private GLADIATOR SKIES ✧ applepaw

[COMFREYPAW]

Comfreypaw has been in training for nearly four moons now, though she can hardly believe it herself. She’s seven moons old, and has slowly detached herself from Betonyfrost and her littermates. Her duty is to ShadowClan—and really, she’s better off with having as little association with her mother as possible. Her interaction with the gray she-cat in the forest still rings the ragged edges of her mind, and she still wonders how her Clanmates perceive her. When they look at her, are they seeing frostbitten ears and half-crazed eyes? Do they hear her singsong voice, or her mother’s whiplike one, accusatory and heavy with blame?

She shudders. Leaf-fall has taken the edge off the sweltering heat in the marsh, but it’s still a warm day, all things considered. Her charcoal pelt ripples as she moves through reeds, and as she tosses her head and aims a smile her companion’s way, she feels her worries about Betonyfrost fade. Whatever traits she’s inherited from her mother, Comfreypaw reasons, none could be too strong if Applepaw still wants to be her friend. She does not want to lose that—ever. “I can’t believe we got permission to hunt alone,” she chirps. “How’re you liking training so far? Have you caught anything yet?”

✧ INFO.

• @APPLEPAW
• 
  — comfreykit . comfreypaw
  — she/her, apprentice of shadowclan
  — bisexual ; single
  — short-haired charcoal tabby with amber eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — art by Meadowllark

​

 

[APPLEJAW]

This – this what she'd imagined, when she'd thought about her apprenticeship. Being able to go where she wanted without her siblings always in tow, being trusted enough to bring something home without someone over her shoulder, or at least... do something productive. Of course she'd known that she'd still have a mentor, despite that, and she would have to listen to the, despite but, but perhaps she'd tricked herself into imagining a normal mentor for herself, forgetting the high number of freaks and weirdos within their clan. Impressively, Granitepelt was quite high up on the list of freaks and weirdos. " Me neither, " she agrees, and Comfreypaw's smile helps her feel more at ease despite everything.

It was weird to be out here, for a reason other than running away from something, or looking at something and making up stories about it. She thinks Smogmaw had only done that because her other sleepy siblings had loved it. She wonders if that's the sorta thing Comfreypaw likes too. Not like it matters. She wouldn't be caught doing something silly again. She tries to look attentive – she is attentive to the environment around her... even if she wasn't quite sure what to look or listen for, or which smell was which. A frown is back on her face before she knows it. " I don't. I mean... " she sound sounds angrier than she means to, and frustrated, she purses her lips. " I haven't. Granitepelt is... " A brute. But he's right, isn't he?

" Do you think Valerianpaw will get her first catch before me? Or – stars, Garlicpaw? " When did apprentices usually catch their first prey? Whatever it is – she'd like to do it sooner than, or was she already behind? With Dogfur as a mentor, surely that was impossible. Foxflower... well, she didn't know. " We all got frog - brains for mentors. " She hopes so, at least. " What's Rosemire like? "

ooc ༊ 𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓆𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂

•  

• 

• ( I'M OBSESSED WITH THE MESS THAT'S AMERICA. ) APPLEPAW. kit of shadowclan. eldest sister to swankit, valeriankit, and garlickit.
  —— she / her; confused by the use of others
  —— currently 5 moons old as of 9.3.23. ages every 17th.
  
  longhaired blue torbie with a white chest, paws, and underbelly. A young cat you would describe as " bossy, " Applekit is quick to take charge of any situation she sees herself as the probable head of. A rule - follower to a T, and thinks herself better than the majority of her clan for this. Not ignorant enough to think herself above a warrior, but seeks to gain that status as quickly as possible. Intensely self - motivated to be the best in a mixture of blind, childish desire, and never wanting to be afraid of anything ever again.

​

 

[COMFREYPAW]

Comfreypaw tilts her head at her friend’s response. “I don’t,” and the look of displeasure on her face causes the charcoal she-cat’s expression to fall. “Is it… your mentor?” She has not spent much time around Granitepelt—on purpose. The tom gives her a strange feeling, like he’s judging everyone all the time, even down to the way they tear meat from a bone or the way they bathe themselves before sundown. She can’t imagine having a cold, mean cat like that for a mentor.

She gives her friend a sympathetic and gentle headbutt to her shoulder. “Hey, no way! You’ll be the first to catch something for sure.” She keeps her voice light as her pawsteps, doing her best to lighten the mood. “And yeah… Chilledstar really gave you guys some interesting mentors, huh?” Comfreypaw’s smile is rueful. “But it’s temporary, right? We’ll be warriors before you know it.”

