High Rank Announcement [#hrannouncement]

**Caspian** · #**871** October 3rd, 2023, 10:24 AM

Cloudykit listened intently

**Sleek** · #**872** October 3rd, 2023, 10:41 AM

Shockkit listened, uninterested. So what? Some kit died. His problem. Shouldn't have gone poking and plodding around the battle scene. She scoffed scornfully. Shaking her fur out, she wondered what Bumblestar was going to say next.

Sparkkit yawned, then cursed under his breath for his immaturity. He was supposed to show Bumblestar how intently he listened, how mature and pleasant and polite he was. He knew that his apprentice ceremony was nearing, and he couldn't wait.

Flameflicker ignored the rambling she cat on the rock. She had no power. She could die. She wasn't invincible. Just like....just like his mate. He sighed as he thought about her lifeless body lying still, sightless eyes gazing into the sky.

**ELL10T** · #**873** October 3rd, 2023, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by val

alderstep

Some things change; some things don't. Alderstep grimaced at the physical contact, wanting nothing more than to shy away and sit primly a fox-length away from Berryfrost. He shuffled his paws and peered back at the meeting, his eyes drawing toward the two corpses. He grimaced again. Hooked his tail around his back leg, curling tightly.

He really didn't wanna explain this, both because he hadn't been listening and the entire situation was a mess. Alderstep drew in a quaking breath, pulling away from his sibling, careful to not jar her. Or surprise her. "Uh, let's sit down, yeah?" he suggested raspily, folding down into a not-quite loaf. Alderstep canted his head at Berryfrost, before remembering she couldn't see the gesture. And wasn't that something? He had to rethink everything he did around her now.

Again, his eyes turned to the Stormcrest. To the bodies. To the distress. The beauty of it quickly seeped away, and the sight before him became boring and dull to his gaze. Like the color had been bled from life. Alderstep settled his chin on his paws, humming out a sigh. "Cracklekit - or 'paw, y'know him? Apparently, he killed Vinekit, and then Bumblestar killed him for it." Alderstep redirected his attention to his sister's face, narrowed eyes studying her.

[ @spooky.lemons~ ]

BerryFrost
She/He/They/It - Genderfluid - Abrosexual - 41 Moons - A large, fluffy russet tabby she-cat with white paws and one green and one blue eye. She has multiple little scars on her left wrist/paw - A bit smaller than maine coon - Completely blind
BerryFrost sat down, her tail curling around her paws. As she listened to Alder explain her eyes grew wide with horror. "Poor VineKit!" She said, looking over where she thought the bodies were. "This terrible..." She whispered.

**_Nacht_Mango-_-** · #**874** October 3rd, 2023, 02:55 PM

@els (i'm assuming this was an open most with Reedpaw )
"Whats the smug look for." Owlclaw growled, a kit had died and this apprentice had a suspicious look on his face. "You better change that face before Bumblestar noticing and tells you to leave to." the senior brown tom meowed, his tone was joking but true. To be honest he didn't care if the apprentice was scolded, kicked out, or even killed.

**odessa** · #**875** October 3rd, 2023, 07:28 PM

alderstep

Upon his inspection, Alderstep found her to no longer be as panicky as she'd been before, so the cat took his eyes off her and instead trained them lazily on the Stormcrest. He wasn't much too interested in looking at the bodies anymore. Whatever else Bumblestar had planned for them was catching his attention far more easily. Besides, staring at rancid Death in the eyes got to be uncomfortable after a while. He knew her too well to enjoy her presence, no matter her victims.

With a jolt, Alderstep glanced back at his sister. Right. She was still there. And he was just sitting there, all pest like a little rat, practically ignoring her in favor of some boring clan news. Shame made him shrink back, and he forced himself to relax. "You doin' alright?" he inquired softly, shedding a furtive, paranoid glance around the area. Not that anybody would be listening in on them, for whatever weird reason. Espionage wasn't ThunderClan's strongest suit, Alderstep had realized. Sometimes he remembered that, sometimes he didn't. And anyway, he probably shouldn't be concerned over others seeing his concern for his sibling.

Too bad he was wandering again. He looked beyond the camp walls, listening to the faint call of birdsong (pesky, always ever-so-pesky) as he patiently awaited Berryfrost's reply. He just wanted to leave. Everything felt like it was trying to box him in, nudge him into a corner with a fake smile and insidious intentions. For a second, he wondered if he'd begun wailing his woes. Nope, just the desolate ringing in his ears. Alderstep shook his head faintly and shoved his mind back to the present. To the now. Daydreams can come later if he feels like indulging them. Slowly blinking, he turned back to Berryfrost, simultaneously making the rest of the clan escape his peripheral vision. He hated that. He didn't want his back to them, but he had to favor his sibling.

