stranger than you dreamt it [open - sorting topic]

With an air of satisfaction, Eris slowly padded toward the kit quarters, which were truly beginning to become cramped. With each of the kits reaching (or nearing- the Head could never be exactly sure, but her estimates couldn't be that far off) five moons, it was finally time to relieve them of the stress of being stuffed into such a small corner of the camp, and to grant them access to their own quarters in camp based upon where they were sorted. Eris, who had looked in on- and in some cases participated in- the training of each kit individually, had a rather good idea of where each kit would be sorted, and each of the captains had weighed in as well. Together, the four of them had decided where each kit would fit best, and today, they were prepared to welcome them to their respective factions in Asylum. Theron, Iniko, and Lyralei followed closely behind the fluffy she-cat as she peeked into the temporary den, letting herself in when she was sure that the majority of the kits were awake. "It's time." The tortie mewed, a genuine tone of excitement evident in her voice. She gestured for the kits to file out of the den and into the center of camp, and she watched as one by one, they filed out. Finally, Asylum's mission would come to fruition.

ooc;; the kits have received their light training ooc prior to this topic, and are all super close to five moons. by this point they would only really have vague memories of the clans since they were so young when they were taken, and most of them have likely accepted Asylum as their home, so be sure to keep all of this in mind when rping them! :D

Theron stalked after Eris, her eyes glowing in true excitement. It had been far to long since she had last properly trained kits - she had overseen some training as she had led the Asylum forces to these territories but starting with some fresh blood? It wasn't as common as she would have hoped and she was pleased with the choices that the group had come up with, with the kits that would be under her care. She took a seat as Eris moved to summon the kits, tail wrapped around her paws as already lessons were coming to mind for the battle-minded she-cat. Her training would be tough, but fair. For as brutal as the others would paint her - and she was, to her enemies - she did have a soft spot for kits. Asylum was only as strong as the sum of its parts - and she would make sure her group was ready for the battles that were to come.

Though he knew some kits felt differently, Pyrik didn’t mind the cramped quarters. Not that he would’ve complained if he did. Here they were fed, warm, and cared for; in the grand scheme of things, a less-than-ideal sleeping situation was easy to overlook. Besides, though trying to remember anything about life before Asylum was like lying on his back grabbing at the darkening clouds high above, the bits and pieces he could reach were always, always lonely. Now he had as many denmates as a kitten could want.

Of course, this arrangement wasn’t permanent. He was more than five moons old now (not six—why would it have ever been six?); his denmates weren’t far behind. They’d find out where they truly fit into Asylum soon. Today, in fact, as he realized when Eris poked her nose into their den. ”It’s time,” Pyrik echoed with a wide grin, probably louder than the others would’ve liked. "It's time, c'mon, get up!" Clambering to his paws faster than he ever had in his life, he managed to squeeze his way into a spot near the head of the line—and suddenly, there they were. Eris and the three captains, waiting for them. For him. With no other way to express the nerves and excitement tangled up inside him, Pyrik tapped his paws against the ground as he stopped in place, chin held high. Today, he would learn what they’d seen in him that made them think he was worthy—and take the first steps toward proving he was.

Today was the day, their new recruits would be sorted into their new factions. Iniko hated the ceremonies and formalities of it all, despite the way he relished in their common cause and goal. But such was the way of their lives. If this would get them to their next step of the plan, then so be it. He was settled between the pair of other captains with his head held high. Behind him, the tip of his feathered tail twitched back and forth. Once the kits had settled, the tom finally spoke and allowed the warm timbre of his voice to rise through the camp, "Today you will truly become a part of Asylum and find your factions that you will train with. As we call your names, step forward to receive your rank one faction scar."

Iniko stood and strode before Eris, dipping his head, "With your blessing, Asylum Head Eris. I take these cats to be bonded to the Standard faction." Then he turned to face the kits, calling them forward by their Asylum names. As they stood before him, Iniko raised one claw, which he slashed quickly down the right shoulder of each, "Mirae. Ceres. Raisha. Pyrik. Griffon. Wear this mark of your faction with pride. Welcome." Each received a nod in turn before being dismissed to return to their spots and bask in the glow of their acceptance. It was a fine looking group of new recruits and as he looked them over, their was a gleam in the calico's eye. Soon they would be primed and trained, ready for Asylum's biggest feat; conquering their blood who ruled the forest.

Spark was the first kit awake as he could tell, but he did not come out of the den first. The ginger tom had no intention of bringing attention to himself like that. In fact, he only got up when Pyrik squeezed his way out. It's time, his thoughts echoed Pyrik's voice. The den that he had been sleeping in with the other kits had gotten more and more cramped by the day, but it just wasn't out of the ordinary to him. Even when remembering his life before Asylum, which he couldn't remember much of, he still realized that the feeling of crampedness was... familiar, in a way.

