Teach a Scorpion to Sting [t]

[SuspiciousMindz]

[Scorpionpaw]
ShadowClan Apprentice
​31/100
No Purrks

Mama had told her to go bother the Enforcers, so guess where Scorp was going today? To bother an Enforcer and unfortunately for Briarsplash, she was the victim. As the tabby stamped up to the older feline, she'd have her tail in the air behind her as an indicating gesture that she was friendly. She'd noticed how cats reacted to seeing her some days, she must've took on more of Dawnstar's looks than she expected!

"HELLO! Mama told me to come find Enforcers for training, I need everything, can you help me?!" She'd get straight to the point... all in one breath. She'd look almost pleading as she asked, wanting nothing more than to get the ball rolling on some of her training.

@squidz - Briarsplash

[squidz]

~ BRIARSPLASH ~
stocky, large, & fluffy dilute gray tortie she-cat with goldish-green eyes; just a scratch | killer aptitude t1
[ shadowclan enforcer | she-cat | 32 moons | abrasive, standoffish, loyal ]

~

Unfortunately indeed.

The grumpy she-cat wasn't exactly in the mood for being approached. She was sunning herself in the clearing, basking in the warmth as the first proper days of newleaf arrived, bringing a fresher breeze and a brightness to the air. Even Briarsplash could appreciate that, finding a reason for a quiet purr of contentment to rumble in her throat.

'HELLO!'

And indeed, when Scorpionpaw appeared, the Enforcer had nearly knocked herself over in scrambling to her paws; at first glance, she thought she'd just seen the Queen of Mean herself trotting over, ready to reprimand Briarsplash for taking a short break. Her heart was still pounding when she registered who was actually before her, fur lying flat and a scowl tugging on her maw. Thorns and thistles, she'd nearly jumped out of her fur.

"Everything, huh?" Briarsplash grunted, shaking out the dust that'd clung to her pelt from her less-than-graceful jump to her paws. She gave her ruffled chest fur a quick lick, composing herself as best as possible. While the Enforcer wasn't exactly one to want to add more cats to her training list, she also wasn't going to say no to one of Dawnstar's spawn.

With a once-over of the dark brown apprentice, Briarsplash hummed in thought. To her, there was often one thing that came up as priority: fighting. It was a bit daunting, considering who exactly this 'paw was, but it wasn't a challenge that Briar would back down from.

"You need to learn to fight then, eh? Dontcha?" The fluffy she-cat inwardly scoffed; hadn't Scorpionpaw been an apprentice for awhile? Who wasn't teaching the lass? Sigh... if there was one thing she was passionate about (which wasn't much), it was making sure ShadowClan was as strong as possible. So training up these 'paws was something that could get Briarsplash moving.

Flicking her tail, she jerked her muzzle towards the entrance of camp, leading the apprentice out. "Follow me," was the only gruff order she barked, though not unkindly. Just to the point. And then she was padding away, expecting young Scorpionpaw to follow along.

[ @SuspiciousMindz ]

[SuspiciousMindz]

[Scorpionpaw]
ShadowClan Apprentice
​33/100
No Purrks

Scorp had to hold in the snort of amusement that threatened to release itself as she watched the Enforcer flail. Did she really come up and surprise her that easily?! The dark tabby, instead, let a smirk curl the corners of her mouth. Briarsplash seemed to be contemplating the answer and Scorp was ready to get down on her knees and beg for training if she had to. Instead, the Enforcer agreed and Scorp beamed in her wake.

"OH YES!" She's half-squealed. Since the Enforcer challenge, Scorp had been dying to stretch her claws and attempt using them. Finally! It was going to be an itch that she could finally scratch. She wasted no time, following Briarsplash out to wherever she was wanting to lead her to. "Maybe, maybe, I can use this lesson on my first border patrol!" She started to ramble. "Maybe I can show MistleMa and Mama that I'm going to be the best warrior! That I'll be the first one on the Enforcer team! Maybe I'll be the first of my siblings to be a warrior!" Ramble, ramble, ramble, Scorp was good at doing that. She'd contunie to yap the entire way to their training spot if the Enforcer allowed it.

@squidz - Briarsplash

[squidz]

~ BRIARSPLASH ~
stocky, large, & fluffy dilute gray tortie she-cat with goldish-green eyes; just a scratch | killer aptitude t1
[ shadowclan enforcer | she-cat | 32 moons | abrasive, standoffish, loyal ]

~

Oh, goodness. This one was... a yapper. Like Bleedingpaw. It almost made Briarsplash want Wispypaw back — that 'paw had some bite, but at least she'd been quiet.

