as the old pine fell, we sang [c]

Subject: as the old pine fell, we sang [c] Sun 30 Jun 2024 - 2:48

FOXPAW "there's nothing that i'd take back"
they/he - windclan apprentice

Foxpaw had spent many sunrises waiting to be summoned for training, until they realized that they'd perhaps have to seek it out themselves. Their mentor hadn't seemed to have much time for them, and while they weren't really in a hurry to learn everything, they still wanted to get out of camp every now and then. It was a quarter moon before the tangerine tabby figured out that they were finally allowed to leave camp, and they exhausted the privilege by the end of that day, their collection of insects slowly growing to cover their small corner of the apprentices' den.

And now, well, Foxpaw had figured out that they were lonely. His denmates were rarely around, and he didn't have many friends in the first place. Finally, when he'd spotted a familiar, well-muscled cream tom, he'd dropped whatever daydream he'd been chasing and instead bounded over to his old friend.

"Rye Guy! Are you busy? If you come hang out with me, I will catch you so many fresh-kills, like of all the food you want!" Foxpaw exclaimed, practically jumping on Ryepaw. Oh, they hadn't been able to hang out since they'd both been in the nursery! They missed their friend. Why would they ever hang out with anyone else when Ryepaw was around? Maybe they could race, or spar, or... well, the apprentice didn't care, really. They just wanted to spend time with him.

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Oatfluff - T4 WindClan Warrior - #7f513e

Nightowl - T1 ShadowClan Med. Cat - #669966

Smokeytimber - T3 ShadowClan Warrior. - #626b7d

Foxpaw - WindClan App. - #f4ab6a

Sunpaw - WindClan App. - #cea716

Tortoise - T1 Loner - #6e6e33

Subject: Re: as the old pine fell, we sang [c] Mon 1 Jul 2024 - 8:30

Ryepaw

Comin' thro the rye...

A little "oof--" rushed from between Ryepaws lips at the sudden barrage of the orange-white cat. He turned slowly, staring at Foxpaw until long after they had finished speaking. And then his eyes widened, and an 'Ah!' followed directly after.

"That's a high offer," He grinned, snaggle-tooth and all. "You sure you wanna offer me all the food I want? 'Cuz we may be out there for a very long time. I could eat enough food for the Clan and decide; Right! Well that was lunch, on to dinner. C'mon."

He turned on clumsy large paws with only a bit of a stumble-- when did that grass get there?-- and with his tail raised high, stumpy as it was compared to the rest of him, led the way. "How you likin' bein' an apprentice, Foxie?" He asked, tilting his head over his shoulder. "You gettin' ta do much?"

...poor body.

WindClan • Apprentice • He/Him • #95aeec

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as the old pine fell, we sang [c] VXGvVuE

Cindersky | Daytrader | Wolfpaw | Ryepaw

"sed non obligant."

Subject: Re: as the old pine fell, we sang [c] Wed 3 Jul 2024 - 18:10

FOXPAW "there's nothing that i'd take back"
they/he - windclan apprentice

Foxpaw felt a rush of warmth at the tom's grin. The snaggletooth was strangely endearing - in strictly the way you found a friend endearing, of course. They held their long, wiry tail high and trotted along happily beside him. A snort left them as Ryepaw rose to the challenge. He probably could. Was that where all the prey was going? "How is the fresh-kill pile ever stocked with you around?" Foxpaw teased, their day a thousand times better now that they were in the company of a friend. Usually, they preferred to do their own thing, but they'd been alone practically since their apprenticeship had started.

His tail lashed forward and came to rest on Ryepaw's shoulder as the tom stumbled, as though to steady him. "Woah there, bud. Hey, let's go to the training hollow! We can spar!" The tabby stopped and jabbed at the air, as though taking on a fierce opponent. "I bet I'd win."

Carefully, though, they listened as Ryepaw went on. Ah... he wanted to know how training was going. In truth, they weren't terribly impressed. Part of them wanted to go back to their youth. "It's... it sucks, honestly." Foxpaw began, but their voice was void of the usual bitterness that would accompany that statement. It was what it was. And what it was, well, was not super fun. Most things in life had been fun as a kit, even if they'd had a lot less liberties. "Snowvixen - that's my mentor - she's not around all that much, so I usually have to wait for someone else to leave camp. And most of the apprentices are freaked out by my bugs, so I've had to start keeping them behind the den. And I've decided that hunting is boring. Also, like, I've missed you! Your nest is on the whole other side of the den from me!" As the training hollow came into view, Foxpaw heaved the heaviest of sighs and nudged their friend playfully. "Never mind me. I'm managing, I am. How's your training, Rye-o?" The cat was a whirlwind of scattered words and ideas, but hopefully Ryepaw could keep up.

