[Taxx]

CINDERPAW

NIGHTCLAN

rather be the hunter than the prey

Side by side with his brother and sister, Cinderpaw never faltered as he followed the warriors into the Gathering. He might have been a tiny bit in awe at the sight of the cats from other Clans, cats of all shapes, sizes and pelt colors, but he showed none of it, padding confidently behind Starlingcry before spotting a small group of apprentices and then halting.

It wasn't in his nature to charge right in; Gracklepaw might, but Cinderpaw held back. Not out of fear or apprehension, but because he wanted to get a good read on them. On how they acted, and interacted, with others of their Clan and with cats from other Clans. He spotted a white she-cat huddled at the side of a larger tom, avoiding the crowd of similarly-aged cats... were her eyes closed? A ripple of distaste for the obvious fear on her face crossed his own before he ignored her, turning back to his study before finally rising.

Padding right up to the apprentices, tail up and oozing confidence, Cinderpaw dipped his head to the lot. "Good evening. My name's Cinderpaw."

Hellion @zen williams Fawn || Notes

[Deleted]

Sitting with her brother and sister, Ivypaw's sharp amber gaze swept over each Clan as they arrived. This would be her first real interaction with the other Clans, outside of passing patrols occasionally at the border. She didn't care to interact with the other Clans other than to try to get a measure on her possible future enemies, however. She was absolutely not here to make friends.

“RainClan reeks,” she complained to Brackenpaw as the the water dwelling Clan arrived, “I didn't know a cat could smell that bad. Don't they ever groom?” Her nose wrinkled in distaste and she sincerely hoped none of those fishbreaths got anywhere near her. Neither LightningClan or NightClan smelled half as bad. StoneClan arrived next and her gaze narrowed with a flash of disdain. She snorted derisively, recalling stories from the elders, muttering under her breath, “What sort of Clan gets chased out of their own territory?”

She was distracted from NightClan's arrival as a black and white she-cat all but hopped over to them, looking very much like she was having a hard time keeping her pace slow for... her companion. Ivypaw's gaze fell to the tom's missing paw, his awkward gait making it obvious.

Cicadapaw flicked her brother's shoulder with her fluffy tail as she spotted a few younger looking cats sitting together, “Come on, let's make friends!” And she led the way over to Ivypaw and Brackenpaw, her pale green gaze bright and friendly, “Hiya! I'm Cicadapaw, and this is my brother Beetlepaw. We're from StoneClan! Is this your first gathering too? What Clan are you from?”

“Beetlepaw? What are they gonna call you when you're a warrior, Beetlehop?” she snorted, amused, still staring footless tom. How did a cat even go about losing an entire foot to begin with?

“Hey!” Cicadapaw fluffed up indignantly, half stepping in front of her brother as if to shield him from Ivypaw's judgment.

“Sorry, I guess a three-legged warrior is a bit of a stretch, isn't it?” she sneered.

“Stop it!” Cicadapaw glanced quickly back at her brother and then to Ivypaw again, ears flat against her head, “Leave him alone!” She pressed back lightly against Beetlepaw, prepared to find a friendlier cat to chat with when another apprentice showed up, introducing himself, and drew both she-cats' attentions.

Ivypaw blinked at the younger tom, sizing him up. He couldn't be much more than a new apprentice. Decidedly not a threat. He didn't have to say which Clan he was from. She'd know NightClan scent anywhere. “I'm Ivypaw. TreeClan.” She shot a glance at Cicadapaw, recalling that the other she-cat had asked which Clan she was from.

Still wary of Ivypaw, Cicadapaw focused on the newcomer instead, “Hi! I'm Cicadapaw. Nice to meet you!” She tossed a dark look at Ivypaw, for she couldn't say the same for her.

Fawn Taxx Hellion williams

[williams]

Privetpaw had no idea what he was supposed to expect at the gathering. His mentor had been less than helpful, and the new warriors had been too excited by their new duties to stop and wait for him to finish a sentence. Even Nightclan's leadership seemed distracted tonight. After the first few rebuffs, the young tom stepped back and just watched. He saw tension build from the cats left behind, could almost see it fill the air like the morning fog would. He risked a glance back into camp as the gathering group headed off to their destination. Stony eyes watched the group leave and Privetpaw had shuddered in concern. 

He kept in pace with his siblings, drawing from their strength as they had moved through the forest down into the clearing. It was bigger than Privetpaw had even imagined. His eyes were wide, taking in everything he could. Scents filled his nose, cataloged to be questioned about later. No one here needed to hear him. They would only view him as weak, which he could not be for his sibling's sake.
Maybe that's a good thing, let them underestimate you. A thought whispered, slipping away like a snake.

