself Faondapple, and she couldn't believe she'd already goofed up at her first Gathering as a full fou. "I'm still getting used to the name," she chuckled lightly, hoping Cloudtongue wouldn't make fun of or laugh at her. She'd worked so hard, training entirely as a warrior apprentice and then switching to be Wolfwhiskers' apprentice, that she'd gotten so accustomed to being called Faonpaw. Her training had taken nearly twenty moons, after all. She had been Faonpaw longer than both Faonkit and Faondapple combined, and yet she was still entirely embarrassed to call herself the wrong name. "This is my first Gathering with my full name, and I'm so excited to be here," she purred, tail curling high over her spine. Most medicine cats that she had met had been kind, if not a little grumpy, and Cloudtongue seemed to be on the kinder side. She had yet to meet a genuinely cruel medicine cat, but she doubted that would ever happen. Why would a cat who hated other cats want to help them? In any case, she hoped to never meet a medicine cat she didn't like.


LINDTPAW - Tom - 14 Moons - Fou Apprentice - Tagged: Open


Lindtpaw let out a quiet growl as Lichenpaw began to chase him. "You'll never catch me!" he cried, running in a circle around Faondapple. The two cats were delighted as they ran, and he skidded to a halt as Wolfwhiskers began to scold them. "I have more sense than a kit," Lindtpaw gasped, placing his paw on his chest as if in shock. Wolfwhiskers just shook his head and padded off, quickly followed by Faondapple. "Well, where would you—" Lindtpaw was cut off as he realized Lichenpaw had already dashed away. The molly was clearly eager to be at the Gathering, so he stumbled through the crowd slowly. He wanted to find other apprentices, maybe even another medicine cat apprentice, but he felt that the chances were low. With a grumble, he sat down and let his eyes flutter closed. He was just going to take a quick nap, and then he'd find someone to talk with.


LICHENPAW - Molly - 10 Moons - Fou Apprentice - Tagged: Frostbitepaw (IslandClan)


Lichenpaw nodded slowly when Frostbitepaw asked if she’d eaten a dock leaf. In all honesty, she’d eaten too many herbs to count by accident. It’d taken her a few moons to perfect the chewing of herbs to make poultices without swallowing any. “Mouse bile tastes the worst,” she meowed, the tremor in her voice less noticeable than before. She was slowly becoming more comfortable around Frostbitepaw, but she still had a little bit to go. Herbs always tasted bad to her, and she avoided chewing them any chance she got. It was the main reason she preferred treating illnesses; sick cats had to eat their own herbs, not have it smeared on wounds. “Wolfwhiskers hasn’t told me much about IslandClan,” she admitted, her voice a fraction stronger than the last time.


OISEAUDAPPLE - Tom - 21 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Quakestone (Highgarden)


Quakestone spoke of tournaments, and Oiseaudapple longed to have something similar in ChessClan. "It's feather-brained that roses can't participate in the spring tournament. If you could, I might just sneak in to watch you put all the toms on their tails," he meowed with a huff, pretending to be more serious than he really was. As she mentioned the rose tournament to find an heir if there wasn't one, Oiseaudapple shuddered. "I couldn't imagine having to rely on a tournament for the next dame and roi. It's a good thing that we have a tour to take over when they pass," he meowed. Richterscreech was getting old, so it was clear that he would be replaced soon since it didn't seem that Rookstar and Chasmstar were going anywhere anytime soon. Quakestone asked about traditions in ChessClan, and he just shrugged. "Our final assessment is a two moon ordeal. We have to start at the far point of the Northern Pass and survive on our own in the treacherous terrain until we make it back to camp. No cat comes back unscathed, and many don't come back at all," he meowed. He was reminded of when Fourmisplash took off after a gut feeling told him that Acaiheart was hurt. When the tom returned with the injured apprenti, it had only made Oiseaudapple even more afraid for his own final assessment. Yet, all he'd returned with was a hidden scar on his belly from a close call with an eagle. "It's a shock I made it through with just the one scar," he purred, his heart racing as he remembered the fight for his life.


SPIRIT - Molly - 21 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Sunlight (The Fallen)


Spirit nodded as Sunlight shared her name and her Clan. She had heard snippets about The Fallen, she believed that one of her leaders had spoken with One at a previous Gathering. "I guess apprentices would like that sort of thing," she meowed, sticking her nose up as if she hadn't been their age less than a season-cycle ago. She was glad she had joined ChessClan when she did, just barely old enough to be a cavalier. She didn't know how she would have reacted if they had wanted her to train as an apprenti despite being as old as the oldest apprenti. She did watch the other cavalier closely, having so recently escaped from being a kittypet, but she was learning quicker than if she were being taught one on one. She had learned through trial and error during her journeys, but she was still a weak hunter and fighter. She participated in more drills than the average cavalier, mostly learning from those sparring around her, and she attended as many hunting parties as she possibly could. "Some of those apprentices are probably stronger and more skilled than I ever could be," she chuckled. Several young cats dedicated themselves so whole-heartedly to their studies that they were able to outsmart even senior warriors. Those were always the apprenti that brought the most honor and pride to their mentor, and Spirit hoped that one day she could train her own apprenti like that. "Have you been in The Fallen for very long?" she piped up suddenly, remembering she was in a conversation with Sunlight.


