┌─────────────────── ☽【❖】☾ ───────────────────┐
When he first hears Sootstar's call, to gather once again the base of the Tallrock, for once, Luckypaw doesn't wish to heed it; how easy it would be to stay curled up in his nest, evading sleep and duty alike, he thinks. It's like a whirlwind had descended upon them all these past few days, tearing his world to shreds, and now more than ever he feels unprepared to face the future. Of course, even if he hesitates a little longer than usual, burying his nose into the scent of his nest (one last time, maybe), he doesn't delay long enough to miss the beginnings of the meeting - perhaps one of the most important meetings he'll attend, even if it's just a formality at this point. They've all already been selected to go; all that's left is the journey itself. Heavy paws carry him over to stand near Scorchpaw and Scorchstreak, not saying a word as he settles into place for fear that his nerves will get the better of him. Even in the wake of everything that's happened - or, perhaps, even because of everything that's happened - he's unable to quell the fear in his heart, and the deputy-sized hole in there certainly doesn't help. Pointedly, he refrains from staring at that empty spot, though the only reason it doesn't consume his every thought is the very announcement that Sootstar wastes no time getting to.
His first gathering, and this is how it's going to go, huh? Preparing for a perilous journey, one he might not return from, with cats from other Clans, not to mention, and he wouldn't even get to be by his mentor's side? Instinctively, he seeks out the grave-dark and stark-white tunneler in the crowd, wanting to stand by her side one more time. Maybe they would have some tips for him, about what gatherings were like and how to conduct himself, though he's certain it will feel paltry in comparison to the real thing. Later, once they were dismissed to say their final farewells, he would seek Cygnetstare out, exchange words that couldn't possibly hope to convey the weight of what's to come, but for now Luckypaw stays glued to the spot, waiting for whatever was to come next. It's a surprise when Sootstar calls upon Mousepaw, but really, it shouldn't be - he's almost of warrior-age anyways, and besides, it's probably best to hold his warrior ceremony now, just in case. A moon ago, he would have found himself wondering about his own ceremony, fretting over what name he might be given, and even still he does, though his thoughts are tainted by musings of whether he'd make it back to have one - and this, this feels more real than any other worry he's had before, more possible.
The air is thick with tension, with nerves and anticipation and a hundred other things he couldn't name, but it feels a little lighter when Mousepaw is dubbed Mouseflight, his new name spoken aloud for the first time. They weren't especially close, not really, but working in the tunnels gave Luckypaw a sense of kinship that managed to drag his voice up out of wherever it had gone to hide. "Mouseflight...Mouseflight!" Rusty at first, uncertain, his voice picks up a little more life the second time, not wanting to ruin Mouseflight's ceremony. The new warrior didn't deserve that, not when he had surely worked so hard as of late to prove himself worthy of being named, and being named early, at that. While he doubts that Mouseflight would look his way, he'd still try to offer a small smile that he didn't particularly feel in his heart. Once the cheering finally dies down, he prepares himself to head off, spend what little time he has left with friends and acquaintances alike, with the scent of WindClan all around him, but Sootstar still does not dismiss them. What else could she have to announce, he wonders? What more is there to say when time feels so short? That's all, she says, but. But.
What comes next feels like a claw in his heart, dismay tugging at him. She had chosen a new deputy, already? Like so many others, he's sure, his gaze darts towards Sunstride, and he can't help but stare, even as Sunstride affirms his loyalty. It's not that he holds any particular distaste for the tom, and, of course, he isn't foolish enough to think this day would never come, but...it feels so soon, so quick, as though Sootstar were trying to cover up any remaining memory of Badgermoon. Maybe she was; maybe, just maybe, it was for the best. The sooner he forgot, the sooner it would stop hurting, or at least that's what he hoped would happen. Still, even as he takes in the sun-dappled new deputy, he can't help but wonder if he, too, will end up betraying them all sometime down the line. Sunstride doesn't seem like the type, fiercely loyal to his Clan and to his family, but hadn't Badgermoon been the same way, too? His gaze never wavers from that golden pelt, and even as the sting fades to resignation and perhaps something more hopeful still, his own cautious voice chimes in with the others cheering for their new deputy. StarClan willing, this one would not turn traitor, leaving behind his family as Badgermoon had done before him, though had the stars not allowed Badgermoon to remain as deputy for so long? It's all still too raw and confusing, so rather than try to puzzle it out with his precious little time left, Luckypaw instead opts to wander off, in search of something to busy himself with until it was time to leave.
