Warrior Cat Clans 2 (WCC2 aka Classic) is a roleplay site inspired by the Warrior series by Erin Hunter. Whether you are a fan of the books or new to the Warrior cats world, WCC2 offers a diverse environment with over a decade’s worth of lore for you - and your characters - to explore. Join us today and become a part of our ongoing story!
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“And then I was like, no way, and he was like, yes way, and I was like–“
Rune faceplanted into the dirt, the impact causing his ears to ring and the split second of silence was like beautiful singing to his ears. There was a reason he didn’t like kids once they started growing up — once they got to this age they were just annoying. The apprentice that sat beside him seemed to think it was a good idea to drone on and on about her crush. He had never before wanted to pummel someone so thoroughly as he did listening to her merciless chatter. Teenagers, he thought to himself with a roll of his eyes.
“This conversation is absolutely stimulating, but why are you here again?”
“Does this flower look better in my ear or this one?”
Grigoriy, son of past Tsar Anastasia, better known as Grisha to his siblings and anyone who he was more than briefly acquainted with came across the pair just as Rune delivered his harsh 'no'. One that the kadet noted sent the she-cat's features into only a brief frown. He glanced towards the Boyar with a small frown, unbothered by his blunt words, the frown coming from his own thoughts towards the boyar. He barley knew Rune but Grisha was attracted to older cats, found them to be a little less mocking than the other young cats that surrounded him, they were also more easily taken in by his kicked puppy act.
"Rune!" He chirped as he walked up, cutting of the other kadets words without a care. Always needing to be in the spotlight, craving to be the center of attention. His mothers abandonment of his litter and his siblings dismissive attitudes towards him sending him to great lengths to find validation elsewhere. "Teach me something cool?!"
Rune turned an exhausted gaze towards Grigoriy. He knew any other day he would’ve been happy to, but he was tired and had already wasted most of his morning listening to the female kadet drone on and on. “Do I have a sign above my head that says ‘come annoy me’?” He wondered to himself under his breath. He sighed and inhaled deeply. “Like what?”
Grigoriy, used to reading others, needing to for his own self-preservation seemed to realize that Rune's well of patience had run dry. But he forged on nonetheless, worried he would just aggravate the other further by suddenly saying never mind and trying to walk away. "Do you know how to climb? I don't know how to climb." There, that should be an easy enough task and hopefully wouldn't take long. Then he could get out of the Boyar's fur and go sulk within the kadet den. Never mentioning another failure of his to gather others attention.
Rune shot the kadet a dry look before forcefully clearing his face. He needed to maintain his composure. This was just a kadet. Maybe he was telling the truth. Or maybe he wasn’t. Or maybe he was. In any case he couldn’t waste the day away staring at him. “Alright.” He stood, taking a few steps away from the small group and ignoring the soft squawk that emanated from the she-cat’s frustrated maw. “Come with me.”
Scrambling forward the young kadet hurried after the boyar, trying to shove his nerves away. He disliked spending time in the company of those he knew didn't appreciate his presence. Which meant he was often hurrying away from his siblings after a short period of time. Unaware that Rune thought that Grisha might be lying; as it had never occurred to him that not being able to climb was something to lie about. It had not been something his mother prioritized and after she abandoned him it wasn't something his siblings would teach him.
“While not integral to the Monarchy’s way of life, climbing can be an advantageous skill to hone. It’ll aid you in recon, battle, hunting, and occasionally escaping from enemies you may or may not have provoked.” He was going to ignore the flurry of images that assaulted his mind’s eye with that reminder. “Some mentors like to teach their trainees the craft, some don’t. I, for one, always believed any podarok worth half his salt would teach himself how to shimmy up at least a branch.” He looked at him from the corner of his eye. “But not everyone can be so lucky. So, to start you off,” he sat in front of a thin tree trunk that looked as if it might give way with a particularly strong gust of wind. “Take this on for size. Secure your claws in the bark; it’s face is smooth but you can identify the imperfections and use them to your advantage.”
Grigoriy resisted the urge to shrink under the boyar's gaze. He could argue he hadn't been born in Brookclan, nor into an environment that was conductive to learning. But he was self-aware to know that Rune would take very poorly to excuses most likely. Biting his tongue he looked towards the tree and reached up with his front paws to latch his claws in and then brought his hind legs up, shimmying up the tree. Movements coming almost natural to him, but then again he is a cat. Once he reached the top and it wiggled under his weight he turned and tried to figure out if he just sort of jumped down.
Eyebrows raising, he took a step back. “Well done. It appears you’re in no need of my help. Come down.” He waited for the tom to descend before walking deeper into the forest. “Tell me. Of your siblings, your friends, and your own mentor, why is it you’ve been made to come to me to learn this? Are your peers insufficient? Your mentor incapable?”
"If I have a mentor I haven't met them." Grigoriy supplied, "and my siblings are.. well they have other things they choose to focus on." Unintentionally his lip curled in disgust at the thought of his weaker sibling Pytor who was always getting attention and being babied. He hated it, hated how they refused to pay attention to him, hated when anyone overlooked him. Had Rune turned him away earlier he perhaps would have spent months brooding. But as it was, a small attraction was growing in his heart.
Rune stopped and looked over at him in clear surprise, disapproval flickering at the edges of his irises, though not in Grigoriy’s words. “Copperhorizon has been neglecting you?” His jaw set. “I will have a word with her. The training of our future voiny is top priority.” He glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “Have you any friends?”
