Medicine Cat Meeting [8/3 - 8/6]

[Emily]

"Oh wow," were the first words tumbling from her mouth. Bluepaw was as excited as the next apprentice, though on her part, she might have been just a bit over-exuberant on the subject. After the first words had parted the young she-cat's lips, there was no stopping the train which followed as they padded quickly and quietly down the ravine towards the hovering shadowy forms ahead. "So Badgernose, where are we exactly heading to? I mean, I've never been down here before and... well, it sounds really fun, doesn't it? But how will we communicate with StarClan?" However Badgernose had managed to train the babbler without her babbling day in and day out, was a sure common wonder amongst the other medicine cats and even some of their fellow clan warriors.

The slur of words were kept retained as Badgernose led the frisky apprentice downward; the dark, blurry forms were finally becoming easier to see whom they belonged to. Bluepaw flicked her tail restlessly, awaiting Finchpaw's own shadow to become clear enough for her to race after him. There was no mistaking that Bluepaw had taken a great liking to the kindly tom, although she herself only realized such a thing as a friendship. As Finchpaw was quite visible now, it was only instinct that the tiny she-cat come charging at him with a infatuated grin and boots to big for her paws.

"Finchpaw!" she cried frantically, waving her tail about as to catch the dreaming tomcat's attention. "It really is ashame we haven't had much time to talk at the Gathering without, you know, your nosy brother trying to flatter me or hot-head anyone else nearby; and that one poor PineClan apprentice, he was sure getting the blow." Bluepaw's ears tilted forward and then back as her emotions changed with the topic's prime subject.

She purred with sympathy but only for a moment before she was back to kneading her paws with mere excitement.

Only then did her excitement break. The very sight of the stingy she-cat brought her in a downwards spiral; this cat's reputation alone would well be one that could match an upset and rather cranky badger. Frostpaw. And of course, she was the one whom had pulled Finchpaw away from her!

"The ill-tempered feline", Bluepaw hissed beneath her breath, quietly enough though that Frostpaw wouldn't be able to detect even the slightest of suspicion. "Well then," she murmured half to herself and half to Finchpaw. "I suppose we'll be getting into some trouble and... in the first place, why is she even here?" Spitting, she fluffed her tail and puffed her chest to show Frostpaw that no matter how small she may be, there was no taking that into account now. Bluepaw though, managed to mask herself with a charade and a cheerful smile over-top everything else as the white furred cat turned her head in Bluepaw's direction finally. Smiling, Bluepaw mewed somewhat of a friendly greeting, "Hello, Frostpaw. Hm, since when were you a medicine cat's apprentice?" Her joke, though lame, encouraged the spunky she-cat to continue masking her emotions and upbringing her pride. "Though really, what brings you here?"

Bluepaw raised a brow in question, her tail fur flattening and allowed herself to act out a very friendly environment. Hopefully, Frostpaw would fall for such a charade and Finchpaw would catch the drift that Bluepaw didn't take a fancy to the fiesty female.

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[Kiddo [le pwnsome]]

Icetail stumbled over a low bush, and fell to the ground, rolling tail over paws, dirt and twigs pluming up all around her. She grunted with discomfort as her head slammed into the earth and her mouth filled with grass and dusty pebbles. Righting herself, she sat up, spitting and hissing in frustration. She looked down at herself, her normally cleen white fur was streaked with grime, little bits of grass clung to her, she looked like she had just crawled out of a mire.

With great dignity, even though no one was around, Icetail began to wash herself, spitting mud regularly as more white began to show through the light brown and green. She was nearly finished, eyes half closed in concentration as she swiped a paw across her left ear, when she caught the scent of Pineclan. Glancing around, she heard the sounds of grass parting, paws thumping over stones.

Quicking pawing at the last of the dirt, Icetail stood, eyes flicking to where the Pineclan cats would emerge. Waiting.

[» s a b ø r ]]

"Flattery will get you no where, Littlepaw." Littlepaw nodded, embarrassed that he had slipped up, though made sure to take note of what she said. Then a thought occurred to him, "What if I'm trying to make a crush of mine fall for me?" Littlepaw knew that he would probably get a good scuff on the ear for talking back to Bluestream, yet he had to say it.

"While the others receive their silly dreams, we will sit away from them and chat, Littlepaw. You may nap if you are tired, for this journey is a long one." Littlepaw chuckled, "And silly dreams they are too. There is no way a bunch of dead cats talk to them. I would be frightened if dead cats haunted my dreams." Littlepaw smiled at Bluestream, hoping that she wouldn't scold him for poking fun at the other medicine cats' ways.

