private CAN I TAKE YOU TO A MOMENT // mottledpaw

[STORMYWING]

Stormywing pads into the Sandy Hollow with her apprentice at her side, her ears flicking with mild amusement for the activity she has planned. The snow beneath her paws is hard and packed, leaving little room for any real traction. But that won't stop them! Today, she has something fun and challenging in mind for Mottledpaw, though she isn't sure how her apprentice will take it.

"Okay!" Stormywing calls out too loudly as she spins around to face the she-cat, her voice carrying easily through the clearing. "You've been doing well with your training. But you and I both know you have a hiccup." She flicks her tail towards her face, though there is no judgment or reluctance in her voice. It is fact, and nothing negative to linger on. "I think it's time for a little challenge to help you get used to the changes." Mottledpaw needs to adjust to her new way of seeing the world. One eye lost, the other still strong, but it leaves her with a lack of depth perception, something Stormywing had to deal with when it came to Fallowbite, too.

"I've got an exercise for you," The tabby trills with a grin. "This one isn't about strength and speed - it's about balance, focus, and coordination. All things you're going to need with your new sight." As she finishes speaking, she pads towards the edge of the clearing and paws out a bundle of pinecones she'd stashed there earlier. "This is a simple game. I'm going to toss these into the air, and you're going to catch them before they hit the ground. Simple, right?" She winks back at her apprentice, her tail flicking with playful energy. "This is going to help you build the kind of coordination you need for hunting and fighting with one eye."

The warrior then raises a paw, tapping one of the pinecones, and with a swift flick, tosses it into the air. "Let's go!" She watches her apprentice closely, hoping Mottledpaw can manage it. The exercise, while playful, needs to serve as a valuable lesson in resilience as she adjusts.

// @mottledpaw
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[mottledpaw]

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Forest-litter gaze clings to the floor, watching her every step to ensure its certainty... The frost underfoot is familiar and foreign at the same time... Stormywing has been patient. Reassuring. That should be good enough, right? Still the tortoiseshell roils in her her own self pity... what a waste... what a fall from grace. The dirt becomes sandy... and they've arrived.

A single eye lifts towards her mentor, a sullen expression etched into fine lines across her face. Training had once been thrilling and now... just felt embarrassing. A reminder of how much was left to be done. Even her boisterous, proud voice ringing through this hollow is not enough to ignite her spirits. "Right.... a hiccup..."

A tail slithers towards her face like a snake but does not bite, still the reminder stings. Her gaze shifts away, listening with the quiet flick of her ear to acknowledge what she's hearing. It's a game...? Admittedly, this does pull her attention, begrudgingly... She scans the collection of pinecones with a slight lift of her lip- a peek of a smile that's quickly suppressed in favor of rolling her eye at Stormywing like she's the most ridiculous thing this forest has ever seen. "I'm starting to think you just wanted to play a game in general.... But fine... let's play."

For a moment, Mottledpaw thinks to tell Stormywing this is a game a mother might play with her kits to practice hunting... but she traps the idea behind her teeth, fearful she might accidentally upset her. [They never really broached the subject of her illegitimate children and Mottledpaw had no intention of opening that can of worms again.]

She squints as the spiky seed is launched into the air, following it with a scrutinizing and nervous stare as it lifts higher and higher.... reaches its peak... and starts back down. Her lips part in a concentrated gape, a tail twitching in anxious anticipation. Just... catch it. Just catch the damn thing... Her own nervousness encourages hesitation and by the time she wills herself to reach out for it, it's already slipped past her paws and clatters to the ground.

Her spine ripples with disappointment, already frustrated by the circumstances despite her intentions to stay cool and collected. Her jaw clenches, grinding her teeth for a moment as if physically chewing on her discomfort before swallowing it down and turning back to her mentor. "I'll get the next one..."​

 

[STORMYWING]

Stormywing watches the pinecone tumble to the ground with a soft thud, her ears pricking at the tension rippling through Mottledpaw's frame. She fights the urge to swoop in with reassurance, knowing that hovering over her apprentice won't do her any favors. Instead, she steps forward, scooping up the pinecone with a paw and flicking it back into her stash with an easy toss.

"Of course you will," She says confidently, as if Mottledpaw's success is a foregone conclusion. She sits back on her haunches and curls her tail neatly around her paws. "That was just a warm-up. You hesitated, overthought it. This isn't about perfection; it's about trusting yourself. Your instincts are sharper than you give yourself credit for, you know." The blue tabby stretches her neck, trying to meet Mottledpaw's gaze. "Think less, act more. Your paws already know what to do - you've been training them since the day you became an apprentice. All you need to do is let them take over."

With a flick of her tail, she grabs another pinecone from the pile and tosses it into the air, this time with a higher arc to give the she-cat more time to track it. "Keep your eye on it. Think about nothing else but tracking it." She offers a lopsided grin as the pinecone soars lazily through the air, and her gaze stays fixed on Mottledpaw, silently willing her apprentice to catch this one.
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