pafp NOT GOOD ENOUGH // open

[BASILPAW]

" Hey you!!, new guy wait up!." Basilpaw called out to the new tom that Forestshade had brought into the clan. Basilpaw had not bother himself to introduce himself straight away as he had watched from a distance. But after recent rumors having spread around that this tom might be a lover to the lead warrior it simply were not a matter he could ignore any longer. Basilpaw needed answers and the best way was to ask them directly!. The apprentice hurried himself to caught up to the stranger and he twitched his nose as he stared them up and down. " Are you Forestshade's mate?." [ he asked out wasting no time to go straight to the point. He didn't want to believe it to be true. There was no way Forestshade would like a tom as scrawny looking like this one did!. Even if she might not see he just knew Forestshade had a taste!, which this one surely wasn't!. Basilpaw wouldn't say that though as he not wished to risk getting his head slapped by Forestshade herself. But one thing he could say for certain and that was this tom stood no chance!. He was not worthy to be with Forestshade at all!. She deserved someone far better then this one. Someone who saw her as this cool and amazing cat that she was!.

@STRYKER



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[BLACKSTRIKE]

➼➼ The call of Hey you! brings Stryker to a sudden stop, his ears swiveling back against his head. For a moment only the worst possible situation flits through his mind—Chilledstar has decided that they’re through with him, and has sent someone to throw him out—but when he turns around, it’s no leader or deputy here to tell him to get out. That’s a relief, he thinks, gaze tracing over the stranger’s face. Before him stands a smoky gray-furred ShadowClanner, one who he doesn’t recognize. The apprentice gives him a once-over before demanding to know whether he is Forestshade’s mate.

Mismatched eyes blink once. He couldn’t imagine being anyone’s mate, much less that headstrong she-cat’s. She’s pretty, certainly, but not his type. "That depends on who’s asking," he says at first, flat-voiced and plain-faced. But his expression melts into a smile after a couple heartbeats, hopefully making his joke clear to the younger feline. "No. Forestshade and I aren’t mates. Why do you ask?" Someone had asked whether he and the lead warrior were lovers, so maybe that’s where the apprentice’s assumption had come from.

➴ i think i found a home

• ooc: —
• 
  STRYKER ❯❯ he/him, former carrionplace loner
  ➼ thin black and white tom with mismatched blue and yellow eyes. calm and nonchalant, difficult to anger.
  ➼ currently on a probationary period; shadowing forestshade.
  ➼ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ➼ penned by foxlore

​

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[Snowlark.]

[ ༻❄༺ ] Snowpaw had been returning from a patrol when she overheard the conversation that went between Stryker and Basilpaw while a slight hum of amusement came from her. Yellow gaze training on the two before she made her approach, slipping to stand by her friend while giving him a nod of greeting, seems like the other's mood had been lifted once more.

Gaze flicked once more to the stranger, still unsure how she felt by them but for now the tom gave no reason to trust nor not to trust him yet his response to Basilpaw made her tilt her head slightly in curiousity. "Then are you two friends?" she asked calmly, trying to figure a reason as to why one of their lead warriors would...bring a stray within the walls of the camp, yet then again Chilledstar did allow two strangers who claimed to be their kin in, was this the same?

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── You ve wasted your life , but thanks for applying ──┐‎

• 
  "speak""Thoughts"
  
• 
  Snowpaw ❄ She/Her, apprentice of Shadowclan, 8 moons.
  ⭃ Lithe long hair blue lynx sepia with high white, and yellow eyes. Stubby tail, permanent resting bitch face
  ⭃ Hailfreckle x Mudsplash
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted (ask first) / / underline and tag when attacking
  ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by Ryn ↛ @/Rynnaro on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[SHARPSHADOW]

The same question had been posed by Chilledstar when Forestshade had appeared with Stryker, and Sharpshadow's reaction would be the same here, an undisguised look of disgust, and a barely contained, childish, ewww, just begging to be released to the world, but ultimately being contained. The no isn't immediate this time, instead comes, that depends on who's asking, and Sharpshadow's eyes nearly pop out of her damn skull.

The curt no follows soon after though, and immediately, Sharpshadow feels stupid for thinking the answer could've been anything else but that. Hopefully no one saw the stupid face she made. Briefly, she ducks away.

