We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Oct 18, 2012 17:18:40 GMT -5
With his question, he had voiced his weakness and immediately forced Hailstrike to remember that this was an apprentice she was teaching. Despite his maturity, Granitepaw was only 9 moons old. The small voice with which he spoke reminded her of a kit, looking to another for reassurance. Of course, the tom had his pride, which she guessed prevented him from meeting her gaze. He had the insecurities that they all did at that age; he was not yet a warrior who had the confidence and ability to handle things on their own. He was close, but not yet there. He is only an apprentice. And he has a very real fear of water and drowning.
It was the resigned tone that tore at Hailstrike, however. It was the way he spoke, as if expecting the worst. As if he expected her to scorn him for his question, to abandon him to swim alone and go back on her word. While the doubt may have sparked her ire had any other cat questioned it, the she-cat was only reminded of his experiences. Granitepaw was an apprentice who had experienced things that no one should ever have had to deal with, preferably ever, but especially not at that age. Burying the pity she felt deep within her, Hailstrike waited patiently until he plucked up the courage to hesitantly look at her. Then she spoke, holding his gaze evenly.
"I will repeat this until you truly believe me," The warrior started, deliberately, calmly. "I will not go back my word. I will not break it unless not doing so means putting others in danger or something of the like. I will not make empty promises to you." She paused for a moment, letting him comprehend what she said, willing him to sense the truth behind the statements. "I said that I would not let you drown before, and that still holds. And I will add onto that. I will not leave you alone here, not until you are ready and tell me that you can exercise on your own. Neither will I shove you into the paws of a different warrior in order to train another apprentice. You are more important than the rest of the apprentices because you have the most to prove. You will prove to yourself and the whole clan that you are strong enough to pick yourself back up and become one of StoneClan's most valuable warriors."
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Post by Fawn on Oct 19, 2012 16:19:58 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width:330; height: 470; background-color: #CECBB7; border: 0px solid #000000; text-align:center; padding: 4px;background-image: url(http://i52.tinypic.com/6e3yux.jpg); border-radius: 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000; -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000;][STYLE=color: #A73A3A; font-size: 18pt; font-family: gill; width: 360;margin-top: -220px; text-shadow: #634C4C 0px 0px 1px;]Just a crack in this castle of glass.[/style]
| [STYLE=color: #B48980; font-size: 16pt; font-family: terminal; border-top: 1px dotted #222222; text-align: center; width: 340; margin-top: -430;margin-left: 30px; padding-top: 5px; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000; -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000;] [/style] [STYLE=color: #A73A3A; font-size: 16pt; font-family: gill; width: 360;margin-top: 0px; text-shadow: #634C4C 0px 0px 1px; margin-left: 30px;]Granitepaw - 9 Moons - StoneClan[/style] [STYLE=color: #565656; background-color: #B0B0B0; width: 340px; height: 200px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; border-bottom: 1px dotted #000000; font-size:9px; overflow: auto; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: -20px;] I will not make empty promises to you.
Granitepaw's narrow chest tightened with emotion, a hard strain at the back of his throat making it difficult for him to speak. Could she say those words so easily? They just flowed off the older warrior's tongue as though she'd been waiting to tell him that his whole life - Shadeclaw had been an easy talker, silvertongued to the extreme, but never once, not even once, had he spoke the words, I will not make empty promises to you. Had that been another sign he'd naively missed? The bitterness that usually settled in his heart like black ice whenever Shadeclaw wasn't there, it had been melted by the strength of her words, spoken with sincerity from mentor to fragile apprentice. Glancing to the ground, the young warrior-to-be didn't want to show her how moved he was, and responded with a simple, "Okay."
Where had all this faith in him come from? Couldn't she tell he was almost a worthless burden? His swimming sessions would take up so much of her time, and it would eat up a chunk of time that she could've spent hunting for the Clan. Even though her...dare he say loyalty to him and his future was more then he could've ever asked or hoped for, there was still a considerable amount of guilt welling up behind those hazel eyes of his. "Thank you," murmured the apprentice as he padded into the water again and repositioned himself at the side of the pool. He had spent enough time resting - if she was intent upon making him One of StoneClan's most valuable warriors, then he sure as StarClan wasn't going to keep her waiting. This time, he kicked his back legs not just with the goal of strengthening his leg in mind, he kicked his back legs for the opportunity to get at his former mentor, and to try and meet the expectations and faith of his new one.
