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Post by Fawn on Aug 18, 2013 17:42:30 GMT -5
If one more cat looked at her with any semblance of pity in their eyes, she was going to start shredding. For the umpteenth time since their arrival in the mountains – which felt like so long ago – Skunkpaw felt her fur being rubbed the wrong way, as though a giant invisible paw was purposefully pushing the bristling hairs in the opposite direction of which was most natural, her pretty black and white pelt appearing larger, as though she had swelled up in her anger.
Things had been bad enough since the loss of her parents, both due to grief and a sense of emptiness in her life that she has trouble filling, and now that her stupid mentor had fallen off a stupid cliff, any cat she crossed now would gaze upon the little black and white apprentice as though she were marked for a life of great tragedy; she had so many apprentices offering to share meals with her or offering to help make up for whatever training she was missing out on, that she felt like she was turning down offers left and right.
All she really wanted was to be left alone.
Yes training was important or whatever, but so was privacy and a little dignity in the face of disaster, right?
If they really wanted to do her a favor, they could all just bugger off!
Returning to their camp within the mountains, a young rabbit looking unusually tattered clutched between black and white jaws, Skunkpaw had to pause to readjust her grip, and it was good thing she did or else she might not have noticed Longpaw approaching from behind. In an instant she could read the mood he was giving off, the fact that he wasn't rushing over with great news to share or tell her all about whatever 'amazing' new move he learned from his mentor Barkbreath or whatever their name was; he was about to ask if she might like to go training with him, or if she might like to share a meal with him. Or worse, he was going to tell her to cheer up.
Already shuddering with revulsion over such pity, Skunkpaw put on a burst of speed, outpacing Longpaw – who made some noise of surprise at her hasty escape – and ignoring the way her paws ached going over the rough terrain, searching for a place to hide that wouldn't involve talking to too many cats. Apprentices den was out. Center of camp was out. What about... The Medicine Cat's den?
Skunkpaw slowed to a stop directly in front of Ivypaw's den, panting around the rabbit she'd hauled all the way here. Do I really want to see Fallenleaf right now? I mean it's her fault I'm getting treated this way... Cautiously peering in, the kitten instantly regretted her hateful thoughts upon seeing the gravely injured she-cat inside, Skunkpaw dropping the rabbit and dipping her head before calling out a rather awkward if not regretful greeting. ”H-Hey Fallenleaf.” Skunkpaw's ears fell sideways, unsure of what to say next. ”Er...feeling better?”
They were far from close, but... the injured senior warrior deserved at least a little politeness, and deserved still to have her apprentice come in and check up on her like the kind, compassionate creature she should be - even if the only thing Skunkpaw knew to do was make small talk.
OOC: BlooRey DVD!
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Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Aug 18, 2013 20:39:31 GMT -5
[smear:f3e471]Fallenleaf [/smear:f8c56a] ~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere near the front of the medicine cat den, a pale furred she-cat lay a little awkwardly on one side, a foreleg stretched out stiffly as she focused upon taking slow, shallow breaths. Her pale yellow eyes were closed, and in truth the she-cat was probably just about ready to fall asleep. It had been about half a moon since she had slipped off the side of a cliff, forcing four brave toms to pull her unconscious body from the rubble, before hauling her back up the cliff-face. She didn't remember much from that day, except the beginning of the fall itself. She shivered slightly, remembering the way the ground had just seemed to buckle beneath her, before suddenly vanishing and leaving her falling.
Her skin had begun to heal quite well, the cuts and gashes that the rocks had left on her skin having almost completely disappeared. There were still remnants of the worst cuts, but for the most part her skin was better, her fur growing properly once more. It was the damage that couldn't be seen that was keeping her in the medicine cat den. For one, her extended leg had suffered from a dislocated shoulder as well as a sprained paw. One of her back legs had suffered from a torn claw, though that hardly bothered her anymore. At least, not like her ribcage did.
