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Post by Mutant on Feb 26, 2012 1:44:54 GMT -6
Cricketpaw  genius only comes along in storms of fabled foreign tongue[/center] Cricketpaw had known from the very beginning that he was not an ordinary case, and being treated as such was steadily growing old. He had risen that morning with a steady sense of purpose, and groomed the scraps of moss and bedding out of his sleek ginger fur more carefully than usual. Impressions were important- he had heard the warriors say so long ago, and things never left the young apprentice's head. Once they were in there, they stuck like flies in a web; sometimes their incessant buzzing drove him to near madness- it was so much to think about- but he could generally keep the maze of his exceptional mind charted. He had been born with this unusual mental prowess; he knew nothing else. His bright eyes flicked around camp. He had something over all of them, even the most senior of warriors- he had heard them discussing it in hushed voices over their fresh-kill, gossiping about the tiny cat whose sense of logic and reasoning had earned him recognition in the Clan before his first steps outside the nursery. They were always careful, though, to treat him just like every other apprentice- and although he knew it was well-intended, it frustrated him. If he was exceptional, why should he be treated as ordinary? He had no aversion to being different; if it meant being alienated from the other young cats in the Clan, so be it- he found them dull company anyway, always going on about their simple games and bragging about cheap success in training sessions. The young cat cast a disdainful look at the apprentice den as he wove through the camp, headed calmly and confidently in the direction of Tigerstar's den.
He padded straight up to the entrance of his leader's home, aware that a few pairs of eyes had turned to watch him with confusion and uncertainty. Young apprentices did not usually invite themselves to confer with the Clan leader, but Cricketpaw was certainly not going to lie around waiting for the summons.
"Tigerstar? Could I have a word? he called. He curled his lip at the sound of his own voice- so small and weak, so unfitting. It would change with time, but for now, the limitations of his body were a constant source of frustration. |
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Post by Shizuka on Mar 1, 2012 21:10:29 GMT -6
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Howlingwind placed heavy paws gently upon melting snow, the dripping of melting snow nearly enough to make a cat go insane. Never the less, however, he remained focused on his goal, a foolish mouse unable to help its impatience for the coming of spring, and straying from its hole for just a peek. To Howlingwind's great relief, the bits of forest already melted of snow were a soaked dark brown, allowing him to blend into his background perfectly as he picked his way carefully around the greatly contrasting drifts of pure white blinding snow.
It was morning, but morning was the time when the creatures of the forest probably, he predicted, most risked the chances of encountering a cat to come out of their reclusive dens, as if they expected cats to be lazy and sleep the morning away, and prowl around at night. Too bad for this unfortunate mouse, for Howlingwind was an early riser, being deputy and having to make sure his duties always get finished. The rest of the dawn patrol was about also, gathering the growing produce of the forest with leaf-bare fading away with every breath.
It took only a single swipe of his massive paw to dispatch the mouse into unconsciousness, then the close of his powerful jaws upon the mouse's tiny fragile spine to send him to mouse Starclan. At this thought, Howlingwind wondered if the Starclan cats in Starclan hunted the souls of the mice that the Clan cats hunted in the forest. Well, even if it were so, it'd be all the greater for each mouse we catch. Howlingwind thought, sighing with satisfaction as he brought the mouse and his other catches into the camp.
After Howlingwind placed his catch onto the growing fresh-kill pile, he heard the young Cricketpaw's small voice called out boldly from the direction of Tigerstar's den. Now what could the little big-headed genius be up to now? Howlingwind thought sarcastically. Coming up behind the ginger apprentice, but slowly so as not to surprise Cricketpaw, he padded up to Cricketpaw in front of Tigerstar's den. "Hello Cricketpaw. What might Thunderclan's young genius be up to, disturbing our leader this fine morning?" Howlingwind meowed jokingly. He was well aware of Cricketpaw's talented mind, and encouraged Cricketpaw to be well aware of his talent as well, but he also hoped that Cricketpaw would learn to find humbleness, honor and respect in his actions.
