[Fawn]

This was not meant to be their permanent home. Still, she was hard at work weaving together new reed beds for Tumblestep's kits, which she would then pad with goose feathers for added softness. Just because they were in self-imposed exile did not mean they had to live like it.

"These look excellent, Lotuswhisker." Tumblestep purred behind her, and her gaggle of three kits—Goldkit, Berrykit, Frondkit—raced over like a tiny school of excited guppies.

"Wow!" Goldkit pounced on the reed beds. "Thanks Lotus!"

Berrykit squealed and landed on another one, while Frondkit tumbled after his siblings with gusto.

"You're welcome, kits." Her name, pretty as it was accurate, was also a mouthful for Tumblestep's kits to say, so they had gotten into the habit of calling her Lotus even though they were a few moons shy of becoming apprentices.

Lotuswhisker shook the remaining rush shreds from her paws, a purr humming in her throat as she observed them enjoying her hard work. It was not a traditional talent, like hunting or fighting, but it was one she took great pride in.

Clumsy paws made messy beds, after all.

With Mothfoot, Willowbreeze and Salmonclaw on patrol, Lotuswhisker glanced around to see who might go with her in search of goose feathers. "Anyone up for a little adventure?" The pretty brown she-cat caught sight of her mentor's sharp, narrow yellow eyes as he looked up from sharing tongues with his mate, Petalfall. He didn't stir, and she didn't look at him.

The less time they spent together, the better.

In the absence of her sister, Lotuswhisker hoped to ask Bravebird to come with her, but even then she'd take whomever she could get.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tags Phoenix , @sparrow , Amber, Hellion
notes Feel free to jump in, anyone.
words 293 Words

[Deleted]

blackthorn.
Just because we check the guns at the door
Doesn't mean our brains will change from hand grenades

The sun shown above, hot in the relatively cloud-free sky. It was a typical Greenleaf day, blistering and dry and completely unwelcome. Blackthorn sat, his tattered, long black tail twitching every passing couple of seconds. Though the RainClan tom appeared at ease to any passerby, he was far from it. Since his declaration of allegiance to the purists and his subsequent move to the purist's makeshift home, Blackthorn felt increasingly uncomfortable. So much so, that he would consider changing his views if it meant moving back to RainClan's main camp. Though those cats are equally as insufferable as these, Blackthorn reminded himself, knowing he wouldn't actually give up his views to move back to camp.

Blackthorn's primary complaint of his new home was its close quarters. Despite how concealed and wooded it was compared to the rest of RainClan's low-laying territory, all the purists were bundled together with no escape from one another. Blackthorn didn't know the best place to hide from the passing apprentice looking for someone to accompany him/her hunting. Blackthorn didn't know a good excuse to avoid dawn patrol with a bunch of loud-mouthed gossips. He didn't know how to slip out of camp to go hunting without being noticed.

The obsidian tom sat, trying to enjoy a few reflective moments to himself, but all he could feel was how exposed he was. He could hear other cats chatting about, some voices excited, some nervous, but all voices something Blackthorn couldnt help but wonder the contents of. Are they talking about me? a singular voice echoed in Blackthorn's mind, and the fur on his pelt -- the little bits of it -- bristled.

Though previous to this moment, Blackthorn had been avoiding eye contact with any cat, his ice blue eyes drifted up to the happy squeaks and cries of kits, whose names he momentarily couldn't place. Looking on with a scowl, the RainClanner couldn't think of anything he hated more than kits. Not yet skilled in social skills, and unaware of his status as a loner, kits were the most likely to approach him and the most likely to blatantly comment on his pelt. Blackthorn's unwelcoming features acted as his first line of defense.

"Anyone up for a little adventure?"

Blackthorn's eyes flicked over from the kits to the tan she-cat who had just finished tending to them. Blackthorn could recall her name -- Lotuswhisker -- and more importantly, her heritage and her nurturing personality. Both of which made the tom's stomach churn. How can we, as purists, accept a cat whose not pure herself? She's part NightClan. Or has everyone forgotten? the dark tom thought to himself, feeling frustration with the hypocrisy in the system. "I hope you don't mean me, mousedung," the black tom meowed, his long skinny black tail lashing out from behind him as he realized he was looking right at her. Though Blackthorn did not want to pick a fight, and preferred Lotuswhisker to realize who he was and leave him alone, the tom was willing to bring her heritage in to the conversation if it meant fending off her unwarranted want for "adventure".
You'll never know the ^psychopath sitting _next to you

You'll never _know the murderer sitting ^{next to} you

You'll think, "How'd I get here, sitting next to you?"