Applepaw seems to snap herself out of her funk and asks Comfreypaw about Rosemire. She flicks her ears forward. “He’s…” Now she ponders. She likes Rosemire just fine, though she gets the distinct feeling sometimes he’d rather be doing other things… “He’s really nice. I think we get along well. I wonder…” She purses her lips in thought. “Well, nevermind. Sometimes I just think he doesn’t even know what we’re supposed to be doing!” Her purr is amused.

With a skip, Comfreypaw dances ahead of Applepaw. “I’m so glad you’re an apprentice now! It was just miserable being in that den alone. The other apprentices… well, you’ve met them.” She huffs with laughter. “You know Maggotpaw… and Wheatpaw, and Mottlepaw, and Sharppaw…” She giggles, waving her tail. “They’re all weirdos.”

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — comfreykit . comfreypaw
  — she/her, apprentice of shadowclan
  — bisexual ; single
  — short-haired charcoal tabby with amber eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — art by Meadowllark

​

 

[APPLEJAW]

Comfreypaw does not entertain the spiral of her worries, and Applepaw thinks she ought to do the same. She huffs an amused breath at the bump of their shoulders, a light smile making its way to Applepaw’s face once again. " Yeah, you’re right. " Swanpaw would be too sleepy to catch anything, Garlicpaw, too busy playing with mud. Valerianpaw, well… " He tried to freak me out, " Applepaw tells her, and she wouldn’t admit that it kind of worked. " But it’s just… dumb. " She tries to push the thoughts away, content to be in the present with one of the only cats she could stand.

Chilledstar’s choices… She offers her a hum of agreement at that; a smile, at the thought of the two of them being warriors together. Comfreypaw would be there before her… unless Applepaw can catch up. With Granitepelt as her mentor, she shouldn’t get her hopes up. Perhaps selfishly, her ears are pricked to any tidbits of Comfreypaw’s apprenticeship that she can learn about.

He’s really nice, Applepaw isn’t sure how much that matters. Sometimes I just think he doesn’t even know what we’re supposed to be doing. Applepaw quirks a brow at this, and at the same time, she feels her shoulders slump with the loss of tension. Maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult to catch up if Rosemire is truly a frog - brain. The tortoiseshell snorts. " Typical. "

And her eyes follow the skip of the other girl’s paws, jumping ahead of her own. Applepaw watches her with amusement twinkling is mismatched eyes – Comfreypaw’s energy is a charming sort no one else in this clan could ever hope to match. Garlicpaw in comparison, is just terribly annoying. And Applepaw’s face is warm when Comfreypaw speaks. " I haven’t been there a moon, and I’m sick of them. You saved me from one less annoying neighbor, " she huffs, amusement twinging her words even if her annoyance was very much real. " Maggotpaw and Wheatpaw think they’re so much better than everyone!

" When I’m a warrior. When I’m deputy, " She amends. And that’s as far as she would go, because she could not imagine a more ideal ShadowClan than having Smogmaw as their leader. " I’ll make it so promising apprentices don’t have to hang around the good for nothing ones! You’ll be on the council, of course, " she adds with a purr. Though she was too old for kit games now, couldn’t she still hold on to the memories she had? It’s not as if reality like that would be so bad… " Or would you rather be a medicine cat? "

ooc ༊ 𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓆𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂

•  

• 

• ( I'M OBSESSED WITH THE MESS THAT'S AMERICA. ) APPLEPAW. kit of shadowclan. eldest sister to swankit, valeriankit, and garlickit.
  —— she / her; confused by the use of others
  —— currently 5 moons old as of 9.3.23. ages every 17th.
  
  longhaired blue torbie with a white chest, paws, and underbelly. A young cat you would describe as " bossy, " Applekit is quick to take charge of any situation she sees herself as the probable head of. A rule - follower to a T, and thinks herself better than the majority of her clan for this. Not ignorant enough to think herself above a warrior, but seeks to gain that status as quickly as possible. Intensely self - motivated to be the best in a mixture of blind, childish desire, and never wanting to be afraid of anything ever again.

​

 

[COMFREYPAW]

Applepaw tells her, “He tried to freak me out.” Comfreypaw’s frown is immediate, etched with concern. “He did what?? Why in StarClan’s name would he want to do a thing like that?” Applepaw’s mentor is downright odd. “Sounds like he’s playing kit games himself,” she throws in, her tail lacing through the air. Even as Comfreypaw skips ahead, she turns back so she can continue to converse with her companion.