"—Yeah, yeah, sure kid... I'll do what I can to get ya there, alright? Just c'mon," the Enforcer grunted, sounding like a grumpy old she-cat — though she wasn't sure if Scorpionpaw had heard her through all the yammering. Eh... hopefully she listened to instructions. Otherwise, they'd have a problem.

Finally stopping in the training hollow, Briarsplash glanced around; it was a nice and clear space with softer ground, one that she'd taken her previous apprentices to before for some lessons. The Enforcer motioned for the apprentice to sit with a flick of her tail before padding a few foxlengths away. When she sat, she faced Scorpionpaw, eyes narrowed.

"Alright... so I take it you haven't had anything to do with battle training yet. Before we get into it, it's a heck of a lot more than just swiping 'n mindless clawing. There's technique and skill — you don't just win based on who's stronger or faster."

The fluffy she-cat tilted her head, assessing the 'paw in front of her. She seemed... enthusiastic. If she had to guess, perhaps Scorpionpaw would be a very headfirst sort of cat, wanting to charge right in.

If her suspicions were correct... there was one good way to make sure the apprentice quickly learned her lesson.

"That being said... since this is our first time training together, I wanna see what you know, if anything — your instincts, I mean. You've playfought with the other kits and apprentices, haven't you?" Briarsplash rose to her paws, her stocky frame braced in a standard defensive position, one that was anticipatory of attack: shoulders squared, firm but a little loose to allow for quick movements, and ears flattened to her skull. "Come at me, then. Whatever feels natural to ya. Don't worry, claws are sheathed — we don't need any visits to Sleepysunrise."

Then, if all went well, Briarsplash could give her tips and adjustments from there. She tended to be an try-first, fix-later sort of mentor.

[ @SuspiciousMindz ]

[SuspiciousMindz]

[Scorpionpaw]
ShadowClan Apprentice
​38/100
No Purrks

Scorpionpaw would let the tone and attitude go straight over her head as Briarsplash dismissively agreed to her shenanigans. They'd come to the hollow and Scorp would pause in her yapping to glance around in awe. Her tail would raise, and she'd grin towards the Enforcer before a more serious expression took over. It was like a switch went off in her head as Briarsplash really got into her lecture.

Okay, okay. Show her what she's got, eh? She could do that! She got down into her best hunting crouch. Yes, hunting. She'd only gotten hunting practice in, in terms of any type of 'battle' practice. Mama never really let them get rough in the den and she didn't really interact with anyone other than her siblings when she was younger. So, play fighting with other kits was something she didn't actually have much experience with.

"So, this is my crouch. I assume you gotta be quiet and swift, yeah?" She thought aloud. She'd start to roll and tumble around, showing off some speed as she quickly jumped back up to her paws. Something she did get practice on since watching the Enforcer challenges over her lifespan. There'd been two already.

@squidz - Briarsplash

[squidz]

~ BRIARSPLASH ~
stocky, large, & fluffy dilute gray tortie she-cat with goldish-green eyes; just a scratch | killer aptitude t2
[ shadowclan enforcer | she-cat | 32 moons | abrasive, standoffish, loyal ]

~

Briarsplash had been observing the apprentice's face, and couldn't help the way one of her whisker brows rose, curious, to see Scorpionpaw more or less 'lock in'. The she-cat was a bit impressed for a moment, completely expecting to be happily surprised by the other's crouch... until she saw a hunting one. A faint huff of faint amusement let her nose, though she let Scorpionpaw speak first, detecting the determination and eagerness within her movements.

Maybe Dawnstar's very own kit had little to no tumbling practice after all, eh? Briar was surprised to think that maybe the Queen of Mean's kits hadn't been tougher with each other. Then again, Dawnstar seemed to have a soft spot for her kits — not that Briarsplash or anyone else would be caught saying that, unless they wanted their pelts added to the leader's display.

Briarsplash relaxed her own stance, observing Scorpionpaw for another moment before padding over. "Quiet doesn't matter as much unless you're going for stealth attacks — which can be effective, but those aren't what we're focusing on today. In battle, ShadowClan is fierce, proud, and strong — we aren't afraid to be heard." Of course, this was more Briarsplash's style than anything, but in the middle of a large-scale battle there wasn't much time for one to worry about being silent. Just power, intimidation, and claws versus teeth.

Then she tilted her head, nodding in approval to the apprentice's quick movements. "Speed, however, is very relevant. You seem to be quick on your paws, which is good. You'll need that."