ooc: xD
words: 404 
muse: I'm forcing my muse today
tags: Cricketpaw, Tigerstar
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Post by Tygerz on Mar 6, 2012 21:43:12 GMT -6
((Muse. Why you dead. ;~  ) Tigerstar sat in her den, carefully grooming her dark goldenrod fur, the black tabby stripes sharply accenting it. Her tail swayed contentedly, while an ear turned towards her den entrance as she heard small paws coming near. A small voice came through the veil of plant life that covered the entrance, and her ears perked with curiosity when she recognized the voice. The intelligent young apprentice. Odd, because apprentices rarely ventured towards her when she was in here. This made her curious, actually. Soon after, she heard the strong voice of Howlingwind, her deputy, as well as Cricketpaw's mentor. She sat up and groomed down a tuft of chest fur before calling out to them. "Come in, come in. What can I help you with?" she mewed, smiling at them.
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Post by Mutant on Mar 7, 2012 0:52:13 GMT -6
Cricketpaw genius only comes along in storms of fabled foreign tongue[/center] The young cat paused for a moment, unsure how to proceed. He certainly didn't want to offend his mentor; it wasn't Howlingwind's fault that his case was so different, and he knew that the deputy was doing all he could to give him an acceptable education in the workings of Clan life. It would be more than enough for any other apprentice, but Cricketpaw needed more. He was bored with hunting; mice and voles were so simple-minded. He had stalked a rat once, and that had been a challenge- a shrewd, thoughtful being it had been, and it had almost escaped his claws. It stunk of ShadowClan, so he had guessed that it had come over the border. They had lots of rats there, according to the other cats- not that he had ever for himself. It was so frustrating! There was so much out there, but they were all confined to this scrap of land. He gave his head a shake, casting aside the thought. He needed to focus on the task at hand.
Jerking his tail in motion for Howlingwind to follow, Cricketpaw entered the den and nodded respectfully at his leader. "I hope you've had a good morning, Tigerstar," he mewed cordially, taking a seat by the entrance, being sure to leave space for his mentor to sit beside him. "Howlingwind, I'm glad you came around. I wanted to go straight to Tigerstar with this, but it's better that you're involved."
He paused. The wording would be difficult- how could he do this without sounding arrogant? If he sounded full of himself, he would never be taken seriously. He was silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts before speaking with a clarity that was unusual for a cat of his age.
"It's no secret that I'm a bit of an odd case," he said. "I don't intend to demean the other apprentices in ThunderClan, but I'm aware that I was born blessed with a certain gift. There is no sense in denying that I'm different from the rest of them, from anyone in the Clan really, and I've been wondering if, due to my unique circumstances, a different sort of training is in order- some sort of special training, maybe, designed to sharpen the talents that I was born with. I feel that I could better serve my Clan if the training were more suited to my individual abilities, given the unique nature of them."
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Post by Shizuka on Mar 18, 2012 17:44:46 GMT -6
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Howlingwind waited as the young apprentice seemed to pause for a moment. But Howlingwind simply was patient as he allowed Cricketpaw to think through his actions before making any decisions. Then Cricketpaw jerked his gigner tail for Howlingwind to follow, and the deputy, after a brief moment of consideration, followed with a nod to Cricketpaw. Howlingwind came into Tigerstar's den after his apprentice and dipped his head to their leader. "Greetings, Tigerstar. Please forgive our intrusion. It appears Cricketpaw needs to speak with you." He meowed politely. He took a seat beside his apprentice. "What is it that is on your mind, Cricketpaw?" He encouraged Cricketpaw to continue. The apprentice paused again to think, and Howlingwind again waited for his response.
Howlingwind tilted his head thoughtfully. "It is well known that even at your young age, Starclan has blessed you with the maturity and intellect of a wise adult. However, even you have to train to become stronger in combat and hunting; the major duties of a warrior and soon to be warrior. What sort of special training do you think is required to suit your individual abilities?" Howlingwind asked, giving Cricketpaw another chance to use his intellect to come up with a solution. Howlingwind remained calm and open to Cricketpaw's opinion, knowing full well that Cricketpaw most likely had some idea in mind.
ooc: Sorry for the delay >.<
words: 223
muse: Finally managed to get enough muse to do this...
tags: Cricketpaw, Tigerstar
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Post by Tygerz on Mar 20, 2012 22:48:34 GMT -6
Tigerstar watched and listened to the two, ear flicking as Howlingwind answered Cricketpaw's question just as she would have. She did wonder why the apprentice hadn't gone to his mentor first. Being the deputy, Howlingwind would have come to her with the question had he thought it required action. And as it stood now, she was just watching what probably would have happened if Cricketpaw had gone to his mentor. Well, this way she could take out the relaying. But still, that's what mentors were for. "Exactly." she mewed, to show her agreement with Howlingwind and his question. She would ask why later. maybe they were having a disagreement? If so, she didn't want to embarrass the apprentice.
