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Post by Sigh on Aug 16, 2022 23:55:56 GMT
violet Life as part of RiverClan wasn't quite what Violet had expected. Sure, she had never completely bought into her son's grand Clan histories to the same extent as Flare himself, but when it came down to it, she saw the appeal. The safety in numbers, the richness of a larger community, the carrying-on of noble traditions—these were all good things! She'd just expected...well. Mostly, she had expected that she and Shellspots would have more in common. Surely their differences were not insurmountable, though, and it was with this thought in mind that Violet had resolved to make some inroads in their as-of-yet negligible relationship. They were both mothers; surely some common ground could be found there, if anywhere. Surely. "Shellspots!" Violet called to the other she-cat in her friendliest voice. Though the two were generally busy attending to their respective duties—Shellspots's numbering far greater than her own, to Violet's chagrin—she had finally found a time in which they both seemed free. It was the perfect opportunity, she was confident. Not to mention with all the trouble with Miku's disappearance and what Heronpaw was going through, Shellspots could probably use a shoulder to lean on. "Do you mind if we talk? I feel as though we never spend any time together, even though we're meant to be clanmates." Violet was not entirely sure what kind of relationship 'clanmates' was supposed to encompass, but she figured that sort of opening statement would endear her to her silvery companion. She attempted to keep her movements loose and casual, pretending an ease she didn't feel. The casual camaraderie will come, she reassured herself, then offered another overture: "We can patrol while we do so if you like; I wouldn't force you to remain idle against your will!" A chuckle followed this statement, and Violet congratulated herself on how far from forced it sounded. This would work.
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Post by Kaeldra on Aug 22, 2022 1:53:38 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 42 moons Shellspots was tired.
Though the Clan had settled into a sort of rhythm in the last couple of moons, with no new cats joining and needing to be brought up to speed with Clan duties – Shellspots still couldn’t decide whether this was a good thing or a bad thing – and the rest of them falling into their routines, Shellspots was starting to feel worn out with the amount of work her Clan needed. She hoped that as the Clan grew, she could rely on her warriors more, but as it was there was still a strange distance between her and most of the other adults. She was hesitant to delegate too much to them, wanting to oversee every aspect of camp and make sure it was being done properly herself. She knew she had to trust them more, but those relationships just hadn’t been built yet.
Even things between her and Flare had been a bit strained lately. They’d had a few arguments on how best to handle the apprentices, among other things, and she found herself trusting his judgment less than usual. She had thought he was such a sensible young tom, but now she wondered if she had made a mistake in making him her second in command.
And then there was Heronpaw. Shellspots sighed. Her precious son seemed to be going through a rough patch in his adolescence, getting a knot in his fur over the smallest thing and lashing out at others – often Shellspots herself. She wasn’t quite sure how to handle it, especially with his lingering guilt over Miku’s disappearance. They hadn’t found her body anywhere but she knew he still blamed himself for it. She tried her best to treat him like any other apprentice, but so far there had been no change.
The silver tabby padded toward the fresh-kill pile, planning to grab a quick bite then head out to look for more cats in her unusual moment of downtime. Before she got there, a call of her name caught her attention and her head swivelled to see Violet. Holding back another sigh, Shellspots altered her course and walked over to meet the queen halfway.
“Violet, hello! What can I do for you?” She tried to keep her voice light and friendly, matching Violet’s tone. She hoped nothing too serious needed her attention. The tabby didn’t know if she could handle a crisis right now. When the other queen instead invited her for a chat, Shellspots perked up with genuine interest.
“That sounds lovely!” She agreed easily. Violet was right; they were Clanmates. Shellspots was simultaneously pleased that the other queen had the initiative to remedy the situation, and upset that she herself wasn't the one to do so. No matter, she decided, brushing it off. This would be the perfect opportunity to build those relationships she had been worrying about.
“Why don’t we head over toward the horseplace? I was hoping to possibly find some more cats to ask to join us, and I don’t think any of us have been that way recently.”
