Go on, Share the Truth (Important Plot Thread!)

[Stormy]

Art by Demonic

This thread is open to all WillowClanners.

To summarize, Oaktalon is going to ask his sister about the father of her kits. When she refuses to respond, he's going to insist that she tell not only him, but the entire Clan, as they deserve openness from their leader. His goal is to spread a seed of doubt in his Clanmates, to help them see what Willowstar is really like. He wants them to know that she is not to be trusted.

Naturally, as many of WillowClan's characters have been born in the 2 years since the Clan has been around and thus have been completely raised here, there will be many who question Oaktalon's little show; on the other hand, older characters may get more of an idea of what's going on.

I can't stress enough how big this is: a Clan full of liars and smooth-talkers witnessing an all-out argument between the leader and deputy. This is enough gossip to last these cats for a few months.

At the end of this little argument, both siblings are going to walk away. Your job is to decide how your character feels and to discuss with other characters. Have fun!

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A snarl rose in Oaktalon's throat and he bared his teeth, his tail lashing and his claws digging into the dirt. Willowstar stood, her chest puffed out, her swollen belly nearly touching the ground.

"Give it up," Willowstar said. "I have every right to not tell you, or anyone else, who the father is."

Oaktalon spat. He shook his pelt and took a few steps back, looking out at the warriors and apprentices who'd gathered so far. "Really? When did WillowClan start following the path of the warrior code? Sure, we follow some rules, but would you consider this lying, this social hierarchy, to be the model of those rules? Give me a break," he said.

"Oaktalon, please, you're making a scene. Is this really appropriate for the deputy? You're making me embarrassed to be related to you," she said. She followed his lead and looked at her Clanmates. She flicked her tail and called out to them, "Warriors, wouldn't you be ashamed to have this cat as your sibling? It's never easy when kin take a dark turn."

"Don't twist this around. If you won't tell us who fathered those damn kits, then you're hiding something, right? Why in the name of StarClan would you bother keeping it a secret if it was a tom you were proud to have mated with? If you had a mate, you wouldn't be so keen to hide it, would you?"

At this, Willowstar gasped. "I can't believe you," she hissed, her composure finally breaking. "Here I am, about to burst any minute, and you're sitting around making accusations. The father of these kits is none of your business, and that is the end of it," she said.

"One of those kits will lead this Clan some day. Everyone here has a right to know who their father is. What if he's a lesser tom, as you'd put it? What if the blood of a murderer runs through those kits' veins? Then what?"

"Do you really not trust me to make the right decisions on this matter?"

"I love you, Willowstar, but anyone--especially a leader--who withholds information from their Clan is obviously making a choice not worth trusting," Oaktalon said.

Willowstar opened her mouth to reply, then huffed and stormed into her den. Oaktalon spat and padded out of camp, the fur on his neck standing straight up.

[Deleted]

Silverpaw just finished talking with another apprentice when she overheard the yelling and shouting from Williowstar and Oaktalon.The queen wouldn't realize the father of her kits.Why would she keep that a secret? Are they half-bloods or even worse kittypet blood?

Many thoughts went through her mind as she saw Oaktalon storm off. She gently walked over and peeked into the leader's den.She was nervous for sure and would probadly get huge whiplash for this. "Willowstar?" She called out low yet gently as she took taking depth to keep herself calm. "Are you okay?" It was a stupid question, but didn't know what else to do."Do you want to talk?" She waited for her answer if any at all. 
 
Stormy, 

[Sloth]

Crowjaw

Willowclan | Warrior

Crowjaw pushed his way out of the warriors den at the sound of raised voices. Arguments were common in the camps clearing, what better way to grab the attention of others than to air out your grievances in front of the entire clan? He'd always found the spectacles a little amusing and as he entered the clearing his green eyes surveyed the camp before landing on the very pregnant frame of Willowstar. He hadn't talked much to the she-cat since getting her pregnant and was content to give her space. It wasn't hard to do, his lack of interest in her and her life apparent by the distance they'd cultivated around one another. Crowjaw managed to catch almost the full scope of the fight and smirked at the angry words the siblings threw back at one another.

The father of these kits is none of your business, and that is the end of it.

Crowjaw remained impassive, his face and body language giving nothing away as he listened; albeit more intensely than his original interest. There they were, arguing about him and Oaktalon nor anyone else in the clan knew it. Crowjaw's eyes shifted to Willowstar and he tilted his head ever so slightly. 'Fascinating.' He thought, his heart thumping with unusual excitement. He didn't really care whether Willowstar kept his identity hidden or not but it was certainly captivating to see her cling to the secret so possessively.

