listen up, hatchet man — lichenstar & sunpaw

[FOXTAIL]

Foxtail opens his olive green eyes, a small yawn escaping his maw as patches of sunlight make it's way through the warrior's nest. He stretches his limbs as he leaves his nest; if Pebblepaw isn't awake yet, it's time for his apprentice to get up. With a flick of an ear, the tom exits the warrior's den with his eyes set on the apprentice's den. He begins to make his way over, but he doesn't get very far before black tabby steps in his way. "Foxtail, Lichenstar wishes to speak to you before you head out with Pebblepaw," The warrior speaks, and Foxtail can only think back to his conversation with Smokestar moons ago.... when Smokestar reassigned Eelpaw to a more experienced warrior. "...A-Alright, thank you." The lead warrior tries to hold back a stammer, his tail swishing nervously. He hadn't done something wrong, had he?

It's probably nothing, He tries to reassure himself as he makes his way towards her den, She probably just wants me to take over a patrol... He stops in his tracks outside of her den, and the young lead warrior takes in a deep breath, and exhales. "Lichenstar?" He pads into the den after given the okay to enter, and his remaining thoughts escape his maw. Lichenstar isn't alone, he realizes, and he blinks in confusion; his gaze landing onto an apprentice with rosette tabby markings. Why is Sunpaw here— isn't Brookpelt training her?

With a swish of his bushy tail, Foxtail pulls his gaze away from the young apprentice. "...You wished to s-speak with me?" He addresses his leader, but he can't stop himself from glancing at the former kittypet. "What brings Sunpaw h-here?"​

𝐨𝐨𝐜 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

• @lichenstar @SUNPAW.
  
• 
  
  

  ---

  credit to raphaelion (via da) for the artwork <3
  
• Foxtail

  ​
  

  lead warrior
  23 moons
  warmhearted
  timid
  experience: trained
  backstory: [HYPERLINK]
  biography: [HYPERLINK]
  credit to trops for the chibi <3
  

  cisgender male [he / him]
  eyes: green
  pelt: cinnamon/chocolate
  fur length: long
  parents: dawnflower and redfur (riverclan npcs)
  

  ---

  ​

​

 

[SUNPAW.]

Being called into Lichen's den was the equivalent of a death sentence. She felt it in her chest, a simmering heat that threatened to overtake. Embarrassed, angry, hurt and a little bit... Something. Something she refuses to name. But she knew why she was here.

Because a couple days ago, Brookpelt had said he was "done" with her. Like being "done" was something a long time coming, like it was something he had been thinking about. Like it was her fault somehow. Even thinking about it now has her sitting stiff and uncomfortable next to Lichenstar. Once again, she's in trouble. And somehow, that means to be abandoned.

So when Foxtail enters she's already eyeing him with a wary cadence. So what's this, then? A punishment? A reassignment? A mockery? It must be. The adult in front of her can't get one sentence out without stuttering and every clip of a syllable grates against the burn in her chest, stokes it higher. She scoffs, the sound sharp on an exhale as she pins her ears back.

What a joke.

But it's only awareness of her leader besides her and the potential amount of trouble she's in that keeps her maw shut. Shut tight, even as it grits against her teeth and she purposefully stacks her paws neatly, her back straight. Who's this, then?

​

 

[lichenstar]

✦˚.✦˚✦˚✦˚ ✧ ˚✦˚✦˚✦.˚✦

CLAIM THE BURIAL I SEEK IN DREAMS FLOWING RIVER CEMETARY ✧

• "Everything... is fine," she insists, glancing between a standoffish apprentice and nervous lead warrior. Sunpaw looks like she wants to burst into flames, which does little to ease Lichenstar's concerns that this re-pairing will go over well. Pebblepaw is a fine student, a softer one... grown enough now to not need the constant supervision of his mentor in the same ways that Eveningpaw did. (Eugh... her reckless daughter... it is a miracle more of her face hasn't paled to the white shade of stress.)
  
  "Sunpaw's mentor... is retiring," she explains, casting the fiery apprentice a small look. Brookpelt had certainly not been thrilled when they'd approached Lichenstar to request a release from their duties. Old age had already worn on them but having such a willful youth at their heels did few favors.
  
