ITS TIME TO TRUST MY INSTINCTS (open, joining) CLOSE MY EYES AND LEAP

// aaagh couldn't resist making a reply bc new apprentice buds !! hehe

Talonpaw had ventured out of camp that day ( with permission , of course ) just to go for a walk . He enjoyed his time alone and away from the noise of the camp . While out on his walk , he figured he could check the borders closest to his current location , and that is just what he aimed to do . Talonpaw had barely reached the area of the border , however , before running straight into two the she-cats . One was vaguely familiar , the inkling of SkyClan scent confirming her allegiance . The other was not familiar at all , and she smelled funny . Naturally , the tom would be ever the clan-defender and raise his head high , as if to appear bigger and more authoritative . " H- Hey , " Grunted Talonpaw , muscles tensing as he stood his ground . His jet-black tail twitched as he attempted to suppress his nerves and any anxiety trying to surface . He was still not used to confronting strangers on his own , and being the introverted type , it was still a daunting idea at times . However , a real warrior would never show any type of fear in these situations .

Amber eyes locked onto the pink-hued collar of the strange she-cat . That explained the strange scent . This was a kittypet fresh from the twolegplace ! " Who are you and what are you doing here ? " Talonpaw frowned , ears beginning to fold backwards in distaste . The more familiar she-cat was a former kittypet herself , no ? Was she trying to infiltrate the territory with more of her kittypet friends ? The tom gritted his teeth at the very thought . More and more kittypets had been showing up lately ... maybe all they wanted to do was hunt their prey , get fat off of it , and run back to their twolegs when they had their fill . StarClan , why did SkyClan have to be so close to the city ?

Lynxtuft couldn't possibly dream of being a daylight warrior. Considering he has zero relations to kittypets, he couldn't possibly imagine what their lifestyle was like. His assumptions were on the paws of his clanmates- as SkyClan's more open to strangers than any other clan he knows of. Which mean he should welcome these two strangers with open arms, right? Despite the diversity, Lynxtuft doesn't come to trust new strangers automatically. In his mind, he felt putting his trust into cats he barely knew was foolish. It takes time and effort for him to eventually give them his trust.

"So, you're not ready to leave your twoleg nest permanently?" The tom meowed as he padded into the scene, arriving from a border patrol. There was nothing wrong with being a daylight warrior- as appealing as it may seem to abandon twolegs, he can understand how it can be difficult to leave them. SkyClan accommodated to kittypets who wanted to experience life in both sides. Daylight warriors still contributed to the clan, and the only difference is where they sleep at night. "You're correct though, you'd be a daylight apprentice if you wish to join us," He decided to reassure her with a swish of his tail, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Though, you'll have to wait for Juniperstar," He mewed, flicking his tail at one of the npcs from his patrol to go fetch the leader.

Lynxtuft's Tags

❝ SHOULD I BE GOOD THIS YEAR? ❞ Milkdapple was, of course, aware of the concept of daylight warriors. After all, they were a rather large part of Skyclan nowadays, and were one of the things that made Skyclan stand out from the rest. As a kit, the tom had never really understood how daylight warriors – or in this case, daylight apprentices – operated. How could one stand to just come and do a bunch of clan stuff, and then go back to a big smelly house full of twolegs? Surely staying within the Skyclan camp was far more fun, right? Even if he had questioned it, Milky had never exactly had a problem with how these other felines chose to spend their lives. After all, daylight apprentices had been just as fun to play spar with as a kit, so why should he have cared where they came from? Nowadays, he understood more why daylight apprentices and warriors lived the way they did, even if he still couldn't imagine himself living in a similar way. They were just as attached to their twoleg homes as he was to Skyclan, so why force them to leave? It wasn't as if they weren't contributing.