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Post by Sigh on Aug 22, 2022 23:38:20 GMT
violet Up close, it was easier to see the tiredness etched into Shellspots's movements and manner. Maybe I should be taking on more responsibilities, Violet thought, But I wouldn't want to overstep and take on any leaderly duties. What a conundrum, oh dear. But in spite of the obvious strain, Shellspots, when she spoke, was as lively as ever; her bright tone was invigorating, and Violet felt her own confidence swell. So far, so good!Her optimism took a slight dip at the mention of the horseplace. Violet was not entirely a stranger to horses; many of the twolegs she'd lived among smelled like them from time to time, but Violet herself had never had any sort of personal encounter with the creatures. Still, she had resolved to build a good relationship with Shellspots, and if horses were involved, so be it. She bobbed her head in agreement with the suggestion. "Sure! I definitely haven't been that way in a while." Violet paused, considering. "I've never been too interested in the horses myself, but some of the other cats in the Twolegplace mentioned them on occasion. And they're probably more adventurous than I am!"Violet wasn't sure how much Shellspots knew of her history. She had never spelled out her past explicitly, but surely Flare or any one of his siblings had referenced it at one point or another. Regardless, Violet admired Shellspots's dedication to bringing cats together into a Clan. It was a little like building a family, after all, and both of them had some experience in that respect. She began to muse aloud. "Probably for the best to have cats of all stripes. It wouldn't be any fun if we were all the same, now would it?" She chuckled at the thought. "Even Gale, Spider—or rather, Galepaw, Spiderpaw, and Melodypaw have grown so much from being with others their own age. Minnowpaw and Heronpaw have been great companions to them."This last statement was a bit of an exaggeration; Violet was not sure how much her youngest litter had bonded with Shellspots's. All the youngsters seemed to get along fine, as far as she could tell, but it would be generous to describe them as friends. Violet was also unsure of how to broach the topic of Heronpaw's recent mood, or if she should even mention it. Well, she would see where the conversation went. Part of building relationships was learning how to talk about difficult topics and when to maintain distance. No need to rush into anything too heavy too soon.
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Post by Kaeldra on Aug 26, 2022 1:40:36 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 42 moons At Violet’s mention of cats in the Twolegplace, Shellspots was reminded that, unlike her mate and kits, the queen walking beside her now had once been a kittypet. Oh, no one had outright said it, but Shellspots had put it together easily enough with a few comments from her family. Violet seemed comfortable in her current life, though, and as far as Shellspots knew had no desire to return to living with twolegs or depending on them for food and shelter. Shellspots could respect that, she thought. Every cat made mistakes.
“Yes, a Clan relies on all sorts of cats to run effectively! If we all tried to fill the same role nothing would get done,” she agreed. She was glad each cat had fallen into their own niche, some overseeing training while others focused on improving the camp and restocking the fresh-kill pile. Her heart swelled at the news that her own kits were being so welcoming to the other apprentices; it would make the Clan so much stronger if they were close. She had worried that there was still some distance between the individual families, much like there was between herself and the other adults, but perhaps it was unfounded. Young cats were more adaptable, after all.
“Likewise, I’m so glad that Minnowpaw and Heronpaw have the others to train with. I had them on their own for so long, I worried they might not know how to interact with others once I finally did find some company. I’m glad to know that’s not the case!” She laughed lightly. It hadn’t been her plan to raise her kits in isolation for their first few moons, so she was happy to finally have the Clan environment she had always envisioned for them. Even if it was still a bit small.
As the two padded out of camp and into the trees, Shellspots wondered if perhaps she should take this opportunity to see if there was anything weighing on Violet’s mind. The two of them spent time alone together so rarely she might not get another chance for a good while. Even if she couldn’t fix her own worries, maybe she could help a Clanmate with theirs.
“And how are you finding Clan life so far? I hope I haven't been putting too much on all of you, training the apprentices and everything. I’d love to know if there’s anything you think we could be doing better.”
