pafp the future is a foreign land — apprentice thoughts

[FOXTAIL]

It feels like forever, but the blazing sun finally begins to set upon RiverClan's camp. It's been a long, hot, day— moments that were not spent patrolling, training apprentices, or hunting were spent underneath the shade & in the river. He and his apprentice had quite the busy day, and he knows whatever fish Pebblepaw picks off the prey pile will taste fantastic... refreshing. With a silent nod of his head, he parts ways with his apprentice, but the lead warrior doesn't grab a fish... as for his gaze fell upon Foxkit. Robinheart's oldest is crouched to the ground, and his eyes seem to be locked onto a target ahead.... an unsuspecting butterfly.

He watches with curiosity as the kit wobbles forward. Foxkit has always walked a little funny, hasn't he? The kit is practically a natural with walking, and running, around camp— the way he gets around is all he's ever known. And the lead warrior feels glad— seeing the kit attempt to stalk his "prey". Learning how to hunt and fight will probably be more difficult for Foxkit, but he has confidence that Foxkit will be up for the challenge. The kit pounces, but the butterfly senses Foxkit— it flutters away just in time. "Ooh, you w-were pretty close to catching it!" Foxtail mews with a flick of an ear as he pads over to the kit— look how much he's grown! The nursery must be feeling a little tight nowadays, and the older tom senses an apprentice ceremony being in Foxkit's future.

"You must be q-quite excited for your apprenticeship," He comments with a light smile, and the fuzzy tom sits down. His apprenticeship is practically around the corner.... he must be quite excited to leave the nursery. "Any thoughts on who your m-mentor will be?" Lichenstar must have some cats already in mind, but he feels curious whom Foxkit thinks.
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𝐨𝐨𝐜 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

• please wait for @Foxkit to post!
  
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  credit to raphaelion (via da) for the artwork <3
  
• Foxtail

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  lead warrior
  23 moons
  warmhearted
  timid
  experience: trained
  backstory: [HYPERLINK]
  biography: [HYPERLINK]
  credit to trops for the chibi <3
  

  cisgender male [he / him]
  eyes: green
  pelt: cinnamon/chocolate
  fur length: long
  parents: dawnflower and redfur (riverclan npcs)
  

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[Foxpaw!]

Foxkit crouched, forepaws spread wide apart as he crept towards the butterfly. A part of him yearned to leap for it, catching it in his forepaws and bringing it down as if it were prey, but part of him just wanted to examine the fluttering creature. To see how it's orange and black wings fit against its slim, dark body, to watch how they moved as it fluttered off into the air. To know why, how, an insect gained flight when a cat could only hope to leap a few lengths upward before falling back down.

He leaped them, but the bug flitted quickly out of his grasp, and Foxkit clumsily steadied himself as he landed on empty air. He gave a dissatisfied huff and then tilted his head back to watch the creature flutter away.

He jumped slightly as Foxtail approached, having been so fascinated by the fleeing insect that he hadn't heard the other cat approach. He shuffled his forepaws anxiously as the older cat spoke. My apprenticeship, he thought. The thought of leaving Robinheart and his siblings in the nursery made him nervous, adding to his worries about training. Lately all his mother's words had come flooding back to him: how he was too small, too slow, always falling. Lichenstar might never make him a warrior!

"I guess..." he said softly. Truthfully, he hadn't thought much about a possible mentor. No cat in RiverClan seemed to have the same difficulties he did, and he wondered if he'd ever successfully hunt and fight the way other RiverClanners did. "I guess I hadn't really thought about it much. I guess I kind of hoped I could be your apprentice. But you already have Pebblepaw."

 

[eveningpaw]

It is Foxkit's antics that catch Eveningpaw's attention before the returning Foxtail does with his apprentice. The little tom has been a peculiar one for her; to imagine him desperately waiting for his mother to fulfill her promise of coming back for him... only to never return, luck being the only thing that saved him from certain death. What would have happened if that patrol had been late? Or gotten diverted along the way? It's difficult to think of Robinheart without imagining that tortoiseshell pelt by her belly; or to think of loud Rivuletkit, creepy Algaekit and grumpy Redkit without the ever-curious Foxkit alongside them.

Foxkit all but jumps when Foxtail approaches, and Eveningpaw feels a twist of guilt — did she also sneak up on him without intending to? Evidently, the butterfly had been his only focus.

She is here now, though. There is a lack of enthusiasm that stops her from joining in with some praise, but she does pay attention to the rest, namely the impending apprenticehood. "You never know... Gladefrost has two apprentices, so maybe Foxtail will too." She reconsiders then; her attempts at comfort might backfire and leave Foxkit with unfulfilled expectations. "Or, uh... would you not want anyone else to train you? Only Foxtail?"
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[BLACKPAW]

Diable doesn't tend to stay within the nursery at a long period of time, often overwhelmed by the consistent sounds from her young clanmates while the space feels a bit too small for her comfort. She intends leaving before her focus finds a lovely butterfly, soon being stalked by someone at her age. While Diable watches at the den's entrance, she silently notes his gait, curious about the uncommon trait he have. It reminds Diable of her adoptive father who misses a front limb. Despite the hardships that would come from this fact, he had only ever fought across the rest of his life infinite times harder.

Diable believed in her adoptive father, just as she could in Foxkit.

Although her clanmate fails to catch the insect, Diable still hopes Foxkit will succeed one kinder day, especially upon the moons of training. Diable decides to approach closer to the forming crowd around Foxkit so she can praise him out of respect. There are some names she heard that are unrecognizable; herself still being stark new to RiverClan with its own history and members. She wonders how different the Clans guide their younger generations in comparison to her adoptive father's training with her. Less brutal for certain. Excitement shines in Diable for Foxkit and others who will be an apprentice—

Herself.

"Nice try on the catch," Diable gently offers with a small smile to Foxkit, sitting by him. She isn't well familiar with anyone in RiverClan to share her thoughts on who could possibly train Foxkit, though, her curiosity about what kind of a mentor he will get grows nevertheless. "Well, whoever's going to mentor you, I'm sure you'll turn out to be a great apprentice anyway!" Diable can imagine the anxiety that most kits would hold around their upcoming apprenticeships, so she hopes that her words of comfort can bring some ease to Foxkit. She believes in him.
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