OH, HOW FAR I'VE COME // first rabbit catch

[MOLEPAW]

TELL ME, HOW DOES A MAN CHANGE THE UNIVERSE?​

Very good. In which case you shall be Molepaw, a fitting name for the way we found you. Were the words of Sootstar when she had graciously accepted him into WindClan. At the time, Molepaw must confess he had joined half out of fear she would've skinned his pelt if he hadn't. Yet now a couple weeks after his joining he felt... comfortable in WindClan. Well- as comfortable as he could feel in a place swarming with felines, many still practically strangers to him.

The fawn and brown tom knew a majority of their names, he could tell you all the high positions, most of his den-mates... half of the warriors? He knew all their faces by now... but memorizing names took a good second for him.

Up until now, Molepaw had always been a loner. From a young age he had left his parents nest and was thrown out onto the world. The chimera was excellent at survival skills, but socializing with other felines? Not so much... many in the clan had already taken Molepaw up to be stand offish and rude, and hey- he had been, but there was a reason. Defensive words always seemed to just... tumble out of his mouth when he was worried. Never did he try to explain himself either, WindClan didn't seem like the kind of place that saw "anxiousness" as a sign of weakness... so being viewed as rude? Much more preferable! Hence, he leaves the assumptions his den-mates have made of him be.

From the gorge bush he clumsily barges into camp, panting could be heard from underneath the rabbit he carried in his jaw. A decent sized catch, this new-leafs kit if he had to throw a guess out there... plenty old enough to be hunted. It was the first rabbit he's managed to catch, suppose Pebblenose's teachings have paid off. He hopes this makes her proud, shows her that he meant it when he had boasted about his hunting skills. Yet the chase had worn him out terribly... lots of work to do on building up his stamina.

"I- I caught it..." He boasts to the first cat who lands eyes on him, giving a very small grin. "With each passing day I become more and more WindClan. It won't be all until I blend right in- I told you guys... I'm a fast learner!" ​

 

[hyacinthbreath]

Hyacinthbreath didn't think that it would be a good idea to train apprentices who couldn't teach themselves how to hunt first. Hunting was an instinct, and everyone had their own technique, but it was dangerous to linger on untempered skills for long. She watches from a distance as Molepaw pushed his way back into camp, a young little rabbit in his jaws. Her mouth waters at the sight, her own inherent hunger for food taking over her tastebuds. Alas, she ends up resisting anyways. Her eyes narrow as he boasts about his rabbit, his first catch- was Coldpaw ever like this, so excited to have done something for himself?

No, he had long wanted to be a Warrior since before she had become his mentor. He'd already set his training in motion by himself, not that she minded. Until he decided to debate with her on her corrections. She was cynical, often judging those around her without first thinking about how they feel. That made her blunt, with a harsh tongue and a lack of sympathy for her words after. Some might say that made her a terrible person.

"Congratulations." A monotoned voice, unimpressed by the catch. Hyacinth turns to look for Pebblenose, eager to see how the mentor would react to her apprentice bringing home his first rabbit. If only Coldpaw would be so proud of himself when he did something right, but all he ever does is take the experience and pick it apart, asking how he can do better.

"Must be nice to be so eager while young." Hyacinthbreath mumbles to herself.​

 

[Dandelionwish]

He remembered his first rabbit catch. No one had seen it, no one was there to witness a moment he still thought of fondly but could never prove was true because by the time he got back to camp it was late and he had left the rabbit on the pile; not a soul witnessed him bring it in. Sometimes he wished he had been mentored to Grackledive then, the older tom would have most assuredly commended him for his efforts and that would have been enough of a boost in his mood to encourage him further. Not that Dandelionpaw needed encouragement most of the time, he was fortunately able to work off his own eagerness and enthusiasm without the need of outside sources; but a compliment now and then would be nice.

