Posts by URCHINPAW

virgo, one of the very few cats that urchinpaw felt comfortable around. after all, she was there since she was born, just a ball of fluff nestled against her mother's tummy. before she became numb to the harshness of the world, before times grew tough for skyclan. virgo was always there to lend a helping paw, to offer a shoulder to cry on. truthfully, urchin always looked up to her. when she saw the older she-cat approaching from the corner of her blurred eyes, she couldn't help but run up and embrace her. instantly, her emotion spilled as if a switch had been flipped. for a few seconds, she couldn't find words, only broken sobs that were muffled as she cried onto virgo's flank. finally she tore away from the other, peering up at her like a scolded pet, looking so much less strong than she usually does. "virgo.. i hate wo-worrying you, but i'm really not feeling okay." she never imagined she'd have to voice her thoughts so suddenly; she struggled to find the words to say as if pulling them out from deep inside. "there's just so much on my mind, like.. i dunno, i feel like i don't have much appeal. i just look... like this. and there's apprentices that look way prettier and more feminine than i do. like honeypaw, she's perfect in every way and i just wish i wasnt this curly furred brute.. my eyes are like mud puddles.." she started to cry again, but then she felt embarrassment sinking in; she sounded so pathetic right now, she knew she did, but she couldn't help how she felt. she was just glad she had virgo to come to. she always made her feel safe.

"i'm.. sorry, miss virgo. i just don't usually feel this way so i'm not used to talking about it."

urchinpaw had spent many suns trying to conquer the branching oak, herself. she was once a frightened youngster who was awful at climbing, she never had the finesse to become a decent climber. it took lots of guts for her to face her fears and make it a goal to reach the top. but once she did.. it was like nothing she had ever seen before. the view from the canopy was more than worth it. she swore she could nearly see all the clans in their glory, even the twolegplace and multiple thunderpaths. she even once traversed the mighty tree at night to gaze up at silverpelt in all its magnificence. on this particular day, she was stationed just a few branches up from yewpaw, who quite frankly looked frozen in place. this situation called for a little bit of that extra special urchinpaw charm. she thought of something quick as a flash, leaning down slightly to peek down at yew with big round eyes. "psst! up here!" she winces, realizing she may have scared them. she grits her teeth and tries again. "h-hey, it's urchinpaw. look up at me. looking down never helps." urchin waits attentively, ears pivoting to and fro. "you're nearly halfway up, let me help you out, i've done this a thousand times. there's an extra special surprise at the top! just pick the sturdier branches, and don't think about it too much." she hoped she was helping, by starclan she hoped she was helping! being up high when you're afraid of heights is definitely jarring. but if their urge to succeed was greater, then well... urchinpaw would have to hope that they would follow her lead.

"he was acting like a pompous moron, but of course, the warriors felt we both deserved punishment for picking a fight with each other. i spent the afternoon plucking ticks, but i don't really regret it though. the satisfaction from proving him wrong will work just fine for me." she matched honeypaw's teasing but lighthearted demeanor as she glanced over her shoulder at her, giving a soft hmph as she did so.

that honeypaw, just as fiery as me. maybe even more. isn't that something? urchinpaw chuckled to herself at the thought. honestly, she was surprised that they didn't really butt heads. it was rare that two opinionated and feisty individuals could get along without running into conflicts. she appreciated it, though, the two of them being friends. they proved to make a pretty good team during the rat war. certainly it made her view the other in even higher regard than before. "he had it coming. if not from me, it would be from the next cat he wanted to underestimate. so, honeypaw, sparkpaw, think you're faster than me?" it was mostly light banter, a big ol smile splayed across her features as she flopped down onto her side to soak up the last remaining sun rays before twilight fell upon the forest. she peered up at spark from the grass, eyeing her quizzically. it was odd to think that just a couple moons ago she was a kit; she was definitely coming into her own. and so she figured, what better apprentice to befriend than urchinpaw? she saw an opportunity sprouting and taking shape, something that made her whiskers twitch with glee. "spark, how'd you like to be my apprentice? not really, of course, but for pretend?" her expression was goofy but her intense eyes were full of intention; she was dead serious.

