WALK AND TALK JUST LIKE A MACHINE — meeting 11/17/22

[PITCHSTAR]

pitchstar ascends the clanrock with so little as a huff from the exertion, his frail body perching itself upon the very edge, bony shoulder blades jutting out as he lowers into a crouch. his gaze is cold as it rakes over the clearing, and his voice is equally as apathetic as he calls out, "shadowclan, gather beneath the clanrock for a meeting." he doesn't move a muscle, stiff and statuesque, aside from the flexing of his claws. in, and out. he counts how many times he sheathes and unsheathes them before there's even a hint of a decent crowd below.

he counts to twenty.

pitchstar rises a whisker's length, his stare unwavering, his expression unmoving. he might've given a long-winded announcement over how proud he was of his baby sister for becoming bonejaw's pupil, if his pleasant mood from the day prior had persisted. but he feels nothing but emptiness as his eyes cross over his former apprentice. the warmth has been snuffed by the cold wind that digs into his rib-laden flanks. everyone should already know by now, anyhow. it's unimportant.

"batpaw, step forwards."

he waits, eerily stiff, for the apprentice to do so.

"batpaw, do you promise to protect and defend shadowclan, even at the cost of your life?" it's routine, at this point. pitchstar feels as though he is reading off of a script, repeating himself meeting after meeting until his own voice is an unimportant buzzing in his ears.

once batpaw swears his loyalty to them, pitchstar continues. "then i, pitchstar, leader of shadowclan, hereby name you batchirp. we honor your kindness and patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of shadowclan." he allows others to congratulate the new warrior, or whatever the fuck they want to do, before he abruptly moves on without even a blink in batchirp's direction.

"now, sam and sweets, step forwards." he waits, once more. "sam, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as shimmerpaw. smogmaw will be your mentor, and i expect for him to pass on all that he knows to you."

then... "sweets, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as heatherpaw. halfshade will be your mentor, and i expect for her to pass on all that she knows to you."

@BATPAW @Shimmerpaw @. Sweets . @SMOGMAW @Halfshade​

 

[Starlingheart]

Starlingpaw does not remember how meetings used to be when her mother used to do them. Back then, she was too young to care, they did not apply to her and thus she did not really ever listen. Some cats mutter about her brother's way, about how it is different but she ignores them. At his weak call to gather, she makes her way to the place she would now forever take by her aunt's side, a place that marks her as a part of Pitchstar's council, and while she is proud of her new position, she is also nervous. She feels eyes burning into her pelt and anxiety bubbles in her stomach, making her feel nauseous. Were they waiting for her to fail? Stating their congratulations to her face but secretly murmuring about future failures behind her back? She is almost certain...

She keeps her eyes firmly on her paws as Pitchstar speaks, refusing to look at the rest of her clan, the cats she now was training to serve and to heal. She hears him call names, names of cats she likes and respects and it is only then she raises her head to give Halfshade and Smogmaw tentative smiles, a quick nod of the head. They would be excellent mentors, she is sure of it.
​

 

[BATCHIRP]

He wonders if this day would have been different, if Briarstar's reign was still over ShadowClan.

This supposedly big moment in a clan cat's life - graduating from an apprenticeship, becoming a warrior. Earning one's full name. A moment delayed for the shadow-furred tom - would Briarstar had pushed him into warriorhood moons ago, if it weren't for her demise?

It's a moment he'd begun to believe would never happen, in all honesty. Skyblossom's worry-filled taunts must have gotten to him.

But today, a meeting is called. And, today, so is Batpaw's name. Finally.

The tom steps forward, warm-hued eyes bright with anticipation. "I do," he says, as Pitchstar recites familiar words Batpaw had heard time and time again, directed towards others as they gained their names, now directed towards him.

Batchirp, Pitchstar names him after he promises his loyalty to the clan. The newly named warrior bows his head in thanks, and steps back as the cheers are cut short, as the meeting moves swiftly on. Oh well. There's plenty of other things on the agenda, Batchirp's sure of it.
​

 

[✧ Siltcloud.]

TO FAR AWAY TO HOLD ME​

siltpaw | 06 months | female | she/her | physically easy | mentally easy | attack in bold #ddadaf​

---

She watches from a distance - sitting alone on the sidelines of the crowd. There's nothing of interest to her to be found in this meeting. She's surely not getting her warrior ceremony anytime soon, and barring flickerfire getting bored of her she doesn't think she'll be getting yet another mentor switch. She wants to go back to laying in her nest, but knows she cannot. She doesn't know pitchstar very well, but she respects him and shadowclan enough to know she will heed his call. its the only thing she's good at these days - following orders.

 

[. Heathershade .]