His involvement in her kits creation was not public knowledge and she made if very clear she intended on keeping it that way. Was she ashamed of him; or was this just another ploy for attention? A way to stick a thorn into Oaktalon's side? Crowjaw flicked an ear dismissively, uninterested in the she-cat's true intentions. He was focusing on something else now; something truly and utterly enthralling and he felt a fool for not thinking of it before.

One of those kits will lead this Clan some day.

'Yes they will... I wonder why I didn't see it all before.' He thought as the gears in his head began to turn. Crowjaw's mind started racing with the wicked and twisted truth that only he and Willowstar held. HIS kits would be leader someday and the foolish she-cat had promised him an apprentice out of the bundles resting in her stomach. The taste of the victory to come was sweet on his tongue and he did his best to hide the grin that tried to claw its way onto his face. The dark colored tom felt his heart quicken in anticipation and watched silently as Willowstar and Oaktalon stomped off, each turning from one another and exiting the clearing.

She didn't know it yet but Willowstar had wakened something in Crowjaw he didn't know he possessed. Purpose. And he was not going to let it go to waste.

Stormy @leafstorm @everyone | 475 words

[Deleted]

Flowerpaw flinched in surprise at the sudden yelling in the clearing. Scrambling to her paws, the tortishell she cat quickly walked out into the clearing. Her eyes widened as she saw Willowstar and Oaktalon fighting. ‘Why are they fighting?!’ She thought as she stared in horror at her leader and her deputy. Flowerpaw couldn’t help but gasp as she realized what they were fighting about.

“They’re fighting about who the kits’ father is!” She exclaimed quietly as she fluffed her fur out in surprise. Watching the two stalk across the clearing away from each other, She gulped. She had no clue what was going to happen because of this. Looking around, the she cat decided to walk over to a sunny patch and sit down. She noticed Crowjaw observing everything, and a part of her wondered what his reaction to all of this was. A larger part of her wondered what Cherrypaw would think of this. After all, her sister was always interested in gossip like this.

“You know, I wonder who the father is,” she mused quietly as she stared at Willowstar’s den. She watched Silverpaw peek her head in, eyes widening as fear shot through her. She didn’t interact with Silverpaw all that much, but she would hate to see the other apprentice hurt. Sill, the tortishell wasn’t brave enough to go back her up. She did however decide to move closer to the den, ready to comfort Silverpaw when she came out. She hoped that Willowstar wouldn’t hurt her or punish her for what was most likely an act of kindness.

Stormy,@leafstorm,Sloth,

[Stormy]

(Guys, I wasn't intending to bring Willowstar back into the thread. ^^' The point of this thread is for the Clan to see this argument and for the character to figure out how they feel/discuss everything that happened. I made this to get a start on the plot and let everyone think about where their characters might go in it. I apologize if that wasn't clear enough in the initial post.)

[Deleted]

Pinepaw sat quietly in the shade as he watched the argument unfold. He wasn't much for gossip but the apprentice couldn't deny that this piqued his interest. Are they finally showing their true colours now?

After his father died, Pinepaw had begun to question the workings of the Royal Family. Was it right to blindly follow someone simply because custom demanded it? Does Willowstar truly know what's best for the clan? Does she intend to do what's best for the clan?Indeed, the fact that Willowstar built a successful clan was no small feat, but one success did not equate to a great leader.

Of course, the brown tabby's dislike for the Royal Family wasn't because he's concerned for the well being of his clan, or at least, it wasn't his main reason. His main reason was more of a personal vendetta. His father died because of idiotic pride, his brother is working himself far to hard to fill their father's place, and his sister... well... Under the guidance of their mother, she acted like the perfect WillowClan cat. Pinepaw couldn't completely blame her for it, but he also couldn't stand to be around her for long. Regardless, she was still his sister and he cared about her.

With the argument at an end and the two Royals going their separate ways, Pinepaw felt satisfied. Maybe my clanmates will finally start to open their eyes. WillowClan needs to change. Oaktalon had made some points that the apprentice was content with, but Pinepaw only slightly preferred the deputy over their leader. After all, this was WillowClan, what if Oaktalon was simply planing to seize power for himself? Nevertheless, this put Pinepaw in a good mood, even if his expression didn't show it. Things were about to change.

