Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Sept 25, 2022 21:19:58 GMT -6
HONEYFLARE It was a nice greenleaf morning, fortunately enough, and even more relieving, Honeyflare had managed to wake himself up without needing Tinyleaf to fetch him like a slacking apprentice. Though, I guess, maybe if Tinyleaf had an apprentice, this is what they'd be doing, he pondered as his paws blindly followed his temporary mentor to an ideal place for their arboreal training. Honeyflare's pale golden gaze drifted through the verdant overcast of bold leaves treated kindly by the hotter seasons. Maybe the patched cat in front of him should have been a tree, the way the greenleaf.. leaves.... reflected the tom's bright green eyes. Maybe he needed the sun like they did. Night patrol might make him wilt if he took it. That didn't make sense. Suddenly aware that he was in his own head instead of listening to Tinyleaf - if Tinyleaf indeed said anything - or even paying attention to where he was going, Honeyflare straightened up slightly as the world came into a forced clarity. Too many things were in focus now, from the shine of the sun to the sound of dragonfly wings. Okay, time to hone it in. “So, what's the first step, again?,” he asked awkwardly, trying to place his focus where it was needed - on Tinyleaf. He didn't realize how badly he wanted to get this whole thing right, and now it was making him... get things wrong. “Sorry, I don't think I was really awake 'till now. I guess I'm not really used to doing things outside of training and patrolling yet.” |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98 
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Sept 27, 2022 16:01:18 GMT -6
"No need to be sorry!" For all the time he'd spent tossing and turning with excitement for the coming morning, Tinyleaf didn't appear any less well rested than usual. If anything, there was an extra pep to his step as he'd led the other out into the woodland speckling the Sunclan training grounds, without even a trace of lethargy to slow him from slithering up the nearest trunk in eager example before descending just as swiftly to give Honeyflare a closer examination. Although his claws ached to cling back into the spongy bark and feel it run along his chest with every drag upwards, it was important to take it slow. While he'd never been blessed with the honor of mentoring an apprentice, a soft, secret part of him wondered if this was his chance to put that inexperience to the test. Although, his clanmate was anything but a 'paw nowadays! But even older cats can learn new tricks. Being a true warrior meant you were never really done learning and improving, after all. "Training and patrolling are a warrior's main duties, after all. But we can consider this a little bit of both, since it'll help supplement those skills! Now, I'll show you the key to a smooth ascension."
Sitting back on his haunches, Tinyleaf placed his now free paws along the rough wood of the tree trunk he'd selected for them. Not too dry, not one of those flaky types... a dense, deep wood that made for easy gripping. Sliding his claws out of their sheathes, he flexed the tips gently into the nooks and crannies of the veined bark layer, just enough to prick the curved ends inwards until he felt the snug pressure of the young tissue beneath. "So," he mewed, keeping his claws hooked in while he peered towards Honeyflare. "It's easy for any cat to climb when they have to. We were born with claws for a reason! But just because you can climb up by your own instincts doesn't mean there's still not a better, smarter method to follow. Trees are very complex! They have all kinds of parts, just like us. When you anchor your paws, you'll want to make sure you're not only positioned correctly, but that you're gripping the right part of the tree. Come over and try- I want to see what your method looks like!" Although it was easy to just reach up and grab a tree, starting positions were everything. How a cat first anchored could set the pace for the entire rest of the climb, and there was no worse danger than tearing a claw or losing grip by going at it too viciously or too meekly.
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Sept 29, 2022 0:25:39 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« There certainly seemed to be more to tree climbing than Honeyflare had anticipated. Method? He hadn't climbed very much, he didn't have a method- oh, but, maybe that was the point. To see what his instincts were like. With a deep breath, he lifted up his forepaws. What he did know in just about every other aspect of training was how important balance was. He tried to keep his paws just far enough to optimize his balance, a mimicry of how they might be in an optimal ground position made vertical, but not so far that it'd be uncomfortable. It kind of made him think of the few battles he'd been in where he dangled on his opponent. He tucked that thought away in case it was useful later. Once comfortable with the position of his paws, he unsheathed his claws. The visual remained in his mind. He wouldn't want to fall off the tree, right? He clung to it for safety. As if just now remembering Tinyleaf - though the knowledge he was being watched was something that never truly left Honeyflare, even while alone - he turned quickly to gauge the tom's opinion. “Is this okay?” |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Oct 4, 2022 18:38:26 GMT -6
As Honeyflare's claws sunk in, casual and unfettered, Tinyleaf watched with similar ease, not wanting to put the other on the spot! Still, his expression couldn't help but sharpen with an uncharacteristic focus as he honed in on the other tom's positioning- Taking advantage of the bark texture, adequate pressure, good paw placement- and grew thoughtful, whiskers twitching as he spoke aloud. "Looks pretty good to me! You're a natural at finding your place, huh? I notice you cling a little tighter.. but for a cat of your size, it's balanced! My only thought..." He leaned in from where he clutched his own side of the tree, pointing his muzzle to the other's left limb. "..is that the way you are now, you need to be careful you're not clawing too deep! Because as much as you need pressure to keep your weight up, too much pressure in the wrong place... could let brittle bark snap away beneath you! And then you'd be in real trouble!"
