pafp RELATIVELY GOOD — weaving

[VIPERSTRIKE]

There are many things that the other clans do better than ThunderClan. WindClan has their tunnel diggin’, SkyClan has their tree climbin’, and RiverClan has their weavin’. But Viperstrike’s been around for many years—exactly how many, he ain’t sure, but he’s had a long life. At first, weaving had been difficult and he’d found it pointless, but aging has driven him to practice new skills. Especially when those skills can make him a much more comfortable nest to rest his weary bones upon. His handiwork ain’t the greatest anymore, what with the stiffness of his joints and such. But passin’ on the craft to the younger generations is a part of his responsibility as an old man.

This responsibility has lead the mostly white tom to take up a bit of teachin’ today. Wolfpaw seems a sweet girl, even if she’s still a stubborn young’un. Her company ain’t the worst in the clan, anyway. "Ya just… slip the end of it under the other’n," he explains, demonstrating what he means with careful yet clumsy paws. "An’ don’t worry if it’s a bit cattywampus, now. When it comes down to it, the only thing that matters is if it works." Viperstrike goes silent for a few moments, focused on his work once again.

When a full section of his piece is finished, pieces of grass and moss and other material pulled taut and certainly comfortable enough to sleep on, the elder finally speaks once more. "How d’ya think you’re doin’?" He lifts his head from where he’s focusing on his own weaving to look over at the apprentice. A warm expression settles on his face; he’s proud no matter what it looks like.

// pls wait for @WOLFPAW!
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[ IT’S GONNA BURN DOWN ]​

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[WOLFWIND]

She's trying. to follow along, she really super is, but she just CAN'T. And she doesn't know why, because Viperstrike's paws were WAY BIGGER THAN HERS?? HE should be the one having trouble, the one struggling, the one who can't get the STUPID PLANTS TO STAY IN THEIR DAMN PLACE!! But no, the world has it's cruel tricks. Is this that experience thing Howling Wind talked about? Has he spent the entirety of his a-thousand-moon old life learning how to we've, so even with his fat paws he could do it easy-peasy?! Wolfpaw bellows a sigh, when yet again, the material falls apart. It's just grass and stuff, not a beautiful nest or wall or art, IT'S GRASS!! IT WILL ALWAYS BE GRASS AT HER PAWS... "HORRIBLEEE!" she whines, smacking the material away in her frustration.

...Only to stand up with a pout on her face as she trudges to recollect it. This was silly, silly and dumb. But it couldn't be THAT dumb because Viperstrike was doing it, but like...AUGH. "Were you this bad when you first started??" she asks, brows creased and lips curved in a mega-frown. Once again, she settles on the ground. She stares MENACINGLY at the material. ...Before huffing and hunching over to give it another dumb try.​

 

[Fireflyglow]

WE'VE BEEN DOIN' ALL THIS LATE NIGHT TALKIN' ✧​

"What'cha doin', gramps?" Fireflykit calls out to the elderly tom, tail twitching behind him in excitement as he walks over to join Wolfpaw and the tom he had lately begun to follow around like a little shadow. Part of him wished he could be mentored by the tom, but he knew he was much too old. Perhaps he could teach Fireflykit some things in his own private time? Wolfpaw's complaints about her weaving falling apart making his ears perk up curiously. Half-lidded, sensitive little eyes watched the loud apprentice whine, and he slowly makes his way over to try his own hand at weaving.

"So you're just.. weaving in between each one?" He asks for clarification, eyes squeezed more narrow in focus- tongue hanging from his jaws as he works to try to copy the tom's work. He watches Wolfpaw for a moment, before he unsheathes his claws to use them to properly tuck each strand of grass- along with flower petals from a flower he had been gifted by another kit in the nursery, clumsily tucking each and every piece together. It looked really messy, but it certainly held together. A small nest for a small kit, after all.

"I added some flowers for the scent- it looks pretty, doesn't it?" He giggles softly, showing off his work to the elder before sticking his tongue out at Wolfpaw. Showed you, loud-mouth. He thought to himself smugly.​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

It's always a pleasure to see the youth of the clan spending time with the elders (if Wolfpaw can even be considered youth anymore). Howling Wind approaches on silent paws, smile on her muzzle. She offers Viperstrike a respectful nod before looking towards her grandchildren. "Learning to weave nests?" She trills, gaze sweeping over the messes of grass and flowers and tendrils. Fireflykit seems awfully proud of his and she brushes her tail against his shoulder approvingly. "It smells lovely - I'm sure your mother would appreciate that in the nursery." The tabby then moves to swipe a tongue over Wolfpaw's ears before her attention trains towards the elder, interested in hearing his answer to her granddaughter's question.​

 

[sloestride]

THIS WEIGHT ON MY NECK MAKES IT HARD TO CONNECT​

"Why-" are you so rude? Sloepaw wanted to ask, squint amber eyes looking over Wolfpaw as she shoved her grass aside. He felt equally frustrated at the wisp-stitch below his paws, tied with awkward knots and slant patterning but the tom wasn't about to make a show of it. It was a little funny though, reflected in the curve of his maw.