Today had been long-awaited for the former loner. Today, in her eyes, she would officially be apart of Shadowclan- and hopefully stop receiving those rather odd looks from her clanmates.
Sweets waits patiently, watching with a content but far-off look as Batpaw is called forward and given a name.
Batchirp…Batchirp.
It sounds foreign in her mind, though she supposes she is still getting used to the two-part names.
Next, she is called alongside another foreign joiner, she shoots them a reassuring but small smile as they are named first.
Shimmerpaw, it was a beautiful name.
Sweets, on the other hand, was full-heartedly expecting a name akin to Pitchstars heartwarming nickname for her- roach, even quirking an eyebrow in the leaders direction as his attention moved to the chimera herself.
Her expectations were shattered as her new name was made official. Heatherpaw. She was Heatherpaw.
She dipped her head, grateful in every aspect- and even mouthing a small “thank you” towards Pitchstar before she threw her head over her shoulder to look for her new mentor.
Her smile is radiant as she walks back towards the gathered cats, ready to meet Halfshade face to face.
"Speech."​

[ COCOA BUTTER KISSES ]​

 

[Halfshade]

Pitchstar seemed to be uninterested in this meeting, but Halfshade approached with a smile regardless to fill the empty and despondent air with her own cheerfully shrill voice. If no one else would chear for the newly named warrior's and apprentices then she would put her whole heart into it in their stead.
She cheered enthusiastically to Batchirp's new name, what a cute name too-she rather liked the sound of chirp as a part of a name; it had both a piercing sound to it and a softness. As the new warrior stepped back and the sound of their new lost loner kittens were called, she perked up first at hearing Smogmaw would be getting an apprentice and then rose to dance in place on eager paws when her own name rang out. She had been there when Sam-Shimmerpaw was brought into the clan but she was not as familiar with Sweets-Heatherpaw and she was more than excited to meet her new little protege.
Spotting the pale and curled apprentice she walked forward on light steps and leaned in to give her a gentle head bump.
"Heatherpaw! Hello, I hope you're as excited as I am-we'll work splendidly together~" What an already delightful apprentice, so bright-eyed and bushytailed. A good prospect for their future training if she remained just as enthused then as she was now.

​

 

[Shimmerpaw]

SAM SHIMMERPAW - SHADOWCLAN - TOM - SINGLE - HOMOSEXUAL​

---

It was the first time Sam had ever been called to attend a meeting like this before. In all his journeys with his family he'd never seen cats gather together quite like this, and so the young tom wandered over, taking a seat by himself to listen in hoped of staying out of the way. He wasn't really sure if he was allowed to be there or not, but since the majority of the clan minus some kits seemed to be making their way toward Pitchstar, he figured it was safe for him to do so as well.

It was his first glimpse into Shadowclans culture, and he was completely oblivious to the fact that he was about to be pulled right into it. In fact, when he heard his name called a few moments later, he was almost certain he'd heard wrong. But no. He was now Shimmerpaw. He felt nervous in that moment, but knowing he'd stand out even more if he succumbed to those nerves, he insted got to his feet and followed Sweets to the front of the group. Smogmaw was to be his mentor? Bright blue eyes shifted among the crowd withuncertainty, not at all confident that this was going to be fun.
​

---

-- A SMALL, SLEEK CREAM TABBY WITH SKY BLUE EYES. HE HAS HIGH WHITE MARKINGS WITH CREAM COLORED SPOTS AND SPECKLES ON THEM

 

[brookpaw.]

He foggily remembered the day he was first apprenticed. While it was really only three months ago, it felt like an eternity. He could imagine himself as an excitable bundle of fluff practically standing on tiptoe to reach his new mentor's nose; now, he wasn't as excited. Brookpaw assumed he would get a reassignment, rendering him terribly anxious. What if his new mentor didn't like him either? What if they ditched again?

Furrowing his brow, he was too lost in his own thoughts to do much else than absently cheer with everyone else. Staring at the ground was far more inviting than looking at Pitchstar, or anyone else.​

 

[smogstar]

Smogmaw drags himself to the centre of camp, becoming one with the throng of his clanmates in front of the clanrock. There isn't too much on his mind as he gawks above at Dear Leader, for he doubts the forthcoming announcements will be of any interest. Promotions and name changes, that's all these meetings ever were.

A gaze isn't imparted towards Sam (now Shimmerpaw) until after his own name is mentioned. Only then does he take a gander at the pallid tom, umbrage glistening in his eyes. Of course he's given the loner in place of a genuine clan cat. On top of training the milksop on how to hunt and whatnot, he's tasked with rewiring the guy's brain - something he frankly lacked the patience for.

