Private Shipyard Backwritten Fighting Practice // Pine

[Torrentpaw]

- TORRENT -

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⟡

"Pine, can you please teach me some fighting moves?"

Torrent pressed, drawing his voice out slightly at the 'please.'

He had already pestered the brown tom about his before, but hadn't gotten anywhere. But Torrent was not one to give up so easily. He had grown to learn that Pine's bark was sometimes stronger than his bite--well, at least towards him and Squid--so despite the annoyed look on his face, he wouldn't do anything to Torrent besides give him a sharp refusal or maybe a soft cuff over the ears.

"At least just the move you did on the dog?"

Torrent went on, trying to search Pine's gaze with his bright eyes. He replayed how Pine had saved them in his head often, admiring how he he had easily fought off something so much bigger than himself. Since then Torrent had been imagining himself performing such skilled moves, and being able to use them to protect himself and Squid, and maybe even Pine. Of course he doubted the large tom would ever really need to be saved by him, but the thought was still pretty cool.

He began flexing his claws in and out of the sand, eagerly waiting for Pine's answer.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Not some average bones, ⟡ I believe in love‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• ⟡ OOC -
  
  
•  
• Torrent
  ‎ ‎ He/Him | 6 Moons | Shipyard Cat
  ⟡
  "speech"
  - text - thoughts
  ⟡ To be mentored by Pine (FUT)
  ⟡ A rosetted charcoal Bengal.
  ⟡ Has a sturdy build with a large head and paws, and short thick fur.
  ⟡ Holds a friendly and determined demeanor.

 

[pineheart]

"Pine, can you please teach me some fighting moves?"

Pine looks over at Torrent, eyes narrowed. The young tom is watching him with bright expectant eyes, like he can think of nothing more exciting than fighting. He has no thoughts for the consequences, only for adrenaline. He has not killed anything other than prey. But it was no good that he didn't know any fighting, either. He wouldn't know how to defend himself. Pine can't always be around, and who's to say they'll even still be together a moon from now. Things move fast here. With the sigh of a man resigned to his fate, Pine nods.

"One move," he says sternly. He gets on all fours, and walks round so he's facing Torrent head on, towering over him. "When you're fighting something bigger and stronger than yourself, you have to be creative. You have to use your surroundings to your advantage. Get the high ground, catch them by surprise," he looks up and around, spotting a good sized rock. He leaps up on it, and looks down at Torrent. "The hard part isn't the jump, it's the twist. You don't want to land with your face in a dog's ass, or a cat's for that matter– but you don't want to miss the shoulders either."

He shakes himself off, then leans back on his haunches, and pounces into the air, twisting in mid air and landing squarely on his feet on the ground, sliding back several mouse lengths as his claws have nothing to dig into to stop his momentum but loose sand.

He nods towards the rock. "Your turn."

 

[Torrentpaw]

- TORRENT -

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⟡ Time seemed to slow as Torrent awaited Pine's answer, trying to stop his body from bouncing up and down on his paws. Please say yes repeated in his brain as he met the large tom's narrowed gaze.

"One move,"

Excitement rushed so quickly through him he felt as if he might explode. Torrent's face brightened before Pine could finish his sentence, skipping around to keep in front of the large tabby as he turned to face the smaller tom. He nodded a few times as Pine gave an explanation of the move, finding it hard to listen as all he wanted was to see him demonstrate it. He had so much energy and strength that seemed to course through his paws, and he was desperate to get moving.

He tensed as Pine prepared to leap off of the rock, watching with wide and eager eyes. As his paws left the stone, Torrent's jaws parted slightly in awe as Pine twisted in mid air with ease. His gaze was glued to the brown tabby as he landed squarely on all four paws, sliding slightly against the sand.

He makes it look so cool!

Nodding quickly as Pine gestured to the stone he leapt off of, Torrent dashed across the sand and scrambled up the rock, nearly tripping over his large paws as he didn't pay close attention to where he was placing them. Puffing out his chest as he reached the top of the rock, Torrent gazed down at Pine, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he replayed the move in his head. He took a small breath and backed down the rock a couple of pawsteps as he pressed his body downward, just enough for his stomach fur to brush the surface. He readied himself, repositioning his paws a few times in order to ensure a good running start. He knew a chance like this with Pine was rare, as he hardly agreed with the things he said. Torrent was determined to prove that this wouldn't be a waste of time.