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Post by Mutant on Mar 21, 2012 0:18:33 GMT -6
Cricketpaw genius only comes along in storms of fabled foreign tongue[/center] The apprentice raised his head. This was an important question; if he stumbled here, it would show a lack of thought put into the situation- something that certainly was not a problem. He had gone over it a thousand times in his head, working out exactly what he wanted.
"Of course, I am not asking to be exempt from the normal training routine. Learning to hunt and fight are important for me to be a fully functional member of the Clan. I hope to take on more than that, though- I think it would be wasting my abilities to not hone them the best way I can. This is an unusual request for such a young apprentice- I may well be overstepping my bounds here, but I would like to be included in the discussion that the senior warriors have. I would like to eat with them and be involved in their discussion of strategy." He paused, considering his next words very carefully. He could easily end up insulting the other apprentices. Big deal, in his opinion; they were empty-headed kits, the lot of them, but he couldn't exactly say that to his mentor and Clan leader. He made steady eye contact with Tigerstar, straightening his shoulders as he spoke.
"The other apprentices are good company, a promising group of young cats, but I do not have much to talk about with them. They are experiencing something between kithood and adulthood that I don't have any desire to participate in. I feel as though I could connect more with warriors, and my suggestions and ideas might be taken more seriously in their company. In short- I would like to keep the status of apprenticeship, but the company of warriors. I want to have a voice in the Clan beyond what a normal apprentice has. I feel that it's the best way I can help the Clan." He paused, gauging their reactions and giving them a chance to speak. He wanted to see where they stood on the issue before getting more specific.
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Post by Shizuka on Mar 21, 2012 20:17:41 GMT -6
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Howlingwind waited again as the apprentice raised his head. This must have been an important decision to make for Cricketpaw, personally, so Howlingwind was sure that the young tom had a good reason to back up such a favor. Howlingwind was sure that Cricketpaw knew exactly what he wanted. The young tom had the wits of an adult. There was no doubt that Cricketpaw had planned out this meeting.
Howlingwind nodded. "I understand." He glanced at Tigerstar. "I know this young apprentice shows potential to be a great aid to the clan, and I don't doubt that his bright mind could be a great addition in our strategic meetings." He meowed confidently, comfortingly brushing Cricketpaw's shoulder with his tail.
"What do you think, Tigerstar?" Howlingwind asked with a smile. Honestly, he was proud of his apprentice for wanting to use his talents for the good of the clan. He was sure that Tigerstar must have understood too. He gave an encouraging smile to Cricketpaw. "Besides, if at any time you have something to add to the conversation, or even an opinion to put in the Clan matters, Tigerstar and I will be happy to hear from you."
ooc:
words: 195!
muse:
tags: Cricketpaw, Tigerstar
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Post by Tygerz on Mar 24, 2012 18:22:13 GMT -6
"Hmm." Tigerstar didn't reply right away. Cricketpaw was very intelligent, and personally she had no problems with his request. It seemed reasonable. Her only concern was that she didn't know if the senior warriors would really pay him any mind, even if she told them too. They could be pretty stubborn, and she didn't want this to be a big ordeal if they weren't very enthusiasitic about letting an apprentice in on those things. But at the same time, she didn't want to deny Cricketpaw's request. " Well, I have no problems with it... but some of the senior warriors may not like it. I can't guarantee they will accept you very well." she said. |
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Post by Mutant on Mar 28, 2012 0:10:21 GMT -6
Cricketpaw genius only comes along in storms of fabled foreign tongue[/center] The young cat gazed determinedly at his leader with clear green eyes, ignoring the tail brush and gentle smile from Howlingwind. He appreciated the fact that his mentor was being supportive, but that sort of gentle care wasn't what he wanted or needed. What he needed was honesty to the point of brutality, if it was truth. He appreciated Tigerstar's comment more- the Clan leader was right; the senior warrios would not like having an apprentice around them. Not at first, in any case. Cricketpaw wasn't overly concerned about them. He could deal with the hushed voices behind his back, or even direct challenges. He wasn't looking to make friends; there was some destiny in him, he knew it. There was something he needed to do, something beyond the role of a regular warrior, and training as a regular apprentice would not prepare him for it. He could feel it in his bones, and Cricketpaw was not a cat who often listened to vague instinct; hard fact and logic was what he cared about. He didn't care if the other warriors liked him, and he could earn their respect. He drew a paw thoughtfully over his face before speaking again, with a confidence that some warriors could barely muster when addressing their leader.
