camp numbers and signs // moving out of the nursery

[LUCKYPAW]

Just as quickly as the meeting had been called and he had been named Luckypaw, it was over, and after regrouping with the rest of his family outside of the spotlight called upon them all, he now stands in the middle of camp simply taking it all in. It's not an uncommon sight, seeing him casting his gaze about camp, but this time he's trying to discern if it feels any different from normal. Truthfully, more than anything, he feels out of place - an apprentice in name and nothing else, since he hadn't yet had a chance to even leave the camp. There's still the burning embers of his excitement, of course, and some anxiety surrounding his first outing, but seeing other cats bustle about with purpose leaves him feeling lacking, like he should be doing something important, too. Maybe he should seek out Cygnetstare, ask about what they'll be doing together first, though the idea isn't thrilling - despite the fact that he'll be spending many moons in the tunnels with them, he's not quite tripping over himself to seek her out on his own just yet. Surely there's something he should be doing...something that he's forgotten during the transition from -kit to -paw...

As an apprentice trudges by, laden with moss and heading to the elder's den, it suddenly hits him - he needs to pick out a new nest! No longer can Luckypaw consider the nursery his hidden sanctuary; from now on, he'll sleep out under the stars alongside his fellow apprentices. Even though he's glad to have something to do, his pawsteps are far from light as he squeezes into the nursery, surveying the chamber that had housed him and his littermates their entire lives up until now. It's not really something he wants to give up, that feeling of security sleeping in an enclosed den, but it can't be helped, he supposes; at least he'll be closer to the stars, though that hardly feels like a consolation. One last glance thrown around him, Luckypaw pads forward to retrieve what he really came here for - a piece of his nest, still smelling like Scorchstreak and the rest of his littermates, and a slightly-crumpled butterfly wing kept from their group butterfly hunt. Where Scorchkit - well, Scorchpaw, now, he has to correct himself - had worn hers proudly behind one of her ears, he had safely tucked his away, not wanting to damage it (and truthfully, he's not sure it suits him so much as his sister, perched awkwardly upon his head).

Haul held firmly between his jaws, Luckypaw slips out of the nursery and back into camp, instinctively searching for his siblings. Had they already found somewhere to place their new nests, or were they, like him, still looking? They should all settle near one another, he thinks, though a sudden uneasiness grips him at the thought. Tunnelers and moor runners didn't have separate sleeping spots, did they? It's hard to tell in the sea of nests, especially since they weren't really occupied at the moment. Worse yet, what if they didn't want to have their nests next to each other? After all, they'd all had to share close quarters in the nursery - what if Scorchpaw or Frostpaw or Rumblepaw were tired of that? It wouldn't be the end of the world - Luckypaw would still see them, of course - but the thought of no longer being so close to his siblings at night makes him wilt just a bit. Regardless, he still has to pick out a spot for a nest, and nest materials, at that, though as he edges closer his steps begin to falter. It's not like he's done this before - should he just...stake a claim in an empty spot near the edge? Is that where new apprentices go? Stars, he's starting to wish he'd paid a little bit more attention to the trivial details last time new apprentices were named.​

[ PENNED BY HIJINKS ]​

 

[GRAVELSNAP]

Gravelsnap hadn’t paid much attention to the recent meeting, preoccupied with thoughts of a certain monochrome warrior. The announcement of a new tunnel project doesn’t interest them, and so they had allowed themself to zone out until cats were given new names—Snakehiss first, and then five apprentices. He didn’t really care about any of the ceremonies, and still doesn’t, but he doesn’t have anything else to do with his day. Firefang isn’t present to challenge to some arbitrary competition, and Periwinklebreeze has been acting strange recently. So the young tom lazes about in camp, watching cats come and go about their business.