Not wanting her to just sit there in silence, Granitepaw, in between light panting, tossed a question out to Hailstrike; "Am I your first apprentice?" He had about a dozen reasons for wanting to ask this question - but the strongest one was just general curiosity. The way Hailstrike went about things, he had to be her 3rd or 4th apprentice, surely.
[/style]
[STYLE=color: #565656; background-color: #B0B0B0; width: 340px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; border-bottom: 1px dotted #000000; font-size: 6pt; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: -20px; line-height: 7px;]WORDS. TAGGED. NOTES. MUSE. CREDITS. this template was created by rei-chan of btn[/style]
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We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Oct 19, 2012 23:10:54 GMT -5
Without any urging on her part, Granitepaw returned to the pool, kicking his hind legs with more effort than before. His action surprised her; she had not expected him to return so willingly to the pool. Perhaps his fear was not as deep as she had originally thought? Or perhaps it was due to the words she had just spoken? She could not deny that they had had an effect on her apprentice, and it seemed to have been for the better. His effort level seemed to have doubled, making her wonder what change had occurred. Of course, her words were meaningful; they were supposed to be, and she stood by every one. What had they done? Given him something to shoot for? His added effort supported that theory. "Don't hurt yourself," Hailstrike felt obligated to meow softly, as it would be very counterproductive to re-injure the leg.
She would have been perfectly fine sitting in silence, considering different lesson ideas for the upcoming days. Perhaps a border patrol, to reaquaint him with StoneClan's borders and the neighboring clans. That would also work his leg, and they could fit some hunting in there as well. Battle training, of course, was essential, but she was hesitant to dive head first into that area. Yes, she would probably wait a little on that. After all, strengthening Granitepaw's leg had just begun, and she was reluctant to place too much strain on it. A border patrol, however, sounded like a decent opportunity. And perhaps they could go out with Eagletalon and Adderpaw...
Granitepaw's question snapped her out of her thoughts, and an ear flicked. Are you my first apprentice? She echoed the question in her head, knowing the answer immediately. It was simple, after all; either a yes or a no for an answer. "Yes," The warrior intoned evenly, smoothly. "Is there any particular reason why you ask?"
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Post by Fawn on Oct 25, 2012 0:10:55 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width:330; height: 470; background-color: #CECBB7; border: 0px solid #000000; text-align:center; padding: 4px;background-image: url(http://i52.tinypic.com/6e3yux.jpg); border-radius: 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000; -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000;][STYLE=color: #A73A3A; font-size: 18pt; font-family: gill; width: 360;margin-top: -220px; text-shadow: #634C4C 0px 0px 1px;]Just a crack in this castle of glass.[/style]
| [STYLE=color: #B48980; font-size: 16pt; font-family: terminal; border-top: 1px dotted #222222; text-align: center; width: 340; margin-top: -430;margin-left: 30px; padding-top: 5px; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000; -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000;] [/style] [STYLE=color: #A73A3A; font-size: 16pt; font-family: gill; width: 360;margin-top: 0px; text-shadow: #634C4C 0px 0px 1px; margin-left: 30px;]Granitepaw - 9 Moons - StoneClan[/style] [STYLE=color: #565656; background-color: #B0B0B0; width: 340px; height: 200px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; border-bottom: 1px dotted #000000; font-size:9px; overflow: auto; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: -20px;] I'm her first apprentice? Unable to hide his surprise, Granitepaw momentarily slowed his movements, panting, to look her in the eyes. "No reason, just curious. It doesn't seem like it, though." Confessing to noticing how well she appeared to handle her mentoring duties, Granitepaw was somewhat thunderstruck that the honor of 'first apprentice' fell to him. She acted like he was her 7th or 8th, as though this was something she was used to. There hadn't been a single instance Granitepaw could remember where she seemed nervous or somewhat unsure of herself. Is this what they mean by wise beyond their years?