There had been some sort of damage to her left side, which had been the side she'd fallen on. Just how bad it was, she didn't know. All she could tell was that if she took too deep a breath, she would feel a sharp pain about midway down her rib cage. She'd been lucky not to have broken her back in a fall like that.
At the sound of paw steps, Fallenleaf's eyes fluttered open. With a soft sigh, small enough that it would not cause her any pain, the older she-cat was fully prepared to simply shut her eyes once more. The only cats who seemed to visit her were Hawkstar, who stopped in everyday, even for the briefest moment, and Eagletalon, who stopped by every few days to check on her progress. She wasn't expecting anyone at the moment, as Eagletalon had dropped in yesterday, and Hawkstar didn't come until the evenings. Considering it probably about midday, Fallenleaf expected the paw steps to walk straight on past the entrance and carry on with whatever important task was at paw.
The injured senior warrior felt a little guilty that she was of no use to the Clan in her current state. All she was was a mouth to feed. There were even brief glimpses where she wished she had died, if only to alleviate the burden placed on her Clan. She didn't dwell on those thoughts long, however, deciding there was more use in trying to heal, rather than wallowing around in self-pity.
Much to her surprise, the light filtering through the entrance of the den was interrupted by the figure of a young cat standing there. Pale cream ears pricked as her name was called. In a slow, practiced movement, the senior warrior propped herself up as to not cause herself any pain, but allowing her to take note of who it was that was standing there. Not that she had needed to see. She would have recognized that voice anywhere.
Pale yellow eyes flashed in alarm, though there was an obvious joy to them too. She had never thought that Skunkpaw would ever visit her. They hadn't had time to bond much before her accident, and the black and white she-cat seemed pretty distant, especially towards the cream furred warrior. Upon hearing the apprentice's question, Fallenleaf found herself laughing, though she winced almost as soon as she began.
Ending the laugh with a slight sigh, a little annoyed that she couldn't even laugh without pain, the senior warrior turned her focus to her apprentice, a warm smile spreading on her maw. "Skunkpaw, hello! I wasn't expecting you here. The healing is slow, at least on the inside, but I can shift in my nest without causing myself excruciating pain, so yes, I suppose I am feeling better, thank you for asking." Giving a slightly awkward dip of her head, considering her position wasn't exactly one that would normally be adopted, the older she-cat's tail tip curled and uncurled, curious as to what her apprentice was doing here.
"Come in, come in! Unless of course, you are busy. What has brought you here today?"
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Post by Fawn on Aug 18, 2013 23:36:12 GMT -5
Skunkpaw's skin burned and stung beneath her pelt, caused by the surprise and delight, the painful laughter Fallenleaf had exhibited upon her arrival. I should've visited her earlier. I'm a bad apprentice. What kind of pupil was she to have avoided this place for so long? Skunkpaw had always been particularly hard on herself, ever since she'd lost more siblings then she'd care to talk about – always so cynical and judgmental of herself, she viewed strength as being able to handle any and every situation. The black and white she-cat hadn't been showing very much of that lately, had she?
Instead she'd been avoiding her Clanmates and biting their faces off every time they displayed some semblance of concern or pity for her; even worse, she had been inexcusably rude for not visiting her afflicted mentor. But it reminded me of Badgerfang, a small voice whimpered, the part of Skunkpaw that did not want to own up to her fallacies. So what? If you think about it, everything reminds you of Badgerfang. And Mom and Dad. And Pebblekit.
Honoring her deceased brother's memory by filling her life with a great deal of snark and aggressive responses, that whimpering little cowardly voice at the back of her mind was abruptly snuffed out, and though she had a great deal of difficulty actually saying the words I'm sorry, Skunkpaw could at least make up for it with the rabbit she brought. ”Glad you're feeling better. Uhm...I brought you this. Ivypaw can have some too if she's around,” awkwardly glancing deeper into the makeshift den, the bi-color feline retrieved the rabbit back at the entrance, catching a glimpse of Longpaw looking curiously in her direction, Skunkpaw quick to return to her injured mentor's side, if only to escape his prying gaze.
