WHAT'S MY LINE? | roaringpaw

Softsight

Softsight

omniscia spares none.
Around the World '24 Wolves [TC ’24] ThunderClan 10K Yellowcough [Sitewide Event '23]
Oct 13, 2023
182
6
18

Softpaw had always been content to stay in camp unless it was going out on duty with her mentor, Honeydapple. She figured, if she'd already been confined to the ThunderClan for so much time as a kit and young apprentice, what difference did it make to spend a few more moons in the familiar space before finally being able to explore at her own leisure? - it certainly didn't help that the last time a group of apprentices had sneaked out of camp, there had been major repercussions, one of the injured being Softpaw's own sister, Vixenpaw.

So she hadn't the thought to ever sneak out of the camp herself - she didn't consider herself a goody-two-paws or anything of the like, she just considered herself rather content with what she had, and she was stubborn enough that her own values would always stay in place even where peer pressure might be involved.

The addition of Roaringpaw to ThunderClan was something unlike Softpaw had ever experienced before. She had been there with Badgerstripe when they had first found the kittypet, nearly at a snake's mercy, and she had closely followed him back to camp where Howlingstar had pit him in competition against Palefire for the kittypet to prove his strength and earn his place in ThunderClan. Up till then, Softpaw had never known a kittypet - rather, she'd never seen in her own lifetime the acceptance of a kittypet into ThunderClan. That had always been something she'd grown to associate with SkyClan.

Things had gotten busy once Roaringpaw was inducted into ThunderClan, and Softpaw hadn't the chance to properly speak with him aside from the short conversation they'd had on their first trek back to the camp when they had first met. She was ever so curious about the new recruit, so when a chance finally presented itself that she could take to speak with Roaringpaw, she took it. The only thing that gave her pause was that this chance encounter seemed to be taking her out of camp, when she spotted Roaringpaw's vibrant orange pelt disappearing into the camp's exit.

Frowning, Softpaw padded after the tom, not pausing as she let herself out of camp - too much hesitation would only get her caught, if she wasn't going to get caught as it was. She wanted to know what Roaringpaw was up to, going out on his own when he was still so new to life as a warrior. She blinked, wondering if the kittypet was daring to go back to his Twolegs - in which case, she'd caught him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Softpaw finally spoke, quietly, still worried that she might be caught by one of the warriors. She drew herself up to her full height, wanting to appear more confident to Roaringpaw. "You let me sneak up on you. That could've meant worse if I was an enemy warrior." An unnecessary comment, really, but anything could be turned into a lesson Softpaw had learned.
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OOC ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ .ᐟ.ᐟ INFO ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎
  • ! @roaringpaw
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  • SOFTPAW ✩ apprentice of thunderclan, six moons
    → peaceful and healing powerplay permitted.
    → penned by Archivist → .archivist on discord.

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❝ IF I COULD BURN THIS TOWN ✧°.☀ ————————————
HE DIDN'T QUITE ENJOY BEING CONFINED TO CAMP. He followed the rule dutifuly, only ever leaving with his mentor or on a patrol, but tonight it had been too unbearable. Roaringpaw yearned for the brisk moon-high breeze that seemed so different when it was outside of camp, rather than inside. He wouldn't go far, just a step out to take in the atmosphere, the freedom.

So he decided to sneak out, knowing no warrior would let him out unsupervised. And it would be quite uncomfortable and awkward to be at peace with whoever was standing guard tonight glaring at him.

He breathes out a sigh of relief when he passes through the gorse tunnel without anyone catching him. Padding a few tail-lengths ahead and jumping into the undergrowth, Roaringpaw finally sat down. At peace, with the cicadas and crickets singing around him. But the harmony was short-lasting, because the voice of Softpaw behind him had the apprentice nearly jump out of his pelt, and he had to clamp his mouth shut to prevent screaming. The tom glares at the albino she-cat, wondering if she wants to get them caught by their clanmates by startling him like so.

"I just wanted a breath of fresh air!" He mutters, his fur still standing on end. Roaringpaw sighs, then suddenly a wave of anxiety hits him when she mentions an enemy warrior. "Did anyone follow you?" He rebuts, scanning behind Softpaw for any possible movement. Seeing nothing - but perhaps due to his lack of experience - Roaringpaw relaxes. "I'm not far from camp, it's fine." Besides, who would miss a kittypet gone missing?


