Is It Bad I'd Like to Live Again?

[Rebecca]

Littlestorm laughed wryly. Whatever they didn't know wasn't important, eh?

"I do agree. You don't know if they are trustworthy until they prove themselves, and until then their alleigances could lie anywhere. Of course I suppose sometimes oppurtunities to prove yourself don't come up until you are the leader or deputy, and if you didn't choose a cat for a position based on paranoia you would never get anywhere."
He meowed with a small shrug.

[Cloud]

Dottedfoot was surprised. No cat had paid her a compliment like that in a long, long time. "Thank you." She said with awe and gratitude. "I hope you're right." Sitting there happily mulling over the kind brown tabby's words, the whole medicine discussion went right over her head.

However, when the whole rank issue came up, she was depressed again. No contest over what rank she'd be picked for. Elder, elder, and elder again. Not that it bothered her, - well, she tried to pretend it didn't - but she didn't feel like she'd be such a great addition to a Clan, even though she wanted one so badly. A conundrum for sure.

"True. Cons should have more faith in the idea of leaders, and yeah, assigning ranks is hard, I guess...no cat is perfect, but if we all work hard and chip in a Clan would be the right place for everyone - even cons, if they would let themselves see it."

[Ten]

"Paranoia can inhibit progress, yes..." Woodstripe was unsure what to make of the tom, hiding the slight pull-back of her head with a conceding nod. "While many cats still have their doubts, I doubt many are paranoid enough not to see merit in any cat. There are opportunities for proving said merit outside of full responsibility over a Clan. I maintain that a cat's daily behavior and remarks can be a clear indicator of their character and thus their integrity and leadership ability. Of course, nothing puts them to the true test like real responsibilities and choices, yet we can observe character in everyday actions, can we not?" She directed her question to all present, expecting both the crippled lady and the little squirt to commend her wisdom. Woodstripe derived a special pleasure in uniting cats of apparent difference. This was a quality of a good leader.

"Now Dottedfoot, allow me to say that do not often aim to press my thoughts on others or insist too loudly on the correctness of my opinions, but I must express my certainty in this matter. Every cat can be a boon to another, and you are no exception. In fact, you are most well-spoken, not to mention in the right. Our ancestors were all a Clan once, and we will all be a Clan once more. 'Con' is only a word for a cat who is yet to realize this."

[duckyaisha]

Dingypaw trudged through the sand, her aching paws kicking up tan clouds of the stuff with every dragging pawstep. She didn't have the energy to actually lift up her paws, so she just tried to avoid getting any of the sand in her eyes. For a second she paused, seeing a few blurry shapes nearby. They were bigger than rats, so it must be a gathering of cats. Her heart leapt and her stomach growled. Surely there'd be food and rest, unless they were heartless cons. Increasing her pace, the she-cat trotted swiftly- well, about as swiftly as she could trot, at this point- towards the group. Her nose identified the group before her old eyes could make out the details, and she smelled Woodstripe's scent mixed with that of a few strangers. Woodstripe was a nice young she-cat, very sensible, and she was also the leader of the experiment. She always had a plan.

A mixture of voices reached her ears as she neared the group; as she came even closer she realized it was a debate of some sort. Panting from her run, the elder nearly dragged herself into the midst of things, flopping down next to Woodstripe. "Wuzgoinon?" she asked breathlessly, exhaustion slurring her words.

[Cloud]

Dottedfoot blinked as another cat flopped down next to Woodstripe. She could swear she knew that dark gray fur, the matted sand in it...Dingypaw! Of course. A fellow Clanner, and like her, old. The gray and white she-cat felt slightly more comfortable for it. Trying to sound as friendly as possible, she said, "Hi there. We're talking about how we assign ranks in Clans, yeah...but for some it's much easier deciding than others..." And she mumbled and looked away again. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why shouldn't she get over the fact that her leg was broken? It had been seasons since it'd happened, darn it. Still the feeling persisted.

[duckyaisha]

Dingypaw shrugged. "Shouldn't be that hard. There's your kits, of course, and apprentices. Warriors are easy too. The deputy and leader, that's a little more tricky to decide, but if you just take time to think about it, it's not hard either. Leader's the one with the ability to lead, of course, and some basic hunting and fighting skills, charismatic, you get the picture. And then the leader and warriors together decide on who the deputy should be. Old cats who can't hunt for themselves, those are the elders. I don't really see what you could be confused about." She hoped Dottedfoot wasn't arguing for more elder independence. Sure, she didn't want to be completely confined, but if she managed to convince Woodstripe that the elders didn't need to be fed, it would not end well for her.

[Ten]

"Why, Dingypaw..." Woodstripe looked down at the new arrival and assumed this was a normal entrance for her. "Glad you could join us." She nodded at Dottedfoot. "Yes, we were agreeing that without a careful study of character, knowing who to trust is impossible. Many cats are hesitant to pick a leader because of their fears. It takes a cat who can soothe those fears to unite them under her (or his) leadership. Forgive me; have you met Dottedfoot, Dingypaw? I have found she is quite the congenial she-cat, with elocution we must not underestimate."


ooc| I love how Dottedfoot's all ... >> ... and Dingypaw's like

[Rebecca]

Littlestorm silently listened to the conversation, blinking at Dingypaw's words. How could she breeze over choosing a leader and deputy so quickly? Yes, she had said that if you thought about it for awhile it wasn't that hard, but that was just it. "Awhile" didn't cut it for the amount of time one should take to choose a leader. One should take a long amount of time when deciding such a position. They wouldn't want a repeat of the last leader and deputy...

"Hello,"
Littlestorm meowed with a curt nod to Dingypaw.
"I'm Littlestorm. I don't think it's a matter of confusion, I just think that you shouldn't take choosing a leader and deputy lightly. Yes, there may be a cat who can soothe fears but does that really make them qualified to lead?"
He meowed, facing Woodstripe.
"They may just be another smooth talker who really doesn't know how to lead but instead, how to say what people want to hear. However there's always the chance that they do know what they're doing."

[Ten]

Woodstripe nodded, continuing to emphasize her agreement with Littlestorm even as he questioned her. "Yes, we must be wary of those who are all talk with no truth to back them. Also, we must not select a leader who is not a skilled enough speaker to calm, unite, or rally." She raised her striped head, facing the wall, and her green eyes grew foggy with other thoughts. "We must all be on the look out for the one who does, as you say, know what they're doing."

[duckyaisha]

Congenial? Elocution? Was Woodstripe trying to confuse her by using big words she didn't know the meanings of? This might be one of those things that you want to look out for in potential leaders. Using big words to fool other cats. What if they said a word that sounded like it meant helpful but it actually meant greedy? Or something of the sort. She was just about to tell Woodstripe about this, when she realized that it might make her seem stupid in the she-cat's eyes. An elder cat who didn't know what elocution means? She had never been shy about voicing her opinion before, but this was different. She made a mental note to ask another cat what it meant as soon as this argument ended.
"I agree with Woodstripe. We need someone who can talk the Clan into or out of action, but they also need to be able to fight and hunt and lead. Otherwise they're just using that leader position for their own benefit, and not the benefit of the Clan. The whoe problem of corrupt leaders, however, isn't really a problem. It's simple. The instant a leader is revealed as corrupt, the rest of the Clan takes him down. It'll be ten cats against one. Even Speckledclaw wouldn't stand a chance."

OOc: I actually do know what congenial means....but not elocution.