//extremely sleepy post ahhhhh

her tears slowed with each word from the caring and gentle virgo, taking in and processing everything the motherly she-cat had to say. she knew within herself that she was right, that she ought to pick herself up and keep it pushing, because it wasn't like her to feel so small. unfortunately, the road to overcoming her self esteem issues was far from over, but she knew that now was the time to be brave. just like how she was brave enough to beat death itself at the deadly paws of rat-bite fever. brave enough to face the rats again without looking back, without having any fear. she lost half her tail in the rat war, a scar she'd bear forever. every now and then she swore she could feel the other missing half, twitching and curling around her body as she slept. but every time she looked, it was nowhere to be found and only a sad stump remained.

urchinpaw moved slowly away from nuzzling her face into virgo, sniffling although she was frantically trying to hide all signs that she'd been crying in the first place. she was unique, she was the only urchinpaw around. very few apprentices her age matched her tenacity and grit. she was huskier than most, and still clumsy on her paws now and then, but she would make for a determined fighter and warrior someday. that much, she knew for sure. for now though, she needed to compose herself. other cats were approaching. almond eyes gazed up at virgo first, giving her a quick nod as if to thank her with quiet resolve. she noticed yewpaw speaking up and her ears fell flat, not because she was uncomfortable, rather, she felt touched that someone who hardly knew her had such kind words in mind. they weren't the best at talking, maybe, but their concern for her was more than enough.

she eyed sparkpaw, who'd grown so big since she last saw her. her ears flew forward again as if carried by a breeze. pretty? me? she thought to herself, peeking over at her almost incredulously. she took a deep breath, then a long sigh. "i really appreciate your kind words, all of you." her voice was still slightly strained, slightly nasally from being all stuffed up from crying so much. even so, she was terribly thankful for them wanting to be there beside her in these hard times. loyalty was one of her highest regarded values.

//AHHH the fam is finally gonna be reunited i'm so excited ^0^

urchinpaw had seen sparkpaw slip out to pursue the dawn patrol, and while she herself hadn't originally planned on attending, she wanted to stick by her friend in case she needed a helping paw getting around. a broken paw was a debilitating trauma for a training apprentice. she understood her frustrations; following the first rat battle to liberate skyclan, her own injuries left her nest-ridden for a couple weeks. even so, she joined them in the final stand to free their lands from the vermin, risking further injury for the sake of honor. her heart soared in the heat of battle, and she dreamed of the day where she would become skyclan's fiercest warrior. she saw that fire in sparkpaw's eyes that burned just as bright as her own.

she'd just caught up to her when she saw her pause, fixated on something up ahead. the curly, spiky furred tortoiseshell came up to her right flank, where she spotted a tall tom with two apprentice-aged cats standing at the border. she was just as confused and curious as sparkpaw; it wasnt everyday that they had whole families coming to skyclan. almond eyes were steadfast and piercing as she awaited the tom's response. she never would've guessed that he was her father, but the resemblance between them was uncanny. she inherited his sturdy build, and although she was tricolored, her pelt was predominantly black, save for patches of vibrant orange and white. whiskers twitching and ears swiveling, urchinpaw sat on her haunches.

Rubyheart1 oh yay i can't wait to see that!

Thorny yesss i'm down for that! especially since urchin is catching on that slate kinda likes her! who makes?

ARCTICWIND FOR SURE urchinpaw def sees arcticwind as a role model already! maybe they can practice sparring together?

honestly, she thought sparkpaw wouldn't say yes so readily, but when she saw her expression light up, she sat up quick as a flash with her jaws agape in an incredulous show. a little pretend apprentice of her own? what a heart pounding, exciting game! surely they could share wisdom with one another as they both trained alongside their respective mentors. urchinpaw's face turned mischievous and she scratched under her chin as she hummed, pretending to think of a little scheme. "well, then... your first test, sparkpaw, is to climb to the top of that tree over there and bring me back a pinecone to prove your tree-climbing prowess." she spoke in a haughty tone, doing her best impersonation of a diligent warrior. she smirked, quirking a brow before adding, "so, are you up to the challenge?"

yes that's totally fine! thanks a bunch! <3

"i'm urchinpaw, and sandlily's my mother. i'm not sure where she is right now, but how do you know of her? what do you want with her?" her voice was tight and pressing; she wondered why in the world these shadowclan cats would travel all the way to skyclan just to ask for sandlily. she'd never seen them before in her life. she briefly thought back to when amberlight first joined skyclan, another former shadowclanner. she also knew her mother, asking for her by name, as well as her uncle dustdevil. to her knowledge, her mother never lived in shadowclan, so how could she know them all? could it be that she met each of them at a gathering? it truly boggled her mind. she quirked a brow in suspicion, although her heart began thumping harder in her chest as all sorts of thoughts raced through her head. she didn't really tie together how the one who spoke shared her curly fur texture; that could easily be a coincidence and she played it off as such. still, she was wary. her gaze flickered between each of the strangers' faces, as if waiting with baited breath for one of them to give an answer to her questions.

