FUTILE DEVICES ⛧ FEATHERSPINE

[Vulturepaw]

˖⁺‧₊ ☽◯☾ ₊‧⁺˖ 　Maybe it's too bold, trying to chase after a rabbit alone. He's still young, still lacking in catches, but he can't help but try. Vulturepaw races forwards on clumsy legs, darts after the dusty-furred form of the animal. He can feel the grass brushing against his legs, the rush of adrenaline pounding in his ears. So close, so close - the fear of it slipping through his paws again courses in the rabbit-leap pace of his heart.

And the rabbit slips away into a tunnel.

His paws skid to a stop, breaths heaving. "Damn it - " Vulturepaw chokes out, making no effort to follow. Another missed catch. Tears of frustration prick at his eyes, and a sniffle slips out. He rubs harshly at his face with a paw, teeth grinding together. It might be big enough for him to slip in after, to reach a paw in and snatch it if he were quicker, but his legs won't move. He stares daggers at the gaping maw of the rabbit-burrow, still but for his gaspin breaths and deaf to the sound of his patrolmate catching up with him.

I HAD TO LEARN THAT THE HELPING HAND ⛧ CAN BE THE SAME THAT HOLDS THE KNIFE

• @FEATHERSPINE
  

• 

  
  
  "SPEECH"
  ​

• 
  VULTUREPAW ⛧ he / they / she, apprentice of windclan, eight moons.
  ➳ a spiky-furred dark tabby with amber eyes.
  ➳ skittish and dour, with a superstitious sort of pessimism.
  ➳ micheal x npc, adopted by periwinklebreeze.
  ➳ sibling to dustpaw, bilberrypaw, mourningpaw and weepingpaw.
  ➳ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ➳ penned by SATURNID ↛ saturnids on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[FEATHERSPINE]

If there was anything to be admired about Vulturepaw's clumsy gait, it was at least intention... Featherspine valued that among many other strengths, though was seldom disposed to make any comment on it. He watched the young tom streak off, narrowed yellow eyes following his moments- he could already tell that the rabbit would flee out of his reach if he did not go any faster. Predictably, he stayed at the same speed... Featherspine watched him grind to a halt, a cloud of dust pluming around him.

Lips parted for a sharp correction... there wasn't any point moping about it, after all. Before he could speak, though- the tom's voice hitched on a curse, and Featherspines fangs slid together again. Hesitation, so rare a grasp on her tongue, found its purchase then.

"You may have run it into a tunneller's waiting c-claws," Featherspine commented. It was meant to be a sort of reassurance, but the flat edge of her voice perhaps did not translate it very well. Still, he came to settle beside Vulturepaw- a yellow glare blinked down at him, nose wrinkling for a moment. Stars, how did Pinkshine do it? "Your speed is improving. You were very cuh... c-close." ​

✦ penned by pin​

 

[Vulturepaw]

˖⁺‧₊ ☽◯☾ ₊‧⁺˖ 　The sound of another voice startles Vulturepaw, whirling around on her heels to meet the slitted snake-eyes of Featherspine. His ears press back in anticipation of some biting remark; he has never known the warrior to be anything but stern. It never comes, but their face darkens nonetheless. The dry tone and half-hearted reassurances feel condescending as they meet spiralling thoughts and gasping breaths. "C-c-c-close isn't good enough," snaps the apprentice bitterly, the words accompanied by a lash of a spiny tail and a click of sharp teeth.

They catch themself a moment later, cringe back at the callousness of their own words. Snapping will only make things worse. "Sorry. Um." They flounder for a moment, eyes dartimg to their paws. Her voice quiets from its shrill sharpness. "...You really th-think I'm improving?" It's a tentative warble, and disbelieving. Empty platitudes, he's sure.

I HAD TO LEARN THAT THE HELPING HAND ⛧ CAN BE THE SAME THAT HOLDS THE KNIFE

• 
  

• 

  
  
  "SPEECH"
  ​

• 
  VULTUREPAW ⛧ he / they / she, apprentice of windclan, eight moons.
  ➳ a spiky-furred dark tabby with amber eyes.
  ➳ skittish and dour, with a superstitious sort of pessimism.
  ➳ micheal x npc, adopted by periwinklebreeze.
  ➳ sibling to dustpaw, bilberrypaw, mourningpaw and weepingpaw.
  ➳ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ➳ penned by SATURNID ↛ saturnids on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[FEATHERSPINE]

Close isn't good enough. Vulturepaw's words were damning, and Featherspne looked at him with a level sort of surprise, head tilting very slightly upwards to look down his nose at the apprentice. "You're right. It isn't," she said simply, but there was not a venom in that assurance. Snapping did not, in fact, make it worse. Featherspine respected a sharp tongue when it struck in the right places. He would not be upset with Vulturepaw for feeling frustration for a failure to serve their Clan ... anyone would be, surely. Especially having gone so long without catching a single thing.

"But one day, you won't merely be c-c-close, will you?" Expectancy flashed in yellow eyes. "Yes, you're improving. Any d-dimwit can tell. As long as you stay on your upward trend, you will make a catch." It was only logic... hardly reassurance at all, but perhaps Vulturepaw would take it either way. She would not mind, so long as the apprentice stopped sulking; she would not improve as long as she crouched by that hole.

"You will only stop improving if you sulk after every failure. I expect you to t-t-try just as hard on the next rabbit."​

✦ penned by pin​