Pressing off with his hind legs, Torrent sprinted up the rock in a few long strides before all four paws reached the peak of the stone, gathering all his strength into each paw as he jumped into the air, adrenaline and excitement rushing through the young tom as the sea breeze ruffled through his pelt. He quickly remembered to twist his body, and while it wasn't perfect, he managed to turn the direction in which he was facing, before plummeting into the ground in a flurry of sand and paws. He summersaulted a few tail-lengths across the sandy clearing, sand covering his pelt as if he had been showered in it.

Exhilarated, Torrent leaped to his paws, quickly spinning around to face Pine as he shook the sand from his pelt and out of his ears.

"I did it!"

He exclaimed, his meow followed by an almost surprised-sounding laugh.

"Did you see me?"

Torrent pressed, circling around Pine before skidding back to the large stone and leaping to the top, not waiting for an answer.

Settling back down into the crouched position, his haunches wiggled slightly.

"Now I just have to get the landing right."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Not some average bones, ⟡ I believe in love‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• ⟡ OOC -
  
  
•  
• Torrent
  ‎ ‎ He/Him | 6 Moons | Shipyard Cat
  ⟡
  "speech"
  - text - thoughts
  ⟡ To be mentored by Pine (FUT)
  ⟡ A rosetted charcoal Bengal.
  ⟡ Has a sturdy build with a large head and paws, and short thick fur.
  ⟡ Holds a friendly and determined demeanor.

 

[pineheart]

Pine almost cracks a smile at the excitement on the young tom's face, but quickly schools his expression into his usual frown. Torrent looks bound to explode, his whole body seeming to vibrate as he gets on the rock. He is not going to land well, Pine can already tell. He's way too excited, too unfocused. He's going to jump too far, too high, and forget to keep his balance. To be fair, Pine hadn't exactly given him the best instructions. Better to learn fast and the hard way, he reckons.

When Torrent leaps into the air, Pine studies his form, eyes narrowed, and when he lands on his face and tumbles halfway across the beach, Pine finally breaks into a low laugh. Torrent comes running back, I did it! Did you see me? And before Pine can say anything, he's back on top of the rock, saying he 'just has to get the landing right'. Pine scoffs.

"I saw you alright," he meows. "You jump with all the grace of a newborn owl leaving the nest and landing on its face. Before you worry about sticking the landing, you have to jump like you're planning to land and not take off into the sky like a gull."

He pads over to the crash site, gesturing with his tail. "See how deep the pit in the sand is here? That's where all your weight ended up. You're completely off balance, that's why you took a tumble. You have to focus, Torrent. Remember you have back paws too, not just the ones in front of you that you can see. And don't look at where you're going to land. Keep your eyes on something fixed, the horizon if you can see it. That'll help you with your balance too," he stops for a moment, looking up at Torrent through narrowed eyes. "You still listening, kid? I don't like having to repeat myself." Then, he sits down a bit away from where Torrent was going to be aiming, hoping to not be his next victim. "Alright, let's see it."

 

[Torrentpaw]

- TORRENT -

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⟡ Torrent rose back to his full height as Pine let out a low laugh, one that sounded genuine. Surprise fell over Torrent's features, his eyes shining with amusement as his tail lifted into the air. He knew Pine was hiding a soft spot, and that was proof of it.

The thought of Pine clearly enjoying watching him practice filled him with motivation, as he was eager to showcase his capabilities. Doing his best to force his overflowing excitement down, Torrent crouched back into position, gaze fixing ahead of him as he listened to the older tom explain his faults. He thought back to his previous jump, realizing he had just expected to land instead of preparing his paws.

Torrent nodded quickly at Pine's question, his tail swaying behind him.

"Balance my weight, use my hind paws, and 'don't take off into the sky like a gull.'"

He replied, trying his best to replicate Pine's gruff voice at the last comment, but it was broken up by a few lighthearted giggles.

Repeating the steps in his head, Torrent readied himself once again. He imagined a small patch of sand being his opponent, and putting his weight into his paws to get a good grip and support the rest of his body. Fixing his gaze ahead of him, his tongue wrapped around the side of his jaw in concentration before he took off, leaping off the edge of the stone.