The Enforcer thought for a moment before standing in front of Scorpionpaw, flicking her tail to signal for the 'paw to mirror her. "Power and presentation are half the battle. Sometimes, you can get into your opponent's head before you even unsheathe your claws."

Now, time for the instruction. "Alright... Brace yourself by spreading out your paws — this helps keep your balance." The she-cat did it as she spoke, planting her paws and squaring her shoulders. "A little more than shoulder-width apart. Don't lock up — you want to be solid, but not too tense. Loose enough that you could spring into action in a moment's notice. Ears pinned back and eyes narrowed, too, so that they're less of a target — and give you a little bit of a battle face, eh?" Briarsplash smirked a bit as she did so, drawing her lips back in a mock-snarl.

"Your tail, too, y'want outta the way. I usually try to tuck mine under or around a leg to keep it from flying out everywhere. But sometimes you need it for balance during some attacks, so just keep it in mind." The Enforcer stood there, letting Scorpionpaw mirror her as she'd wish, watching the apprentice. "You try it, just like I did. Best as you can. I'll fix ya from there."

[ @SuspiciousMindz ]

[SuspiciousMindz]

[Scorpionpaw]
ShadowClan Apprentice
​57/100
Shadow Fiend

Scorp listened and corrected herself as the Enforcer explained more battle things and fixed her stance. Her ears flicked with slight frustration at the need to learn two different stances for something that seemed so similar. However, it appeared that if she wanted to hit strong, she shouldn't be so worried about being heard. Okay. Scorpionpaw was good about being loud! But it appeared she couldn't be too loud. "That sounds like a lot more thinking than I thought this would be," she commented, focusing on her stance again.

This time, the apprentice got it a little better, crouching down with her tail closer to her body. The fluffiness of it made it hard to wrap it around her leg without tickling herself, but it still worked out. She just simply held it close to her leg instead. She spread her paws out a tad more, ready to brace herself for any attacks. Already, she could feel the tension in her muscles from holding this stance. She hadn't used these muscles before, but that was a good thing right? She was building them up by doing this! How exciting!

Scorp would stare at Briarisplash for a moment, "how's this, then?" she asked, smiling a little the Enforcer. Wait! Battle face! How could she almost forget! So, Scorpionpaw fixed her face. She drew her lips back in a snarl, and pinned her ears, watching the other now. She tried not to giggle at herself, her face cracking ever so slightly as she waited to be corrected wherever that might be.

@squidz - Briarsplash

[squidz]

~ BRIARSPLASH ~
stocky, large, & fluffy dilute gray tortie she-cat with goldish-green eyes; just a scratch | killer aptitude t2
[ shadowclan enforcer | she-cat | 33 moons | abrasive, standoffish, loyal ]

~

Briarsplash let out a raspy huff at the comment about 'more thinking' than Scorpionpaw had thought. It'd been much of the same for the Enforcer herself; her instincts often took over, and she went big or went home. But battle training had fine-tuned her finesse, and now her bold style could mix with actual technique into something much more formidable.

"Mhm. But eventually, you'll do it enough that you'll barely have to think about it. That's when it gets real fun." Briarsplash padded around Scorpionpaw as she meowed, assessing the apprentice's stance. She found herself nodding a bit in approval; the young cat caught on quick. It wasn't half bad for a first try. There were only tiny things that the she-cat gingerly nudged here or there, such as the inching of her paw or the square of her shoulders. Otherwise... it was decent.

After the question, the Enforcer purposely let herself be silent for a long moment, the tension building. Then, she slowly faced the apprentice again... before giving a gruff nod. "Looks good," she grunted, instantly breaking the weighted silence. Her whiskers twitched with faint amusement as Scorpionpaw was quick to remember the battle face, too; she wouldn't show it, but the giggle breaking the facade was sort of... endearing.

Oh, stars, I've been around Hillstrider too much.

Gaze hardening once more in concentration, Briarsplash went back to her usual scowl. "Like I said, you'll get more used to it over time. But part of that means lots of practice. So, I'm gonna have you try doing small attacks or jumps, then do your best to fall back into the same stance every time. Make sense?"

She'd wait a moment to make sure the apprentice understood. Then, the she-cat raised her fluffy tail and one of her forepaws, flicking it back and forth rapidly — up high, down low, side to side. "My paws and tail are the targets. Swipe at 'em, lunge at 'em, I don't care — I just wanna see you fall back into that stance once you get a hit."

A pause.

"...And no claws, alright? I ain't lookin' for more scars today."