LAPINHOP - Tom - 22 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Shadowgaze (TidalClan),


Lapinhop's long legs were aching by the time he reached the Gathering. His eyes were strained from being narrowed against the bright sun through most of the journey, so he walked with his eyes mostly closed until they reached the crowd. He stepped on several paws and tails until he stopped to apologize to one molly. "I'm extremely sorry, my eyes still hurt from that intense sunlight we had today. Why couldn't we have had a single cloud for cover?" he moaned dramatically, resting his paw on his forehead and swooning backwards. He had hoped to make a good impression on the molly, who was just a blob in his sight as he tried to open his eyes wider. He knew there was only the light of the full moon, but it would take him several moments to adjust to the semi-darkness. He'd been warned as a kit that his eyes would make him more easily hurt by the light, but he hadn't believed them until recently when he couldn't leave the trees until the sun was beginning to set. He sat beside her and rubbed his eyes with his paws, the blurryness beginning to retreat from his vision until he finally stopped and turn to look at the molly fully. She was rather pretty, with her pelt shimmering in the moonlight. Lapinhop noted that every pelt seemed to shine in the moonlight in a way completely different than in the sunlight. "It's beautiful out here tonight, now that I can see," he chuckled. He was tired and could have taken a nap right there, but he knew he needed to stay awake and at least talk to one cat at his first Gathering.



THE ORDER OF THE HYENA !!
HYENA'S BREATH - Molly - 36 Moons - Matriarch - Tagged: Open


Hyena's Breath narrowed her eyes as she approached the Gathering. The last time she had attended the Gathering, she hadn't had a single member in her Clan other than herself. Now, she had an Aide, an Herbalist, and three Scavengers. All five cats followed along behind her, and she turned to nod at them slowly. They fanned out behind her, their thin frames hidden behind long claws and bared teeth. She wouldn't do to have her Clan present themselves as quiet and calm, and she nodded as she saw them hiss at the cats who got too close to them before they reached their destination. "Now, you know to only gain information. Never give away any news about the Order," she meowed, slinking off towards the leaders as the rest of her Clan broke apart behind her. She sat down and swept her tail close to her, her strangely mottled tortoiseshell pelt making her blend into the dappled shadows across the ground.


CIVET'S SCURRY - Molly - 34 Moons - Aide - Tagged: Wispwillow (SnowClan)


Civet's Scurry noticed Wispwillow get suddenly silent, as if she had something on her mind, but she didn't want to open up the discussion to anything that might make the molly uncomfortable. "Have you been in SnowClan for very long? I'm not even sure how old your Clan is," she meowed. She knew next to nothing about any other Clan, so she wasn't aware if SnowClan was a rather new Clan or one that was countless seasons old. The Order was a relatively new Clan, that much was clear, but Civet's Scurry felt as if she had been a Clan cat for her entire life. She felt comfortable in the camp, as if she'd always lived there, and she knew the daily duties like the back of her paw. "The moon is rather lovely. I wonder what the surface of it is like. Do cats walk on the moon as they do here on the ground? Hyena's Breath once spoke of a story of cats who tried to travel to the moon through its reflection in a pool," Civet's Scurry chuckled. She didn't mention that the story had ended with the cats never being heard from again, even if Civet's Scurry believed they had made it to the moon rather than the alternative that most cats claimed to believe. She typically chose to believe the brighter option of things, even if most cats chose to believe in the darker option. She could imagine them now, the cats walking happily across the moon, content with their lives since they had reached their destination when many cats said they wouldn't. Civet's Scurry dreamed of a grand adventure like that someday, to defy the odds, but she doubted a random cat like her would ever be the one tossed into one.


OSTRICH'S CRY - Molly - 43 Moons - Herbalist - Tagged: Halepen (CascadeClan)


Ostrich's Cry bit back a sharp retort as Halepen indirectly called leaping across the backs of crocodiles not dangerous. "The river is where we drink. The stagnant watering holes smell and taste like large prey," she turned her nose up with a sniff. "The running water filters the dirt and grime until it tastes as clear as a mountain stream. It doesn't matter that we must watch for hippos and crocodiles every time we bend down to drink our fill," she curled her lip with an eye roll. "As for our apex predators wasting prey, it's that they don't. The hyenas and vultures eat the unwanted parts, the parts that large predators do not wish to eat," she snorted. It was true that the lions wasted next to nothing and that the scavengers had evolved to eat the leftovers, but it was also true that this tom was doing his best to get under Ostrich's Cry's skin. She thought for several seconds, trying hard to think of a dangerous act to show him up once and for all. "I doubt your Clan has a test of courage like the Order's. I doubt you make your members snatch a hair off an elephant's tail. They're large enough that a single toe could crush a cat, and their trunks could life a full grown cat like a feather," she snarled, lowering herself to the ground as she spoke. She only spoke of the first trial, the following three remaining unsaid as she hoped it would be known that they only increased in difficulty.


ZEBRA'S GALLOP - Molly - 40 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: The Tree (DuckClan)


Zebra's Gallop's mind was racing as The Tree spoke. She was still perplexed, but she chose not to press the issue. Some traditions of other Clans would never make sense to her, and she felt it not to be beneficial to try and understand. With a sigh, she listened to where he came from. She had never heard of tribes, but she had definitely heard of Clans. "Matriarch Hyena's Breath might know more about tribes, so I'll have to ask her for more information about them. I've never actually heard about them," she meowed. The savanna was only home to the five Orders, none going by the name 'Clan' or even using traditional Clan naming systems. The only reason they were considered a Clan was because they claimed themselves to be one. "If I'm being honest, I've never heard of DuckClan. I've never actually heard of any Clan, but that may be because I'm so new to the Order, who is not bordered by any Clan," she chuckled. They were a secluded Clan, and she rather liked it that way. There was a high chance that this would be her last Gathering, mostly because she never wanted to return to such a large group of cats. It was rather unsettling to be surrounded on all sides after living in such a small Clan as the Order. She wasn't used to the large number of cats in one place, but she wondered if the Order would ever grow large enough to have more than a dozen cats in their camp. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, especially since the Order had been so small for several moons now.


