pafp I Can’t Seem To Leap || Competition

[Shinebug]

Since failing his assessment, Shinepaw had done little except sitting around camp waiting for instructions. The boy still kept up with his training (Flycatcher wouldn’t have it any other way, after all), but that drive to improve seemed to have been snuffed out under the weight of his own disappointment. Everything was done to satisfactory standards, nothing more. Sun-drenched paws no longer traveled that extra mile, instead stuck in a swamp of torpor.

Well, it seemed some cats were set on dragging him out. It was a simple little competition organized by someone (he guessed Icepaw) with the aim of reigniting that spark, whether Shinepaw wanted to participate or not. A race from one end of camp to the other and back, nothing more. After being successfully hassled out of his nest, the warrior-aged apprentice glumly took his place on the starting line.

Sky-blue eyes glanced at his opponent, a peer he didn’t know well at all. “Are you ready?” Shinepaw asked Nightshadepaw softly as muscles tensed, prepared to give it his all, but for the wrong reasons. The ball of nerves couldn’t help but imagine what would happen if he lost. Shinepaw already believed himself a laughingstock, so a defeat here would surely make his social situation even worse. An overactive imagination was so busy convincing the cat that banishment would come from failure that he almost missed another cat’s countdown to start. Almost.

With a burst of speed, the shaft of sunlight shot off the line, glancing behind to see how close Nightshadepaw was to him,

// please wait for @nightshade !​

 

[nightshade]

-˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Only what felt like moments ago, she was awoken by commotion in the apprentice's den. Someone was shouting too close for comfort, and Nightshadepaw would have given them a good kick if she didn't pick up on one little word.

A Competition... Hah! Were they joking? This opportunity was clearly made for her-- she caught their eye looking over her and she felt an uncontrollable, haughty grin on her face. They must be practically begging her to acknowledge their little kit's game. The moment they allowed a volunteer for the competition, Nightshade gave herself a moment before volunteering herself more enthusiastically than whichever apprentice she talked over.

So when she saw her competiton take his (unrightful) place beside her, paws dragging and barely giving her a glance, she felt a little put off. What kind of competition needed her to prove herself against 'held-back'paw, or whatever he was called? Nightshadepaw started to feel glum herself next to his sorry presence. Yet, the eager eyes on the both of them pushed her forward... Not that she would forfeit a match that was practically already won.

While her opponent mumbled out something, she glanced away from him with a grimace on her face. When he gave her a turn to speak, she made herself look his way, but she only really saw the crowd behind him. Any usual competition pleasantries felt sour in her mouth, so she could only let out a "sure," but not without a scoff rising at the end. The countdown started, and she flexed her paws as the numbers went down. At the crisp syllable of Go, dirt crunched underneath her paws as she pushed herself forwards.

Immediately, she felt a tightness in her limbs. Nightshade couldn't quite stretch her limbs as far as they could go, and therefore didn't grab as much of a head start as she had hoped. Her muscles gave loud retaliation at the sudden burst of activity... Which reminded her she hadn't exactly warmed up for this beforehand. Perhaps it was a mistake of her own overeager volunteering, but she cursed Starclan between heavy breaths anyways. They just didn't want her to win.

This was further confirmed when Nightshadepaw started to check where that apprentice was, only to feel a blur of a cat suddenly pass her. "You little...!" She was only cut off by her own renewed motivation to win this race, in the form of an indignant huff and the now thunderous sound of her paws beating the ground. How dare this sorry, wet sack of a wannabe-apprentice even think of humiliating her like this? Nightshade, to her delight, got close enough to him to make a maybe-intentional accident happen. Just to put him in his place.

Wordlessly, she slipped out a paw to bat at his hind leg. She would only hit him, give him a push to maybe freak him out and give her the lead! If any tripping happened- well, that was a happy accident in her favor. (Not really, it would be sad to cheat when you're opponent is...)

Well, it's not cheating if he can't control his own paws.