Apprentices are often not so easily deterred though, and so Snowpaw asks in suit, then are you two friends? What a twist that would be, that this random loner Forestshade decided to exchange blows with is actually someone she's been sneaking out to see for ages, and knows plenty well already. Somehow, that seems even too stupid for Forestshade to do, but at the same time, more sensical than, and not stpid enough to be the true answer, which is: this is literally just a random guy she arbitrarily decided " has ShadowClanner in him, " or something.

" I sure hope not, " the warrior grumbles. She bristles, remembering the heaping pile of fox - dung he had spewed to this guy. That they could get him in because they were Lead Warriors. The way she pushed her luck had nothing to do with her rnak, and everything to do with being Forestshade. " All Forestshade is, is an idiot. " Maybe she shouldn't talk that way about another Lead Warrior, but Forestshade hardly was one, as far as he's concerned. " As for this guy, that remains to be seen, " he grumbles.​

 

[FERNDANCE]

In Ferndance's ShadowClan, outsiders would be accepted readily. Though her identity had been thoroughly enveloped in the darkness of her homeland, the rogueish streak remained untethered - it made her curious of outsiders moreso than suspicious. She had perhaps been lingering close to the black and white tom for that reason, absent from any conversations the newcomer had but gawking at him as if trying to comprehend a puzzle. Basilpaw was the first one to break the silence of the camp with a question that caused the she-cat's head to tilt - it would make sense for their crotchety Lead Warrior to be mates with Stryker, no one knew who sired the other's kittens, but the codeless tom denied it before she even got the chance to tease him. Her ears flattened for but a moment - that wouldn't do! "I understand..." the cinnamon tabby frowned in sympathy, the slow blinks and stare towards the space between Stryker's ears suggesting anything but understanding. "You are not ready to be a stepdad... or the dad that stepped up..." Amusement glinted in her eyes as she reclined on her haunches, purrs accentuating the deep breaths of the former council member.
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[BASILPAW]

Huh?. What did he mean with depands on who is asking?!. Obiviously this tom should already know who he was!. Basilpaw was about to say something, clearly not getting the joke for once but the black and white tom then seemed to change his mind as he confirmed exactly what Basilpaw had been wanting to hear. " Hah!, i knew it!! i knew there was no possible chance at all for someone like you to stand a chance!....uhm, sorry but that's true!." he said with delight over that this awful rumor had been just that!. A bad joke. He by no means had meant to insult Stryker or maybe he had!. Basilpaw had never been known to think with his brain first and his mouth second!. It was always the other way around with him. Speaking what his mind was thinking!. In the first place Stryker shouldn't get offended by something he stood no chance at winning to begin with!. Forestshade had standards and this tom was clearly not hitting that list!.

He clearly didn't agree with Sharpshadow rude statement of belittling Forestshade's intelligence. But he knew better then to speak out against a warrior that way, lead warrior on top of that. But Basilpaw was sure everyone in the clan knew already who the stupid one was out of all the lead warriors....no need to point that out.

Moving on, with Snowpaw now standing beside him asking Stryker if he was Forestshade friend then which he highly doubted was the case either decided to wait to see what the scrawny tom had to say about it. Ferndance though input of the matter did in fact suprise him. " Huuh?, what does that mean?!. Snowpaw what does that mean?" he turned his attention to his friend and brother now knowing that Snowpaw was the smarter one out of the two so clearly he would understand what Ferndance was trying to say. If anyone could make sense of anything that former lead warrior said it was him!, his brother!. That was how smart Snowpaw was.



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[MIRESTAR]

Sometimes Mirepurr envies how carefree the kits and apprentices can be. They have much less to go and base their thoughts off of, yes, but that can also be viewed as a bit of freedom instead of hindrance; there's less chance of words dying inside their throat before any of it can get to the surface, doubt and past bitterness controlling the way they act.

On occasions such as these, when all tact leaves Basilpaw's body before he talks... well, Mirepurr can be appreciative of some wisdom gained.

They cannot imagine the lead warrior fancying an outsider. Stryker is pleasant company enough, no reasons to dislike him, but even the glint in Forestshade's eyes upon bringing him to Chilledstar couldn't be reason enough to get herself wrapped around a tom's paw so fast. It's difficult enough as a regular Clanmate to get past those carefully crafted walls of hers.

They turn to Ferndance first, fully intending to ignore Sharpshadow's comment. Sour expression, sour mood, not a thing Mirepurr can do there to aid. "Wouldn't be fair to throw all that on him," they muse, a little mutter under their breath. The idea is amusing enough, but Forestshade has been faring well without a mate. No reason to try and pair her with another now.