WILDEBEEST'S STAMPEDE - Tom - 38 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: Fairytail (MoonClan)


Wildebeest's Stampede could see that Fairytail was slowly becoming more comfortable the more they spoke. Fairytail was a rather unusual name, mostly because Wildebeest's Stampede didn't know what a fairy was. "You have nothing to apologize for, Fairytail. Some cats struggle with conversation and meeting new cats, and that's completely fine. Several friends I've had were the exact same way," he chuckled, remembering how Crash and Boom had always frozen and mumbled any time they met a new cat. At the thought of his old friends, who he hadn't seen in many moons, he couldn't help but wonder what they were up to now. What was in the past stayed in the past, so he turned his attention back to Fairytail. "It's good to be wary with what kinds of cats are running around nowadays. There's been too many stories of cats trying to take over Clans to fully trust a cat at your first meeting," he rumbled, hoping to comfort her but wondering if it was at all the right thing to say. "I'm not saying that I'm one of those evil cats, at least I don't think I am, I just thought it might help. I mean, with your nerves. Well—" he quickly clamped his jaws shut and shook his head, refusing to speak another word before he fully thought out what he was meaning to convey. Zebra's Gallop always teased him that he had a tendency to get tongue-tied out of the blue, but he always hated it when it happened around a cat he'd never met before.


LION'S SHADOW - Tom - 41 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: Mallowbrook (LightClan)


Lion's Shadow stared at Mallowbrook as she mentioned never hearing of the Order before. "We've come a rather long way, if I'm being honest. It was a several day journey to attend, which is why we don't make it to every Gathering. This is my first, and my Clan has only attended one other," he meowed, his voice just as quiet as when he had introduced himself to Mallowbrook. They had left approximately three sunrises before, and they'd traveled for several days to attend the Gathering. Hyena's Breath had spoken that she would only like to attend a maximum of every other Gathering, but Lion's Shadow knew they wouldn't even make it to that many. It was simply too far, and too tiring to attend very many. Lion's Shadow may still have been a relatively young scavenger, but he didn't want to spend most of his life traveling. He had settled in the Order for a reason, but he was willing to attend a Gathering every now and then. "Have you had to travel far? I'm not sure where any other Clans come from," he meowed. As a new member to the Order, he only knew that they didn't border a single Clan. Before the Order, he hadn't even known Clans outside of the five main Orders of the savanna even existed. Now that he was here, he was aware that Clans came from all around. While the Order may be removed from most of the Clans, he knew that he would happen across a Clan no matter what direction he traveled in. There were too many scents of different Clans to count, and it almost shocked him that this was just a small fraction of most of these Clans. It was beyond thrilling to think that so many Clans existed.

[ponz]

SPRUCECLAN
-----

CRICKETPOUNCE | Deputy | M | 82 moons | TAGS: Frostflower (PineClan)

A flash of waving white fur in his peripheral vision caught Cricketpounce’s eye. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but the nearly inaudible one-two step of a PineClan cat, stealthy as even the clumsiest of their number were, could not be ignored. “Frostflower!” Cricketpounce called, whirling around to greet her with a smile. And as he’d thought, the white molly hovered just behind him, long tail swaying in the gentle breeze. “I’m so glad to see you here this evening. It’s really been too long. How have you and Ramkit been?”

JAYSWOOP | Warrior | M | 40 moons | TAGS: Poppyshade (VagaryClan)

“Given what SpruceClan’s seen, I think it’s pretty safe to say that Brindlebirch’s friend is probably hanging around,” Jayswoop said, laughing just slightly. “Maybe we should send Tallthorn over to VagaryClan for the day. I bet he’d appreciate being left alone for once!” When Poppyshade began to falter, Jayswoop’s expression softened, and he nudged her shoulder with his forehead. “Roselight loves you. There’s no way she wouldn’t be proud of you. I mean, just look at you! You’re happy and thriving. That’s what every good mother wants for their kittens, right?”

BRAMBLINGPATH | Warrior | F | 23 moons | TAGS: Owltalon + Hornetsting (The Fallen)

By her third circle around the Gathering place, Bramblingpath found herself succumbing to boredom. Surely, it would be more interesting to find someone to talk to! As she slowed her brisk pace to a walk, the nearby bushes rustled in the wake of a small clan entering. Two mollies, one a mottled tortoiseshell not unlike herself and the other pitch-black in color, trailed off to a stop as the two older warriors leading the way split from the group. Curious now, Bramblingpath let her head tilt to the side and padded closer. “Hello,” she greeted, smiling lightly at the two newcomers. “I’m Bramblingpath from SpruceClan. Mind if I join you two?”

