if i'm gonna snap necks ] sparring

[marspaw]

Marspaw is tense, his muscles taut with excitement as he watches his mentor's every move. His eyes narrow, trying to anticipate the next step, while his tail flicks eagerly behind him. This sparring session is his chance to show just how much he's been practicing. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest, the rush of adrenaline fueling his every breath. Pallasheart circles him, calm and calculating. Marspaw shifts his weight back and forth, trying to stay unpredictable. Then, his mentor darts in with a sudden swipe of a paw, and Marspaw barely has time to dodge. He leaps back, gritting his teeth. He knows he needs to focus—Pallasheart is no easy opponent. The thrill of the challenge only drives him harder.

He feints to the left, aiming to confuse his mentor, then pivots sharply to the right, bringing his paw down in an attempted strike. But his mentor is faster, sidestepping and leaving Marspaw off-balance. He stumbles slightly, frustration flaring up, but he quickly catches himself, a determined glint in his eye. "Not bad," his mentor says, the hint of a grin playing on their face, but it only fuels Marspaw's determination. He takes a quick breath, planting his paws firmly in the ground, and decides to go all in. He crouches low, coiling his muscles like a spring, and launches himself forward, aiming to tackle his mentor to the ground. This time, he manages to make contact, and a brief thrill of victory sparks within him. But Pallasheart's experience shows as they deftly twist away, using Marspaw's own momentum against him. He tumbles, landing with a thud, and shakes his head, feeling a mixture of irritation and admiration.

Every time he thinks he has an opening, his mentor slips away, always one step ahead. But Marspaw refuses to back down. His claws dig into the dirt, his eyes blazing with determination as he rises to his paws once more. He's breathing heavily, but he doesn't mind. The challenge pushes him, tests his limits, and despite the bruises forming under his fur, he loves the adrenaline of sparring, of fighting. His mentor raises a paw, signaling the end of the session, and Marspaw reluctantly halts, panting but grinning. "That's enough for today, Marspaw," Pallasheart says, their eyes reflecting pride. "You're improving—just remember, sometimes it's more about reading your opponent than charging in." Marspaw nods, absorbing the advice, his mind already racing with thoughts on how to get even better. "Right. Right, I'll work on that," he agrees.​

 

[LIONPAW]

His cream-colored chest rises and falls steadily as he sits upon his haunches, recovering from battle drills with Crowsight. Lionpaw had been improving... well, at least that's what he'd been told. He believes it too. Knowing that he had started his apprenticeship with an absent backbone and no skill to speak of, it's satisfying to know that Lionpaw was being forged into a worthy warrior. He had finally found his calling — the art of combat. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the apprentice hopes that Blazestar is observing his growth from the stars.

Blue eyes watch the other apprentice and mentor duo engage in a rather intense spar. Lionpaw takes note of Marspaw's moves, mentally stashing inspiration and pointing out flaws in the others' execution. Overall, his peer possessed a fierce passion for fighting. An inkling of something stirs in Lionpaw's chest, a feeling akin to insecurity or perhaps even jealousy. Emberfall had made him feel this way, back when they both trained together as apprentices. The idea of another student surpassing Lionpaw in combat abilities was vaguely threatening, even when it wasn't supposed to be. SkyClan having a roster of talented fighters wasn't a bad thing, was it?

The thought of being unremarkable, being mediocre, makes the chocolate torbie point's paws shuffle anxiously. He feels like a kit all over again, with his littermates possessing better qualities than him while he just... existed. Lionpaw knew that average was not acceptable, not when his mother was a lead warrior and his father was SkyClan's very founder.

Still, despite the nagging insecurities that threaten to swarm his brain like termites, Lionpaw finds it in his heart to comment to Marspaw, "Nice job." It is not ingenuine. The other trainee really did execute noteworthy determination and skill, though his mentor made some valid criticism too.

It is not often that the soft-spoken point takes initiative, especially when it comes to socializing with other cats, but Lionpaw also pushes himself to offer, "If... you ever want to practice, let me know." Sparring was always of interest to the chocolate torbie.

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 ✹ . + 　 　˚ 　　　　 · 　 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐄

• mentor tag @CROWSIGHT

• 

• 

  — lionpaw / 10 moons / he/they pronouns
  — skyclan apprentice / mentored by crowsight
  — doeblaze x blazestar / hover for immediate kin
  — lh chocolate torbie point w/ blue eyes, diagonal scar across face
  — click for full tags

​

 

[DAFFODILPAW]

Battle practice is...not really Daffodilpaw's forte, if he could even lay claim to one in the first place. He's decently strong, sure, but not any stronger than climbing necessitates, and he doesn't exactly make up for his average bulk in the agility department, either. 'Suited to be well-rounded', Fawnwhisker had said, but he's certain she had only told him that to make him feel better. Even knowing his lackluster performance is something that may well be improved upon given time isn't enough to lift his chin up, though it is enough to keep him going, clumsy maneuvers and all.

