pafp holy war in dallas | failure

STORMFEATHER

STORMFEATHER

μῆνιν, ἄειδε θεὰ!
Journey [Sitewide Event '23] Spring Prompts [TC '23] Sunningrocks [TC '23]
Dec 12, 2022
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A slender, tiny body slid through the undergrowth, only a few paces away from the hunting patrol. The young cat had been sent out to track a sparrow trail a few tail-lengths further into the forest. Her kin, Stormypaw was close behind. The presence of her family member and Stormypaw's longer experience both frightened and soothed the younger apprentice. She had to do this perfectly.

Stormpaw paused, eyes locking on the sparrow hopping between twigs only a fox-length away. Her pupils widened and she lowered her head. Her heart pounded in her throat, forcing her to swallow uncomfortably in order to rid herself of the pulsing feeling. Stormpaw's eyes shut tightly, conjuring up the image of her mother and father. She would be just like them, nothing less! She could not settle for less.

Her thoughts tangled and twirled in a frightening mental whirlwind. The pounding grew louder and Stormpaw was breathing heavily although she did not know it. Straightening up to fix a crick in her back, the apprentice suddenly—and wrongfully—decided to leap forward for the sparrow in a messy pounce. The bird floundered, stretching out its wings as it fluttered in a daze. Stormpaw rounded on it again. If she was quick, she could catch it. The torbico leapt and clasped her paws against empty air, the bird fluttering away to the treetops.

Stormpaw landed ungracefully with a soft grunt. She shuddered and continued to lay there for a moment, chest heaving and wheezing. She closed her eyes. She could not cry. Not now.


///
open after @STORMYPAW posts!

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Stormypaw trails after her younger cousin, tail flicking slightly as she tastes the air. The small she-cat is determined to bring something back to camp, but her attention shifts to Stormpaw as soon as she notices her body language shift. Her kin has caught onto something. Ears pressing forward with interest, the apprentice stalks after her, remaining as silent as she can as she watches. There! A sparrow, pecking among the twigs of the forest floor. She crouches, silently egging on the other. You got this, Stormpaw! Her cousin leaps, misses, pounces again. But her approach was sloppy, rushed, and the bird flies off.

The bicolor she-cat frowns slightly in disappointment but swiftly wipes it off her face, forcing a smirk as she trots forward. "Hey, don't sweat it! It takes a while to get birds down. They're fast, y'know? And they can fly! You'll get it down soon!" She encourages, placing her tail across Stormpaw's shoulders.

// mentor tag @BARKJAW​
 
Stormypaw would know better than most that Barkjaw’s praise came rarely. It was not cruelty that tightened his tongue, but expectations that rose high above ThunderClan’s trees. Attempts meant nothing; they were the way of things, the barest of expectations. Success is the only thing that he cares for, most any day. So it would come as a surprise to his apprentice that today, he speaks freely: "Well done." Crisp and short, without much more than a twitch of a smile. She is collapsed, soft and small beneath the canopy of leaves— it does not inspire gentleness, but it does mean this. You should’ve seen Stormypaw’s first attempt." Or mine, for that matter, his pride does not allow him to say.

"Birds are some of the more difficult prey in this place. It was bold of you to try so soon into your apprenticeship. And I don’t mean it the way I’d mean foolishness." Matter-of-fact, Barkjaw’s tail flicks to catch his apprentice’s attention, "Perhaps your mentor would allow for a shared lesson, between us all? You will learn better in practice than while moping."
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˗ˏˋ〚  OOC NOTES INFORMATION 〛´ˎ˗
  • ooc: i’ll bring owl in after another exchange lmao!
  • ──── barkjaw, with bark referring to his dark coloration, and jaw to his acidic words as well as his debilitating bite.
    ──── warrior of thunderclan, and previous member of the marsh group. strong dislike for other clans, though he is not cruel.
    ──── uses he - him only, and will not respond to anything else. single, despite a lightly flirtatious nature.

    a surprisingly short chocolate tabby, though with a powerful stance and solid build that projects a greater size in competency. his eyes are pale and harsh, an intense light mint.
  • "speech"
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Raccoonstripe, like Barkjaw, acknowledges birds are an advanced prey animal to hunt. He also acknowledges -- privately, to himself -- that the kittypet blood must be tainting the deputy's daughter, too. He vividly remembers Cloudypaw ruining his hunt during leafbare. The tabby keeps these thoughts to himself; Barkjaw tries to comfort the young apprentice, and he feels it's not the time for a kittypet remark.