Molepaw's almost awestruck and cheerful declaration of his catch was terribly endearing and he wanted nothing more than to start hollering a congratulations so loud everyone back at camp would hear and come running so the other apprentice had a proper audience. But Dandelionpaw didn't want to go sending all the prey running so he and the lead warrior would have to do. With swift steps he moved over to size the hare up, ears flat at first and then pricked upward in delight and he turned to the other earthen-toned tom with a great smile so wide the wheat stem between his teeth twitched from the force of it, "Now that's a rabbit! Reckon it's 'bout as big as one I saw Weaselclaw bring in the other day!" He raised his paws, gestured with exuberance as he spread them apart to indicate just how big that rabbit was with a smidge of exaggeration and perhaps a little too much gutso because he lost balance from sitting on just his hindlegs for so long.
With a laugh Dandelionpaw rolled back upright, his mismatched eyes dart to Hyacinthbreath and he muffles a snort of amusement; she was funny. StarClan themselves could come down and hand her a trout and she'd probably still be just as unimpressed with anything as ever.

​

 

[WEASELCLAW]

Weaselclaw never knew he likes young cats until Sootstar had her litter, until Owlpaw became his student. He's even come to be able to stand stand-offish Coldpaw and overexuberant Dandelionpaw. He finds their untapped potential like an underground spring of water waiting to be freed, and it's both amusing and humbling to watch them grow into their own paws.

The tabby looks up from his washing and can't help but smile at the excitement pouring from Molepaw over his catch. He exclaims that he becomes more and more of a WindClan cat with each passing day. "Nice catch," he meows, nodding curtly to the young tom.

He can't help but laugh at Dandelionpaw's exclamation about Weaselclaw's own catch the other day. He flicks his tail and lifts his chin. "Well... it might've been a little bigger than that." He smirks and throws a look Hyacinthbreath's way. She hadn't seemed impressed by Molepaw's catch, but the silver she-cat isn't really impressed by anything. He muses that she and Coldpaw are a perfect match.
​

PENNED BY MARQUETTE​

 

[MOLEPAW]

TELL ME, HOW DOES A MAN CHANGE THE UNIVERSE?​

Oh. Hyacinthbreath didn't seem impressed... or... did she usually speak so monotone? The tom supposed the lead warrior wasn't the most excitable feline in WindClan, or was she? Was his catch just nothing to holler and hoot about like he thought it had been? He gulps in embarrassment; his paws begin to shuffle against the earth.

At least Dandelionpaw seemed more excited, he gives a brief smile. "Really? I didn't think it was that big but... prey is prey." A verse he had heard several cats in WindClan say when bringing home disappointingly small pieces of prey. Weaselclaw notes that his catch may have been a bit bigger than Molepaw's with a smirk, the young tom isn't offended either. He hadn't been expecting to out hunt the high rankings of his new clan in their own enviorment. They might not have hunted here all their lives, but they still had been here longer than him!

"Pebblenose is a good teacher, so I'm sure I'll learn how to track and hunt the biggest rabbits out there soon enough." He praises and boasts of his mentor all at once, hoping to please the molly if she ever heard of his words, and perhaps present clan-mates. ​

 

[hyacinthbreath]

// ic opinions

Hyacinth listens to Weaselclaw and Dandelionpaw's compliments towards Molepaw's first rabbit catch, and she has to hold back the tiny smile that threatens to grace her lips. Instead, she turns her gaze away and focuses on a nearby lizard scurrying across the ground. It's not until Molepaw mentions Pebblenose being a good teacher that a snort leaves her. She could agree, but Hyacinth didn't like to admit someone like Pebble, a cat who annoys her greatly because of her princess-like attitude, was good at anything but talking back.

Standing finally, Hyacinthbreath rolls the idea she had just thought of around her head, before she glances at Weaselclaw.

"How does a competition sound?" She asks inquisitively, tail flicking behind her. She looks at Dandelionpaw, then at Molepaw. There's an excited sparkle in her eyes as she asks her question, happy to have something fun go down. "Whoever's apprentice catches the biggest prey is the winner." She adds on, turning to the apprentices present. "What do you think, kiddos?"​