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Post by Sigh on Aug 31, 2022 0:55:14 GMT
violet Her son's stories and Shellspots' burgeoning RiverClan were all that Violet had to base her understanding of a Clan on, so she dipped her head in agreement with Shellspots' statement on the efficacy of variety. The logistics hadn't weighed as heavily on Violet's mind, but she supposed that was why Shellspots was the leader. Her own mind had drifted to her mate, a companion who she had noticed was missing from Shellspots' own life. Would it be rude to ask about it? she wondered. No, it is impossible to have a litter all by yourself; it's a perfectly natural question. And anyhow, it will be a good way to test the waters if I want to ask about Heronpaw eventually. With her resolve thus established, she attempted to ease into the query: "I think myself and Jay are a fine example of the 'all sorts of cats'. Opposites attract, if you will! Though with all the young ones, it does feel like nothing gets done sometimes." A soft chuckle. "I don't suppose it was the same for you and Minnowpaw and Heronpaw's other parent?"Ah, maybe that was a bit strong. She rushed to amend the question, "Pardon my curiosity; I don't mean to pry." Another laugh, this one a shade more self-deprecating. "Maybe I'm the one who doesn't know how to interact with others!"Regardless of the embarrassment Violet felt at her blatant curiosity, she was relieved to see Shellspots accept the idea of companionship between their litters. It was unfortunate that Shellspots herself was too busy to do more than periodically observe the apprentices, but it was a relief to be able to alleviate that concern, even if it was not through entirely truthful means. With that in mind, Violet was a bit surprised to hear Shellspots ask her about the weight of her responsibilities. How considerate! she thought, warmed by the question. "Oh, I can't complain! It's good to have something to do, especially when it's for the good of my family. Not to mention how excited Flare is; I swear he's been extolling the virtues of Clan life for as long as he's been making noise!" It had been a heartening progression to witness, the grand fantasies of a kit taking shape into the tangible dream of an adult—though Violet would always be a little reluctant to acknowledge him as such, much to his chagrin she was sure. The strange structures of the horseplace began to appear between the trees ahead of them, and Violet took in the air. As expected, she smelled nothing out of the ordinary; the wind was not in their favor. If anyone—or anything is out there, they'll know we're coming, she thought, uneasily. She tried to distract herself from the notion by thinking on Shellspots' question instead. What could we be doing better? It seems presumptuous to offer criticisms, and yet... "I think what we're doing now is good," Violet said slowly, as if sounding out the words as she let them out. "More cats will only help the Clan, I think. You've obviously had some success with recruitment thus far. Have there been others you haven't been able to convince to join?"
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Post by Kaeldra on Sept 6, 2022 1:41:04 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 42 moons Sighing quietly, Shellspots had to agree. Even though most of the apprentices were nearing the point where she might make them warriors (if StarClan would ever give her the sign she was to be leader), they were still young and could act a bit frog-brained sometimes. And she supposed Violet and Jay were rather opposite; she could hardly imagine the stony black tom seeking her out to patrol together whilst they chatted. She almost laughed at the thought.
Then the conversation turned to her own mate -- or rather, lack thereof -- and she blinked in surprise. When she didn’t immediately respond, Violet hurried to apologize for her nosiness, and this time Shellspots did laugh.
“Oh no, that’s quite alright,” she said, waving her tail dismissively. “I’m surprised it hasn’t come up sooner. I’m sure the others are quite curious what became of Heronpaw and Minnowpaw’s father.” It didn’t shock her that her kits hadn’t spoken of him; she had hardly told them about him herself. Just that she had loved him very much, but her duty to her Clan came first.
“Comet and I met while I was still grieving the loss of my own mother. He was everything I needed, and helped me get through a very dark time.” She wasn’t sure how much she should divulge to Violet. Perhaps it would be best if she didn’t reveal that her faith in the Clans -- and more importantly, herself -- had once been shaken. She had been much younger then, after all. “Once I realized I was carrying kits, however, I knew I had to continue on my journey to rebuild RiverClan. I asked him to come with me, but he couldn’t see a future for himself anywhere but where he already was. We agreed to part ways, and wished each other well. I still think of him often.”
She continued padding on in silence as they neared the horseplace, deep in thoughts of her old mate. Where was he now, she wondered? She knew she would likely never get an answer to that. Still, it would be nice if he had the chance to meet his kits someday, she thought. She hoped he would be proud of the cats they were becoming.
As if to lighten the mood, Violet answered her previous question with a cheery smile. It was clear to see how much she loved her kits, and was glad Flare had finally found a place to make his dream of the Clans come true. Shellspots offered a smile in return.
“I’m glad you’re both feeling comfortable. Flare has been such a great help to me, I don’t know what I would do without him. You’ve done an excellent job raising him,” she said. Whatever she thought of kittypets and Violet’s history, she could not deny she had raised a very fine cat, and it seemed like she was in the process of doing so with her other three as well. Perhaps she had to give the she-cat more credit.