That, and it's best to watch one's tongue when dealing with the deputy and lead warrior's kit. He flicks an ear in self-amusement. "Birds are difficult, yes. And being hard on yourself won't get you anywhere. All you can do is get back on your paws and try again."

His tail beckons his own apprentices forward; their hunt so far has been fair to middling. "You don't see these two with jaws full of prey either, after all."

// lol sorry @Moonpaw @WILDPAW ​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​
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It's a yikes attempt if she's ever seen one. But that doesn't mean her own try wouldn't. be a yikes attempt. She practically avoids going for birds any chance she gets. Course, she wasn't gonna say that, though. It's kinda funny, she's spotted SkyClanners through the trees reaching for birds of their own. It seemed the flyin' wasn't naturally in kittypet blood or something, then. Wolfwind mumbles through her own catch, very much not a bird. "Af far as prey goes, birds are practically scheatin'. Like, who may' vhem fly?" Maybe they were so stupid the universe figured they should throw them a bone. Yeesh.

She sets down her prey, realizing belatedly that, maybe she shouldn't talk through it. It's a habit as an apprentice she still kinda had. Bright eyes turn to her uncle who boldly takes the opportunity to call out his own apprentices. "Oooooooooo," she croons like she was still Wolfpaw, and Wildpaw just got put on fuckin' probation for putting thorns in someone's nest. "You're in trouuublleee," It's good-natured, obviously. (But maybe she does think Wildpaw is a brat. Lovingly. Lovingly?)

She takes that moment to glance back at her own apprentices, realizing she's not actually sure if they've been doing a single productive thing. They better not embarrass her, damn.

[ apprentice tag tehe @Sparkpaw @FRECKLEPAW! ]​
 
Stormpaw blinked underneath her snow-capped paws, one ear flickering to listen to the encouragement of her kin. It does not matter. She wanted to protest. If birds are the most difficult, I should be going for them the most often. She is afraid to raise her face, just in case she could see hidden disgust on Stormypaw's muzzle. What else could she be—what with being the daughter of some of the greatest ThunderClan hunters and the wisest mentor? What good could she give the Clan?

Barkjaw's words filter into her ears as well and her gut drops low. Again, they were saying, birds were difficult. She knew that perhaps, in the back of her mind, but in leafbare, she was sure a cat would not pass up on the opportunity to stalk a bird if it was sitting there.

At that point, her eyes raised, wobbling blue pools set deep into her face. Her pelt shifted uncomfortably when Raccoonstripe arrived, expecting his words to finally be the scolding ones she had been expecting. It did not come. And then Wolfwind, and then—birds, birds, birds. Was she being treated like a kit?

"I don't understand," The young apprentice murmured, hesitantly bringing herself to her paws and shaking off the twigs that snagged in her tricolored coat. "If birds are difficult, I want to catch every bird in the forest."


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One thing was for certain: Daisypaw had never caught a bird. Nor had she tried. To be fair, it had not yet even been a moon since she'd become an apprentice, but still. They were intimidating, especially since some of them had awfully sharp-looking beaks; moreover, Salamanderstep had thought it best for her to learn the basic hunting techniques before trying to tackle something feathered. This was, perhaps, for the best, as thus far she had yet to catch anything more impressive than a beetle despite her many attempts. The calico's light, lime-colored eyes moved appraisingly over the scene as she popped up from behind a clump of ferns, watching her Clanmates exchange words with interest. "Kits walk before they start running, Stormpaw." offered the younger tricolor, smiling slightly. "You can't hop to the toughest stuff first, right? That's why we train...you gotta learn, um, stuff, first." was she making sense? She hoped so. Daisypaw's grin broadened and she added, "But give it a couple moons, and, and I bet all the birds in the forest will hide in their nests when they see you coming! And we'll all have full bellies and feathers in our teeth, probably." she wasn't a huge fan of eating birds in the first place - too many tough bits.