Captain , @citrus

[Deleted]

Almondfur
Crowjaw (Sloth)

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How peculiar it was to be witness to such a spectacle among clan cats. Coming from the background of a kittypet, Almondfur still had much to learn within this clan. While Cottonberry had done his job on leading him there... It was a painful lesson to know what really laid in the heart of Willowclan. A bunch of beauty-obsessed social crickets, merely rubbing their legs together to oggle at the sound it made. The gears in the young toms mind turned, taking his eyes off the pair of rulers as they parted from their angry dispute. He had little interest for Willowstar or even the news of her kits, they were royal family and out of his class, he knew it to that extent. 

Just as the cream tom expected, gossip began fluttering through the clan like fireflies on a warm summer evening, blinking with bright sounds of excitement and wonder. Even the apprentices, Almondfur thought with an only partly amused purr. Letting his pale green eyes wander, he rested them on the lovely sight of a well known black shape. A tom known as Crowjaw, he had learned to memorize a few names with his moons in the clan. 

He studied the black toms expression and followed it to the entrance of Willowstars den, though eventually chalked it up to nothing but wondering thoughts of the argument that just took place. It was quite a spectacle to the clan after all. Almondfur slid his way closer to the tom, wearing an inquisitive smile as though to blend in with the expressions around him. 

"Interesting day in Willowclan I suppose," he chided with a lulling chuckle, the thick fur of his tail expanding with a warm greeting. Quickly taking a seat near Crowjaw, the almond shaded tom took an idle moment to give his paws a quick wash while murmuring, "I wonder why she's so defensive about it."

Perhaps others could accuse him of gossip and hypocrisy, though there seemed to be a lot of that floating around the clan. If you can't beat them, join them. There was a playful, almost flirtatious glint of humor in his eyes as they observed Crowjaw for his response, though this was common of Almondfur. 

[Deleted]

Silverpaw left as no response coming from the den hoping she didn' make too much of a scene.

Why wouldn't Willowstar tell Oaktalon, her own brother, the father of her kits? Was she that prideful and headstrong or did she break the warrior code?

Surely, her other clanmates were whispering and gossiping about it.Her thoughts shifted over to Oaktalon something was off about him.It was her fur bristle for a second.There was more to the royal family.Flowerpaw was nearby.She needed someone to speak with to clear her mind.

"Hello, Flowerpaw." She purred gently and took a seat nearby her. "What unusual events happened this morning?" 

@silverfire12,




OOC: Sorry, Stormy.

[Deleted]

Flowerpaw chuckled softly as she looked at Silverpaw. “That’s one way to put it,” she said as she looked at Willowstar’s den. “I wonder why she’s so defensive about this,” she mused. “I mean, she’s the queen. No one would dare go after her because the father of the kits wasn’t WillowClan or something,” she said before shaking her head.

“This is a really screwed up situation,” she commented. “Hopefully it resolves itself quickly,” she said before sighing. “Anyways, what do you think the kits will be like?” She asked, changing topics away from the pure drama.

@leafstorm,

[Deleted]

"But it would be trouble in the future." Silverpaw's ticked too and fro. "Kits without knowledge of her the real it spelling with every breath.I hate that fact she would do that without thinking of kits lives.Growing up without their real father.It's Terrible!" She took a deep breath. "I think still be hoping for she-cat so they came act like her when they're old." Her tone was better sweetly."I think Oaktalon is onto something.And we're all in for it." Her hair bristled till is almost told on end and her tail lash about behind her.@silverfire12,

[Deleted]

Flowerpaw sighed heavily. “It will be trouble eventually,” she agreed before frowning. “Hey. Not knowing your father isn’t horrible,” she said. “I still don’t know who my father is, and it’s not that bad,” she said. “But I understand what you’re getting at,” she said. “These kits will have it much worse than Cherrypaw and I did. They’re going to lead the clan and they will be the center of so much gossip,” she said.

The she cats eyes widened as she looked around frantically to see if anyone heard Silverpaw. “Shh, you don’t want anyone to hear you,” she said before sighing. “I do agree with you though. Cherrypaw probably wouldn’t, but I definitely agree,” she said before lowering her voice. “Honestly, I wonder if she’s, you know, fit to rule,” she said, gesturing to Willowstar’s den. “She seems to be very... unstable I guess.”

@blackquill,

[Deleted]

Silverpaw calmed herself and herself to a tranquil state. "She had more than unstable." She glared daggers at the Leader's den and dropped her voice to whisper."She is a power-crazed she-cat." She slowly lowered her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you had such a fate." Her lumped formed in her stomach."I fear for the kits, I fear for the father, I fear for Oaktalon, also I fear for the clan." She licked the side of her forearm to eliminate few pieces of dirt. "Whatever happens I know Willowclan will make it, though." A light smile busted the looked of dismay of face. @silverfire12,   

[Mal]

Lilacclaw

Lilacclaw had expected an ordinary day. Well wasn't she pleasantly surprised to find herself in camp when a royal argument broke out. Now that would lead to a lot of juicy drama in the upcoming days. The very thought had the she-cat shiver in anticipation. Lilacclaw may not find herself useful for much, but dealings in gossip was a specialty of hers.

