havent got a second to spare .. loampaw

[S A B L E T U F T]

can we leave it behind? — There is an undeniable yet unspoken loathing contained within the warrior as his sights meet Loampaw. With Halfshade out of commission until her and Smogmaw's kittens were ready to fend for themselves, he was assigned to oversee the remainder of Loampaw's training. Sabletuft had always taken his leaders demands and orders with pride and utmost determination to fulfill them, but this had him teetering on the edge of asking for someone else to be chosen.

Ultimately Sabletuft swallowed and accepted the decision. He had been entrusted with someone's apprentice, he would not be responsible for ruining whatever progress Halfshade had made with Loampaw. This would only be temporary, anyway, there wasn't much time left before his final assessments would be completed.

As the pair of them stood beneath the ink-spilled sky, hardly any light from the moon or glow of lights from TwolegPlace filtered through the dense canopy of pines. Night training- with pelts as dark as theirs this might be entertaining. "Just as a warning, you won't be seeing your nest until you're capable of decently defending yourself against an attack. You're of better use injured than dead." He spared no politeness or niceties, getting straight to the point. "This will be more like a game. If you can dodge me three times in a row and land some sort of attack, you get to go rest up and eat. Now, get ready. And don't bother hiding."

-- @loampaw — tags​

 

[loampelt]

First it had been Thymefoot who'd passed, and now Halfshade who'd gotten pregnant. Opposite ends to mentorships felt fitting — Loampaw regards Sabletuft in the lowlight and wonders if that makes him lucky number three. Lucky would hardly be what Loampaw considers himself in this moment. Sabletuft had always had it out for him, and Loampaw didn't even do anything to him!

Loampaw can know an attempt at grabbing authority when he sees it, and immediately wants to test Sabletuft's words. He won't be seeing his nest until he does it right? Loampaw grins; does Sabletuft realize that his stipulation goes both ways?

"I-eee-uh can keep going t-tuh-til as long as eh-it t-tuh-takes," Loampaw promises with teeth, and hopes Sabletuft can feel the threat under those words.

There are already ideas in Loampaw's mind before Sabletuft has finished speaking. He doesn't think himself particularly adept at dodging, but he's all wiry deer legs where Sabletuft is bulky. Maybe Loampaw could out maneuver Sabletuft and then get in a good position to ambush and—

"Wait," Loampaw's ears twist back and the beginnings of a sneer curl his mouth, "No hiding? That's uh-uh-uh-a load of foxdung! You're j-juh-just saying that because 'm g-guh-good at it!" Loampaw has always done things his own way, and as much as he isn't opposed to this little pissing match with Sabletuft, he doesn't want to be restricted. Does Sabletuft know words like creative or did that part of him wither whenever whatever rat crawled up his ass and died?

"Whatever. Whatever! I-ee-uh'll... I-eee-uh'leh—" Loampaw's nose crinkles. He's never liked how that word feels on his tongue, "We can juh-just do it in yuh-your stupid way." It didn't matter. Loampaw was planning on stalling anyway. This way just felt more like would take forever because Loampaw couldn't actually do it, and less like it would take forever because Loampaw thought it was funny. He makes a show of stretching his muscles and then settles into a crouch, dark eyes fixed on Sabletuft and tail twitching in anticipation for the coming strike. ​

tags ∘ shadowclan apprentice ∘ solid black with hazel eyes ∘ curled front foot ∘ 10 moons

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[S A B L E T U F T]

can we leave it behind? — Loampaw's cheeky promise did not miss Sabletuft's understanding, but he did not earn any outward response. The scarred warrior hardly entertained the outbursts or snide remarks of children, believing any sort of attention was gratifying their behavior. He would be scarce for any source of gratification or praises until Loampaw could prove he deserved it. Unfortunate given the bad blood (however one-sided) between the two. Besides, pushing off sleep was no stranger for Sabletuft. This was only resolving the dread of nightmares that settled once he met his nest. He would gladly have an excuse to avoid that further.

His eyes are fixed on the smaller tom as he readies himself. If it hadn't been so dark Loampaw might have seen the beginnings of a smirk pull at the corners of his maw, but instead he's left with the light of mirth in his cold amber gaze.

"If you're already good at it, then there's no need to use it for this training. Are you going to hide every time you have to fight? A warrior half as decent as myself could hunt you down if you make yourself a sitting duck. No. Hiding."

His tail lashed back and forth as his already meager patience grew thinner and thinner. He had expected protest, now was his time to snip away whatever poor behaviors Halfshade had neglected to do. He hardly waited for Loampaw to settle before pushing off the ground toward the other. He landed just a cat's claw away from the apprentice and moved to swipe at him. Loampaw's was not quick enough to move unscathed, his claws grazing a minor scratch through his fur.