Their gaze catches on Luckypaw and they watch him for a few moments, but the newly-named apprentice doesn’t seem to be settling down anytime soon. The blue-patched tom merely stands in the center of camp, staring at the gathering of nests that Gravelsnap chooses to sleep far away from. They observe the younger tom until their curiosity grows too great to continue ignoring him. And so alabaster paws carry the young warrior over to stand a tail-length to the side of Luckypaw. "Are you going to pick a spot?" They ask the question with a frown settling onto their pale muzzle, but their gaze is inquisitive. "Or are you going to stand there all day looking lost?" They nearly throw in a quip about Luckypaw needing his mother to make the decision for him, as though he’s still a kit—but Gravelsnap doesn’t have the energy to argue with the new apprentice.​

[ you put the fun into dysfunction ]​

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[SEDGEPOUNCE]

The meeting wasn't his forte. War-plans which he understood very little, then Snakepaw—Snakehiss'—promotion and the absence of his own—an increasingly-familiar feeling of dread clings to Sedgepaw's pelt as he flees the meeting place, troubled and quiet. He has nowhere to go and nothing to do to burn that nervous energy, so he ends up aimlessly wandering camp, thoughts filled with conflicted turmoil until he finds himself unwittingly at the apprentice nests.

Luckypaw is there, bright eyed and bushy tailed. Sedgepaw remembers when he became an apprentice, of course. It's a feeling unlike any other to grow up and finally, finally, finding your purpose. WindClan has little patience for those who cannot pull their weight—but more than that, kittens have little patience for childhood.

Sedgepaw snorts at Gravelsnap's taunt, indifferent but not altogether unamused. What does he care? He's not even an apprentice anymore. "Yeowch, Gravel. Can't cut the kid a break on his first day?" Sedgepaw chides jokingly. A smile spreads on his face. He does not mind the younger apprentices so much, but he won't lie when he says he'll be glad to graduate far away from them.

"New cats get the edge spots, by the way. There'll be more space once Snakep—er, Snakehiss clears his stuff away," he says toward Luckypaw; not unkindly, though he does resist the urge to roll his eyes at his own words. StarClan knows Snake will be insufferable when that happens.​

 

[SNAKEHISS]

"Eager to get rid of me so soon, are you?" The accented voice pipes up shortly after his name is mentioned, as if on cue.

The midnight black warrior has a pep in his step following his warrior ceremony. While typically poised like an adder ready to strike, curled in the shadows and judging his clanmates, today he is as proud as a peacock flaunting his feathers and is less opposed to casually engaging with others. This had been the best day of his life by far and there was little that anyone else could do to sour his mood at the moment.

Lithe form striding forward, tail standing upright like the tallest pine, the green-eyed tom meowed, "I'll get on with it. I just had to relish in the glory of my new name for a bit. Snakehiss has a nice ring to it, wouldn't you agree?" He flashes a cocky grin to Gravelsnap and Sedgepaw, knowing that they must be feeling less than congratulatory for him.

As he headed toward his nesting spot within the apprentices den, his gaze turned to Luckypaw now, his smile beginning to falter. Badgermoon's spawns had also been apprenticed today. At least the glory of his newfound rank seemed to distract from the mixed, perhaps even bitter feelings that the deputy's children provoked within him. "Good luck. You'll need it." Snakehiss lets the statement linger before he turns to pad off.​

 

[SCORCHSTORM]

Scorchpaw's surprise has overwhelmed much of her anxiety to grow up. Apprenticeship does not taste so sweet when it does not go according to her plan; for all her moons as a kitten, she'd thought she'd be traversing beneath WindClan's moors with her mother, for the two ember-forged mollies did most things astride one another. Or, at least, that is what Scorchpaw had thought until Sootstar had decreed different. But she is an obedient girl. She is, perhaps, nothing if not obedient, and so she accepts her new path with as much grace as she can muster. Besides, it isn't like it's all bad; Badgermoon is her father, after all, and he's a great warrior and deputy. Her apprenticeship will still mold her into a capable warrior. She tries to keep these things in mind as she feels bitterness sting her pawpads.

She doesn't think about her nest until she sees Luckypaw standing aimless in camp with his own hanging from his teeth. She tries to feel happy for him before the wave of jealousy ebbs her shores; she is not so successful this time, though the sight of the butterfly wing among his things weathers her considerably. Not to mention Gravelsnap's jab-- she can't let her brother face that alone. Scorchkit (Scorchpaw now, she reminds herself) spares Luckypaw a strangely frigid glance before she sidles up to him, facing Gravelsnap with a frown. "Don't insult him," she rumbles at the blue-patched warrior, tail flicking behind her. Sedgepaw seems to stick up for her littermate, too, and even tells them where to situate their new nests. She flashes him an appreciative glance. But Snakehiss seems eager to snap at the newest apprentices, too.

