sibling bonding | quillpaw's battle training [p]

[idia]

QUILLPAW
he/him. 8 moons. dark grey tom; tabby markings; light grey markings, amber and blue eyes.
[ mind reader ]

quillpaw feels as though he's fallen behind. which, he hasn't, technically. he knows how to hunt, he knows stealth and he's..fine at those. not amazing, but not horrible - just fine. and usually, he wouldn't care. he has nobody to impress but himself, not his parents (stars forbid he do anything just to make them proud or happy). not even his grandmother ..although he also really, really doesn't want her to think of the disappointment grandchild. he has just himself. but there's a weird feeling in his chest that's lingered ever since sleepypaw became sleepysunrise.

he's happy for her! he even smiled. of course, it's only natural. that's his sister, after all, he'd be happy if any of his siblings became warriors. the problem is..this feeling. he's figured out that it's envy. she's not that much older than him, yet has definitely accomplished more (obviously, she's a warrior now) than some warriors. and t think that they've never actually talked before. life is very strange. anyway! there's a solution to the feeling of inadequacy.

so, with that in mind – the lithe tom is approaching the warrior's den, poking his head inside. it's still early dawn, and between all of the sleeping forms of warriors, he's not too sure if sleepysunrise is in the hollowed trunk at all. he blinks, scanning the den briefly before his eyes narrow. "sleepysunrise!" he calls, a sharp edge to his voice as usual. not a care in the world if he wakes some unlucky warrior up. too bad so sad.

"if you're in here, come here." it's originally meant to sound like a request, but in all honesty, it sounds like more of an order than anything else. with that, quillpaw steps back, simply peering inside.

[ @Estelle ]

[Estelle]

Sleepysunrise hadn’t quite gotten used to her new den just yet, let alone her new nest; she often hovered around, keeping to the shadows of the clan until late into the night early in the morning rather than enter the crowded den of warriors, all far too close for comfort. Her vibrant eyes watched from her shadowed cloak as the clan went about their day, keeping guard, and senses alert for trouble.

Although today’s ‘trouble’ had a rather different form; the form of seeking knowledge, and a sharp tongue. She heard her name called by her brother, ordering her to come and heed his call. Sleepysunrise would’ve ignored under any normal circumstances, except for the fact that this was her younger brother calling – those who could order her around were those of power, Miss Grandmama and mama. No one else. But a sibling’s call she would always heed and as such the dull-faced feline approached her sibling, watching him with an intense eye.

“Don’t.. order.”
She said softly, something she picked up in the nursery.
“You’re okay?”
She asked, wondering what he needed as her head tilted sideways.


[ @furrensice ]

[idia]

QUILLPAW
he/him. 9 moons. dark grey tom; tabby markings; light grey markings, amber and blue eyes.
[ mind reader ]

much to quillpaw's pleasure, it's only a few moments before sleepysunrise approaches. he scrunches his nose, brows furrowing for just a split second before his expression returns to its normal annoyed looking one. "I did not order you, I merely called." he says with a shrug, before his eyes narrow slightly. "...but, I will be more mindful in the future, I suppose." he grunts, voice a touch more quiet, followed by a nod.

he raises a brow at her question. "perfectly fine. I just need your..help," the word tastes foreign on his tongue. he dislikes it. eugh. "-- with training. seeing as you were at the raid..I figured you could teach me how to fight." there's a short pause, where he silently wonders if that sounded like an order or not. "if you don't mind." he adds on, a bit begrudgingly.

[ @Estelle ]

[Estelle]

A difference of opinion, but Sleepysunrise could appreciate his mindfulness. Quillpaw was, evidently, one of her more prickly siblings - a stark contrast to Birdpaw and Bleedingpaw, in any case. But the apprentice didn't mind. There was a certain interest to Quillpaw's behaviour, an aspect she didn't understand which she would be keen on studying. Much like one's excitement, Quillpaw's lack thereof was so... Uncommon? A foreign feeling? She couldn't quite place it, nor could she tell why.

"I don't mind."
The monotonous words followed, a surprisingly gentle pair of eyes resting upon her little brother, opposing the normally distant and soul-piercing stare that was given to anyone else. Much similar to what Miss Grandmama would often do, she moved to flick her tail just above her brother's shoulder, probing him to follow along as she spoke.
"What do you know?"
In general training, she meant. Not just battle.


