Announcements, Ceremonies, and a Warning (MidnightClan!)

[Legit]

If your cat did not receive a ceremony this month and they were posted on the OOC ceremonies thread, it is most likely because they were not in the MidnightClan members list. Members will have seven days after I initially post this thread to post their cats in the members list, and then I will edit their ceremony into my post.

The RPers who were mainly involved in the ceremonies were the only ones tagged, but I highly suggest that you post here or at least read through paragraphs 1-3 and the last two of Bramblestar's post.

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The following people have characters who are receiving ceremonies: [Acro.], ⓐⓜⓑⓔⓡ, Legit, @onyx, @lilykit, CaℳI, Sand, Echo, Fernstripe, Lightningtrail, ☼Шїℓℓ◎ω, @goldenbird, @hopeblossom
The following people have characters who are receiving apprentices: Cami, Sand, @spiderpelt, Lightningtrail, Echo, Clemintine, Lemonade, Legit, @kuroku, Goldenbird, [Acro.], @skyrunner

Bramblestar pushed his way out of his den, brow furrowed and mind cluttered with thoughts that still needed to be sorted out, and leapt up to the boulder above the leader’s den. ”All cats faithful to MidnightClan,” the dark tabby yowled, voice powerful and resounding around the clearing, ”gather beneath the Skystone and the stars for a Clan meeting!” Bramblestar waited a few minutes for a fairly large crowd to gather, and then continued with his news. ”Cats of MidnightClan, I would like to congratulate you all on our joint victory with WhisperClan, StormClan, and SunsetClan against the monster birds. We have eliminated a very large threat for all of the Clans, and we can now allow our kits to play and even warriors to patrol with less worry.” The dark tabby tom paused a few moments to wait for the anticipated cheers of triumph to die down. ”However, our security did come at a price, as we have lost a valuable and respected warrior and queen in Ivysong, and I am sure that MidnightClan was not the only Clan to suffer great loses from this deadly battle. Likewise, the birds being defeated still does not guarantee that our forests are completely safe, and I must urge all warriors and apprentices to remain as vigilant as always.”

The MidnightClan warrior paused again for a few moments to gather his thoughts for the next piece of news. He resumed the announcements in a deeper and more serious tone. ”As most of you know by now, at the previous Gathering a new Clan called ‘TalonClan’ surfaced. The small band of rogues, kittypets, and former Clan cats are being led by a she-cat going by the name of Pebblestar, and have made their home in none other than the cave where the deadly birds once slept. Some cats were accepting of this ’new Clan’, even to the degree of leaving behind lives and kin to join their ranks, but most were not as welcoming.” The tom narrowed his sharp yellow eyes as they slowly raked the gathered cats below. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he began speaking again. ”If any of you do choose to abandon MidnightClan to join this so-called TalonClan, I ask that you do so discreetly by leaving during the night. I do not want your disloyalties announced before the Clan, and you have the right to know that you shall not be welcomed back if this ‘new Clan’ falls. You must face any taunts or insults thrown towards you during Gatherings on your own because I am sure that they will be thrown,” Bramblestar finished, ears flattened in revulsion, lips curled back ever so slightly, and tail lashing wildly. He hated cats who were not loyal

After a few heartbeats, the tom seemed to have calmed down a bit. he sat down on the edge of the pointed rock, leaning forward slightly as he addressed the cats. ”And now on to more enjoyable news, I would like to announce new apprentices, as well as a new MidnightClan deputy!”

(Note: The solid blocks of ceremonies from Bramblestar below were unbolded since it made it easier on the eyes and because it just plain looked better. In the warrior apprentice ceremonies, names of the kits and mentors were left bolded.)

“Brightkit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Sagebreeze, as I am sure that she will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Brightpaw.”

“Crowkit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Shadewind, as I am sure that he will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Crowpaw.”

“Falconkit,”—a small purr slipped into Bramblestar’s voice as he spoke his son’s name—”please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Foxeye, as I am sure that he will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Falconpaw.”

“Flamekit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Snowfoot, as I am sure that he will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Flamepaw.”

“Greykit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Swiftfoot, as I am sure that he will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Greypaw.”

“Heavykit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Greywhisker, as I am sure that he will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Heavypaw.”

“Ivykit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Jade, as I am sure that she will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Ivypaw.”

“Maplekit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Ravenwing, as I am sure that she will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Maplepaw.”

“Marigoldkit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Featherfoot, as I am sure that he will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Marigoldpaw.”

“Patchkit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Briarwing, as I am sure that she will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Patchpaw.”

“Moonkit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Bramblefur, as I am sure that he will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Moonpaw.”

