moving along, fresh and new | announcement

[BONERIPPLE]

The early morning air smells good. As if she has opened her senses to the world around her. Perhaps she has decided to live for a new purpose now. Yes, all the preparing for this leafbare is falling into place and she takes a moment to breath and relax. But soon she is beckoning @STARLINGPAW . to follow her to the center of camp to tell the clan. After all their agreement had been in the quiet of her den and she thinks that Shadowclan could use some uplifting news. "Everyone! I have something to say!" There is a small pause then as she waits for all of them to gather and she curls her tail around her niece. A smile flutters across her muzzle then before she looks at the gathered ground. "Everyone knows by now that...I'm not the best at being a medicine cat, but just like everyone else I'm learning. Just like a warrior who learns to hunt in order to feed starving bellies I'm making my own way with what I have. And thus like a warrior who must train their apprentices I have decided to have my own."

Dipping her head to Starlingpaw then she offers and encouraging smile to her. "Starlingpaw is my apprentice. She will learn underneath me and train to understand our path. To help others and to know about the herbs of our home."​

 

[Frostbite]

Frostbite was just getting ready to go curl up in the warriors den when Bonejaw started her announcement. A look of utter annoyance crossed his face. He just wanted to sleep. Now what. His expression normalized as he listened, and eventually it brightened as Starlingpaw was named medicine cat apprentice.

He was happy for her. Starlingpaw was one of the few cats spared his attitude. She was precious and he would protect her with his fucking life. To hear she was following her own path made him happy.

"Congratulations, Starlingpaw." He said with a rare smile.

He just hoped those medicine cat meetings stayed civil. Would be a shame if the other clans suspiciously lost their medicine cats. Again for some.
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[Halfshade]

You know, she had never had the thought that a medicine cat could also take an apprentice but it certainly made sense! Bonejaw would have help and when she eventually stepped down or got on in her years there would be a youngster to take her place. The torbie wandered over with her head up and a smile across her maw, giving Frostbite a gentle shoulder bump as she came to a stop next to him before their clans new little healer and her mentor.
"Delightful news! Congratulations little bird, you'll do splendidly!" Her voice rose in a cheerful cry, sitting back on her haunches to clap her paws happily. It would be a nice change of pace for the little apprentice as well; she would not judge Pitchstar's training too harshly but she imagined the leader being ones mentor tended to add onto the stress of learning that was already quite a lot for one so young. This might be the confidence boost the monochrome little she-cat needed to reclaim herself. There was not a complaint on Halfshade's tongue, although perhaps she wondered if being a healer was more stressful? Bonejaw seemed to hold herself fine though or perhaps she was a gifted liar. Who was to say?

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[Starlingheart]

Starlingpaw had taken extra time today to groom her fur, practically licking herself bald in nerves and desperation to look presentable as she was announced to the clan as her aunts apprentice. As she walks out of the den, taking a seat at Bonejaws side she can’t help but puff out her chest a little bit. She proud of this, happy to be here. She will do everything she can to be useful, to serve her clanmates well and make her mother and father proud! She hopes they are watching now, looking down at her from the stars which so many of her clanmates believed had forsaken them.

She only half listens to the words from her aunts mouth. At the end of it, she reaches up and touches her nose to Bonejaws before turning to the clan. Cats she knows smile at her, offer her kind words. She smiles back, nervous but happy. She hopes that she does not disappoint them. "Th-thank you-thank you F-frostbite Ha-Halfshade.. I wo-won’t le-let y-you-you guuyys guys d-down" she stammers quietly, her bright green eyes betraying how excited she is at this moment.

She just wonders how Pitch will take the news, her eyes scan the crowd, looking for him now. Would he be sad that she wasn’t training with him anymore? Would he be glad to be rid of her? Or would he be happy for her? It was up in the stars as to what the answer would be. She never could tell. She hopes though, that he is happy. That he accepts this new path in life she has decided to take. She also wonders how Granitepaw will feel. Will he be upset she is no longer training beside him?
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[smogstar]

The mackerel tabby heeds his medicine cat's summons, coming to a seated position a reasonable distance away from her and her niece. His gaze is of a chiding nature as it falls upon the young apprentice, whom he presumes the announcement will pertain to. Perhaps Bonejaw was about to tragically proclaim that Starlingpaw would never walk again, or maybe the girl was found guilty of treasonous behaviour, selling Shadowclan secrets to belligerent clans.

His tail flicks every so often as he listens to Bonejaw's tangent, and he tilts his head when the news of Starlingpaw's promotion is brought to public knowledge. Interesting choice, to say the least. Half of him wonders if familial nepotism existed as a contributing factor to her selection, but then again, what did he know about medicine? He'd trust the healer's judgement for the time being.

Smogmaw does not cheer immediately, instead sitting idly as he awaits his clanmates' reactions. Personally, he cared little about who filled what rank, so long as they fulfilled their duties to an exceptional extent. But in terms of how others perceived his standing, he'd rather fall into the majority opinion- and seeing how both Halfshade and Frostbite were already showering Starlingpaw in acclaim, he opts to do the same.