"I have acquaintances, not friends." He replied as he internally bloomed at the show of concern from Rune towards his training. Logically he knew the boyar would react that way to any kadet who's training was being neglected, but Girgoriy was often not logical in the least. A true baby in most situations prone to pouting and throwing fits. Seeing situations the way he wanted to and wearing rose colored glasses for his own benefit.
"Sounds awfully lonely, especially for a kit such as yourself." He wanted to add on that Grigoriy seemed to need as much attention as he could get, but a comment like that, which could register as sarcasm to older individuals, could register as an insult to someone so young and fragile. He held his tongue. Continuing a few more paces ahead, he stopped beside a large tree. "Remember what you just learned?" He looked up at the oak with its many divers and ridges in the bark. "Apply it to this one here. However, you'll be facing different terrain. Whereas the tree before was smooth except for a few footholds, this one's full of ridges you can snag your claws in. You're going to want to be careful. Trees like this can aid you in your climbing or can send you down to the ground and gift you a nasty injury."
Grigoriy glanced nervously towards Rune before looking back at the tree. Rushing forward to launch himself up the bark, the action driven less by bravery and more the desire to escape the echo of Rune's last statement bouncing around inside his head. Afraid of acknowledging it and making it hurt even more. But he couldn't escape it so easily and as he moved up the tree and went to put his paw onto another hold he found his momentum stopped by a sharp tug. Letting out a sharp yelp as he tried to pull his paw free and found himself falling back down the tree; his falling form providing enough force to tug his caught claw free. Twisting he landed at the base on all fours luckily but was letting out pined little 'ow ow ows' as he leaned forward to lick at his paw. Torn nail somewhere up the tree now probably and leaving Grigoriy to bemoan it's loss.
The white tom sighed quietly and approached, his panicked heart slowing at the realization that the young tom wasn't more injured. He resisted the urge to nose the tom unnecessarily to make sure of any sprains or broken bones; he wasn't high enough to come away with that kind of scathing. Still, he leaned down and gazed upon the young one's paw. There was definitely a few beads of blood oozing from the wound; it'd need tending. "Come," He nudged the tom up with his muzzle. "Careful." He warned, eyes focused on the tom's paw. He offered his flank as best he could for the kadet. As they made their way to the vrachi's den, already envisioning the look on Kaliko's face when he came with his bounty, he glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "You were ruled by fear." He softened his tone once he registered it as a bit too hard. "When you allow fear to cloud your judgment, your reaction time and calculations fall short. You could have predicted what would have happened, but you were lost to what could happen." He lifted his head to focus on their path. "Next time, it won't happen." He glanced at him. "But we'll work on it."
Grigoriy bit down on a sharp retort, not appreciating Rune's words. Seeing as how off they were, he wanted to snap that the others thoughtless words were what had distracted him from his task. Wanted to lay the blame of his mistake on the older tom. But he also wanted to toms affection, liked Rune's obvious concern towards his injury, and would hate if he pulled away. So he swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "Next time." He agreed.
Glancing over at him again, only just barely registering the simmering underneath the younger's pelt, he nodded once and continued on his way to the medicine den. There he led the tom in, explained the incident to the acecoop and observed as the process commenced. Already being stifled in the small den, he turned. "I'll be right outside." Padding out of the entrance, he found himself admittedly confused as he took a seat and wrapped his tail around his paws. Why was he waiting? What did it matter? Hadn't he wanted to simply rest and not burden himself with more work only an hour prior? And yet now he was making himself babysit this kadet who, now in the hands of the healers, admittedly no longer needed him. So why? Why did he care? He clenched his jaw and gazed down at his paws. I don't know. He glanced back at the entrance to the den. Did Grigoriy even want him to hang around and wait for him? Undoubtedly the kadet wouldn't be able to continue their impromptu training session and would need time for the wound to heal. He inhaled a deep breath. What am I doing? he shook his head. I have bigger fish to fry than worrying about a kadet that isn't even mine.
Grigoriy bore his treatment in silence as his eyes fervently cast towards the den entrance, reassuring himself that the older tom was still outside by checking the shadows outside. In just the short time together Rune had already paid him more attention than his siblings ever had, Rune being the first cat to even listen to him since his mother had abandoned him. He barley heard the acecoop's words about taking care of himself and come to them if blah blah blah. He left as they were still talking, with a slight limp but frenzied air.
Pushing outside the first thing he did was glance over towards the other and smile. "You waited!" He chirped unable to hide the glee from his tone. Ignoring the ugly voice in the back of his thoughts that told him the other simply waited before he felt responsible, or that the other waited just because he was friends with his uncle. Choosing to believe that for once someone waited for him just because they wanted to.
Rune blinked in surprise at the young one’s suddenly chipper tone — very different from the pout he carried earlier — but found his gaze growing warm with care as he found no more pain or darkness in Grigoriy’s face, just joy and relief. Even if there was a bit of pain mixed in there, it was better than the clouds that were at one time soaring over his head. “I did.” He confirmed with a purr. “And Kaliko? What did she have to say?”
"I don't know. Something about taking care of myself." He replied with a one shouldered shrug, careless about his injury when he had the older toms attention. Looking towards Rune as if he had hung the stars themselves. "I'm sorry that this means we have to stop though." He edged out while ducking his head, hoping the other would offer some other avenue for them to continue spending time together. The other waiting outside the vracchi's den now having him convinced Rune must like him as much as Grisha liked him.
