Locking Talons (Closed)

Gender: Male
Rank: Apprentice

Cedarpaw lounged in the camp, enjoying a nice day of relaxation. He leaned over his back to groom a particularly tangled patch of fur when a familiar voice called out. Straightening, he looked around, his gaze landing on one of his best friends, Shrewpaw.

He smiled brightly and got up, his ears pricked as she spoke. A spar? That might actually be fun! He was unbelievably bored right now anyway - it was a good thing Shrewpaw had gotten here then!

With a stretch, he padded to the center of the camp, beckoning for Shrewpaw to follow him. "Yeah, sure! Dont go easy on me though!"

Through the excitement, Cedarpaw had to admit, he was a bit nervous about sparring in the middle of the camp, where anyone could see. Especially if he lost, that would be embarrassing. Regardless, this would be a fun way to test his skills!

It was just like a game! Right, he just had to be positive.

Gender: Male
Rank: Apprentice

Cedarpaw yelped as the weight of Shrewpaw's sudden attack forced him to the ground. He laughed loudly at her boldness and writhed under her, attempting to force her off of him. Though, with one of his hindlegs pinned under him and the other splayed out, it wasn't exactly easy.

Suddenly, something Acornstem had taught him emerged from his memory.

He craned his neck to look at Shrewpaw, his face a mask. Without warning, he went limp, doing exactly as he'd been taught to when stuck under another cat. A few moments passed, hopefully enough for Shrewpaw to think he'd given up, before he surged upward - pushing with his front paws to throw her off of him.

Freed from her grip, the red and white tom spun around to face Shrewpaw, smacking her playfully in the face with his tail as he went. He waited for her to regain her balance for a moment, then began to purr. "But Cedarstar makes a fantastic recovery!"

The younger apprentice smirked over at Shrewpaw, his paws kneading the earth with excitement. He'd never sparred so playfully before, especially not while training with Acornstem.

So this was...a really nice change of pace. Spending time with his best friend was a huge bonus as well, they didn't often get to hang out together just the two of them anymore. Much less in a relaxed environment.

Gender: Male
Rank: Apprentice

Cedarpaw laughed loudly at Shrewpaw's confusion, his whiskers twitching with amusement. He feigned surprise at his cheering crowd and turned to dip his head bashfully to the imaginary cats around them. "Thank you, thank you. I'll make you all proud." Then, his amber eyes turned back to Shrewpaw, who was goading him on.

Tail lashing playfully, Cedarpaw narrowed his eyes and mimicked her stance. The moment she finished getting ready, he launched himself at her, batting at her shoulders and head with sheathed paws.  

He couldn't stop himself from making his attacks land like fluffy little clouds, though. He didn't actually want to hurt Shrewpaw - she was his most favorite cat in the whole clan! His very first friend and the first member of bird club.

Then, pleased with his attack, Cedarpaw leaned forward and as his final flourish - booped her on the top of the head with his nose. He laughed softly and leaned back, his eyes shining. They should play like this more often. "Under Cedarstar's ferocious attack, what will the brave Shrewstar do!?"

The larger apprentice grinned down at Shrewpaw, his fur bristling with excitement. "How was that for an attack, hmm?" Though he was mostly saying it in a joking manner, he did want to make sure that he hadn't hurt her.

Gender: Male
Rank: Apprentice

Cedarpaw opened his jaws, indignation glimmering in his eyes. Cuteness? Cuteness!? There was nothing cute about his ferocious attack! Shrewpaw was supposed to be quivering in fear and begging for mercy from the all-powerful Cedarstar! Alas, Shrewpaw was doing neither of those things - rather, she was laughing at him!

The young tom looked away, huffing as she went on. "You must have me confused with some other cat. Cause I'm not cu-" He went quiet as Shrewpaw fell back into the routine; her eyes glued to him. That was much better!

He dropped into a crouch, mocking Shrewpaw's, his amber eyes narrowed playfully. He lashed his tail, head cocked as she went on and on and - pounced! He was bowled over, so shocked by Shrewpaw's sudden attack that he didn't have the chance to put up a fight. Her blows were much harder than his and, unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to return her attacks.

He flopped onto the ground with a dramatic gasp, allowing Shrewpaw to remain victorious a little while longer. Then, she said something quite unexpected. Cedarpaw stiffened then lifted his head to peer curiously at his friend as she began pressing her paws into his fur. ''Wh-What?" First he was cute, now he was soft?

What in the name of Starclan was happening!?

Just as quickly as it had happened, Shrewpaw refocused on their battle, leaving Cedarpaw momentarily stunned. He looked up at her, not sure how to respond when she asked if he was okay. After a moment, the tom shook his head."Uhm...no, I'm okay." Still, it took a moment for Cedarpaw to recover enough to move.

Once he had indeed recovered, Cedarpaw smirked at Shrewpaw then swung his weight to the side, forcing Shrewpaw to the ground beside him. "The mighty Cedarstar will never give up!" He heaved himself to his paws and stood over Shrewpaw, a smug little look on his face. Boop! With one paw, he tapped the top of Shrewpaw's head. "Now who's the cute one?"