Pride is close (O)

Subject: Pride is close (O) Mon 6 Nov 2023 - 6:00

Blackkit sat in a corner of the camp, seeing how the morning patrol padded into the camp a small smirk creeping up the corner of his mouth as he knew that someday, very close he would become an apprentice and be able to serve the clan and go on exciting patrols like the adults and juveniles have! Just the thought of that made him squeal a bit of excitement.
His favorite game has always been clan, although he doesn't play as much it could really benefit for what's to come ahead, 'I mean... taking care of the clan isn't that hard... right..?'

Subject: Re: Pride is close (O) Mon 6 Nov 2023 - 9:39

Dawn was breaking as Frostpaw padded into camp, following along behind the last patrol of the night. The small apprentice held two mice in her jaws; one another’s catch, but food nonetheless. After depositing the prey on the fresh-kill pile, her gaze met that of a nearby kit. She did not know his name, for after leaving the nursery for the apprentice den she had never once looked back, but he sat by himself, and the spot nearby was one of the only empty ones, not filled by a snoozing elder or daydreaming apprentice, all seeking to soak up the dawning sun.

Frostpaw settled herself nearby the kit, having decided to forego this dawn’s meal. She had eaten last dusk, after all. “Hello, ‘kit. I’m Frostpaw. You?”

Subject: Re: Pride is close (O) Mon 6 Nov 2023 - 10:53

As the kit heard the unknown voice talk to him his ears perked and quickly turned to what was emitting that voice, his eyes widened. 'An apprentice..?' His pupils dilated as analyzed the cat that was a bit bigger than him, a small breeze blowing over rustling his dark pelt a bit
He thought for a second, his eyes darting around and his head moving a bit erratically as if trying to find what words to say.
After a bit Blackkit gathered the courage to reply to the she-cat, taking a deep breath before looking at her once again. "I'm Blackkit... Nice to meet you" He stammered nervously since he had never spoken to an older cat other than his mom and dad.

Subject: Re: Pride is close (O) Mon 6 Nov 2023 - 15:25

Blackkit. Ah. That made sense.

Not noticing the kit’s anxiety, Frostpaw let her attention wander. The dull ache of hunger was thin and distant, if you knew how to let your mind wander unfettered, away from the physical confines of such negligible things as starvation. She hesitated to call it daydreaming, for not a thought flitted through her head, a rare occurrence. The small apprentice simply let her gaze flick from cat to cat, plant to plant, observe the lightening sky. It ought to be this kit’s bedtime soon.

Right. Conversation. Frostpaw wrenched her attention from the faint light on the horizon and turned her impassive, unnerving gaze back to the kit. Blackkit. Right. What did kits talk about these days? When she was young, the others would play-fight, or pretend-hunt, or complain to the queens of hunger. Hmm. “How old are you, Blackkit? I doubt it will be long before we are denmates.”

Surely kits still looked forwards to their apprentice ceremonies. That was how things worked; leaders earned their nine lives, apprentices anticipated their ceremonies, and kits could hardly wait to earn their ‘paw.

Subject: Re: Pride is close (O) Wed 8 Nov 2023 - 10:38

Blackkit let out a tiny huff of anger as he realized Frostpaw's gaze landed somewhere else, his eyes darting around in an attempt to follow Frostpaw's before getting a bit dizzy. 'Tst... how can she not get so dizzy like that..?'
He thought before realizing the apprentice's gaze went back to him, his ears perked up high in surprise as he looked at the older cat, anxiety beginning to overflow him again as she asked for his age
"Uh..." The kit took a minute to think, raising his head up as his thoughts began to race in a desperate attempt to figure out his age. 'Awe cmon... I get asked that all the time!', it's something about Frostpaw's nature that made him feel nervous... As he felt the apprentice's gaze weigh on him he responded with a sigh; "4 moons.."
Blackkit's fur relaxed a bit from relief as he finally got that question out of the way

Subject: Re: Pride is close (O) Wed 8 Nov 2023 - 12:25

The kit’s slight hesitance did not escape Frostpaw, though she could not quite pin down its reason. Anxiety? Shame? Anger? He seemed to squirm under her impassive gaze, as if it filled him with ice. She… did not think she was an imposing presence, small-statured and skinny, but something that escaped the young apprentice’s notice was the smouldering intense fire in her eyes, as if she could skewer a rat through with only a glare. Frostpaw rarely meant ill, and yet it was a rare occasion that caused her to reach out to others or, really, mean well. She hunted for her Clan; did that not show how she cared?

Curling her tail around her paws, the small apprentice considered the advisability of simply lapsing back into silence. Something made her think the kit would not exactly appreciate that, however, but conversation was hardly her strong suit. Uhm…

“Is there anyone you hope will become your mentor, then? Two moons is not a long time to wait.”

