Elder Meeting #1: Concerning 'Rain'

[Rolo]

((Righty, as you well know, 'Elder Meetings' are for elders or 'Young advisers' (i.e. disabled cats who were retired early). This means that only people with elders and young advisers should be posting here initially.

However, be aware that (as in a normal debate) cats involved with the issues or of a higher power may be called in to take part in/aid or give their side of debate. Possible cats here might be Rain, Aspenheart or Gingerstar, though this is by no means definite.

If the Elders deem it neccessary, they will hold a 'Communal Concern' meeting with the rest of the clan, discussing the issue with them.

This is the first Elder meeting we have ever had, so we will have to play it by ear. Here I am invisioning that this is the first /formal/ elder meeting. They've had little discussions before, but nothing so serious or impacting. So, our characters will be testing the waters as much as we will be.

There's not really any guidelines I can give, other than have your characters be sensible and give reasons for their opinions. Also remember that No-ears is the leader of the debate and that he should be treated with respect.

Probable outline:
Discussion of whatever type

Rain will be admitted access to give a testimony and for a little questioning and will then leave.

Elders will decide it's fine for Rain to join.

Gingerstar will be required in towards the end as she plans to mentor Rain.

))



A smile had crossed No-ear's face as Aspenheart came up and told him of the situation at hand. Ah, he had known they couldn't have gone another moon without the need to call an Elder Meeting. He was surprised they'd lasted all these moons without holding one formally. Now this need to discuss and made decisions symbolised that the introductory period of clan life was entirely over; they were truly a clan now.

No-ears resisted the urge to reply to Aspenheart with anything other than a formal nod and a brief thanks before hobbling over to the elder den. He didn't want to share, or even think about, his thoughts on the issue yet, and he thought it best to start the meeting as soon as possible.

As luck would have it, all of the elders were already in their nests, some relaxing, others bickering. He could start the meeting straight away without having to wait for the stragglers to appear.

"We are needed, my friends." He announced loudly in an attempt to get all the cat's attention. "If you would be so kind, please give me at very least half an ear and an eye, we have clan business to attend to."

Moving to the very back of the den, he sat upon a small stone that positioned him higher than the other cats, symbolic of his power over the following debate.

"As we all seem to be conveniently gathered here and idle, we shall be holding an Elder Meeting right away." The warmth in his voice was still there, but now there was an additional authority that demanded cat's attention.

"The issue we shall be discussing is of impact, indirectly, to the entire clan. A loner, Rain, has expressed a desire to join Pineclan. This loner has been in the Medicine cat den for a few nights now, as a symbol of gratitude for helping out a Pineclan apprentice, Willowpaw, when she was ambushed by rats. Obviously, he sustained some injuries in his attempt to help a fellow cat, as a warrior would, which should be kept in mind when considering whether or not he could be an asset to the clan. Other than that, we know very little of his disposition and skills and none about his motive. Gingerstar, according to Aspenheart, has already voted against Rain joining the clan, though for what reason exactly I am unsure. Perhaps Plovereye, who was present for a little of the conversation, could tell us more about that."

He paused for a moment, wondering whether there was any other background he could relate to help the elders debate with facts in mind.

"But anyway," He said, breaking the silence, "The first subject of debate here is whether we want to admit any outsiders into the clan. Pineclan is settled now and we have strong clan bonds, we must consider how inviting Rain to join will effect the current members. Also do we stick to the warrior code and decide that outsiders should be driven out, irregardless of their actions or skills, or do we deem one more loner to be of little consequence since the vast majority here are former kittypets and loners?"

[Crowzerplorodon]

Jaggedclaw had been tenderly cleaning his paws when No-ears commanded their attention. His ears flattened back as the eldest tom clambered on to the rock, and Jaggedclaw wondered why age was the only defining factor in No-ears' authority. Not that he wanted to have the authority, of course. It was just curious how a clan like PineClan, with so many rules and differences from other clans, would simply give out a position due to age.

Then again, No-ears was a wise cat, too.

Jaggedclaw just shrugged to himself, half listening as their elder explained the reason for this momentous gathering. He should have assumed that it would be about the loner. That was the only thing really happening in PineClan right now, anyway. Though, he hadn't had any face time with the strange tom. Nor did he care to. It was just another cat for PineClan to suck up and slowly ruin. He shorted at his cynicism, resuming his efforts on his paws.