[ @salamanderstep ; mentor tag <3 ]​
 

"LITTLE HELLIONS, KIDS FEELIN' REBELLIOUS"​
Wildpaw wrinkled his nose as he approached the scene with only a single mouse in his possession. He wished he had more, but he was struggling to find prey. Though he was more keen to blame the size of the patrol which he believed was now becoming a hindrance. Too much noise, especially if some were trying to scramble after birds. Still, he wasn't about to stamp down on Stormpaw's confidence. If he wanted to be a leader one day then he knew he needed to boost up his clanmates, not knock them down. Well, except for maybe Wolfwind. Speaking of the warrior he found himself narrowing his eyes at her. "Is that so? Where's your pile of kills? Think that meagre thing is gonna keep the clan happy?" He shot back with a snort.

Pushing forward he then aimed to stand close to Stormpaw. "Fuck waiting for a couple of moons, you're gonna catch a bird today and make the feathered rats fear you now. Raccoonstripe, can I have permission to head off with Stormpaw to hunt birds without the rest of the patrol? Count it as part of my assessment or something." Mainly he just wanted to be away from the crowd in order to increase the chances of them making a kill. Birds were smart, so they needed to be smarter.
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★ ​
 
owl_recolor.png
When Owlear speaks up, that too is without the bite that Stormpaw expects. He had been quiet in his allowance of the others to speak– he had expected harsher from most all of them, and his eyes soften considerably when he realizes that it will not come. His apprentice is no little kit pouncing at mossballs, but neither is she a warrior just yet. There is time to learn. And a place to learn. These moments, these failures– it is her only duty right now, as difficult as such a thing may be. "There are some things that no mentor could teach you, Stormpaw," he begins.

"What it feels like to be prepared for a pounce, how much force is necessary to push you forward. No matter how much you practice, it is not success that teaches you– it is failure." The old warrior nods to the others, and there is a gentle amusement in his eyes now. "I think all these young warriors are too proud to admit it, but they have failed as often than you have. More than. And it has made them who they are." Playfully, he prods out at Wolfwind's side with one great paw.

"Do not think that my apprentice will be leaving my line of sight," Owlear chuckles to Wildpaw, his whiskers twitching. "But should Raccoonstripe allow it, I will allow you to take the lead." He would be curious to see what the apprentice might teach that he himself could not. But maybe she would feel more at ease with a peer.
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˗ˏˋ〚  OOC NOTES INFORMATION 〛´ˎ˗
  • ooc: —
  • owlear_clangen.png
    ──── owlear. senior warrior of thunderclan. cis male.
    ──── approximately 90 moons old, yet still youthful.
    ──── pansexual and single,   though with past flings.

    ──── a chocolate tabby with long, thick fur and a broad-shouldered build. despite his age, he is still a strong, imposing tomcat with clear, attentive eyes. though they are a muted hazel, they seem to twinkle with silent wisdom and a warm, deep-seated joy.
  • "speech"
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Raccoonstripe struggles not to smile at Wolfwind's antics. Wildpaw is so damn easy to antagonize; the poor guy makes things hard on himself. He tries to concentrate on Stormpaw's dejected features. "If birds are difficult, I want to catch every bird in the forest." His ear flicks; at least she's got a warrior's spirit, if nothing else.

His near-smile drops into a scowl as Wildpaw attempts to take the lead. The tabby warrior aims a light cuff at his apprentice's ears. "Suddenly you know more than Owlear does, is that it?" His irritation is biting, but Owlear takes Wildpaw's rudeness in stride. He sighs and shrugs. "I don't care if you go with them, but remember your place! You may be twelve moons old, but you still have a paw behind your name, so don't forget it!" He gets closer to Wildpaw's boxed ear, murmuring a threat likely only heard by those nearest: "Don't embarrass me more than you already have!"​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​
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