camp FLOWERS THAT GROW IN THE CRACKS IN THE STREETS -- intro

[DAFFODILPAW]

Another day, another patrol - it's par for the course as an apprentice, but Daffodilpaw still can't quite get into the rhythm. Border patrols aren't really his favorite, what with the chance of running into other cats on other patrols, and he's especially not fond of dawn patrol, but hunting patrols? If he's being honest, hunting patrols aren't much better, not that he would admit it. While they don't really run as much of a chance as a surprise skirmish, they do require a certain level of...skill that Daffodilpaw's not quite equipped for. He needs to keep practicing, he knows this, but every patrol he slinks back from with nothing to show makes his skin crawl. Somebody's bound to point it out sooner or later, either a misplaced comment or a pointed remark, and he absolutely dreads the day, to the point that he had even asked Fawnwhisker to stay back. Anything but another hunting patrol; he'd pull extra chores, extra dawn patrols, extra hunting practice on his own, whatever he needed to do. It hadn't worked, of course, as here he stood, trailing back to camp yet again with nothing to show, but at least Fawnwhisker had been kind about it.

Not the only one to return without a catch these days, he notes, though it does little to ease his own dread. If he couldn't catch anything now, what was he supposed to do come leaf-bare? Fawnwhisker had said that these things can take time, and that it would be helpful to learn from others, but he's more than started to have his own doubts about his skills. The only thing that really seemed to stick was climbing lessons, and even then he wasn't nearly quick enough to leave the trees with anything but slightly sore muscles.

More than anything, Daffodilpaw wants to lay low - to convince Fawnwhisper to let him stay out and train longer, or even to sneak off himself before crossing the threshold of camp - but he's not quite ready to stoop that low, even if the last thing in the world he wants to do is show up empty-pawed again. Maybe if he's quick about it, he can get to the nursery before crossing paths with anyone, see if the queens need anything. Or, if he looks busy enough, heading straight to inspect really any of the various den walls, he might just get lucky enough that nobody will attempt to seek him out. Certainly not a full-proof plan, but it's better than nothing, he supposes.

Of course, Daffodilpaw would never be that lucky; as soon as the returning patrol broaches camp, he's immediately struck by just how many cats are out and about, chatting or working on some task. Is it always this busy, he wonders? Or did all of SkyClan gather specifically to see that he hadn't caught anything? StarClan, he can practically feel the eyes that turn to stare, as if they're all piercing right through him. Before he can find any sort of chore to fulfill, he's already amidst the throng of cats, and, well, it'd be impolite to just brush past without saying anything, right? "So, uh, how about the weather we're having? You think it's gonna be a good leaf-fall, or...?" he starts, trying to add any sort of inflection other than awkward. "Well, maybe not good, 'cause there's gonna be less prey around, I guess, but, um, fair? Y'know, not too harsh?" A harmless enough comment, right? Talking about the weather - that was good, probably. Anybody could chime in on that subject, and was definitely not anywhere close to being about him.​

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ BUT GOD I'M STILL CIRCLING THROUGH ❀ THE DIALOGUES I COULD'VE HAD WITH YOU ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎

• OOC: -
  ​
• REF PENDING, TEEHEE <3
  
• DAFFODILKIT / DAFFODILPAW —. He/him, apprentice of SkyClan
  — .Chyrsaliswing x Honeysplash, littermate to Weaselpaw & Adderpaw
  — . 7 moons old, ages on the 6th
  — .An average, well-muscled orange-and-white dipped cream tom with mismatched eyes.
  — .People-pleaser with a desire to do good - dedicated, but still fun-loving
  — .Peaceful & healing powerplay permitted - brushing up against him, shoulder bumps, etc.
  — .Penned by Hijinks - feel free to DM me on Discord to plot! ^^
  ​

 

[STATICHAZE]

Statichaze watches as Daffodilpaw trudges back into camp, head low, paws empty. She's familiar with that look of frustration mingled with defeat; she has seen it on the faces of many apprentices in their early moons. She understands how Daffodilpaw, even now, tries to make himself inconspicuous, hoping to slip by without anyone noticing his empty paws. But Statichaze does notice, and, as much as she wants to let him pass without adding to his discomfort, she knows there's a chance here to help him in ways he might not yet realize. She makes her way over to Daffodilpaw, a warm smile gracing her face. She doesn't point out the absence of prey; instead, she greets him, matching his comment about the weather with a soft chuckle. "Leaf-fall is tricky," she agrees, her tone easygoing. "The weather cools, and the prey starts to get wise. They're quicker, sharper, and sometimes even harder to catch." Her voice carries a hint of reassurance as she speaks, letting Daffodilpaw know he isn't the only one who struggles.

