pafp BRIGHT BLUE AIR [interrogation]

[HOPEPAW]

⊱⊰ The blue and black warrior intrigues Hopekit; she seems to have suddenly begun to appear more and more around camp. Her presence is easily noticeable both by her distinct appearance and by her strange behavior. Hopekit squints at her each time she passes by, going on patrols and whatever else warriors do during the day. He’ll know soon, when he becomes an apprentice along with the rest of his littermates. For now, he watches the she-cat return from a hunt and finally gets the nerve to approach her.

He remembers some of the warriors whispering about the group of new warriors who had let wolves invade their camp in the middle of the night. Badgerstripe’s name was in there… and Hopekit can’t help but to wonder whether the group of warriors’ actions were what eventually led to Batwing’s death. If they had done their duties correctly, would his father still be around? Would Leopardtongue still be around, too?

Standing up straight, Hopekit trots confidently up to the warrior, peering up at her—the height difference isn’t that great, given his recent growth spurt, but it’s still enough to make him have to tip his head back to meet her eyes. "Hey, you." You, he calls her, because Badgerstripe is a long name and he can’t be bothered to say the whole thing. "You’re a warrior… what is it like? What kind of duties do you have?" His questions are clipped at the ends, each word spoken a bit sharper than it should be. The little tom can’t help it, though—curiosity has gotten the better of him, and he isn’t willing to waste any time getting answers to his questions.

【❖】 the hunt is my muse

• ooc: @badgerstripe
• 
  HOPEKIT ❯❯ he/him, thunderclan kit
  ⊱ skinny, thick-furred lilac tom with deep copper eyes. soft-spoken and sleepy, but can be a bit of a grouch.
  ⊱ son of batwing and leopardtongue ; brother to bravepaw, hazepaw, cardinalpaw, coalkit
  ⊱ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ⊱ penned by foxlore

​

​

 

[badgerstripe]

Badgerstripe does well to avoid the nursery, namely for the number of orphans that rest within their guarded walls. It included some of Batwing's own, the warrior who died leading the wolves away. Of course, unlike Sunfreckle, Batwing's death wasn't a direct consequence of Badgerstripe's actions. Instead, she had found a way to loop it back to herself: if she didn't leave camp that night, the wolves wouldn't have invaded. If the wolves didn't invade, then Howlingstar wouldn't have been left with a tragic ultimatum, leading the wolves away with Batwing as the final hurrah.

She didn't like kits much to begin with - noisy, bossy, smelly. But it was harder to look at them knowing the hand the kittens were given. It's been easy enough, sheltered and unwilling as she was for moons, to ignore the kits, step over them and move on. As came to be expected of her. Most days, as the ghost of the Clan, she'd go unnoticed and unbothered. It seems the progress Badgerstripe was making to finally move on was noticeable to others, however, as today.. she is finally approached.

As part of her recovery, she made a vow not to look through her Clanmates ever again. Kits included, much to her nervousness. The boy starts off with a confident and sharp hey, you! and Badgerstripe's ears pin back fearfully. She is expecting to be asked about Batwing and the wolves, and her involvement in the kitten's death.

Instead, thankfully, she is asked a simple question about warrior life. Relieved, the warrior relaxes her tense posture and allows a small smile behind the mouse she carries. "Come with me to drop this off, and I'll tell you," she replies, muffled and lisped through the fur of her catch, and beckons the kit along with her to the fresh-kill pile, where she tenderly places her hard work.

The warrior sits, facing the kitten, and thinks about the last time she had been asked such. 'What makes a ThunderClan warrior?' the cat had asked her, to which she replied with a hiss and a nonsensical, half-assed answer. Bearing witness to her sudden outburst were too many cats for her liking - she had told the cat what made a warrior, only to sneer that they were asking the wrong cat, that the perfect warrior was not her. Badgerstripe's ears grow warm at the memory, and suddenly she is far too aware of her behavior the past few moons. The molly is, to put it lightly, embarrassed: in full, she is ashamed and wishes she could travel back in time and start over.

As far as starting over goes, this is Badgerstripe's best shot. Comforted by Thundergleam, she was reminded that it's far past time to move forward and better herself. She was not bad to the root. This change was for her first and foremost, but part of her can't help but plead for the warriors of this Clan to see her now, conversing with another cat in full sentences to for the first time in four moons and wearing a pleasant (albeit nervous) smile.

