alien blues & . meeting, apprentice ceremonies

[CICADASTAR]

− ♱ ABOUT : morning. the sun beams high, sending streaks of pink - blue across the blinding heavens. the man strolls from his den with a large yawn, exposing ivory teeth before venturing towards the river rock, exhaustion slowing his steps. after a night of contemplation, he had at least an inkling of who to pair together. after last night's incident, he was happy to get some of the younger cats moving about with warriors he trusted. there was a new danger out there, and they all had to prepare accordingly. the bitterness he feels upon it being thought up by a kittypet . . his ears twitch back, pausing just beneath the stone to stare up at its flat upper surface. they needed this. the border scuffle with windclan had shown that enough.

with an age - telling grunt, the man bunches his muscles and leaps, landing gracefully despite the way his claws extend," may everyone old enough to swim gather beneath the river rock for apprentice ceremonies. " the man calls, settling and wrapping his tail neatly around snowy paws. river water sparkles at his back, willow billowing gently on the soft, late greenleaf wind. a smile dances upon his maw, momentarily pushing worry away from the forefront of his mind, " and all young cats, please step forward. "

out of character information translations

• all remaining warriors without a two - part name will also receive theirs during this meeting!
• − CICADASTAR ; he / him. roughly thirty seven months old, riverclan leader
  − handsome, lanky black smoke tortie chimera with curly fur and icy blue eyes
  − gay. speaks with a thick german accent, former marsh cat, penned by antlers
• none.

​

​

 

[Foxpaw—]

Fox's heart is still heavy after RiverClan's departure from the Gathering. She had been excited to see Froggy and Rocky and her other siblings, but the rift that's begun to separate them is more apparent than ever. ShadowClan has erected borders around their territory and forbidden other Clan cats from entering through them. Her siblings, too, are bigger, different, growing into their own paws -- and they have rightfully become angry with her for leaving them.

What have I done? Sad amber eyes move to the dawn sky, seeking stars that have faded with the moon. Dewdrop would not have wanted her to leave the other kits, surely... and yet she had done it out of her own cowardice, her own selfish greed.

She gives her long calico fur a shake and turns an attentive gaze to Cicadastar. The lanky dark and silver tom has crested the River Rock, asking the young cats to step forward. She glances around, assuming she's meant to be one of the young cats, and steps beneath the lip of the stone. She gazes at him thoughtfully, wondering what the announcement is for. Perhaps some of the kits got into more trouble while they were gone...
​

PENNED BY MARQUETTE​

 

[THORNPAW ★]

❝ It is with his oppressive height at his full disposal that Thornpaw settles closely beside Foxpaw. The direction of light casts a shadow over her, protective and heavy at once, as he watches Cicadastar with careful apathy. The seclusion of RiverClan was entirely his doing. They were being shepherded away from all that they had known and into the pages of some unknown future. He, for one, welcomes it. They don't deserve you, he had told Foxpaw. We're your family now. What he means is, I am all that you need. When he presses in against the smaller molly's shoulder, the gesture itself seems to repeat the words. I am all that you need. Even then, his amber eyes do not leave the RiverClan leader, with a silent challenge in his apathy.

He ducks his head low to Foxpaw's ear. "Bet you a fish this is another one of his hairbrained loyalty things," he mutters to her, quiet as can be and without any expression to betray the topic of his thoughts to any other until his mouth quirks and his eyes crinkle at the corners.

†  ooc notes information †

• 
  ooc: thorn is gonna be mentored by an npc named whitethroat for now! AND A BIG IC OPINIONS OFC.... sorry he's like this.
• THORNPAW. snarky apprentice of riverclan, at least for now.
  ──── uses he - him - his and will not acknowledge others.
  ──── eight moons old. formerly a marsh group member.
  ──── sexuality unknown, seems uninterested in everyone.
  
  a tall, lanky brown tabby with ragged ears and intense amber eyes. though he carries himself with predatory certainty, his shoulders are often hunched and his body low as if to make himself smaller.
• "speech"

​

 

[Harry Styles]

A S H K I T

---

Ashkit pads forward, nervous, uncertain-- her orange tabby pelt all puffed up and frizzy, still kitten-fluff. All young cats, Cicadastar had called. Apprentice ceremonies.

She bounces in place, glances around the sandy clearing, glass-green eyes scanning her gathered clanmates. There are bunches of kittens just younger than she is, ears perked and curious heads cocked to the side, creeping forward like she does. And there are big kids and grown-ups, too. Lots of them. All raising their eyes to Cicadastar.