//its up to you whether or not sparkpaw finds a feather! xD i just thought it'd be funny lmao

"... oooh, but i do believe i forgot to mention one thing.." of course, urchinpaw wasnt going to make it so easy. she was well aware that sparkpaw was a talented climber. she took a moment to think, but then way up at the top of the giant tree, something caught her eye. her smile widened, ear flicking in contented amusement. "i need you to get one pinecone and one eagle feather, from that nest all the way at the top." was she even truly sure there was a feather up there? not really, although it was super likely. but if it was a challenge she wanted, it was a challenge she would have to get! the nest itself was dormant and empty, that much she knew for sure. there was no risk of an angry eagle swooping down to attack her. at the very least, urchinpaw would surely get a kick out of seeing the whole thing unfold.

'more family members'? and.. my father..?

in mere moments, her world had turned completely upside down. her first reaction was to chuckle in a state of nervous shock, as if she was dreaming or someone was playing a prank on her, but then she saw their faces, how serious they were. her gaze lingered on her father, someone who she had always thought abandoned her, left her mother to raise her and tarantulapaw on her own. urchinpaw knew next to nothing about him, not even his name. perhaps this uncertainty was an unspoken factor that led her to get into all the trouble she did when she was younger. she spent many tearful nights wondering if he ever thought about her, or even cared, but now she was just so confused, and she felt anguish rising up in her throat. her hackles rose, her head lowering until it was level with her back, lips curled back as she bared her teeth. she was fighting tears, and nearly trembling with mixed emotion.

"you lied, all of you! from the beginning, everything i've been told has been a lie! and now you come here, expecting us to just be a family? with two new brothers i've never met, no less? why? why lie to me, to all of us?" tears fell as she sobbed through her words. moons of pent up feelings were rushing to the surface. deep down, of course, she was yearning to have him around, and if she weren't so blinded by her emotions she would readily accept him in an instant. the hole she always had in her heart would finally be filled. although, sedgeroot had long since stepped in and took the role of a father in her eyes; she trusted him with her life, and her mentorship under him was only strengthening their ties. but to think that her real father was here, standing in front of her? she had many more questions than answers. "i just.." more tears. slowly, her anger began to subside. "of course i'm glad to see you, but.. why did you stay away? i just don't understand.." she stepped forward gingerly, as if still unsure; truthfully, she was. she didn't know him at all, and yet, they shared blood. eventually she came around, embracing pantherfrost and burying her face in his shoulder.

by the stars, i never thought i'd see this day.. urchin thought, shutting her eyes tightly.

"so, ternpaw, i take it you've had enough chores for the day?" came urchinpaw's voice as the slightly heavyset tortie approached with a bored look of her own on her face. although, she gave tern a lazy lopsided grin. "well, someone's gotta do them, i guess. remind me again why you're cooped up in camp while the rest of us are out training?" she stretched with a dramatic yawn, grateful for the shade on this particularly warm day. her muscles were exhausted from sparring earlier, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't totally drained. even so, this boring afternoon called for urchinpaw and her bright ideas to make everything a little more interesting. why not shake things up?

"what's the story with you and slatepaw? you've sure been growing close lately. friends? or something more?" this could certainly come back to bite her, but she enjoyed ternpaw's company all the same. might as well catch the latest gossip. besides, she wasnt totally blind; she was fairly certain that slate fancied her.

//hehehe of course!

urchinpaw's eyes tracked sparkpaw as she scaled the tree higher and higher still, laying down with her forepaws tucked beneath her, crooked tail swishing to and fro. lo and behold, she did find a feather! "well, well! it seems that skyclan has two promising apprentices on the rise!" of course, she was insinuating that she herself was the second promising apprentice. she saw a budding friendship forming, a pair of tough-hearted cats who never turned down a challenge. she was honestly amazed at her skill; perhaps soon enough the two of them would be friendly rivals. her eyes traced down to the items before her that her pretend apprentice had oh-so-obediently fetched for her. "the feather is yours to keep: consider it a trophy for your victory. as far as the pinecone is concerned.." she took the pinecone in her jaws and began to use it to brush through her wild curly pelt. "sometimes i need a little more than just the plain ol' licking to tame this fur." once she was done, she promptly tossed it into the bushes.

"sparkpaw! you're mine!" urchinpaw bellowed as she strutted up, surging with energy. sparring was her strong suit; she would certainly prove to be a tough opponent. she had no plans to go easy on her just because they were friends. she was going to take this just as seriously as she took her training. her golden eyes were ablaze with passion and excitement, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline as her muscles became pumped and poised to fight. she was dying to see what she was made of, to gauge her strategy and match it. urchinpaw was sturdy as an oak, and although she wasnt the quickest due to her size, she often managed to think outside the box and outwit her enemy with cunning tricks. on top of that, she had a strong lunge; one advantage to how large she was.