Their talk about the apprentice’s den brings a shine to her dark golden eyes. “Maggotpaw doesn’t like anyone except Magpiepaw, but it’s hard to tell if he likes her back or not.” She shrugs charcoal-edged shoulders. “Wheatpaw… I don’t know, she’s just weird. Never heard anyone talk like that before and I never want to again.” She eyes Applepaw’s expression for a hint of approval. Truly, she has no qualm with either she-cat, but… but she can tell Applepaw does, and that makes a difference.

“A medicine cat?” She tilts her head to one side, then flicks an ear dismissively. “Nah. I think I’d go stir-crazy in that den. I’ll let Magpiepaw have that.” She giggles, dancing closer to Applepaw’s side. “I’d be on your council, though. We’d make sure no one ever messed with ShadowClan!”

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — comfreykit . comfreypaw
  — she/her, apprentice of shadowclan
  — bisexual ; single
  — short-haired charcoal tabby with amber eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — art by Meadowllark

​

 

[APPLEJAW]

“ Why in StarClan’s name would he want to do a thing like that? “ That, Applepaw does not know. Saying she felt unsettled around Granitepelt might be an understatement – though that was not something she would admit with words. Sounds like he’s playing kit games himself. The quip is enough to settle her nerves, some. Applepaw shrugs, contempt for not to accept that he must not have anything better to do.

Magpiepaw is a fine cat to like, in her opinion. She wouldn’t necessarily say that there are many cats to like at all within ShadowClan. " I don’t pretend to like cats I don’t, but I can at least be polite, " she says with a roll of her eyes. Even if she could sometimes toe the line with certain remarks. Maggotpaw’s outburst was improper, and made her look downright stupid. Both her and Wheatpaw screamed pretentious. " Agreed, " she says with a snort, letting a single lash of her tail slip past. Those two would certainly never be leading any patrols, when she’s deputy.

Nah. It’s more or less the answer she’d been looking for. " I knew it, " she proclaims, smiling as she reaches to bump shoulders with dark tabby fur. " It’s for softies, and weirdos. Swanpaw might be good at it. " Comfreypaw on her council – though really, would that be her decision to make? Even without her saying a thing to her father, Comfreypaw would be an obvious choice, wouldn’t she? Someone strong, even with a good for nothing mother. She watches the carefree patter of steps with a smile. ( And in the back of her head, she thinks, was this really any way to hunt? Comfreypaw oughta be scaring away every toad with the way she moves, but who really cares? )

She breathes an even breath. It’s only fun. " No more bears, no more WindClan… Maybe we could get more territory so we won’t have to eat rats for Leafbare. " She hasn’t had to yet, but she isn’t naive to the worried murmurings around camp, and weirdly, her father is keen to take advantage of Carrionplace even when they weren’t starving. Evidently, she has taken her mother’s stance on Carrionplace itself.

" We’ll make ShadowClan strong, " Applepaw affirms. Comfreypaw is the only one she could’ve asked to play without worry of wrongness or being to dimwitted to do so. Why should that change? " And we’ll sleep in the center of the warriors’ den. ” "

ooc ༊ 𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓆𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂

• 
  

• 

• ( I'M OBSESSED WITH THE MESS THAT'S AMERICA. ) APPLEPAW. kit of shadowclan. eldest sister to swanpaw, ashenpaw, and garlicpaw. ( + birdkit, halfkit & tanglekit )
  —— she / her; confused by the use of others.
  —— currently 6 moons old as of 9.27.23. ages every 17th.
  
  longhaired blue torbie with a white chest, paws, and underbelly. A young cat you would describe as " bossy, " Applekit is quick to take charge of any situation she sees herself as the probable head of. A rule - follower to a T, and thinks herself better than the majority of her clan for this. Not ignorant enough to think herself above a warrior, but seeks to gain that status as quickly as possible. Intensely self - motivated to be the best in a mixture of blind, childish desire, and never wanting to be afraid of anything ever again.

​

 

[COMFREYPAW]

◇────────────【☆】★【☆】────────────◇​

XXXXXApplepaw seems at least somewhat assuaged by Comfreypaw’s jest about her mentor. She’s glad. She likes when she can take some of the darkness away from other cats’ features, when she can brighten their moods just a little. She likes when the tension drains from a conversation originally held taut. It keeps her own steps light. The charcoal tabby half-turns again, ear flicking with amusement. “No, you certainly don’t,” she agrees. “Maggotpaw has never been polite a day in her life.” Her tail waves again, as if to punctuate her statement.