… Oh. What was this? Gingerstar was against the loner joining? Jaggedclaw brightened, a grin stretching across his peppered jaw. Now he was interested. It seemed... insane that the she-cat wouldn't be for admitting a loner who saved one of her apprentices. There must be something different about this tom that made Gingerstar not want him in her clan. And well, Jaggedclaw was always for something different. If it livened up PineClan and made life worth it again, then he was all for the loner joining. “Anything that pisses Gingerstar off, I'm all for,” he said lowly to whoever sat next to him, voice cracking with not-so-good humor.

In all honesty, Jaggedclaw was starting to think that letting this loner join would be a good idea. It would be another warrior for PineClan, another mentor for their apprentices, and another set of paws to help around camp. What could anyone possibly have against it? Besides there being another mouth to feed. But it was just one cat, and the last Leaf-Bare hadn't been too harsh on them. No one died, at least. Actually, the more he thought about it, the more he was for it simply because it'd be beneficial to the clan. Plus, while he didn't know the loner himself, Jaggedclaw was sure that some other cats knew him, and that they probably formed some sort of friendship... or something. He wasn't sure. But it wasn't right to yank a cat away from people he was getting close with.

“Takin' everything into consideration, I see no problem with it,” he murmured when No-ears finished speaking. “Another warrior for PineClan. Cats should be happy about that, neh?

[Cloud of Diamonds]

It so happened that Plovereye was the cat next to the gray and white tom, and she raised an eyebrow at his...interesting words. But first, she needed to consider No-ears's speech, especially the part pertaining to her.

Her one eye thoughtful, she began to mull. Indeed, all of what the head elder had said was true. And the issue about whether they should let in more outsiders...that was difficult. True, more warriors were always welcome - they really only had about...what, ten? She screwed up her face in an attempt to remember. The three siblings from ForestClan, the odd-stepping tom who was also from ForestClan who mentored Elmpaw, Aspenheart of course (although he didn't really count as a regular warrior), Elmpaw's father Otterfur, Firefang, Barktail, that little gray she-cat...and she couldn't think of any more. So...three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine...no, wait! There was also that gigantic blue tom who seemed to hang around Crowpaw a lot. Bluefur. Strange tom. But that was it - only ten grown cats to do the duties of PineClan - well, as well as Gingerstar herself, and the various apprentices. Still, it wasn't much. And who knows - FogClan could attack at any time. And who knew if their current warriors would be disabled, like No-ears or - she reluctantly admitted - herself or Jaggedclaw. Perhaps it would be best to remain open - especially if the other Clans weren't. It would give them a major advantage. Of course, problems could arise if too many cats wanted to join. But the elder didn't see that happening in the near future - it seemed too unlikely. It wasn't like cats fell into their territory like rain, was it? She chuckled quietly at her joke.

"I think that if a cat does want to join, we should let them. I'm not saying we should let down our guard completely or accept anyone who would - but if they seem like they could be an asset to the Clan, yes. After all, if it were us, we would not want to be rejected. In time, perhaps, we could stop, as it is technically against the warrior code, but for now, especially as we are a small Clan, we should not bar our camp to outsiders - at least not completely."

She paused a few moments before continuing.

"On the matter of Gingerstar's perceived hostility against Rain, I cannot say much on it, No-ears. I wish I could be of more assistance in clarifying it, but the truth is I have very little idea of why she is so...against him, but I'll go ahead and name the badger in the den - we all know she isn't very fond of toms in general." She smiled half apologetically, half ruefully.

[Whiskers]

Well now this was exciting.

Sableheart had been enjoying a slow morning, sunbathing and chomping away at half a rabbit, the other half shared with one of her fellow elders. It had been beautiful and relaxing, and the sun had felt nice against her bad hip, but the clan was so busy that no one had come to say good morning to her or the others. Usually an apprentice would scamper over and greet her or one of the warriors would stop by with breakfast. Not today. She had watched from afar as Pineclan hustled and bustled and worked their darling behinds off. And as dawn disappeared and the sun rose a little higher, she started to get lonely and bored.

But No-ears solved that problem. The news that he shared and the meeting that he started instantly lifted Sableheart's spirits and reminded her why she loved Pineclan so much. Sure, she was a little hard of hearing in one ear and her hip made an awful ruckus when rain was coming in, but she was still useful here. She wasn't just an old, retired body. She was a mind to be picked at and prodded for opinions.