“Lilykit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Mothcloud, as I am sure that she will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Lilypaw.”

“Blizzardkit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Adderspot, as I am sure that he will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Blizzardpaw.” Oh, the irony in that first statement. The tom didn’t want to start assigning second apprentices to warriors when there were still able-bodied cats in the Clan, and at least poor Blizzardpaw didn’t get Stoneheart as his mentor.

“Snowkit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Skypool, as I am sure that she will do well to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Snowpaw.”

“And for the final warrior apprentice, Mousekit, please step forward to meet your new mentor, myself. I will do my best to train you in the ways of a warrior; to hunt, to fight, and to make MidnightClan proud. I now give you your new name: Mousepaw.” Bramblestar, however, did not leap down from the Skystone to touch noses with the newly-named Mousepaw just yet. Instead, he stayed perched atop the boulder and waited for the congratulating cheers and greetings from mentor to apprentice to finish off.

“However, there are still two more important ceremonies to carry out. Spottedkit, ” Bramblestar’s gaze fell on the small tom,”both Dapplefeather and I have seen your innate curiosity about and ability with herbs and healing. As MidnightClan’s new medicine cat apprentice, I give you your new name: Spottedpaw.”

“And last, but certainly not least, I would like to announce—or rather invite—this cat to deputyship. She has trained two apprentices before and just received her third tonight, and I have no doubt in her capabilities in handling the responsibility of a deputy.” His sharp yellow eyes fell on the she-cat he was speaking of, even before he revealed her name. ”Mothcloud, will you accept my offer to become MidnightClan’s next deputy?”

Briarwing herded her kits out of the nursery and lead them towards the front of the crowd. She tried to make sure that they all looked presentable for their apprentice ceremonies, but most--if they were nearly as excited a Falconkit--would have hairs sticking up all over the place by the time their names were called. Falconkit, who sat in front of his mother, was fidgeting and bouncing around, and he resisted every move Briarwing made to keep his fur tidy. "Stop it!" he complained as his mother tried to flatten the fur on his head. "Hey, look! Dad just called my name! Let me go!" The tom squirmed out of his mother's reach and stepped forward as Bramblestar instructed him to do, chest puffed out and tail tip twitching with excitement. That stupid TalonClan better not steal any of our warriors or else I'll have something to say about it now that I'm an apprentice!

"If he gets anymore full of himself, he's going to burst!" Maplekit giggled softly to her brother Spottedkit, eyes wide as she watched Falconkit receive his apprentice name and mentor. Will I be a good warrior? What if my mentor doesn't like me? How will I do in my training? What will my first Gathering be like? Is the forest scary? Thoughts buzzed through her mind, drowning out the other ceremonies, until she felt someone nudge her. What...? ... Oh! Bramblestar called my name! The large she-kit crept forward shyly, eyes fixed on her paws, while she was given her mentor and new name. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Bramblestar had finished addressing her, so Maplekit could quickly scuttle back to her family, letting out a sigh of relief to not have countless pairs of eyes fixed on her.

Briarwing purred the whole time each of her kits went ahead for their apprentice ceremonies, but she was slightly surprised when she was called upon to mentor a kit.
“Patchkit, please step forward to touch noses with your new mentor Briarwing,"
The she-cat waited until her mate had finished off the ceremonies before she rose, leaving her kits to find their own mentors, to greet Patchpaw. "Hello, Patchpaw," Briarwing purred, leaning forward to touch noses with her new apprentice, soft eyes glowing with warmth.

As soon as his father had finished speaking, Falconpaw shot off like a bullet in search of his new mentor. "Foxeye!" he yowled into the crowd. "FOXEYE!"

Maplepaw was not nearly as excited as Falconpaw to become an apprentice, but she did decide that it would mostly be better than being a kit stuck in camp. Sure, she'd sometimes have to stay in and clean the elders' bedding and pick their ticks, but that couldn't be all that bad. It couldn't be half as bad as having to actually talk to more cats, especially ones that were complete strangers at Gatherings. "Ravenwing..." Maplepaw called quietly from where she huddled near the edges of the crowd.

[☼Шїℓℓ◎ω]

BLizzardkit was so proud that he was finally apprenticed. His mother Ivycloud, just cleaned his pelt before the ceremony and Blizzardkit wanted to shake off all the effort that his mother did. He padded forth to touch noses with his new mentor Adderspot, not knowing how dark and manipulative he was. BLizzardkit happily touched noses and padded back calmly to where his mother was. Inside his heart was pounding fast and he wanted TO get started with training right away.

