Headfirst into shallow pools // Joining

[Drizzlepelt]

A young blue spotted tabby finds himself hesitating once more as he gets closer to his target destination. Anxiety prickles his entire being as he steels himself up to make the leap. "You can do this..all you have to do is ask."

Pebble is a loner who has been on his own for at least two moons now. He was ostracized even as a very young kit, his mother loving to consistently tell him how he's "special". Even though he knew that he should be flattered, the tone in her voice always made it feel more like an insult. This unfortunately was proven to be true, as as soon as he told her about who he knew he truly was, she finally stopped pretending to care and left him to fend for himself. It stung a lot, but even then he knew he was better off without her.

Though, he was finding that surviving just by himself has been more trouble than it's worth. His survival skills were okay, but the loneliness was reaching the point where it was too much to bear. Confrontation wasn't his strong suit either, and as much as he would have loved to stand up for himself more, he just wasn't in the right state of mind to do much except trudge along and hope for the best. However, he did have hope.

Pebble has heard tales about the clans from his mother, and even though she had shown disdain, his curiosity peaked instantly. A huge family of super cool and strong cats? They sound awesome! And after all this time by his lonesome, he felt the urge to join become even greater. So here he was, at the border of one of them. He had done some snooping, and SkyClan seemed like his best bet, as they were more welcoming to kittypets and loners. He knew his origins would be a point of contentment, but he really didn't see another way unless he wanted to extend his suffering. No, he WOULD do this. He would join SkyClan.

He sucks in his breath, exhales and steadies himself. "H-Hello?" he says quietly at first, even knowing no one would likely respond. He shakes his head and then yells a little louder, "Hello! Is anyone there? I'm interested in joining...?"​

 

[ThistleBack]

The foliage twists on the axis of their stems as the black and white thorny lead warrior is beckoned by a call into the wilds of the pines. A yellow feathered canary clasped tightly in his jaws as he prowls with his apprentice in tow.

I'm interested in joining, Thistleback paws slap the ground and he pours himself into view with narrowed metals for eyes seeping with judgment as he studies the wanderer. One can easily spot the uncertainty despite the steadiness of the blue tabby's form.

He drops the canary and softens his scowl and voice considerably. " what makes you wish to join Skyclan? Surely you have a home " he tests the boy for more information, stopping in front of them. " and how do you know of us " Skyclan was hardly a secret but it's a necessary question.

​

OOC INFO REF

• 
  App tag @Snowpaw
  
• 
  
  
  
  Thirty-three moons EVENT TRACKER | IMPORTANT INFO
  — Lead warrior of Skyclan since 12.22.22
  — Devoted to Deersong 9.29.22 | polyamorous
  — Father of Coyotepaw, Pricklepaw, and Eveningpaw.
  — mentoring Snowpaw graduate(s) Quillstrike
  — very muscular piebald black and white tom with spiky fur and cold silver-grey eyes.
  — voice & accent
  — biography･ﾟ✧​
  OPEN for Dice battles | stine#3004
  
• 
  
  

​

 

[HEATHERPAW]

જ➶ "Thistleback! Thistle! Can you teach me how to bi-," Her words come to a collective halt as she stumbles upon the scene, eyes widening openly as she finally emerges from the shrubbery. With her thick tail held high she stares at the stranger with her light amber eyes. Who is this? Where did they come from? Had she really heard something about joining? It seems she is jittering for a moment before she comes bursting forward with a couple hops and a skip. Her gaze sparkles as she looks them over and she finally smiles brightly as she stands beside Thistleback. "Hi! What's your name? I'm Heatherpaw, leading apprentice! I work very very very hard!" She blurts out even the made up title just cause she wants to be impressive even though she has a lot to learn when it comes to being a warrior.

Still she is happy none the less and she shifts her paws back and forth. "How come you wanna stay with us? I mean I'm sure Thistleback asked but I wanna know too!" She slightly pleas as she sits down, trying to get a good answer out of the other.​

 

[Drizzlepelt]

He finds that it's a little easier to breathe after not getting immediate hostility, and he straightens himself as bit in front of the two. "My name is Pebble," he responds to Heatherpaw warmly, before turning his attention to Thistleback. "I...don't really have a home. I've mostly been scraping by..." he hangs for a bit, not wanting to admit he was abandoned. "And since I get around a lot, I've heard some talk. I've been interested but well," he chuckles, "I'm sure you can already tell I don't have the best social skills."