And this matter had Sableheart deep in thought, though on the outside she wore a bemused smile for her friends to see. A new warrior, imagine that! Her first thought was how lucky of Pineclan, to have a big, strong tom handed to them who wanted to give back to the clan that had licked his battle wounds. The fact that he saved Willowpaw made him instantly appealing-- he had a sense of morale and an instinct to protect. He looked like a warrior as well and Jaggedclaw and Plovereye recognized that. By the end of Plovereye's contribution, Sableheart was ready to put in her vote and welcome this Rain fellow into her family, but then No-ears opening words tapped her on the nose and demanded to be heard.

Other than that, we know very little of his disposition and skills and none about his motive...

Sableheart let out a sigh. Very true, very true. She couldn't just be blinded by Rain's courageous act. She knew nothing about this cat-- no one did. Sableheart thought that maybe that's why Gingerstar was so against Rain in the first place. She knew nothing about the poor fellow, so how could she let him into her clan? Sableheart nodded, agreeing with Gingerstar, even though Gingerstar didn't actually say anything. Well, she knew what her 'vote' was and that was not to vote quite yet.

"Now, now, we mustn't just rush into this, this cat is a complete stranger," Sableheart spoke up. "Like No-ears here said, we don't know about what he can do or why he wants to join our family. I would love to welcome a new warrior of course, but I want to meet this Rain and I want to hear his reasons before I go trusting him and letting him into our home."

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[Rolo]

((My apologies for the ridiculously late reply -_-))

No-ears listened attentively to all the elders opinions, considering them each in turn while forming his own opinions on the situation.

Jaggedclaw's points had been rather blunt and to the point. Although, No-ears concluded, his points that having more warriors was entirely advantageous were a little one-sided, they most were valid points. Plover-eye had a good set of balanced points, most of which No-ears agreed with. She was right, any cat's request to join the clan should be carefully considered, based on their skills and suitability to clan life.

However, as he considered the problem when applied to Rain, he had a nagging feeling that they were all overlooking something. One of the things that had raised his concern from the outset was that they didn't have any knowledge of why Rain wanted to join the clan.

He was about to open his mouth to speak before Sableheart cut in. The tom smiled at the she-cat. They were most definitely on the same page.

"I with both of you," he nodded to Jaggedclaw and Plovereye, "on the idea that allowing more cats into the clan is probably, at this point in Pineclan's development, more advantageous than not. The warrior code does not concern me too much, Pineclan is not the traditional clan, and I like to think we can think outside the confines of the code. The Warrior code is a good guideline, but when it comes down to it, it's the cats, not the code, that make the decisions."

No-ears paused, taken aback by his own words. Did he really think that? He'd never worded his thoughts on the warrior code before. Listening to himself, it seemed almost anti-clan. Then again, he mused, he hadn't always been the most code-conscious warrior. He supposed he'd always been one to weigh up the morals of a situation, rather than looking straight to the code.

He then realised he'd got distracted and returned to the situation at paw.

"However, as Sableheart said, we must consider every cat's case individually. If Pineclan is to remain strong, we need to be objective and only choose cats who will be an asset to the clan in some way. Like Sableheart, I am concerned about Rain as a cat. I've never spoken to him, I have no idea why he wants to join us and I saw some shifty characters attempt to join Forestclan in a similar way, pretending to be honest and courageous before turning out not to be. Gingerstar herself might not be particularly fond of toms, but she could also have some other reason we don't know about. It is possible she denied him access to the clan because she spotted an undesirable trait within him. So, I believe Sableheart is right. We need to speak to Rain and find out what kind of cat he is. I'll send a cat to fetch him."

Getting up, No-ears wandered towards the entrance to the den and asked a nearby warrior to fetch Rain and tell him to wait by the entrance to the elder den.

"Hopefully, hearing from him will help make our decision." He mumbled.

[glowlynose]

Rain had been pacing furiously outside the Elder's Den, so the warrior sent to fetch him hadn't needed to go very far. It was not because of nerves that he paced, but because of anger. Gingerstar could be so hardheaded and stubborn! Whoever had made her leader obviously hadn't accounted for her temper. It was just so... it was so stupid that there had to be this much trouble to decide if he could join the clan. After all this trouble, with their fancy little Elder meeting and Gingerstar's tantrums, he still might not be allowed to join. Shouldn't the fact that he had put up with all this be enough of a sign that he was worthy to join their precious little clan? Couldn't they just give the benefit of a doubt to him? He had saved their beloved little Willowpaw, after all. That had been enough to get him into a lot of cats's good graces, so why couldn't it be enough for Gingerstar and the Elders?

Why in the pit was Gingerstar so set against trusting him? Was it just because he'd come so close to her borders that day she met him? Rightfully, that should have been water under the bridge by now. He just couldn't figure it out for the life of him. Why was Gingerstar so set on hating him?

