MOM SAID IT'S MY TURN ON THE XBOX |☀| moonpaw

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
Regardless of how close he was to his warrior name, the world (namely Nightbird) wouldn't let him forget that he was still an apprentice any time soon. It was with an exasperated sigh that he dropped his catch on the fresh-kill pile, finally released to sit and chill for a little while. The damn thing had nearly gotten away from him, and he was starting to feel that post-patrol soreness.

Yet as Lightpaw trudged his way to his den, he slowed when he spotted a familiar pelt from the corner of his eye, glancing over. It was Moonpaw. It wasn't unusual for her to wear a look that suggested someone had snatched her choice of prey right out from under her nose - in fact, he would almost consider it default - but this time seemed... off. Dejected, almost? No, not quite. He couldn't tell.

Turning tail from his course to wander over, he planted himself hard on his rump right beside her, momentarily staring his fellow apprentice in the face as if contemplating. Whatever answer he was looking for he didn't seem to find, so he instead started simple. "You good? Is Raccoonstripe driving you crazy again?"

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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[Moonwhisper]

Her face often settled into a quiet neutrality or so she thought, apparently she came across intimidating with her cold stare and unfocused gaze set off in a direction of no real interest. Even knowing that she didn't much mind it, if cats avoided her that was all well and good-she could enjoy her peace for a little longer. The sudden sound of pawsteps did not direct her attention but the heavy thump of someone sitting nearby did and she turned curiously to see Lightpaw regarding her with some interest in silence before launching into a question after a few moments. Was she good? She didn't know really.
"Raccoonstripe IS driving me crazy, but its because he's sitting in the medicine cat den and not training me. I turn twelve moons soon, I'm not sure if he'll even let me be named unless he's had the chance to run an assessment..."
Every day he was in there was another day she might be missing the chance to be named at the same time as he siblings in SkyClan-it was bad enough Burnpaw was already Burnstorm; she can't help but feel jealous even while feeling he deserves it as well. It was just hard to acknowledge she was the only one who might be held back and it wasn't even her fault. She'd fought, she'd bled, she'd hunted earnestly for her clan. She wanted it, she deserved it.
"...I want him to get better, I know it takes time. It's just frustrating. How are things with Nightbird?"
Moonpaw wasn't sure which of them got the worst end of the deal with mentors. Both were lead warriors with strict, no-nonsense policies who took training very seriously. Nightbird was probably a little less bossy than her uncle was.
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[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
Lightpaw listens as Moonpaw immediately opens up, himself adopting a small frown. "I would have figured it would take the powers of StarClan to keep him from bossing you about," he commented. "Like, telling you what to do even if he's still in the medicine den. Or sticking you with someone in his stead. You mean you're really just on your own right now?"

She's worried about her assessment. The tom's frown deepens. "There's no way he could do that. That just wouldn't be fair." Sure, the assessment was a necessity, but holding her back because of something that wasn't her fault...? Raccoonstripe wouldn't do that, right?

Moonpaw continued, backtracking and assuring him that she cared about her mentor despite her feelings. He hummed. Then, when Nightbird was brought up, he scoffed a laugh that could have been a cough. "She's been real insufferable lately and she knows it. I bet she's doing it on purpose."

Lightpaw lowered himself to his belly, eyes half-lidded as he adopted an unamused look of his own. He tucked his paws beneath him. "So, a while ago, patrols were assigned, yeah?" he began, looking up at her. "We didn't get assigned to one specifically, so Nightbird dragged me and Duskpaw onto a patrol led by Sunnyday. Which, in itself, I don't get. Why would Sunnyday be made a patrol leader of all cats? Anyway," he said, shaking his head, "we joined the patrol. It was a hunting patrol. I don't really remember the specifics, but we started betting on who could catch the most prey."

The tom paused, squinting as he thought. "Yeah. Okay, yeah, so Skypaw was like, 'I bet I can catch more than Sunnyday.' And I was just fucking around, right? So I said I would catch even more than that." He sat up again. "So Skypaw took me up on it, which meant I had to, even though I really didn't want to, but whatever, I guess."

A white paw had lifted, then, gesturing as he went about telling his story. He put it back down, leaning in a little closer as his expression darkened. "But get this. We were about to split up to hunt when Nightbird leans in and says something, like, 'if you don't win, I'll hold you back,' and then runs off! Like, what the fuck?" Sharply, he shook his head. "She keeps doing that shit, too. She's getting a kick out of it, I swear. She just wants to piss me off. I totally won the challenge, by the way. I got lucky."