The flame point queen seemed to take Shellspots’ request for advice seriously, something she appreciated. Some cats were quick to agree with her, to put themselves in her good graces, and while that was flattering in its own way she also wanted honest feedback. A queen was nothing without her subjects, after all.
“It’s been a long road, but it seems I’m finally getting somewhere,” she agreed. “For every cat I’ve been able to convince to join, it feels as if there are three who don’t. Whether they think I’m bizarre for even trying, or promise to give it some thought and then are nowhere to be found, the reactions are quite varied. In any case, I’ve learned patience is key with these things. RiverClan wasn’t built in a day, but neither will it be destroyed in one,” she quipped with a grin.
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Post by Sigh on Sept 10, 2022 1:15:15 GMT
violet Violet tried to contain her relief. Shellspots didn't seem put off by her questions! Maybe a bit surprised, but that was to be expected; they hadn't had much occasion to talk prior to this outing, so each twist and turn of the conversation was a new path for both of them. That was part of the joy of making new friends, Violet thought, although she was a bit out of practice, having been so focused on her family and, more recently, the Clan. "That is lovely! I'm glad you had someone for you then, even though your paths diverged." Violet had trouble imagining a life without her own mate, but she knew that the same was not the case for everyone. And Heronpaw and Minnowpaw seemed to have turned out just fine, even without Comet. "I know it's not the same, but I hope I can be a shoulder for you to lean on as well. Though, more than that, I hope the dark times are done and over with for now!" Is now a good time to mention Heronpaw? she wondered. Maybe not. I don't want to compare what I hope is adolescent angst to the grief of her mother's death. Bad move, Violet.The trees ahead of them quickly grew scarce, and Violet had a better view of the horseplace, though the scent of it still eluded her. Before she could make any other observations, Shellspots' praise for Flare distracted her; her pride swelled and she couldn't stop a smile from blooming across her face. "Thank you," she said, humbly. "It's all him, though. It's so fulfilling, as a mother, to see him realize his dream. And for you to have the same one! Really, I have no words."Violet was not one to be often lost for words, but it was true in this instance that she had a hard time expressing the wellspring of pride barely contained within her. It was almost energizing, just thinking of how the Clan life seemed to be the perfect culmination of Flare's deepest desires—in theory, at least. In reality, Clan life was...fine. It was better than the 'solitary' life they had led before then, and there were certainly benefits over her pampered Twoleg life as well. Still, it was far from perfect, and while some days Violet felt that everything was looking up, on others it seemed like their group was held together by a force as strong as cobwebs. Shellspots' words did little to encourage her, in spite of the determination behind them. RiverClan wasn’t built in a day, but neither will it be destroyed in one...She thought of her life before her first litter, a warm nest and constant source of food, Jay's companionship after a tumultuous period of getting to know each other, all torn away with the housefolks' discovery of her pregnancy. She thought of racing through the woods with Spiderpaw—then just Spider—fleeing a raccoon, keeping things light but knowing that one wrong move could have taken him from her. She thought of the rest of her kits, Flare, Galepaw, Melodypaw, at the mercy of some sharp-toothed beast or thundering monster. It is not so hard to lose it all in an instant, she thought. She couldn't voice these thoughts to Shellspots. Not only were they likely to undermine a great deal of the she-cat's confidence and to drop a sour note into their tender new friendship, but they weren't even necessarily true; Violet's own tragedies—real and imagined—were the exception, not the rule. She chose a different trajectory for her response. "Patience is an admirable goal. We certainly need it enough as mothers, let alone for building RiverClan!" A chuckle, before looking back out at the scenery stretching out before them. "So, see anything that catches your eye? If we can find four cats, we can take one of them back to camp with us!"
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Post by Kaeldra on Oct 5, 2022 18:00:45 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 42 moons Shellspots’ heart warmed at Violet’s show of support; she was glad to have another cat who understood what things were like from her own perspective, even if Violet had Jay to rely on when it came to her kits. There truly was nothing like being a mother.
“Thank you, I appreciate it,” she purred. “I do hope there are happier days ahead, but a cat can never be too sure. It will be good to have the Clan to rely on. And likewise, if anything is ever troubling you, please know I’ll always lend an ear or a paw.”