As the ginger tom walked out of the den, quiet as always, he pondered about what faction he would be assigned to. Would he be a Scout, Nightstriker, or a Standard, or possibly be seen as a Pelt Ward? I don't think that I'd be a Nightstriker or a Pelt Ward, he thought, more uncertain of the latter than the former. I think that a Scout would be my eventual rank, if I heard what the factions did best correctly. They are supposed to be good at listening, and I believe that I am really good at that. The ginger tom followed Eris and the other Captains to where they needed to go, looking all around him as he went.

Katana stretched out lavishly, dramatic yawn accompanying her movements, then proceeded to stand up in a hurried yet graceful manner. Today was the day and ohhh boooy you bet she was roaring to go. Her fiery gaze glittered with pride and eagerness, she sported a grin to match. "Now? Awesome! It's finally the day. Let's goooo everyone! Up and at 'em! Ya furballs don't wanna get left behind." she said with a light yet commanding tone, prodding some of her denmates on her way to follow Pyrik and Spark out of the den.

She puffed out her chest and strode behind the other two, tail held high. She wasn't sure what faction she'd be sorted into but whatever she ended up as, she'll work real hard to be one of the best. She was ready and able to train to be a cat Asylum would be proud of. After all, they were all her family. She cared for them deeply and would fight tooth and claw for her furballs.

The she-kit's icy green eyes stared intently up at Eris and the other Captains, hidden wonder in her gaze. She held her chin up as she awaited the start of the sorting.

She looked over at the kittens that have been chosen to be Standards with pride. Mirae, Ceres, Raisha, Pyrik, and Griffon. Lucky bunch! She held down her excitement as she shifted her stare back to the Captains. Would she be next? Who knows! The only thing she knew was that the scar she'd be given would look so cool on her.

Ceres had found the past few moons to be nothing but enjoyable. There was nothing more invigorating than the thrill that went through her bones when it was time to train. That, along with the seemingly never-ending abundance of food, was possibly her favorite part. The Asylum was practically a paradise in her eyes. All she truly had to worry about was training, eating, and sleeping; not that there was anything to essentially "worry" about anyways. Of course, her responsibilities would end up increasing as she grew older, but Ceres was still unaware of that. The other kits' company was amusing, and although the calico knew them all, she could still confidently say that her sisters were her closest companions. As for the older cats that occupied the Asylum, they were no longer strangers in the kit's eyes. To top all of that off, Ceres had grown to love her name. She had practically boasted about how lovely it sounded to everyone in camp.

The shift in the she-kit's opinions was for the best. The Asylum was the present while her old Clan life was the past, albeit her head barely held any memories of that past.

Today was a day that Ceres had lost sleep over. Being placed into a faction was an event that she had been looking forward to ever since their training began. Her mind began to run in circles as the well-renowned Asylum Head poked her head in. It was time. How perfect was that? The calico wasted no time as she sprang to her white paws and let a wide grin grace her features
"Finally! Hurry up! I wanna see where I've been sorted." She yelped with excitement, looking around at the other kits before following Pyrik, Spark, and Katana out of the makeshift den. Considering how quick she had attempted to be, Ceres bumped into Pyrik's backside with a huff.

"Yikes! Watch where you're standing!" The kit gasped, backing up and giving the tom a quick glance before looking up at the older Asylum members.

Ceres could feel her heart thumping wildly against her chest as she waited to be sorted. It was difficult to hide her excitement. Anticipation raced through her veins and illuminated her yellow eyes. When her name was called, the she-kit lifted both her ears and her chin to look up at Iniko. Hearing that she would be a Standard was beyond exciting. Not only that, but Mirae would be with her, too. Happiness surged through her from head to paw and determination welled up in her heart. The newly-sorted cat already felt driven to be the best Standard of all time. She was willing to train all day and night for it if she had to. Her mind was made. Ceres was going to make the Asylum extra proud of her. Putting on another smile of content, the calico almost leapt for joy.

"Thank you! I'll be the best Standard ever."

He must’ve stopped a few seconds too soon. Someone (Ceres, by the voice) bumped right into him, making him stumble forward a few steps. Pyrik glanced back at her, eyes wide and apologetic. “Oh—uh—sorry, Ceres!” The last thing he wanted was to be caught talking over the Head or one of the captains; thankfully, Ceres seemed to think the same. Both of them quickly fell back into line as if nothing had happened. One by one, the others joined them. Pyrik leaned forward despite himself, glancing first to one side, then to the other, taking in the other not-quite-kits’ eager expressions. How many of them would still be his denmates once the sorting was done? Would he roam the world outside Asylum with them, searching for future friends or foes; or would he hurry from one place to the next, molding himself to fit wherever he was needed?

