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Zuko-Kitty — Watercolor | Swiftpaw
Published: 2017-02-26 18:33:49 +0000 UTC; Views: 452; Favourites: 23; Downloads: 0
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PendulumRelated content
Comments: 26
due to failure in participating in the seasonal activity check, swiftpaw is now listed as MISSING, and cannot be drawn, roleplayed, or engaged with in the group until he has recovered.
to recover, simply submit an activity check before january 1st - otherwise, he will be listed as DECEASED, something that he cannot recover from !
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The spotted gray tomcat sat on a ledge of granite overlooking the lake below, his gray-green eyes half-closed with contentedness. Nice, cool day. He closed his eyes and raised his chin, his body leaning against the breeze. The weather was always harsher, more intense here. It made sense, though. CliffClan was set at a higher altitude along the foothills of the mountains. He blinked open his eyes again, enjoying the quiet.
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Swiftpaw was making his way down the rocky slopes, trailing after the scent of a mouse. He stopped though, scenting something else instead of his intended catch. Looking around carefully, Swiftpaw barely spotted Coalpaw- the other apprentice blending in with the sharp greys almost perfectly. Smiling, Swiftpaw paw over to talk with the other. "Hey, Coalpaw!" he greeted, sliding down a small slope to get to the grey tom.
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Coalpaw blinked out of his reverie and half-turned, looking over his shoulder, as the brown tabby tomcat known as Swiftpaw half-skidded, half-trotted down a small slope to greet him. He sighed and put on a small smile as he stood in turn, dipping his head in a quick, wordless greeting. "Morning, Swiftpaw," he said as the tabby tom sidled up to him. "What are you up to today?" The warm gray tomcat's tail twitched back and forth every so often.
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Swiftpaw smiled back, tail swishing. "Not much, I've been out hunting since one of the queens asked for some mice since her kits are ready to try prey," he answered, looking to where he left off. His blue eyes looked back to Coalpaw, "What have you been up to? I don't see you very often since my mentor stepped up my training," the apprentice asked, ears drooping slightly.
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"Ah, catch anything?" he queried, cocking a brow almost mischievously. He wasn't sure where Swiftpaw stood as far as training went. Whether he was advanced or a little slow on the uptake. Either way, did it really matter? The spotted tomcat got to his paws and stretched, leaning his torso just a hair-length from the ground and arching his spine sharply toward the sky before shaking himself out. He parted his jaws and allowed a small yawn to pass his lips before twitching his jaws back into place. "Me?" Coalpaw frowned. "Just some training." Most training came naturally to him, except the battle techniques. Dodging and avoiding attacks was instinctive and easy for him, but raising a paw and getting wrestled into the ground wasn't what he had in mind. "I'm best at hunting, tracking, and stealth so far. And you?"
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"Yeah, I caught a few mice and a small bird, actually," Swiftpaw replied, looking a little proud. "I started only a little bit ago, so those catches are pretty good for me," the apprentice stated, glad that it seemed luck was on his side. While he tried, it seemed that hunting and stealth just weren't his forte. While he could sometimes do it well, Swiftpaw was just too impulsive to be patient and wait- almost always blowing his cover.
At Coalpaw's question, the tom paused. "Well," he started, thinking it over. "I've done really well in combat so far, I'm faster than my opponents and my mentor says I have good instinct." Swiftpaw told the other apprentice, ear flicking away a small raindrop. "Other than battle though, it seems I'm ok with tactics and teamwork."
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The brown tabby tomcat looked pleased, his eyes glittering, his chin raising slightly, as he meowed, "Yeah, I caught a few mice and a small bird, actually." Coalpaw knew a bit about each of his fellow apprentices, usually lurking within earshot within their mentors, since he had a tendency to hang around older cats rather than cats his own age. He preferred to hear the wisdom and experiences that the warriors have had rather than the one-upping apprentices usually bickered about. "I started only a little bit ago, so those catches are pretty good for me." The spotted gray tomcat's eyes drifted away from Swiftpaw as he continued, talking about how he was better at combat than hunting, how he was decent with tactics and teamwork.