[ @furrensic ]

[idia]

QUILLPAW
he/him. 8 moons. dark grey tom; tabby markings; light grey markings, amber and blue eyes.
[ mind reader ]

one thing quillpaw notes about his sister is the difference between her voice and her eyes. sleepysunrise carries a monotone pitch, yet her gaze is gentle, almost..motherly in a way. the two don't match. it makes him uncomfortable, and he thinks he'd prefer a stern gaze, something he's more familiar with. he edges away subtly when she flicks her tail tip just above his shoulder. ew, touch.

padding alongside the black and white molly, he cants his head at her question. what does he know? "nothing about fighting. simply hunting and stealth, the basics." he promptly answers with a twitch of an ear. now that he's saying it aloud, he truly realizes that he doesn't know that much and almost feels embarrassed. a feeling so foreign that a cringe threatens to appear on his maw.

"you must know how to fight well, seeing as you lived. I'd like if you could teach me everything you know." there, that sounds more mindful, doesn't it? see, he can be thoughtful and not demanding.

[ @Estelle ]

[Estelle]

Sleepysunrise canted her head at his comment, pondering his words with momentary care. Know how to fight. She knew how to survive, it was different; Miss Grandmama knew how to fight, in comparison, Sleepysunrise had only just begun. But she could teach, teach her siblings not to die and set them on a path of learning, so she nodded a light nod indeed, eyes lowering from up ahead to her brother.
"I survive, but I can teach. So you can survive too."
His mentor should have taught him the basics, at least, but Sleepysunrise decided that just like in he youth the warriors of the clan could not be entrusted with training.
"Hunting and stealth are the bases of battle. It's like..."
She paused, pondering.
"You hunt. Your opponents."
Strange, was it so?
"They fight back,"
she pondered aloud, but it still was so. When it battle, the chase of an opponent, the fight to take them down.
"They die.... So easily."
A weak mumble left her lips, and Sleepysunrise seemed dazed for just a moment before a shake of her head and flick of her ear brought her back to reality.

Quillpaw. He awaited his training, and Sleepysunrise couldn't waste any more time. Akin to hunting prey or not, she had to teach her younger brother, and teach she would. The youngest enforcer broke away from his side, intent growing serious when she stood to face him and crouched low into a battler's crouch - or, really, a hunter's crouch's brother. She lay he eyes on him, calling for his attention without word.
"Individual moves first. Then a spar."
So he had something to build of off.
"The basics. You swipe, and claw."
She unsheathed her claws a swiped her paw down to the ground where an enemy's head would be, then swiped sideways across this invisible opponent's face.
"Many aim for the face. But you can aim for everywhere. You need to find where they are weak."
She explained, beginning to move around Quillpaw in a circular motion, feigning a few sheathed swipes at him with no intention of actually landing a blow.
"And move. They attack. They bite. They claw and pull... Throw sand. You can do the same. Bite their legs, tail; shake their scruff. Claw their face and sides... Disorient them."
Then, she leapt - seemingly aiming to land on her brother's back, landing at his side instead, lest he moved aside.
"Jump their back. But they drop, and roll, too. You have to get off.. on time."
Her eyes landed on Quillpaw, silently daring him to try any of the things she explained, or whatever came to mind.


[ @idia ]

[idia]

QUILLPAW
he/him. 8 moons. dark grey tom; tabby markings; light grey markings, amber and blue eyes.
[ mind reader ]

sleepysunrise claims she simply knows how to survive. he begs to differ. if one can go into a raid, prove themselves enough to become a warrior – they know how to do more than just survive. he stays silent, though, considering she's offering to teach him. not making a smart remark is the least he can do. and perhaps he...respects.. his older sister more than he'll admit. much more than his parents, that's for certain.