Torrent twisted his body in the same fashion he did prior, his limbs flailing momentarily before he steadied them, his paws outstretched beneath him to hit the ground first and support the rest of his body. He tucked his hind paws into himself, only letting them hit the ground after his forepaws had taken the initial weight. While Torrent had almost stuck the landing, his left paw shifted in the sand, causing him slip onto his side on his shoulder. It wasn't nearly as bad as his first fall, though, and Torrent quickly rose back to his paws, swaying a little before shaking out his fur.

"That felt better than before."

He breathed as he stared back at Pine, his eyes bright as his expression showed only eagerness to continue on. Torrent then sprinted back to the rock, leaping up to the surface, his gaze expectant as he assumed Pine would have more critiques for him.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Not some average bones, ⟡ I believe in love‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• ⟡ OOC -
  
  
•  
• Torrent
  ‎ ‎ He/Him | 6 Moons | Shipyard Cat
  ⟡
  "speech"
  - text - thoughts
  ⟡ To be mentored by Pine (FUT)
  ⟡ A rosetted charcoal Bengal.
  ⟡ Has a sturdy build with a large head and paws, and short thick fur.
  ⟡ Holds a friendly and determined demeanor.

 

[pineheart]

Pine narrows his eyes at Torrent copying his tone– if it had been anyone else, he would've been tempted to cuff them around the ears. Torrent does seem to have understood what he said, though, because his second attempt is much better. He still slips, but that could be chalked up to the sandy terrain, if Pine was nice. But he's not, and Torrent can't expect the terrain to work in his favor in an actual battle, especially if he's trying to jump on something that's moving.

That felt better than before, Torrent says.

"Because you didn't eat shit," Pine meows, nodding. "Well, you ate less shit."

He gets on his feet again and paces back and forth, thinking. How does he explain to the most overeager kit in the world that he has to be less eager? Eventually he sits down again and looks up at Torrent.

"You have to calm down," Pine says. "It's like you've already landed when you haven't even jumped yet– you're envisioning the end product and losing sight of the process. Think about each part of it carefully, be aware of what you're doing. Locate your opponent, wait for your moment– and don't think of it as a jump, just one long step. You know where you're going to land, just like you know where to place your paws when you walk. Trust that your body will take you there. And I know your head's a little big for the rest of your body, but don't forget to keep it upright, or you'll fall over again."

 

[Torrentpaw]

- TORRENT -

Not some average bones, I believe in love!

.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⟡ As Pine paced along the sand, Torrent's tail flicked back and forth in impatience. What is he thinking about?

"You have to calm down."

Torrent's tail froze, and his body seemed to relax as he gazed at Pine, confusion clouding his gaze as the corners of his maw began to turn into a frown. He couldn't imagine how 'calming down' would improve his performance--didn't he need that energy? Torrent tried his hardest to listen to Pine as he explained, studying his paws in thought as he surely believed Pine was wrong.

Taking a deep breath, Torrent tried to force the excitement down and hone in on his ability to focus on each part of the move. But it was hard. All he wanted to do was throw himself off this rock as many times as he needed to until he got it right, not think about the technicalities.

What he didn't understand was frustrating--but he trusted Pine's judgement.

Exhaling, Torrent thought over Pine's instructions. Spotting a strand of seaweed lying in the sand, he locked his gaze onto it. Locate your opponent. He could focus on the plant, and plan his turn mid-air to land squarely on top of it. Shuffling his body down the rock as he had done before, Torrent readied himself to run off of the face of the stone.

Launching himself into the air had proven to be his best feat in this training, as even the third time he hadn't lost any speed or distance in his jumping ability. Torrent's eyes flashed towards the green blur, waiting till it felt right to change the direction of his body. Pine had told him to wait for his moment, and it ringed in his ears along with the wind.

Twisting the front half of his body as his tail swung the opposite direction, Torrent faced his opponent, paws outstretched to meet the sand. This time he let his haunches carry the weight of his landing, causing him to slide backwards against the sand, dragging the seaweed along with him in his claws.

