Posts by CRICKETCHIRP.

CRICKETPAW

Something was wrong. Something had happened, but he couldn’t remember what it was. Oh, how utterly frustrating! A frown on his maw, the young male stumbled through shaded underbrush in search for something to jog his memory. He admittedly wasn’t in the best condition for someone his age, with a fragile, nearly starved frame and chunks of fur missing from his pelt, but in his frustrated state, he barely payed any mind to it. Seeing as how his head was bowed towards the ground, it was understandable that he’d crash face first into a tree. “Hey, what’s the big idea-” The dark tabby stopped midsentence upon realizing who he was talking to, his mouth forming a small ‘o’ shape. “Oh! I uh- didn’t see you there big guy.” Well this was embarrassing. Perhaps he could play it off as something else? Yeah! He wasn’t talking to the tree, he was just- uh, conversing with the birds! Like that was any better, but hey, he couldn’t think of a better excuse, unless he was talking to himself. Which he did often anyway, so…

The tom craned his head upwards, searching for a bird to chatter with. Luckily there was a sparrow perched in a nearby tree branch, and letting out a sigh of relief, he slumped to the ground. As if this bird was his therapist, and he was one of its patients. Which wasn’t too far from the truth. “I’m not sure whether or not you can understand me, but it does feel good to spill my guts to someone. You see, my parents aren’t very nice people- never were, and a couple of days ago they grew tired of having me around. So they decided, let’s drop our only son off at a clan. Surely they’ll know what to do with him. Only... I can’t remember if their plan succeeded. Because here I am, in the middle of nowhere, with scratches that I got from… somewhere- I can’t remember how, and they’ve vanished into thin air. Seriously, how did I even get here?” Obviously tired of his rambling, the sparrow decided to fly away, leaving Cricket along with his thoughts. Again. Whoopee, what a joy.

[Feel free to have your character overhear his whole conversation! Injury-wise, he's missing multiple patches of fur, and has multiple cuts on his muzzle and sides.]

Hey guys, I meant to post here earlier, but say hello to my new son! He's going to be a casual character hopefully but it's a pleasure to be role-playing with you all. Cricket is basically an impulsive, energetic teen who has no idea how to act around other people. So expect a lot of awkwardness / weird questions on his part.

CRICKETPAW

"Did someone mention kits?" Cricket loved children, adored them. Their energetic personalities, that resembled small whirlwinds, the bat-like ears they were born with, which were slightly too big for their own good, the way that they, uh- okay, he had something to confess. The apprentice had never been around kits before. His parents insisted on making his life extraordinarily dull and lackluster by keeping him away from other children. At the time, he didn't know any better, and just assumed that they had their reasons. You're too small, his mother would tell him, or the world's a cruel place. Like the innocent little lamb that he was- and still is, mind you, he had readily sucked all of this up. It wasn't until being separated from his parents and coming to Shadowclan that he realized just how wrong these statements were. Padding over to the other cats, his eyes wide with curiosity, Cricket sat down next to Nightfire. So they were gathering nesting materials? He could help with that! "Oh oh, can I come with you guys?" He questioned, fore-paws dancing nervously upon the ground. The tabby was still in pretty bad shape, with jutting out ribs and slowly healing cuts, but he was more than ready to rumble. "I promise I won't be a bother! In fact, I'll carry tons of material back to camp, even if it kills me!" Just- pretty please?" If you couldn't tell, he was determined to embark on this trip with them.