Littlepaw sat down as he and Bluestream waited for Icetail. Littlepaw was so nervous about meeting the MeadowClan medicine cat... "You think that Icetail will like me, Bluestream? I really hope she does..." Littlepaw twitched his tail, pondering his thoughts.

[Whiskers]

Finchpaw's weariness was catapulted aside as Bluepaw rushed down toward him, a flurry of fur and smiles and words. The Streamclan medicine cat apprentice was definitely one of his favorite cats. Though she could certainly be a pawful at times (or all the time), she never failed to give him an energy boost with the reminder of her happiness. He just couldn't stay sulky around her. Bluepaw would throw a temper tantrum if she knew, but she was very similar to Firepaw himself in that way. Both cats could bring out the playful side in Finchpaw, the side he tried to suppress. With Bluepaw's eyes on him and her tail waving like a flag in the air, he smiled gently and purred, as the rest of him began to relax from the "Rowanheart" talk.

Once Bluepaw had arrived in front of him, she talked a mile a minute, wasting no time bringing up his rude, loud, over-the-top brother. If only Firepaw had behaved himself, Finchpaw thought that the two could have actually gotten along quite well, but now that chance was lost. As always, Firepaw made a fool of himself in front of any she-cat.

"Oh right. Firepaw," Finchpaw cracked a real smile just thinking of the show Firepaw had put on for Bluepaw. "He lets his mouth run away with him. I can assure you, he was trying to compliment you, even if he did it in the grossest of ways. Though since you fought back, I have a feeling he won't try "complimenting" you again for a very long time. You scared him near out of his wits."

Finchpaw's tail had begun to curl upward as he poked fun at his own brother, but his increasingly good mood was immediately shattered as Bluepaw laid eyes on the she-cat next to him. A muted hiss reached his perked ears and Finchpaw's shoulders fell. His happiness continued to plummet as Bluepaw whispered to him hostility. Ill-tempered... getting into some trouble... why is she even here?

He felt the need to jump to Frostpaw's defense right away, his tail flicking back and forth and his stance becoming stiff. Why did Bluepaw have to dislike Frostpaw, he thought desperately to himself, letting out a slight strangled noise to show how difficult this situation was for him now that his two friends were more or less going to pick a fight. No way was Frostpaw ignorant enough to fall for Bluepaw's act.

Maybe she could play along though.

Finchpaw swung his head around and searched for Frostpaw's eyes, hoping beyond hope, that she wouldn't mock the Streamclan apprentice before her.

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[Rolo]

Frostpaw, having kept mute, found Brightnose's idiocy quite amusing. The medicine cat struck her as a ditzy cat, one with little braincells or intelligence to know what to say and when to say it. However, for her own sake and and Finchpaw's, she had decided to keep quiet, even if her entire being had wanted to call the mousebrained cat up on her misplaced hate. It was lost on her how that she-cat could hate a cat she barely knew. It was one thing to have no respect for someone, another to dislike their entire being with every inch of your soul... especially if they have never done anything to you at all. Frostpaw had no clue why she'd hate him for him being bad to her either... that made very little sense to her...

Ah well, she was obviously none-to-bright. She wasn't worth her breath anyway.

As Frostpaw went along, she could feel herself becoming more and more... uncomfortable. Rowanheart had not fully thought through his plan... not only was she going to be publically shamed by this little trip, but she was going to have to deal with all the cats she hated. How could this trip benefit her in any way? It was just a show of Rowanheart's vanity in the end...

Her thoughts were interrupted as a grey-blue cat bounded into view. I groan resounded through her body automatically.

She'd forgotten she would have to deal with this naive kit. The cat's apparant innocence had always made her feel quite sick, her over-enthusiastic way of talking more than an annoyance. She could not find anything in the cat's character to make her feel even a slight respect, how could she if the cat acted like the entire world was made of flowers?

Frostpaw very carefully masked her feelings as the apprentice spoke excitedly to Finchpaw, making sure not to show even a hint of her annoyance. That would take her no where, it would only fuel the idiot's dislike of her. Oh yes, she knew of her dislike, she could see it clearly. She would have gotten no where in life if she didn't know how to modify her emotions immaculately for every situation, and she'd be an idiot if she didn't know when another was doing the same. Bluepaw's annoyance at her presence was easy to see in her stance and features, she needn't have heard the kit's comments to realise that.

