- Dec 30, 2022
- 153
- 64
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[ cw for mentions of past abuse + trauma surrounding it ]
Snailpaw had often aligned his shenanigans with his mentor as being similar to a game of cat and mouse - except, the rascal of a rodent was rarely ever caught. Snailpaw had mapped out WindClan's territory exceptionally when finding new places to sleep, almost to the point where it could take his clan-assigned teacher days to find him. Oftentimes, there'd been a groan from the blue-furred feline and a scolding from Shrikewing, other times, when the latter rolled out the wrong side of the nest, things could get unbearable for them. Nestled within a bank of snow on the outskirts of the moor, Snail had been peacefully watching birds overhead when a scarred, off-white body suddenly appeared at the top of the burrow, blocking his view. Their stomach dropped immediately as they scrambled to their feet, hitting their head off the top of the bunker. "Shrikewing! Hi.. Hi! Haha, you found me, good job! I... guess I'm ready for training now, huh?" Snailpaw grinned nervously, their humour failing to reach the large tom.
"You've been avoiding me for weeks. Cats are asking questions thinking that I'm failing as a mentor because you refuse to take your duties seriously and just want to lounge around all day doing what, nothing? You selfish sack of shit, why can't you do this one thing for me?! For your clan?! Why can't you be a normal apprentice?!" The tabby shrank as his mentor seemed to grow, looming over his exit. It was a scene his body remembered, his scar flared at the memory and sent pain shooting down their leg. Shrikewing had always said it'd been an accident, the driving factor for why he let them get away with so much. He wanted to believe a WindClanner would never be so cruel as to lie, nowadays, they weren't so sure though. The other didn't move, as if expecting Snailpaw to answer with some sort of flare or gusto as if to prove that he could be strong in the face of adversity. When the apprentice flinched, Shrikewing scoffed, considered the creature with a scowl, and recoiled. Snailpaw took it as a sign to crawl out of the burrow, their belly touching the floor. "I only ever want what's best for my apprentices, that means pushing them past what they think their limits are. You're scared of your limits, so you run away instead of bettering yourself. You won't even compromise with me, you-"
"I tried. I tried so hard but it wasn't enough. It was never enough."
"Three moons is hardly trying."
"Maybe not to you but that was half of my life I spent back then trying to be a good WindClanner, but where did it get me? Nowhere! No one took me seriously, at least now I'm giving them a reason to treat me like a joke." Snailpaw's eyes grew glossy, their skin prickling as they spoke a truth they hadn't wanted one of their enemies to hear. "Let me have this, please.". His trickster role, his burrow, he wanted anything from his mentor that wasn't a new scar or new reason to hate how much their group had failed them. Snailpaw found their footing and reluctantly, their mentor's eye. A fire burned in the citrine eyes they tried to plead with, one that told the tabby that their request fell on deaf ears before that grizzled muzzle moved again.
"You truly are my greatest disappointment. Fine, do whatever, but tomorrow, you are sparring with another warrior. Maybe they'll knock your head on straight or do me a damn favour and get you out of my fur for good." The lithe tom stormed off before Snailpaw could get a word in. It was only when he disappeared out of their sight that Snailpaw found the confidence to collapse back into their hiding spot, clutching their chest with a flexing paw. Their arguments had been frequent, the insults even more-so to the point of numbness from the tabby in response to it. Still, it never got easier on the older apprentice's heart, which raced with a beat that made Snailpaw ponder if it were about to give out entirely. They breathed audibly as they closed their eyes began to flutter shut, the tabby trying to think of anything but the interaction they'd just had.
[ prompt : You've found a delightful spot to nap, even despite all of the rain! Your mentor does not find this so delightful. Make a thread sharing your nap spot with a friend, or friends! Or, if you'd prefer, share how your mentor reacts. ]