Training alongside other duos isn't his favorite, as Daffodilpaw swear he can feel eyes burning a hole through him the entire time, but Fawnwhisker always insists upon it, telling him to learn not just by doing but also by seeing, as well. So far, it's yielded nothing but distraction burning through his mind, but his mentor hasn't let him give up hope in picking up some new trick just yet. Today, the pair find themselves easing into a spar, though really it's more akin to practicing the motions of one more than anything. Over and over, he swipes towards Fawnwhisker, feeling the weight behind each swing, and dances back as she lashes out in turn. More than a few of her swings hit their mark, and the gentleness behind each of them leaves him feeling equal measures surprised and abashed every time.

After a particularly nasty string of unbalanced swings ends with Daffodilpaw stumbling midswipe, Fawnwhisker calls for a break, perhaps sensing the frustration bubbling under his skin. He can get it next time, he's sure, he just needs a few more tries -

She's having none of that today, however, and points him towards some of the other pairs facing off; maybe he'll gain some insight watching them, she suggests, and even though his jaw is tight with displeasure, Daffodilpaw turns to observe some of the other spars, stretching out his muscles as he does so. Looks like Lionpaw and Crowsight are just finishing up a bout, and even having missed the bulk of it, he can tell that the other apprentice has had much more luck than he; probably true in most aspects, but his well-built denmate seems particularly suited to fighting in a way Daffodilpaw can't quite seem to reconcile himself. Despite this round coming to an end, there was still an impressive set of moves shared between the two, ones he'd love to make a note of to try later, once he gets some of the basics down.

With Lionpaw stilling, Daffodilpaw's gaze is drawn towards where Marspaw and Pallasheart are still looking lively, circling and pouncing and moving with a speed that he couldn't quite hope to muster yet. It's inspiring as it is painful, and yet he can't quite look away, too enraptured by the duo's weaving movements. Marspaw even manages to get a tag in amidst the chaos, even if Pallasheart seems prepared for it, and then the two are spinning away and crashing close once again. It's almost enough to make Daffodilpaw's head spin, to think of himself in Marspaw's place; maybe not today, but eventually he knew that much would be expected of him. It's hard to pick out individual moves when all he can focus on is the sheer passion behind each of Marspaw's strikes, but he does his best anyways, just as in Lionpaw's match against Crowsight.

When the dust finally settles, it's clear that Marspaw isn't ready to give up yet, and Lionpaw seems inspired by their fellow apprentice's spirit in a way, too, offering a sparring partner. Daffodilpaw does not follow suit - he'd certainly be of no benefit to either of them, unless they wanted someone to push around - but he does shift a little closer to the two. "You guys make this stuff look easy," he jests, though truthfully he's not sure how much of a joke he really means it to be. After all, they did both just outshine him in probably every way possible. Still, there's no use wasting time wallowing in jealousy when it's clear that both Marspaw's and Lionpaw's abilities were built through rigorous training, not just gifted to them overnight through some sort of divine inspiration. "Impressive, you know - both of you," he adds, suddenly feeling his pelt prickle. No false praises would be thrown his way, he hopes; Daffodilpaw hadn't intended to draw attention to himself by inserting himself into the interaction, and yet here he was, no way to take his words back (and truthfully, he didn't want to withdraw his praise, stilted as it may be).​

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ BUT GOD I'M STILL CIRCLING THROUGH ❀ THE DIALOGUES I COULD'VE HAD WITH YOU ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎

• OOC: -
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• REF PENDING, TEEHEE <3
  
• DAFFODILKIT / DAFFODILPAW —. He/him, apprentice of SkyClan
  — .Chyrsaliswing x Honeysplash, littermate to Weaselpaw & Adderpaw
  — . 7 moons old, ages on the 6th
  — .An average, well-muscled orange-and-white dipped cream tom with mismatched eyes.
  — .People-pleaser with a desire to do good - dedicated, but still fun-loving
  — .Peaceful & healing powerplay permitted - brushing up against him, shoulder bumps, etc.
  — .Penned by Hijinks - feel free to DM me on Discord to plot! ^^
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