[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ TWISTEDPAW OF WINDCLAN - AFAB SHE/HER ~

Small, skinny black she-cat with a light gray belly and tail-tip, a crooked jaw, a mangled tail, and one blind eye.

Though Twistedpaw kept her one good eye on her mentor, anticipation and hope swirling in her stomach and shining on her face, anxiety tickled the back of her mind. It was a presence that refused to be ignored, forcing its way into her conscious thoughts like a worm tunneling through the earth. Swiftfire. A shudder passed through the small black she-cat, though anyone would think it was because of the chill hanging in the air and the harsh breeze rustling the dying grass. And that was partly true - it was cold. Twistedpaw felt herself grow stiffer and more numb with each passing moment. However, she knew Swiftfire was watching - and judging - her. That pale yellow gaze burned into Twistedpaw's neck, not too unlike the flames that had ripped through WindClan's old territory. That evoked another shudder.

She doesn't like me. That stern glare when Twistedpaw's crooked jaw had dangled had told her enough. She was being judged for her disabilities - and no doubt for what she had done at Cowtuft's exile.

StarClan, she hoped he was okay...

Twistedpaw remained focused on the task at paw even as she felt another stab of grief for the wandering medicine cat. Former medicine cat. But that didn't stop her from blinking in surprise when a cat hidden from her view answered her question instead of Batglare. Her heart sank a little. It was Swiftfire. She turned so that the long-legged tortoiseshell was in her vision. The disapproving look in those pale yellow eyes and the harsh edge to her voice made Twistedpaw flinch. Her tiny ears flattened against her head, seeming to disappear, and she glanced at her paws, overcome by a wave of guilt and heightened anxiety that clawed and bit at the inside of her stomach. Featherbrain. Who was she to suggest catching a rabbit on her own? Batglare would want her to try, but Swiftfire was here, too. She wasn't as lenient as her mentor. She was a regular warrior. And that meant she was going to judge Twistedpaw for every mouse-brained move she made.

I'm just an apprentice. A disabled one at that. Why would she trust me to catch a rabbit by myself? It made sense, but Twistedpaw's anxiety still rose, making her feel like she was going to gag. It took all her might to stop herself from trembling; her paws dug so hard into the frozen earth that the sharp bite in her pads turned numb after a matter of moments. These feelings were so weird. Twistedpaw understood Swiftfire's reasoning, and she also understood why her Clanmates would judge her. However, she... she didn't want to make them upset or uncomfortable. She didn't want to disappoint anybody. Which seems impossible because I'm all wrong, she thought with a stab of disappointment.

And to think she'd been gaining confidence. Twistedpaw had trusted that her Clanmates were nicer than Willowsky and Flutteringkit, even begun to think that the judgment was exclusive to those two. But Swiftfire had proven her anxiety right. She was different, and she had been born wrong. Even worse, she was missing whatever Ashfeather had had that made her likable. Maybe almost everyone thinks this way about me and tried to hide it until I tried to defend Cowtuft, she thought miserably. That begged another question: Was Swiftfire upset with Twistedpaw because of her physique? Was it because of Cowtuft's exile? Or was it both? That only made her feel more miserable. Either way, I messed up, and it's all worse because of me.

Batglare's voice jolted Twistedpaw out of her march of misery. She looked up, acutely aware of how stiff her jaw and tail were getting and the numbness creeping upon her paws, ears, and nose. She wasn't just miserable on the inside. But, though he scowled, her mentor's words sent a thrill of relief and happiness through her. She visibly relaxed. He thinks I can catch the rabbit! But what will Swift-

...She was going with Swiftfire.

Twistedpaw's face fell, but she quickly recovered even as dread colder than the air began to seep into her. Oh, no. Swiftfire didn't like her, and Twistedpaw both didn't want to be judged by the warrior and didn't want to make her uncomfortable by being there. But this was an order, and Twistedpaw had learned all too well that there were times when she needed to obey them. She couldn't have everything for herself. Like Cowtuft.

Still feeling a bit sick and more than a little nervous, Twistedpaw dipped her head to Batglare. "O-o-okay," she managed. Her jaw was getting stiffer and more painful by the minute, and the extra stutter was definitely from nerves. All a combination to make her voice even more dreadful. The skinny apprentice tried not to wince as she imagined how Swiftfire would judge that little lapse. Can't even speak normally... I wonder how she yelled all that stuff when Cowtuft was about to be thrown out, she could imagine Swiftfire thinking. It made her skin crawl a little.

But, again, it was an order. Twistedpaw turned to Swiftfire, trying not to look too nervous. A good warrior wasn't scared of her own Clanmates... right? I need to look strong. Good. Competent. As good as she could look, anyway, with her jaw nearly unhinged, one eye colorless and clouded over, and a mangled tail that went every which way. As if in response to that thought, the bulging, dented, light gray tip - which hung behind and between her too-small ears - gave a nervous twitch.

Ever aware of Batglare's pawsteps growing more and more distant, Twistedpaw asked Swiftfire, trying to keep her expression neutral but with nerves dancing in her grayish-blue eye, "S-s-so... how d-do you w-want t-to do th-this? You m-mentioned one of us d-driving it t-to another..." StarClan, Twistedpaw hoped she'd gotten that right. The meaty smell of the rabbit flooded her nostrils. Her mouth watered - she hadn't eaten this morning - and her stomach growled. Unfortunately, some drool slipped from the side of her jaw. She squeaked and quickly wiped it away, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. Great... Now she was certain Swiftfire hated her. Why did everything Twistedpaw do go wrong? Well, she knew why, but that didn't stop her from feeling guilty and miserable about it. Even when I try my best, I mess up somehow. Then hardly anybody likes me.

@Tiabirb @Moonraven (I'm sorry this is so late! A lot of things crept up on me.)