"Good on you!" he meows in laboured revelry, a smile stretching across his jaw.​

 

[GECKOSCREECH]

❝ holding it together with one loose string. ❝

beckoned by the early call of bonejaw, geckoscreech found herself emerging from the warrior's den with a yawn spilling from her throat before joining alongside the rest of her clanmates who circled the medicine cat who appeared a little more jovial than usual. it turned out the big announcement was that starlingpaw had been chosen to walk the path of a healer and most have already begun to sing their praises for the young molly who accepted in typical stammers.

"congratulations." geckoscreech hums, tail flicking in little surprise at the choice made. ​

 

[brookpaw.]

..... Of all the other apprentices, Starlingpaw had been the nicest to him so far. Though if all it took was a simple good morning to gain his trust, then he must have incredibly low standards. Nevertheless, he occasionally wondered once or twice since their exchange if her leg was healing alright. He hadn't seen a possum up close, but he couldn't imagine they were pleasant based on the bite left behind. And spending all the time in the medicine den sounded far too boring for his tastes. He thought of visiting her, an attempt to cheer her up in the gloom and doom of the recovery process. Considering he didn't have much else to do, it seemed like a good idea.

..... Of course, hearing the medicine cat herself call an announcement snagged his attention away instead. Starlingpaw was beside Bonejaw, which in itself caught his curiosity. Brookpaw trotted over to sit on the edges of the growing crowd, craning his neck to see over the heads of older cats. When that failed, he leaned back onto his haunches and sat upright like a prairie dog, his small form wobbling even as he listened.

..... A grin stretches across his face as soon as the reason for the small gathering was revealed. Ironic, to say the least. He figured that spending so much time with the medicine cat influenced the decision, but that didn't matter to him in the slightest. "Congrats" he adds into the crowd, tossing his own acclaim that was unlikely to be heard over the overlapping voices. He'd have to find her something nice as a proper congratulations later.​

 

[GRANITEPELT]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

Granitepaw is giving his pelt a wash, cringing against the cold bite of the morning air and dreading the day ahead of him. He looks up with barely-concealed malice at Bonejaw's call for attention. He immediately wants to say something biting to the medicine cat, something that might earn him chores for the rest of the moon, but he pauses at the black and white she-cat limping behind her. Starlingpaw's eyes are glowing with new purpose, and Granitepaw does not miss it.

He swipes his tongue over his jaws and narrows his eyes into slits. Listening. He almost laughs at Bonejaw's admonition that she isn't the best at being a medicine cat. You probably have the highest death count... besides that ThunderClan rogue. He prepares to sneer, but he's stopped in another heartbeat. "Starlingpaw is my apprentice."

Astonishment paints his face, almost comically. He swings his head to gaze at Starlingpaw. She has agreed to this already! He starts to shake his head at her, but something in him slows it in its tracks. Medicine cat apprentice. Someday, she will take her detestable aunt's place, and ShadowClan will be all the better for it. He is friends with the medicine cat apprentice...

He tries to ignore all of their Clanmates showering her with attention. Instead, he gets to gravel-colored paws and approaches her. With a swift, embarrassed touch of his nose to her's, Granitepaw says, "At least it'll keep you out of trouble with possums." He meets her gaze for a moment, and in a rare moment of humility, glances away. "You'll be a great medicine cat."

- ,,​

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[PITCHSTAR]

it is one of those rare days where the leader takes care to groom himself, untangling mats and smoothing down spikes as best he could. it is one hell of a job, after days upon days of neglect, but pitchstar thinks he is making decent progress when his aunt's voice calls out from the center of the camp. the medicine cat saying that she has an announcement.

oh?

pitchstar's head pops up, regarding bonejaw with curiosity. he opens his mouth to ask, impatient to know, what her announcement is. but she begins to speak, and he shuts it with an audible clack of teeth. his aunt... is taking an apprentice. a medicine cat apprentice. that's right, the other clans have done something similar, haven't they? it makes sense, he supposed.

and this apprentice, is starlingpaw. his apprentice. his baby sister. pitchstar nearly chokes, spluttering in surprise. "starlingpaw!" his voice is somewhere between a purr and an excited shout. his own baby sister, joining his council! her paws are destined for greatness. it is a powerful family they have, isn't it?

rising to his paws, pitchstar would go to try and bump his head against starlingpaw's shoulder, having to crane his neck downward to do so. "you'll be an amazing medicine cat; but don't forget to keep your battle skills sharp!"​

 

[RIBBITLEAP]

Ribbitpaw looks over at the medicine cat. An announcement. Part of him hopes she's stepping down, letting someone more capable of taking care of the clan take charge. Letting someone who won't fail Ribbitpaw's family heal ShadowClan's cats instead.

But, no. That's not the announcement. Can't be. Bonejaw's demeanor is too positive for such an announcement. Instead, she announces she's taking on an apprentice. Intrigue keeps him from turning away. An apprentice. Finally. It's not stepping down, but at least its another cat to care for the clan.

His intrigue quells as he spots Bonejaw's choice. Starlingpaw. Her niece. Yet another family member of hers carefully placed into the line of power.

He snorts. Great.

Briarstar's kin would take the highest ranks of ShadowClan until there's no more left, he's sure. His own mother is already sending her congratulations to the kid, and, despite the ridiculousness of it all, Ribbitpaw knows he must be on his best behavior.

"Congratulations," he reluctantly echoes into the crowd, biting down his annoyance.

// in character opinions! congrats jay!​

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