She pauses, observing him with a thoughtful glint in her eye. "You know, it took me a while to get the hang of hunting. I was faster at climbing and loved the rush of scaling trees, but catching prey on the ground? That was a different story." She dips her head closer, her tone dropping to a more personal note. "Maybe I could try and help you get the hang of it?" Her gaze is kind but direct, hoping he can see that she isn't offering pity. She gently prods, "Tell you what, how about we arrange a little hunting session together? I could show you a few tricks that helped me. And there's no pressure—just the two of us, no need for others to watch." She's patient, wanting him to know he has support. As she waits for his response, Statichaze considers that this openness might be what he needs more than anything right now. Sometimes, when an apprentice's confidence is shaken, no amount of individual practice can restore it. Instead, a patient supporter—someone to remind them that struggles are normal and growth comes from them—can make all the difference. And if she can offer that reassurance to Daffodilpaw, she's more than willing to try.​

 

[adderpaw]

Adderpaw has never been good at handling the emotions of others. She barely even knows how to handle her own, how is she expected to help those around her? So when Daffodilpaw enters camp clearly dejected about something, she hesitates.

What could he be upset over? Maybe Fawnwhisker had been mean to him- if she had, Adderpaw would... what would she do? She was only an apprentice. Logically, she knew she wouldn't be able to do anything to a warrior. But she would add Fawnwhisker to her shit list, right below Chrysaliswing. Of course, Daffodil had never mentioned anything about Fawnwhisker being anything other than kind. Something else could have happened- maybe he hurt his paw.

A warrior chimes in, consoling Daffodil on his lack of prey. Is that what was upsetting him? Adderpaw supposes that makes sense. Hunting is hard, certainly her least favorite task. She's been an apprentice for over a moon and had only recently caught her first mouse. Battle training was far easier for her.

She makes her way to her brothers side, gently bumping his shoulder with her own in what she hopes is a comforting gesture.​

 

[DAFFODILPAW]

As Statichaze commiserates with him about the coming of leaf-fall, Daffodilpaw almost breathes a sigh of relief at the normalcy of it all. Not that he really knows as well as she does about the ins and outs of the changing of the seasons, having only ever experienced it through the words of others, but this - this is a conversation that he can feasibly keep up with. Of course, the moment that he feels a little bit more in control of the conversation, she starts to pivot, bringing up how prey animals grow wilier with the chilly weather, but it's not beyond salvageable just yet. "Yeah - yeah, I guess they have been a little trickier lately, now that you mention it," he hedges, his lips curling in a placating smile. Maybe if he just nudges the subject to something else...anything else...

Too late for that, though; already, he's been thrown full-tilt into the very conversation he'd been trying to avoid. His smile turns strained as she speaks, though it never quite falls from his face even as he feels himself being dug deeper and deeper into a pit. "Uh, yeah, same here, I guess - climbing feels a little more...natural." Daffodilpaw is dancing around the subject and he knows it, but if he can just carry the conversation long enough to look for a natural lull, maybe he can sneak away unscathed yet. Once again, though, Statichaze cuts right through his hopes, this time with something he can't just wave away.

"Oh, um, maybe." Still, he tries anyway, at least as long as he can. It's a noncommittal answer at best and he knows it, and as the silence stretches on he quickly feels ashamed for not giving anything other than a cagey 'maybe'. "I mean, I'd have to ask Fawnwhisker, you know but...well, if you're not busy, or anything." Maybe it would be good, practicing with someone else, even if it's the very last thing in the world he wants to do right now. Well, maybe not the very last thing - more than that, he doesn't want to outright reject her offer, well-meaning and kind as it is. It'd be...well, it'd be awkward, frankly, getting private hunting lessons (was that even a thing? Would everybody else think he was weird for it?) but doing it once and calling it a bust was something he could handle, hopefully.

So focused on trying to find any sort of valid excuse as to why he didn't need any extra help, Daffodilpaw hardly notices Adderpaw's approach, though he's not quite startled by the sudden touch. Embarrassing as it is to get singled out for his lack of skill, Adderpaw is perhaps one of the better cats to witness his own internal debacle. He trusts that she wouldn't poke at him or demean him for his failures - not that Statichaze is doing this to be mean, or anything, he's sure, it's just...different. "Hey, Adderpaw," he purrs softly, eager for a slight distraction from talk of hunting. Hey, maybe Adderpaw hadn't even heard any of their conversation - not that she didn't already know of his hunting woes, of course.​

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ BUT GOD I'M STILL CIRCLING THROUGH ❀ THE DIALOGUES I COULD'VE HAD WITH YOU ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎

• OOC: -
  ​
• REF PENDING, TEEHEE <3
  
• DAFFODILKIT / DAFFODILPAW —. He/him, apprentice of SkyClan
  — .Chyrsaliswing x Honeysplash, littermate to Weaselpaw & Adderpaw
  — . 7 moons old, ages on the 6th
  — .An average, well-muscled orange-and-white dipped cream tom with mismatched eyes.
  — .People-pleaser with a desire to do good - dedicated, but still fun-loving
  — .Peaceful & healing powerplay permitted - brushing up against him, shoulder bumps, etc.
  — .Penned by Hijinks - feel free to DM me on Discord to plot! ^^
  ​