Subject: Re: Pride is close (O) Fri 10 Nov 2023 - 11:39

Blackkit kneaded the ground a bit with his paws, making himself more comfortable as he tried to relax from the situation. He took the moment of silence to look around the camp once again, taking in every little detail before looking up and pouting soon after as he noticed the darkened sky. Aw!
He took a breath before his attention changed to the short apprentice, his tail flicked for a moment as he heard her.
The kit's mood suddenly turned to uneasy as she mentioned who he hoped could be his mentor and sat a bit, thinking for a moment

"Well... I hope to be the Nighstar's apprentice... but I haven't even gotten the chance to know him."
His eyes shined as he mentioned 'Nightstar', he has always had an admiration for those who hold such power and to be able to be apprenticed by one is a dream come true for him.

"Have you met him? How is he like?"

______________________________________

'Just a teen doing teen stuff'

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Blackpaw
Shadowclan apprentice

Subject: Re: Pride is close (O) Fri 10 Nov 2023 - 12:23

Nightstar? What exactly had this kit’s parents been teaching him? Frostpaw flicked an ear, face impassive as ever as she replied. “I believe Nightstalker was killed by the rat swarm. Are you old enough to remember that?”

Frostpaw herself was barely old enough to remember Swiftheart (Swiftheart!) bravely defending the nursery from the surging tides of rats, and certainly had heard of Nightstar’s leadership only through elder tales. She turned her gaze to Blackkit, studying the younger tom and trying to size him up. Why would he say such a thing? Had he truly been told that tyrannical Nightstar still ruled ShadowClan? How awful parents, then, and what an unobservant kit. Even if he had been lied to for some unfathomable reason, it was clear and obvious to any who paid a lick of attention who was in charge. Leopardstar, wise and (to Frostpaw, at least) aloof.

Subject: Re: Pride is close (O) Sat 11 Nov 2023 - 17:06

SI'm not a stranger to the dark!

"No! No! You'll never take my home!" he murmured in his sleep. Stagkit was fast asleep in the warm confines of the nursery when Blackkit exited. The brown tabby kitten was snuggled deep within the pile of his older siblings, his legs twitching as he dreamt. Even in his sleep he couldn't stop moving.

It was the deeper timbre of the older cats voice that pierced through the kittens dream and brought him back to reality. And a good thing he was awake at that. Sheesh that one was a little scary, the tom thought. He had been hearing whispers from the elders and warriors from camp about bad omens and rat fights. While on one paw he wanted to be a part of that action, he couldn't bear to think about losing one of his siblings or his mama or papa to a battle. The battles simply had to wait for him to get bigger. Yes.

With the naive thought that there would be no danger to face until he became an apprentice, Stagkit stretched his limbs, licked down his chest fur and slipped out of the nursery, eager to greet the apprentice at their door.

Stagkit grinned at Frostpaw, "Well helllooo!" he purred in greeting, dragging out his syllables for dramatic effect. Gracefully taking a seat next to the black and white she-cat the tom didn't have to think before answering, "I want Leopardstar." he stated confidently. There was surely no better mentor than the leader. Where Blackkit craved the power of becoming such a leader, Stagkit desired to simply be the best fighter. Who better to push him hard and mold him into a great warrior than Leopardstar? She had fought and won many a battle and that was enough for Stagkit to make up his mind.

But..if Leopardstar wasn't on the table..then perhaps Badgermask, Leopardstar's daughter. She had also fought many a battle and seemed like a formidable mentor.

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ECHOSONG	FAWNEYE	SLEEPYHOLLOW	STAGPAW	WEAVER
Thunderclan T3 Medicine Cat	Riverclan T3 Warrior	Windclan T5 Warrior	Shadowclan Apprentice	Loner Kitten

Subject: Re: Pride is close (O) Sun 12 Nov 2023 - 6:31

'Oh..'

Blackkit's eyes widened as he heard the reply of the apprentice. He had always thought that the leader was the brave Nightstar! But he guessed it was just the elder goofing around with his small brain. The dark kit pouted a bit out of anger, looking at his paws and pinning his ears as his thoughts took over. 'How could I have been so... oblivious?'.

He didn't realize the other kit's presence until he mentioned 'star', quickly turning towards the dark tabby kit. 'So that's the leader...'.
The soon-to-be apprentice's expression contorted into one of embarrassment as he averted his gaze from the two cats that surrounded him.

______________________________________

'Just a teen doing teen stuff'

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⚝

Blackpaw
Shadowclan apprentice

Subject: Re: Pride is close (O) Sun 12 Nov 2023 - 10:53

Another kit- she had shared the nursery with this one for scant few days and did not remember his name. This one was quite different from nervous Blackkit, with a flare for… dramatics. Frostpaw did not approve of dramatics, but these were not (thank the stars) her kits to discipline. His mother was Pineblossom, and Frostpaw trusted that the respected senior warrior would bring up her kits well. Leopardstar? Kits always wished to have the leader as their mentor. Foolish. A leader would have little time to spare for their apprentices; it was a best to have a mentor whose first priority was her apprentice, and Swiftheart, of course, was exemplary.

“My mentor,” Frostpaw mewed, a certain note of pride in her usually impassive voice, “is the senior warrior, Swiftheart. I’m sure you know her.”

Swiftheart spent much of her time in the nursery with the kits, especially Pineblossom’s litter. They ought to know her. The small apprentice… did not exactly notice the embarrassment on Blackkit’s face. That… was not her strong suit.