Withdrawing his muzzle, Tinyleaf gave a wiggle of the haunches, and promptly leapt up against the trunk to poise a half tail higher, now braced against the tree in his entirety where he'd started the climb. Experimentally, he unclenched one paw from its position, and waved it meaningfully at the tabby he had finally ascended above. "It's like this!" Moving his paw to and fro, he felt about before anchoring back onto a divot in the tree. "I know that in a hurry, you can't always watch your step, but don't let ledge bark fool you! Outer layers might look like stepping stones, but they snap off easy. If you have the time to watch your step, you'll want to go for concave spots instead! Even if it's harder than just grabbing the outer pieces that surround those dips, they're much more secure. You won't ever come loose without wanting to!"
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Oct 5, 2022 16:36:09 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« There was a low level temptation to test those words. It felt a little cruel, though, to break off the bark just to sate his own curiosity, so Honeyflare opted to ignore that impulse and instead take Tinyleaf's words to heart. Not necessarily something Honeyflare was skilled at, but for tree climbing? He could manage. Instead, he watched carefully at the now ascended warrior above him. Unprying his left claws from the bark - oop, there it goes, guess Tinyleaf was right about that - he began to follow the pawing around process Tinyleaf had just demonstrated. With the assistance of freshly fallen bark, it didn't take very long for him to find a dip in the bark to insert his claws into. “Like this?” ... thought not far, would Tinyleaf even be able to really tell from his squirrel-like position? With a level of hesitance, he gestured up with his tail, not wanting to lose his paws' positioning. “Oh - should I... join you up there?” The best way to learn was to do, right? |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Oct 6, 2022 13:08:41 GMT -6
For all his present wordiness, Tinyleaf had the courtesy not to say anything when the bark beneath Honeyflare's paw dropped away with a crispy crackle, although his eyes did follow after it in a sharp, dipping glance. Wouldn't want that to be him! The thought of losing his clanmate to an unfortunate fracture... Well, there was no need to think about that! Bad thoughts beckon bad things! Half a ward and half a response to the other cat's correction, he swayed his tail in a lazy flick. "Looks great from here! Come on up, I'll see it up close and personal." With his chirped instructions, he shifted slightly in his grasp of the tree, oscillating the dominant grip from paw to paw as his arms began to tire slightly of the exercise. But then, tired muscles was a sure sign of worthwhile training! Well, for him, anyway. Maybe the tabby might think differently..?
"Be sure to let me know if you need to drop back for a moment. It's easier for squirrels to hang up than us, so we can take a break whenever you'd like!" Blinking kindly, Tinyleaf nonetheless remained stuck in one place. Then, stretching his neck to stare vertically up the trunk, he assessed the wood ahead of them to begin mapping out the closest branches to proceed with. "We could even rest up there, if you're ready for the real challenge."
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Oct 8, 2022 0:43:44 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« “I do love a challenge,” he called up, eyes following after Tinyleaf's gaze. He'd been told he himself was a challenging cat. It worked out that way. With a quick but deep breath of self encouragement, he mimicked Tinyleaf's movement to propel himself upward, quickly catching his claws in the divots as he had previously been instructed. The new weight of keeping himself upright was jarring but, he reasoned, he'd done it before. There just wasn't as much adrenaline going as when he'd clung to the fox all those moons ago. It was sort of interesting to note the difference in a moment where he'd been granted the clarity of life outside combat. He'd been fortunate enough to have caught the divots where he spotted them, maintaining his balance and succeeding - this time - in mimicking the grip with which he'd demonstrated earlier back on ground level. “So, when we climb up all the way up there- is there anything else we have to keep in mind?” With a brief glance at his paws before returning his eyes to Tinyleaf, he gestured vaguely at the tree. “When you leap onto the tree like that, do you just sort of have to get lucky to grab a good spot? Or are you good at spotting where to go from ground level?” |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Oct 12, 2022 14:10:57 GMT -6
As his temporary student advanced up the trunk, Tinyleaf's face brightened in another instance of delighted approval. As spry as a squirrel! Perhaps Honeyflare wouldn't need any further lessons after today- he seemed to move along the bark as if he were born from it! Considering the next question, his tail curled where it dangled, the tom peeking up at the tree where he hung idly. "Hmm... That's a good question! Honestly, that's where experience comes in. Different types of trees have different patterns of bark, so.. it depends on how familiar you are with the tree you're climbing!" Although he was just a warrior, young and battle trained with no knowledge of all the secret names that medic's got to learn for all the trees in the territories, Sunclan was sparse enough in forest to garner a pretty intimate grasp on what trees existed and how they differed. After all, there were only so many, as opposed to Moonclan grounds. He didn't have to know every name of every plant to be able to see what made them special. However, right here, in what was meant to be a teaching moment... it became somewhat inconvenient. Names, names..