"I can hold myself well enough! And I'll do whatever I need to to prove myself!" he sways his tail enthusiastically, feeling Heatherpaw's energy infect him. "I just need the support," he admits, hanging his head a little.​

 

[Fireflyglow]

"I think you'll have time to grow a backbone!" Fireflypaw chirps up from behind the pair of apprentice and mentor, tail waving in greeting to the group as he arrives. He wants so desperately to be back in his nest asleep, but the smell of herbs clings to his pelt and hangs from his jaws as he carries them through the brambles and leaves. "I'm Fireflypaw! I'm a healer here. Medicine cat apprentice. I'm learning how to help heal sick cats alongside our medicine cat Dawnglare." He introduces himself with a dip of his head, butterfly wing fluttering with movement behind his ear.

Thistleback is already asking why they want to join- there was always a reason, right? My family is gone, my home is gone, my twolegs died, my twolegs are boring, the wild alone is boring, etc. It's always the same answer, and the one the young cat gives falls right under that category of 'I don't want to be alone out here'. Fireflypaw seats himself beside Heatherpaw, leaning his head momentarily to bump against her own with a grin. He'd let Thistle deal with this.​

 

[Drizzlepelt]

"Nice to meet you Fireflypaw," Pebble responds to the medicine cat, deciding to take his remark with pride rather than an insult. "Your job is very important then, huh? That's admirable," he proclaims, smiling with the tip of his tail twitching in wonder. He takes a moment to contemplate the healer as he moves to show affection to the other apprentice, the smell of herbs and the butterfly wings adorning his head being something he hasn't really seen before, but it was a nice look, he admits to himself. He lets out a tiny chuckle before returning his attention to the warrior. ​

 

[Snowpath]

He was following his mentor, trying to ignore Heatherpaw's chipper voice calling out to the older tom as they walked only to nearly walk into him himself when he came to a stop and they stumbled upon this odd cat at the border.
He stands alongside Thistleback silently, staring intently at the newcomer with piercing golden eyes but Snowpaw does not voice any opinion if he has one. They always had new cats show up lately, they all seemed fine for the most part and the difference in kittypets and clanmates was so slim he held no ire for any. The blue tabby frowns thoughtfully, brow furrowed as Fireflypaw introduces himself and the other comments on his job being important and the snort he has to hold in makes him sneeze suddenly without warning. Important. Sure.
Fake fortunes and dumb plants, taking WindClan mates and breaking the rules because you're chosen by StarClan. Whatever, he had no respect for any of the healers before and he certainly didn't now. Fireflypaw was okay when he was just Fireflypaw and not this miniature version of Dawnglare that went around preaching and preening himself. Realizing he called attention to himself with his sudden snuffling he raised a paw to his nose and glanced away.
"We let any bleedingheart crybaby in these days."
​

 

[Drizzlepelt]

Pebble raises an eyebrow to the third apprentice's sneeze, but then smirks at the remark thrown his way. "Is that so? Perfect for me then." He chuckles, trying not to be mean to a potential future clanmate. "But really, no problem if you don't have room for me," he mumbles as his posture gets awkward again. He'd manage fine on his own if push came to shove, right? No... but he refused to acknowledge that, trying his best not to appear too weak, even though he's probably already failed on that front.​

 

[GREENEYES]

His littermate and his friend arrive to the scene before he does, the apprentice padding forward to stand somewhere in the two. And though the image is nothing new - yet another face to greet, yet another cat aiming to join SkyClan - Greenpaw's gaze is bright and welcoming to the newcomer.

This one is younger than him, like most seem to be these days. Another new apprentice, potentially. Probably. He can't see this one being turned away, when so many others have been welcomed in.

"Being a warrior's an important job too!" Greenpaw chimes in, as the newcomer praises the importance of Firefly's own job. Healing the clan is important, sure, but he can see the way Snowpaw reacts to that. Understandable, considering who his friend is stuck training under, especially after recent revelations. "You have to hunt for the clan, and keep it safe and stuff!" And yet, the new face seems uncertain, as if he... doesn't really want to join? Greenpaw isn't too sure.