The unfamiliar scent of the twolegplace was what first drew Milkdapple over to the small group that had begun to gather, coming up beside Lynxtuft and cocking his head to one side. Anastasiapaw he recognized, even if he wasn't well acquainted with the she-cat himself. The other one's scent was less muddled and mixed with Skyclan, and she also seemed to be the one currently at the mercy of Talonpaw's ire. He snorted just a little bit at the dark furred tom trying to act tough, before he turned his gaze back to Harper, offering her a little smile. Green eyes glimmering, he meowed softly, "Hello there. Lynxtuft here is right – you do need to wait for Juniperstar's approval. It's great that you want to help out, though." Sitting down, the tabby wrapped his tail lazily over his front paws before continuing, "I'm Milkdapple. I'm a regular warrior in Skyclan." Even if she hadn't been approved yet, it wasn't as if they couldn't be polite and introduce themselves. The poor girl must've been scared as a mouse in a hawk's nest.

Limbs quivered and bulged with muscle as he leapt from limb to limb, carrying in his jaws a red squirrel that blinded his nose to the scent of stranger. Waving his tail madly for balance, his claws like slender talons anchor him to the final branch as he gauges his landing. Like a capsized ship he tips forth and plunges, the added weight of his prey causing his paws to thud hard against the forest floor. Arctic eyes narrowed and glittering with success. He’d been in the midst of a nap when he heard some commotion in the treetops.

His attention gently tugged by a returning patrol, and he made for camp. Shoulders swinging, curls bouncing, he hummed though his teeth sunk deep into the creature’s mid-section. He had been spending more time around camp than in the city, taking a ‘vacation’ from his dangerous shenanigans. Which was probably a good thing, since he would’ve missed out on a lot.

A group seemed to build around the entrance, and with a peaked curiosity he bucked onto his hind-legs a bit to see over his clanmates. Dropping his squirrel, Dustdevil made for the stranger, catching enough information with proximity to know that she was trying to join as a daylight apprentice. Nice, he thought, the more muscle the stronger the clan, should something stupid like rats happen again.

❝ hey there kid- ❞ his eyes dart down to her paws for a moment, and with a teasing albeit slightly cruel laugh he continues. ❝ fluffy-feet ❞ he cleans the blood from his teeth and lowers himself into a sit. ❝ I’m Dustdevil ❞ he introduced himself simply with a wide shameless smile, whilst they wait for Juniperstar.

Juniperstar, speak of the devil, had been leaping through the trees as normal when voices had carried their way across the wind toward him, and he found himself approaching, perching upon a low branch. They spoke of his approval, of a kittypet named Harper, who he assumed was the one with the tufted paw's- hah, that'd be a good name- and the pink collar. Where can I find Juniperstar? "Up here," called the scarred cinnamon tabby with an amused, wicked smirk carved upon his lips. Oh, it wasn't right how much he hoped she had jumped out of her skin when she'd heard him.

Leaping to the ground, Juniperstar would come to draw beside his grounded clanmates. Sharp olivine eyes bore into her for a few long seconds, as if judging something within her that would not see. Her eagerness told him she was rather naive, perhaps going along with something she thought sounded vaguely 'cool'. She would be far from the first. "Well, I don't see why not," he said lowly, his smile having all but faded. "You're eager, are you? It'll be fun to see how you hack it." continued the dark tabby tom, expression unreadable, a cold flame in his twin slits of grey-green.

Well , everyone else seemed to be so eager and optimistic about letting another kittypet join their ranks . Talonpaw , on the other hand , couldn't see why . All they'd do is eat their prey and go back and tell all of their other kittypet friends about SkyClan . Then , the cycle would continue . How could these fat , lazy kittypets ever make good warriors if they weren't willing to completely leave their old lives behind ? Talonpaw just did not understand it . You couldn't have a paw in both worlds .

He looked up as Juniperstar himself arrived , and while he wasn't totally happy with the situation at hand , he was curious to see how the leader would react . After a few moments of what was assumedly careful consideration , Juniperstar had decided to let the kittypet join SkyClan . Talonpaw told himself that he shouldn't be so surprised , as a lot of outsiders seemed to be allowed in as of late . He just hoped that one day this wouldn't come back to bite them in the behind .

There was nothing else for Talonpaw to do here . Mildly annoyed , the dark-furred apprentice flicked an ear and turned to head back to camp . " Welcome . " The boy mumbled , giving a half-assed glance back at Harper before walking off .

// out !