"Being a warrior is.. nice, and fun, but.. it's hard work," Badgerstripe warns gently. "We hunt for the Clan and protect our kin. Some days, I patrol the borders, and some days, I search for food. We have grand duties to make sure everyone back at home is safe and happy." She's off to a great start already, she thinks, and her smile only grows as she continues her groove. "But it's not all fighting and hunting. Some days, I reinforce the walls of dens and change out bedding for those that need a paw. Warriors are not above tick duty, either."

"And then.. when the day is over, I get to relax. I would.. I would like to start sharing tongues again, play with the kits, and hear stories from my elders.. just like warriors do." More than anything.. Badgerstripe thinks. The time for shedding tears is over.

As she speaks, her smile fades into wonder and awe, and her eyes show distant thoughts of a life meant for her, but yanked away by her own selfish actions. She would make sure that the new generations would not follow in her footsteps. At last, she finishes off with a new smile aimed towards little Hopekit, refreshed and satisfied with her own answer. "When you become an apprentice, these duties will be yours, too. You have much to learn and explore. Have I.. answered your question, Hopekit?"

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── ooc ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ info ──┐‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• 
  speech is #c9b177
  

• 

• BADGERSTRIPE ✩ warrior of thunderclan
  ⭃ she/her ━ afab ━ 16 moons
  ⭃ a blue tortoiseshell with a black dorsal stripe and a white ear.
  ⭃ penned by ixora ↛ @.ixora on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[beetlepaw]

Hopekit was his sibling-not-sibling. Beetlekit, nearly six moons old, knew that his father didn't care for calling Hopekit or Coalkit his sons. They were close to Burnstorm's offspring, of course, but not in the way they were blood. Beetlekit didn't care. That was his sibling right there, any ways he looked at it, and he wasn't about to let anyone else convince him otherwise. Even if they disagreed from time to time, Beetlekit still considered them close enough.

Ears perked as he watched Hopekit bother Badgerstripe. Much like his adoptive sibling, he had heard of the great stories of Batwing, who flung himself into the gorge to save the clan. A heroic act, all in all- and everytime he thought of it, Beetlekit was sad for Coalkit and Hopekit. He wondered what Batwing was like, if he was a strong warrior, if he always did his duties. Wandering closer as Badgerstripe started to speak to Hopekit, each sentence caused his ears to flatten and muzzle to twist.

Work? That was what was left for the rest of his life? "What? That all sounds... stupid simple." Beetlekit responded, his tail flicking. "If not awful. Working for the rest of our lives." His words were tart, almost sharp in flavor. Ears turned backwards, vision casting towards the other dens. Is that what apprentices did all day? Get dragged around by their mentors, ordered to do work, barely eat, sleep, and do it all over again? "What fun is that?" He muttered, a frown on his face.

—————---***I DON'T START FIGHTS BUT***————---​

✧ I'LL HANDLE YOU JUST FINE

•  
• — LH black smoke with green eyes. scruffy looking with a very solid build.
  — 5 moons old; ages the 16th every month
  — tba orient. ; currently not looking
  — child of BURNSTORM and ROEFLAME
  — thunderclan ; loyal to FAMILY
  — medium to befriend ; trusts family mostly, trusts little otherwise
  — "speech", thoughts, attacking
  — peaceful powerplay allowed

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[STAGSNARL.]

YOU ALWAYS SAID HOW YOU LIKE DOGS​

---

stagpaw doesn't usually raise their voice at kits. it's pointless. most kits are innocent in the game of life, they simply just didn't understand things. but they're frustrated and they're on edge. beetlekit was one of those young ones who seemed to think it was awful to be a warrior. he wouldn't think so when he realized just how hard it was to live out here. he wants to play all day, have fun all day, when every single day was a fight for survival. there was no such thing as fun. even when badgerstripe speaks of resting after a long day, they snort at the very idea of it.

"if you want fun, then go be a kittypet."

she does not hate kittypets. in some way, she envies them because they do not have to have the same worries as clan cats do. they get fed. they have a safe nest. clans do not get the same luxury.