CRICKETPAW

Woah, there were so many people here! Sliding out of the apprentice's den, Cricketpaw couldn't decide what to do first. He wasn't used to being around more than two or three cats at a time, so seeing all of these clanners gathered about their camp filled him with a mixture of nervousness and gleeful anticipation. If his stomach wasn't so empty at the moment, he would've been tempted to throw up from excitement. Luckily for everyone who was surrounding him, nobody would have to witness that. His pale green gaze eventually fell on a brown tabby who was lingering nearby, and gathering his courage, the apprentice approached her at a brisk pace. Would she care about his current disheveled appearance? Or the fact that he was slightly shaking with anticipation? Hopefully not. "Hello there!" He chirped, enthusiasm shining through his words. Maybe a bit too much, but oh well. "Are you from another clan? I've never met a cat from another clan before. In fact, I just joined Shadowclan a couple of days ago. Everything's so strange here! Not in a bad way, mind you, but still! The way that you all have ranks like apprentices, warriors, elders, not to mention the whole believing in a mythical group of dead cats thing. Starclan, was it?" He probably would've rambled on and on if not for a sudden jolt of relization. "Oh, where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself! My name's Cricket, though it was recently changed to Cricketpaw. Kind of a weird word to tack on, though I suppose it's a tradition of sorts. Wouldn't want to disrespect the leader by keeping my old name, you know? And there he went again. Oops. "So uh- what's your name?"

wixards

CRICKETPAW

Like his name suggested, Cricket was more than capable of making large jumps, both forward and backwards. So when a voice suddenly spoke out from behind the tree, he leapt a good six feet in the air. This of course stretched his wounds, and when he landed, it was with a visible wince. Not to mention the several 'ouch'es and 'ow's that came tumbling out of his maw. At first he thought the tree was talking to him, which would be weird, not to mention kind of funny, since he thought that it couldn't hear him in the first place, but the speaker turned out to be a fellow feline. Considering that the only cats that he'd been exposed to during his life were his parents and one or two of their friends, it was understandable that his eyes widened to the size of saucers. Was she talking to him? Well duh, who else would she be talking to? Surely not the tree. It took a moment for Cricket to find his voice, and when he did, it was slightly higher pitched than usual. Since his normal speaking voice was pretty wimpy to begin with, this said something. "Oh, don't worry. Our relationship was purely professional, nothing else." He replied, staring upwards. "Wait, uh- did you say freshkill pile?" He knew the meaning of fresh, as well as kill, but when the words were combined together? That was where his comprehension skills ended. "I don't mean to seem ignorant or anything, but is that where you keep your food? As you may have guessed, I'm not exactly from around here, and require a bit of explaining. Actually, scratch that. I need a lot of things explained to me." He ended this period of talking with an awkward laugh, and angled his ears to catch her question. Oh, that was easy to answer. "My name? It's Cricket, though if you can manage to come up with a fitting nickname, feel free to use it. Now Tansyface, you've got quite an interesting name. Now tell me, I understand the tansy part, for your eyes match the flower, but face? What's that all about?" Hopefully she didn't find his line of questioning to be rude. He was just genuinely curious as to the origin of her name.

Shortly after he finished questioning the first feline, another one made themselves known. For a moment his eyes were enraptured by their pelt, which was white like freshly fallen snow. Now Cricket had never seen snow before, but had fantasized about it a good many times, and was sure that his comparison was accurate. Their eyes were another anomaly, one being orange, and the other flashing blue. How utterly fascinating. In his state of amazement, he almost missed the inquiry that was sent his way. His parents? Once again, the feeling that he had forgotten something important nagged at his brain, but the tom was quick to push it aside. If this- whatever it was, was so vital to life as he knew it, surely he wouldn't have forgotten it so easily? Anyway, back to the situation at hand. "Yeah, I guess they did. It wasn't very nice of them, that's for sure." He mumbled, suddenly becoming sheepish. His parents were a sore subject for many reasons, and he didn't wish to speak about them more than nessacary. At least, for now. "You guys... wouldn't happen to be part of a clan, now would you? I'd like to know that I'm not completely lost."

[Yeah, I'd be totally up for that! And ahh, I'm glad that you like him <3]

CRICKETPAW

Whew, she was actually reciprocating his conversation attempts. That was always a good sign. Although he didn't have much experience with this sort of thing to begin with, so maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was a bad sign, and the tom just didn't know any better. Either way, he was happy with the direction that this interaction was heading in. A grin threatened to engulf his features, and thumping his tail against the ground like a dog would, he eagerly listened to Twistedtail. "Riverclan... Riverclan, where have I heard that name before?" Cricket mused, though the answer soon presented itself. "Oh, I know! Yes, I remember now! Another one of the clans that live around here." Another apprentice had took pity on him, and was kind enough to explain the basics of everything. "Is it true that you all like to swim? And eat fish everyday? If so, I envy you! Fish happen to be one of my favorite things to eat, and it's a shame that they're so sparse in Shadowclan." He knew that a couple of his clan-mates thought that they were slimy and gross, but hey- food was food. And he quite enjoyed the seafood taste that was contained in every bite.