As Pitchstar finishes speaking for the time being, Smogmaw trudges through the crowd in Shimmerpaw's direction. A lifeless expression smeared across his face, he halts uncomfortably close to the young apprentice. "You're with me now," he mutters. "Training starts tonight." ​

 

[Shimmerpaw]

SAM SHIMMERPAW - SHADOWCLAN - TOM - SINGLE - HOMOSEXUAL​

---

This was fine.It was. So what if the guy had casually mentioned eating him the first time they'd met.That was probably just their sense of humor, right? And yet despite his attempts to reassure himself this was the case, Sam -Shimmerpaw- couldn't help but feel a little initmidated as the larger tom came to stand in front of him, closer than the cream tabby would have thought was comfortable for either of them He swalled back his nerves, nodding at the others words."Got it."

​

---

-- A SMALL, SLEEK CREAM TABBY WITH SKY BLUE EYES. HE HAS HIGH WHITE MARKINGS WITH CREAM COLORED SPOTS AND SPECKLES ON THEM

 

[PITCHSTAR]

without allowing time for previous ceremonies to sink in, pitchstar has the next one ready on a heavy tongue. brookpaw's npc mentor, mysteriously vanishing into the morning mist nearly a half-moon ago. search patrols had been sent out, but pitchstar does not count on them to retrieve the wayward warrior. whether they're dead or a traitor, shadowclan wouldn't be seeing them again. (and pitchstar does not want to see them again, if they are the latter. or, maybe he would want to see them, if only to sink claws into a backstabbing rat's hideous face.)

"brookpaw, your mentor has not yet been found; at this point, there is little possibility that they ever will. so, from this day onward, betonyfrost will oversee your training. betonyfrost, i expect you to pass on all that you know to brookpaw."

and, on a similar note, pitchstar looks to poppypaw. another mentor reassignment to be done, but this one born of far less unfortunate circumstances. "poppypaw, since you've seemingly pissed the fuck out of your old mentor to the point where they'd sooner throw themselves into the gorge than teach you, you will be receiving a new mentor today as well." pitchstar turns his nose up at his own words. bothersome children. when will they ever learn respect? to think that one of his warriors came crawling into his den, begging him to take poppypaw away from them... impudent little roach, poppypaw is, to reduce the poor npc to a sniveling wreck. "frostbite, i task you with the chore of continuing poppypaw's training. i expect you to pass on all that you know to her, and hopefully you will manage to teach her some manners."

finally, the end of the meeting is drawing near... pitchstar clears his throat and shakes away the disgust momentarily. (he can wallow in it after the meeting has concluded.) "now, eeriekit and loam, step forwards." he spares no more than a heartbeat before he continues. "eeriekit, loam, today marks the beginning of your training. until this day forward, until you earn your warrior names, you will be known as eeriepaw and loampaw. your mentors will be spectermask and thymefoot. spectermask, thymefoot, i expect you both to pass on all that you know to these young cats."

with that said and done, pitchstar sighs and rolls his shoulders. "clan dismissed."

the leader leaps from his perch and heads into the shadows of his den with a flourish, presumably to make good on the previous promise to wallow in his disgust after the meeting.

[ @brookpaw. @Frostbite @betonyfrost @Poppypaw @EERIEKIT @spectermask @loam
activity shoutouts go to @CHILLEDGAZE. @BONEJAW @FLICKERFIRE @betonyfrost @Halfshade @SMOGMAW @Siltcloud. & @STARLINGPAW . ! thank you guys for being so involved in this community! ]​

 

[Poppypaw ★]

"WEAKLING! WHERE IS THE COWARD?! WHATEVER! FROSTBITE'S COOLER! I THINK!" How dare he abandon her? The absolute nerve of that mentor of hers, she was about to put on the brakes and go find him to yell at him not being able to keep up with her, how was it her fault he was TOO slow? Pathetic! She had no idea if Frostbite was cooler (hehehe) but she was going to put him through his paces that was for sure! Let's hope this one didn't WIMP OUT on her like the last one did!

​

 

[EERIENIGHT]

Eeriekit blinks as his name is called for this odd meeting before him. He isn't sure of the point of these things, the point of changing names over and over. It was already hard to learn everyone's names - was hard to learn the name they'd bestowed upon him - and now they had to change them all again?

The spindly tom steps forward, listening wordlessly to Pitchstar's speech. Training? Well... That didn't sound much fun. Couldn't he just watch the camp as he always did? Stay Eeriekit forever?

Apparently not. Pitchstar changes his name to Eeriepaw, assigns him to Spectermask for... training. Implies that another change in names is pending. Dark orbs blink once more.

"... Okay."
​