Then suddenly, the horseplace was upon them. Shellspots blinked. It wasn’t exceedingly far from the camp, but she was surprised at how short the journey had felt. She had gotten so lost in the thoughts of her Clan, of her kits, of her past, that she had hardly noticed the weariness of her paws as they walked.
“Indeed! We won’t take no for an answer then,” Shellspots laughed, playing along.
She glanced from one end of the horseplace to the other, leaping up on a fencepost to get a better view. She had spent a brief amount of time here when she was still pregnant with her kits, passing through and trying to find a good spot to raise them. While the strange, smelly creatures that were horses weren’t incredibly pleasant to be around, the silver tabby had learned that as long as one stayed away from their powerful hooves they were as dangerous as a hedgehog.
“Why don’t we try that side of the barn? There might be some cats living around there,” Shellspots suggested. It was far enough from the twoleg nest on the other side that she wasn’t inclined to think any cats living there would be pampered kittypets. “We’ll just have to steer clear of the horses; they can break a cat’s bones without even noticing. If we walk along the fence it will take longer, but at least we’ll be safe.”
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Post by Sigh on Oct 22, 2022 12:05:25 GMT
violet That's what I get for dancing around it, I suppose, thought Violet. For all their mutual extensions of support, neither of them had expressed any particular worries. Neither of us are prepared to voice any concerns...or maybe the concerns just aren't that great. The thought was not as reassuring as she would have liked it to be, but she let the subject rest as they came upon the horseplace. Violet followed Shellspots to the top of the fence to survey the scene. The open fields of the horseplace stretched out in front of them, the strange creatures Violet knew to be horses dotting the expanse. They all seemed docile and distant enough, but it would still be wise to be wary of such large beasts; Shellspots was right that their size alone was a threat, regardless of temperment. She nodded in agreement. "Better safe than sorry. Wouldn't want to find myself on the wrong end of one of those...feet? They look like rocks, almost." She tried to peer at the horses' distant hooves. How strange. I wonder how they get around on those things. She flexed her paws in sympathy. The barn, a ways away, was more familiar to her. In spite of how odd she found most twoleg structures, she had grown up around them, and they presented a sort of strangeness that she had grown used to. Her life in the forest diminished the effect somewhat, but not entirely; her past was not so easily erased. She started heading in the direction of the barn, paws balancing on the narrow ledge of the fence. They were lucky that the day was dry and relatively still—no rain to make the fence slick and no wind to buffet them off the edge. The doors on the side of the barn were closed, but a window was open nearby to where the fence met the wall. Violet gathered herself and leapt deftly to the window ledge. Although it had been apparent from the outside, closer to the interior it was almost stifling: the musty scent of hay and horses. Violet wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Might be difficult to sniff anyone out on this side," she called back to her companion. She wondered idly why Shellspots had chosen this side of the barn. Surely they would be more likely to find cats nearer to the nest? Maybe it just hadn't occurred to her; after all, from what Violet understood, Shellspots had little to no experience of twolegs and their nests. We're all frightened by the unknown. "But if there's no one here, we can always check the other side as well. We might have enough time for both, before we have to turn back." They had left reasonably early in the day, but the fence had taken some time, and it would do no good to return to camp late.
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Post by Kaeldra on Nov 9, 2022 4:16:20 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 42 moons Shellspots frowned as Violet voiced her doubts about the location she’d chosen to explore first. While it was true that the overpowering odour of the horses would make it tougher to track down any would-be Clanmates, the chance that any cats that they did find would be willing to leave it behind to join them was much higher.
“As long as we’re thorough, it should be fine. Any cat willing to brave this stench would make a fine warrior,” she quipped, in an attempt to keep the mood light. She wondered if Violet perhaps regretted offering to come so far. The fence had taken longer than Shellspots had expected, despite the lack of impediments.
She gathered her hind legs beneath her and followed Violet’s path through the window, expelling air forcefully from her nose. What a stench, indeed. But it had been her idea, so she couldn’t show hesitation. After a quick glance about the space, she indicated the loft above with a sweep of her tail.
“That’s probably our best bet, wouldn’t you say? I can’t imagine a cat wanting to sleep in any of this mess,” she frowned in distaste down at the muck left in the stalls.