"Oh!" Tilting his head, he peered around the trunk at Honeyflare. "It's like... there's birch trees, I think, nearer the mountains. They have very smooth wood, without many places to grab at all. It makes climbing them the most complicated. As you climb, you begin to recognize which trees are best as starters, and you'll come to understand how the wood is laid out. This one is very scaly, with lots of intercrossed stripes... so you can both spot plenty of places to hold, as well as eventually memorizing the general pattern. All trees of this type will have this bark, even if arranged slightly differently. As for climbing up... Well, we'll just get to the base of the crown, where most of the big branches meet. It forms a nice foundation!"
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Oct 16, 2022 20:02:25 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« Tentatively, he rubbed his nose against the bark in examination - far too nervous to risk upsetting his balance by hanging on by one paw like Tinyleaf had done previously - examining the scaly patterns as Tinyleaf described it. Not so geometric and perfect in the way that honeycomb formed a pattern, but it formed an irregular sort of repetition. Scales that were very much the same in a number of ways, but different, making up the tree and protecting its innards. I wonder, he thought idly, if we're meant to be like this bark. The Clans... were they the trees? ... well, it was too early for that sort of abstract thought. He pulled his mind back to his increasingly tiring limbs. A playful thought popped in his mind, bringing about a wave of his perpetually puffed tail. “Hey, before gravity drags us back down to the ground, how about we make getting up there a race, then? Kind of like an assessment.” One where the prize was mutual - giving their limbs a rest from dangling. |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Oct 18, 2022 2:10:18 GMT -6
"Oh?" As much as an acknowledgement as it was meant to be, it remained a haphazard detour from the huh underlying it. An assessment? All things considered, it seemed a bit soon to be pulling things like tests on his sunskimmed student, just shy of the dawnlight. Races meant going fast, meant being daring, meant acting on survival instincts without anything to survive for. Going vertically, it could be a recipe for disaster, the kind of thing that sent cats falling into the snapping maw of a waiting fox. In this case, it could be cause for a nasty scrape at best and a twisted paw at worst.
The clammy heat of an adrenaline rush puffed Tinyleaf's tail, eyes crinkling in good-hearted ambition as his claws flexed that little more tight into the wood. "Better move with a flame at your flank, then." In a burst of speed, he began a clamber up the trunk, claiming an immediate advantage over the cat now left below (d11). It was hardly to slight the other- Honeyflare must be so certain of himself, there's nothing to worry about! He's so much braver than me! He'd have to provide quite the challenge to satiate a clanmate of that caliber. After all, assessments didn't wait till you were ready for them to start.
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Oct 28, 2022 0:52:05 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« The tone of Tinyleaf's brief acknowledgement of his suggestion - challenge? - had briefly made Honeyflare wonder if it had been too bold. Too brash, too hasty - it made it all the more reinvigorating for him whenever Tinyleaf chimed back his own playful challenge as he progressed up above. Grinning with friendly competition, Honeyflare narrowed his gaze on the bark above him trying to sort out the best path so he'd make a good opponent for his teacher. “I can do better than just a flame,” he called playfully, initiating his own ascent. The speed and efficiency with which he was able to close the gap between them surprised Honeyflare, but now wasn't the time to worry about that. Catching up wasn't ever enough in a race or chase of any kind. With the burning in his limbs and his spirit, he clawed his way half a tail-length ahead of Tinyleaf, a feat he'd celebrate when they got to the end of their race. Before then, though, he'd just have to keep his focus on claiming victory. |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Nov 5, 2022 13:37:59 GMT -6
The blunt sound of scratches, a harsher sound than the prickle of squirrel claws, resonated through the tree, meeting the pads of Tinyleaf's determined paws. The vibrations sent a clear message, giving away Honeyflare's motions up the trunk and betraying his new position.. just upwards of the other warrior's curious whiskers! So fast! But the tom had little time to marvel at his rival's magnificence. There was a competition afoot! Sharply aware of Honeyflare's location, Tinyleaf clambered forth, claws digging more aggressively at the bark in grappling maneuvers he normally reserved for most frantic of prey chases! The cuts at the tender wood beneath the crusty bark outcrops released the scent of the tree's lifeblood, something dry and smoky that made his nose twitch pleasantly as he kicked his way up to close the distance between himself and the noise of the other warrior's advances.