Unwinding his spine to reveal the mess at his feet, uncertain tilt to his head, the apprentice looked back to Viperstrike. "It's pretty cattywumpus" Sloepaw confirmed softly, blinking at the oak patch elder. As Fireflykit unveiled his innovative flower add-ins, he tried to shuffle in a way that would hide his weaving from his mentor. He'd rather she remained proud of her grandson than see his attempt. Yet another clan skill he'd have master from his place as an ex-kittypet.
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[VIPERSTRIKE]

Wolfpaw’s exclamation is unsurprising, knowin’ her. She doesn’t seem to be upset with him, but the old tom still feels a bit scolded. He is no stranger to the theatrics of the youth; in all his time, Viperstrike has witnessed a kit’s temper tantrum of two. But this is different. This is frustration born of struggle. Wolfpaw can’t seem to get the weaving right, and the old tom can understand her annoyance—is okay with it, as well. He’s the one who suggested she use her time to do some arts ‘n’ crafts, anyhow.

The apprentice asks whether he’d been as bad as her when he’d first begun weaving, and he chuckles heartily at the implication that he’s even decent at it. "I ain’t ever been good with my paws," he says, brushin’ it off with a flick of a black-tipped ear. "When I was ‘bout your age, my Ma tried teachin’ me this typa stuff. I was real awful, but she made me keep at it." He watches her return to her work, tries to take note of just where she’s goin’ wrong. If it’s something she can correct, then they can solve the problem quick.

Fireflykit, his lil’ shadow, calls him gramps, and ain’t that funny? He ain’t got any kids or grandkids to speak of, but here’s this kiddo callin’ him gramps. A laugh rumbles at his chest at the thought. Him, a man named Viperstrike, playin’ grandpa to a bunch’a youngsters—ain’t that a thought? "Yeah, ya just gotta intertwine every thin’. Yours is lookin’ mighty fine."

Before he’s got the chance to reply to the flower question, the clan’s deputy makes her way over. It’s sweet, the way she encourages her kin, and Viperstrike worries he’s gone soft. But he remembers his own Grandmama, and she was just as bright a light in his life as Howling Wind clearly is in Wolfpaw and Fireflykit’s. "Yeah, it’s real nice, lil’ one." He shoots the dark-striped deputy a smile, his expression laden with something caught between exasperation and fondness at their younger clanmates.

Sloepaw seems stumped, callin’ his weaving cattywampus, and while Viperstrike might agree, he’s not ‘bout to tell the kid that. "It looks just fine, boy. You ain’t gotta be great at it on your first try." Supportive and encouraging are two things that Viperstrike is decidedly not, because he’s never had to be. Used to, he was a great fighter and a horrible clanmate, and he’s doin’ his best to change that in his old age. After all, nobody likes a bitchy old man who can’t hardly defend himself for the creaks and protests of his bones. "Nobody’s gon’ care what their nest looks like, as long as it’s comfortable," he adds.

The brown tabby’s attention returns to Wolfpaw, a smile slipping easily across his grizzled maw. "Now, Wolfpaw, why don’cha stop tryin’ to explode that with your mind," he suggests, "and try to keep calm. Everything’s easier when you’re thinkin’ clearly." Not that her mind-blowin’-up ain’t justified, but at this point she’s gonna give herself wrinkles.
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[ IT’S GONNA BURN DOWN ]​

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[WOLFWIND]

Her cousin shows up, and while usually, she'd be all for that. She is NOT all for that when she is looking BAD at something and apparently he showed up JUST TO BE A PRICK AND TRY AND UPSTAGE HER. Kits are weird sometimes. She nearly excuses it for that, but they STICK THEIR TONGUE OUT AT HER AND IT IS SO INTENTIONAL. She's gonna kick his ass. (...When he's older.) "Ya," she forces herself to agree with him. It's practically punched out of her throat, but, whatever.

Even better, the deputy (WHO IS ALSO HER GRANDMA) comes over to see her FAIL, and she compliments FIREFLYKIT. Wolfpaw grits her teeth. Surely it's because he's a little baby, and little babies need all the ego boostings for absolutely nothing that they could possibly get, right? She appreciates the show of affection (and takes that moment to shoot a look in Sloepaw's direction in response to his half-baked comment) though a pout forms fresh on her face the moment Howling Wind is gone. "Why can't his mother appreciate mine?" she huffs under her breath. (As if there'd be anything for her to appreciate) Shut the HELL up BRAIN!!!

Sloepaw's was a marginal improvement from her own, but she's more focused on whatever the hell he'd just said. "HAHA! CATTYWUMPUS!!" THAT'S THE FUNNIEST SHIT SHE'S EVER HEARD. "WHO'S GETTIN' WUMPUS'D?? S'IT YOU? This guy's gettin' WUMPUSED!" she chirps to Viperstrike, and she's stopped in her tracks when he tells her to stop doing what she's been doing this entire time??? "Wuh-! How'd you know?" she asks with a pout. Definitively, she bashes the nesting material on its head... uh, wherever it's hypothetical head would be. "I'm gunna wumpus this shit..."​