THEY ALL FALL DOWN || training

[Nettlepaw-]

NETTLEPAW ♂
RIVERCLAN
APPRENTICE
THREE MOONS
BLIND IN BOTH EYES
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
APPRENTICED TO PIKESPLASH
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH​

---

It's a crisp morning, and he can hear the wind rattling the trees overhead. For now, though, Nettlepaw's focus is elsewhere. His sightless eyes stare down another apprentice as the two circle the Beech Copse, seeking some sort of opening from the other. Nettlepaw was already losing this fight. His sparring partner had the benefit of, well, not being blind. Nettlepaw could track the other by scent, but he can't avoid the other's attacks. How could he dodge what he couldn't see?

He's tired and sore and grumpy, but eventually, Nettlepaw does attack again. He lunges at the other apprentice, aiming to bowl them over. The other is able to avoid the attack though, and Nettlepaw goes flying past and into the surrounding undergrowth. As he tries to stumble hastilly to a stop, he falls, rolls, and strikes the trunk of a beech tree with a groan. A shower of vibrant hued leaves scatter across his fur from the impact, and for a moment, Nettlepaw just lays there in defeat. I hate this, the boy decides bitterly.

(feel free to have your character be the other apprentice. also, mentor tag - @PIKESPLASH )
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[PIKESPLASH]

It is difficult to watch this. Watching as his apprentice is made to look like a fool during a spar, but they needed to practice this. While Pikesplash himself was not the best fighter, he didn't want Nettlepaw to be completely voided of it. Doing so would be the biggest disservice for the young tom. Nevertheless he feels shitty for not stopping Nettlepaw. It is clear that the tom is frustrated and who wouldn't be? But he can also see how determined Nettlepaw is despite it all. From what he's seen Nettlepaw is able to see his opponents, just not in the traditional sense. He's noted the young tom can sense where he is more or less, but it's not at accurate all the times. An idea comes to mind for Nettlepaw, one that the apprentice might dread. He hates being different. How should I bring it up?

Pikesplash is snapped out of his thoughts when he sees the light colored tom strikes the trunk of the tree. Green eyes are laced with worry. "Sorry, we're going to have to take a break." Whether or not the other apprentice complains is not his concern as he pads over to Nettlepaw. A silvery paw prods the still body, and when there's slight movement exhales in relief. He doesn't look too bad. U-uhm nothing's broken at least... That's something. "You did good Nettlepaw. Want to take a break for a little bit and try an idea? With me?" Perhaps, his wording makes it seem like pity. It's not, but Nettlepaw can't see the expression he bears when saying such things. His worst nightmare would be for another mentor to pop up and feel sorry for him or even worse say that Nettlepaw isn't trying hard enough.

 

[BUMBLENOSE]

At first, the idea of practicing was an incredibly exciting prospect for Bumblepaw. Both her sister and Nettlepaw had done it before as kits. She figured it would be foolish not to take up the chance. A time the youth had been looking forward to since the ceremony. She wasn't gonna fudge it or treat Nettlepaw any differently than she always had. Puffing up with gusto, she eagerly rounded the clearing.

Putting on a stony game face as they went. Dodging and weaving as her denmate did his best to grapple her. However, as the circumstance escalated, she felt like a cruel villain. Yellow eyes faltered as she carefully side-stepped the most recent attempt.

With each move she understood her sister's joy for it less and less. It didn't feel right to keep going, but she felt worse at the prospect of stopping. What if it makes him angry? What if I mess up and hurt him? Thoughts began to swirl in her mind as she turned to face his slumped form.

Hearing the familiar thud and snarls of frustration made her pelt prickle with remorse. Maybe I should stop this it's getting out o- Once more the larger apprentice swung and missed. Falling flat and sitting in a whirlwind of leaf litter. Causing her to jump back a step or two. Sure, the pale tom often missed his mark, but he came at her with such ferocity it was frankly terrifying.

Decidedly, Bumblepaw hated training or fighting in general. Usually, she would just wrestle with her siblings or hang out with Nettlepaw. She wasn't the best cat to cheer others on, and the molly felt a cold responsibility lay across her in that moment. Already steeling herself for another round, the reprieve of approaching paws cut the training to a close. Thank Starclan! Guilt and surprise lit up her face as the warrior came into focus. Shyly, the she-cat stepped to the side as the older cat rushed to his apprentice's side.

Her tail hung low and her ears flattened as Pikesplash made quick intervention. Quietly, she nodded without a fuss, feeling the urge to cry burn in her chest. I should've been a better friend. Solemnly, the ebony she-cat left the scene behind, ignoring any protests or confused glances as she went.


// In and Out!