Liebling, he's called her-- has murmured her name with soft eyes and a soft voice-- has hooked her chest and pulled her away from spitting-angry WindClanners-- has crouched low and tapped her nose with one tender white-capped paw. Always gentling himself for her. Now he stands tall and proud above the clan, upon the River Rock. This is the place where, in Ashkit's mind, he is most Cicadastar-- the ruthlessly protective leader. She knows the gentle part of him is still there, though. It just hides sometimes.

She sits herself down next to Foxpaw. Foxpaw is nice. And in a crowd this big, she feels a lot better next to a big kid, a girl who sometimes acts almost like an older sister to Ash-- the kitten remembers her plan to raid Beesong's herbs, how Fox had jumped in, eyes alight. She doesn't catch what Thornpaw mutters-- just shifts a little closer and whispers to Fox, "I'm kinda nervous."

Ash isn't a very good whisperer, so her words carry, easily overheard.
​

—— i found gold in the wreckage

​

ooc quick tags

• can u tell that ash loves her clanmates ... can u​
• - 3 month old orange tabby with green eyes
  - will bite you
  - and then apologize bc she's trying to be good, really, she is
  - latches onto anyone who shows her affection ​

 

[SMOKESTAR]

"No one is in trouble." His voice comes as a low rumble, accompanied by the faintest crunch of paws upon pebbled sand and soft ground. Smokethroat paused briefly alongside Foxpaw and Ashkit with a polite nod before continuing to walk forward and off to the side to better listen in without being near the crowd that was soon to form from the leader's call. He was already acutely aware of what was to happen. Before the thunderous distruption that ended their last discussion Cicadastar had mentioned it and he was still unsure how to feel. On one paw it was a useful method of training the youth, Mudpelt and Icesparkle's kits were old enough now to start learning and needed some kind of guidance. On the other paw he was...nervous. Horribly nervous. Overwhelmingly nervous.
There was a small chance he'd be asked to train and guide a youngster, to put their life in his paws on every camp outing and ensuing battle. To talk to them, work with them, socialize on the daily. The dark warrior's expression was blank, neutral, but his eyes were wide and burning intensely as he waited.
Maybe he was worrying over nothing. Still...



​

 

[willowroot]

( ♬ ) willowroot has some kind of feeling that whatever is about to happen will happen chaotically. riverclan seems to be known for their rambunctious youth, and giving the little ones specific warriors to look after them is, while a smart idea, one that takes time to implement. they can't imagine the difficulty that comes with assessing a child's personality and accurately matching it with a suiting mentor. still, they've been notified of their duties to their charges, and they'll perform them to the best of their abilities.

as the children of the clan begin to gather, fondness sparkles in the emerald gaze of the lead warrior. she settles close but not immediately next to the gaggle of new apprentices who are whispering among themselves. as they step forward, willowroot watches, a soft smile on her maw. it's good to see the youth taking charge. riverclan will need strong foundations should it survive past its living members. ​

( THE LIGHT YOU GAVE ME )

 

[LAGOONPADDLE]

Lagoon doesn't typically take part in the shenanigans of the youngest RiverClanners, and yet she is still grouped with them in Cicadastar's eyes. She doesn't understand why - she's sure she's old enough to know just as much as the rest of RiverClan, if not more.

But the booming noise that interrupted the previous day's meeting had Lagoon cowering in her designated den - an order from the leader, taken to heart. All youth, queens, and elders. The calico was neither a queen, nor an elder. The noise and her fear towards it was a reminder of how young she truly is, that there's more to the world than the ten moons of life she's already lived.

It's a realization that, maybe she didn't know everything. Maybe there was more for her to learn, after all.

Because, the noise from last night wasn't thunder. It was something far more terrifying.

The calico sits at the front of the crowd, beside the rest of the youth in the clan. She isn't too sure what's about to happen, but from the demeanor of those next to her, they don't seem too sure either.
​

 

[GILLSIGHT]

The black and white kit finds his place beside Ash, golden eyes wide as he stares up at the River Rock, at Cicadastar.

He isn't too sure if he's meant to be here. Sure, he's old enough to learn how to swim, in RiverClan's, but his mother always told him he was too small to learn. So, would that mean he should be here, or not? He's not sure, but seeing Ash at the front of the River Rock's audience makes him think he is.

Ash is trying to speak to Fox, but her whispers are loud enough for Gill to here on the opposite side of her. Ash didn't seem like she was all that great at whispering.