//i literally FORGOT that she had a broken paw omg xD

"ohoho! isn't this interesting?" urchinpaw chortled, peering over her shoulder at yewpaw. they were right, for sure, and maybe going against them would prove to be more exciting? she definitely didn't see that coming! even so, she was still primed for showing off her skill. "okay yewpaw, let's see what you've got! make it interesting, yeah?" she gave a huff and a smirk, lowering her body to the ground prepared to wait for yew to make their move first.

:000 gasps

p.s. i did a thing (peep the custom avatar)

ITS MY FLOOFY GORL

the quality is poopy cause i'm still getting used to the art software i use, called krita

but i figured it was finally time to get an actual ref of her in all her urchinness lollll

urchinpaw had arrived on the scene, about to come up from behind yewpaw to spook them when her face lit up at the mention of a game. she bounded out from her hiding spot in the bushes, pelt covered in twigs and leaf litter as per usual for the laperm molly. games were absolutely delightful, especially when she thought about kicking yewpaw's tail in the process. they were witty, crafty, bold; all things they shared in common together. they were one of the very few to openly challenge her, to try to get under her skin, and really, she probably enjoyed it a little too much. their sprouting friendship was rooted in passive aggressive banter and sarcasm, which made them fun to interact with. and of course, there was sparkpaw, her pretend apprentice who shared her passions to become a skillful warrior. surely this was going to be a blast. "count me in!" urchin hooted, prancing in place excitedly. her slit pupils dilated to saucers as her eyes tracked the moss ball rolling back and forth.

//she's actually 8 months but its okay xD! thanks for making this thread omg so cuuuute c,:

despite most cats, urchinpaw was surprisingly the type to enjoy mornings and greet the day with enthusiasm rather than cling to her nest. she was roused from her slumber by a prodding paw, in a spot which tickled her tremendously. she writhed with a sleepy chuckle and a little squeak before she opened her sleepy eyes and saw slatepaw standing there intently. "a surprise? for me? what's the occasion?" came her groggy voice, but she dutifully rose to her paws and gave a big stretch before wandering to the entrance of the den to see what this little surprise could be. in all actuality, sedgeroot had done a better job than she did at remembering her age, because it wasnt until she saw the array of flowers and the seagull that it clicked in her mind. she was 8 moons today, yes indeed! it seemed like with every moon that passed, urchinpaw was stepping into her own beauty and individuality. less like a kit and more like a young molly. needless to say, she wasnt expecting something so thought out, but was obviously delighted. "oh slatepaw, cmere you! thanks a bunch! pretty soon we'll be celebrating our graduation from being apprentices together. yup, just one moon closer to that day!" she gave a purr and a little hug of sorts. honey pools flicked over her shoulder at yewpaw in amusement, who seemed way too sleepy to be participating. she really couldn't blame them. she chuckled haughtily, "don't worry, yew. i'll save you a wing for whenever you decide to join in on the fun." the lavender smelled beautiful, and the seagull was so plump and fresh that she couldn't help tearing into it right away. after carefully plucking the feathers away, of course.

while she was doing that, she turned her attention back to slatepaw. "so did you think this up? or was it sedgeroot's master plan all along? maybe a collaboration of two clever minds?"

urchinpaw was angry, sure, but she saw the bigger picture in the situation. whatever reasons he had for leaving, he was here now, ready to make amends for being absent in their lives. the least she could do was give him a chance. he deserved that much. be it a blessing or a curse, she had a big heart, and this situation was no exception. hopefully the resentment wouldn't linger, but for now, that shouldn't be a thought on her mind. it felt surreal, having her family together as one. it was like some wild fever dream. hearing that he loved them, that he was sorry.. how could she close her heart off like that after hearing those words? finally, a piece of her life that was incomplete was back together again. perhaps it would take some time, but she planned on rebuilding their relationship for the sake of blood ties.

she understood her sister's hesitation, of course; she was always more set in her ways than urchinpaw was, had more of a backbone. despite her rough exterior, urchinpaw was soft inside. she shared that trait with her father, it seemed. she turned to face tara and hound, eyes still blurred with tears but fierce and filled with fire. "houndpaw is right, tara. starclan led him to us, i'm sure of it. he's here now, they all are, and they aren't going anywhere. we don't have to rush to build that bond, but what's the harm in trying? i've been wishing for this day for moons.. the day i meet father.. and it's finally come. it hurts knowing that you lied to us, father, it hurts more than anything i've felt before. but no matter how long it takes, i want to let all that go and just focus on being a family." easier said than done, surely. she gulped; it was one thing to say something like that, but how would she feel about it tomorrow or the day after? she didn't know the specifics that led to him leaving, but would her mind change once she did? no.. no. he's here now. all those wasted moons.. i just want my family to be whole again.. it was like reminding herself to keep her head about this. but their relationship meant the world to her; she would fight tooth and claw to bring them all together. for a cat who denied starclan's existence merely weeks ago, this reunion was surely heaven sent.