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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[Moonwhisper]

Like his name, a light seems to flicker on the moment she gives him what must have registered as permission for a proper chat; she had never seen Lightpaw quite so talkative but she couldn't say she minded, they had very similar mentors and suffered very similar training woes because of it and it was nice having someone to relate to even if it was over this.
"I don't know, I guess it's a silly worry but he often surprises me." With how abrasive he can be certainly. Their first battle training session was a nightmare of surprises really.
Hearing Lightpaw go on about the patrol he was on she finds her fur bristling in reply. Ugh. Sunnyday.
"Flycatcher has his moments..." He put new warriors ahead of patrols often enough to be noticable and allowing Sunnyday to lead one was probably his worst offense; why any sensible cat would let that tom have even an iota of responsibility and presence after what he did to Sandpaw was beyond her and if she complained she would be told she didn't understand but that infantilized her sensibilities. The only reason Sunnyday got to exist here was because her grandmother was too nice and frankly that was her one issue with Howlingstar's leadership-she was too kind to cats who did not deserve it.
Her ear flicks as she focuses back on the story, Duskpaw and Skypaw-her younger siblings were a little competitive which was good really, it would help them go places, but to hear Nightbird took to a threat with the silly challenge. Moonpaw's ears began to burn, "Raccoonstripe would have done the same THING!" Sometimes she wonders if HE is messing with her too, but she feels he's a bit more serious than Nightbird when it comes to training, "Have you noticed them hanging out a lot by the way? He's always following her around at gatherings." Her long plume of a tail twitches, irrate, he was always flirting around and it was gross to have to stand by and watch. She remembers him shoving her on kitsitting duty so he could take Wrenflutter off on a walk to woo; the audacity.
"I wonder if THEIR mentors were as hard on them..."
Wait, did they have mentors? No, she was pretty sure mentors were established not too long before she was born, which meant Howlingstar (then Wind) was probably the one who taught her Uncle or her grandfather she never got to meet.
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[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
Moonpaw matches his frustrated energy, which only riled up the golden tom even more. "They have so much nerve." Lightpaw rose from his seated position, restlessly pacing a few steps before stopping hard to stare at her again. "Nightbird got worse when she was promoted, I swear. Abuse of power. Injustice!"

The tom shuffled his paws again, agitated but once again leaning toward humor. "Mark my words, I'll make them sorry someday! Nightbird will regret every dick move she's ever made!"

Then Moonpaw sweeps, on, and he nearly shoves his face into hers, energy making his pelt prickle. "YES!" he exclaimed loudly. "They're practically attached at the hip! Oh my stars it's the worst! I swear they're giving each other ideas!" He leans away, tossing his head back and rolling his eyes. Lightpaw adopted a mocking tone. "They're probably like 'hmm, I wanna make Lightpaw wish he never crawled out of his nest this morning. Got any ideas?' and then Raccoonstripe is just like, 'yeah, sure! Have you tried running him half to death?' and she's just 'oh, great idea! I'll keep that in mind!' and then lo and behold, I wish I had never been born."

Letting out an aggravated groan, Lightpaw flopped onto his side with a grunt. "If their mentors were half as difficult, I'd be inclined to say they deserved it," he half-muttered. "I'll feel bad for any sorry scrap that becomes their apprentices in the future. I already feel bad for Duskpaw, but it's too late for him."

Silence fell, Lightpaw gazing across the camp at nothing in particular. "If she kills me before I become a warrior, tell my siblings I hate them."

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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[Moonwhisper]

Lightpaw has a lot to say on the matter, she realizes, listening in quietly as he goes on a tangent about their mentors conspiring to cause them misery and his intent on paying them back for it. She has already long since decided that if combat is her assessment she is leaving Raccoonstripe a scar to remember her by so she can't exactly fault him for similar feelings; though knowing her mentor he was going to make her do something tedious and trivial instead of what she yearned for: claws out and a proper fight. Hearing she was not the only apprentice with such a burden was a relief at least.
While she didn't think they did it maliciously she wasn't going to deny they probably got a thrill from bossing around their apprentices, she'd been used for menial labor more than she cared to think about.
"Do you think they're....you know..." Moonpaw tilts her head to the side and shrugs, unsure how exactly to phrase the idea that she thought Raccoonstripe was genuinely trying to flirt with this one. He flirted with most the clan's she-cats but something about him being so friendly with Nightbird certainly made that feel different. They were quite similar, though she felt he was much more abrasively loud than the cool black smoke was at times.
"...what if they end up being together and have kits? You think we can get them as our apprentices?" The very idea of being a mentor appealed to her in a way she couldn't really describe, something about control she supposed. She often didn't feel like she could have any control in her own life, but maybe she could help mold a future ThunderClan warrior to help her cope with that, training them the way she wanted and with her ideals.
The golden tom earns himself a snort of a laugh, "I'm sure Duskpaw will manage." Her younger sibling was fiesty in his own way.
"If he kills me before I'm a warrior tell my siblings the same...except Burnstorm. He's alright." He was also her only one in ThunderClan if that was any indication to her feelings.
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