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Post by Sigh on Nov 11, 2022 1:16:57 GMT
violet Was it something I said? Violet wondered, noticing Shellspots' frown. She had only mentioned the stench though, which hardly seemed like it could be an inciting incident. Still, Shellspots did seem insistent that the smell could be an important factor. Or was she joking? She was probably joking. Violet was still unsure of her misstep, but decided to reply in turn. "Oh, definitely. Although I hope that doesn't reflect your plans for keeping the camp clean." She knew that the apprentices worked as a group to keep the dens in working order, and hoped her joke matched the tone. I don't remember making friends being this stressful, but I suppose it has been awhile since I've met anyone new, she thought. As Shellspots followed her into the barn, Violet had to admire her constitution; maybe forest-born cats really were more adept at overcoming the more unpleasant scents of their territory. Her eyes followed the movements of Shellspots tail. Now that her vision had adjusted more to the barn's dark interior, the loft did seem like the obvious place to look. She nodded. "That's certainly where I would choose to settle." With reluctance, she dropped down from the windowsill, wondering how much of the brown staining her paws was horse droppings and how much was mud. A light shudder passed through her, but she strengthened her resolve to make her way over to the steps leading up to the loft. They seemed sturdy—solid, wooden, and seemingly unsoiled. A quick climb brought her to the top, where almost immediately she caught sight of a small, scuttling figure. "Well, there's no doubt plenty of food up here."
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Post by Kaeldra on Nov 14, 2022 0:13:06 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 42 moons For a single heartbeat, Shellspots was offended. Does she really think I’d try to emulate this unsightly mess in camp? She bit back any potential retort, though, intent on keeping things civil until they’d returned to camp. And here she had thought they were getting on so well.
As she watched Violet make her way through the dimness of the barn, unbothered by the muck under her paws, she suddenly realized it was a joke. Oh, she thought, an exhale rushing out. Of course. Shellspots herself had just made a joke of her own, and Violet was responding in kind. How embarrassing. Shellspots shook her head as if to clear it, padding after her companion.
“No, we’ll certainly have to stress the importance of cleanliness to any cats we do find,” she agreed, trying to carry on the same energy.
The two of them climbed quickly up a set of convenient wooden steps to the loft in silence. It was a relief to see the clean piles of dry hay, the sweet scent masking that of the horses just a bit. A mouse skittered from one pile to the next. Indeed, it seemed like a perfect spot for a cat looking for a meal.
The silver tabby’s claws itched to catch it, but she refrained. If there were other cats making their home here -- and she hoped there were -- she didn’t want to offend them on the first meeting by taking their prey.
“Now, to see if there’s anyone taking advantage of that food.” Shellspots lifted her nose, scenting the air as she squinted through the shadows. It was even dimmer up here than down below, with no windows, and her eyes had yet to adjust. Thankfully, the scent of cat was fairly strong, confirming her suspicions. She padded over to a pile of hay with a dark shape draped across it.
As she got closer, she could make out the features of a cat. They seemed to be asleep, and looked fairly young. Shellspots looked to Violet, unsure of how to proceed. She didn’t want to wake the poor thing and scare them out of their fur, but turning back when they had found someone seemed silly.
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Post by Sigh on Nov 20, 2022 13:55:28 GMT
violet Somehow, it seemed that each joke they volleyed increased the tension rather than dissipating it. It left Violet feeling wrong-footed; how was that even possible? Still, she resolved herself to not be too discouraged. She had more tools in her arsenal—and since when had she started comparing making friends to waging war?—than humor. She and Shellspots had common goals in making RiverClan the best it could be for their families, and that issue had always been promising for strengthening their bond. Better to stick with what I know works, Violet decided, focusing her attention back on the task before them. Following Shellspots' lead, Violet inhaled. She was grateful to have put some distance between themselves and the muck of the lower barn; the scent up here was cleaner, primarily of hay and something else that, after a moment, Violet realized was the scent of another cat. Aha! Exactly what we came for! Now that they had found their quarry, Violet wondered what the next steps where. She had never seen Shellspots' recruitment techniques in action, having been recruited into RiverClan by her own son's enthusiasm more than anything else. So it was something of a surprise to see the question in Shellspots' face. Just think of it like introducing yourself to someone new, Violet told herself, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind telling her that no one is in the mood for anything upon first waking up. The voice sounded impossibly like all of her kits had at one point or another upon being awoken by her or Jay earlier than they would have liked. Violet cleared her throat. Maybe the youngster was a deep sleeper—certainly wouldn't be the only one she'd had to rouse in her time—but she would like to avoid intruding on their personal space unless absolutely necessary. "Hello?" she said, not loudly enough to startle, but not so softly as to be ignored. Luckily, the cat did not start, only opening their eyes to look at the two of them. Perfect! thought Violet, We didn't startle them, so hopefully— Her optimism was cut short when the cat closed their eyes again, seeming to simply drop back to sleep. Violet turned to Shellspots, perplexed. "Um—ah, hello? Are...are you awake?" She didn't know what to make of the response. If she had been woken up in her home by a couple of strangers, her first instinct would certainly not be to ignore them. "Does this happen often?" she whispered to Shellspots, lowering her voice instinctively, even though it seemed unlikely that the other cat wouldn't be able to hear them. She didn't necessarily expect a response from Shellspots, either; mostly she was just running out of ways to express her confusion.