​

 

[Shinebug]

In truth, Shinepaw didn't see this as a competition. He didn't even really se it as a race, to be honest. For it to be a race, the ball of nerves had to stand a chance. that was how lowly Shinepaw perceived his own skills, that anyone with four functioning paws and a tail could easily demolish 'Held-back'paw at anything they set their mind to. that was why when sky-blue eyes danced backwards to gauge his progress, the boy was shocked to see that he wasn't being overtaken immediately.

What he did see, though, practically scared him half to death. Nightshade's maw, twisted into an annoyed scowl as she practically spat at the boy. "Sorry!" He squeaked, a genuine apology despite sun-scorched pawpaws continuing to thrum ahead of his peer. Shinepaw was sorry, and a part of him was tempted to slow down and let Nightshade pass to let the other cat feel better, but that was gradually replaced with a growing sense of..not confidence, but close to it. a sense that he could do this, a sense that maybe he wasn't as weak as first thought. Sky-blue eyes sharpened with determination just as he felt one of his hind legs fail.

Shinepaw despite his social anxiety, was shockingly naive. the shaft of sunlight believed that most cats were secretly sick of him, but he didn't expect any of them to act intentionally malicious, especially in a competition. In the boy's mind, he didn't pose enough of a challenge to ever warrant such underhanded tactics. so, as the shaft of sunlight stumbled and saw Nightshadepaw's form pass him, he assumed he must have tripped on a rock or root thanks to sheer stupidity.

Still, that wasn't enough to leave him out of the running. Shinepaw recovered, remembering Flycatcher's combat training when his mentor had swiped his paws out from under him. Just as the duo were approaching the other end of camp, the halfway point, Shinepaw retook the lead, and a few seconds later was pivoting to race back towards the finish line.​

 

[leafhusk]

leafhusk remembered being a small scrap of fur, running around at high speeds in a small, contained area. the jingling of her old collar still rings in her ears whenever she darts through the territory. watching the apprentices have a little contest is cute, they deserve to have fun once in awhile.. clanlife can become so formulaic, so it’s nice to see the routine break occasionally.

ah, right— you’re supposed to remind kits to not be so reckless. possible outcomes of the race go through her mind, all of them bad and only a few funny. the molly clears her throat, and speaks up, “don’t slip and crack your head open! or bump into someone and get their skull chipped.” green eyes follow the bundles of fur rush past her while she gives her only, and final warning.

she figures the duo are too engrossed in their competition to even hear her. leafhusk ducks her head to the nearest clanmate to commentate quietly. “they’re going to crash into someone.”

ooc ☁️ info battle

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  base: StarlingaleBases​
  thoughts.
  "speech."
  
• LEAFHUSK 」warrior of thunderclan・36 ☾・she/her
  
  lh molly fawn point sepia w/ green eyes. lanky & agile frame. soft & neatly groomed fur.​
  ‣ backwritten ex-kittypet, joined during emberstar's reign. detailed info
  ‣ loyal to thunderclan・mentor to no one
  ‣ please attack in underline and tag
  ‣ permission to powerplay:
  
  - peaceful actions: healing, touching etc​
  - harmful actions: shoving, minor scrapes etc​
  
  all opinions ic
  ——— written by maxine ♡
  
• ‣ please attack in underline and tag
  ‣ easy difficulty・leafhusk skills are mainly in stealth & tracking she backs away if she knows an opponent will overpower her
  ‣ will start verbal fights・won't end fights・refuses to kill
  
  

​

 

[lovelight]

Lovepaw shuffles back a few steps as he watches the two apprentices race one another; it's really not the greatest ideas for them to be doing this in camp. Couldn't they have taken it out into the territory a bit, so they wouldn't risk tripping anyone? As he hears Leafhusk's voice from beside him, his head turns, listening to her words for a moment, before humming and nodding in agreement. "At least it won't be us," he comments lightly, eyes tracking Shinepaw and Nightshadepaw as they dart after one another. He's standing, body slightly tense as he continues watching them, ready to move forward and help if they do happen to run into someone.​