The sickly thin molly stared at Willowstar and Oaktalon with thirst in her eyes. Thirst for every single word that dripped from their lips. Thirst for the insults, accusations, insinuations. Was Willowstar a traitor to her own clan? Even so, why would she hide the sire of her kin? Lilacclaw was skeptical of her Queen's intentions. Oaktalon was right, one of those kits would become leader one day... what if she had mated with a commoner? The thought was interesting but discussed Lilacclaw nonetheless. Once the shouting was over and the deputy stormed out of the camp, the diluted calico looked around for any clanmate close enough to begin gossiping with. There... she saw who she'd pester...

"Interesting. That's what you call it?" Lilacclaw all but scoffed at the once kitty-pet. It seemed she had caught sight of the warriors in time to hear that interesting comment. Perhaps Almondfur was expressing discretion, or perhaps he was expressing an outsider's view of the political significance the argument signified. But she decided to ignore that comment... for now. 

"Oh, my dear, why do you think she's defensive? Can't you imagine the shame of the royal family having bastard kits? And one that will lead the clan some day, to boot." Lilacclaw put on a face of concern and animated interest. "Who do you think the father is?" She asked aloud, but made a point to stare at Crowjaw who, up until this point, had yet to say a single word. "Crowjaw?"

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[Words: 312]
[Tags: Stormy,Sloth,@lunaticfurball]
[Notes: xx]

[Captain]

Wavepaw was torn. He had walked back to camp, only to fall into a major argument. His mentor, Oaktalon was full of rage and hurled accusations towards Willowstar. Wavepaw was obligated to side with Willowstar, but he was also supposed to follow Oaktalon. Royals are always right. That was the lesson his father taught from day one. Yet when two royals argued, it implied that one was wrong. A royal can't be wrong.

Wavepaw couldn't comprehend what was happening and he frantically look around at at the faces of his clanmates. He needed something, anything to tell him what was going on. There was Silverpaw, a fellow apprentice, who had gone towards their leader. Did she think Willowstar was right? He needed more to decide how to feel; however, the other cats gave away nothing in their expressions. Flowerpaw looked just as surprised as Wavepaw was, so she wouldn't be much help.

Meanwhile Crowjaw, Almondfur, and Lilacclaw had gathered together to discuss what they thought, but Wavepaw gave them little mind. He had spotted the shaded figure of his brother and was already on his way over. As he neared, Wavepaw could spot something in Pinepaw’s eyes. Wait, actually he didn't see anything: because Pinepaw couldn't be happy when wo royals were warring.

“Pinepaw.” Wavepaw said breathlessly as he got close enough. “Pinepaw.” He didn't know what else to say, and just sat beside him. The cool shade was colder than usual and he felt like shivering.

“What's going on?” He mused to himself, his eyes stuck onto his paws. “Why are they fighting? They're siblings…”

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Notes: Not foreshading at all
Tags: @blackquill ,

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[Deleted]

Quailpaw couldn't believe what she was witnessing. She padded her way out of the Apprentice's Den, only for an argument to erupt between Oaktalon and Willowstar - the two cats she had expected the least, out of all of Willowclan, to be caught airing their grievances out in public. The comment about kin taking a 'dark turn' left an odd stab in her chest, but she still drank in every angry word - every pointed accusation - attentively. Once the royal siblings left, the apprentice took in a sharp breath.

Cats of all ages began to fill the silence with their own speculations. Oaktalon's aggression felt out of line, maybe, but he did bring up a good point: Why bother hiding the identity of the father in the first place? What could she have to hide? Starclan, even those questions felt utterly scandalous. Quailpaw looked around the camp with uncertainty. What would Mother do?

In the end, her paws lead her to the most familiar faces in the crowd: her brothers. By the time she decided to move her paws, Wavepaw was already there, murmuring away while Pinepaw looked to be deep in thought. When was the last time she'd held a proper conversation with these two? "Hello, brothers. This is quite the situation we have on our paws, isn't it? I mean, siblings fight all the time--" she tried not to let any bitterness seep into her voice, "But Willowstar and Oaktalon? And in public, too. You do have to wonder just what's going on."

@blackquill, Captain