Adjustment [open]

Emberpaw had been so desperate to prove herself that she had barely taken any time to rest in the past days since her apprentice ceremony, other than taking time to sleep. She had watched the other cats as much as she had a chance to, but they kept their distance for the most part - not that she blamed them for it, really. She was an outsider, one they had every reason not to trust. Today, though, for the first time since becoming part of ThunderClan, she had a chance to observe the Clan going about its day - nothing left to busy herself with, her mentor busy with other things. It was still kind of a shock to her, though she'd been living this life for a little while now. Maybe it was different now that she sat down and observed them - her Clanmates, she corrected herself. That's what they were called. Not just them anymore. The thought of trying to make friends crossed her mind a few times, but she had been busy trying to help the Clan in any way she could - more often than not struggling with things that the Clan-born cats her age managed with ease. Now, though, any excuse she could have made wasn't plausible - she wasn't doing anything at the moment, besides watching the rest of the Clan. She had to get to know her Clanmates sometime, anyway, and this must have been a sign that she had put it off too long.

(((I hope you don't mind my inclusion! Heatherpaw needs to learn how to make friends among her Clan, too, after all. XD)))

Heatherpaw sat at the mouth of the apprentices' den, staring down at her paws. Like a few other cats, she had been adopted into ThunderClan, finding herself lucky to have the deputy Leopardclaw as her foster father. However, he, his foster mother Lichenfang, and her adopted sisters Flowerkit and Violetkit, were the only cats she ever talked to. Leopardclaw was always busy doing important duties and Flowerkit and Violetkit still resided in the nursery with Lichenfang, so she felt very alone - a horrible feeling for a terribly timid cat to feel.

On occasion the sandy-colored apprentice would look up at the other cats as they passed to and fro through the camp, but would always quickly glance back down whenever a cat tried to make eye contact with her. She curled her tail tightly and protectively to her side and buried her face in her forepaws with a sad sigh. Was she ever going to get over her shyness and make a new friend within the Clan?

(OOC: No, I don't mind at all!)

Emberpaw glanced at the newcomer. "Hi," she greeted in what she hoped was a pleasant voice. She couldn't recall her name, so she didn't try. Just a fellow apprentice in her mind, someone she shared a den with. "...Are you alright?" she asked as the younger apprentice buried her face in her paws. She wasn't entirely sure how to address her fellow apprentice, though. ...She wasn't scary, was she? No, she didn't think so. Her mentor was scary, she wasn't.

Emberpaw tried to think of the other apprentice's name. A brief silence as she thought was rewarded with a satisfied nod, and a curious, "Heatherpaw?"

(OOC: Sorry for the uber-short post!)

Heatherpaw squeaked and shot up her head to look at the she-cat. She tilted her ears back nervously and glanced away. It seemed she was incredibly shy, too nervous to even speak to her own denmate. Her mew was soft and timid. "Um, h-hi..."

(OOC: Don't worry about it at all! :3)

"...O-oh! Did I scare you? I'm sorry!" Emberpaw exclaimed. "I didn't mean to, you just looked... Lonely, I guess?" she ventured, hoping she hadn't stepped out of line. She didn't say anything more, though, just in case.

Heatherpaw shook her head, and her mew was slightly louder so she could be heard. "N-No, you didn't scare me. Sorry, I'm just... I just feel a little out of place around here. I can't seem to hunt correctly or battle. I feel like I'm nothing but a burden to Reedheart, and to the entire Clan. Th-That and... well... other cats make me feel a little anxious and timid..."

That came as a shock to Emberpaw. "I think I understand," she nodded slowly. "I'm not a good hunter, I'm a terrible fighter... And my mentor isn't exactly the nicest cat," she grumbled slightly, hoping Specklefang wasn't anywhere close enough to hear her. A quick look around confirmed that she was safe in that respect, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief - she didn't want to know how the warrior would react if she did hear.

Still, it surprised her that Heatherpaw's issue was quite similar to her own - not quite fitting in. "It seems to come so naturally to most of you," she murmured. "The only thing I can really do is climb trees."

Heatherpaw looked up at Emberpaw, actually able to meet her gaze. So she wasn't the only cat in the Clan having trouble fitting in as she feared. She did seem very sad about that, and she realized she was a bit luckier than the flame-colored she-cat -- Reedheart was not only a nice warrior in general, but her adopted older brother, so it was easy to train with him. Poor Emberpaw couldn't even have that on top of the inability to properly hunt or fight.

She looked down at her paws and spoke a little louder, confident yet afraid at the same time as to what her fellow apprentice's answer would be to her next question. "Well... If it's okay with you, maybe we could help each other? If we both work together and help support each other, maybe that can help us do better. I mean... we both have trouble fitting in and doing anything right, so I just figured it would be a good idea..."

Emberpaw was taken aback by the offer - the first friendly gesture anyone had offered her since she became a part of the Clan. "...That does sound like a good idea," she agreed. "I'm in." For once, the sparkle in her eyes wasn't determination - it was excitement. The chance to train with another cat, and not be worried about impressing them... The day was turning around for her, it seemed. She didn't feel like quite as much of an outsider as she had just the day before, and that led her to smile at her fellow apprentice - and, perhaps, her first real friend in the Clan, though she wasn't about to ask if that was the case.

For the first time in a very long time, Heatherpaw let out a little happy purr. She was just as thrilled that she finally had a friend -- a very relatable one no less. And the best part was she was beginning to feel comfortable around her. She blinked at Emberpaw in a friendly manner. "Would you like to see if our mentors can take us out on a patrol tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that would be great!" Emberpaw nodded. "It might be fun," she added thoughtfully, not usually a word that came to mind when she thought of her mentor.

Heatherpaw blinked curiously, tilting her head to the side. "Who did you say your mentor was again? You said you, um... didn't like him too much..." She hissed the last part quietly, not feeling too keen on risking her new friend's mentor overhearing and getting her into any trouble.

"Specklefang," Emberpaw whispered to her friend. "She's a strong warrior," she offered, not wanting to speak ill of her mentor in case she had mysteriously appeared since the last time Emberpaw had mentioned her. She refrained from adding previously stated opinions for the same reason - besides, it would be stating the obvious. Heatherpaw already knew, as she had just demonstrated. "Who's yours?"

"Mine is Reedheart," the sandy-colored apprentice answered. "According to Leopardclaw, he was made a warrior not long after I was taken into the Clan. I guess I'm pretty lucky, though; he's my adopted older brother now."

Emberpaw felt a little bad. She had assumed Heatherpaw was born into ThunderClan, although their circumstances were still rather different. Emberpaw had been made an apprentice upon her acceptance, while Heatherpaw had seemingly been adopted in at a younger age. Reedheart, though... She drew a blank on the name. Leopardclaw, on the other hand, she knew to be the Clan's deputy. "That is pretty lucky," she admitted.