However, Frostpaw's face cracked into a smile as the little thing tried desperately to put on a false face of friendliness. Oh, how typical! The usual I-am-innocent-and-contain-no-negative-emotions act. It showed such a clear immaturity and kittish side to her nature, as she hadn't yet realised that faked pleasantries were as bad as insults. It was a shame... she had hoped that there would be at least one mature medicine cat or apprentice here besides Finchpaw... and from the ones she had met already, that seemed unlikely to happen. Perhaps the Pineclan cats would show more potential.

Frostpaw smiled at Bluepaw, her features pleasant yet emitting coldness. If they were anywhere but this place, she would have begun verbally digging her claws in already... but here it didn't seem like it would spawn anything positive.

"Ah, Bluepaw. Hello." She said shortly in a way that seemed to both lack and have an excess of cheer, "There is no need for the friendliness. It's obvious you're not pleased to see me." She giggled freely. "I'm here for the same reason as you, for the medicine cat meeting. Although, obviously, I'm not a medicine cat. If I was, I think I might just feed myself deathberries."

The last sentence was deadpan, and obviously put in for comical effect. But the words held an element of truth, and it shone through clearly in her tone.

[Pyro]

ooc: I'll be playing Bluestream for the remainder of the meeting~ :3
bic:
"What if I'm trying to make a crush of mine fall for me?"
Littlepaw was right to expect a cuff. Bluestream's paw flashed out, thwacking him, albeit good-naturedly, on the ear. "Watch your tongue." She said, though a smile played on her muzzle.

"And silly dreams they are too. There is no way a bunch of dead cats talk to them. I would be frightened if dead cats haunted my dreams." Bluestream agreed with him wholeheartedly...But still, it wouldn't do for Littlepaw to make such comments when he met the others. "Acceptance begets acceptance. However mouse-brained their ideas seem to be, we must remember not to insult them. We know their views, they know ours. Hopefully, no one will see fit to bring them up."

"You think that Icetail will like me, Bluestream? I really hope she does..." Bluestream smiled. "I'm sure she will. Have confidence!" She wasn't sure though how Icetail would react...Not wanting an apprentice of her own. But of course she didn't let a trace of this doubt cross her face. That wouldn't do at all. So she kept the same small, but bright smile on.

"I believe that's her now." The medicine cat veered her course, waving her tail for Littlepaw to follow. As Icetail came into view, Bluestream meowed out a greeting.

[» s a b ø r ]]

"Watch your tongue." Littlepaw shrunk then meowed quietly, "Yes, Bluestream... Sorry." Littlepaw twitched his tail, embarrassed that he had spoken back to his mentor.

"...Hopefully, no one will see fit to bring them up." Littlepaw nodded, noting that he needed to watch his tongue around the other medicine cats. Bluestream was right though, no medicine cat would probably even bring up the subject. It was the medicine cat apprentices that he worried about. He knew himself. He knew that he loved asking questions about things that seemed to make absolute no sense to him. So he was expecting the other apprentices to act the same, leading to them questioning him on why he didn't believe in dead cats.

"I'm sure she will. Have confidence!" Littlepaw smiled and nodded. "I believe that's her now." Littlepaw stood, excited to meet the MeadowClan medicine cat. He let himself move into a slow run after Bluestream to keep up with her, his small size proving to be quite a pain yet again.

Littlepaw spotted Icetail and followed in suit of Bluestream, letting his own greeting ring out after hers, "Hello, Icetail. I've been so excited to meet you."

[Kiddo [le pwnsome]]

Icetail spotted the two cats loping towards her, heard their cries of greeting, the apprentice, Littlepaw, mewed, "Hello, Icetail. I've been so excited to meet you." Icetail felt a small thrill of pleasure at the apprentice's exuberance at meeting her, but did not let the emotion show, she did not need Pineclan to think her shallow, and easily flattered. Bue she gave a small smile to the apprentice anyway, and called back to them, "Hello there Bluestream, Littlepaw, shall we get going? We'll be late if we don't hurry."

Icetqil had never been comfortable with Pineclan cats, she didn't feel like they had much to discuss, since most of her life was deeply connected to Starclan, and they had turned their backs on their ancestors forever. But she tried not to be hostile, even though she felt a squirming sensation in the pit of her stomach. Why did they even come to these meetings?