Their path continued behind Starlingcry, till Cinderpaw stopped. The smallest Sootfeather kit watched the interaction with confusion, keeping quiet to take it all in. On the outside, it looked like he was just overwhelmed by the noise, but internally, he questioned Ivypaw's responses. She had many feelings apparently at what a true warrior should be. They shouldn't be missing a part of their limbs, would a tail be considered a part of her criteria? Or an ear? How badly could one be scarred before they became useless in her eyes? Privetpaw scoffed without the noise escaping his lips. It didn't matter. Stoneclan was not Ivypaw's clan, and neither was it his. Beetlepaw had made it to the gathering just fine, and presumably would continue his warrior training with minimal trouble. His family cared about him, enough that Cicadapaw had matched her pace to his. She would help him with anything, as family should, so Bettlepaw would be fine. 

Conclusion reached, Privetpaw flicked his tail on Cinderpaw's shoulder, nodding his head towards the gathered cats. His eyes said, "Introduce me, please." A quiet question born from an insecurity he didn't want to share in front of... Treeclan. She could mock him for being silent all she liked, but he didn't need his mentor and enemy cats making fun of him.

--
Hellion Fawn Taxx @zen || mentions Bonetail, Brindlejay, Briarthroat and Foxstar as those Privetpaw tried to ask help from

[Fawn]

BeetlepaW

Will you be my breath through the deep, deep water

He knew this Gathering was a bad idea. Even without the threat of foxes looming over his head like a recurring nightmare, Beetlepaw had balked the instant Hawkstar had called his name. Gee, thanks a lot. Now I get to walk into a clearing full of cats and get stared at. Did I say walk? I meant limp. His only solace was the presence of his father, Valiantstride, and his ever-supportive sister, Cicadapaw.

She seemed excited, and he regretted coming along even more. Would she stay glued to his side the whole time? He didn't want to stop her from making friends, but at the same time, he desperately wanted Cicadapaw close. Beetlepaw swallowed shameful thoughts of simply hiding behind Valiantstride the whole time - or faking a stomachache so he wouldn't have to go at all.

The trek was hard for a tom not used to going so far. Beetlepaw's leg muscle began to ache; he'd been holding the rest of it tight to his body so the stump wouldn't scrape against the rocks and the new terrain they crossed to reach StarClan's Claws. He was breathless, irritable and sick to his stomach with nerves when he finally arrived.

Cicadapaw chirped something about friends. Beetlepaw's ears flattened. "I think I'd rather eat bird-dung," he muttered under his breath, exhaling hard and limping after his sister in his usual hitched gait. He didn't recognize the scent of the other apprentices. TreeClan? NightClan? He'd been told NightClan smelled damp, but not as bad as RainClan. RainClan was a scent anyone in the valley could recognize. Fish stank. How an entire Clan of cats could stand to eat them, Beetlepaw didn't know.

Cicadapaw greeted them warmly, and he felt a stab of envy at her enthusiasm and hope that maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be as bad as he thought...

“Beetlepaw? What are they gonna call you when you're a warrior, Beetlehop?”

The charcoal tom spat at the ground in front of the TreeClan apprentices, yellow eyes ablaze with humiliation and hatred. No, of course it wasn't as bad as he'd thought. It was worse. "Mind your own business, dungface!" He wasn't going to just stand here and be mocked. Every instinct told him not to turn his back on these barkbrains, but he couldn't just stand here and take it. He also couldn't attack them.

Not just because it was a night of peace, either. What good was a three-legged apprentice against four-legged, fully-healthy TreeClan apprentices? The tom and she-cat staring at him with their gloating, mocking eyes had that kind of relaxed confidence he despised. Even with Cicadapaw backing him up... He'd just make a bigger fool of himself.

Give them more fodder to harass him over. Beetlepaw's throat tightened, and he growled as he hobbled past Cicadapaw. "I'm out of here." Instead of making a beeline for his father, Beetlepaw turned stinging eyes onto the diluted calico pelt of Smokestorm. Sitting next to her wouldn't make him feel so pathetic.

Can't stay in the shallows, please tell me I won't wash away

Tags || 12 Moons || StoneClan || 500 Words

Brackenpaw

TreeClan || 12 Moons || Tom

"Great StarClan, I've seen turtles move faster than him."
Brackenpaw threw his head back and laughed, watching the StoneClan tom hobble off like a crochety old elder. He almost felt sorry for him; that tom was never going to be a warrior. Or, if he was, it was going to be out of pity. He'd heard that Hawkstar was something of a softheart. The three-footed apprentice was a brief distraction from what really held Brackenpaw's interest. The NightClan apprentice that had swaggered over like he wasn't still wet behind the ears.

