Waspkit's Apprentice Ceremony

As the sun disappeared behind the camp’s bramble walls, Thrushnose climbed up the back of the Highrock to what had become her usual place, odd as it felt to call it that. Though greenleaf had only just begun, it was already merciless. Holding a day’s only ceremony so late was a departure from routine to be sure, but she doubted any of her Clanmates, especially the longer-furred ones, would complain about not having to sit under a boiling sunhigh sky. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!” Sinking as close to the cool stone as she could without technically lying down, Thrushnose watched ThunderClan gather far below. Between his distinctive freckled coat and…unique…puffball of a mane, Waspkit’s arrival would be impossible to miss.

Waspkit strode out of the nursery right on cue, fur styled into its signature mane shape and an even more confident than usual smile plastered on his maw. This just had to be it. His ceremony. Stupid Starlingkit (and everyone else, though he wasn't quite as bothered with them) was already an apprentice, and it was about time that the obviously superior brother got the spotlight. He didn't bother to wait to be called- he couldn't think of anything else that this could be, so he sat down front and centre as if it had already been confirmed that this was for him. it was a good thing that happened to be the case, or else he would've made quite the show of himself.

Yellow eyes gleaming, he looked up at Thrushnose.

Waspkit emerged right on schedule, carrying himself and his puffball of a mane with the confidence of a LionClan warrior, and planted himself right beneath the Highrock as if he were the only six-moon-old kit in the forest. Thrushnose blinked down at him. She couldn’t fault him for his enthusiasm, but he wasn’t even the only six-moon-old kit in his family. Maybe Waterlily had told him about this ahead of time. “One of our kits has reached the age of six moons; today, he will become an apprentice. Waspkit—”

Step forward, is what she would have said if there had been anywhere for Waspkit to step. “Waspkit,” Thrushnose repeated, “from this moment on, until the day you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Wasppaw. Minkstar will be your mentor.” When she had been apprenticed to Nettlestar (Nettlefire, back then), she’d treated it as an honor, something she needed to prove herself worthy of… Somehow, she doubted Wasppaw would view his assigned mentor the same way. She searched for her father in the crowd. “I trust him to pass everything he knows on to you.” Without further ado, the tabby clambered down from the Highrock to join the rest of ThunderClan in congratulating the new apprentice.

He was impossible to miss. Minkstar forced down the rebellious tinge of foreboding that curled up in his stomach as the latest of Waterlily's litter to be apprenticed waltzed right up to the Highrock and planted himself straight in front of it, radiating a level of confidence that he hadn't seen since... admittedly some of the more insufferable kits he'd ever had to interact with. There's always one.... Or in this case, almost a whole litter. His daughter's voice called through the ceremony, a feeling of pride overriding the misgiving for a moment as a smile tugged at his maw. Although she'd taken a little while to warm up to it - and he of all cats couldn't blame her for that - she looked good on that rock.

She also happened to assign this member of the ThunderClan Terrors to him.

Not another one.

He didn't groan aloud, but the sentiment settled heavily into his paws, fragmented memories of his current apprentice - whatever his odd name was that still hadn't managed to stick very well - flickering through his mind. Wonder if they'd get along well, He thought briefly, rising to his paws and padding up to the smaller tom for the ceremonial nose-touch. "Wasppaw." He nodded to him as he stepped back, eyeing him and hoping that assignment to ThunderClan's leader wouldn't make him absolutely insufferable. "We'll begin training at dawn, but for now, settle into the apprentice's den - and try not to start any fights with your siblings." A hint of dryness slipped into his tone, thoughts of the den getting torn up by a full-on mossball fight running unbidden through his mind.