(Wait so, I will be Adderspot's 2nd apprentice right now? Just wondering)

[Lemonade]

Featherfoot's green eyes were alight with joy, and his whiskers quivered with pride. His first apprentice! He padded forward gently and bent his head to touch noses with Marigoldpaw, all the while scrutinizing her frame. She was small, he thought critically, with a pelt like dappled sunlight falling through the trees and bright eyes. Small she-cats were rarely good at fighting, which was his strength. What did he have to offer this bright young kit? Would he do well? Would she do well and live up to his expectations? Would they get along?

He certainly hoped so. A smile played across his face as he drew back. "Congratulations, Marigoldpaw," he said brightly and simply, in a voice like a breeze.

[Deleted]

The large, dark tabby's ears pricked as she exited from the warrior den. Pale yellow eyes fixed upon her leader. She was expecting her first apprentice this ceremony and most of the other 'news' wasn't exceptionally exciting. Ivysong was gone, most of the clan should know that. She leans to give her white chest a quick lick, not wanting to catch the eyes of cats who might be seeking comfort in their time of mourning. Her ears flicked up in interest again at the new clan though. She glanced around, sharing her leader's disgust for the traitors. It was her honest hope that the two clans would meet in battle and she could rake off their tummies herself, but wishing misfortune on her own clan might be a bit much. The new apprentices were endless, plenty of new warriors for the clan. Finally hers was announced.  She walked, crouching slightly to touch her nose with the brown apprentice. "Welcome, Moonpaw." She said before pulling back. She kept a close eyes on the she-cat for the rest of the ceremony. Hoping that she would be eager to head out and train, Bramblefur was itching to get out and do something.

[Lightningtrail]

Lilykit listened patiently to the other announcements, not caring much about them.  It was not like she was ever going to run of with Talon Clan, or that she was even alive at the time of the monster birds.  All she had heard were kits-tales that she barely believed at all.  She breathed a sigh of relief when Bramblestar started the important part of the gathering.  Lilykit stepped forward, eager for her new name. She would finally get a mentor! More than that, she would be an apprentice! It may not be a particularly spectacular title, but it was just another step to becoming a warrior.
Lilykit briefly glancing at her sister, Moonkit. She then looked around the clearing, searching for Mothcloud, her new mentor. Her whiskers stiffened. Did she hear right, Mothcloud was going to be deputy?! A wave of surprise briefly washed over her until she got used to the prospect. If that is what Bramblestar decided, than that would be the best thing for both of them. She padded over to Mothcloud. "Hello," She mewed. She reached up her head to touch Mothcloud's nose with her own.


Snowfoot looked up at Bramblestar, listening intently to his news and his warnings.  He would never even consider joining Talon Clan, all they were was kittypets and traitors.  His serious expression dissipated when he found out about the apprentices.  He was rather pleased that he finally became a mentor. He briefly looked around the clearing for Flamepaw, wondering what kind of cat the apprentice would turn out to be. Would he be a kind-hearted cat, who was shy and helpful? Or maybe a more rambunctious cat, whose heart was filled to the brim with excitement and passion. Either way, Snowfoot knew that he would be happy with his apprentice. He finally found Flamepaw and started to walk towards him. "Hello, Flamepaw," He mewed.


Mousepaw ignored most of Bramblestar's little speech.  If she had wanted to run of and join Talon Clan, she would have done so already.  She was snapped back into the ceremony when she heard another name assigned to Ravenwing as a mentor. The she-cat was her mentor after all. Mousepaw sighed and walked over to Maplepaw to say hello. They did have the same mentor, so they would probably be seeing a lot of each other from now on. She finally reached the shy she-cat, and looked her over. "Hello, my name is Mousepaw," Mousepaw meowed, her voice pitch little more than a monotone,"My mentor is also Ravenwing, we will probably be training together often."

[Deleted]

Mothcloud's ears pricked up as she was named a new mentor. She padded forward to find her new apprentice Lilypaw in order to touch noses with her, and soon spotted her padding over her way. "Hello," she purred in greeting to the young she-cat as the announcements continued, but was suddenly taken by surprise when her name was called out yet again. This time... as a nomination for deputy. Deputy?! The dark tortoiseshell appeared stunned as she spun around to face the leader. She would have never expected to be nominated here today, above all the other warriors. "I- of course!" Mothcloud quickly dipped her head in reply to the leader. Her, deputy! She would be in charge of all of organizing all of the clan duties now, and of assisting Bramblestar- my, there would be so much work to do!