What was she supposed to say? 'When are you getting better so we can start training?' Yeah because that was a good idea. Skunkpaw was fully aware of how insensitive she could be sometimes, but now was not the time for that kind of thing. Gazing sheepishly to the senior warrior, Skunkpaw shifted into a sit, bushy black tail tapping against the dirt in an effort to fill up the silence that had likely ensued after she'd directed Fallenleaf's attention to a meal.
Bird droppings! Why is this so hard?
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Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Aug 21, 2013 15:58:03 GMT -5
[smear:f3e471]Fallenleaf [/smear:f8c56a] ~~~~~~~~~
Curious eyes watched the younger she-cat near the front of the entrance, seemingly locked in a battle within herself. Blinking slowly, letting Skunkpaw figure it out on her own, the senior warrior focused herself on her breathing, ensuring that it stayed steady and rather shallow, not wanting to upset her injured side. Her pale ears were tipped back slightly as she shifted, hearing the emptiness of the den behind her. With only Ivypaw and herself in the den, it grew awfully silent. She missed falling asleep to the sound of may others breathing, a quiet lullaby for even the most restless of cats.
When her apprentice spoke again, Fallenleaf's ears pivoted forward as she tipped her head slightly, remembering the rabbit Skunkpaw had arrived with. She watched with a gentle smile as the black and white she-cat awkwardly stumbled to the front of the den, grasping the rabbit carcass in her jaws and bringing it to the senior warrior. At Skunkpaw's words, Fallenleaf felt a tiny warmth in her chest, succeeding only in making her warm smile grow ever so slightly. Appreciative gaze turning to the rabbit, her pale yellow eyes glowed with the friendly warmth that had taken her smile.
"Thank you, Skunkpaw. I'll be sure to share it with Ivypaw when she comes back from her outing. Unless of course.. You would like to share it with me instead?" She asked, turning a questioning glance to her apprentice, though the friendliness was still behind it. With a flick of her tail, the pale furred she-cat went on, figuring Skunkpaw would take a moment to consider what she had said anyway. "Also,I apologize for the rather... Inconvenient time of my accident. I know you must be dying to do some training. Though I can't do much as of this moment, I promise the moment I can, I'll get back to training you."
Jaws threatening to part as she stifled a yawn, Fallenleaf swished her tail, inviting the apprentice to join her if she so pleased. The older she-cat was worried about her apprentice, about the lack of a bond that existed between them. Fallenleaf had been in the medicine cat's den for about half a moon since her fall. Prior to her fall, Skunkpaw had been her apprentice for another half moon. And still, she felt as though she didn't know her at all.
Priding herself on establishing a tight bond between herself and her apprentices, a motherly instinct buried deep within her, Fallenleaf was troubled and unsettled by Skunkpaw's avoidance of her, and the awkwardness that seemed to exist between them. Regarding her gently, the pale furred senior warrior giving an awkward stretch to give her neck a bit of a break. Before long, however, the senior warrior was finishing her train of thought. "Until that time, I have been speaking with someone, who is willing to take you out for some training, if such a thing is your wish. Just let me know, Skunkpaw, and I'll get you a training session set up for tomorrow."
Smiling once more, Fallenleaf shifted again to bite into the prey her apprentice had brought her.
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Post by Fawn on Aug 21, 2013 17:09:07 GMT -5
Skunkpaw would've eaten six rabbits if it would curtail any potential awkward silences from forming between them, and give her an excuse not to say something terrifically stupid. Bending down to tear a piece for herself, in her haste she forgot about letting the injured party have the first bite, and perhaps paid for that mistake by nearly choking on the chunk of rabbit meat. Taken aback by Fallenleaf's apology, Skunkpaw coughed, dislodging the tough morsel from her throat, quickly chewing it properly and sending it down in one violent heartbeat. ”Oh, no, it's okay.” While yes it was true she hadn't been getting any training done at all, except for whatever Cricketleap tried to teach her, Skunkpaw felt uncomfortable accepting the apology of an injured cat.