[Fawn]

Fortunately, Lotuswhisker got an answering mew from nearby. Unfortunately, it was the second-to-last cat in their little revolt that she would ever want to spend any time with. Lotuswhisker's sea-green eyes narrowed, and she resisted the urge to unsheathe her claws; don't react like his words actually matter, Lotuswhisker. You know better.
"Of course not, Blackthorn," she simpered, waving her tail at him sweetly. "I wouldn't dream of asking you to go anywhere." You piece of crowfood.

The temperatures were getting unbearable, but she could tolerate the heat better than she could tolerate the animosity from her own so-called 'Clanmates'. "If anyone else decides they want to do something productive today, I'll be out hunting." She let that announcement hang in the air, and gracefully made her exit, walking proudly past Blackthorn without so much as a backward glance.

She would just have to find goose feathers by herself, wouldn't she?

"I'll go with you Lotus!"

The pretty feline turned at the sight of a ginger-and-white tom bounding towards her, Goldkit followed by Berrykit and Frondkit. Her heart warmed, and she spoke through a soft purr. "Thank you sweet kits, but I'm afraid this is for warriors or apprentices only."

Goldkit's tail drooped. "Aww... But we're almost apprentices!"

Lotuswhisker leaned down and licked the top of his head, and then Berrykit's and Frondkit's. "Very soon, Goldkit. Very soon. Who knows~? Maybe one of you lucky ducklings will be my apprentice?" That sparked a conversation between the three kits, before they were herded back to their new reed beds by Tumblestep.

Feeling some of the emotional bruising starting to fade, Lotuswhisker returned to her self-given task, throwing one more wayward glance at the Purists before she continued on.

Perhaps someone would catch up, or she'd bump into some cat while she was out.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tags @sparrow Hellion
notes ((If no one else hops in, Heli, maybe Lotus can meet Gullswoop now~?))
words 305 Words

[Hellion]

And now my family is one again

Stapled together with the strangers and a friend

Gullswoop had recently decided to get out of camp and find something protuctive. The past moons has been spent working with Coldpaw or staying out the heat. The first was making the latter difficult. There wasn't much he could do as a mentor when the density of his pelt threatened to kill him. For a moment he thought about complaining to his father maybe Vultureback had some advise. Before he could even seek out his sire he changed his mind. The tom hadn't been an active part of his life since his mother's death.

In fact Gullswoop hadn't really see his father in the days after her death. If Gullswoop had been more aware as a young tom he would have noticed how harshly his father took Falconleap's death, but to him Vultureback wouldn't have done enough to honor his mother. Forcing the thoughts of his father out of his head, Gullswoop focused on his task at hand. Finding some water.

The moment he had left the shelter of the camp's reed his regretted it. His body felt like it had been put against the sun. Slowing his pace to avoid overheating, Gullswoop had quickly tasted the air. There weren't any prey around or even purist members which put him at ease.

Able to take his time and be a bit slower Gullswoop was able to find some water. It was near the start of the river, or what little was left. Compared to other times of year the water had shrunk but not enough that RiverClan would run out of water.

Glancing around one last time Gullswoop carefully moved himself down into the water and rejoiced in the cold chill of it. He had found a decent swimming hole where a few rocks blocked most of the current and even allowed him to relax without worrying about the current trying to sweep him away.

words: 334 • tagged: @spottedfawnr •

♥

[Fawn]

Lotuswhisker

30 Moons, She-Cat, RainClan Warrior

------

The closer Lotuswhisker got to the river, the easier it was to forget Blackthorn's curmudgeonly way, and Leopardyowl's perpetual harsh judgment. She paused to admire the rippling waters, low as the river was it was still a pleasant thing to see; at least that's one thing that will never change. One part of their world that wouldn't change due to ranks or personal in-fighting.

Leisurely making her way to the river's mouth, she kept otter-brown ears primed for birdsong, hunting for the distinctive sound of geese or ducks, hoping to snatch up a few feathers for the kits' nest. It would've been easier with a partner (one to distract and another to scavenge), but Lotuswhisker made do. She was capable in her own right; delicate operations were a specialty.

A faint hiss, almost feline caught the she-cat's attention like a claw in the mouth of a fish, her sea-green gaze narrowing into searching slivers of color as she scouted out the source. Lotuswhisker raised her white chin to the sky, jaws parted; the scent of the river, the reeds, the freshly turned earth of someone burying their prey to be retrieved later... And... a swan?