STORMPAW | Apprentice | M | 9 moons | TAGS: Caperpaw (CascadeClan)

“Whoah,” Stormpaw breathed, awestruck. “That’s a lot darker than SpruceClan’s legends. I love it! The Cascade’s real different from my clan, it seems. Sure would be cool to see your jungle!” Caperpaw had so many interesting things to share; Stormpaw was glad he’d found such a cool friend to chat with. He brightened quickly when Caperpaw asked a question. “Yeah, I do! Nothing quite so cool as skulls, ‘course, but we have lotsa migratory birds that fly through th’ mountains. I collect their feathers!” At this declaration, he puffed out his chest. “I’ve already got ‘bout seven different types of bird now.”

GOLDEN KINGDOM
-----

FROST’S SHEEN | Crown Princess | F | 23 moons | TAGS: Chasmstar (ChessClan)
“It’s no problem at all!” Frost’s Sheen purred, tilting her head. “Historically, the Golden Kingdom’s monarch is a descendant of the kingdom’s founder. The First— that’s the spirit of the founder— selects their choice for king or queen from the current monarch’s relatives, and I was chosen to succeed my father, Crown of Embers, when I was a kitten. We do have a cat similar to a clan’s deputy, the Royal Advisor, but they do not ascend to the throne after a monarch’s death.” The crown princess shrugged, clearly not particularly fond of the policy. “I was trained to be a monarch because that was the future ahead of me,” she said, nose crinkling, “But to be quite honest, I’m not particularly inclined to continue that trend. Once I am monarch, I think I’ll pick a successor based on my kingdom’s vote.” And, with a giggle, she admitted, “I’ve been planning to ask a member of the Royal Guard for sparring lessons.”

LYNX’S PROWL | Knight | M | 54 moons | TAGS: Sunflicker (LightClan)

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sunflicker!” Lynx’s Prowl rumbled, offering his own smile in return. He stretched out slowly, dropping down into a seated position and tilting his head towards Sunflicker. “I’ve always thought these Gatherings were a nice place to make friends. Is this your first?” After a moment of thought, Lynx offered another question. “Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I meant to ask you what clan you call home! Myself, I come from the Golden Kingdom.”

DESDEMONA | Knight | F | 37 moons | TAGS: Fluttercloud (MoonClan)

“Thank you,” Desdemona murmured, climbing atop the rocks, and nodding in appreciation as she settled into the space that had been cleared for her. The stones were still sun-warm and made a pleasant surface to sprawl all four of her spotted legs across in contentment. For a moment, Desdemona just relaxed into the warmth, focused on nothing but the quiet breathing of her neighbor. But while sitting in comfortable silence with this unknown molly was already quite nice, she was curious as to whose company she was keeping. “My name is Desdemona,” she offered, flicking one silver ear in the molly’s direction. “What’s yours?”

RUSA’S RACE | Knight | M | 16 moons | TAGS: Blaze of the Stars (Kyanite Keep)

“Stallion’s Canter is a cool name,” Rusa’s Race said in approval. “Silver’s Gleam, too. Reminds me of Opal’s Gleam— they’re one of our knights in the Golden Kingdom. Kyanite Keep’s definitely off to a good start!” At Blaze of the Stars’ joking request for lessons in awesomeness, Rusa’s muzzle cleared of humor and replaced its grin with a look of determination. “Right,” Rusa’s Race nodded sharply. “Lesson number one. Definitely…. make sure you, um, are always…..” he trailed off, brows furrowing, before he gave a defeated laugh. “Now that I think about it, maybe you just have to be born with it.”

-

[chaotic creativity]

CHESSCLAN !!
ROOKSTAR - Tom - 57 Moons - Roi - Tagged: Night of the Stars (Kyanite Keep)


Rookstar cast quick glances towards the deputies and pointed at the Chausie tom with his paw. “That is my Tour, Richterscreech. He’s well known amongst the Clans,” he chuckled, hinting at the several mates he had taken outside of his own Clan. “Our Tour accompanies us to almost every Gathering unless something holds him back,” he explained. Richterscreech so enjoyed socializing with other deputies in a neutral location, so Rookstar never barred him from attending. “That’s exactly it!” he exclaimed as Night of the Stars explained exactly what he had been trying to tell her. He’d never been as good with words as Chasmstar, but the molly had taken her ability and run with it. She’d charmed and persuaded half the Clan into turning their backs on Rookstar, and he was feeling helplessly lost. He’d been the Tour, not her, so he believed he deserved his position. At least, he hoped he did.


CHASMSTAR - Molly - 48 Moons - Dame - Tagged: Frost's Sheen (Golden Kingdom)

Chasmstar watched Frost’s Sheen with wide-eyed wonder and respect. She couldn’t imagine being the one to so drastically change the foundation of a Clan in the way Frost’s Sheen was inclined to do. Her respect for the molly grew tenfold, and she nodded. “It’s rather brave of you to take that onto yourself. You’ll forever be remembered as the one to do such a momentous thing, if you do,” she meowed. She wished she had the courage to change ChessClan for the better, but Rookstar seemed so set in stone as the true singular leader that she had essentially no power. Her supporters in ChessClan had grown over the past moons, but she knew that she would need to break the curse before taking any action. She had eight of the nine lives of a leader, and Rookstar held the other one. “A few sparring lessons would do you no harm. I partake in spars rather frequently to keep my skills and claws sharp,” she chuckled, examining her extended claws as a joke. She so enjoyed beating her cavalier to a pulp, leaving them respecting her strength more than before.