[Whiskers]

Finchpaw was on pins and needles as he watched Frostpaw greet Bluepaw. He knew that the worst Frostpaw could do was dash Bluepaw's feelings against the rocks with a cold smirk and probing eyes. There was nothing that got past her; if the Streamclan she-cat was spared it was because either A. Frostpaw knew that insulting and mocking Bluepaw would just make the whole evening worse for her or B. Because she knew that Finchpaw was friends with this excitable apprentice.

He was going to go with the former. Frostpaw had always looked out for herself and kept her well-being in mind, not his, and not Bluepaw's.

"I'm here for the same reason as you, for the medicine cat meeting. Although, obviously, I'm not a medicine cat. If I was, I think I might just feed myself deathberries." Frostpaw's expression was simply priceless as she uttered this in a very happy-go-lucky-but-I'm-totally-serious fashion. Finchpaw snorted and then tried-- but failed-- to keep in his chuckle.

Good idea, Frostpaw! Deathberries! Why didn't I think of that? He thought as he broke out into a childish grin, that he tried to hide by ducking his head. That was so Frostpaw, right there. Even if she enjoyed a laugh at someone else's expense, she was still so brilliant that Finchpaw appreciated her for it. All his qualms about tonight disappeared. For some reason, though Finchpaw knew he had reason to worry, he decided he just didn't care. Let all the medicine cats gape and wonder at Frostpaw and let Frostpaw beat 'em down with her logic. Let the believers dream and let Starclan not come to him. He'd rather be awake anyway than wasting his night on an illusion inside his head.

From nervous to cheerful, from cheerful to worrisome, and from his worry came impudence. Finchpaw's emotions were all over the map tonight, though he had found a foothold in "I don't even want to care, I'm just here for the show." Let whatever was going to happen, happen. If anything, it wasn't going to be boring.

So he turned to Bluepaw and answered her question more accurately. "My father thought it would be good for Frostpaw's soul if she saw the glory of Starclan tonight, at the moonglade. Wonderful, I know. He's such a caring, thoughtful cat." Finchpaw was overly perky, hiding his sarcasm well, though the edge of his grin turned devilish as he spoke.

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[Emily]

"Compliment? Well, I guess I never really thought of it that way," Bluepaw slowly admitted and after a few moments continued with a brisk, "but I mean, I knew that's what he was saying, but his intentions were coated in offense if you ask me." Huffing, the smoky she-cat pressed closer to Finchpaw with a silly little pout until it was turned upright at the mention of Firepaw realizing his 'boots were a little to big for his paws'.

Suddenly, he too, noticed the delicate white-furred feline who sat beside them, casting her silent glare in Bluepaw's direction. The two had never gotten off very good from the beginning, and it was only natural that Frostpaw, with her crude demeanor that she tease the tiny StreamClanner; mockery was surely her specialty and the greatest of weapons at her side.

"Hello, Frostpaw," she responded quietly, shuffling her paws about in the dirt, as if she wanted to arouse some sort of physical fight. "Hm, I see you've got a way to seeing through cats, Frostpaw. But, of course, I suppose you've got your point and as much as I hate to admit it, we didn't get a good foothold first-off. I'm not going to keep from you what you already seem to know."

Bluepaw spoke with a great seriousness, and it was odd to watch the frisky feline to finally settle to her paws and speak with a soft, matured tone; and although she seemed awfully misplaced at the time, her tail continued to flick uncontrollably, her claws still scathed the ground, and her eyes still burned with a queer cheeriness.

"Wait," Bluepaw chirped, the deadpan seriousness gone with no trace. "You're here, but you're obviously not a medicine cat? That's so odd!" Turning to Finchpaw she allowed the all-knowing tom to explain, her ears turned inward intently. "Ah, Rowanheart... such a loyal cat when it comes to StarClan. I suppose you and Firepaw are just like him, well, actually, I'd prefer you not be that dedicated."

Bluepaw paused.

"It all just got to his head, you know?" she whispered, hoping not to offend her dearest friend. "But anyway, you know what I dreamt of one time? It was awfully strange!" There was a dramatic pause as she sucked in the air. "Well, I dreamed that you, Finchpaw, were in fact a non-believer and you were acting very, very dreadful about it too! But the best part is that I got you to turn it all around, isn't that amazing!"

Bluepaw's eyes were expanded in sheer excitement over her dream, which would soon turn Finchpaw's thoughts to dread. If she ever found out, he would have no idea what she would do. Of course, Bluepaw already knew how she would react to any cat who lived a lie like that, no matter how far-a-part or close.