Wait a second, she was talking again. He really had to stop zoning out like this. It was going to get him in trouble one day. "You're the deputy of Riverclan?" He questioned, eyes wide with shock. Ranks were another thing that the apprentice had touched upon, and to meet a higher-up like this- "Yeah, I know what a deputy is! The second in command, right?" Everything was a question with him, whether or not it was common knowledge. "It must be a super tough job, organizing patrols and hunting parties all of the time. But I suppose it could also be rewarding. Having your clan-mates look up to you and depend on you for things... it sounds wonderful." The boy mused. As she talked about Starclan, and told him a bit about her own journey of faith, he would nod periodically. He wasn't a very religious person, but if she said it was real, as so many of the others did, who was he to say otherwise? Instead he gratefully took the mouse that was offered, and after taking a few short bites, for he didn't want to upset his stomach, he let out a chuckle. "Thank you for the kind words, but between you and me, I'd rather be a medicine cat. I want to heal people, not hurt them. Nobody would ever have to be in pain for long, and seeing their grateful smiles and hearing their words of thanks..." Cricket trailed off, and after a few seconds would ask another question, as if forgetting what he had just said. "You weren't born in a clan? That's amazing! You must be an inspiration to former rouges and house pets." Him included.

[Sorry that this is so long! I'm not sure where all of this muse came from.]

I'm about to go on an errand, but maybe Cricket and Tansy could have a thread together? He's the type of person who wants to know every little detail about everyone, so you can bet that he'd start playing a game of 20[00] questions with her.

Am I detecting the sweet taste of angst from all over Shadowclan [or Bloodclan in some cases]? Just what I needed to get through the afternoon.

But yeah, I'd love for Cricket to interact with everybody here! I can make a thread between Cricket and Tansy, or between him and Pigeon if you'd prefer. And if things do end up getting heated between them, you can expect Tansy to discover just how good at arguing Cricket can be. He can argue over the smallest of things, beleive me.

CRICKETPAW

Yes, he could talk the stuffing out of a scarecrow. Cricket would readily admit this, and was quite proud of his ability to continue conversations with little to no hitches. Although now that he thought about it, how many conversations had he participated in that didn't end with him being belittled or sent away? Shaking his head, the feline instead focused on her next statement, which could be perceived as mocking. Annoyance briefly flickered in his stomach, but he was quick to snuff it out. The world wasn't a very nice place after all, and expecting everyone to be kind and accepting was unreasonable. No, he would just act like her advice was genuine. As the saying went, kill 'em with kindness. "Thank you! I'll be sure to keep that in mind for future occasions, though the only reason I asked in the first place was to clarify things. After all, what if I had been wrong in my assumption? It would be embarrassing to discover at a later date that I'd been wrong the whole time. But in this way, I can clear up any misunderstandings that may occur as soon as possible." He explained, grinning at the patched torbie. His grin would visibly fade upon hearing what she said next. It wasn't the part about Shadowclan being the best clan, or the 'you would have been shredded to nothing but fluff' comment that bothered him. It was the malice in which she said the word fish. Cricket personally loved fish, all kinds of it. "I don't know what you're talking about," He joked, though there was a note of offense behind his words. "But I think that fish is fantastic. I would eat it all the time if possible."