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Post by Kaeldra on Nov 23, 2022 6:23:29 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 42 moons “Definitely not,” Shellspots replied, hushing her voice to match Violet’s. She had come across a lot of odd cats in her search for potential Clanmates, but none so… relaxed as this. She debated for a moment whether they should turn back, and check the other side of the barn. Before she could suggest as much, however, the young cat’s eyes slid lazily back open and seemed to focus first on Violet, then on Shellspots.
“Well, hi there,” the drowsy cat said, rather amiably, and Shellspots realized it was a young tom. He was probably around the same age as the Clan apprentices. “Who’re you folks? I’m–” His jaws parted in an impossibly wide yawn, front paws stretching and splaying out at the same time. With a blink, he started again. “I’m Miles.”
Well, that’s certainly quite the introduction, Shellspots thought, amused in spite of herself.
“Hello, Miles. I apologize for the intrusion, and for waking you. My name is Shellspots, and this is my Clanmate Violet.” She gestured with her tail to the queen beside her. “We were hoping you’d have a moment to talk?”
Miles flicked an ear dismissively.
“Naw, don’t worry about it. I don’t get visitors too often, it’s nice to have some comp’ny,” he drawled. He stood then, arching his back in another long stretch, and made his way off the nest of hay he’d made for himself. Settling into a sitting position, he wrapped his tail around his paws. “What d’you want to talk about?”
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Post by Sigh on Nov 30, 2022 2:02:14 GMT
violet "It's nice to meet you, Miles." It was not too difficult to make the statement sound genuine, but only because Violet had so much practice in making good first impressions; habit was all that kept her from showing the full extent of her confusion. It was one thing to grow up with housefolk, but how relaxed did one's lifestyle have to be for them to be so casual around strangers? And surely the barn must at least have rats or some other threat that would warrant a little more...consciousness. Regardless, Miles' exit from his makeshift nest was an improvement. He seemed interested enough in what they had to say. What do we have to say? Violet wondered. Something about how great clan life is...although I don't know how much legends of brave warriors will entice this one. I wouldn't expect him and Flare to get along. Still, this was what she and Shellspots had come here for, and it was the least they could do to make an effort. Even if they weren't successful in recruiting Miles, maybe Violet could show Shellspots just how serious she was about RiverClan. "As Shellspots mentioned, she and I are from a Clan. RiverClan, specifically." With that out of the way, Violet pondered the best way to deliver their pitch. Ah, company. Of course. "We have been on a search for others who wish to join us. If you're looking for company, this is definitely—" She faltered as Miles broke out into another jaw-wrenching yawn. Perversely, she felt like she was the one interrupting him, rather than the other way around. He finally closed his mouth, and she continued. "This is, uh, definitely one way to go about it. Have you heard of the clans before, Miles?"He did not respond immediately, a pattern which Violet was starting to think was just part of who Miles was, and not entirely linked to him just waking up. He did seem to be mulling over her words though, almost like he was chewing on them in his mind. I must be hungry, she realized, thinking wistfully of the mouse they had seen a short while ago. "Not sure. Lots'a diff'rent words for things 'round here. This is that and that's this for diff'rent folk, y'know?" Violet found herself nodding along, even though she was not entirely sure what the young tom was talking about. She turned back towards Shellspots, no longer quite so resolved to champion their recruitment. I have no idea how Shellspots managed to do this all by herself.
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