"to be a warrior is an honor. you have to fight for it. for your home. for survival. it is not all sunshine and rainbows. you'll either learn that, or you'll die."

they squeeze their eyes shut as they jerk their head away from the crowd. no longer do they wish to sit here.

"whatever. your mentor or your parents can explain all of that. warrior life is quite simple. grow up and protect your home, or leave it and watch it crumble beneath you."

she snorts one final time before leaving to go train with her own mentor.

// in and out ! ic opinions ofc

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[Houndshade]

YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE THE MAN​

✦

---

The day had consisted of Houndpaw trying to follow her friend around all day, her usual badgering of Stagpaw had been met with more clipped replies than usual and they were determined to get to the bottom of it. These attempts had ended when something temporarily far more interesting caught her attention, the sound of Hopekit confronting Badgerstripe. Or questioning her? The middle ground would be an interrogation and they figured that was the most apt word to use here. So they sat patiently, listening in on her answer. It all sounded consistent with what they heard other warriors talk about, what her mentor had started to prep them with now that this was going to be her own reality very soon. Still, she had to agree with Beetlekit that it all sounded rather mundane. They thought it was for the best to make kits understand but she couldn't help but snort at the kits reply anyways.

Stagpaw didn't seem as amused by his antics though, they scowl at the mention of being a kittypet as she was unable to discern if they were like some of the cats around here who seemed to latch onto the word to spread it like a disease. There wasn't any vitriol on their tone though, not that she could discern anwyays so it mustn't be that. "It does sound awful doesn't it?" They concede with Beetlekit, looking between the other three in attendance in the crowd. "It doesn't have to be though, it's just about your outlook on it. I think it sounds kinda fun, not the work, but being able to look after your friends and defend the clan" to be honest they didn't think that it sounded fun. They weren't exactly thrilled at the idea of more responsibility and work but she had been working on finding acceptance int he matter and finding the positives of the situation. Which is something that the young black smoke was going to have to do as well.

They lapse into silence to think of what more to say, in that time her friend had decided that she had grown tired of this. Rather abruptly too, they go to say something but they leave before she can find the words. What's with them? Houndpaw looks back to the warrior and kits, forcing a shrug. "You can find fun in it, like Badgerstripe said it's not always work, there's plenty of fun things to do too." They can't help but wonder if this is what Hopekit wanted to hear or if he had different expectations from his interrogation.
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---

✦
I THINK, THEREFORE, I AM​

 

[badgerstripe]

Beetlekit joins in to hear Badgerstripe's explanation, but seems far less than pleased. It takes all she can to not frown at the pessimistic kitten, though her smile does waver awkwardly. It's all too quick to drag the warrior down, with how fragile her good moods are right now. She opens her mouth to answer, but before she can even speak, another is chastising Beetlekit for their sharp words.

If her smile did not diminish before, it does now. At the comments of kittypets, she opens her mouth to object - but again, is interrupted by the constant barrage from the apprentice. Stars, can I not get a word in here? she pleads desperately. It is not until Stagpaw leaves that the warrior can finally voice her thoughts, and all that comes out is a frustrated sigh. What is it with the youth in this Clan lately?

Thankfully, Stagpaw's friend seems to have a little more patience, and Badgerstripe finds that her smile - albeit hesitantly - can finally come back sincerely. " Houndpaw is right, " the tortie agrees encouragingly. She remembers her apprenticeship - she hadn't wanted to work then, and was forced more than anything to do her duties - and all the fun she found in life before her .. incident. " It is simple, and it can have its mundane moments. But that's just life, " she warns carefully. Not to give the little one a sense of hopelessness, but she felt it was better to be honest than to get their hopes up.

" But, like Houndpaw says, there's lots of fun to be had. For example.. hm.. well, there's a lot to explore in the territory. Oh, and so many unique cats to meet at the Gathering. " If Beetlekit was even interested in that kind of thing.. Badgerstripe knows not. But, she continues. " Your duty will come first, always. But there's never a lack of free time. You can still play with your friends, and there's always much to look forward to. Like your first catch, or your warrior ceremony! " Life was full of surprises, too. She watches the kitten's reaction carefully, not sure if she is boring him to death or giving him a bit of hope.

BADGERSTRIPE ( she/her )​

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( ooc ) text

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