With this he turned back to the white feline, whose name was even more particular than Tansyface. What was it with clan cats and having weird two part names? A tradition, perhaps? Or did it stem from the need to stand out from rouges and house pets? Curiosity built in his throat, and he couldn't help but make a comment. "Shatteredsong... your name sounds like it came from a story!" He chirped, twitching his whiskers. "That's not necessarily a bad thing though. The complete opposite, really. I like how it feels on the tongue!" Assuming that he joined their clan, which was very likely at this point, would they give him a cool name like their's? That would be pretty neat. But what sounded good with Cricket? Cricketleap? Cricketcall? It was hard to say. Or maybe he was too young to have a name like theirs. For all he knew, it could be a sacred 'only clan-born cats get this type of name' situation. He didn't have much time to mull this over though, for she had said something else. "Warriors, eh? Sounds a bit barbaric, but cool nonetheless. Do you ever have to fight other cats?" Oh wait, yet another sentence had slipped out of their maw. A question this time. "How did I find out about the clans? Well, one of my mother's friends used to be part of a clan, but left for some reason or another. There were too many rules for her liking, clan-cats were violent and blood thirsty- her reason changed every time I asked." He paused for a second, and suddenly became reluctant to speak. "I uh- would it be alright if I joined Shadowclan? I doubt my parents want me to come back home, and since you guys seem so nice... I don't know. I promise not to be a hindrance, and I'll train my very hardest to become a fully fledged warrior, no matter what it takes."

CRICKETPAW

Although it wasn't quite the same thing, Cricket could remember wanting to be a girl when he was younger. The reason being that his parents treated him like dirt, while his beloved, supposedly angel-like sisters got all of their affection. They had wanted an female-only litter, you see, so when he came out of the womb, it was a miracle that they he wasn't abandoned straight away. Instead, the tom had to watch as Flower and Apple got spoiled beyond belief, while he was neglected. In an effort to better himself in their eyes, Cricket had tried to make himself look more feminine. He groomed down his coat, ate less in order to keep a slim figure, and spoke in a much higher tone than most boys his age did. In the end, however, none of his efforts were good enough for them, and he had given up on earning their affection entirely. It had taught him something, all those months of pinning. Don't try to be something you're not, because people won't appreciate your efforts to change for them.

The apprentice happened to be scouting around for something to eat when the sound of multiple unfamiliar voices caught his attention. Was there a party that he didn't know about? Padding through the brush and bracken, Cricketpaw would stick his head through a nearby bush in order to see what was happening. The cuts on his mouth were irritated by this, but he ignored the pain in favor of padding up next to Hornetsting. He faintly recognized the berries underneath his clan-mate's paws, having come across once or twice before. Flower had tried to eat one in a fit of curiosity, only for both of them to get scolded heavily. At least, she had gotten scolded. Cricket had gotten cuffed over the ear, and blamed for the whole predicament. According to his father, he should've known better than to let his sister try and eat them, and that if she died, her blood would be on his paws. It was a horrible thing to tell your child, but oh well- neither of his parents had taken How to Care for Your Children 101. "Yeah, it was a good thing that someone noticed what you were doing." He mumbled, staring at Maplepaw with an undefinable emotion. Confusion as to why she had been messing around with berries in the first place? No, it was more like worry. "Even though one isn't enough to kill you, I hate to think what would've happened if-" He paused mid-sentence, not wanting to finish the thought. "Just uh- be careful, okay? Even though we're strangers and all, I don't want to see you to get hurt. Or worse."

Yeah, I agree that him and Briar would get along pretty well! They're both eager to please other people, since Cricket is determined to befriend [or rather, interact with] everyone in Shadowclan, you can bet that he would approach her and try and start up a conversation. If you'd like, I can make them a thread sometime later this week?

And yeah, I can create threads for both Tansy and Pigeon! It might take me a while, but I'll tag the respective accounts when they're up!