Torrent panted as he stared down at the plant beneath his paws, and the sand he had disrupted. His tail rose high above his back as he turned to look at Pine, his face revealing nothing but pure joy.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Throw me in the sky ⟡ you would swear the sun shining‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• ⟡ OOC -
  
  
•  
• Torrentpaw
  ‎ ‎ He/Him | 6 Moons | Riverclan Apprentice
  
  ⟡
  "speech" - text - thoughts
  
  ⟡
  To be mentored by Pine (FUT)
  
  ⟡
  A rosetted charcoal Bengal.
  
  ⟡
  Has a sturdy build with a large head and paws, and short thick fur.
  
  ⟡
  Holds a zealous and determined demeanor.
  
  ⟡
  Usually seen with Squid

6 Moons

◆

He / Him

◆

Riverclan Apprentice

◆

PROFILE

 

[pineheart]

✦He watches, observes, amused at the younger cat's confused expression. Torrent was staring at the ground like Pine had just told him to hold his breath for a moon. But he listens well, follows instructions– good. He steadies himself with a deep breath, eyes searching the ground for a target, finding one. Better. He jumps– it's already a better attempt than the first two. His form is bad, but for once, he looks like he's trying to land and not just trying to jump. And Torrent does land, sliding back a bit with the force of it, but keeping himself standing, claws dug into his target. Pine nods approvingly.

"You're getting the hang of it now, kid," Pine meows. "Form could be better, paws still flailing about before you turn– doesn't matter when you're fighting seaweed, of course, but with something that can fight back, you don't want to give them an opportunity to bite your ankles. Tuck them in a little bit and you'll get better distance too," his tail flicks towards the rock. "Again."

haven't had a dream in a long time

see, the life i've had could make a good man go bad

• ooc: -
• 

  
  

  PINE, - 48 moons / riverclan + warrior
  large brown tabby town
  adopted guardian of Torrentpaw and Squidpaw / future mentor to Torrentpaw
  healing and peaceful powerplay allowed

  
  

 

[Torrentpaw]

- TORRENTPAW -

Not some average bones, I believe in love!

.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⟡ Eyes brightening at Pine's praise, Torrent's tail swayed happily. Of course he older tom still pointed out his faults, but it couldn't dampen his spirits. He would practice until not even Pine could deny how perfect his form had become. Brimming with determination, Torrent nodded quickly in acknowledgment to Pine before dashing back up the rock. Finally getting a grasp on the technique fueled him to keep going, and he ignored the ounce of tiredness that began to tug at his limbs.

Focusing on the now disheveled strand of seaweed, Torrent readied himself. But before he could begin backing down the rock to get his head start, an idea flashed in his head. Torrent's eyes flickered towards Pine, but he quickly looked back towards the plant. He didn't want Pine to guess the beginnings of his plan.

Pine hadn't stopped mentioning how Torrent's opponent would act in this scenario, but surely sand and seaweed was no comparison. Adrenaline sparked in Torrent's chest, and he couldn't help but glance back towards the brown tabby. Would Pine kill me? Torrent wondered lightheartedly, half amused by the idea, but also terrified. Backing down the face of the stone to think, his heart began to race with excitement. Probably--but I'll surprise him, no way he won't be impressed!

His mind made up, Torrent raced up the rock, his paws lifting into the air as he reached the edge. He kept his gaze fixed on the seaweed he had landed on prior as he leapt, making sure to tuck his paws at Pine's instruction. But as his body twisted mid air, his eyes flashed towards Pine as he began falling in his direction rather than the plant, paws outstretched in attempts to land square onto the tom's back.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Throw me in the sky ⟡ you would swear the sun shining‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• ⟡ OOC -
  
  
•  
• Torrentpaw
  ‎ ‎ He/Him | 6 Moons | Riverclan Apprentice
  
  ⟡
  "speech" - text - thoughts
  
  ⟡
  To be mentored by Pine
  
  ⟡
  A rosetted charcoal Bengal.
  
  ⟡
  Has a sturdy build with a large head and paws, and short thick fur.
  
  ⟡
  Holds a zealous and determined demeanor.
  
  ⟡
  Usually seen with Squid

6 Moons

◆

He / Him

◆

Riverclan Apprentice

◆

PROFILE