"ah, so treat your opponents like prey." he grins, just for a second. maybe he's more amused by that than he should be, but he finds it a little humourous nonetheless. he doesn't catch his sisters mumble, but based on her expression, he assumes it's nothing good. his attention is drawn away from the matter quickly, now focused on the molly breaking away from his side and dropping into a crouch. individual moves first, alright then.

mismatched eyes watch sleepysunrise intently as she begins demonstrating moves. mirroring her, he copies them the best he can – first swiping his paw in a downwards motion at the ground, then swiping sideways. he cants his head as she circles around him, twisting his torso to follow her movements. "throw sand? well, isn't that just cute." he muses, sarcasm dripping from his voice like venom. surely any cat cowardly enough to throw sand in a fight .. well, to put it nicely, too pathetic to be a real warrior.

his eyes widen a fraction as she suddenly leaps at him, jerking to the side with the thought that she fully intended to land on him, only fir her to land beside him. there's a silent challenge in her gaze once she finishes speaking, and quillpaw's eyes narrow a touch. well, he supposes it's now his turn to leap at her, or come up with something at the very least. seeing as he's quillpaw, he feels like his sister might expect a move that's articulate and deliberate. therefore, he does the opposite! with a sudden burst of movement, he aims to headbutt sleepysunrise. the superior battle move, of course.

[ @Estelle ]

[Estelle]

Sleepysunrise
[ 11* moons | She / Her | Shc Enforcer | Shadow Fiend ]

Treat your opponents like prey. Were those her own words? It sounded so much worse when Quillpaw said it, and Sleepysurise couldn’t understand why. It left her thoughtful, trying to make sense of this sudden strike in thought as she blankly stared into the distance, the looming need for training being the element that breaks this reverie and makes her move forth.

Cute? She blinked.
“Effective.”
She corrected. However cowardly it was, a helping of sand in ones eyes could be disorienting, she imagined. Suddenly sightless, left only with your other senses… Ah, mama. Her movements remained circling, moving around him even after her sudden approach. He had good instinct, trying to avoid her move at the very least, and he did expect for the more cunning of her siblings to move forth in an articulate manner.

But one never could expect the expected; Quillpaw wanted to headbud her, and although Sleepysunrise avoided the attack in one swift movement after seeing the tensing of his muscles, she was surprised. Using your head to hit your opponent… Sleepysunrise was small, she hadn’t often considered this an effective move, she would imagine it to be painful.

Within her bravado of avoiding his attack, a deft paw lifted to slam down on the base of Quillpaw’s neck, her gaze unblinking.
“Keep moving.”
She instructed, encouragement to be more speedy without chiding his attempted attack. A sudden thought told her using the head was awfully similar to shoving, and Sleepysunrise move forth to do as much. Or try to, at least. She expected it to fail, in fact, moving instead her head down to wrap her teeth around his back leg (with care) and pull.

After which she would jump back and duck, twisting around after shoving herself forth to try and get beneath him and press a paw against his belly.
“This. Can be evasive and offensive.”
Either used to get away minus the twisting around on her back, or do as she did to try and attack.


[ @idia ]

[idia]

QUILLPAW
he/him. 8 moons. dark grey tom; tabby markings; light grey markings, amber and blue eyes.
[ mind reader ]

oh, boo.

quillpaw's nose scrunches in displeasure when his headbutt doesn't connect. distracted by his failure, he grimaces as sleepysunrise's paw slams down on the base of his neck. not too harshly, but enough to the point he's starting to think he isn't cut out for such harsh stuff. much more underpawed tactics appeal to him, of course. his sister seems to be a cunning yet head-on fighter. formidable.

watching his sister's movements closely - under the impression she planned to shove him, by the looks of it - quillpaw shifts to the side. so, he is a bit surprised when she's instead leaning down, and he feels her teeth on his fur annnnd..he's being tugged. his jaws part in a quiet hiss of shock, not having enough time to fully react before she's darting away, then forward once more, and wriggling underneath him. a paw pushed right against his belly. well, he's off to a bad start already.

"obviously," he whips, unable to mask the frustration lacing his tone. his irritation is most definitely at himself, not sleepysunrise. squirming away, he swiftly spins around to face the young enforcer once more. assuming she had risen from the ground, he keeps her words in mind and darts towards her in a flash of movement. he reasons that some trickery might be necessary, so he lifts a paw, appearing as if he was going to aim a basic blow. something expected, he hopes.

instead, at the last moment, he leans down to attempt (very gently) grabbing onto one of her forepaws at tugging to impair her balance. then, he follows it up by lifting both front paws briefly to shove her in hopes she'd fall. or stumble, at the very least. "the whole point is to get your opponents in the ground, yes? so you can kill them."

[ @Estelle ]