Stonepool has a particular way of walking. His mentor's strides are carefully placed pawsteps - as if each is calculated to be precise in their strength. The blue warrior holds his head high wherever he goes, chest puffed out in pride.
He's a strong warrior, Stonepool. Though Toadpaw finds his faults in his mentor, Stonepool is powerful, confident. A true warrior. Toadpaw can only wish to be like him, to know where to place his paws and to hold his head high.
To be a true warrior, he must start acting like one. And so he does - one step at a time.
The grey tabby lays in the grasp of sunrays, black fur beside him. It's a much-needed break from the usual - of patrols and hunting, of training the kid he's been assigned.
Toadpaw, he's quite the kid, Stonepool thinks. Ready to learn, but still struggling. Hunting, the kid will probably be good at that, but fighting? Fighting, he still struggles with - a trembling boy on the battlefield. Patroling, he now struggles with too, it seems, a plethora of excuses in trying to get out of it.
Stonepool can only hope he teaches him well, that he'll become a decent warrior by the end of this. But, Toadpaw makes it so hard, sometimes. Perhaps, he'll be grateful for this one, rather than his siblings.
But how? How can he prepare this kid better? How can he better help Toadpaw become the brave warrior he seeks to be?
"Hey --" Nightdust's paw prods into his shoulder, pulls the warrior out of his thoughts. There's amusement in the dark-furred tom's frosted gaze, "Look at your kid." Green eyes turn to look for the small apprentice, and soon he spots the boy, limbs wobbling as he walks with awkwardly outstretched limbs, nose pointed to the sky.
"What in the --"
"H-He... He's walking like you!" Nightdust stifles out a laugh that leaves Stonepool rolling his eyes.
"I do not -" He watches further, sees the similarities in what his apprentice is trying to do, and soon, Stonepool too is laughing. "I do not walk like that!"
Stars, his apprentice is an odd one.
Careful, careful. One step and then the other. Head held high. No, higher. Stand taller, look like a warrior.
"Hey, Toadpaw!"
The apprentice stops his march around the camp, paws threatening to stumble forward in the abruptness of the call. His cerulean gaze lowers to find the call's source, and soon he sees Nightdust beckoning him over with a wave of the tail. Beside him is Stonepool, and Toadpaw's gaze brightens upon the sight.
Had he seen him? Had he seen how well he walked? Just like a warrior, right?
Right?
His warrior walk forgotten, the brown tabby bounds over to his mentor and his friend, "Yeah?" he looks at them expectantly, hope filling him.
"That's a nice walk you got there!" Nightdust tells him, before looking at Stonepool. "Familiar, don't you think?" His mentor nods, a smile pulling at the corners of his face. Pride, Toadpaw thinks it is. Stonepool is proud of him!
But, suddenly... suddenly Nightdusk is laughing, and Stonepool follows.
"You'll have to put it into his lessons!" Nightdusk tells his mentor, still laughing.
Still, still. This... They think it's funny, think he's making a joke. He's not. He's not. Toadpaw watches as they continue to joke with one another over his warrior walk, ears threatening to flatten against his head. His heart sinks - Is Stonepool not proud of him?
"You'll have to do that on our next patrol," Stonepool says, eyes bright in amusement. Slowly, through the stinging he feels in his chest, Toadpaw laughs too.
"Heh, yeah," Toadpaw says, trying to add into their joking, as if making fun of himself will make any of this better, "It was kinda silly, wasn't it? I'll... I'll have to do that."
In the midst of his laugh-covered hurt, he finds himself only hoping Stonepool doesn't make him do this on a patrol. Instead, Toadpaw wants to hide away and pretend he's never copied Stonepool's mannerisms.
He's a strong warrior, Stonepool. Though Toadpaw finds his faults in his mentor, Stonepool is powerful, confident. A true warrior. Toadpaw can only wish to be like him, to know where to place his paws and to hold his head high.
To be a true warrior, he must start acting like one. And so he does - one step at a time.
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The grey tabby lays in the grasp of sunrays, black fur beside him. It's a much-needed break from the usual - of patrols and hunting, of training the kid he's been assigned.
Toadpaw, he's quite the kid, Stonepool thinks. Ready to learn, but still struggling. Hunting, the kid will probably be good at that, but fighting? Fighting, he still struggles with - a trembling boy on the battlefield. Patroling, he now struggles with too, it seems, a plethora of excuses in trying to get out of it.
Stonepool can only hope he teaches him well, that he'll become a decent warrior by the end of this. But, Toadpaw makes it so hard, sometimes. Perhaps, he'll be grateful for this one, rather than his siblings.
But how? How can he prepare this kid better? How can he better help Toadpaw become the brave warrior he seeks to be?
"Hey --" Nightdust's paw prods into his shoulder, pulls the warrior out of his thoughts. There's amusement in the dark-furred tom's frosted gaze, "Look at your kid." Green eyes turn to look for the small apprentice, and soon he spots the boy, limbs wobbling as he walks with awkwardly outstretched limbs, nose pointed to the sky.
"What in the --"
"H-He... He's walking like you!" Nightdust stifles out a laugh that leaves Stonepool rolling his eyes.
"I do not -" He watches further, sees the similarities in what his apprentice is trying to do, and soon, Stonepool too is laughing. "I do not walk like that!"
Stars, his apprentice is an odd one.
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Careful, careful. One step and then the other. Head held high. No, higher. Stand taller, look like a warrior.
"Hey, Toadpaw!"
The apprentice stops his march around the camp, paws threatening to stumble forward in the abruptness of the call. His cerulean gaze lowers to find the call's source, and soon he sees Nightdust beckoning him over with a wave of the tail. Beside him is Stonepool, and Toadpaw's gaze brightens upon the sight.
Had he seen him? Had he seen how well he walked? Just like a warrior, right?
Right?
His warrior walk forgotten, the brown tabby bounds over to his mentor and his friend, "Yeah?" he looks at them expectantly, hope filling him.
"That's a nice walk you got there!" Nightdust tells him, before looking at Stonepool. "Familiar, don't you think?" His mentor nods, a smile pulling at the corners of his face. Pride, Toadpaw thinks it is. Stonepool is proud of him!
But, suddenly... suddenly Nightdusk is laughing, and Stonepool follows.
"You'll have to put it into his lessons!" Nightdusk tells his mentor, still laughing.
Still, still. This... They think it's funny, think he's making a joke. He's not. He's not. Toadpaw watches as they continue to joke with one another over his warrior walk, ears threatening to flatten against his head. His heart sinks - Is Stonepool not proud of him?
"You'll have to do that on our next patrol," Stonepool says, eyes bright in amusement. Slowly, through the stinging he feels in his chest, Toadpaw laughs too.
"Heh, yeah," Toadpaw says, trying to add into their joking, as if making fun of himself will make any of this better, "It was kinda silly, wasn't it? I'll... I'll have to do that."
In the midst of his laugh-covered hurt, he finds himself only hoping Stonepool doesn't make him do this on a patrol. Instead, Toadpaw wants to hide away and pretend he's never copied Stonepool's mannerisms.
// PROMPT: toadpaw has a quirky habit of imitating warriors. but what happens when the warrior thinks its a funny joke and laughs it off? is he offended or hurt? or does he laugh, too?