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Oatfluff - T4 WindClan Warrior - #7f513e

Nightowl - T1 ShadowClan Med. Cat - #669966

Smokeytimber - T3 ShadowClan Warrior. - #626b7d

Foxpaw - WindClan App. - #f4ab6a

Sunpaw - WindClan App. - #cea716

Tortoise - T1 Loner - #6e6e33

Subject: Re: as the old pine fell, we sang [c] Wed 3 Jul 2024 - 18:33

Ryepaw

Comin' thro the rye...

Ryepaw snickered. More of a broken rush of breath through a partially parted maw than an actual laugh. He narrowly moved out of the way of Foxpaw's swipe, responding in kind with a feign of his own, his large paw stopping mid-air before he let himself land on it to continue walking. "I dunno," He said. "I could just fall on ya."

He fell into a silence as Foxpaw began to answer his question. His eyes narrowed, a scrunch of his snout coupling with the expression that was like a blend between disgust and pity. He moved slowly, a lumbering nudge of his shoulder to Foxpaw's as if to comfort them. His eyes never left Foxpaws animated form as he ran into topic after topic. He got a nudge in when the apprentice took a moment to breathe.

"Just drag yer nest over," He said. "I got plenny o' room in my corner. 'N it's warm. Real warm. Best spot in the den. Or maybe I'll just wait 'til yer out one day and drag it over. Watch ya be all confused comin' in and maybe tell ye where I put it after a bit o' you bumblin' about. How's that sound? Be a surprise n' all."

And then training again. Well, he had only really had one session with Eveningmoon, and some sparring with Falconpaw. Made his chest feel all funny to think about, but eh. He was with Foxpaw right now. Didn't matter. "Snowvixen can go bite a bee," He grumbled. "Do ya want me to go give out to her? She'll definitely pay ya more attention when I'm done with 'er. Shouldn't be overlookin' ya. And why nobody like yer bugs? I love yer bugs. They're weird."

Oh, now he was backtracking. Good job, Ryepaw. He shook his head with a snort. "Trainings okay. Bit boring, too. Slept through the first one. Eveningmoon is nice. But she's a bit.." He let his head bob from side to side as though to fill in the words. "You should come out with Falconpaw an' me for a group 'bout some day. It's good fun."

...poor body.

WindClan • Apprentice • He/Him • #95aeec

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Cindersky | Daytrader | Wolfpaw | Ryepaw

"sed non obligant."

Subject: Re: as the old pine fell, we sang [c] Mon 15 Jul 2024 - 22:16

FOXPAW "there's nothing that i'd take back"
they/he - windclan apprentice

Foxpaw laughed as Ryepaw feigned a quick blow, but remained unflinching, watching their friend with a twinkle in their eye. "Stars, I'm glad I'm in your Clan. Imagine you're in the middle of battle, and some cat just comes over and falls over on you!" They shook their head, chittering softly at the mental image. Ryepaw was big enough that he could probably actually do some damage that way.

But the laughter fell away, and they were guided back on topic with a gentle nudge of Ryepaw's shoulder. Warmth blossomed beneath their fur where he'd made contact. Not once had their friend's gaze or attention wandered during their rambling, and it made their chest feel fuzzy and weird. Not many cats gave Foxpaw their full attention, or even pretended to be half interested when they spoke. It was just nice to have someone like that, was all.

Just drag yer nest over. I got plenny o' room in my corner. The words were warm and sincere, and Foxpaw's gaze glinted with interest. "You mean you wouldn't mind? Heh, it'd be like a sleepover, but every night! I just might take you up on that." They snorted softly at Ryepaw's teasing, then rolled their eyes affectionately. "Mhm, but I'm afraid you've told me your evil plan - I'll be expecting it now."

But now they were talking about training again. He shook his head, privately appreciating Ryepaw's offer to go after Snowvixen - though it wasn't necessary. "I don't recommend anyone go bite a bee. But nah, it's no big deal. If she gets strict on me, I won't be able to spend any time with you! I'd rather have her than someone who was on my tail every two seconds." It was nice to at least have freedom. Who needed to be a good warrior, anyway? Having a good time was far more important.

His tail twitched happily, though, at Ryepaw's next words. He liked their bugs? It was okay if he didn't, but Ryepaw wasn't the type to say one thing and mean another. They hated cats like that. Another snicker, a rush of air from their nose as he talked about his training. "You would sleep right through it. Hey, maybe you could enlist me as your own personal alarm. I'll just wave a mouse or rabbit under your nose, and you'll wake right up." But, ah, there it was. Falconpaw, huh? Foxpaw would much rather it just be the two of them, but that was fine, too."Maybe. I don't see Falc' a lot, that could be fun - hey, look, there's the training hollow! Whaddaya say we spar or something?"

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Oatfluff - T4 WindClan Warrior - #7f513e

Nightowl - T1 ShadowClan Med. Cat - #669966

Smokeytimber - T3 ShadowClan Warrior. - #626b7d

Foxpaw - WindClan App. - #f4ab6a

Sunpaw - WindClan App. - #cea716

Tortoise - T1 Loner - #6e6e33

Subject: Re: as the old pine fell, we sang [c] Fri 26 Jul 2024 - 12:12

Ryepaw

Comin' thro the rye...