Ana, why do you want me to do this? She hates me. If only I was given a little more time, I could find you, and then we could be happy again.

All he got in return for his metal plea was silence. So Analucia had abandoned him after all. Granted, she had been right about him and his feelings toward her, but at least living with her had been better than this. Gingerstar absolutely despised him, and if he did join the clan, she would find some way to make him suffer. Oh, yes, she would, he had no doubt about that. So why did he want to stay and endure that?

He was shocked when the answer came to him. Rain wanted to stay because he wanted Gingerstar to like him. He wanted to stick around long enough for there to be a time when she no longer looked at him with hate-filled, contemptuous eyes. No, he didn't just want it, he needed it. The realization floored him, so much that he followed the warrior's instructions in a daze and just sat down outside the Elder's Den with a plop. He mumbled a thanks to the PineClan cat and peeked inside the den, hoping that the elders would summon him soon. He didn't know how long he could stand waiting.

After a few very short moments, his patience snapped and he walked straight into the den and sat down. Now the real fun would begin!

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[Whiskers]

The second that Rain stepped into the elder's den Sableheart wanted to throw back her head and laugh. It was odd-- her other elders would stare at her in worry. In fact, her own mate would ask her if she was hallucinating or something, which she wasn't. She just thought that the way Rain had slunk into the den and sat down, his nerves rattling his whole huge frame, was all very funny. Here was this heroic cat-- savior of Willowpaw, a potential warrior of Pineclan-- and he was shaking like a kit in the middle of a thunderstorm. And why do you think he's so gosh darn nervous, Sable? she asked herself. Cuz of YOU. Isn't that top notch? Now who would think little old Angel-- Sableheart, scuse me-- would make a big cat like that nervous?

And perhaps it was Sableheart's maternal instincts, but the sight of the nervous tom warmed her up inside and made her want to usher him close, sit him down and stuff him silly with a plump rabbit or two. She would soothe those nerves, she would. And he did look a little weak in the knees, nerves aside. He was attacked by rats after all. Poor thing, what an ordeal. No matter how big or strong a cat was, all it took were those nasty creatures to really scare the willies outta them. She shuddered just thinking about them. Oh, but anyway, she wasn't supposed to be thinking about this, but rather, about the task at hand. Though she supposed soothing his nerves a little wouldn't hurt...Gingerstar might have a problem, but she didn't see anything wrong with him so far, and a little hospitality went along ways.

"Hello dear," she greeted warmly, "don't stand in the entrance now-- come on, come on we don't bite. Unlike Gingerstar-- kidding." she quickly added, just in case such a comment would perturb him further. Though she didn't think that the leader was all that scary. The younger apprentices told her otherwise.

"I'm Sableheart. It's nice to meet you...Rain, is it? I hear you want to join Pineclan. I'd love it if you could tell us old cats why. And perhaps a little about yourself-- I do love stories."

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[Crowzerplorodon]

To Jaggedclaw, this was a waste of time. He had already made up his mind and decided that another warrior would be good for PineClan. And the other elders seemed to agree with him. So what was the hold-up with just letting the stranger in? Sableheart and No-ears were only worried about his abilities and what he could bring to the proverbial table. Well, if the loner had managed to rescue one of their apprentices, had he not already shown that he was worth their consideration? Maybe these older cats didn't remember what it was like actually being out there. Striving for acceptance in the clan you were born in was hard enough, if a loner had the guts to shoot for acceptance in a clan that was hostile to him at first, then Jaggedclaw had all the more respect for him.

Still, the other elders seemed to have their minds made up. They'd have to talk to this loner – Rain – and figure out his intentions for wanting to join the clan. Gingerstar would probably be brought into this conversation as well. Jaggedclaw had no doubt that the she-cat would gripe about letting the loner join. Of course, if No-ears came to the conclusion that Rain would be beneficial, Jaggedclaw was pretty sure Gingerstar wouldn't argue. No one seemed to argue with the oldest tom.

It was almost boring.

Jaggedclaw rolled onto his side, stretching out his paws to prevent the ache that sitting on them eventually caused. He watched as the loner entered their little den, whiskers twitching in amusement. So this was the big-bad tom cat that everyone either adored or hated? He didn't seem special to Jaggedclaw. Kind of seemed harmless, though he had been taught to never judge a cat by their fur. When Sableheart introduced herself, Jaggedclaw had half a mind to do the same. But what would he say? He wasn't pleasant like the other elders. A simple hey there, I'm Jaggedclaw would be so... un-him. No, he was better off staying as he was, watching the rest of the elders interrogate this youngster. He'd say something if he felt the need to.