[Deleted]

A slim warrior rose from back of the cats who sat under the Skystone. The first emotions that popped into Foxeyes heart were worry and excitement. He was excited to have his first apprentice. Especially when he was still so young! The warrior was excited to do his Clan a duty. He would not let MidnightClan down. As for the worry part, it was a bit less serious. His apprentice, Falconpaw, was the leaders son. Falconpaws name would carry a lot of weight, and he would be expected to be as great as his father. Whether or not he could live up to that expectation, was up to not only Foxeye, but also Falconpaw. Either way, Foxeye would teach him everything he learned to the best of his ability, regardless of who his father was. 

A few moments later, Bramblestar had finished. The first thing he heard was his name being yowled from among the new apprentices. Foxeye did not hide his smile one bit. He remembered his apprentice ceremony, as it was one of the best days of his entire life. He pushed his way through a few cats, nodding his respects to them and congratulating some. Then, he saw Falconpaw. He approached the new apprentice slowly and reached out to touch noses with him. He allowed one small, nervous mew to escape his maw, "Congratulations, my apprentice" 

[ⓐⓜⓑⓔⓡ]

Crowkit sulked around the edges of the crowd, listening half-heartedly to Bramblestar's short speech. He knew what was coming next and he didn't want to be a part of it. but... he had a good feeling that his mother would give him a good cuff over the ears if she caught him slipping away, and besides, there shouldn't be too much attention drawn to him with so many other kits in need of ceremonies-- and, most relieving of all, the certain appointment of yet another new deputy. Leaders and deputies these days seemed to be flying by at an alarming rate. Secretly he hoped that the new deputy would be someone reliable.

Crowpaw. The tall, lithe tom tasted his new name silently, rolling it around on his tongue to get used to the feel of it. He showed absolutely no signs of pleasure at his promotion nor of disappointment as he took a deep breath and pushed his way into the crowd to search for his new mentor, Shadewind.

[Deleted]

Greykit added foreward, receiving his apprentice name, Greypaw. He looked for his mentor, promising himself that he would be the best apprentice he could be. "Swift-?" He stopped himself, by remembering his mentor's last name, "Uh.... oops..."

Spottedkit beamed, he was now Spottedpaw! And not only that, but he was a medicine cat! How awesome was that? He licked his chest fur in embarressment as he recieved his apprentice name. Spottedpaw padded up to Maplepaw. "Hey Maplepaw. How do you feel about being the medicine cat apprentice's sister?" He boasted.

[Sand]

ooc: Hey Lightening I thought Mousepaws mentor was Kestrelfeather

Jade was happy to have another apprentice it was just to boring around camp without having to train an apprentice. Smiling she looked around trying to remember if she had ever seen Ivykit she knew most of the kits and a picture of the kit who was to be her apprentice began to form in her mind.

Shadewind had been lost in his own thoughts when Bramblestar called the meeting and was doing his best to tune out what his new leader was saying when he heard his name. Instantly he was alert and he came to realize that now he had another apprentice named Crowpaw. He didn't know the other tom to well but he had seen him around camp. He got to his paws his face devoid of all emotion as he made his way over to his new apprentice. "Greetings, Crowpaw I'm your new mentor Shadewind," he meowed his mew also devoid of all emotion.

Mousekit no Mousepaw watched as all his other den mates became apprentices he knew he would become an apprentice as well. He was looking around at the other warriors trying to decide who would become his mentor when he heard his name. He returned his attention to Bramblesstar listening to what his new leader had to say. He was surprised that the leader had decided to take it upon himself to mentor him but he wasn't going to complain. He could remember his sister Marigoldpaw teasing him about becoming the leaders apprentice before Flamestar had disappeared.

[Fernstripe]

Moonkit listened carefully as Brambletstar announced all the apprentices and mentors. Waiting patiently for her name Moonkit kept as still as a statue, every muscle still, except for her whiskers, which were quivering. Ears pricking at the name of her mentor, Moonkit-now Moonpaw, searched for Bramblefur, weaving among all the different cats. She came to a stop, staring up at a huge dark tabby, who was towering over her. "Welcome, Moonpaw." So this must be her mentor. Moonpaw leaned forward, touching noses with Bramblefur. Now that Moonpaw had met her mentor, she could barely hold still for the rest of the ceremony, fidgeting, and squirming. As soon as it was over, Moonpaw shot up, and turned to face her mentor. "Please show me the territory!" Moonpaw begged. As a new apprentice, she was dying to get out of camp.

[ⓐⓜⓑⓔⓡ]

Crowpaw stopped and turned at the mention of his new name, narrowing his eyes when he found himself face-to-face with his new mentor. Shadewind... There wasn't much to drag out of his memory on him, but he seemed like a quiet, nonchalant cat, his face blank and his voice empty as he addressed the new apprentice. They might get along, but this cat seemed... kind of monotone.