Letting this information sink in, the monochromatic apprentice returned to his tiresome lessons, momentarily closing his eyes as he quietly recited hunting techniques to make this seem less boring. Though he still intended to work his tail off to get stronger, he'd never said he'd enjoy it. Whiskers dripped with water. Muscles started to show signs of strain after his rapid return to the sky spring. Fixing an unreadable expression on Hailstrike, the gray cat once more threw questions her way like scattering dandelion seeds into the wind. "Were you upset when Fallingstar chose me as your first apprentice? You can be honest." This one was a pointed quesetion. Was there a right answer to that one? Granitepaw fought off any guilt and worriesome feelings as he kicked, his line of sight with Hailstrike broken when his gaze fell to the grass, Granitepaw's lungs expanding and contracting in a few pants. Of course I wasn't who she originally wanted. Why wouldn't Hailstrike want a fresh apprentice, not one that had been used, abused and cast aside? Fully aware that he was by no means an ideal apprentice, he still wanted to know Hailstrike's honest opinion of him. He wasn't going to let their relationship be built upon half-truths and hidden emotions.[/style]
[STYLE=color: #565656; background-color: #B0B0B0; width: 340px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; border-bottom: 1px dotted #000000; font-size: 6pt; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: -20px; line-height: 7px;]WORDS. TAGGED. NOTES. MUSE. CREDITS. this template was created by rei-chan of btn[/style]
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We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Oct 25, 2012 19:53:27 GMT -5
Hailstrike accepted his offhand compliment with a regal nod, tail tip twitching lightly by her paws. She was glad to discover that the apprentice was not too intimidated by her militaristic ways. Though she had thought that they would continue get along well, her assumptions were based off of mere observations, both of her own feelings and his actions, and inferences. A compliant apprentice could also be one that was merely cowed, and that was only a temporary thing. Her apprentice's words not only confirmed her belief, but also held promise for the future. Already he had a respect for her, just as she had developed a similar feeling for him. While her habits could intimidate others or bore them to tears, the tom did not seem to mind her ways. "Thank you, Granitepaw," She meowed politely.
Silence reigned again as the conversation died while he worked on his odd little form of swimming. Ice blue eyes watched the apprentice kick out his legs, expecting the peaceful near-quiet to continue. It was broken only by his breathing and the sound of moving water as his actions disturbed the liquidy substance. Therefore, it surprised the she-cat when her apprentice spoke again, flinging another question at her. This one, however, was harder to answer. A war broke out inside of her as she debated how to answer this question. On one side, Hailstrike did not want to risk hurting, and potentially ruining, the fragile trust that had formed between them by telling the truth. He already had a self-esteem problem. On the other side, Granitepaw had asked for the truth, and so she was inclined to deliver it to him. She trusted him to know what he could and could not handle, and while that trust applied mostly to physical activities, it extended a little over into the realm of the emotions. Would the potential outcome of telling the truth outweigh the costs? Was she willing to risk it? And if so, how much should she soften the blows?
"Was I upset..." Hailstrike reiterated, breifly collecting her thoughts as she gathered her courage. When she spoke, her voice was as even as ever and just as calm. "Was I upset?" She met Granitepaw's gaze evenly. "I can't say that I was overly thrilled, but no, I was not upset. I was a more than a little intimidated at the prospect of having my first apprentice, a feeling I am sure you will understand later in life. I... I do not have a lot of faith in my ability to comfort others, something which I expected might pose a problem should you have a mental breakdown." She still hoped that he would not get any ideas. "I was worried that you would not be able to recover, though it is no longer a worry of mine, and that I would have to train someone who had no interest in learning. But I also trust that Fallingstar knows what she is doing. If she thought that you would benefit from a mentor like me, then I was willing to try - I still am." And, barely breathing, she waited for the reaction.
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Post by Fawn on Oct 26, 2012 18:31:47 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width:330; height: 470; background-color: #CECBB7; border: 0px solid #000000; text-align:center; padding: 4px;background-image: url(http://i52.tinypic.com/6e3yux.jpg); border-radius: 10px; -moz-border-radius: 10px; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000; -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000;][STYLE=color: #A73A3A; font-size: 18pt; font-family: gill; width: 360;margin-top: -220px; text-shadow: #634C4C 0px 0px 1px;]Just a crack in this castle of glass.[/style]
| [STYLE=color: #B48980; font-size: 16pt; font-family: terminal; border-top: 1px dotted #222222; text-align: center; width: 340; margin-top: -430;margin-left: 30px; padding-top: 5px; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000; -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 5px #000000;] [/style] [STYLE=color: #A73A3A; font-size: 16pt; font-family: gill; width: 360;margin-top: 0px; text-shadow: #634C4C 0px 0px 1px; margin-left: 30px;]Granitepaw - 9 Moons - StoneClan[/style] [STYLE=color: #565656; background-color: #B0B0B0; width: 340px; height: 200px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; border-bottom: 1px dotted #000000; font-size:9px; overflow: auto; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: -20px;]
It was the first time someone have ever been intimidated by him. It was not the kind of intimidation that came with the threat of pain and punishment: it was not the kind of intimidation that came with fear of disappointing someone. It was apprehension, born of a dilemma where a new mentor would have to work with an apprentice that brought with him a mountain of problems, of issues both health-related and emotional. A mountain that would be daunting to try and climb. So really, it wasn't Granitepaw himself that had intimidated Hailstrike when Fallingstar had firsted assigned them to each other: it was the baggage he came with.