Lotuswhisker veered towards the sound, answering it with a cold, loud hiss of her own. Swan feathers were the loveliest, in her opinion; she could remember when Sagefrost would line the nest with feather-down, and Eaglechaser would bring her a new feather each moon. It was... a fond memory of hers. Before things they could not control unjustly pulled her family apart. I'll save you one, Willowbreeze. Perhaps her sister would appreciate the gesture.

Unknown to Lotuswhisker, however, was that swans were much larger than their feathers implied.

The regal white guardian of the river reared up, protecting a clutch of two eggs as large as a kit's head, and Lotuswhisker jumped back in surprise as a serrated beak snapped inches from her nose. Great StarClan! Lotuswhisker hesitated, her memory banks failing her as she tried to recall any battling moves that would help her combat a very large, very angry swan.

It did not give her much time for deliberation, the white wings spreading as it charged her, catching her haunch in a large nip that would leave a bruise. Lotuswhisker squealed, hopping over the reeds in the hopes of losing the aggressive bird's attention. Is it still behind me? The pretty she-cat threw a startled glance over her dark tawny shoulder, feeling a thrill of alarm as the bird's long neck snaked straight through the reeds; she hissed and crouched down, paw raised uncertainly to swat at its beak after each attempted bite.

Word Count: 440 Words  Tags: Hellion  Notes:

[Hellion]

And now my family is one again

Stapled together with the strangers and a friend

He looked like an awkwardly melting cat in the water. His lengthy for spread out all around him, but it didn't bother him. Instead Gullswoop focused on submerging himself for a bit, taking large gulps of air before diving below.

All fish activity was null and void, which only made Gullswoop more excited to swim. If there had been any fish he would have felt guilty for scaring them off. He was glad to be be free of worries. Bobbing and down to fully wet his pelt. Once he was completly wet he decided to exit the river.

Gullswoop slowly drug his now heavier body out of the water and stood on the bank. Now again under the sun's assault, Gullswoop felt proud that his damp pelt would keep him comfortable.

That comfort didn't last long. Over the soft hum of the water came a loud hissing sound and not one he recognize right away. He reacted by going into defensive mode, looking around for the source only to find a brown she-cat come hurling out of the reeds.

The reeds themselves started to fluttered as a swan's head jabbed outward only for the she-cat to swipe at it. Confused on what was going on, Gullswoop didn't hesitate long before stepping forward to stand beside the she-cat.

The swan again dove through the reed for her but this time it was met with Gullswoop's larger paw and it was quickly swatted away. The creature let out another hiss in a poor attempt to charge them, but Gullswoop was bigger. Or at least he felt bigger in the moment. Swans and cats of Gullswoop's stature were similar, but the creature had a longer neck and fierce attitude.

Not that swayed Gullswoop much. The cat who crashed through the reeds smelled faintly of RainClan and clearly needed help, even if he didn't know her he would stil help.

Matching hiss for hiss, Gullswoop didn't back down from the swan, swatting at it every time it tried to dive for him. After what felt like minutes, but really only seconds, the creature gave up. Snapping it's beak a few times before retreating back.

Relaxing with a loud exhale, Gullswoop turned to look back to see the she-cat.

"Are you alright?" He asked, glancing her over. He realized in that moment she was Lotuswhisker, a she-cat loyal to Swanfeather's cause. The irony of her being cased by a swan wasn't lost on him and he held back the urge to laugh or make a joke. Instead he stood across from her, his fur still damp and waited for her to reply.

words: 455 • tagged: Fawn •

♥

[Fawn]

Lotuswhisker

30 Moons, She-Cat, RainClan Warrior

------

Oh StarClan must've been having a good chuckle from on high right now; Lotuswhisker's slap-dash run from the reeds and Gullswoop's timely arrival were the special kind of humor that happened completely by accident. She'd have quite a story to tell the kits when she got back to the Wooded Cove! A bird with a snake's neck attacked her, only a cat seemingly made up entirely of water, with silvery striped fur, crawled out of the river and fought off the swan.

Her own pelt still raised, tail appearing twice its usual size as the alarm slowly worked its way out of her system, Lotuswhisker breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, and yes I'm alright now." That swan had nipped her, hard, but as Lotuswhisker twisted to see the damage, it seemed nothing but her dignity had been marred in that encounter.

Straightening, she got a proper look at the warrior who had come to her rescue. He smelled of RainClan, which normally would ahve been enough to assuage her worries that she was in the right company, but after looking up at the enormous warrior, it occurred to her that... she might be in the wrong company after all.

