those little things [open +intro]

[Brighteyes]

"I'LL BE RIGHT BESIDE YOU"​

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Brighteyes was far from the most talented warrior in camp.

He wasn't very big or strong, and he had a habit of getting nervous when he knew there were judgmental eyes on him- but he always did his best! His hunting and sparring wasn't bad so long as he was focused and didn't let his clumsiness get in the way, but there was no doubt the he was still among the more inexperienced warriors despite his age. A part of this could be attributed to the fact that he was constantly getting himself hurt- first with the dogs at sunningrocks, then the boars that had come into the territory, then sick during the yellowcough outbreak, and then again with the wolves. Luckily that most recent injury had been very minor and not from the wolves themselves- he'd simply caught scent of them, panicked, and then tripped over a tree root during his 'escape', resulting in a sore shoulder that had seen him out of commission for a week.

But! He was finally cleared for work again and was eager to get back out there! The wolves were gone and things were relatively peaceful in their wake, and more than anything the freckled tomcat wanted to get back to his training. After all, he couldn't hope to keep the clan safe if he didn't constantly strive to be better, and he knew he certainly had room for improvement. He just had to stop getting himself hurt all the time..

"Um, g-good morning everyone! I'm finally cleared for work if anyone wants to go hunting." he called out, putting on his best smile and hoping the shakiness in his voice went overlooked. It was still intimidating sometimes living among all these cats, despite having been there for over a year now, but how else was he supposed to feel when he was surrounded by so many great role models? It was hard being surrounded by cats you looked up to and admired, especially when you felt entirely lacing in comparison.

Still, that was his dream- to become one of the great leaders of Thunderclan, and a protector of the oak forest!

OOC-- well., here he is- have at 'em! He's an ex-kittypet who joined when he was around 8 months old and has spent a LOT of time inside the medicine cats den for being clumsy or recklessly trying to protect someone else. Because of this, he's probably seen as a bit of a lost cause or one of the 'weaker links' in Thunderclan, and has only proven to be average-below average with typical warrior skills. Feel free to bully his ass if you have a character that would do so :D
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[FALCONHEART]

𓍊𓋼 The dark cloud that’s lingered around the cream tabby shows no sign of dissipating anytime soon. He spends his days hunting and patrolling and looking after his siblings—and not much else. Life has become a series of routine actions, one day after another, and he can feel himself sinking, somehow, despite having all four paws still settled firmly on dry land. But just as he’s about to sigh and rise for another day of doing little of importance, a voice interrupts his sleepy morning routine. Brighteyes is a sweet tom, almost as shaky as Falconheart himself, but much more reckless. Falconheart likes him, and so he trudges over to the gray-furred tom and offers a tired nod.

"I’ll come with you." His words are stated flatly, without hesitation or question. Gone is the Falconheart of the past, he thinks—gone is the boy who could no sooner stand up for himself than he could sprout wings and fly like his namesake. He… he can’t keep being an uncertain apprentice, weak and pitiful. Flycatcher wouldn’t want that for him, would want him to take up his father’s mantle. And in order to do that, he has to make changes. This is merely the first of them—and it’s still kind of pathetic, isn’t it, having to force himself to spit out words in a line without pause, forcing himself to act like he belongs? He sighs; at least Brighteyes is one of the nicest cats in the clan, and isn’t likely to scorn him for being assertive.​

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[ADDERSNAP]

Adderpaw himself wouldn't exactly call himself the best apprentice, so it seemed he and Brighteyes were similar in that regard. Being reassigned to a mentor a couple months into his apprenticeship was humiliating enough -- but not having caught his first bird nearing the mid stages of his training? It was probably the most horrific thing for him out of all his current failures, and yet he couldn't shake his appreciation for their beauty and song. Every time he'd be planted low to the ground, paws light as could be yet rooted still in place to allow for utter silence... Adderpaw could feel his heart stinging with guilt the moment he looks that helpless creature that begins to flutter away from his prying, outstretched claws after he makes his leap.