That was a fair answer. It had been a tough question, Granitepaw knew that, and he understood the long pause that came after it had been voiced, his gaze locked onto Hailstrike's face. For reasons he couldn't explain, Granitepaw actually felt very very nervous. His acceptance of Hailstrike wasn't so overwhelming that he would turn a blind eye to the difficulties he personally presented to a novice mentor like her - but that didn't mean...
That didn't mean he wanted her to dislike him, or find training him further a daunting task, like it may have been at the beginning. Granitepaw finally answered her, "Thanks, for being honest." The words didn't come out dejected, but they didn't come out flowing with emotion either, it looked as though the tom had slipped into a slightly more robotic speech pattern, his hazel eyes bright to show the gears were turning. He was thinking about her words, clearly.
A mental breakdown. She's worried about me having a mental breakdown. Did the rest of the Clan think along the same lines? Was everyone worried he was going to crack and crumble at even the slightest mention of Shadeclaw? The seeds of apprehension were planted within his chest, and Granitepaw felt as though his fur had been rubbed the wrong way - it wasn't Hailstrike's fault, really, it was born out of insecurity and sensitivity towards the whole ordeal.
"I won't have a mental breakdown," added the gray-furred tom, looking Hailstrike in the eyes. It was quite a promise to make, but it wouldn't be for lack of trying.
[/style]
[STYLE=color: #565656; background-color: #B0B0B0; width: 340px; border-top: 3px solid #000000; border-bottom: 1px dotted #000000; font-size: 6pt; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: -20px; line-height: 7px;]WORDS. TAGGED. NOTES. Self Confidence is a little down. MUSE. CREDITS. this template was created by rei-chan of btn[/style]
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We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Oct 26, 2012 20:13:00 GMT -5
A silence followed as Granitepaw briefly considered the wave of information that had just been thrown at him, and she waited, tense as she resisted the urge to flex her claws. Steady and sounding very calm in contrast to her racing thoughts, her heartbeat thudded in her ears. One. Two. Three. In the back of her mind, she began counting the beats as she waited. Time seemed to slow, and what were only moments took what felt like a lifetime to pass. Four. Fi-- And then he spoke, his voice sounding flat and toneless.
It was nothing more than she had hoped for, Hailstrike realized as she breathed easier, but it was far from the deepest fears that her decision had spawned. He accepted her answer, and appreciated her honesty. It appeared as though they had reached the same conclusion, believing that a clear understanding of each other was the best foundation on which they could build their trust. And that clear understanding could come from the honesty, and the courage, with which the warrior had spoken. Blinking, she nodded again, "You're welcome." The steps forward were tentative and cautious, but they were there; Granitepaw had shown some trust in her by not hiding his fear of swimming, and she had trusted that he would appreciate her honesty more than false lies. She was very satisfied with the progess they had made today, in both his emotional and physical recovery.
And then Granitepaw spoke again, completely serious, while she, on the other hand, felt a glimmer of amusement pass through her. That fear had been born of an incorrect assumption that the apprentice she was about to take on had no mental strength, that the betrayal had shattered everything and anything that he rested his eyes on would cause another bout of hysterics and self-pity. Much to her relief, she soon discovered that the worry had been wrong; it had faded to the back of her mind, as she grew more comfortable around the aprentice and had developed a sense for the young tom's character. Still, it was reassuring to know that he did not plan to fall apart on her. "I appreciate it," Hailstrike meowed, nodding slightly as she stood, beckoning at him with her tail. "I think you've worked your leg long enough today. Stretch, then go back to camp - don't forget your mice - and rest for a little while. I'll come and get you later for a patrol."
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