stranger than you dreamt it [open - sorting topic]

It was a ceremonial sort of day, Thalia thought to herself as Eris told them to take their places, given that they were all gathered now to be sorted into their factions. Their place, more or less - she could recall with sparkling clarity, one of the earliest memories she had, worrying that she wouldn't belong anywhere at all; and the reassurance that 'every cat has a place here'. Still, that worry flared up again now, as much as she tried to brush it aside, as Captain Iniko named his charges and hers was not among them.

Okay, so she wasn't meant to be a Standard; that was alright. Her denmates would do wonderfully in their new roles, she was sure, and she watched with second-paw pride as they received their marks.

Everyone has a part to play, she reminded herself. Hers was going to be different, that was all.

"With your blessing, Asylum Head Eris, I take these cats to be bonded to the Nightstriker faction."

Kai was first, then Katana - and then, finally, her own name was spoken. She approached her captain in time to receive her mark, standing tall and proud to wear even the sharp pain of the swift slash to her face with pride and confidence.

Her fate was now decided: she was meant to be a Nightstriker, at the side of her denmates and under Captain Theron's guidance. In that moment, she dedicated herself not just to her newfound place in the Asylum, but also to the cats at her side. Not just her fellow Nightstriker initiates, but all of her former denmates - they were her friends, her family, the only one she knew.

"Thank you, Captain. I promise I'll do my best."