[ @SuspiciousMindz ]

[SuspiciousMindz]

[Scorpionpaw]
ShadowClan Apprentice
​71/100
Shadow Fiend

Scorp was ready! Real practice now! She could do this! She listened before reacting, starting to swipe at Briarsplash's paws and tail. They were clumsy at first, slow, she'd miss a couple times, but after each swipe, she'd place her paw down and get into her battle stance. She kept repeating the actions until she noticed herself getting quicker and quicker. It was become more fluent and she was starting to understand what the Enforcer had said before.

With that, she'd start throwing in new moves. She'd lunge forward, fake bite, fall back and get into her stance. Scorp would do this move a few times, then try jumping back and forth. If Briarsplash played along and tries swiping, she'd attempt dodging by leaping back. Again, every time she was returning to her stance. She'd find herself getting more control over her body and enjoying herself.

It took a lot of self-control to keep her claws retracted, but she managed. She'd even start grinning occasionally. Round and round they went until Briarsplash would call it off. Scorp's energy was barely tapped into, despite the heavier breathing she was displaying.

@squidz - Briarsplash [sorry for the sloppy reply, it's hard to find battle training motivation LOL]

[squidz]

~ BRIARSPLASH ~
stocky, large, & fluffy dilute gray tortie she-cat with goldish-green eyes; just a scratch | killer aptitude t2
[ shadowclan enforcer | she-cat | 34 moons | abrasive, standoffish, loyal ]

~

Briarsplash would grunt out an occasional direction during the exercise, reminding Scorpionpaw to tighten up here or loosen up there. But she slowly saw the 'paw getting more and more comfortable with it; after awhile, even if it wasn't picture-perfect every time, she got back into the general gist of her battle stance without much trouble.

To her surprise, the apprentice took on some ingenuity before the Enforcer had to instruct her. Call it instinct or just simple eagerness to play around and test, but Briarsplash was impressed to see Scorpionpaw (who had no prior experience) now throwing in a jumble of moves. She certainly played along, meeting the 'paw where she was at and throwing in her own few swipes and lunges, seeing that she was keeping up.

Not surprising for a Dawnspawn. Most of the time, Briarsplash had to keep telling new apprentices what to do when they were clueless in battle, but Scorpionpaw seemed to have a natural knack for it.

Briarsplash didn't miss that grin, either, and she had to hide one of her own. Twist her tail, maybe it was fun training apprentices, even if she grumbled about it. Perhaps it was seeing the eager gleam in their eyes that reflected her own, or the victorious satisfaction earned when a successful hit landed or a proper dodge was made. The Enforcer could certainly empathize with the adrenaline rush and the excitement of combat; it was infectious for her as well, and she found herself enjoying training Scorpionpaw more than she thought she would.

Finally, after awhile, the large she-cat needed a break. She held her fluffy tail straight up in a signal to halt, panting. Between ragged breaths, a faint grin tugged on her maw, fangs protruding from her lip.

"Hold it right there, kid." Shaking out her pelt, the Enforcer let out a raspy huff before regarding the 'paw with an appraising look. She was quiet for a moment before finally giving a curt nod. "You're a natural. You've got good instincts and a natural sense of what might work in battle — I didn't even hafta give you moves or ideas." That was promising. She could work with that. Perhaps the glint in Briarsplash's own golden-green eyes betrayed the hint of excitement she felt whenever she got to train a capable apprentice.

"Alls we gotta do now is hone in those skills — make 'em quick and clean, not sloppy. Or strong and decisive, not half-hearted. I'll teach you a few moves, too, that you can add to shake up all those bites and swipes."

The brief break allowed the dilute-furred she-cat to recover a bit. It was a good thing she was still sorta young, given that Scorpionpaw seemed to have boundless energy in her paws.

"Here's a basic defensive move if a cat were to jump at you, then I'll teach you an offensive one after. You copy it and see how it feels."

Taking in a steadying breath, the Enforcer made some space and slipped into her own battle stance, confident and prepared. Picturing a warrior springing at her, Briarsplash also lunged forward, but ducked low to the ground so that her belly brushed it. Then she quickly twisted around, to where a cat reaching for her would probably have just missed her, grazing their paws on the air or her fur. It put her temporarily on her back, exposing her belly, but that was fixed by springing to her paws immediately after.

"...It's a duck-and-twist. You don't wanna keep your belly exposed, so you gotta get up right after. But that's a good move for avoiding a jumper's claws; you really want to avoid getting pinned down or knocked over," she explained between huffs of breath. She demonstrated it two more times, one slowly and one more at 'real speed', then turned expectantly to Scorpionpaw.

[ @SuspiciousMindz - LOL all good my dude, i feel it ]