CRICKETPAW

They were right, he could see everything from up here! Shifting his weight on the tree branch, Cricket craned his neck forward. A cluster of pine needles was poking his side, causing the tabby to wince. Porcupine? More like pincushion. Pale green eyes flashed with awe as he took in the sea of green and white that surrounded him from all sides. He was currently positioned at the very top of a tall tree, his sparse coat partially hidden from view. People who were walking underneath him would have no idea that the tom was there, unless they squinted at a certain angle. You see, one of the other apprentices had dared him to climb up here, and ‘become one with the squirrels’ until further notice. Which really meant until nighttime, but how was he supposed to know that? No, he was going to take their words very seriously, and remain on this branch until someone told him to come down. And while that could take a very while, he didn’t mind waiting. At least, until he looked down. The ground was abnormally far away from his paws, and Cricket could feel the world spinning around him. Why… why did he feel so dizzy all of a sudden? For a minute he forgot how to breathe, and after what seemed like an eternity, he forced his eyes shut. Okay, what were his options? Well first of all, he had to regain his breath. It took a couple of tries, but the apprentice finally managed to steady his lungs long enough to start thinking clearly. He was in control. There was nothing for him to fear. Except falling, and gravity in general, and- Oh, who was he kidding? Cricket was doomed to die. Like the weirdo that he was, nervous laughter began to bubble in his throat, and not knowing what else to do, he let it all out. The young male laughed and giggled until his sides hurt, afraid of what was soon to come. It was amazing what hysteria did to you.

[Ahh, I wasn't sure how to start their thread, so hopefully this is alright!

tansystar ]

Pff, Cricket would die for you in return. To be honest, he would die for anyone. Just met them thirty seconds ago? No problem. From an enemy clan? Also not a problem. As long as they're on his good side, then yeah- he'll sacrifice himself for them. But otherwise? Perish. Okay, he'll probably still save them, but after some inner turmoil. And expect a lot of grumbling after.

CRICKETPAW

Was it weird for him to feel guilty whenever he went out hunting? Like, every time he killed a mouse or vole, he couldn’t help but wince. These were living and breathing animals, just like him, and he was taking their lives away. A feline couldn’t live on greens alone- he was aware of this. There was no such thing as a fully vegan cat, since their physiology didn’t allow it. But despite this, a part of him felt like taking up the lifestyle. Think of it, what if these ‘pieces of prey’ as his clan mates called them, had their own little personalities and routines? What if they had family members, friends, even lovers who cared for them? For all he knew, these creatures may belong to complex societies of their own, that were not all too different from clans. He knew that these thoughts were ridiculous, and that there was no evidence to prove these theories, but still- it was hard not to mull over them. The tom was currently sitting in front of the burnt sycamore tree, absentmindedly watching the mouse that was just beyond leaping distance. His eyes were clouded over with thought, and settling into a more comfortable position, which was a half-assed ‘draw me like one of your French girls’ pose, he sighed to no one in particular. “What’s the point of having compassion if it just makes you feel guilty?” His voice dripped with exasperation, and putting his chin to the ground, he gave the sky an eye-roll. It wouldn't be the last time he did so.

[ pigeontuft ?? ]

CRICKETPAW

Just as he was beginning to settle down and think rationally, a voice rang out through the forest, causing Cricket to stiffen. Oh great, now death was calling for him. You would think that an entity that can specializes in harvesting souls, no matter where they were, would have no problem killing him. But no, for some reason they were demanding that he get down from the branches this instant. Wait a second- death sounded awfully like Tansyface, and the tom was pretty sure that she wasn't dead. Reluctantly glancing down at the ground, which sent a wave of nausea and fear down his spine, he found that the voice indeed belonged to Tansyface. She was standing directly below him, and didn't sound all too happy about his predicament. Did she even know that he was in trouble? Judging by her irritated tone, probably. Yet again, she always sounded that way. Like someone had forced her to eat a particularly sour lemon. "If I was capable of coming down at the moment, I would." He called back, his words slightly quivering. Not unlike his limbs. "For one, I was dared to climb up here. And if I were to back down now, they would surely make fun of me. And that's an experience I wish to avoid, for insults like mouseheart and mange pelt- while foreign to me, still wound my pride considerably." He stopped to take a breath, and would move his eyes from Tansyface to something closer by. Anything that would prevent him from panicking again. "Second of all, I uh... don't exactly know how to get down from here." This last part was said quietly, though it was still audible to feline ears. His face flushed with embarrassment. "You see, climbing to this branch was rather easy, but now that I look down and see the distance between me and an untimely fate... well, you get the point. High places aren't really my strong suit."