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[DEACON]

He remembered Nettlepaw, the little mousedung who had taken off with their lunch a moon or so ago, it had taken a few too many cats and a few too many to stop him from clawing the apprentice's ears, but he had not forgiven the insult placed upon him by the brat. It had been pure luck that Thornmask had been close to the Beech Corpse, training had been absent from the bruiser's mind but there were few other places in the territory to navigate the trees. They had been on a low branch, scrambling to reach the next one, when the sounds of training had directed their copper eyes downwards towards Nettlepaw, Pikesplash and Bumblepaw. Immediately he'd stopped what they were doing to watch someone else beat up the thief for them. It felt as if it were over in a flash, with the young apprentice defeated so soundly that Thornmask couldn't help but laugh from the high ground. "Wow... you are absolutely terrible!" They called down, their mocking chortles like sharp spikes. There were many reasons for Nettlepaw's mediocrity in battle, but none of them mattered to the tabby - all they saw was an opportunity for revenge, affiliation be damned "You gonna stick to sparring with dead birds now or what?"



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[iciclefang]

“And I’m sure you were a fighting prodigy at three moons yourself,” Iciclefang retorts, her voice dry as sand, as she winds her body around the trunk of the tree Thornmask taunts from. She just barely misses Bumblepaw, who stumbles away, tears glowing softly in her eyes. The tortoiseshell watches her go, mystified. Had she been injured? She doubts it—it’s Nettlepaw who’d stumbled into the undergrowth, unseeing and scattering the leaves with his body’s impact.

She flicks her tail to indicate @CICADAPAW should approach. To Pikesplash, she nods a small greeting. “Perhaps you’d like to practice some battle moves with us, Pikesplash? You can modify them for Nettlepaw.” She stretches, feeling the burn in muscles still sore from her trek across the mountains, and comes to stand beside the silver tabby warrior. “Perhaps we should start with the basics. Can someone tell us what the most important thing is in battle?” She flicks her pale gaze from Cicadapaw to Pikesplash’s apprentice.

, ”​

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[lichenstar]

⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆

---

StarClan had sent Thornmask as a test of her will.. her patience... her kindness... her tolerance for outsiders. Lichentail couldn't help but give a grimacing smile at his scathing review of Nettlepaw's training. To her relief, Iciclefang is here with Cicadapaw and her quick retort is plenty a scolding for the inconsiderate snipe but she could not resist joining in, "By all means Thornmask, feel free to spar one of your peers with your eyes closed and show us how you might better be able to train Nettlepaw." At best, this idiot would rise to the challenge and fail miserably... but the more likely scenario is that he would bow out like a hypocrite.

But the tortie is already moving to try to save Pikesplash from his lack of direction... From his anxious nature to assume his apprentice had less energy and fight in him than was apparent. She supervises with careful eyes, unable to ignore how well Smokethroat had trained her if this was how she already approached her first chance at teaching. She hoped Dipperpaw and Brookpaw found her to be competent like Iciclefang then.. rather than the nervous wreck Pikesplash was (she adored his gentle heart but it would not help his apprentice to grow).​

 

[CICADAFLIGHT]

the sight of cicadapaw trailing after his tortoiseshell mentor is a frequent sight since her return. iciclefang is strict and serious, a far cry from anxious pikesplash counseling his apprentice. cicadapaw struggles to find ways to sneak away and get his own time as he had in the foggy sunrises following his father's death, and he can feel the effects pulsing in his temples and straining against his ribs. his headache flares as he loops his lanky body about the tree-trunk with significantly less grace than iciclefang, but he pushes through the ache at the base of his jaw and pads forward at iciclefang's signal.

"um...." the apprentice begins, feeling the ice-cold pressure of iciclefang's question. their relationship as mentor and apprentice is one that brings him a squirming discomfort; iciclefang is sleek, talented, and confident—everything her unsightly apprentice fails to be. cicadapaw wants to succeed. he wants to impress his mentor. for some reason he just can't seem to quite figure out how to do that, at least not yet, and he glances at nettlepaw. "uh, don't—don't die?"

cicadapaw cringes. the remark leaps out, half a genuine answer and half a product of exhaustion. by the time he's a warrior, iciclefang's going to have cuffed his ears into a normal size, he thinks sourly as he shifts on uncertain paws. lichentail joins his mentor in scolding thornmask for his smart remarks, and the presence of the lead warrior does little to reduce the overwhelming feeling of pressure.

appearing unsightly ✦ ( with devils inside me )

• 

• 

  cicadapaw ; apprentice of riverclan
  x. he/him ; 5 moons ; tags
  x. unsightly black-and-white tom with heterochromatic amber and blue eyes
  x. played by dejavu
  x. son of smokethroat and cicadastar ; brother to beepaw and starlightpaw. apprenticed to iciclefang.

