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Post by niftyshark on Aug 4, 2019 21:07:58 GMT -6
Night was falling as quickly as the snow was. It seemed like clan life was thrown full-force into utter chaos. Healing from a battle in the middle of leaf-bare was indescribably hard, but Haywhisker was able to focus on his clanmates, especially those who were particularly unhappy with WillowClan’s circumstances. He was getting a general idea of how his clanmates felt, and he spent any extra time picturing how they would react to... future events. So far only Flareheart and Beanfallow knew anything specific. Haywhisker was concerned about spreading details too far, but his caution and limited trust didn’t fail him yet.
Most cats were in camp, sheltering from the snow, but the kits were outside of the nursery, taking advantage of the flakes pelting down. Among them was the cat he was looking for.
He perched at the edge of camp, watching quietly as Chirpsong played in the snow with the smaller cats. When she was taking a break a short distance from them, Haywhisker approached surreptitiously. “Chirpsong. If you aren’t, well, busy anymore, I was hoping you could help me with something.” He forced his expression in to one of a practiced smile. “It’s out of camp, if you don’t mind going out in this storm.”
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Post by theatricals on Aug 23, 2019 19:47:34 GMT -6
Chirpsong was not particularly fond of the cold, but the excitement in which the kits played around in the snow was about enough to get her to ignore it. Unfortunately, she didn't have quite the amount of energy that they did, and had to take a break from them. They didn't seem to mind, as they went on playing by themselves, but she didn't get much of a chance to take a break before she caught eyes with Haywhisker as he padded towards her. She tilted her head, wondering what he needed, finding his first statement to be a bit odd. They often talked with one another, but he seemed to be a bit more serious now. She thought that maybe he might need help with bringing something back to camp--prey or moss, maybe--but that seemed too unusual. Either way, she found little reason to refuse. "Sure," she responded after a short pause, standing up and shaking the flakes from her pelt, although she doubted it made much of a difference. "What are we doing?"
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Post by niftyshark on Aug 31, 2019 15:40:45 GMT -6
“You’ll see when we get there,” Haywhisker said evasively. He didn’t actually have anything specific to show her, he just wanted a quiet place to talk. While the conditions were unfavorable in terms of comfort, they actually suited his purpose quite well. No one would eavesdrop on them.
He turned towards the camp entrance and walked through. He kept his head bowed against the icy wind, ears pinned to his head. The snow was already falling thickly, enough that his paws were beginning to sink in what accumulated. Haywhisker only spared one glance behind him to ensure that Chirpsong was behind him. She blended in perfectly, and with dark falling, it would only get harder to spot her. Her mismatched eyes were the only thing to give her position away.
When they were a fair distance from camp, he shuffled his way to where several large rocks sat. One had an overhang out of the wind, so he squeezed himself there, trying to shake the cold snow from his pelt.
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Post by theatricals on Aug 31, 2019 16:55:24 GMT -6
Chirpsong found the snow interesting, not only with how it functioned but the beauty in it as well. She wished she could say she didn't get distracted as she followed after Haywhisker, but without knowing what he was referring to or where exactly they were going, she took the opportunity to enjoy the scenery. With her shorter stature, it could actually be a struggling to move through the white blanket that coated their territory, but thankfully Haywhisker seemed to have the right idea and found an overhang that would no doubt provide better shelter than anywhere else. She let out a soft "oof" when she joined him, nearly slipping when her paw went out from under her, but she recovered quickly. "You think they made this to prepare for the snow?" she questioned, looking around before smiling back at him.
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Post by niftyshark on Aug 31, 2019 17:19:06 GMT -6
Haywhisker raised a brow when Chirpsong almost slipped, but he didn’t comment on it. They quickly furrowed instead upon her question, and he almost asked who ‘they’ were. It took him a moment to realize she might mean StarClan, and he decided to go with that. “I’m not sure. I think this is just here, lucky for us.” While he believed in StarClan, he felt like their influence was limited. Why else would they let Darkfury die? He sunk his claws into the snow and dropped the thought.
“What I needed your help with... it was your opinion.” He started carefully, voice slightly raised to be heard over the wind. “I’ve noticed some cats have been upset ever since AspenClan attacked our camp. Dissatisfied about how the clan has been guided.” He paused for a moment to let her register his words. “How do you feel about WillowClan right now?”
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Post by theatricals on Aug 31, 2019 18:05:54 GMT -6
Chirpsong's smile slowly faded, replaced with an expression of concern. It seemed like such an odd thing to bring up, but she was crazy to think that Haywhisker wouldn't think about this kind of stuff. He was a loyal cat, and very smart, so of course he would notice if something was wrong. "I think times have been hard," she began slowly, uncertainly, as she wasn't sure just how much he wanted to hear. "...But we're recovering. I think some cats might just be a bit worried. I don't think they should be. I mean, things always work out, don't they?"