Iniko, captain of the Standards, spoke first. He had a calm, warm voice that managed to sound authoritative without being intimidating (and, noted Pyrik, who tended not to forget first impressions, less of a tendency to bring up bloodier topics than certain captains). When he turned to face the kits, Pyrik could no longer contain the fidgeting to his forepaws; it spread to his tail, making it flick back and forth in midair, quiet but not at all subtle. His heart hovered somewhere around the base of his throat. Was this it? Would he be a Standard?

The blood rushing in his ears nearly drowned out the sound of his name. His legs brought him forward unprompted, as if they’d been listening better than the rest of him. Pyrik couldn’t help but wince when a single claw sliced into his shoulder, the motion as clean as opening a wound could be. When he spoke, however, his voice was earnest, if a bit squeaky. “Thanks, Ini—Captain! I won’t let you down. I promise.” As he returned to his spot in the row of kits (Mirae, Ceres, Raisha, Griffon, his denmates twice over), he found himself staring at the reddening line with awe. Something permanent. A sign of where he was wanted. Though it stung in the chilly air, he'd learned what an honor it was to carry, and he would earn it if it was the last thing he did.

Other kits awoke and with them so did Kai. He bounded up and eagerly followed in line with the others. The day had finally come. Moons of training had led to this moment. Memories of a past life faded into the dark recesses of Blazing... Kai's mind. Speaking of Kai's mind, something had changed a bit there...

The other kits were given their duties as Kai lightly swayed in place. He continued to wait, wondering what would become of him. Stands are done, Nightstriker or Scout? The excitement was slowly becoming too much, as the light swaying began to turn almost into shaking.

One of Griffon’s eyes opened as his denmates started to move. Pyrik was squeaking out something about sorting! That was exciting. It was hard to stay asleep, as it was so cramped. in their small little area. He had been training hard, and wanted to move out. He wasn’t quite sure which faction he would belong to. Hopefully he wouldn’t end up as a Pelt Ward. Not that they weren’t nice, but he had so much more potential than that. At least, that’s what the older cats had said.

Following the group of kits out and standing in a row, a grin split on his face. He felt his heart pumping as he stared at the captains. Soon they would mark each of the kits with a scar. That part was a little frightening, but it would be worth it to be a real member of the Asylum. First up was Iniko, the captain of the Standards. That wouldn’t be too bad of a faction, they were the cats that had helped with a lot of his training. As he started to speak, calling the cats  that would become the new Standards, he waited, brown eyes staring at the older cat. The names seemed to reach his ears in slow motion.

Mirae. Ceres. Raisha. Pyrik.

Griffon.

Oh! That was him! Racing forward on his small legs, he straightened up in front of the captain. He saw the claw edging closer and closer to his body. Gulping, and squeezing his eyes shut, he felt the strike. It was quick, but it did sting quite a bit. Trying to hide his pain, he looked up strongly. He was a Standard now! Griffon was honestly just glad he hadn’t became a Pelt Ward. Looking at the red scar on his shoulder, he grinned.

"I won’t let you down, Captain." he declared, glancing at his fellow Standards quickly.

Theron couldn't help but grin as the kits came stumbling out, all looking eager for this day. They were truly growing to be true Asylum cats, with only their ranking to be decided upon. Her ears perked as Iniko spoke up, getting right into business. Hm, she supposed there was no time to lose. She waited, watching carefully as each of his kit was called forward. Finally, he stepped back and Theron wasted no time in taking his spot. She raised her head, eyes gleaming as she glanced at Eris. "With your blessing, Asylum Head Eris, I take these cats to be bonded to the Nightstriker faction," she purred, repeating the same words that Iniko had stated. 

There was a glee in her - this being the first time she had truly gotten to take part of a ceremony of this size since he had gained her ranking as Captain. She would do her duty to train these kits well - they would be fearsome fighters for their righteous cause. "Kai, Katana, Thalia, Stag," she called out, raising her claw to give them each a quick slash across the cheek as they approached, tail lashing.  She had always enjoyed the...Uniqueness of the Nightstriker mark - the other two wore theirs on their shoulders...While they wore their on their face. "Wear this mark of your faction with pride. Welcome." As she finished and the kits took their spots again, she stepped back. Part of her wanted to take off - sweep up the kits that were now under her command and start training right away...But no, she had to see this ceremony through, even if her part was now done.