"I'm sure we can compliment Forestshade without bringing Stryker down." An almost apologetic look is present on their face, head tipped to the side as they glance at Stryker. His very presence feels alien. His name is one, certainly, but with Chilledstar approving it all, there's no reason for Mirepurr not to treat him like one of their own already.
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[BLACKSTRIKE]

➼➼ When he affirms that he and Forestshade aren’t mates, the younger tom seems more than delighted. He says that Stryker doesn’t stand a chance with the lead warrior—which, yeah, that makes sense. Not that Stryker feels any attraction toward Forestshade anyway, but it makes sense that he wouldn’t be good enough for her. She’s clearly got authority and power within the clan, while Stryker is hardly trusted in the first place. "You’re right, that is true. She’d probably skin me alive if I dared ask such a thing." The idea is so wil, so odd to consider, that for a second he catches himself grinning at the apprentice. What an interesting kid Basilpaw is.

Snowpaw has an equally important question, one that the tom doesn’t have a better response to. "I don’t know if we’re friends, you should ask Forestshade." The torbie is certainly the ShadowClanner he feels most comfortable around, but he isn’t sure if they’re friends, necessarily. Ferndance says that he isn’t ready to be a stepdad, and then makes a quip about being… the dad who stepped up? Stryker didn’t even know Forestshade had kits until two days ago. "Oh, I’m not father material at all," he says with a nod, confirmation that he in fact isn’t ready to… step up. Much less for kits that aren’t even his own.

Sharpshadow bites out an insult, which seems to be all the dark-furred lead warrior does—but who is Stryker to judge? Maybe the other tom just doesn’t like him… or Forestshade… or anyone. But his attention is captured next by Mirepurr, who attempts to reign in Basilpaw’s behavior. "Ah, it’s alright. I don’t mind much," he says in response, flashing a smile at the tortoiseshell. He truthfully doesn’t mind Basilpaw’s insults, just as he doesn’t mind the adversarial manner in which many cats in ShadowClan regard him. Fear of novelty drives their rudeness, and he understands that to them, he is something strange, something distinctly new. It’s only fair, really.

➴ i think i found a home

• ooc: —
• 
  STRYKER ❯❯ he/him, former carrionplace loner
  ➼ thin black and white tom with mismatched blue and yellow eyes. calm and nonchalant, difficult to anger.
  ➼ currently on a probationary period; shadowing forestshade.
  ➼ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ➼ penned by foxlore

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[SCREECHSTORM]

✧ . Screechpaw doesn’t have much of a reason to like Stryker. This… strange tom his mother brought in out of nowhere, this strange tom that follows her around like a shadow, unlike the golden-eyed brother meant to be following Forestshade around. He doesn’t get why he was allowed to join them in the first place — or what his mother saw in him that allowed for such an idea.

He’s an unfortunate bystander to this conversation, one sprouted by an all-too-loud call toward the black and white tom by Basilpaw, followed by a stupid question that leaves the older apprentice’s fur bristling. It’s a rumor that’s been going around, of course. Though most of the past moon had been spent in the medicine den’s confines, he still caught wind of what they were saying about his mother. About Stryker and his mother.

She would’ve said something, right? Would’ve told them, if there was some truth to the matter?

Though the tom denies it, relief is hardly found as Ferndance’s comments only make the moment worse for Screechpaw. He doesn’t need a father, he hasn’t needed one this whole time and — well, Stryker doesn’t want to be one to him anyway, so he’s not. Two-toned gaze darts to the warrior, to the outsider, a frown pulling at his maw as the tom speaks again.

“ Good, “ he shoots at the split-gazed shadow, sun-struck tail lashing behind him, “ We don't need a father anyway. “ Just him, and his mother, and Briarpaw. And Sweetpaw, and Sweetpaw, and Sweetpaw.

They didn’t need anyone else. ​

✦ ABOUT

• 
  SCREECHPAW ✦ AMAB. He / Him. Apprentice of ShadowClan.
  ✧ . A black/red tabby chimera tom with mismatched green eyes.
  ✧ . Forestshade x Vulturemask
  ✧ . Mentored by Chilledstar
  ✧ . Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted!
  ✧ . Penned by Abri ‣ @_abri_ on discord, feel free to dm for plots!
  ✧ . " Speech " ; Attack
  

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