RICHTERSCREECH - Tom - 67 Moons - Tour - Tagged: Minnowflight (IslandClan)


Richterscreech’s eyes widened with shock as Minnowflight spoke so casually about some unfortunate deaths. “Oh, I’m so sorry for your losses,” he meowed mournfully. It was rather unusual that Minnowflight had so quickly shared news of his leader losing several lives, but some Clans were more open than others. “I hope these things are less and less common in the coming moons. ChessClan’s been fortunate enough to evade many deaths and injuries over the past couple of seasons,” he sighed thankfully. They’d only had maybe two or three new additions to ÉtoileClan, which made the Clan seem as if it were flourishing. He chose not to speak of the tensions that were as tight as spiderwebs between two clear groups inside the Clan. Chasmstar had nearly half of the Clan on her side, and the other half of the Clan backed Rookstar. “Our nursery is just about to burst, so if you see cats spilling over our borders in a tidal wave, have no worries,” Richterscreech joked. It would be no surprise if they had to expand camp yet again soon.


WOLFWHISKERS - Tom - 72 Moons - Fou - Tagged: Emberspark (HazeClan)


Wolfwhiskers's entire body burned as his cheeks reddened. He ducked his head and cleared his throat, wishing his heart would stop racing. She was the cat he looked forwards to seeing the most, but he couldn't tell if it was appropriate to tell her. He knew he meant something to her, but he didn't know if it was enough to warrant him speaking his feelings. "I've been told I radiate it worse than the sun," he chuckled, leaning slightly towards the molly. His ill patients often asked him to sleep outside the den just because he kept the den so warm that they just wanted a cool breeze. He sat there beside her in silence for several moments, the beating of his heart drowning out any possible sound. "It's a rather nice night tonight," he mumbled awkwardly, sneaking quick glances towards her out of the sides of his eyes. He knew he could be himself around her, but he still got flustered when he wanted to tell her how he felt. Every time, he shut it down before it ever happened, and this time was the same. He was too worried about how she might react, even if he longed to know what she would say. "I'm sorry," he suddenly apologized, mostly meaning how he had grown clammy and awkward but also how he wasn't fully opening up to her and potentially never would.


FAONDAPPLE - Molly - 26 Moons - Fou - Tagged: Cloudtongue (PineClan)


As the tom introduced himself as Cloudtongue of PineClan, she smiled. She'd heard of PineClan before; Rookstar had spoken to their leader once. As he asked her about why she was called Faonpaw if she had her full name, she dropped her head to hide her blush of embarrassment. "I meant Faondapple," she meowed sheepishly, knowing she'd messed up. She was still getting used to calling herself Faondapple, and she couldn't believe she'd already goofed up at her first Gathering as a full fou. "I'm still getting used to the name," she chuckled lightly, hoping Cloudtongue wouldn't make fun of or laugh at her. She'd worked so hard, training entirely as a warrior apprentice and then switching to be Wolfwhiskers' apprentice, that she'd gotten so accustomed to being called Faonpaw. Her training had taken nearly twenty moons, after all. She had been Faonpaw longer than both Faonkit and Faondapple combined, and yet she was still entirely embarrassed to call herself the wrong name. "This is my first Gathering with my full name, and I'm so excited to be here," she purred, tail curling high over her spine. Most medicine cats that she had met had been kind, if not a little grumpy, and Cloudtongue seemed to be on the kinder side. She had yet to meet a genuinely cruel medicine cat, but she doubted that would ever happen. Why would a cat who hated other cats want to help them? In any case, she hoped to never meet a medicine cat she didn't like.


LINDTPAW - Tom - 14 Moons - Fou Apprentice - Tagged: Open


Lindtpaw let out a quiet growl as Lichenpaw began to chase him. "You'll never catch me!" he cried, running in a circle around Faondapple. The two cats were delighted as they ran, and he skidded to a halt as Wolfwhiskers began to scold them. "I have more sense than a kit," Lindtpaw gasped, placing his paw on his chest as if in shock. Wolfwhiskers just shook his head and padded off, quickly followed by Faondapple. "Well, where would you—" Lindtpaw was cut off as he realized Lichenpaw had already dashed away. The molly was clearly eager to be at the Gathering, so he stumbled through the crowd slowly. He wanted to find other apprentices, maybe even another medicine cat apprentice, but he felt that the chances were low. With a grumble, he sat down and let his eyes flutter closed. He was just going to take a quick nap, and then he'd find someone to talk with.


LICHENPAW - Molly - 10 Moons - Fou Apprentice - Tagged: Frostbitepaw (IslandClan)


Lichenpaw nodded slowly when Frostbitepaw asked if she’d eaten a dock leaf. In all honesty, she’d eaten too many herbs to count by accident. It’d taken her a few moons to perfect the chewing of herbs to make poultices without swallowing any. “Mouse bile tastes the worst,” she meowed, the tremor in her voice less noticeable than before. She was slowly becoming more comfortable around Frostbitepaw, but she still had a little bit to go. Herbs always tasted bad to her, and she avoided chewing them any chance she got. It was the main reason she preferred treating illnesses; sick cats had to eat their own herbs, not have it smeared on wounds. “Wolfwhiskers hasn’t told me much about IslandClan,” she admitted, her voice a fraction stronger than the last time.