Lyralei waited until the kits that were assigned to the Nightstriker faction joined Theron, a welcoming smile on her face as she waited patiently for her turn. This was not her first time watching kits be assigned, but like Theron this was the first since taking up her position as Scout Captain. Once Theron stepped back, Lyralei made eye contact with Eris and lowered her head respectfully, a purr rumbling in her chest as she stepped forward. "With your blessing, Asylum Head Eris, I take these cats to be bonded to the Scout faction," she mewed, looking over the remaining kits with a warm smile.

Her gaze landed on each of the kits as she named them, her tail waving lightly with each name. "Brick, Persephone, Spark and Shira." Unsheathing a claw, she gave a swift slash on each of their left shoulders as they approached, deep enough to scar properly, but not too deep to risk infection. She had been a little nervous, and taken to practicing on logs she found, but things went smoothly, and after each kit bore the mark of the Scout she smiled at each of them. "Wear this mark of your faction with pride. Welcome." She purred, waving her tail as the sorting process drew to an end. The smile lingered on her face, though her eyes did harden slightly as she jumped straight to business. "I expect you to be up at sunrise tomorrow for training - I look forward to seeing you then."

Katana had felt her whole world light up at the mention of her name by the Nightstriker captain. She was sorted into the Nightstriker faction! Can you get anymore awesome than that?? She felt pride swell in her very core. She stepped up, chest out and head held high. Her icy green gaze held anticipation as she waited for Theron to give her the mark.

When the older she-cat had done so, she managed to keep herself from flinching. She was strong. She could take a slash any day. Besides, it was a mark she should honor for days to come. She was officially sorted into the faction that suited her best and that was led by the coolest captain, in her opinion. What could be better? Kai, Thalia, and Stag were now to be training alongside her and she was rather eager to spend more time with them all, especially Thalia. For some reason, she had captured Katana's attention the most. There was something about her... no. She had to focus. There was time to ponder about those types of things later. Right now, she had to stand in place and await the end of the sorting.

Once the last captain, the Scout captain, had marked Brick, Persephone, Spark and Shira, the light-furred kit, as discreetly as she could, lifted a paw to her face and softly and adoringly touched her mark. She suppressed a shiver of delight. She was so ready to start the official training! She had always been ready!

Stag's heart sped up with excitement as he watched the Standard faction get selected, knowing his name was soon to be called. The young tom really didn't have much of an idea as to which faction he would be sorted into, but whatever one it was he was going to be happy with it- that is, unless he was a pelt ward. Sitting down next to some of the other kits, he watched as those who were selected into the Standard faction step up and get their mark.

Admittedly, Stag wasn't too sure about how he felt towards the markings. Sure, they looked cool, but... didn't they hurt? What if the wounds got infected? His amber eyes intently watched the expressions of the new Standards, seeing no more than mere flinches come from them. That must mean they didn't hurt too badly, right? Seeing the group walk away, his previous excitement returned, the anticipation of which faction he would be sorted into being too much for him. He dug his claws into the earth beneath him as Theron stepped forward to announce another faction. This would be the Nightstriker fraction. He himself wouldn't mind being a Nightstriker at all. They looked cool and though, and were allowed to wear cool pelts.

As the captain recited almost the same words as Iniko had, Stag was practically shivering with excitement. The young tom's eyes lit up as he heard his name called. Him! A Nightstriker! It was only moments ago that he was ushered out of the kit's den to be here, and now he was going to be a Nightstriker! Stepping forward, he braced himself to receive his mark. He puffed out his chest as if he wasn't worried, but deep down he knew he was scared. No cat liked pain of course, but he knew he had to toughen up. Closing his eyes, he took the mark with pride, puffing out his chest even more after Theron had given it to him.

Today was the day! Today! Was! The! Day! Brick practically flung herself out her and her sister's nest to follow the other kits to stand before the Captains. All of them were so cool! The young tortoiseshell pressed against Raisha until her kin had to step forward and receive her coveted scar. 'Raisha's a Standard!' She gave her a little excited wiggle of congratulations, keeping quiet. While Brick was more in danger of becoming a Pelt Ward than quite a few of her denmates, the idea hardly crossed her mind. Like most other things. Then the fun Nightstriker Captain Theron chose her new recruits, though Brick still waited to hear her name. Finally, after what felt like far too long, Scout Captain Lyralei called her name. Though she shook with excitement as she came forward, she held still enough for her to get her own mark. The wound stung, but not much more than when she'd tripped on her own tail and face-planted a half-moon ago. This didn't hurt at all! With the ceremony concluded, she bounced about to release her pent-up energy, playfully batting at Raisha in her little dance. "I'm a Scout! I'm a Scout!"