Scorchpaw's ears flatten as the ebony warrior sneers at her brother and herself, but once he turns away she returns her attention to Luckypaw. Thankfully, her desire to protect him has seemed to outweigh her sadness that he now walks the path she thought she would take-- at least, for now. "I'll put mine next to yours," she reassures. She abhors the thought of the physical separation; she will already be separated from him enough now, won't she? Luckypaw is fated to the underground, and she is fated to sun-splashed plains. It can't get more distant, she thinks. No, she needs her nest by his, even if she resents the luck he was named for. Scorchpaw touches her nose to Luckypaw's shoulder before she snatches her own bedding from the nursery, ready to place it alongside her littermate's, wherever it may be.​

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[LUCKYPAW]

A voice interrupts his indecision, just off to the side, and the sudden shift from nothing to something just about makes Luckypaw drop his bundle, jaws loosening in surprise. Thankfully, he's able to keep a hold of it, even if it's a near thing - it's already embarrassing enough that he's seemingly attracted someone's attention. Gravelsnap's words finally sink in after the initial shock of their appearance wears off, and his immediate reaction is to bristle slightly at the prodding questions. Somehow, the fact that the warrior's assessment isn't inaccurate only makes it worse - it feels more biting, knowing that not only does he feel uncertain, but he looks it, too, enough so that somebody felt the need to comment on it. Gingerly, he sets the nest he'd been holding on the ground, taking care not to damage the butterfly's wing, in order to shoot back, "N-no! I'm...just trying to find, um, the best spot." Even to his own ears, the words sound weak, and so he hastens to add onto them, borderline rambling at this point. "It's an important decision, right? I'm gonna be sleeping here awhile - I don't wanna choose a, uh, bad spot or anything."

As Sedgepaw appears, coming to his rescue, Luckypaw doesn't think he's ever been happier to see the flecked apprentice bearing both a cheeky defense and some crucial information. Now he at least knows where to begin looking to set up, and for that he earns a grateful smile from Luckypaw. "Oh - of course. Thanks," he responds, voice considerably brighter. To the edge, then - must not be the most favorable spot if it's where new apprentices were supposed to set up, but it doesn't seem all that bad to him. At least he wouldn't have to weave through a sea of other apprentices if he needed to get up at night for whatever reason. Before he can really start to search for a spot in earnest, the aforementioned Snakehiss appears, offering him yet another unhelpful comment in the form of well wishes he's sure are a shade less than sincere. He'll need it? Why? Apprentice training can't be that hard, surely - if it was, there'd be more stories of apprentices that never graduated, even well and truly into their warrior moons. It's not like Snakehiss even knows what being a tunneler is like, either; as he turns towards his own nest, he'll receive a half-squinted stare as Luckypaw tries to decide just how to decipher his words.

Scorchpaw makes her entrance, though for a moment, it's odd - her usual even-temper is replaced by a much colder look, leveled at him of all cats, and for once, he can't quite think of a fitting greeting, unsure if it was really meant for him or not. They're both apprentices, both on-track to become strong, loyal warriors of WindClan, and yet - and yet, there's a new separation between them. Tunneler and moor runner. Surely, Scorchpaw has picked up on the strange distance, formed the moment Sootstar announced Badgermoon to be her mentor, though she doesn't comment on it. Not that he's eager to cast the first word, either; he'd much rather things settle back to normalcy on their own, without any prodding. Her defense of him strikes up against the rift, leaving him with a gnarled pit in his stomach. I can defend myself, thank you very much he wants to snip back, suddenly feeling off-kilter and flustered at the attention he's drawn and the way Scorchpaw feels the need to intervene on his behalf, but - no, that's not right. Why would Luckypaw want to spurn his sister's assistance, just like that?