OISEAUDAPPLE - Tom - 21 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Quakestone (Highgarden)


Quakestone spoke of tournaments, and Oiseaudapple longed to have something similar in ChessClan. "It's feather-brained that roses can't participate in the spring tournament. If you could, I might just sneak in to watch you put all the toms on their tails," he meowed with a huff, pretending to be more serious than he really was. As she mentioned the rose tournament to find an heir if there wasn't one, Oiseaudapple shuddered. "I couldn't imagine having to rely on a tournament for the next dame and roi. It's a good thing that we have a tour to take over when they pass," he meowed. Richterscreech was getting old, so it was clear that he would be replaced soon since it didn't seem that Rookstar and Chasmstar were going anywhere anytime soon. Quakestone asked about traditions in ChessClan, and he just shrugged. "Our final assessment is a two moon ordeal. We have to start at the far point of the Northern Pass and survive on our own in the treacherous terrain until we make it back to camp. No cat comes back unscathed, and many don't come back at all," he meowed. He was reminded of when Fourmisplash took off after a gut feeling told him that Acaiheart was hurt. When the tom returned with the injured apprenti, it had only made Oiseaudapple even more afraid for his own final assessment. Yet, all he'd returned with was a hidden scar on his belly from a close call with an eagle. "It's a shock I made it through with just the one scar," he purred, his heart racing as he remembered the fight for his life.


SPIRIT - Molly - 21 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Sunlight (The Fallen)


Spirit nodded as Sunlight shared her name and her Clan. She had heard snippets about The Fallen, she believed that one of her leaders had spoken with One at a previous Gathering. "I guess apprentices would like that sort of thing," she meowed, sticking her nose up as if she hadn't been their age less than a season-cycle ago. She was glad she had joined ChessClan when she did, just barely old enough to be a cavalier. She didn't know how she would have reacted if they had wanted her to train as an apprenti despite being as old as the oldest apprenti. She did watch the other cavalier closely, having so recently escaped from being a kittypet, but she was learning quicker than if she were being taught one on one. She had learned through trial and error during her journeys, but she was still a weak hunter and fighter. She participated in more drills than the average cavalier, mostly learning from those sparring around her, and she attended as many hunting parties as she possibly could. "Some of those apprentices are probably stronger and more skilled than I ever could be," she chuckled. Several young cats dedicated themselves so whole-heartedly to their studies that they were able to outsmart even senior warriors. Those were always the apprenti that brought the most honor and pride to their mentor, and Spirit hoped that one day she could train her own apprenti like that. "Have you been in The Fallen for very long?" she piped up suddenly, remembering she was in a conversation with Sunlight.


LAPINHOP - Tom - 22 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Shadowgaze (TidalClan),


Lapinhop's long legs were aching by the time he reached the Gathering. His eyes were strained from being narrowed against the bright sun through most of the journey, so he walked with his eyes mostly closed until they reached the crowd. He stepped on several paws and tails until he stopped to apologize to one molly. "I'm extremely sorry, my eyes still hurt from that intense sunlight we had today. Why couldn't we have had a single cloud for cover?" he moaned dramatically, resting his paw on his forehead and swooning backwards. He had hoped to make a good impression on the molly, who was just a blob in his sight as he tried to open his eyes wider. He knew there was only the light of the full moon, but it would take him several moments to adjust to the semi-darkness. He'd been warned as a kit that his eyes would make him more easily hurt by the light, but he hadn't believed them until recently when he couldn't leave the trees until the sun was beginning to set. He sat beside her and rubbed his eyes with his paws, the blurryness beginning to retreat from his vision until he finally stopped and turn to look at the molly fully. She was rather pretty, with her pelt shimmering in the moonlight. Lapinhop noted that every pelt seemed to shine in the moonlight in a way completely different than in the sunlight. "It's beautiful out here tonight, now that I can see," he chuckled. He was tired and could have taken a nap right there, but he knew he needed to stay awake and at least talk to one cat at his first Gathering.



THE ORDER OF THE HYENA !!
HYENA'S BREATH - Molly - 36 Moons - Matriarch - Tagged: Open


Hyena's Breath narrowed her eyes as she approached the Gathering. The last time she had attended the Gathering, she hadn't had a single member in her Clan other than herself. Now, she had an Aide, an Herbalist, and three Scavengers. All five cats followed along behind her, and she turned to nod at them slowly. They fanned out behind her, their thin frames hidden behind long claws and bared teeth. She wouldn't do to have her Clan present themselves as quiet and calm, and she nodded as she saw them hiss at the cats who got too close to them before they reached their destination. "Now, you know to only gain information. Never give away any news about the Order," she meowed, slinking off towards the leaders as the rest of her Clan broke apart behind her. She sat down and swept her tail close to her, her strangely mottled tortoiseshell pelt making her blend into the dappled shadows across the ground.


CIVET'S SCURRY - Molly - 34 Moons - Aide - Tagged: Wispwillow (SnowClan)


Civet's Scurry noticed Wispwillow get suddenly silent, as if she had something on her mind, but she didn't want to open up the discussion to anything that might make the molly uncomfortable. "Have you been in SnowClan for very long? I'm not even sure how old your Clan is," she meowed. She knew next to nothing about any other Clan, so she wasn't aware if SnowClan was a rather new Clan or one that was countless seasons old. The Order was a relatively new Clan, that much was clear, but Civet's Scurry felt as if she had been a Clan cat for her entire life. She felt comfortable in the camp, as if she'd always lived there, and she knew the daily duties like the back of her paw. "The moon is rather lovely. I wonder what the surface of it is like. Do cats walk on the moon as they do here on the ground? Hyena's Breath once spoke of a story of cats who tried to travel to the moon through its reflection in a pool," Civet's Scurry chuckled. She didn't mention that the story had ended with the cats never being heard from again, even if Civet's Scurry believed they had made it to the moon rather than the alternative that most cats claimed to believe. She typically chose to believe the brighter option of things, even if most cats chose to believe in the darker option. She could imagine them now, the cats walking happily across the moon, content with their lives since they had reached their destination when many cats said they wouldn't. Civet's Scurry dreamed of a grand adventure like that someday, to defy the odds, but she doubted a random cat like her would ever be the one tossed into one.