Ryepaw let out a full-body laugh, the kind that was all chest and belly. He grinned at Foxpaw, rolling his eyes and saying; "Ah, c'mon... Am not that bad when it comes to food. Nah, I am, who am I kiddin'.."

His head whipped around then, settling on Foxpaws expression that he could've sworn was apprehension for just a moment. He parted his mouth, as though to enquire, and then closed it at the same time that Foxpaw spoke again. "Prettypaws usually comes out with me during training. I could ask 'im, see what he says, an'..." His eyes followed to the training hollow. Such a quick change in speech. He was quiet, a soft downturn of his lips. His ear twitched, and he assumed that if something was wrong Foxpaw would say it. "If you can keep up with me, yeah, we can spar," He hummed. "Am a bit heavy-pawed, I'll letcha know!"

...poor body.

WindClan • Apprentice • He/Him • #95aeec

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Cindersky | Daytrader | Wolfpaw | Ryepaw

"sed non obligant."

Subject: Re: as the old pine fell, we sang [c] Wed 7 Aug 2024 - 2:02

FOXPAW "there's nothing that i'd take back"
they/he - windclan apprentice

Foxpaw rolled his eyes as a grin stretched across his face. Prettypaws, huh? He never would understand his brother's reputation as some kind of heartthrob. He was just some dumb apprentice, same as the rest of them. But the tension alleviated from their shoulders; they were sure it was just all in good fun, right? They didn't let themselves ask the important questions, like why it made them oddly possessive to think about Ryepaw hanging out with anyone else or why they'd reacted the way they did. They just didn't have a lot of friends, that was all. Made them feel odd to think of their closest friends hanging out without them.

"Prettypaws... yeah, that's about right." Foxpaw snorted, at once straightening up and leading the way to the hollow. They softened a bit. Sometimes, the way the other apprentices acted got to them, but they wanted to stay true and honest. "I really would love to tag along though. I, uh - you guys are like, my closest mates." They smiled - maybe a bit sadly, but nothing that would garner terrible sympathy. They just never got to see anyone anymore. Would it be different when they were all warriors? They hoped so.

The two split up as they entered the 'ring' and stood a few foxlengths apart. "I'll keep up with you, alright. Nobody out-maneuvers ol' Fox."

With that, they sprung forward and jumped on Ryepaw's back. They stretched forward, all limbs, and put both paws over the burly tom's eyes. A twitch of a whisker, and they leaned forward, too, biting at Ryepaw's ear. It was soft enough that it wouldn't actually pierce skin, but not so gentle he wouldn't feel it. "Invasion! Whatcha gonna do, Ryeboy?"

Foxpaw used Bite, dealing 6 damage and costing 5 EP!

Foxpaw
20 / 20 HP
55 / 60 EP (-5 EP)

Ryepaw
14 / 20 HP (-6 HP)
60 / 60 EP

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Oatfluff - T4 WindClan Warrior - #7f513e

Nightowl - T1 ShadowClan Med. Cat - #669966

Smokeytimber - T3 ShadowClan Warrior. - #626b7d

Foxpaw - WindClan App. - #f4ab6a

Sunpaw - WindClan App. - #cea716

Tortoise - T1 Loner - #6e6e33

Subject: Re: as the old pine fell, we sang [c] Thu 22 Aug 2024 - 9:13

Ryepaw

Comin' thro the rye...

Ryepaw grunted non-comittally, feeling the grass change to a more soft, worn down patch as they entered the clearing. He threw his head over his shoulder at Foxpaw, that forever-crooked grin plastered on his face. His eyes jumped over Foxpaw's face, feeling a tug at their half-hearted smile. "That I am," He meowed back. "An' I plan on stayin' yer closest mate. So don'tcha fret about it, ey?"

He had just pivoted on his feet when he got to the other side, when a flash of ginger and white came over him and he could see nothing. "Stars--" He yelped, his head jerking the second Foxpaw's teeth closed around it. "Invasion is right, ye scared the daylight's outta me!"

In conjunction with his words, he leaned back on his hind legs to slip Foxpaw off. He twisted around the moment he felt the other apprentice fall free and rammed his head into the side of their flank, knocking Foxpaw's legs out from beneath them. "Counter-invasion," He huffed.

Ryepaw used Trip, dealing 5 DMG and using 15 EP! Foxpaw is stunned for one turn.

Foxpaw, stunned 0/1.
15 / 20 HP (-5)
55 / 60 EP

Ryepaw
14 / 20 HP
45/ 60 EP (-15)

...poor body.

WindClan • Apprentice • He/Him • #95aeec

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Cindersky | Daytrader | Wolfpaw | Ryepaw

"sed non obligant."

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