"speech" thoughts
OOC: -
[penned by nocthymia - ☀]
———————————— ☀.°✧ I WOULDNT HESITATE ❞ ​
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In Roaringpaw's defense, Softpaw could have done with being more subtle in her approach to the tom, but there was no convincing her now that she'd gone about it in the wrong way. His reply is somewhat scathing, and she thinks she deserves a bit more respect, but before she can respond in kind Roaringpaw mentions that someone might have followed her, and she glances behind herself despite her prior confidence that she hadn't been followed.

"No, I wasn't followed," she confirms after a moment of scanning the brush, and she turns her pink eyes back to Roaringpaw, and she considers him for a second before choosing her next words carefully. She didn't follow him out into the woods just to get on his bad side, and Softpaw knows she can be blunt. "You could still get in trouble for leaving camp at all unsupervised. Has Copperfang taught you that?"
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OOC ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ .ᐟ.ᐟ INFO ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

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❝ IF I COULD BURN THIS TOWN ✧°.☀ ————————————
HE COCKS HIS HEAD TO THE SIDE. "Why is it a problem?" His question is genuine. As long as he doesn't wander far - which he wouldn't - surely it's ok to step out for a bit? Clan cats had such odd rules, some nonsensical like the aforementioned. "Copperfang did mention it, and I didn't wanna question it then. What if he got mad at me?" Roaringpaw comments, picturing his mentor putting him on den-cleaning duties.

He looks at Softpaw, and wonders why she'd follow him outside, if it was a rule not to leave without a warrior. Roaringpaw had always seen her as a stickler for rules. "Did you come after me just to tell me that? Aren't you worried you will get caught?" The apprentice asks, a subtle nudge that he wants her to go back to the safety of camp - lest she get caught sneaking out with the kittypet.


"speech" thoughts
OOC: -
[penned by nocthymia - ☀]
———————————— ☀.°✧ I WOULDNT HESITATE ❞ ​
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To Softpaw, after moons of being terrorized by all the forest's darkness had to offer, the answer to Roaringpaw's question was simple: "It's dangerous." She flicks an ear and looks around again. She doesn't want to frighten the other apprentice with stories of boogeymen, but dangers lurked around every corner and Howlingstar and her predecessors had put rules - were putting rules - in place to protect ThunderClan as best they could.

"Even this close to camp, it could be dangerous," she continues, considering her next words - but she says them, because Roaringpaw chose to delve into this life, and he deserved to know everything that he was getting into. "Even in camp, it could be dangerous. But it's safer there where there are Clanmates to have our backs."

She sighs, and shakes her head a bit. "It'd be wrong for you to be punished for asking questions from your mentor." She comments. She doesn't know Copperfang extremely well, but he seemed like a good-tempered tom; surely he wouldn't mind a question of clarity every once and awhile, especially from such a new apprentice. "I still am worried that we'll both get caught, yes. But it wouldn't do to get the Clan riled up over this, would it? There are not a few of our Clanmates that would see you sent scrambling back to the Twolegplace."
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OOC ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ .ᐟ.ᐟ INFO ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

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❝ IF I COULD BURN THIS TOWN ✧°.☀ ————————————
HE FALLS SILENT FOR SEVERAL HEARTBEATS. It's dangerous. He echoes. It's a simple reply, one he doesn't quite expect. Roaringpaw knows of the dangers lurking in the forest, he'd experienced them first hand with that adder. However, he is also terribly stubborn, young, and rather stupid. He puffs, a little annoyed at Softpaw sounding more like a worried Queen than a fellow apprentice. His head snaps the other way, but he remains quiet and listens to her sermon.

"You should live life a little." It comes out without thinking, and he slaps his mouth with his paws. But his words were true; what use would it be to always worry, always fear? It sounded suffocating, like a life locked up in a Twoleg nest. Like the life I used to have.

"If they want me gone then they should want the other ex-kittypets gone too. Like Leafhusk and Bigfang. Why am I the outlier?" He hisses, not angry at Softpaw, simply letting the turmoil inside of him out. "It's not fair."

"speech" thoughts
OOC: -
[penned by nocthymia - ☀]
———————————— ☀.°✧ I WOULDNT HESITATE ❞ ​
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Softpaw couldn’t contain her surprise at Roaringpaw’s words. Even as the tom clamped his paws over his mouth, clearly regretting letting the words run wild, Softpaw harrumphed softly and looked aside, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. Live life a little? As if she hadn’t lived through things that would have felled a weaker cat, that would have struck a regular kittypet as horrific and tall tales-adjacent.

