DANCING IN THE COURTHOUSE ♕ new-leaf & questions

[Briarthorn]

BRIARPAW — hello, my old heart.

She had been born in the midst of green-leaf, but her most vivid memories lie in the painted scenery of crystalline snow and murky ice.
Briarpaw remembers the burning sun though, faintly. Especially now, as an unshelled new-leaf sun warms a pathway along her spine, golden light draping its comfortable embrace over subtly muscled shoulders.
Rain had clouded the sky just the day before, and the marshlands still bared the consequences of both the dampened weather and melting ice, each step sticking to swollen mud, and bleeding water between her toes.
Still, the clear blue sky and unbridled sun was nice- occasionally.
“So if I was apprenticed during leaf-fall… does that mean my warrior assessment is coming up?” The thought crossed her mind as they had left camp for this hunting patrol, but only leaves her maw now after having time to enjoy the silence and the sun.
Her question is not laced with eager anticipation, her hunting techniques are well-practiced, but not perfection. Where she flourished in the skill of combat, her moves were not polished- yet, it couldn’t be too much longer until the time to fine-tune her assets in the safety of apprenticeship would come to an end.. right?
"speech"
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[ONYXPAW]

I WISH YOU COULD SEE THE WICKED TRUTH — Newleaf was an entirely new beast for Onyxpaw, her own birth having occurred near the start of leaf-fall when the trees had begun to be stripped bare of their protective leaves. She had grown used to their trees being barren, the only splashes of color throughout the marshlands in her mind being the white of the snow or the lighter green of frogs against the deep muck that covered most of their territory. Seeing the beginnings of growth throughout her home was actually quite the shock to the young apprentice's system, her blue gaze often lingering on each new sprout that she passed longer than was strictly necessary. Part of her was worried about looking like a fool in front of her new mentor, but a larger part of her was just curious, wanting to know the meaning behind each new plant that was slowly taking root across Shadowclan's lands.

Her mind had been focused on that instead of actual hunting during this particular patrol, staring down at a steadily growing bushel of marsh marigold before the sound of Briarpaw's voice finally dragged her attention away. Onyxpaw looked towards her fellow apprentice, making note of the differences between the two of them - Briarpaw seemed so much stronger than her, the rippling muscles beneath her pelt alone enough to make her think that the other was ready for her warrior assessment. Though that simple thinking was probably why she wasn't ready for such a thing just yet. "It should... right? I'm not sure how things have changed since the new rule was implemented. Do you think the both of us will have to wait a couple more moons, like the new apprentices?" That didn't seem particularly fair to her, but she also wasn't necessarily against it. That meant two more moons of training for her to look forward to alongside Scorchfrost. Two more moons that would hopefully make her feel less like she was drowning going into warriorhood.

// @scorchfrost mentor tag !!

CAUGHT UP IN A RUSH ✦ IT IS KILLING YOU

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  ✧ shorthaired tortoiseshell point and chocolate point chimera with blue eyes
  ✧ 6 moons old; ages the 1st every month
  ✧ bisexual; crushing on yellowpaw
  ✧ daughter of monarchroot and sleetjaw
  ✧ shadowclan born; silently loyal to her home
  ✧ difficult to befriend; shy to most except yellowpaw
  ✧ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ✧ peaceful powerplay allowed

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[lilacfur]

Considering the apprentices that had been made before the new law was put in place, it wasn't until Briarpaw's question that Lilacfur thought of how long their youth was trained for. Four moons in the nursery, and then nearly an entire seasons cycle afterward. Practically their entire adolescence was spent beside a warrior and now they would be spending an equal amount of time within the nursery and beside their mentor.

The question led Lilacfur to look at @CATERPILLARPAW. and she nodded her head slowly. Her own apprentice would become a warrior in perhaps a moon from now. "That's right. The warrior code only changed how long a kit stays in the nursery, not the apprentice's den. You'll still graduate this coming greenleaf." An abundance of warriors would be joining her in the den, soon. Perfectly timed for greenleafs bounty, and great preparation for leafbare's struggle. ​

[ i need the clouds to cover me ]​

 

[Frostbite]

Frostbite overhears the question Briarpaw asks and stops in his tracks. Briarpaw.... Forestshade's litter. They were in the nursery around the same time his kits were. They were apprenticed at the same time..... Listening to Onyxpaw and then Lilacfur, the realization hits him like a truck.