OSTRICH'S CRY - Molly - 43 Moons - Herbalist - Tagged: Halepen (CascadeClan)


Ostrich's Cry bit back a sharp retort as Halepen indirectly called leaping across the backs of crocodiles not dangerous. "The river is where we drink. The stagnant watering holes smell and taste like large prey," she turned her nose up with a sniff. "The running water filters the dirt and grime until it tastes as clear as a mountain stream. It doesn't matter that we must watch for hippos and crocodiles every time we bend down to drink our fill," she curled her lip with an eye roll. "As for our apex predators wasting prey, it's that they don't. The hyenas and vultures eat the unwanted parts, the parts that large predators do not wish to eat," she snorted. It was true that the lions wasted next to nothing and that the scavengers had evolved to eat the leftovers, but it was also true that this tom was doing his best to get under Ostrich's Cry's skin. She thought for several seconds, trying hard to think of a dangerous act to show him up once and for all. "I doubt your Clan has a test of courage like the Order's. I doubt you make your members snatch a hair off an elephant's tail. They're large enough that a single toe could crush a cat, and their trunks could life a full grown cat like a feather," she snarled, lowering herself to the ground as she spoke. She only spoke of the first trial, the following three remaining unsaid as she hoped it would be known that they only increased in difficulty.


ZEBRA'S GALLOP - Molly - 40 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: The Tree (DuckClan)


Zebra's Gallop's mind was racing as The Tree spoke. She was still perplexed, but she chose not to press the issue. Some traditions of other Clans would never make sense to her, and she felt it not to be beneficial to try and understand. With a sigh, she listened to where he came from. She had never heard of tribes, but she had definitely heard of Clans. "Matriarch Hyena's Breath might know more about tribes, so I'll have to ask her for more information about them. I've never actually heard about them," she meowed. The savanna was only home to the five Orders, none going by the name 'Clan' or even using traditional Clan naming systems. The only reason they were considered a Clan was because they claimed themselves to be one. "If I'm being honest, I've never heard of DuckClan. I've never actually heard of any Clan, but that may be because I'm so new to the Order, who is not bordered by any Clan," she chuckled. They were a secluded Clan, and she rather liked it that way. There was a high chance that this would be her last Gathering, mostly because she never wanted to return to such a large group of cats. It was rather unsettling to be surrounded on all sides after living in such a small Clan as the Order. She wasn't used to the large number of cats in one place, but she wondered if the Order would ever grow large enough to have more than a dozen cats in their camp. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, especially since the Order had been so small for several moons now.


WILDEBEEST'S STAMPEDE - Tom - 38 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: Fairytail (MoonClan)


Wildebeest's Stampede could see that Fairytail was slowly becoming more comfortable the more they spoke. Fairytail was a rather unusual name, mostly because Wildebeest's Stampede didn't know what a fairy was. "You have nothing to apologize for, Fairytail. Some cats struggle with conversation and meeting new cats, and that's completely fine. Several friends I've had were the exact same way," he chuckled, remembering how Crash and Boom had always frozen and mumbled any time they met a new cat. At the thought of his old friends, who he hadn't seen in many moons, he couldn't help but wonder what they were up to now. What was in the past stayed in the past, so he turned his attention back to Fairytail. "It's good to be wary with what kinds of cats are running around nowadays. There's been too many stories of cats trying to take over Clans to fully trust a cat at your first meeting," he rumbled, hoping to comfort her but wondering if it was at all the right thing to say. "I'm not saying that I'm one of those evil cats, at least I don't think I am, I just thought it might help. I mean, with your nerves. Well—" he quickly clamped his jaws shut and shook his head, refusing to speak another word before he fully thought out what he was meaning to convey. Zebra's Gallop always teased him that he had a tendency to get tongue-tied out of the blue, but he always hated it when it happened around a cat he'd never met before.


LION'S SHADOW - Tom - 41 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: Mallowbrook (LightClan)


Lion's Shadow stared at Mallowbrook as she mentioned never hearing of the Order before. "We've come a rather long way, if I'm being honest. It was a several day journey to attend, which is why we don't make it to every Gathering. This is my first, and my Clan has only attended one other," he meowed, his voice just as quiet as when he had introduced himself to Mallowbrook. They had left approximately three sunrises before, and they'd traveled for several days to attend the Gathering. Hyena's Breath had spoken that she would only like to attend a maximum of every other Gathering, but Lion's Shadow knew they wouldn't even make it to that many. It was simply too far, and too tiring to attend very many. Lion's Shadow may still have been a relatively young scavenger, but he didn't want to spend most of his life traveling. He had settled in the Order for a reason, but he was willing to attend a Gathering every now and then. "Have you had to travel far? I'm not sure where any other Clans come from," he meowed. As a new member to the Order, he only knew that they didn't border a single Clan. Before the Order, he hadn't even known Clans outside of the five main Orders of the savanna even existed. Now that he was here, he was aware that Clans came from all around. While the Order may be removed from most of the Clans, he knew that he would happen across a Clan no matter what direction he traveled in. There were too many scents of different Clans to count, and it almost shocked him that this was just a small fraction of most of these Clans. It was beyond thrilling to think that so many Clans existed.