[/blockquote]

[Cloud of Diamonds]

The long-furred tabby added the black she-cat's words, somewhat imitating them and adding her agreement.

"And I am Plovereye, and I add support to my fellow's words."

Was all that needed to be said, really. She wanted this meeting to progress at a reasonable rate. She also hoped that this Rain tom wouldn't be too long-winded. Sure, they needed information, but not too much. But then, maybe he was sensible enough to be succinct. One could never tell.

She turned her head slightly, the better to focus on him with her one eye. Strong, indeed. Very big. As big as Bluefur, maybe, and he was the hugest cat she'd ever seen. She wondered if he knew how to fight well. Well, she knew a few cats had needed coaching when they came, like Ashstorm. But now the little gray warrior was sufficient. Not fabulous, but sufficient. Although she could be a prodigy for all Plovereye knew, she hadn't talked to the hot-headed warrior much.

She waited for the shaggy tabby to tell his tale.

[glowlynose]

Rain peered around the den, being careful to keep his incredulity to himself. He didn't want to go offending anyone with the wrong facial expression, now, did he? That would definitely not be in his best political interests. But seriously, this was the high and mighty elder council? They just looked like a bunch of old cats to him, some more pleasant looking than others, and one off in a corner who looked downright cantankerous. Sure, they were probably wise and deserved respect, but he didn't see what the big fuss about them was. The warriors would be just as capable of making a decision as the elders. Oh well, he would just have to learn to adjust to PineClan culture. He could adjust to anything. He was a cowboy, after all. Cowboys made sure they made it no matter what the circumstances.

"Aftahnoon. Nice to meet y'all. Sirs, ladies." He spoke with a smile and a dip of his head, after standing up, of course. His ears brushed the roof of the den, causing a few scraps of god knows what to fall on his head. Rain sat down again and looked up, perturbed. Way to ruin the moment, roof! His ears burned in embarrassment, and now he was completely flustered.

"Well. I think I'd best not do that again,"

[/b] Rain laughed away his stress, hoping to make himself more relatable in his humiliation. Why was he so intimidated about this? They were just a bunch of old cronies. The worst they could do to him was threaten him with hours of stories, and he just so happened to love stories. That took care of that! Still, he had to justify his joining their clan and their lives, and Gingerstar was sure to show up soon and shoot down everything he said with her icy glares and completely unjustified hatred of him. He had to make this good. It was a little bit different than telling a fairy tale to a kitten, he thought bemusedly.

Rain took one last look around the group of cats. He was about to plead with them to let him join their clan. If he failed, he would have nowhere to go except back to where he started, and where he'd started was lost. However, if he succeeded, he would be a part of their lives every day. The very thought boggled him. He would have companionship again, after over a year of being alone. His only company had been his loneliness, the sky, and the ground beneath his paws. The rodents he'd eaten didn't really count as company, seeing as how he'd never spoken to them, he'd just eaten them. He might even make a friend... what about that friendly tom who'd helped rescue him, what was his name? Loon... something. Loonface, Loonwalk, Loon... step. Ah, yes, it was Loonstep. He'd have to talk to him soon.

"Somethin' 'bout me, yeh say, Miss Sableheart? As you wish."[/color] He kept his gaze trained on the welcoming she-cat in the front of the pack. She made him feel comfortable for some reason. "Well, first off, I grew up a long, long way away from here. Don't remember how I found mah way ovah heah, not exactly. I jus' 'membah bein' lost fuh a looong time. And then I came heah, to your home, and there was all that hullabaloo about me doin' the right thing for Willowpaw, and y'all know that story. But I woke up this mornin' and realized that since I was heah, I wasn't lost no more. I feel like I've finally found mah place in the world.

"I know, I'm a sap. Sue me. It's just that now I'm here, I don't nevah wanna leave. If I left I'd just be all lost again." Rain was surprised at the depths of emotions that had come out in his speech. He wasn't usually like that. Cowboys weren't supposed to show feeling unless it was really, really, super duper important. He supposed that this fit that criteria. It was his whole future, after all. His eyes squeezed shut and he exhaled deeply, letting his shoulders drop. Now all he had to wait for was to be questioned further and shot down by Gingerstar. He would rise above her though. Maybe she would respect him a little after that. He chuckled to himself when he realized that it would more than likely just make her royally ticked.
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