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[PIKESPLASH]

The tom vaguely notes Bumblepaw's hasty retreat, maybe I should talk to her later. Bumblepaw is a nice apprentice and while yes she may have made Nettlepaw look like a fool, she didn't do so on purpose. It wasn't as if she was taunting the blind apprentice. He is at least grateful that she sparred with him, despite how troubling it must have felt. On the other hand, his face scrunches with fury at Thornmask's words. You should keep your mouth shut. This isn't any of your business. Before he can say some choice words to the tom, Iciclefang comes to his apprentices defense and rightfully tells Thornmask off with some grace. Not only Iciclefang, but Lichentail decides to chime in to tell Thornmask to shut the fuck up in a more condescending way which he fills him with happiness. Because the two have said enough and quite frankly he is more concerned for his apprentice, he sees no reason to give Thornmask any more room in his thoughts. Begone jerk!

Cicadapaw is not someone he is in good standing with considering he reprimanded the apprentice when they were a kit. His father's words still stung to this day. Iciclefang's suggestion gives direction, but not one he was thinking about. Still, it wouldn't hurt to practice some battle moves for the apprentices. Maybe not saying anything has merit. If I want to teach Nettlepaw, we're going to have to use every trick possible. Until something works. "Mhm! Personally I'm not great at fighting, but if I don't train how will I be doing Nettlepaw any good? Sure, let's practice Iciclefang." It wasn't a secret that he was a weak fighter and the only cats he had sparred with were Cindershade and Petalnose. Petalnose was surprised by his underhanded tactics, but if it worked, then might as well use them.

Pikesplash has no qualms about Iciclefang leading training and asking the pair a question. Although... I don't think there's a right answer though. It depends on the cat and what they think is important... This is a tough one. Despite being a warrior himself, he does feel some anxiousness towards the question asked. His frame trembling. When Cicadapaw answers he can't but say, "He's not wrong." Certainly not the best answer to give but he has an inkling it's not what Iciclefang wants to hear. Even though no one went to battle with the notion of dying. Actually, he was a hypocrite, scratch the previous statement.

Then he turns to Iciclefang and tilts his head, "Isn't the most important thing different for every cat?" One thing comes to mind and it may be the answer that Iciclefang is looking for. Tactics. Although tactics is complicated and many answers could fit in that category. If you were to ask him what was the most important thing in battle he would answer knowing your faults.

 

[Nettlepaw-]

NETTLEPAW ♂
RIVERCLAN
APPRENTICE
THREE MOONS
BLIND IN BOTH EYES
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
APPRENTICED TO PIKESPLASH
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH​

---

He rolls to his paws, shaking leaves from his fur with a groan before blind eyes find the figure of his mentor close by. In a way, it was touching that Pikesplash cared so much, but Nettlepaw didn't need to be coddled. "I didn't do good at all." He points out bitterly. "You're just trying to make me feel better." With a sigh, he stumbles out of the undergrowth and back into the clearing, scenting for his opponent. "Bumblepaw?" He calls, seeking to go for another round. He wasn't going to give up so easily, determined as he was. But Bumblepaw doesn't reply, she's left, unbeknownst to him. The words of Thornmask cause the child to bristle and bare his teeth with annoyance.

"Why don't you say that to my face!" He calls up to the Warrior with a challenging snarl. He's surprised when Iciclefang and Lichentail seem to show some support toward the apprentice with their dry rebukes. Ears flatten against his head as Nettlepaw sits with a pout, listening to the conversation evolve around him. Cicadapaw would be joining the training in Bumblepaw's absence, though the other apprentice seems unsure how to answer his mentor's question at first. Nettlepaw nods in agreement, because not dying sounded more important than anything else could be. But another thought dances through Nettlepaw's mind, and his tail flicks through the air as he considers it, rising back to his paws.

He slinks carefully around the cats present, as if he were pacing, winding around Pikesplash, Iciclefang, Lichentail, and finally, Cicadapaw. He's sniffing out their positions, investigating in every way he can, other than by sight. The apprentice finally pauses behind Cicadapaw, where he briefly crouches, and then leaps! The young apprentice aims to crash into Cicadapaw, claws sheathed, hoping to send them both to the ground and grapple him there. Winning is more important than not dying, he decides to himself. Even if that means attacking when your opponent least expects it! Maybe he'd miss, maybe he'd get in trouble, maybe fall flat on his face again. Nettlepaw doesn't know, but he wants to try.
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[iciclefang]