  "Pebblepaw seems to be.... doing well- You've... done a great job... Foxtail. So... I'd like you.... to take over... for the remainder of.... Sunpaw's training." Her whiskers wiggle nervously, eyeing the striped tom uncertainly. It's not an easy undertaking (she can remember the struggle to juggle both Dipperfrost and Brookstorm) but it may prove a good exercise in asserting himself.
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[FOXTAIL]

Not a word leaves Sunpaw's mouth, but the lead warrior can feel her anger.... her disappointment radiating off of her fur. Why is she so upset? Foxtail wonders as he notices the displeasure that flares in Sunpaw's yellow eyes, his ears pinning back momentarily. He pulls his gaze away from her, but he can still feel her glare digging into his pelt, as their leader addresses them both. He tries to relax, and the tom sits down on the ground, his ears pricking back up.

"Sunpaw's mentor.... is retiring." Foxtail blinks with surprise at the news— Brookpelt's retiring? Really? He knew Brookpelt was on the older side, but he hadn't known the tom was that old. He thought the warrior would at least see his apprentice graduate in a couple moons... but he imagines old age can be quite tiring. He sees how the elders move around camp; your joints ache... your senses aren't as strong as they used to be.... Adding such a fiery youngster to the warrior's responsibilities must've tired him out.

For a quick moment, the young tom feels a sense of pride; as Lichenstar compliments his work with Pebblepaw. He's come a long way, there's no doubt in that. After failing to properly train Eelpaw, Foxtail never expected to be given a new apprentice in such a short amount of time.... He can only hope Smokestar is just as proud in StarClan. But their leader continues to speak, and the tom had a feeling this was what she was leading up to. She wants me to continue Sunpaw's training.

She wants him to resume her training.... the apprentice that looks ready to explode from rage. He looks back over at the rosette tabby; his soft olive green eyes landing onto her rough, fiery yellow eyes. He can already tell that she won't be anything like Pebblepaw; but Lichenstar thinks he's capable of handling her. She'll certainly be a challenge, but perhaps this will all.... work out. She could use the company, He thinks momentarily, does she have any friends in RiverClan yet? It isn't always easy making friends, especially when the clan knows you were an outsider.

"Ah, I s-see... Brookpelt decided to retire," The lead warrior murmurs with a flick of an ear, looking back over at their leader. Foxtail dips his head, and opens his maw. "I... I would be honored to t-takeover her training," He mews, "T-Thank you.... for the opportunity."

His gaze lands onto Sunpaw once again, and he imagines she is even more furious. The fuzzy warrior stands onto his paws, as sunlight cracks into the den.... a clear reminder that the day continues, with or without them. "Well... Lucky for y-you, Pebblepaw and I haven't patrolled yet," He speaks to his second, new apprentice— he can only hope he won't fail her... "How about you go wake h-him?"​

𝐨𝐨𝐜 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

• 
  
• 
  
  

  ---

  credit to raphaelion (via da) for the artwork <3
  
• Foxtail

  ​
  

  lead warrior
  23 moons
  warmhearted
  timid
  experience: trained
  backstory: [HYPERLINK]
  biography: [HYPERLINK]
  credit to trops for the chibi <3
  

  cisgender male [he / him]
  eyes: green
  pelt: cinnamon/chocolate
  fur length: long
  parents: dawnflower and redfur (riverclan npcs)
  

  ---

  ​

​

 

[SUNPAW.]

"Retire? You know he just wanted to get rid of me, right?" she spits the words, sharper than she should considering who's in front of her. But it's not a conscious decision she's making either. And in many ways it's only the fact that she hasn't even let Lichenstar finish their sentence that keeps her quiet for the rest of it. Her glare turned on to Foxtail after that.

So this was the replacement then. She can't even hide her disdain, lip curling up at the edge as the nervous creature barely manages to say 'okay'. Honored to take over? An opportunity? What is she, a means to an end? And with this guy? Maybe it didn't even matter that it was him or someone else, but at least someone else might not look like a breeze would knock them over. It boils inside of her, crawls down her fur in hot lines of anger and she's pushed herself up to all four paws with the sudden urge to do... something. A something that has her claws flexing uneasily as her gaze pits from her leader to Foxtail and back. "You're joking, right? He's supposed to teach me?"

But... it probably was. What Lichen said was final, and even Sunpaw knew better. There seemed more apprentices than warriors these days and maybe this really was it for her. Sunpaw scoffs when Foxtail begins to address her, "Oh, lucky me." Well. She did like patrolling, but it's the last thing she wanted to do right now. A new mentor, a new person to meet, and what's worse, she was the second apprentice. "They're not even awake yet?" Ugh, she wants to do something with this energy in her body. Run, probably. Yell, definitely, but she meets Foxtail dead in the eye as she shakes her head. But she can't do that in front of these two. "Nu-uh. No way. You do it. I'll wait for you or something."

​