"I'm sure we have room in the apprentice den!" he says with a flick of his tail, "It might be a bit stuffy in there at first, but you'll get used to it!" Besides, there's plenty of apprentices about to become warriors, wasn't there? There was certainly room for this one.
​

 

[Drizzlepelt]

“Of course! I’m sure everyone’s jobs are important to run the clan,” he says hurriedly as if he suggested something wrong. “I’m fully willing to train! And I’m sure I’ll get used to it!” He finds himself stuttering at all the attention, turning away his head for a second.​

 

[ThistleBack]

Heatherpaw is in the midst of a question, but it cuts off abruptly and the object of her attention falls upon the stranger. There is always intrigue from the young, as they had lived their lives around the same denmates or littermates. Thistleback says nothing, observes and listens with a practiced patience. Snowpaw sneezes and offers an icy comment that pulls a slight raise of brow from the lead. Thistleback himself was rather selective when allowing newcomers into the graces of Skyclan, but apprentice-aged cats always had a grip on his mercy.

Fireflypaw’s introduction fills the brief silence, Thistleback is stirred by the fact that he would be bringing this child into their world of danger. Warriors being plucked from the forest by twolegs, his own apprentice- he wears a tense frown. Luckily Snowpaw’s words pull him from his thoughts.

" Well. Work your way to the top, and make these decisions. " he speaks toward his apprentice without annoyance despite his obvious disregard for etiquette. He liked when Snowpaw spoke his mind, too long had he spent stewing in it yeah? Too long in the coop since the accident. He needed the golden-eyed boy- no, man. Snowpaw was a man now, and he needed that confidence to linger.

Greenpaw appears, with warmth and confidence. Bringing light unto the title of warrior. Promises the other room- the comment stings, Howlpaw’s nest was empty for sure. Pebble, a young loner- Thistleback was young pawed on the streets himself so it comes from an understanding that the lead rotates his jaw with a decisive nod.

" well. To be a skyclanner, you must know how to climb. Before I take you home, you will climb to a branch in one of these pines. " a test of endurance. " You will come to understand the hardships and rewards of being a Skyclanner. You will be kind and courteous to all of your clanmates. You will fight and hunt alongside each of them- even at the cost of your life. " his tone turns military and his tail hooks above his hocks.

" Snowpaw, explain to this one the dangers we are facing. Heatherpaw, if you will- take him on a tour of camp and what is expected of camp duties. "

" I will help you carry back whatever herbs you need. " starclan knows Fireflypaw needs the help, with his mentor heel over hocks for a bloody Windclan dog. " Then, I will report to Blazestar. You will meet our leader. " he finishes, waiting for the loner kid to do as he asked. It would not determine his entry, but it will determine Thistleback’s analytical approval.

​

OOC INFO REF

• —
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  Thirty-three moons EVENT TRACKER | IMPORTANT INFO
  — Lead warrior of Skyclan since 12.22.22
  — Devoted to Deersong 9.29.22 | polyamorous
  — Father of Coyotepaw, Pricklepaw, and Eveningpaw.
  — mentoring Snowpaw graduate(s) Quillstrike
  — very muscular piebald black and white tom with spiky fur and cold silver-grey eyes.
  — voice & accent
  — biography･ﾟ✧​
  OPEN for Dice battles | stine#3004
  
• 
  
  

​

 

[Drizzlepelt]

He nods earnestly at the Thistleback's words. "Right. I'm ready to lay down my life, if need be." Pebble then looks at the grove of trees, pondering how well this would go. Climbing trees wasn't exactly something he did on the regular, though he didn't have any qualms with it. He needed to prove himself, he had to prove himself.

He scours for one that wouldn't prove too easy, but not that challenging since this was something new to him. He picks his pine, and goes for it. Readying his claws, he aims and leaps for the bark, trying to get a grip on the wood...
// rolled a 3!
...and while he does get his claws in, he finds his grip loosening quickly, letting out a tiny mewl as he ends up tumbling back onto the ground. He doesn't feel too hurt, so he quickly gets up, but finds himself stumbling a bit. His tail twitches as he steadies himself. "No...I can go again..." He hates how much he fumbled that, maybe the stress got to him? It doesn't matter, he'd do it next time. Or however many times it takes.​