"D-Don't be... D-Don't be n-nervous!" he tells her, trying his best to be reassuring, but his own nerves are evident - the stutter in his voice stronger than usual, paws shifting below him as he waited for RiverClan's leader to continue speaking. What was Cicadastar going to do? Why did he need all the youngest at the front of the audience? Was he going to yell at Gill for even being here, because he doesn't know how to swim? Gill sure hopes not.
​

 

[Chirping Bird]

NOTHING LIKE HOME AND GRANDMA'S KISSES​

---

The old she-cat moved closer as the leader called the youth of the clan forward. She kept to the back as she watched. Her heart swelled at the idea that Riverclan would be training their young for the future. She felt lucky that she gets to watch them grow. Chirping Bird had seen so many cats come and go. Now she was a part of a home where cats stay. The elder settled in her spot and waited for the leader to continue. ""​

 

[LAKEMOON]

✵ ღ ☾ IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE - Cicadastar's call for a meeting immediately drew Azalea forth. She had been anticipating this moment, much like many of her peers. Though, she knew what her name was to be, she made sure to pick it herself after long hours spent mulling over the situation.
Her gaze is unreadable, narrowed as usual while the rest of her expression is seemingly relaxed.
She is sitting a good distance away from Fox, after their brief adventure it seemed the calico had made a point to avoid the blue tabby.
Good. She thought, yet her gaze still drifted towards her, she looked troubled.
Quickly, she slid her gaze from Fox to Cicadastar. Azalea didn't care, she hardly cared for anything at the moment.
I need to focus on training anyways. Who else is going to be the best?
❝ Speech. ❞

THE HATRED IN HER EYES​

​

 

[ICESPARKLE]

All young cats? Icesparkle had settled in the corner nearest to the nursery, her fur trailing glittering drops of water from her morning dive – to cool herself and sooth her mind, she'd called it. At once, her eyes snapped towards her youngest litter; surely they were still too small, she couldn't help but worry. Fernkit was still so small...
​

 

[CLAYFUR]

The leader's call has become familiar to Clayfur, and he trots over to join the gathered group before Cicada with a small sigh. There's still those cutting words that the leader uses—everyone old enough to swim. As if those who can't swim are somehow unworthy. Or maybe he's taking the small remark too personally. Apprentice ceremonies sound interesting, though, and when Cicadastar calls forth all the young cats, Clay's gaze flits to his nieces and nephews. Are they in trouble? He catches sight of Ashkit and Gill as well, both seeming equally nervous. Fox and Azalea, along with Lagoon and Thorn, all sit around the area. There are a lot more young cats in RiverClan than he anticipated, actually.

He settles down near the nursery a tail-length or two away from his sister, offering Icesparkle a warm smile. Then his focus returns to the mottled leader, anxiously awaiting Cicada's next words.
​

[ WHAT'S MY AGE AGAIN? ]​

​

 

[SMOGBREATH]

Hearing Cicada's call always makes him nervous, simply because he isn't sure if the other will be angry or not. Still it takes him little time to actually move himself closer to there the other cats are gathering. But he keeps himself near the back, eyes flicking up from his paws every now and then as the young cats begin to make their way through the throng of cats. After all he did call for the young ones and he wonders what that all means. Shifting he looks at the kits and those older, seeing some with anticipation and some with worry and Smokethroat tells them that no one is in trouble which he himself hopes is the truth. Settling down he curls his slender tail around himself and lifts his eyes away from others finally to look at the leader himself. Whatever this is he is sure that no one is angry, and no one is in trouble.

---

​

 

[LILYBLOOM.]

At the sound of her leader's voice, Lilybloom quietly gathers below the River Rock to hear what he has to say. Apprentice ceremonies...that would be interesting to say the least if only to see who might get paired up with who. Her only concern was when Cicadastar called for all the young cats of the clan, her gaze immediately shifting in the direction of the nursery, thinking of her younger siblings who seemed far too young to begin training in earnest.​

 

[LIGHTNINGSTONE]

Lightningstone swiftly moves towards the River Rock at the sound of his leader's call. He takes a seat near Buckgait - his appointed position of her chaperone was something he unfortunately has to take seriously, so he makes sure to keep the molly in his peripheral vision as he watches Cicadastar with a neutral expression. Part of him hopes he is to receive an apprentice - he recalls hearing about them at the Gathering, something Emberstar started doing. Despite what many might believe, he somewhat enjoyed the company of young cats.​

 