It's the only one he had left, after all.

[ @~the.lemon.witch~ ]

**poppy** · #**876** October 3rd, 2023, 10:58 PM

Redkit

The molly lifted her head as Violetfreckle picked her up, dangling helplessly in the older cat's jaws, the second she realized where she was being taken, she let out a low whimper. She was set down beside her mother (and the two corpses, yikes), she turned to try to give Violetfreckle a little nose boop of thanks before turning, trying not to look at Crackles's empty yellow eyes as she darted forward. "M-mama-" She sobbed out softly, small voice trembling as the cats around her erupted into yells and howls and hostility again. So she darted to the safest place for her at that moment, which was her mother. Burrowing underneath her mom, Redkit wished she was deaf to what she heard next.

Her Uncle Crackles wasn't a murderer. No. He wasn't a monster. She knew her uncle. He was a good uncle, kind of mean sometimes but he wasn't murdery. Right? Surely not. No. Breathing growing more labored, the young molly let out soft, whimpering sobs. This was too scary. Too loud. Too untrue. She wanted her Uncle and she wanted her sibling and she wanted her mama. She peeked out from her hiding place, looking at all the angry, hateful cats. One in particular, Wildtwist, some pathetic wannabe warrior who was so cruel to her family. Her family. "Go away!" The words exploded from her, a fierce tri-colored glare fixing on the insensitive creature who dared speak so horribly. She didn't know what to believe. She didn't know what to think. She just wanted her family back and that wasn't happening. "My Uncle Cw-Crackles w-wasn't bad!" Hiccuping as she spoke, ears flat against her head, not sure if she really believed it or not. She wanted to. She was trying to.

But what if?

Darting off to the side as her mom moved to hoist Uncle Crackles up onto her back, Redkit looked at the ground, not wanting to see the blood staining the ground. Not wanting to watch as the brutally killed Vinekit was carried away. Once the tears started, they flowed freely, and she felt wetness dripping down her face. "Mama can I come?" She pleaded, not really wanting to go watch her beloved kin be buried but also not wanting to be here, alone, with cats who might think she was a monster. Please don't leave me.

[ @Orchid @vex @Bean_The_Pumpkin @/open ]

**ELL10T** · #**877** October 4th, 2023, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by val

alderstep

Upon his inspection, Alderstep found her to no longer be as panicky as she'd been before, so the cat took his eyes off her and instead trained them lazily on the Stormcrest. He wasn't much too interested in looking at the bodies anymore. Whatever else Bumblestar had planned for them was catching his attention far more easily. Besides, staring at rancid Death in the eyes got to be uncomfortable after a while. He knew her too well to enjoy her presence, no matter her victims.

With a jolt, Alderstep glanced back at his sister. Right. She was still there. And he was just sitting there, all pest like a little rat, practically ignoring her in favor of some boring clan news. Shame made him shrink back, and he forced himself to relax. "You doin' alright?" he inquired softly, shedding a furtive, paranoid glance around the area. Not that anybody would be listening in on them, for whatever weird reason. Espionage wasn't ThunderClan's strongest suit, Alderstep had realized. Sometimes he remembered that, sometimes he didn't. And anyway, he probably shouldn't be concerned over others seeing his concern for his sibling.

Too bad he was wandering again. He looked beyond the camp walls, listening to the faint call of birdsong (pesky, always ever-so-pesky) as he patiently awaited Berryfrost's reply. He just wanted to leave. Everything felt like it was trying to box him in, nudge him into a corner with a fake smile and insidious intentions. For a second, he wondered if he'd begun wailing his woes. Nope, just the desolate ringing in his ears. Alderstep shook his head faintly and shoved his mind back to the present. To the now. Daydreams can come later if he feels like indulging them. Slowly blinking, he turned back to Berryfrost, simultaneously making the rest of the clan escape his peripheral vision. He hated that. He didn't want his back to them, but he had to favor his sibling.

It's the only one he had left, after all.

[ @~the.lemon.witch~ ]

BerryFrost
She/He/They/It - Genderfluid - Abrosexual - 41 Moons - A large, fluffy russet tabby she-cat with white paws and one green and one blue eye. She has multiple little scars on her left wrist/paw - A bit smaller than maine coon - Completely blind
"It's hard, adjusting to not seeing anything when I wake up..." She said aloud "But, overall, I'm doing ok!"