CRICKETPAW

The arrival of someone else to the scene shouldn't have surprised him. Shadowclan was home to many cats, after all, and to expect total peace and quiet was unreasonable. Not that he was looking to immerse himself in complete solitude or anything, but still. Lifting his head to get a better look at the newcomer, Cricket recognized them as a fellow apprentice, though he couldn't put a name to their face. Ever observant when it came to other people's health, it wasn't long before he noticed a certain clumsiness to Pigeonpaw's movements. He chose to stay silent on the matter though, figuring that it would be rude to blurt out something along the lines of 'what's wrong with you?' in the first few minutes of meeting someone. As they settled down nearby, Cricket pondered over their words, and found himself liking the insight they provided. "That's true." He murmured, flicking his tail in a mundane fashion. His usual energy was subdued for the moment, replaced with a more thoughtful, relaxed persona. "Yes, you do make a good point. All of those things are indeed born from compassion, and I sometimes take them for granted." A frown fell upon his thin features, and in a sudden bout of thoughtfulness, he rolled onto his back. "Say, do you think that we're terrible people, hunting down innocent voles and such? I know that we have to eat them in order to survive, but maybe there's a better alternative that we're just not aware of." One of his paws made a circular gesture, representing the cogs that were currently turning in his mind. "Maybe I sound like lunatic- and tell me if I do, but what if prey animals like mice and squirrels can actually understand everything that we say? What if we're the dumb ones?"

CRICKETPAW

Wait, what? He lifted his muzzle to sniff the air, searching for any trace of the apprentices that he had been hanging out with, and much to his surprise, there was no sign of them. Tansyface was right, his so-called friends had abandoned him. Disappointment was an old companion of his, constantly following him around during his daily interactions with others, but in this moment, it seemed to bring him in for a hug. His parents had constantly let him down as a child, but for his newfound buddies to do that? Well, it admittedly hurt. A lot. "I... I guess you're right." If possible, his voice became even softer, a heavy sadness weighing down his words. "It didn't even occur to me that they were just-" He paused mid-sentence. It hurt to say it out loud. "...just pretending to be my friends." Something vaguely familiar filled his gut, hot and consuming. The nerve of those- those fiends, thinking that they could get away with this! His fear momentarily forgotten, Cricket followed the warrior's advice and leaped down to the next branch, ignoring the way that it slightly swayed underneath him, sending out a small shower of pine needles. There was a slight clench of fear in his stomach as this happened, but it was soon drowned out by anger. "Well, I hope they enjoyed making fun of me." He growled, jumping once more, this time landing a few feet below his origin. "Because I'm going to get the last laugh. Thinking that they can target me just because I don't know any better... Oh I'll show them. No one messes with me and gets away with it. Absolutely no one." Almost as if he had turned into a different person, the small tabby glanced at Tansy, who had gotten a lot closer over the last few minutes, with narrowed eyes. "Say, what's the best way to get revenge on someone? It should be something memorable, but discreet. I don't want anyone tracing it back to me." His fear now long forgotten, Cricket was ready to go on the warpath.

[I feel like this is going to end badly, but for who, I'm not sure. Anyway, once Tansy gives him a suggestion or something, I'll probably make a public thread of him pranking them just for fun.]

CRICKETPAW

Okay, so maybe he had mentioned this to someone before, maybe he hadn't, but wasn't it weird that the clans had their own set of politics? Like, not only did they have allies and enemies, but they even had whole borders that were scented daily. Who knows though. Perhaps this was common amongst groups of cats- he wouldn't know, having been isolated from these sort of things for most of his life. Anyway, Cricket was always eager to try new things, no matter how little he knew about them or how ridiculous he found the activity to be, so when he spotted an NPC gathering people to head on a mid-morning patrol with them, he was the first person to volunteer. His fur was horrendously tangled, and he hadn't eaten anything yet, but next to that, he was an eager beaver. Once two or three more clan-mates appeared and decided to come along with them, the apprentice let out a 'whoop' of excitement before scrambling after everyone else. After pestering the group organizer a bit and asking where they were going as well as what they were going to be doing there, Cricket managed to draw a few answers out of them. This was a border patrol, which meant that they would be scent marking where Shadowclan's territory began and ended. Their patrol in particular was heading towards Darkclan, which if you asked him, had a pretty darn cool name. Shadowclan was also notable, but there was nothing that quite sent shivers down your spine like Darkclan.