Coalpaw wasn't very good with teamwork. He liked doing his own thing in his own way, especially because he more logical and sensible that cats his age. He thought things through before acting, though that made him slow to act. That was one of things Coalpaw needed to work on, according to his mentor. Using his instincts more. The spotted tomcat was brilliant as well, faster to learn, quicker to think of more effective strategies, and more observant. "I see. I need to work more on battle techniques. My mentor says I take too long to think things through; I wouldn't go into a battle without a plan – it seems like recklessness more than bravery," he finally meowed, gazing out across the camp.
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Ohhhh I thought I replied! I'm so sorry!
Nodding, Swiftpaw smiled, "I can see that you hesitate when we spar. But the thing is, is that you think. It's not because you're sacred or not confident- it's because you are smart and use tactics," the tabby told the other apprentice, thinking it out carefully. "It would help to start trying to plan while in the heat of the moment. Keep steps ahead of your opponent, have your plan before you start, and while that plan happens make a new plan. It's like when you get back to camp- you know what you want. You go and get prey from the fresh kill pile and give it to a queen or elder then feed yourself," he explained, looking out to the other clan territories. "That is your first plan. Then when you get food you think about talking with others or sleeping, you do one of them. That's your second plan while you complete an action then after the action you do your new plan," Swiftpaw told Coalpaw.
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The dusty tomcat nodded, surprised that Swiftpaw caught on to this. The tabby tomcat always seemed a little reckless. Coalpaw was not afraid of action, he just took too long to think things through, just as the blue-eyed apprentice said. "It would help to start trying to plan while in the heat of the moment. Keep steps ahead of your opponent, have your plan before you start, and while that plan happens make a new plan. It's like when you get back to camp- you know what you want. You go and get prey from the fresh kill pile and give it to a queen or elder then feed yourself," he explained.
"I never really thought about it like that before, but it makes sense. Hey, do you want to try a mock battle? Maybe I can work out the kinks when I have to use my paws. I learn better that way, rather than being told how to do things, though that's helpful." The spotted tomcat got to his paws, stretching out his forearms, arching his spine, and straightening his hind legs to create a luxurious stretch. The tension caused his body to hum, now fully awake and no longer fuzzy with sleep.
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Swiftpaw grinned at Coalpaw's suggestion, the tabby apprentice was always ready for a fight. "Sure, let's get away from the cliffside though," he said, flicking his tail to where a bowl-shaped area was. It wasn't ideal for a spar, but it was better than where the two were. As he said it, Swiftpaw made his way to where his designated area was, looking back to Coalpaw with a bright smile. Swiftpaw was glad that he could help Coalpaw, and he could also have lots of fun while doing it. In truth, Swiftpaw was much like Coalpaw- he liked to think things out. But just because he liked to think didn't mean he wasn't reckless. He just thought while he did- of thought afterward. (It was mainly the latter...)
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"Sure, let's get away from the cliffside though."
"Of course." The dusty gray-spotted tomcat followed after the brown tabby, his tail swishing idly from side to side. Swiftpaw led him to the incline, the small clearing, of camp. The portion that dipped below the main surface like a giant paw print in mud, only this indent was hewn from stone and granite. The brown tabby apprentice turned around, offering Coalpaw a sunny smile. "All right. Any ground rules we should put into play?" he asked, "No claws, as always." He moved a few paces away from Swiftpaw before turning to face the blue-eyed tabby apprentice.
(Sorry for the long wait! I'm working on a lot of art projects and theater rehearsals.)
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oH SHOOT THIS GOT BURIED IN MY REMINDER COMMENTS IM SO SORRY))
Swiftpaw watched Coalpaw move away, sliding into a light-pawed stance as the other apprentice gave himself ground. Swiftpaw tried to remember how exactly Coalpaw fought, but winced mentally as he couldn’t bring the other to the front of his mind. Giving a small shrug, he met eyes with Coalpaw. “Alright! You can make the first move!” The tabby chirped, a smile on his lips. While Swiftpaw knew Coalpaw was sneaky, he himself was much faster and better at fighting.