Gullswoop, the son of Vultureback and Falconleap. The cat who had saved her had been half-Clan. Lotuswhisker suppressed a noise of surprise; Shadefrost had not taught her to be rude, especially in circumstances like this.

Using courtesy as a defense, Lotuswhisker showed him her prettiest smile, dipping her chin to the enormous warrior. "I was lucky you were there. I think that swan would have chased me all the way back to the wooded cove." Wooded Cove...

Lotuswhisker's sea-green eyes tore away from Gullswoop to eagerly scan the reeds, the brown she-cat obviously searching for something, her whiskers rustling the dry stalks. Ah-ha! Tail raising in triumph, Lotuswhisker stepped back out with three swan feathers. It wasn't very much (not as much as she'd wanted), but there would be one for each kitten waiting for her in the cove.

Word Count: 340 WordsTags: Hellion Notes:

[Hellion]

And now my family is one again

Stapled together with the strangers and a friend

The act of saving Lotuswhisker had sparked a bit of confusion within Gullswoop. The line between loyal and rebel was thin. Technically they were both RainClan warriors, but she was loyal to the wrong leader. But then again if the roles were switched would he still consider her loyal to the wrong cat?

The confusion that hung around the entire conflict was confusing. To keep his own head clear he decided to treat Lotuswhisker as a Clanmate, period.

Hearing that she was indeed okay relaxed the silver-tabby warrior. He wouldn't have been much help and if she was injured he again was faced with the problem of which camp to take her to. One she would be traitor, the other he would be the target.

Attempting to shake away some droplets from her fur. Gullswoop felt his fur puff up for a moment, not that he minded. His attention drifted down his chest to smooth down the fur there, but caught sight of a smile from Lotuswhisker. Her words reminded him once again that they were in fact supposed to be enemies. But Gullswoop wouldn't be cruel or disrespectful, instead he nodded in agreement.

"I'm glad you are-" His words were cut short as she darted past him and pulled out of the reeds some feathers.

"So there are kits at the wooded cove," He guessed. Rumors spread quickly and if the loyal RainClan cats knew there were kits in the wooded cover perhaps they would be gentle in the reunification process.

"Not that it really matters but I think there is an old abandoned nest further down stream. Not sure what kind of bird but I remember some warriors telling the queens so they could line their nests," He shared the information to her easily. It had a soft spot for kits and even if they were caught between a dispute didn't mean they shouldn't have the softest beds in the territory.

"I can help you find it," He offered, unsure if by that suggestion alone if that would be considered treason.

words: 303 • tagged: Fawn •

♥

[Fawn]

Lotuswhisker

30 Moons, She-Cat, RainClan Warrior

------

Blackthorn, despite being on the same side as she was, could somehow manage to rain on her fur with one rude comment. Yet Gullswoop, a cat who should've been her enemy was offering to help out of no other motive than kindness (from what she can tell so far). The irony was not lost on her. Perhaps that was the point of Timberstar's loyalists; they were open-minded. The cat in front of her would not care that she was a quarter NightClan.

I care. It might've been easy for them to accept blood impurity, but Lotuswhisker to this day still had trouble coming to grips with the truth of her own lineage.

Her smile slipped just a little. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Gullswoop. If a patrol finds you, they'll rip you to shreds." It wasn't necessary to specify which patrol. "If you can show me where it is instead, that would be very helpful." And then go very quickly in the opposite direction.

Lotuswhisker did not wish to come off as rude, especially not to the tom who had chased off the swan for her—but there was no denying that she could help him by pushing him away. If Leopardyowl found him... Or Mothfoot... or even Petalfall... There were some cats in Swanfeather's crowd that would not hesitate to unsheathe their claws on Gullswoop.

I bet he's so friendly because he's half StoneClan. Ahhh. Now it all made sense; StoneClan had the least pure blood of any Clan after TreeClan. She'd heard the stories about TreeClan—then ThunderClan—once having a 'kittypet' for a leader. And then the way StoneClan used to be...

Of course he didn't side with Swanfeather. He'd be one heck of a hypocrite if he did; Lotuswhisker was a little less fond of him, in that moment. Her mother's constant imprinting that Half-Clan cats were unworthy of RainClan left her feeling uncomfortable now in Gullswoop's presence, once she'd recognized who his parents were. Falconleap may be dead but... the mistakes of one's mother doesn't disappear when they die, do they?