The feeling of wrongness has only grown since the meeting was dismissed, since he and his siblings were sentenced to train apart, and he can't understand it. He should be drawing close to Scorchpaw and Rumblepaw, even to Badgermoon, joining in celebration even if they were to walk different paths. Not wanting to snap at Scorchpaw, indulging his frazzled nerves. Maybe that was it, then - the anxiety at losing his siblings to the moors, at being below the earth with Cygnetstare and Scorchstreak but not Scorchpaw, at starting this new journey with no clue what to do in the moment or how to conduct himself, making him irritable. Regardless, the strange feeling seems to fade considerably when Scorchpaw once again looks at him, promising that they'll keep their nests next to one another while looking far less imposing than moments ago. Soothed for now, Luckypaw offers her a firm, relieved nod, tail brushing against her flank briefly as she presses against his shoulder. Once she's returned, nest in tow, he turns back to the clearing, now scanning the outskirts. "How about there?" he points - truthfully, it's probably all the same without putting a face to the unoccupied nests, but at this point all that really matters is finding a spot without anymore hassle.​

[ PENNED BY HIJINKS ]​

 

[RUMBLERAIN]

Rumblepaw arrives a short while after Snakehiss departs, fixing the back of the black-and-white warrior's head with a look of alarm, but harried steps carry the lanky adolescent to Luckypaw's other side. Blue eyes flick over Gravelsnap and Sedgepaw, the latter of whom would thankfully be sharing a nesting area with them and was considerably less scary than half of the other apprentices, but their attention alights on their littermates without further ado.

"Can I put my nest next to yours?" They query through a mouthful of moss, ears twitching upwards, causing the red-brown butterfly wing tucked behind their left ear to shift in time with the movement. Even if they were apprentices now, split evenly between the moors and the tunnels, there was no reason they couldn't all have their nests next to each other still ... right?

— information

•  
• 
  rumblepaw, tags.
  — they/them, windclan moor-runner apprentice
  — mentored by brindlecloud (npc)
  — attack in #a1cad7. entirely unexperienced. will flee.
  — fullbody lines by urka on th.
  — penned by mercibun

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[whitedawn]

Life in Windclan was probably considered fast paced. So it really shouldn't have surprised Whitepaw that the kits were already joining the apprentice den. Though it felt odd, it felt like yesterday that she had been kit-sitting them all, and now they were in the same rank. "Those are good spots." She spoke up softly as she approached, having set down some moss. She had been on her way to help care for the elders and saw three of the new apprentices lingering. Despite the litter being split between different ranks, she should probably offer some advice, right? Probably something better than the useless non-sense Snakepaw- no Snakehiss offered. "You can still nest together, and being close to the entrance makes it easier to head to training." She offered softly, flicking an ear. Her own nest was sequestered in a small corner with minuscule amounts of shade. But it was a nice spot. "I could tell you about apprentice duties, once you're all settled, if you like." She added lightly, a bit more hesitant. She remembered that Shadowpaw had done the same for her moons ago, and it didn't seem to hurt to offer. If they really didn't want to, they could easily refuse. After all, their mentors would likely do the same anyways.​

[I'M BREATHING]​

 

[Beepaw —]

Beepaw herself still hadn't moved her stuff over-- though she didn't have much to move in the first place, it still didn't stop her from gathering her small pile of pebbles and feathers and joining the rest of them inside the apprentice den. She may be enthusiastic and hyper beyond belief around @Honeybadger., but what some didn't realize was that she was actually quite reserved and shy when she was on her own. She stared at the rest of them with their quick words, their sharp ones, even Whitepaw's soft ones, and shifted her ears back a smidge while her ice ringed pupils dilated to epic proportions. How was she supposed to find Honeypaw's nest when everyone was in her way?

Shaking the anxious thoughts from her body with a fullbody shaking, she pushed through the throng of apprentices and scents for her brothers nest, settling in the one right behind it and starting to arrange her items. The feathers she fixed into the bracken boning of her nest, and the pebbles and shiny rocks she placed right in front of and on the edge of her nest. She was pretty sure there was moss right outside of camp, and she made a mental note to go look for some extra before settling down inside of her newly claimed nest.
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walk "talk." thought​

penned by helly​