[CICADASTAR]

− ♱ ABOUT : pawstep by pawstep, the cats of riverclan draw forth. the young beam forward, bright - eyed and brimming with nervous energy. they had all come so far, even since the incident at the border. he takes a deep breath ; there are things he needs to finish up before continuing on to apprenticeships . . perhaps he was stalling, in his own way. a breath in time, a stillness. a new generation rises now, and they stare up at him with bright eyes. still, he turns his head, addressing the crowd, " before we move on, i'd like to take a moment to give the remaining few their new names. their beginnings. " he's lighter, now. healthier than when those words had first fallen from his maw, brittle and red - hot with rage, " i, cicadastar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down proudly upon these cats, who have trained and fought in your honor. " the mottled leader begins, finding each of the remaining warriors in the crowd, "do you promise to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

i do.

" then by the power invested in me by the stars above, i give you your new names.

hound, from this day on, you will be known as houndsnarl − for your ferocity in battle.

spider, you will now be known as spiderfall, for your talent in overhead attacks.

cretin, you will now be known as smogbreath, for your stealth, silent in the fog.

reed, you will now be known as reedrunner, named for your speed and agility. "

his attention finally, fully, turns to the youth lined up before river rock.

" and now . . as i mentioned last night, we will be beginning our mentorships today. from here on out, all young cats will train under a mentor until twelve months of age − in which they will undergo an assessment to become a full warrior of riverclan. " he takes a breath. the point leader was . . alright, for a former kittypet. his jaw twitches, but his smile doesn't fade, " as implemented by emberstar of thunderclan, all apprentices will be taking on the -paw suffix until they earn their full name, symbolizing their path to warriorhood. "

" azalea, from this day forward you will be known as lakepaw. your mentor will be houndsnarl. " he knew the young molly would learn well from him, if he led her in the same way he had him.

" fernkit, from this day forward you will be known as fernpaw. your mentor will be mudpelt. " the boy's father. pallid luminaries drift toward the brown - pelted tom, eyes soft. they would do well together.

" mandrake, from this day forward you will be known as mandrakepaw. your mentor will be chamomilewater. " he hoped chamomile would pass on the knowledge that would make mandrakepaw a stunning riverclanner.

" raccoon, from this day forward you will be known as raccoonpaw. your mentor will be cascadesong. " he knew the young molly would learn well from him, if he led her in the same way he had him.

" frost, from this day forward you will be known as frostpaw. your mentor will be claydust. " he knew the young molly would learn well from him, if he led her in the same way he had him.

" iciclekit, from this day forward you will be known as iciclepaw. your mentor will be smokethroat. " his lead warrior, a trusted hand. the white - splotched tom was awkward at times, but he would not steer the young molly wrong.

" ashkit, from this day forward you will be known as ashpaw. steepkit, from this day forward you will be known as steeppaw. willowroot will train you both." the smoke spent enough time with ashkit to know how to handle the young feline, and they knew better than anyone to keep her aside them. he hopes desperately that she behaves with her newfound freedom, and he had a feeling she would with will overlooking. steeppaw was a confident girl, and the lead warrior would hone that into a stellar riverclan warrior. he was confident.

" thorn, from this day forward you will be known as thornpaw. your mentor will be whitethroat. " his eyes trail on him, where he's situated aside fox. he's tall, looming compared to the long - furred molly. the man blinks, happy she's found a friend − she'd been so gloomy, as good a reason as she had to be.

" gill, from this day forward you will be known as gillpaw. your mentor will be clearsight. " clearsight. the blue - silver tom was adept at navigating the river ; brave, strong. he would teach him well.

" lagoon, from this day forward you will be known as lagoonpaw. your mentor will be smogbreath. " the tom was flighty, skittish. he would be watching them closely, but he'd not been given any reason not to trust him.

" darkkit, from this day forward you will be known as darkpaw. your mentor will be reedrunner. " reedrunner was . . learning. it would be an adjustment, but he had faith in him.

" peachkit, from this day forward you will be known as peachpaw. your mentor will be clayfur. " the clumsy tom could hold his own, regardless of how anxious he tended to be. the man didn't know too much about him, but he would be a good figure for the dilute molly to look to.