His kits were going to be warriors soon.

"Stars.....You've all grown so much. Time sure flies...." He says. It feels like time keeps slipping away from him and when he finally catches it, everything has changed. The next generation is growing up.... And soon will lead lives of their own. Its a realization that keeps hitting him. The little fuzzballs that curled up at his side, nestled into his fur, are growing up. The impact is always the same.

Poppypaw, Muddypaw, Ptarmiganpaw....They were going to be all grown up. Warriors. He's not sure he's ready.

"You've all trained hard, I'm proud of you." He says to Briarpaw with a smile.​

 

[Skunktail]

—————————————————————⊰☆⊱————————————————————

"Sure is, little thorn." Skunktail grinned as he approached, bumping into Frostbite's shoulder and gliding alongside him to a stop to regard his apprentice with shining white teeth, "I'm gonna make you work for it, hope you're ready." His first apprentice and admittedly one where he made a lot of mistakes and bumped heads with her early in the beginning, but he couldn't deny he was a little proud about it. Swanpaw too was also being apprenticed - maybe he could catch a break going forward and not have to worry about keeping a youngster under control for a few moons. They had some time left to train but Briarpaw was mature and already put together enough in her own right, he wondered if it was a result of Forestshade's absence early on that made her so independant. Hard to say if it was a benefit or a weakness at this point. Skunktail laughed, realization hitting him then.
"You were named after my mother but I only ever knew her with the star. Briar before then and then her title as leader. You'll be the first Briar to own a name unique to yourself, I wonder what Chilledstar will come up with. You know, Briartail has a nice ring to it, eh? Wanna match me, brat?"
A paw went out to attempt to ruffle fur, despite knowing it was probably an unwelcome gesture of playfulness. She was so serious sometimes.

☆ ———— promise me she's not your world ☆ ———————— 'Cause Andy, you're a star

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  Skunktail
  —⊰⋅ Warrior of ShadowClan
  —⊰⋅ He/Him
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ SH Black & white tom w/spearmint green eyes
  

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[Briarthorn]

BRIARPAW — hello, my old heart.

Her question is first met with uncertainty, sharp hazel eyes drifting to an apprentice younger than she, Onyxpaw.
After a slow blink, Briarpaw lets the question churn over in her mind before she gives a firm answer. "No, that won’t happen." The ebony apprentices tone is confident enough, though her optics still flicker in her mentors direction, a silent cue for him to reaffirm her answer.
I wouldn’t let it. The young molly tells herself silently, though in reality… what would she be able to do?
Lilacfur proves herself to be the most helpful, where Frostbite is nostalgic- not quite the answer she was looking for, but Briarpaw still returns the older toms smile with her own slight quirk of her lip and a short nod.
Sure is, little thorn. Her mentor quips, bumping against Frostbite with his own grin. A quirk of her lip evolves to a ghost of a smirk, the striped toms words met with a triumphant nod.
I knew it.
When Skunktail laughs, Briarpaw’s gaze clouds with intrigue for a heartbeat, pitched brow quirking expectantly. Her mentors realization sparks an unfamiliar feeling in Briarpaw’s chest, her bottom lip twitching for a fleeting second. She would be unique he says, and Briarpaw exhales a contemplating breath.
Any sentiment in the moment is whisked away when Skunktail proposes the idea that she could match with him. Sharp features scrunch in her mentors direction, a grumble prying at her maw as her head his ruffled.
She lifts a forepaw to bat his away, though there’s no genuine force behind her defensive move.
"So you can bring it up every day?" Briarpaw thrums finally, a satirical edge to her tone softening what would otherwise be considered as malicious. Skunktails playful nature had helped to instill some sense of humor within Briarpaw. Only some.
"Did you have a different name before the clans? … or were you just Skunk?" Ready to shift the topic from her own name, pine-laden hues turn back to Skunktail, a possible joke swirling behind golden-tinted depths.

"speech"
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