[ponz]

SPRUCECLAN
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CRICKETPOUNCE | Deputy | M | 82 moons | TAGS: Frostflower (PineClan)

A flash of waving white fur in his peripheral vision caught Cricketpounce’s eye. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but the nearly inaudible one-two step of a PineClan cat, stealthy as even the clumsiest of their number were, could not be ignored. “Frostflower!” Cricketpounce called, whirling around to greet her with a smile. And as he’d thought, the white molly hovered just behind him, long tail swaying in the gentle breeze. “I’m so glad to see you here this evening. It’s really been too long. How have you and Ramkit been?”

JAYSWOOP | Warrior | M | 40 moons | TAGS: Poppyshade (VagaryClan)

“Given what SpruceClan’s seen, I think it’s pretty safe to say that Brindlebirch’s friend is probably hanging around,” Jayswoop said, laughing just slightly. “Maybe we should send Tallthorn over to VagaryClan for the day. I bet he’d appreciate being left alone for once!” When Poppyshade began to falter, Jayswoop’s expression softened, and he nudged her shoulder with his forehead. “Roselight loves you. There’s no way she wouldn’t be proud of you. I mean, just look at you! You’re happy and thriving. That’s what every good mother wants for their kittens, right?”

BRAMBLINGPATH | Warrior | F | 23 moons | TAGS: Owltalon + Hornetsting (The Fallen)

By her third circle around the Gathering place, Bramblingpath found herself succumbing to boredom. Surely, it would be more interesting to find someone to talk to! As she slowed her brisk pace to a walk, the nearby bushes rustled in the wake of a small clan entering. Two mollies, one a mottled tortoiseshell not unlike herself and the other pitch-black in color, trailed off to a stop as the two older warriors leading the way split from the group. Curious now, Bramblingpath let her head tilt to the side and padded closer. “Hello,” she greeted, smiling lightly at the two newcomers. “I’m Bramblingpath from SpruceClan. Mind if I join you two?”

STORMPAW | Apprentice | M | 9 moons | TAGS: Caperpaw (CascadeClan)

“Whoah,” Stormpaw breathed, awestruck. “That’s a lot darker than SpruceClan’s legends. I love it! The Cascade’s real different from my clan, it seems. Sure would be cool to see your jungle!” Caperpaw had so many interesting things to share; Stormpaw was glad he’d found such a cool friend to chat with. He brightened quickly when Caperpaw asked a question. “Yeah, I do! Nothing quite so cool as skulls, ‘course, but we have lotsa migratory birds that fly through th’ mountains. I collect their feathers!” At this declaration, he puffed out his chest. “I’ve already got ‘bout seven different types of bird now.”

GOLDEN KINGDOM
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FROST’S SHEEN | Crown Princess | F | 23 moons | TAGS: Chasmstar (ChessClan)
“Thank you,” Frost’s Sheen said shyly, ducking her head with a modest grin. “It’s really not too radical of an idea, but your praise is appreciated nonetheless.” Raising one paw in the air, Frost flexed her claws curiously, mimicking Chasmstar’s gesture. Her own claws were not nearly so sharp and practiced. “I certainly hope a bit of training will shake off any rust and pass on the necessary skills to fight like a full-grown knight. I would hate to see a day that my kingdom was endangered and be unable to leap to their defense.” With a shake of her head, the young molly dismissed the troubling thought and instead fixed a look of curiosity into her conversation partner. “You are clearly a well-seasoned battler,” she meowed. “If you don’t mind my asking, how long has it taken you to get to your current level of skill?”

LYNX’S PROWL | Knight | M | 54 moons | TAGS: Sunflicker (LightClan)

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sunflicker!” Lynx’s Prowl rumbled, offering his own smile in return. He stretched out slowly, dropping down into a seated position and tilting his head towards Sunflicker. “I’ve always thought these Gatherings were a nice place to make friends. Is this your first?” After a moment of thought, Lynx offered another question. “Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I meant to ask you what clan you call home! Myself, I come from the Golden Kingdom.”

DESDEMONA | Knight | F | 37 moons | TAGS: Fluttercloud (MoonClan)

“Thank you,” Desdemona murmured, climbing atop the rocks, and nodding in appreciation as she settled into the space that had been cleared for her. The stones were still sun-warm and made a pleasant surface to sprawl all four of her spotted legs across in contentment. For a moment, Desdemona just relaxed into the warmth, focused on nothing but the quiet breathing of her neighbor. But while sitting in comfortable silence with this unknown molly was already quite nice, she was curious as to whose company she was keeping. “My name is Desdemona,” she offered, flicking one silver ear in the molly’s direction. “What’s yours?”

RUSA’S RACE | Knight | M | 16 moons | TAGS: Blaze of the Stars (Kyanite Keep)

“Stallion’s Canter is a cool name,” Rusa’s Race said in approval. “Silver’s Gleam, too. Reminds me of Opal’s Gleam— they’re one of our knights in the Golden Kingdom. Kyanite Keep’s definitely off to a good start!” At Blaze of the Stars’ joking request for lessons in awesomeness, Rusa’s muzzle cleared of humor and replaced its grin with a look of determination. “Right,” Rusa’s Race nodded sharply. “Lesson number one. Definitely…. make sure you, um, are always…..” he trailed off, brows furrowing, before he gave a defeated laugh. “Now that I think about it, maybe you just have to be born with it.”

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