Boring.

"Boring." The word had slipped from his lips before he knew it was in his mouth, but he didn't try to apologize or cover it up. The dark-furred tom glared nonchalantly up at Shadewind. Who cared if anyone was listening in? Who cared if this bland, uninteresting cat told him off or rejected him immediately? It wasn't like anything he could do would matter. Crowpaw stood, silent for a moment, before he added in the most dismissive tone imaginable:

"You're boring. I don't like you. Disappear."

[Echo]

Swiftfoot had listened carefully to every word his leader said. He remembered when his mate, Cedarleap, was a -paw and this strong leader was her mentor. And for that, he respected Bramblestar. He was fit for the position. When Swiftfoot heard the word 'Ceremony' he immediately looked around for his kits. They were surely going to become apprentices in this ceremony. The first one of his kit's name to be called was Flamekit. He was very proud to see his kit move up a rank. Then he heard his own name called out for him to be a mentor. 'Well, that was somewhat unexpected,' he thought. Swiftfoot looked out in the crowd and saw a small cat call the first part of his name. he quickly ran up to that kit and touched noses with him. "Hello, Greypaw. I am Swiftfoot. I promise to be the best mentor I can for you." Then he slowly pulled away and sat back down, next to his new apprentice. The next one of his kits to be called was Maplekit. When Bramblestar finished addressing her, she walked back over to the family. "Congratulations, my little kits are growing up!" The next kit's name that he heard was Patchkit's. She received Briarwing as a mentor, Bramblestar's mate. Swiftfoot knew she would do well in training with such a great warrior.

Fianlly, the last kit's name that he heard was Spottedkit. He became the medicine cat apprentice. Swiftfoot was unbelievably happy. Swiftfoot ran over to his kit and gently swatted him in the ear to get his attention.

~

Patchkit watched as her siblings, one by one, became apprentices. Then her name was called. She smiled brightly, hearing that her mentor was Briarwing was immensely good news. She was hoping to have a mentor that she knew, at least somewhat. When Briarwing came and touched noses with her she had to hold back a squeal of excitment. "Hello! I can't wait to see the territory!"

[Sand]

Shadewind was about to respond to his apprentice when Jade bounded up he looked at her coldly which was the only emotion right now. He had never really liked Jade in his opinion she was to cheery always sounding upbeat. The only time he had ever seen a change in her personality was when her sister had died. She had acted all depressed and stuff he knew the reason he acted the way he did was because of his sister. His sister who he had watched die the death that he blamed himself for.

"Oh, hey Shadewind have you seen Ivypaw I know what she looks like of course but I can't seem to find her in the clearing," Jade meowed cheerfully ignoring Shadewinds glare instead smiling at him. "Don't be so series you'll ruin your looks," she meowed rolling her eyes. "Anyway congrats on getting another apprentice," she meowed.

Shadewind let out an annoyed sigh his eyes now showing the annoyance he was feeling he might be good but around Jade he couldn't help but to show some emotion. "Who are you my mother? Just leave me alone, you can find Ivypaw yourself," he meowed rudely turning his back on Jade. "Now back to business hopefully there won't be anymore distractions," he meowed bluntly. "I hope your ready to view the territory," he meowed letting his eyes drift to the sky.

ooc: I like Shadewind but he still isn't in my favorite list

[ⓐⓜⓑⓔⓡ]

Crowpaw remained silent as he witnessed Jade and Shadewind's blunt exchange, watching her with a total lack of interest. She's too... hmm... too...

Before he could get a chance to very rudely inform her of her most noticeable flaw, the conversation ended with his mentor turning his back on the she-cat and addressing him once more. Crowpaw returned his pale gaze to the older tom and narrowed his eyes, feeling irritation luring his hackles skyward. I told him to disappear. Why isn't he disappearing? Idiot. Boring idiot. Little did this indignant little apprentice realize, the toms were birds of the same feather. The exact same feather. Maybe that was why they had a really puny chance of getting along. You could have two friendly, positive cats that would get along just fine, but mush together two negative, unsocials and you're asking for a natural disaster.

Training. More work. Right, just what he needed.

"Yeah. Whatever," he replied, keeping his needle-like gaze layering into Shadewind's considerably calmer one. After a moment, Crowpaw turned away from him, too. "If that's all we're supposed to say in a ceremony like this and you won't disappear, either, I'll be leaving." And with that, he started into the crowd with a sulky mindset and a dangerous mood.