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Post by niftyshark on Aug 31, 2019 19:39:21 GMT -6
He didn’t speak right away, carefully considering how he wanted to go about this. He huddled closer to the rock as he looked out to the falling snow thoughtfully. “Not always,” he began. “I’ve found... a lot of problems within our clan.” He looked back to Chirpsong. “Some of them are unconceivable. It goes right to the heart of the clan, and there have been a lot of cover-ups. It’s been this way long before we were even born.” He watched her tentatively, monitoring for the slightest changes in her reaction. Haywhisker would continue with or without her help, but he’d prefer the prior. He didn’t want to make an enemy of her if he could help it.
“AspenClan attacked WillowClan’s heart. It’s only going to get worse if things stay as they are,” he said with a shrug. “I’m not trying to make you worry, but those who are concerned have a right to be so. Choosing to battle at our camp is something that has gone too far.”
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Post by theatricals on Sept 18, 2019 21:48:48 GMT -6
Problems? That was a strange way to put it. And to suggest it was within their own Clan was even more concerning. She opened her mouth to ask then and there, but shut it quickly when she realized she was probably getting ahead of herself. She wasn't sure just what he was speaking of, or what AspenClan had to do with it, but she suspected Haywhisker would explain more if she asked. "What do you mean, 'cover-ups'? What is wrong with the Clan?" While her words sounded accusatory, her tone was confused, even worried, and she knew then that perhaps there were things she hadn't noticed before--things that Haywhisker knew that she did not.
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 25, 2019 8:18:55 GMT -6
Again, Haywhisker was silent. How much did he want to give away? He didn’t know if Chirpsong supported him. She could very well be against him once she heard the full story... if he didn’t tell it right. And he would have to find a way to make sure she didn’t talk about it if their talk didn’t work out. He didn’t yet know what that would mean.
“Our clan has been walking blind. Shrikestar... he never received nine lives. He never communed with StarClan.” It was a heavy statement to start with, but it hit straight where he wanted given how monumental it was. It was something that he knew would get any cat asking questions. He had no way to prove his statement outright, but the other evidence against Shrikestar—and Floodfield’s reign in general—made for what he believed was a compelling argument.
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Post by theatricals on Dec 25, 2019 13:38:47 GMT -6
The mystic of StarClan and the abilities they possessed--that of giving a leader nine lives--seemed almost too good to be true for Chirpsong, despite her admittedly mystical approach to life herself. But regardless of what she thought was real, Haywhisker clearly saw something was wrong, and he was concerned enough to speak to her about it. "How do you know that?" she asked, sounding more serious than how she'd started. Haywhisker could have easily made up the whole thing, but she found it hard to believe he would lie about this.
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 26, 2019 9:05:04 GMT -6
“Someone in our clan close to Shrikestar found out.” Close could have different meanings, so Haywhisker took mild comfort in the fact that he wasn’t directly lying. Not that the act itself bothered him, but it would be a pain to clean up later. The truth was often the easiest lie, anyway. He avoided mentioning Flareheart for the time being.
“We aren’t being guided by StarClan. WillowClan doesn’t have a true leader, hasn’t had true guidance for more than twice we’ve been alive. The warrior code is being broken by the clan every moment—it’s clear something needs to change. I am going to bring about that change.” He stopped for a moment, eyes slanting away as he took the pause to collect himself. He was aware he’d been speaking without pause, and he risked emotion clouding his judgment if that continued.
“WillowClan is going to collapse. I am going to save it, no matter what it takes.” He started again, slower this time. Haywhisker looked at Chirpsong unblinkingly. “Will you help me save WillowClan?”
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Post by theatricals on Dec 26, 2019 22:47:09 GMT -6
"Someone close" could mean so many different things, but one thing she wondered was just why said cat would speak to Haywhisker. Thinking on it for more than a second, though, if the cat was close enough to Shrikestar, then the situation must be dire, as she couldn't see herself reaching out to another cat with a problem unless it was truly serious. It was impossible to deny that the Clan had code-breakers--she was sure every Clan had them. But she couldn't see just how many flaws the Clan might actually have. Chirpsong was a reactive cat--she didn't see until someone pointed it out, and now she felt more lost than ever. "What are you gonna do?" she asked softly, looking around despite the fact that she knew they were alone.
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 29, 2019 7:43:49 GMT -6
Chirpsong didn’t show disapproval yet. She didn’t outright deny him, nor did she stop asking questions. Maybe there was hope that she would support him after all. It was a huge task, what he was going to do, and there was no precedent in the warrior code for a mutiny like he was planning. It wasn’t something she could accept lightly, especially given the consequences if he failed.