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Coalpaw waited while Swiftpaw got into his fighter's stance, still smiling. The gray tabby tom frowned. A direct attack would not but useful in this scenario. Based on Swiftpaw's appearance, he would use his speed more than brute strength. “Alright! You can make the first move!” The spotted tom's ears twitched. He wants me to attack first...? Shaking out his forepaws in turn, Coalpaw settled into his own stance before darting forward. He was surprisingly fast – few cats have ever seen him full-on run simply because he decided stealth was more difficult. Yes, running was a physical exertion, but it was loud and relatively easy to track with the eye. Animals that broke cover usually fell into predators' claws. Instead of bowling straight into the tabby tomcat, Coalpaw sprang to the left and shouldered Swiftpaw, though he reined himself in as to not truly hurt his clan-mate. "How was that...?"
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Swiftpaw's eyes widened as Coalpaw sprang forward, the other apprentice surprising Swiftpaw with his speed. Before Swiftpaw could move aside or defend, he felt a hard force ram into his side- Coalpaw's shoulder meeting the tabby's own. With a huff, Swiftpaw rotated on his paws to face where he thought Coalpaw would be. "Good work! You really surprised me there!" he complimented, smiling. Mentally, he cataloged Coalpaw's speed for later- the other made it clear Swiftpaw would not win if he put his all into speed. Thinking to himself, Swiwtpaw decided to go on the offensive, jumping high off the ground and landing a whisker length away from Coalpaw. Spinning on his front paws, the apprentice lashed towards Coalpaw with his hind legs- hoping to clip the other on the jaw or knock the breath out of him.
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"Good work! You really surprised me there!" the brown tabby apprentice meowed with a wide smile. Coalpaw was already prepared for the next move, flicking through the moves he had learned thus far.
The gray-spotted tomcat pricked his ears, his dark green eyes following Swiftpaw's movements. Coalpaw had practiced this with many of the birds and other prey animals he came across, watching them, tracking them, until he felt the opportune time to move. Swiftpaw sprang high, as if he were trying to snag a bird in mid-flight. The gray apprentice backed up a few short steps, keeping his eyes on the leaping apprentice. Swiftpaw landed maybe a hare-bound away, rearing on his forepaws and striking out with his hind legs. Coalpaw managed to duck just in time, feeling the rush of wind a breath away from his jaws. That could have really hurt... I thought this was a friendly mock battle?
"Are you trying to injure me?" he snapped at the other apprentice, frowning slightly in disapproval. "I'm not nearly as trained as you are."
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Swiftpaw was just finishing his spin when he heard Coalpaw's snapping voice, and the older apprentice turned to the other with wide eyes. "I'm- I'm not trying to hurt you," Swiftpaw said, slightly confused. The move he used wasn't very advanced, all apprentices in their clan learned it early on so that they could deal with the cliffs better in battle. Had he overestimated Coalpaw? No- Swiftpaw didn't kick that hard, and he slowed it down a little. Sure, it would have hurt- but only for a few moments... "I know you aren't as old as I am, or as far in training- but shouldn't you consider that in any battle? Experience and age are things to always consider," Swiftpaw told the other, ears drooping. The tabby had learned at a young age about the Gap of training and age, and thought a cat as smart as Coalpaw would know and account for it. "Well, I'm sorry," he apologized, sincere. He really thought Coalpaw could handle it- he clearly thought wrong. "If you don't want to practice anymore, that's ok. I understand if I'm too rough."
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Hey there! I'm going to take a while to reply because this week is midterms for me.
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What a cutie!!!
I love how simple his design is yet you manage to make him look so stunning <3
If you're ever down for rp I got my Chasingpaw bab!
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I'd love to rp! Would you mind starting?
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Awesome!!
And no I do not mind at all <3
which ways do you prefer rping?
I would prefer skype or notes??
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Notes would be preferred!
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