Lichentail’s voice draws Iciclefang’s attention away from Cicadapaw and Nettlepaw for a moment—their retort to Thornmask is barbed as claws. The tortoiseshell’s nose wrinkles with amusement, and she acknowledges her superior’s presence with a small, slight dip of her head. It wasn’t unusual for the deputy or a lead warrior to sit in on a training session, even an impromptu one such as this. When she turns back to the small group, her attention zeroes in on Cicadapaw, ice-blue eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

“Don’t die,” her sullen apprentice responds. Iciclefang shrugs, giving PIkesplash a dry smile. “That’s right. Surviving the battle is the most important thing, but there were lots of right answers.” She says this for her fellow warrior’s benefit, too, seeing the question in his gaze. “Maybe we can show them—”

She’s interrupted by a blur of tawny fur. Nettlepaw springs himself toward Cicadapaw, aiming to tackle him and pin him to the ground. Iciclefang smiles. “Your apprentice is eager, Pikesplash. I like that. Cicadapaw, show me how you’d get out of this if this were a real battle.” She curls her tail around her paws, pale eyes fastened on the pair wrestling on the ground.

, ”​

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[CICADAFLIGHT]

Cicadapaw bothers to hide his distaste for Pikesplash, at least in front of his mentor, lest he earn another cuff around his overlarge ears. Pikesplash is a sad sort of creature—anxious and irritating and telling him to control himself. He's more like a kitten than I am. Without his father here, an absence that aches like a bruise, there's nobody left to come to his defense in the face of Pikesplash's weakling remarks and pointless attitudes. It's with chagrin that he notes Pikesplash's agreement to his mentor's offer, heaving a quiet sigh as he imagines facing off against Nettlepaw's careening self with the other mentor's soft-pawed coaching to boot.

"I need to practice my sparring anyways," Cicadapaw mews shortly, disinterested in acknowledging Pikesplash's input. Though he supposed the warrior's singular benefit had been as an early warning, a portent of the fact that everyone would hate him anyways. He should have stopped bothering then. Lost in malcontented thought, he doesn't pay mind to the quiet footfalls of the slinking apprentice, and Nettlepaw's younger shape slamming into him is an unwelcome surprise.

"Foxdung!" He spits the curse out between gnashing fangs, beginning an amateurish grappling with Nettlepaw. It lacks the vitriol of a real battle, something he hopes these spars will begin to acquire—the taste of that power is what drove his claws in his only real fight, after all. Spite animates his limbs as Iciclefang prods him with her usual questions, sitting high and mighty with her tail curled neatly about her paws. Nettlepaw is blind, he reminds himself in the flurry of thought coursing through his mind.

With a perhaps unbecoming savagery, Cicadapaw aims to ram his oversized head into Nettlepaw's lower jaw where he pins him, snarling. If successful, he'll wriggle free—an irritating task on gangly limbs—and straighten up with fangs bared. Pacing a half-circle, he'll charge towards Nettlepaw, trying to use his size to knock the younger tom off-balance.

appearing unsightly ✦ ( with devils inside me )

• 

• 

  cicadapaw ; apprentice of riverclan
  x. he/him ; 5 moons ; tags
  x. unsightly black-and-white tom with heterochromatic amber and blue eyes
  x. played by dejavu
  x. son of smokestar and cicadastar ; brother to beepaw and starlightpaw. apprenticed to iciclefang.

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[Nettlepaw-]

NETTLEPAW ♂
RIVERCLAN
APPRENTICE
THREE MOONS
BLIND IN BOTH EYES
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
APPRENTICED TO PIKESPLASH
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH​

---

He actually connects. Paws meet fur and body meets ground. Iciclefang seems to encourage the unanticipated attack, which spurs Nettlepaw onward with a newly found confidence. The curse spat from snapping fangs fills the apprentice's ears as his eyes glow with determination. Together, the pair grapple, a tangled fury of paws. A stinging flash of agony as Cicadapaw's head crashes against Nettlepaw's chin. The boy lets out a pained gasp, rolling back to his paws as his opponent wiggles free. There's no time to consider his pain, however. No time to consider failure. The two large apprentices clash again as Cicadapaw lunges, right back into the paws of the blind apprentice.

Yes! He shouts to himself in a rush of adrenaline, I don't need to see you if I'm grappling with you, he realizes to himself with a triumphant shine to his bright aqua hued eyes. As Cicadapaw slams into Nettlepaw, the boy staggers back but practically wraps his front paws around the other's head as they meet, clinging on as he twists his large body, hoping to send them both back to the ground, wrestling once more. His back paws kick into a fury, aiming to batter Cicadapaw with those powerful hind-limbs, claws still sheathed for now. At the same time, he attempts to nip at where he thinks his opponent's ear might be.
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