But Haywhisker had no plans to fail. “I’m going to take over WillowClan.” Not even challenge Shrikestar to leadership. Take it over completely—it left no room for loose ends. Now that his plan was out in the air, he was left in limbo. Whatever Chirpsong chose would dictate his next actions, and he subtly readied himself.
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Post by theatricals on Dec 29, 2019 14:39:18 GMT -6
"Take over?" Chirpsong echoed, unable to keep the horror out of her voice. It was such an outrageous statement that the warrior had to take pause and make sure that she had actually heard him correctly. Such a radical choice was not something to be taken lightly--even she knew that, and she stared at him for a long moment before bowing her head. This was not something she would ever have dreamed of, but when she looked back at him, she was forced to remind herself that this was Haywhisker--he was her best friend, and he wouldn't do anything unless he was completely sure of it. "...How are you gonna do it?"
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 30, 2019 7:22:35 GMT -6
Haywhisker nodded once, shortly, still tensed up. He suspected there was a good chance that he wouldn’t be revered in clan history for what he was going to do... but he resolved to do it anyway. Even if his clan hated him and ended up turning on him, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. They would learn the truth. He would avenge Dark and prove to himself that he wouldn’t freeze up again in the face of danger.
He had a general idea of how he was going to enact his takeover, but there were a lot of moving pieces he simply couldn’t account for. There was the ideal way he wanted to do it, but he was doubtless that it would truly occur that way. Part of him was also still wary of Chirpsong. While she still didn’t shy away from the topic, she didn’t voice her approval or support either. “I can’t say for sure,” he said eventually. “There is too much to account for to have any plan securely in place. I will need all the help I can get to succeed, though.” Haywhisker shuffled the slightest bit closer to her and stared at her meaningfully.
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Post by theatricals on Dec 30, 2019 12:40:20 GMT -6
Now he appeared more like the cat she knew--unsure, but willing to do what he thought to be the right thing for the Clan. He had always been that way. Perhaps all Chirpsong needed to do was put her faith in him. "Does... anyone else know?" She couldn't say whether or not the thought of other cats knowing unnerved her or not. In some way, it might have been a comfort knowing that Haywhisker was speaking to others, trying to share his troubles and his intentions. In another way, she wondered if other cats might make an attempt to stop his plans, using what they knew to their advantage. Either way, she worried for him.
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 31, 2019 8:32:48 GMT -6
Haywhisker understood—it was a heavy burden to bear, especially alone. He nodded in affirmation. “Yes, some others know. We aren’t alone in this. We want to make things right and make WillowClan whole again. No more secrets.” It would be monumental, the change they could bring, and he wanted as many clanmates as possible on the right side of that change. It still likely wouldn’t be many, since he would be operating well outside the warrior code. But if so many cats were breaking the warrior code, perhaps the code itself needed to be changed. It was too limiting, or maybe no longer applicable.
Chirpsong was still asking questions, but she never yet gave an answer. He’d normally entertain them much more patiently, but the cold was only getting colder, the day older, and he was running out of time.
“Well?” he pressed. “What is your decision?” There was almost a note of pleading in his voice. He didn’t want Chirpsong as an enemy.
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Post by theatricals on Dec 31, 2019 12:58:36 GMT -6
It seemed almost pointless to even ask her, as Chirpsong would never willingly turn against her friend--especially in a time of need. "You know I'll help you," she said, smiling lightly before it faded away. "--As long as no cat gets hurt. If it helps the Clan, then I don't think they'll fight against it." It was a foolish hope, but Chirpsong wasn't really the type to consider all sides. As well as not knowing Haywhisker's full plan, she also didn't know how he intended to go about changing things. She could only ask so much, and she wasn't sure much would convince her to turn away from him.
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 31, 2019 18:41:48 GMT -6
He didn’t know, but he didn’t dispute her. Neither could he promise her that no one would get hurt. Someone probably would. It was the kind of risk they would have to take. Their normal lives were dangerous as it was, so he didn’t think the expectation of someone getting hurt was wrong.
Lips turning up the slightest bit, Haywhisker nodded. “Good. I can promise you that you’re doing the right thing.” The cold wind howled outside their little overhang, and it signaled to them that they should return to camp. “It’s getting icy out. We should get home before we’re missed.”
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Post by theatricals on Jan 1, 2020 19:41:04 GMT -6
Chirpsong was at least happy that Haywhisker didn't expect any more of her. She would help where she was needed, and simply be there. It was more than other cats could hope for, given the circumstances. Either way, she was ready to put this conversation to the side and go on like she always had. The she-cat nudged his shoulder, smiling, before she padded ahead of him, on her way back to camp.
(fin~)
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