Yes, just moments ago she'd been complaining of and blaming the she-cat, but Fallenleaf's kindness and overall motherly aura made Skunkpaw want to curl up in a ball and dwell upon those she had lost. It was an unusual but not totally unexpected situation with her mentor, in which somehow she had superimposed Minkfur onto Fallenleaf for a few heartbeats. Had it been Minkfur who had fallen off that cliff and survived, Skunkpaw would've never allowed her to apologize for being injured. To apologize for something that couldn't be helped.
It was true she didn't have a very close bond with her mentor, but Fallenleaf was of an age and gentility where Skunkpaw couldn't help but react to her like a daughter would to a mother. Well, sort of. It wasn't on purpose, and it wasn't anything she knew how to fix at the moment, if she even recognized what she'd unintentionally done. ”You can just rest. I'm fine.” As if to convince herself more of this than her mentor, Skunkpaw sat up, unable to pick at the rabbit further, a bright pink tongue roughly combing down the fur on her chest, fluffy black and white tail twitching at the tip, her gaze elsewhere.
When Fallenleaf broached the subject of her training by possibly finding her a temporary mentor, Skunkpaw once again felt the fur on her neck stiffen and her ears burn a little with an unusual kind of discomfort; the part of her that was cynical and eager to begin her training was willing to say yes immediately. But the smaller, more soft-natured part of the black and white kitten was worried of how Fallenleaf might feel. If she was given a temporary mentor to make up for Fallenleaf's incident, then wouldn't this likely be her first and last visit?
Skunkpaw could picture herself making all sorts of excuses not to drop by, to make herself busy by training with this other uninjured feline. Skunkpaw was so sure that she would forget or neglect Fallenleaf that she hesitated to answer, uncertainty plain in her eyes. I bet she's the kind of cat who would tell me to go train and not worry about her. It wasn't really in Skunkpaw's nature to be so concerned with other cats, not when those cats all had a habit of dying; but Fallenleaf's eerie similarities to her own mother left her caring whether she wanted to or not.
The kitten made a dry swallow, finally shaking her head though her heart was still pitching and heaving in confusion. ”No it's okay. I'll just wait until you're better. Ospreypaw's gonna become a warrior before I do anyway.” Skunkpaw managed another terrifically awkward smile, trying to lighten the mood and convince Fallenleaf of her decision. What with her brother's outgoing personality and self-sufficient nature, this was entirely correct.
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Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Aug 22, 2013 10:45:20 GMT -5
[smear:f3e471]Fallenleaf [/smear:f8c56a] ~~~~~~~~~
Watching her apprentice carefully, the older she-cat could feel the discomfort swelling around them, as though it were ready to choke them both right then and there. The fact that the little black and white apprentice felt so uncomfortable had the pale furred she-cat a little worried. Her pale yellow eyes never left her apprentice as Skunkpaw seemed once again trapped in her own mind, fighting herself to try and figure out exactly what she should say in that moment. The battle in itself was enough to tell Fallenleaf that there was a part of Skunkpaw who had wanted to accept the offer.
And yet, there was also guilt in doing so, which more than likely had Skunkpaw hesitating. Waiting patiently for her apprentice to reply, the senior warrior's tail tip twitched ever so slightly, the concern she felt still alive in her eyes. She could see the fur bristling slightly around Skunkpaw's neck, and though Fallenleaf would have given her a comforting touch had the situation been different, she found herself too far to reach the apprentice, and unable to move in order to do so. Forcing herself to be content with simply just watching her, Fallenleaf awaited a response.