"Brackenpaw," he introduced himself next, regarding Cicadapaw and Cinderpaw with a proud gleam inside of golden eyes. There was the easy twitch of his tail, his posture relaxed despite this little apprentice gathering getting off to a 'rocky' start. He flicked his tail at his sister. "Dungface over here is my sister."

Brackenpaw locked eyes with Cinderpaw, and cocked his head. "NightClan. I recognize that old scent from the branch trail. Great place to hunt, by the way. Not as stinky as the rest of your territory." What was the point of a Gathering if not to lord his Clan's accomplishments over the others? It was supposed to be peaceful - and he was. He was keeping his claws to himself, despite having seen more than a few young warriors he'd like to challenge to a real fight.

These apprentices were small fry.

Some even smaller than the others. The diminutive stature of the little NightClan tom behind Cinderpaw was impossible to miss. Brackenpaw suppressed a mrrow. What a runt! "Don't look now, but a kit followed you to the gathering." Bracken snorted. "You look a little lost, Tiny. Where's your deputy? Maybe they can help you find your mommy." He didn't bother getting up, though no small part of him was wondering how high he could make the little pipsqueak jump if he just spooked him a little.

Just a little.

Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
✣

Tags || 327 Words || Notes

Taxx @zen williams

[Hellion]

{

}

I won't suffer, be broken, get tired, or wasted
Surrender to nothing
~

Confident in her gait, Gracklepaw's felt the buzz grow from within her. Her first gathering and her brothers had been chosen to join her! Nothing could take away the pride she had for being able to represent NightClan. Trying to peer over her grandmother's shoulder to get a better look at the gathered cats ahead of them, she failed to realize Starlingcry had stopped moving. Narrowly avoiding walking right into her, Gracklepaw gave a growl before sidestepping.

Her brothers wandered away from her and before she could follow, Starlingcry stopped her. "Keep your temper under control. I will forbid you from attending any gatherings if you embarrass me or NightClan," Starlingcry's word came out harsh, forcing Gracklepaw's ears to flatten. The black tabby she-cat felt obligated to agree with her grandmother. Anger always boiled just below her skin, quick to rise up and quicker to lash out.

Registering the very real threat that was her grandmother's words, Gracklepaw nodded in pained agreement. "Yes Starlingcry," She answered. Her blue-eyed grandmother smiled, pressing her nose to Gracklepaw's forehead. The apprentice shifted away but Starlingcry gave a chirp of annoyance. Prompting Gracklepaw to accept the gesture on Starlingcry's second attempt.

Her green eyes shifted to look toward Cinderpaw and watched as Privetpaw joined him. "Can I go now?" Her meow was detached, careful not to let her annoyance show and risk Starlingcry keeping her at tail's length. "Behave," Starlingcry warned and watched as Gracklepaw skirted away.

Arriving at Privetpaw's side she caught the tail end of whatever dung was slipping out of the TreeClan apprentice's mouth. Eyes narrowing she couldn't hold back the growl that eased out of her. Starlingcry's warning echoed in her head but she couldn't bother to care.

"Leave him alone," She warned, tail lashing.

~
GRACKLEPAW

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
Lyrics: Attack - 30 Seconds to Mars
Tag:Taxx williams Fawn @zen

if we are gonna have a fight, feel free to control grackle to make the first swing. just DM me via discord

[Taxx]

CINDERPAW

NIGHTCLAN

rather be the hunter than the prey

The reception left a bit to be desired; the StoneClan apprentice was welcoming enough, chirping a greeting that Cinderpaw replied to with a nod, but the two TreeClan apprentices were, from the start, enough to ruffle his fur. Their insults toward the tom with the missing foot- Beetlepaw, the she-cat had named him- were enough to drive both StoneClan cats away quickly, the she-cat flashing a last cool glance at the TreeClan littermates.

And then the five were alone, Gracklepaw joining them shortly after the StoneClan pair had left. More than enough time for the TreeClan apprentices to turn their comments on Privetpaw, who stood beside Cinderpaw. The jab about their territory was one a more easily riled cat might take offense to, and Cinderpaw flashed a brief glance at his sister but she held her ground, though she was glaring at Brackenpaw and Ivypaw with fire in her eyes.

"This is our brother, Privetpaw," Cinderpaw introduced, forcing his tail not to lash again at the mention of their mother. The TreeClan cats wouldn't know. They might even assume Starlingcry was their mother, with the way the older she-cat had stopped Gracklepaw. "He's an apprentice, and he's here just as all of us are, to get to know the other Clans. How far are you in your training?" he asked, attempting light conversation in hopes of soothing the prickle of tension in the air. It wouldn't take much for Gracklepaw to snap, and he was trying to prevent that; he didn't need his sister starting fights in the middle of a Gathering. He just hoped the TreeClan pair would take a hint.

Hellion @zen williams Fawn || Notes: he's trying