"If you make them accept me, Tigerstar, even begrudgingly, I can make them respect me," he said, his voice strong and self-assured. The meeting was going well; Tigerstar and Howlingwind had needed less convincing than he had planned for. Perhaps he had already earned some respect. He was still young, but his rational thinking was already quite valued on patrol. He had never been shy about voicing his opinion before, and now, with direct permission from his leader to take on more of a role in decision-making, he would certainly not be getting any quieter. |
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Post by Shizuka on Apr 6, 2012 19:30:48 GMT -6
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Howlingwind nodded, and chuckled softly. "I'm sure they'll come to respect you for your great mind, besides, don't you like to chat with the senior warriors more than the apprentices anyway? I don't see a reason why they won't feel the same way." He said, indicating the way that he and Tigerstar had come to respect the young ginger apprentice for his great intellect.
Howlingwind flicked his large, pointed wolf-like ear when a fly tried to land on it. Someone like Cricketpaw, a true genius, was rare indeed, and wisdom is power. Howlingwind wondered then if Cricketpaw might want to become a leader? Not in an ambitious way, no, Cricketpaw wasn't like that. Howlingwind even thought that Cricketpaw might make a good deputy and possibly leader. He was just proud of his apprentice for using his genius mind for only good.
ooc: :3
words: 141
muse: digging up muse
tags: Cricketpaw, Tigerstar
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Post by Tygerz on Apr 21, 2012 20:28:54 GMT -6
Tigerstar nodded, a slight smile on her maw. "As you as you are aware of that fact, then all should go well." she said, voice strong and proud to have such an apprentice. She didn't really expect him to get upset if they didn't accept him right away, but it seemed like her job to warn him of such things. Actually, she imagined it could be somewhat interesting to see how he overcame the stubborn nature of some of her more senior warriors. Cricketpaw would probably see it as a challenge, and for someone with a mind like his he probably loved a challenge. "I will speak to them about it, and I'm sure Howlingwind would be happy to help spread the word as well?" she formed her sentence into a question and glanced at her deputy, who would surely be able to help. The thought crossed her mind of announcing it and making it quick. It would surely be the fastest way to deal with any who disagreed, but she didn't want to make this a bigger deal then it had to be. It would be easier to try and make it a simple transition.
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Post by Mutant on Apr 26, 2012 8:50:02 GMT -6
Cricketpaw genius only comes along in storms of fabled foreign tongue[/center]
Cricketpaw dipped his head respectfully. "Whatever you think is the best way to do it, I'm willing to go along with you," he said. He straightened and looked around at his mentor and leader, unsure of where to go next. He had accomplished his goal- he hadn't really considered how to dismiss himself. He wrapped his tail tight around his front paws, waiting for one of them to make a move first, when he heard paws scuffling around in the fallen leaves outside. He would recognize those heavy steps anywhere; funny that his brother was named after such a delicate bird- he moved like a badger. Finchpaw was pacing outside the leader's den, no doubt waiting to hear the news. Finchpaw had known for days that Cricketpaw intended to talk to Tigerstar; he always knew what his brother was planning. The two were unusually close for siblings- especially such different siblings. There was a softness in Cricketpaw that only came out for Finchpaw, and he flicked one ear back to listen to him as he plodded around outside.
"My brother's waiting for me," he said, a rare expression of fond contentment crossing his face. He shuffled his front paws. "If we're done discussing this, should I go hunt with him?"
He looked to his mentor for permission, tail whisking slowly back and forth over the earthy floor of Tigerstar's den.
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