“You’ve got some nerve, saying that. You’ve only just met me – how would you know whether or not I ‘live life’?” Softpaw huffed. Who was this tom, who thought that he knew so much more about life and how to live it than she did? “I was displaced from my home because of vicious rogues as a kit. I’ve faced wolves and the things that they can do.” She suppressed a shiver at the memory of seeing one of the beasts as close as she had when they’d invaded camp.

“These are the types of things you’ll have to face now that you’re a ThunderClanner. That’s what life is like with us, never truly knowing if you’ll get to see another day or if StarClan decides it’s your time to join the stars.” Perhaps Softpaw had been too soft with Roaringpaw; perhaps he needed to know the risks of living in the wild as they did, as he did, now.

She let out a small sigh after a moment, letting her shoulders slump; after a lecture like that, maybe Roaringpaw’s words held some truth. Maybe she was letting fears and worries get to her, and what type of a warrior would that make her if she didn’t let go sometimes? It would make her a coward, one not worthy of being called a warrior at all.

“Some of them do,” she said gently. She’d seen the looks that even honorable warriors like Leafhusk and Bigfang got from certain ThunderClanners, and she’d heard what language some of their Clanmates used when talking about the ex-kittypets. “I know it’s not fair. I don’t know if anything will get them to change their minds, even after all kittypet-born cats have accomplished. I’m sorry you have to go through that.”
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OOC ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ .ᐟ.ᐟ INFO ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

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❝ IF I COULD BURN THIS TOWN ✧°.☀ ————————————
ROARINGPAW SHRINKS AS SOFTPAW'S WORDS TEAR THROUGH HIM, his ears dropping in unison with his expression. He hadn't meant to say that out loud— seeing as he had slapped his mouth shut with his paws. Maybe if he'd been quicker, the words would've been muffled enough for Softpaw to not hear them properly. Or maybe the apprentice should learn to think before he speaks.

“I'm sorry.” He mutters softly, earnestly. His ears are still down, like a puppy who just got scolded by its owner.

The golden-furred tom's expression twists into a frown at the mention of their clanmates who don't accept their kittypet heritage, or background. “So they won't ever accept me, no matter how much I do for ThunderClan.” Would he ever do anything of note? Would he ever amount to anything, leave his mark in ThunderClan history? He doesn't know. He hopes so. Rising to his paws, Roaringpaw finally faces Softpaw with a spark in his amber eyes. “Would you be willing to give me some lessons, Softpaw? No mentors, just us.”

"speech" thoughts
OOC: -
[penned by nocthymia - ☀]
———————————— ☀.°✧ I WOULDNT HESITATE ❞ ​
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Softpaw wished that she could say that she felt some sense of accomplishment after having torn into Roaringpaw so brutally, but she only felt a little more empty than when she'd begun. Roaringpaw looked defeated as all get out, and all Softpaw can do is sigh - she won't apologize, not when there's nothing to apologize for. This is the reality of Roaringpaw's new life, and he must understand that.

"That doesn't mean you should stop trying." Softpaw urged, knitting her brow at Roaringpaw's sudden quietness. "After all..." She pauses, and offers the other apprentice a smile, "You could always be the one to change their minds." It's a far-flung hope, that out of all kittypet-born ThunderClanners, Roaringpaw would be the one to break through with his adversaries, but Softpaw wants to give Roaringpaw something to cling onto.

The spark in his eye isn't what surprises Softpaw when Roaringpaw looks up at her; his request, however, perks her ears, and she considers. Honeydapple was in the nursery, and Softpaw was alright with her temporary mentor in the meantime, but the chance to get back to serious training had just presented itself in the form of a very determined tom.

"I can certainly try." She finally decided, nodding. "No quitting if things get tough, alright? I want to see you succeed as much as you want to."
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OOC ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ .ᐟ.ᐟ INFO ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

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❝ IF I COULD BURN THIS TOWN ✧°.☀ ————————————
THE SPARK IN HIS EYES DULL FOR A MOMENT, his confidence wavering at each word Softpaw utters. Him? The one to change their minds? He absolutely hopes so, to prove himself as a capable, strong warrior of ThunderClan would be a dream come true. Is this the part Clan cats pray to StarClan for guidance? The dead cats were a mystery to him, and he struggled to understand them still.

He smiles at her answer to his preposition, snapping out of his thoughts about cats he'd never once seen — "Thank you!" Roaringpaw purrs, almost a yell, before remembering he's supposed to be sneaky as to not get caught. "I won't quit, I promise."


"speech" thoughts
OOC: -
[penned by nocthymia - ☀]
———————————— ☀.°✧ I WOULDNT HESITATE ❞ ​
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