"Get up, let's try again." A dismissive flick of his tail and Sabletuft turned to sit back to his original place.— tags​

 

[loampelt]

There isn't any warning before Sabletuft is over Loampaw, a dark silhouette against the black sky, visible only in a space absent of stars. Absently, Loampaw thinks of the Burnt Sycamore. Sabletuft strikes him and Loampaw can only flinch, embarrassed and ashamed. He wasn't going to be a warrior half as good as Sabletuft, or anybody for that matter. He had hoped his humor would be enough to stop his clan from noticing just how narrow his skillset is.

It isn't until Sabletuft is stalking off that Loampaw feels the sting, the soft trickle of blood. It's a tiny thing — Loampaw's gut instinct is to shout at Sabletuft that he's gotten worse from catching himself on thorns, but then the reality hits him that that it was Sabletuft who scratched him. The outrage is near immediate and mushrooms in his chest quick enough to replace everything else.

"You ack-ack-ash-act—!" You actually scratched me! Loampaw tries. None of his other mentors had done that, not to him. He’d known it happened, but Loampaw had considered himself exempt, "You, you-ou-ou have problems! Fucking-ff-fuck-fuck-problems!"

Words have never come easily to Loampaw. Now there are countless things that he wants to say: You aren’t being fair! and This is just because you don’t like me! and Really? Big strong tom needs to go scratching up his apprentice? but all Loampaw could manage is a prolonged hiss, teeth glinting in the night.

Without a sound, Loampaw settles back into his crouch, his plume of a tail swishing behind him. ​

tags ∘ shadowclan apprentice ∘ solid black with hazel eyes ∘ curled front foot ∘ 10 moons​

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[S A B L E T U F T]

can we leave it behind? — A subtle twitch of his ear is all he rewards Loampaw with in acknowledgement to his little outburst. He can bear the shrilling of his complaints for as long as the little apprentice wanted, it would take a little more than pitiful squealing to end their night. Unfortunate, Loampaw might be out here much longer than he intended to be. Sabletuft was hardly open to accommodating his twisted paw- he would find a way to get around it. Was he truly expecting ShadowClan to protect him from every confrontation they could face? If their camp were to be ambushed, Loampaw would be the first to go, and that would be a failure on not just Halfshade's part, but now his own.

There would be more than just a failure on his shoulders, though. He and Halfshade can always have more successful apprentices, but it would mean the chaos Loampaw caused was worth nothing in the end. That Rye had sacrificed herself for nothing. That the little scrap across from him was never meant to be saved in the first place.

"What is your plan in the event you have to fight? Are you going to roll over and let yourself be killed?" He began to stalk back and forth in front of Loampaw slowly, gradually moving in and out of view from the filtered moonlight. "Would you think back to now, wishing you had taken this seriously? Would you regret making yourself a victim before actually trying?" Another pounce and Sabletuft had landed another quick, shallow cut into Loampaw's skin.

The dark tom gave a scornful scoff. "If you didn't spend so much time making excuses for yourself you might actually have a chance. You might actually die after apprenticeship!" His tone was cold and hollow toward Loampaw as he continued his pacing around him.— tags​

 

[loampelt]

In the event he has to fight? Loampaw scoffs, when he has to fight it won't be with Sabletuft's stupid rules imposed on him. Loampaw could fight in the way he knows how and do wonderfully. Sabletuft just doesn't care, or cares far too much about whatever he thinks the right way is to even consider that Loampaw might know what he is doing. Is it so hard for Sabletuft to understand that what Loampaw is good at, he excels at?

But there isn't time for thinking — Loampaw tenses and doesn't move away as Sabletuft cuts him once more. He'd seen the blow coming, and still, it is unexpected.

"Half-wit br-bru-brute," Loampaw accuses as Sabletuft passes. He very nearly leaves it at that, but Sabletuft doesn't back away as he had before, and every moment he spent near to Loampaw was one where the tension in Loampaw's gut doubled, "We just started th-thi-this and you are already holding m-mmm-me back. How are y-yuh-you this shitty of a mentor? D-duh-does it come natur-all-ll-ll-ly or did you n-nuh-need t-tuh-to practice?"

Loampaw stands from his crouch then, chin up and ears still folded to his neck, "Get it? 'M better without y-yuh-you. Unless, what? You want t-tuh-to tee-tee-teach me how t-tuh-to buh-be a stubborn ass like yuh-you? Fuck that, fuck th-theh-this, and fuck you."

Let me do this my way, Loampaw thinks with a harshness his teeth couldn't muster, or this isn't happening. ​

tags ∘ shadowclan apprentice ∘ solid black with hazel eyes ∘ curled front foot ∘ 11 moons​

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