And so, each time -- without fail -- he'd come up with some pathetic excuse to Leafhusk about how he had thought it had been closer than it was after purposefully shoving his mouth in the dirt in a face plant, or groan and put on a show to pretend he had slightly twisted his paw. It didn't always work, and sometimes he'd have to talk to her about the fact that he was still losing sleep each night and his performance was lacking despite his improvement in practice. It was embarrassing, and he felt as though he were not honorable enough to be an apprentice.

Biting his tongue at the thought, Adderpaw became aware of the metallic taste in his mouth when Brighteyes' call rang close by to snap him from his spiraling emotions. The tom released the tension in his jaw with regret as his tongue began to throb slightly, and ran his tongue over his teeth to try and rid himself of the feeling. He had begun to get used to the searing pain in his muscles from excessive training, but he rather try to do anything to ignore the feeling than embrace it. Stepping over after Falconheart, he glared at the other chipper warrior through his lazy gaze with a small frown lacing his lips. Although it could be depicted as an irritated scowl by those around him, Adderpaw often carried that expression during his usual day to day activities. "Does Leafhusk need to come with me to join you guys?" The tabby asked after a sneeze, prepared to go and grab her if needed.

ooc: @leafhusk mentor mention haiii :3​

 

[Brighteyes]

"I'LL BE RIGHT BESIDE YOU"​

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Falconheart..

It was hard not to notice the change in his friend, and Brighteyes wished there was something -anything- he could do to lessen the grief they were feeling/. He was no stranger to the pain of losing someone you loved, and . It brought you to a dark place, and Bright knew that if he hadn't made that promise -to keep smiling- he very likely would have lost himself within it back when he'd lost her.

But it was well over a year later, and he was somehow still going. Even if, every now and then, the grinning fce of a young black shecat would enter his mind only to be replaced by red, red, red. It was something he'd never forget, but he used that, kept it close to his heart so that he never forgot what his goal was.

To get stronger. To keep the cats around him safe.

"Thanks, Falconheart! I've been practicing a few new hunting techniques and I'm excited to try them out- I might finally be able to catch a bird if things work out." he replied with a nervous chuckle. Brighteyes was notoriously bad at hunting anything with wings. He swore the winged devils conspired against him whenever he was out there, calling to each other in warning long before he ever got the chance to drop into a hunting crouch.

Today, he'd finally change that, though!

The arrival of Adderpaw and the question they posed though, pulled him from his thoughts of victory, and with wide green eyes he began glancing around for said mentor in a bit of a panic, not really sure how to answer the question. Would the other warrior be cross with Bright if he sid yes?

"Um- maybe? I'd be okay with it, but we should probably ask first, just in case.. he answered, not wanting to leave the apprentice out, but not quite sure what kind of authority he held when it came to other cats apprentices. The last thing he wanted was to overstep with anyone, especially when he knew he hadn't exactly earned his place in Thunderclan yet.
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[FALCONHEART]

𓍊𓋼 The response from Brighteyes is expected—the cream tabby can’t think of a time when the other tom didn’t greet him gladly. Brighteyes is a good friend, one who doesn’t blame Falconheart for things out of his control. Bitterness seeps into his mouth like stagnant water, but he allows it to wash over him with a slow blink. A small, forced smile crooks itself onto his muzzle as the other tom agrees to let him join in on the hunting. "New techniques? That sounds cool, you’ll have to show them to me." Dull eyes light up with genuine interest, curious about how successful these new techniques will be. Of course, he can sympathize with Brighteyes—birds are difficult to sneak up on, and even more difficult to catch.

Adderpaw asks whether he can join them, but he’ll only be able to come along if Leafhusk agrees to it. He wouldn’t invite someone else’s apprentice to leave camp without permission, and it seems Brighteyes feels the same. To the dark gray tabby he gives a nod, muttering, "Lead the way whenever you’re ready. I’ve got nothing better to do." No great plans for my day, no other friends to speak of. No father to seek out for a quick patrol, just the two of them. It’s all he can do to make himself feel less lonely.​

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