The Dawn Isn't Here, The Sun Hasn't Rose.

[Neptune.]

*-Deerpaw-*
50/100
he/they | 6moons | Agatha Kitty
fluffy brown tom with a bobbed tail and patches of white on his muzzle and chest

"Mmm," the apprentice murmured, a little dejected, a little relieved. "I wouldn't be able to fight now anyway, I haven't had any training in fighting. Besides, I don't think I'll be very good at it." Deerpaw shuffled his paws, an ear flicking in what could be annoyance but might just be an action to get rid of a pesky gnat. "I don't know if I even want to fight."

It was true, but he didn't think most cats in the clan would approve of the thought of not wanting to fight from anyone except a medicine cat. Maybe Snowecho would be the one cat who would be ok with them saying so. Deerpaw truly had no desires to ever fight in a war, or in general. He knew he had to at least know how, if for nothing but self defense, but his interests lied more in clan history or stuff on the not so physical side of things. If he refused to fight in a war would his clan disown him..?

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@silverwynds
im going to start offering incorrect quotes because its funny

Snowecho: My only talent is being stress.
Deerpaw: Don't you mean stressed?
Snowecho: No.

[silver.]

snowecho // he/they // 30 moons

---

Another cat in Shadowclan that didn't want to fight? No, scratch that-- didn't think they'd be very good at fighting? It was a relief knowing that maybe he wasn't alone in the most recent thoughts concerning the war that have been nestled uncomfortably in his head. For the first time probably all week, he lets out a sigh of relief, body seeming to relax just with the new knowledge that Deerpaw maybe understood where he was coming from.

"Put off your battle training, then." It made the most sense. That way, they wouldn't to make the choice of fighting or not. The young one wouldn't be allowed to. Unless it got really dicey and Dawnstar threw that rule into a river. "You're too young to have to do this sort of thing... Not even a warrior yet and having to live through a war... It's not fair."

The somewhat relaxed expression he had been donning soon twists into one of concern. Of worry. He couldn't imagine going through his apprentice training only for it to constantly be interrupted by battles or be afraid of training only to be ambushed... Terrifying.

deerpaw // @FrostyGalaxy
( PLEASEEEE THESE ARE SO FUNNY SDHJFSDK if i think of any ill def put them here too)

[Neptune.]

*-Deerpaw-*
51/100
he/they | 6moons | Agatha Kitty: inactive
fluffy brown tom with a bobbed tail and patches of white on his muzzle and chest

That seemed logical, yes. Put off his battle training long enough so that he didn't have to fight. But that plan also had logical holes in it like. Everywhere.

"What if Blackpath suggests we do battle training next? Am I supposed to just say no? And, moreover, what if Dawnstar orders expedited battle training for all the apprentices? I couldn't get out of it then, could I? No... I'll have to learn eventually, what's the difference between doing it now rather than later?" Their voice was bitter, something that didn't often come across within it often. They shouldn't dwell on that, maybe it would screw with his brain and turn him as dreary and cynical as the warrior next to him.

He shook his pelt as if to physically rid himself of his doubts. "It's ok, though, I guess. I'm sure this won't be the only war I see, and maybe by the next one I'll be more ok with it, I don't know." Every other cat in ShadowClan would likely scoff at the idea, maybe not Snowecho, though. Deerpaw kind of thought of the warrior as a friend, they weren't sure if they felt similarly or if this whole interaction was more like kit sitting to them. Whatever.

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@silverwynds
(i literally just put their names into an incorrect quote generator and pick the ones that fit lol)

Deerpaw: we could make a boys club!
Snowecho: Im non-binary.
Deerpaw:
Deerpaw: Anti-girls club.

[silver.]

snowecho // he/they // 30 moons

---

Of course they were right. It happened few and far between that Snowecho was right about something. This was a prime example of one of those moments. Worried expression deepening into a frown, he again can't bring himself to look the apprentice in the eye. The conversation was snowballing fast and it was all his fault. Again. Stars, why couldn't he just say the right thing? Had he always been like this? Fumbling over sentences like an idiot, even in situations where there was no panic to be found? Whenever his mind wandered to what had been it forces a glare to his face.

"You don't have to be okay with it."

The words fly from their mouth so instinctively that he doesn't have a chance to stop them. And once they're free, he's whipping his head around in fear that a passing warrior may have heard his definitely outlandish opinion. Perhaps finding a friend in Deerpaw would be... Nice. To have another cat around that understood him to some degree... He didn't deserve it, but... It made the looming war less scary.

"I-I meant to say, um... Fighting is never pleasant, but um... I guess in the eyes of some it's necessary... Unfortunately... Things would be so much easier if we didn't battle so often, though..."

deerpaw // @FrostyGalaxy

[Neptune.]

*-Deerpaw-*
52/100
he/they | 6moons | Agatha Kitty: inactive
fluffy brown tom with a bobbed tail and patches of white on his muzzle and chest

Snowecho was a little funny. Deerpaw thought of them as someone always filtering the words they spoke, picking out just the right syllable at every chance so nothing came out wrong or unpleasant to the cat they were speaking with. He was expecting another fumbled sentence, broken phrased and fearful pauses where Deerpaw would have to string together his meaning like a detective. It was sort of fun doing that, to be honest, like training but for their mind. It was surprising, then, when their words came out at first as something that seemed almost sure, almost confident in what he was saying... only for them to immediately backtrack. But Deerpaw liked the unfiltered words a lot. He didn't have to be ok with the war...

The brown apprentice smiled, happy to have gotten something so unfiltered from Snowecho. "I think you're right," he said, not exactly happily. Maybe more ruefully? Deerpaw didn't have the word for it. "About not needing to be ok with it, I mean." Standing up, he shook his fluffy pelt of the dirt and dead grass clinging to it, "you don't have to ok with it either, I think." And he padded away toward the apprentice's den, with much to mull about and think over.

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{okokok sorry for the sudden close on this specific interaction, it just seemed like a good end to the conversation safaguwfbhjw IF YOU WANT !!!! We can use this thread for future deer and snow interactions !!! so not just this one conversation. their little convo hub if you will.}

@silverwynds

deerpaw: Are you good?
snowecho: In what sense?
deerpaw: Generally.
snowecho: Oh, definitely not.