When the reply was finally granted, the pale furred she-cat found herself frowning slightly, pale yellow eyes moving to her paws for a moment. The senior warrior was attempting to find the best way to approach the subject, not wanting to make her feel any more uncomfortable, but not exactly knowing how she could possibly do so. With a slight sigh, the senior warrior fixed her apprentice with a somewhat stern stare, almost like a mother would give her kit. "I would like you to reconsider the offer, Skunkpaw. Mull it over a bit, and then let me know your answer."
She instructed her, before slowly pulling herself into a more upright position. She could feel a slight protest coming from her side and shoulder, but she pushed it away for now, knowing it was probably just a stiffness. There was no direct pain, which told her this position couldn't be doing her that much harm. The injured warrior took another pensive bite of the prey Skunkpaw had brought her, chewing it carefully before it disappeared down her throat. Attention once more upon her young apprentice, Fallenleaf's jaws parted as words began to form on the tip of her tongue.
"Now Skunkpaw, I'm going to offer you two options. You can pick whichever one you like, and I will be pleased to go along with either one. Your first option is to come on closer and sit yourself down, and to tell me what has been plaguing your young mind. Such pensiveness should be reserved for us senior warriors and elders, not a young apprentice like yourself. You must learn to share your thoughts, for you will see, it feels better to get them off of your shoulders. Your second choice, if you do not feel like sharing, is to show me your hunter's crouch."
She might be injured, and it might be a little dimly lit in the medicine cat den, but that wouldn't stop her from training her apprentice if that is what the young she-cat wanted.
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Post by Fawn on Aug 22, 2013 15:52:29 GMT -5
She could sense immediately that Fallenleaf was about to go into a mood the moment the she-cat begun to sit up, and in the midst of worrying about the older she-cat straining herself, Skunkpaw couldn't help making note of how adults all seemed to do things like this. Whenever they want to lecture you or make a point, they suddenly sit up straighter and get that tone. Mom and Dad used to do that to Cricketleap and Badgerfang all the time. Not that she was of the age and cynicism receive that kind of attention, Skunkpaw wasn't surprised by it – more surprised by Fallenleaf's preposition than anything.
Talk about my feelings or show her my hunting crouch? That was an easy one. More willing to scrape rocks together than discuss anything that was on her mind, Skunkpaw backed up to find a more open section of the Medicine Cat's den, mindful of the herbs and other leafy bundles of indistinguishable things, careful not to tread on any of them. Performing under pressure had never been Skunkpaw's specialty, but it was with such relief that she willingly dropped into a hunting crouch – a little lower than was necessary, but she wasn't lacking enthusiasm – glancing over at Fallenleaf to see what she thought. ”Not bad...?”
She offered, not really the kind of cat who fished for compliments, in fact, she was usually quite hard on herself in almost every area of her life; wanting to please Fallenleaf, though, the black and white feline was more than welcome to receiving a proper critique of her hunting crouch, even from someone as injured as Fallenleaf. Skunkpaw hadn't really anticipated receiving warrior training inside of a Medicine Cat's den, but it was an experience at least none of the other apprentice had had, and she could claim some originality, some uniqueness to her apprenticeship experience that the others did not have.
It was nice, kind of, to know that Fallenleaf was still willing to try instead of just pass her off to Whatshisfur or Whoeversheis.
Dialog/Thoughts: 70f051
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Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Aug 24, 2013 21:57:56 GMT -5
[smear:f3e471]Fallenleaf [/smear:f8c56a] ~~~~~~~~~
The fact that her apprentice was so quick to choose the hunting crouch only cemented the suspicion the senior warrior had had in her mind. The avoidance of sharing feelings let the older she-cat know that there was something troubling Skunkpaw. But it also told her that whatever it was that was troubling the black and white she-cat, she wasn't yet ready to share it with her mentor. The only cure for that would be to give her time, and time was exactly what the pale furred, cream and white she-cat was willing to give her.