**Ian** · #**878** October 4th, 2023, 11:36 AM

╔══════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══════╗
Hazelflash
╚══════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══════╝

The Siamese had been watching from the back of the crowd. She had to resist the urge to laugh at Cracklekit's death, knowing Bumblestar would shred her. Still, what goes around comes around. He had made fun of Hazelflash's dead father, but look at him now. A sixteen moon old kit, executed because of his stupidity.

Hazelflash felt bad for Vinekit, and that it had come down to this, but what was done was done. After bowing her head to mourn and ignoring the outbursts of some of her Clanmates (who were complete mouse-brains), she turned her attention back to the Stormcrest to listen to the rest of Bumblestar's announcements.

**dino.** · #**879** October 4th, 2023, 02:49 PM

High Rank Announcement [#hrannouncement]

“Someone get the kit outta here before I do.” Redkit was who she meant. The smaller cat’s voice was starting to grate on her nerves. There were more important things to be handled.

“Regarding the utter disaster of a patrol that Alderstep led to handle the foxes.” A burning stare fell on the tom before she swept it across the rest of her Clan. “Foxes are gone, but not without injuries that could’ve been avoided if it weren’t for sheer stupidity. Alderstep brought Lotuspaw and Leafpaw along on that patrol, two six-moon old apprentices with hardly a single session of training. Then one of ‘em was sent back alone ‘n heavily injured to gather reinforcements. Alderstep himself returned to camp after the fight was over, also alone, and told me he left the entire patrol behind because Spiderthroat said so, while he hardly had a scratch on him.” Another sneer curled her lip. “For the stunts he pulled, he’s no longer ThunderClan’s deputy. Let this be a reminder to all of you that I don’t tolerate ignorance or carelessness in my Clan, and such displays will earn you proper consequences. And, Alderstep?”

She threw him a second sharp look, noting the way he had his back turned to the others. “You can continue life here as Foxstep, or you can leave. It’s up to you. Maybe the new name will help you avoid making similar mistakes in the future. I’m also reassigning Treepaw and Fireflypaw, I don’t trust you with ‘em. They’ll find better training with someone else. Soon as you get the chance, I want you to go apologize to Lotuspaw ‘n Leafpaw for endangering them like you did, ‘n then do the same for every single cat you abandoned at the ravine after the fight was over. And I want you to tell me when you've done it.”

Sharp breath in, sharp breath out. No, still sounded like a growl. Whatever.

“Recently Shypaw caught a RiverClan cat leaving poison at Cattail Pond. Seems they’re still stuck on that line of thinking, ‘cause first it was their claws ‘n now it’s in our prey. I brought back the bundle they left, but I’ve no clue if there’s more anywhere else. Avoid hunting at or around Cattail Pond ‘till I handle RiverClan.” Wouldn’t be hard. She knew where their camp was. “They’re unsteady right now. Once we’ve recovered from this recent fight with ShadowClan, we can hit ‘em hard. Make ‘em understand they can’t get away with messing with us." Cowards ‘n snakes, that's all they ever were.

“Speaking of ShadowClan, the Creek. We lost the Creek. That’s fine, it’s fine-” it definitely didn’t sound fine “-we’ll get it back one of these days, but for right now I want to just bring up a few things I noticed during the battle that I can’t say I’m too pleased with.”

Her attention darted to one cat. “Brokenheart. I don’t know what you even THINK you were doing, but if you aren’t gonna help your Clanmates out in the middle of a BATTLE, then you can get the hell out. Fight for your damn Clan, I don’t have time to waste on sitting stones.

“And to the rest of you who just stood around while the rest of us threw ourselves into the fray? Get your heads outta the clouds. That's why we lost the Creek, and Morningsight ‘n Silverswirl, because apparently some of you can’t even be bothered to defend your territory ‘n your own dam Clanmates. If I see something like that again from any one of you, you can walk your tail out the camp entrance and refrain from comin’ back. Absolutely pathetic. I expect all of you to be on the front lines next time we go up against ShadowClan. Work on your priorities and whip yourselves into shape before I take it upon myself, for YOUR sakes.”

She glanced down to where Morningsight’s body lay, expression blank. “Someone take Morningsight to Willow’s Rise so I can move on with this. Still have things that need to be done. If you’re going to keep raising your voices, leave so you don’t interrupt again. Sick 'n tired of needing to tell cats to shut it.”

She needed to lay down soon. Things felt hazy and distant and her untreated injuries hurt.

Katiethewolfchild · #**880** October 4th, 2023, 03:01 PM

Sunleap wouls have offered to take Morningsight to Willow's rise, but again he knew that he should visit the medicine den the moment the meeting was over and get his injuries looked at.

Rainclaw listened.