Before he knew it, just about even with Honeyflare in his scramble for the win (d18), the neck of the tree presented itself before them both, the focal point of the crown which all branches would extend from. The vast spread of leaves, some dipping just low enough from the crown's base to tickle at Tinyleaf's orange ears, was even more beautiful up close! In a final vie for victory, the newfound appreciation for autumn's grace filling his heart with determination, he sprung for landing zone!
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Loners
eau de résistance
Posts: 95
Pronouns: He/Him
Played By: VioCrow
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Post by Honeyflare on Nov 12, 2022 8:27:30 GMT -6
»»——— Honeyflare ———«« The thumping of his heart grew louder and louder as he noticed Tinyleaf’s approach, every scrape of claws igniting a new wave of adrenaline to ripple through Honeyflare’s body, the cushion of the tree’s crown taunting him like the beacon of the moon in the night. No one would fault him for losing this inconsequential race, except perhaps to tease him for having suggested it. Tinyleaf was more experienced after all, the teacher in this scenario, and Honeyflare was still getting a feel for arboreal navigation. Really, there shouldn’t be any competition - but it would be a lie to say that Honeyflare wasn’t a competitive cat. The burn of the need to prove himself, to win yet another self imposed pressure, and cats like Tinyleaf always win anyway-The thought was like lightning, striking a cold sense of guilt amongst the fires of competition and adrenaline. Tinyleaf didn’t deserve any of his ire. Still, it was that very guilt that drove his paws forward with more desperation than even Honeyflare had anticipated. It was hardly more than a whisker-length, it had to be, and yet- yet, suddenly, there he was. Throwing himself back into the horizontal orientation he was accustomed to on the ground into the nestled branches of the tree, just mere moments before Tinyleaf could get to that same position. It almost didn’t register. Like a strike from enemy paws that would steal the breath out of a cat’s lungs, the impact of a narrowly achieved victory left Honeyflare panting and stunned, before turning his dazed golden gaze to Tinyleaf. |
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SunClan
i stop to smell the roses; my body decomposes
Posts: 98
Pronouns: he/him
Played By: rubykh
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Post by Tinyleaf on Nov 20, 2022 2:10:28 GMT -6
Safe!
As Tinyleaf crossed over the final threshold between the vertical and horizontal, slithering like a squirrel's tail onto the tree's base, his eyes immediately darted to note Honeyflare's position.. just across from him. Across from him? Then.. Well, that could only mean he'd gotten there second! Now that he thought about it, just shy of the finish line, he'd heard the scrabble of hind claws striking an edge; it sounded different than the scrape against a level surface, different from Honeyflare's vertical climbing. Although it'd been so close enough that he'd nearly missed it.. it must have been the tabby's dismount that Tinyleaf had heard. Right before me!
Green met gold before the little warrior's pelt fluffed out delightedly, puffed up in pleasant surprise! "Wow! You beat me like it was nothing!" Although he had a similar degree of breathlessness in the exclamation, Honeyflare panted all the harder. It was obvious he'd worked hard for the victory! I guess Honeyflare's the perfect cat to teach, if he's already so nimble on bark! Although he'd only been a mentor a mere few minutes, Tinyleaf was already awash in the proud glow of a teacher witnessing their student's graduation. "You've surpassed me already.. I'm impressed! You're the kind of cat who shouldn't be taken lightly!" Licking over a tuft of his chest fur in satisfied leisure, he dislodged a scrap of lichen from where it'd snagged onto his pelt during his close climb. Then, beaming back at the winning party, he straightened up to dip his head in dramatized acknowledgement. "I accept my defeat.. for now!" With such a swift learner in his paws, it seemed he had plenty to learn from his clanmate as well, who'd accomplished the challenge with every breath geared towards unparalleled completion! With every loss came a chance to improve, and now was no exception. Seeing Honeyflare best him, with only a partial lesson for context... it was.. inspiring! Next time, I'll push till I'm gasping for air, too!
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