Turning her attention to Skunkpaw's position, Fallenleaf let her pale yellow eyes skim over the important points that needed to be covered. The change in her attitude was subtle, but for those who paid attention, they'd be able to see it. She lost a little bit of her warm, motherly attitude when she really dove into mentor mode, so to speak. Her pale eyes seemed a little bit harder, as though she were no longer simply looking at you, but was instead really assessing you, examining every bit of you to understand exactly what it was you needed to work on. She'd done this before, there was no question about that.
With a slow nod of her head, the StoneClan senior warrior answered her apprentice's semi-question. "Yes.. Not bad indeed. You have the right idea, and you have a good solid base down there. I can see how you would have managed to catch this rabit. Your crouch is sturdy, and functional, but I have something to tweak.. Something that'll make it easier on you in the long run." Pausing for a moment, the she-cat turned her gaze from Skunkpaw's body position, to meet the other she-cat's gaze with a reassuring smile dancing over her features.
"Without standing up, I want you to move your two front paws and your two back paws a little bit closer together. You're holding them a bit too wide, which makes you lower than necessary in comparison to the ground. We tell you that being low is good, but the way you're keeping yourself low is putting strain on your shoulders and your back. To ease that strain, see if you can pinpoint a position where you feel... Relaxed, almost like you could stay there forever. It might not feel natural when you first find it, and I'll tell you when you've found it, but keep practicing and you'll fall into it automatically."
With a flick of her ear, she continued, wrapping up her little speech of sorts. "If you can make this little adjustment, you'll also likely notice it will be easier on your movements. You'll be more agile on your paws, and more fluid in your strikes and leaps. Go ahead and give it a go. Move around as much as you can, stalk a little bit. I know there isn't much room in here, but if you think you can manage a pounce, show me one once you feel like you've found a good position."
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Post by Fawn on Aug 29, 2013 8:15:53 GMT -5
Even though her practice area was small, Skunkpaw felt her mood improve with the ability to begin training again - even if it was something as simple as a critique to her hunting crouch, the monochrome feline was gradually getting into better spirits, not allowed to be inside of her own head so much as she began more respondent to Fallenleaf and focused upon her improvements. Gradually pulling her her paws to make the necessary adjustments, the she-cat's splotched face quickly rearranged itself into a look of discomfort, clearly displaying that she had reached the part of her mentor's speech about it feeling somehow unnatural at first. This feels weird.
Intending to trust the older motherly figure - even in her injured state, Skunkpaw could admire Fallenleaf's resolve to train, and the gradual change in her being hadn't at all gone unnoticed - the stout apprentice began to stalk along the interior of Ivypaw's makeshift den, Skunkpaw's eyes darting to all the little herb piles and other stores in her efforts not to crush them. It wasn't completely successful, however, as the she-cat had to hold her tail a little higher than she would otherwise - and as such, a few leaves did get caught in the thick, ink-brush-like appendage, causing Skunkpaw to break her hunter's crouch and immediately remedy it.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have bothered to pick the leaves out of her tail - but they weren't just any leaves, these smelly things were crucial to somecat's health, and Skunkpaw, looking cross as she delicately tried to pick out things like borage and tansy, appeared already hard-set to not let anything go to waste due to her own clumsiness. "Sorry, Fallenleaf," mewed the orphan, her ears sideways as she plucked out another herbal leaf. "I'll be done in a heartbeat. Is there any way you can watch me practice my hunting crouch if I did it right in front of the den?"
Skunkpaw did not want the older feline straining herself, and it would extremely awkward to practice it in front of any Clanmates that so happened to pass by - anyone but Longpaw, please - but so was trying to stalk around a den that was filled with important things she shouldn't mess up.
For all her cynicism and 'I don't care' attitude, Skunkpaw really could be rather well-meaning, even if most of her Clanmates did completely bug her out of her skull.
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