He'll be half-StoneClan forever. And I'll be part NightClan for as long as I live. That was the way life played out sometimes. Yet at least she was making an effort to prove that three-fourths RainClan was enough. That she was no less loyal in spite of her small amount of NightClan ancestry.

It was a shame he wasn't trying to do the same. He seemed like a nice tom.

Word Count: 415 WordsTags: Hellion Notes: xD Sorry she's gonna be kind of bigoted and stuck up until her opinion of him starts changing!

[Hellion]

And now my family is one again

Stapled together with the strangers and a friend

His whiskers twitched as she declined his help She had good reasonings. At first Gullswoop didn't want to believer her, but he knew she was right. He didn't need to be told which patrol to fear. Swanfeather's cats were more likely to rip apart a cat then ask questions. For a tall cat like Gullswoop he stood a chance to hold his own. But with a cat fighitng beside him the outcome would be better. However, Gullswoop doubted he had an ally in Lotuswhisker. Even if he saved her earlier.

"I appreciate you looking out for me, but it takes a lot more then Leopardyowl's taunts to scare me," He told her, a subtle hint that he too was ridiculed by the warrior. But Leopardyowl had more ground and more open wounds to dig his claws into. Falconleap's death left Gullswoop with a target on his back. Not that Lotuswhisker would know or even remember.

"Despite what is going on kits deserve to have some fun and feathers to play with. I will walk with you to the nest and help you find it then I'll be out of out fur," He told her, stepping past her taking a slight lead toward down-stream.

Even if they were different side of a pointless fued, Gullswoop wouldn't let the innocent lives of kits pay the price. Granted feathers weren't a big issue, he still knew how fun they were. Memories of his short-lived happy kithood flashed before his eyes. Falconleap often left them to find the softest or biggest feathers for him and his sister to play with. Perhaps that was when she got sick.

Forcing himself not to travel down that well worn path of depression, Gullswoop looked toward Lotuswhisker again.

"You coming?" He asked, waiting for her.

words: 316 • tagged: Fawn •

♥

[Fawn]

Lotuswhisker

30 Moons, She-Cat, RainClan Warrior

------

Lotuswhisker's ears pricked with something close to amazement. He's brave for a Half-Clan cat, I don't think anyone can contest that. Gullswoop's blatant reference to Leopardyowl brought a tenseness to her thoughts that she had worked hard to get rid of. Leopardyowl did not torment her any more; he was a warrior, but so was she. His sneering in the dark, his leering, hate-twisted glances in their makeshift warriors' den would no longer chill her blood like it used to.

She wouldn't let it.

"Alright," Lotuswhisker conceded, walking forward. "But if you get caught, its your tail in the badger set." If the swan attack and his bold declaration had made anything clear, it was that Gullswoop did not need looking after. Truthfully, Lotuswhisker wondered if being caught with Gullswoop would somehow make her more suspicious in the eyes of Swanfeather's supporters.

Of course it will. Lotuswhisker almost rolled her eyes. Sometimes her Clanmates could be ridiculous; she was as pure RainClan as she could be, as she had tried to be. How much longer would she have to prove otherwise? Had she not sided with Swanfeather? Was her heart not in the right place?

At least the kits will be happy with the feathers you bring back. That would make this worth it; all the hissing and the nasty glances in the valley wouldn't make her regret taking care of Tumblestep's three kittens. They were precious to her, and anything she did to make their lives easier was a day well spent.

Gathering the swanfeathers carefully between her teeth, Lotuswhisker quickened her pace to step alongside Gullswoop. She kept a respectful distance (though it was more reproachful than respectful; it was foolish, but she half-expected his scent to change now that she realized he was part StoneClan), but noticed with a humorous glint in her eyes that the tabby warrior was still dripping a little.

A few moons ago, this would not have seemed strange at all. Would she have still held him at arm's length? Probably. But this cloud of 'can I trust you?' would not be hanging between them like it was now. His help was appreciated nonetheless, however, and Lotuswhisker privately wished that the two camps could resolve their differences—if only for the kits' sake.

Perhaps Timberwing could agree to step down? Swanfeather would tell them if Bluewave was the right choice for deputy or not. StarClan must send a message. Then the camps could merge... and Tumblestep's kits could grow up in their proper home. They were in the right territory, but... Lotuswhisker missed the soft gurgle of the camp stream whispering in her ears when she snuggled into her reed bed at night.

Word Count: 449 WordsTags: Hellion Notes: We can keep this thread short, it's a good starting place!