" and lastly, fox. from this day forward, you will be known as foxpaw − and you will be mentored by me . " with that, the man leaps from the rock, approaching the molly and dipping his head, attempting to touch his nose briefly to hers. a greeting. a promise. a mentor. the meeting was done, and he now gives his clan their moment of celebration ; to chant names, to let mentors find their charges. with him being so close, the curly - fired tortoiseshell sends thornpaw a small smile in greeting. if the two were so close, he would be seeing more of him now.

a friend of his apprentice would be a friend of his.

out of character information translations

• − CICADASTAR ; he / him. roughly thirty seven months old, riverclan leader
  − handsome, lanky black smoke tortie chimera with curly fur and icy blue eyes
  − gay. speaks with a thick german accent, former marsh cat, penned by antlers
• none.

​

​

 

[Harry Styles]

A S H P A W.

She doesn't know what last night's vicious thunder entails-- doesn't have room in her to care in the wake of something so exhilarating as apprenticeship.

Hearing the Clan call out her new name has Ash shaking with excitement, and she turns bright green eyes to Willowroot, her new mentor.

Mentor!

Ashki- Ashpaw can hardly breathe she's so thrilled, dreaming of what apprenticeship gives rise to. Leaving the camp, going on adventures, learning to swim! It's serious business, she's sure-- dangerous, even-- but Ash can only think of how fun it'll be. She's gonna be the best and bravest apprentice ever. She feels invincible as she always has, like nothing can touch her-- and under Willowroot's watchful eye, what could? The lead warrior is so cool and amazing and strong, and now Ashpaw's gonna learn to be just like her!

The little red tabby knows that whatever apprenticeship brings, it won't slow her down for a second.
​

—— " i found gold in the wreckage "

✦ ooc ✦ character information ✦ recent events

• ooc text goes here
• - 3 month old orange tabby with green eyes
  - apprenticed to lead warrior willowroot
  - happy-go-lucky, mischievous, hardworking
  - very friendly, but defensive of riverclan!
  - "speech"
• - made friends with an ant. named it Rock

​

 

[FERNGILL]

Fernkit- Fernpaw- how would he ever remember? This day- the day he'd have to leave the comfort of the home that had always been so homely, had been one he had been... not nervous for, but not excited for either. It was a weird feeling of both and neither at the same time, but there was comfort that came with the change- his mentor, his teacher and his guardian... Mudpelt. His father.

That was good. That was great, even! His dad was big and strong, much bigger and much stronger than him, and if he copied everything that Mudpelt did then he would be just as awe-striking as him! And, under no-one else's care would Fernpaw feel safer than his father's. There was no-one in the clan who knew him better than his dad, except maybe his mum. Icesparkle was granted a glance, a grin, as he looked hopefully back at her before settling all his attention onto his father, gleeful. Perhaps not the most professional acceptance of this new layer to their relationship, Fernpaw nuzzled his head against his father's leg affectionately.​

( penned by pin )​

 

[SMOGBREATH]

For some reason he is so tense, unsure of what this meeting means for him and the rest of the clan. His paws press against the ground and he tries to think positive but he has never truly been the type to have much of that in his life. Still he is here and he wants to be of some use to the group that has taken him in and actually given him a place to stay. Holding his breath he steps forth slightly, tail tucked between his legs and he listens. He does. He can give his life to Riverclan. And then his name is changed. Smogbreath. It's strange in his mind and he thinks too it will be strange on his tongue. And even more so he is shocked and surprised as things go on to be given an apprentice.

"Ah..Cicadastar, are you....sure?" His voice is fleeting and he suddenly shuts his mouth with a snap. Who is he to challenge what his leader thinks is right. Glancing to Lagoonpaw then he tries to give a smile, lopsided and ugly face trying. They will work together. He can do this.

---

​

 

[REEDRUNNER]

( ⚘ )Reedrunner? Oh, they were getting a new name too? They supposed it made sense. Reedrunner sat amongst those gathered and blinked at the cinder-split leader atop the river rock. It smoothed a little bit of pride down their pelt, an acknowledgement of their speed.

What was truly a surprise however, was that the feline was granted an apprentice. A mask of shock and horror was quickly painted onto Reedrunner's face, eyes round and mouth ajar. Them- teach? The eerily stiff expression was swung towards the named apprentice, a leggy dark tom that they mildly connected to Mudpelt and Icesparkle.

"...Ahh- okay. Um, so, Dark-kit- uh-paw..." It was all a muddle, their voice, their breath, their thoughts. Snapping taut jaw and lids shut, the new mentor took a moment to gather themself. A manic paw was whipped across their chestnut nose. All attempts to greet the apprentice lost, Reedrunner simply bobbed their nose to catch Darkpaws as they saw the other mentors do. A bad start.​