However, once he managed to get these two things out of their maw, the feline completely ignored any further attempts at conversation, leaving Cricket to focus his hyperactivity towards someone else. Luckily, there happened to be a warrior walking right next to him. "Hey uh- Nightfright, was it?" He questioned, and even though his words were directed in her direction, his eyes were darting back and forth trying to take in the scenery. "Great name, by the way. It really matches your... fur?" What meant to be a compliment came out sounding like a question. He was unsure how she had gotten her name, and could only assume that it referred to her appearance. Unless it was a reference to her unbecoming personality, but hopefully that wouldn't be the case. How was he supposed to befriend people if they all resisted his efforts to do so? "Anyway, would you mind answering a couple of questions for me? I still have a lot to learn about clans and their lifestyle, and not everyone is willing to put up with my presence, so to speak." Probably because he kept on asking and asking, even after people told him to stop.

[I put their thread in this forum to prevent cluttering, if that's alright!

Cinnamontwist ]

CRICKETPAW

Although Cricket was what you could call an outgoing person, always animated and full of life, he too struggled with social awkwardness. There were some instances where he would just blank out, and become at a total loss for words. After all, his mind tended to jump tracks often, and it was hard for him to keep a conversation going when he couldn't remember what the original topic was. It didn't help that most people either began to ignore him after a certain point in time had been reached, or they walked away. The fear of getting rejected by society was constantly on his mind, and he couldn't help but take their disinterest personally. Was it his fault for choosing boring subjects to talk about? Was he not engaging them enough? What exactly was he doing that made people want to abandon ship? This being said, he appreciated the change of pace that had presented itself. Being able to sit back and dissect life in such a relaxed manner was... well, luxurious. "Huh, I never thought of it that way." He admitted, closing his eyes. "I was so focused on us as a species, that it never occurred to me that they may have done to deserve our wrath." There wasn't a reason for prey animals not to be guilty. Yeah, what was he thinking? "It would be kind of ridiculous though, if voles and other such creatures were actually evil. Can you imagine them committing any sort of crime? Think of it, a mouse gets murdered and they round up all the possible suspects. But they soon come across a problem. All of the mice look alike!" Despite his efforts to remain serious, a grin appeared on his maw, and the tom let out a hearty chuckle. "Or I don't know, perhaps they can tell the difference between each other. I'm not sure how you would though. Through their voices? Do they have pelt markings like we do?"

He sobered just in time to hear the other apprentice's next statement, which left much room for pondering. Why did cats have claws anyway? Were they truly designed to hunt down other creatures and commit acts of malice, like Pigeonpaw said? If so, it was a rather cruel decision to make them like this. To be burdened with the ability to take lives... or rather, was it a blessing in disguise? The boy shook his head, dislodging the thought. No, killing wasn't a good thing. It couldn't be. If that was the case, why would people label it as a sin? "Yes, hunting is in our nature, isn't it? It's naive of me to assume otherwise." This last part might as well have been said to himself, since it was so soft. He was roused from a state of self-annoyance by more words, which came tumbling out of his acquaintance's mouth like a tentative waterfall. "I wonder, is it possible for us to learn their languages? Imagine what sort of things we would learn about the world and ourselves if we could just communicate with them." Something suddenly occurred to Cricket, causing him to pause. He didn't know anything about this clan-mate of his. Not even his name. "Say, my introspective friend-" He started, opening his eyes and glancing over at Pigeonpaw, who was thankfully still lying there. "I don't beleive I caught your name. Which is quite rude of me, considering that we've been talking for sometime now. I'm Cricketpaw, and you are?"

Hi! I would like to request a Name Change Ceremony

Character's Current Name: Cricket

Character's New Name: Cricketpaw

[Just assume that this takes place soon after he joins / before all those private threads]