XXXXXApplepaw seems pleased, too, about Comfreypaw’s rejection of the hypothetical medicine cat lifestyle. It’s for softies and weirdos, the tortoiseshell declares. Comfreypaw giggles. “Swanpaw would be good, if he could stay awake long enough to learn anything,” she says, her whiskers trembling with mirth. “I’d not mind the herb part… it could be interesting, I guess. It just seems a little lonely.” She shrugs. “The only ones who come to see you are sick or hurt cats.” She isn’t sure if she’d like it or not—to be needed in that way would be nice, maybe, but she imagines there’s more to it than she’s ascribing it.

XXXXX“No more bears, no more WindClan… Maybe we could get more territory so we won’t have to eat rats for leafbare.” Comfreypaw lightly jabs Applepaw’s ribs with a paw. “Oh yeah? Whose territory would we steal?” She smiles. “Would you rather eat rabbits or squirrels?” She says nothing more, though the image of being curled up in a nest with her best friend surrounded by warriors who cared for them and would fight beside them… her paw pads tingle with warmth.

─────────​

​

 

[APPLEJAW]

Comfreypaw makes her feel careless. In a way that is nearly dangerous— but right now, even that is of little importance to her. Little puffs of laughter come easily as they walk." You could say the same for a lot of ShadowClan. " Or replace "polite" with smart, useful, etcetera... Applepaw nearly thinks herself lucky, that she has found someone that so far manages to avoid that aspect of of the rest of them.

Applepaw snorts at that— at her brother's expense. Did that make her a bad person? " Too true, " she laughs along anyways. I'd not mind the herb part, comes a note, and Applepaw is looking to her friend with mild surprise. It had always seemed like the most boring job of all time, to Applepaw, but she supposes there's more than what's on the surface; that surface being herbs. Your Clanmates would look to you for guidance; for advice. Softies and weirdos, yes, but ironically, those Weirdos have turned out to be more reliable than the majority of ShadowClan.

No, it wouldn't be a horrible fit for Comfreypaw. She would rather have someone sane in there, than not. Applepaw hums in consideration. " No frog - brained apprentices, at least. No Magpiepaw... Or they'd be too sick to talk at you. " It didn't sound so bad, at the end of the day. " I'd come visit you, " she offers with a blink.

She responds to her friends jab with a huff, then tries to bump her back, for good measure. Between rabbits or squirrels... " Hmm, rabbits. A marsh hare can't be so different from a moor one, can it? " she justifies. Squirrels on the other hand, she was less familiar with. Then again... Her nose scrunches at the idea of hunting on treeless land. ShadowClan was a dark and gloomy place, and as much as she hated it, that's what she was growing used to. " Maybe I'd get used to squirrels, though. I'd rather hunt in a different forest than no forest at all. Too bad Howlingstar would be less fun to beat. " She hardly knew a thing about the ThunderClan leader, but she's heard enough about Sootstar to know anything but would be a downgrade.

Comfreypaw deserved a place like that though. All of them did. A place with trees that did more than look sad, and the ground only wet after it rained. The two of them could wait it out together. The image is enough to make her smile. Her tail flicks across Comfreypaw's flank, and she can see the glitter in the other girl's gaze. Maybe the prey would run well enough there that there was no need to spend so much time thinking about hunting.

Hunting, which— they were currently doing terribly little of. Apprehension is suddenly thick on her spine, like Granitepelt or Chilledstar may spring from the shadows to tell her she isn't doing enough. Applepaw feels herself pulling away. Her grin is gone. " ...We ought to do some hunting. " dispassionately, she says. It was the right thing to do.

ooc ༊ 𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓆𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂

• ooc:
  

• 

• ( I'M OBSESSED WITH THE MESS THAT'S AMERICA. ) APPLEPAW. kit of shadowclan. eldest sister to swanpaw, ashenpaw, and garlicpaw. ( + birdkit, halfkit & tanglekit )
  —— she / her; confused by the use of others.
  —— currently 7 moons old as of 10.22.23. ages every 17th.
  
  longhaired blue torbie with a white chest, paws, and underbelly. A young cat you would describe as " bossy, " Applekit is quick to take charge of any situation she sees herself as the probable head of. A rule - follower to a T, and thinks herself better than the majority of her clan for this. Not ignorant enough to think herself above a warrior, but seeks to gain that status as quickly as possible. Intensely self - motivated to be the best in a mixture of blind, childish desire, and never wanting to be afraid of anything ever again.

​