[ti]Open[/ti]mother should've named you LAIKA

[bits]

Sootpaw was never a popular child, and she never tried to be. Her life was never supposed to be a search for attention or acceptance. From being the odd one out in the nursery to being the quiet creep in the corner as an apprentice. She wasn't going to make friends, she wasn't even sure she'd make it to tomorrow. Sometimes, she thought about leaving the clan entirely, but she also wasn't sold on that idea. Instead, she found herself in a sort of limbo - her mentor was stern, but she was reluctant to listen anyways. It caused a fair amount of conflict and ... weirdness. 

But pain and disapproval were poor motivators for someone who was used to them both. Luckily, her pragmatism won out in most cases - she didn't like obedience but she enjoyed knowing how to hunt and defend herself. She needed that, because if others were being trained and she didn't keep up, the next time she was in a fight she might just lose. She no longer could win through tenaciousness alone.

But she didn't lose her own traits. She waltzed into the apprentice den in the early morning, just after dawn, trailing in mud and dirt from the newleaf season outside. It was nigh on greenleaf, and the messy child couldn't be bothered to try and keep herself clean or presentable. It wasn't her problem, seeing as she slept as far from the others as possible. She carelessly flicked her tail, practically dripping with mud and muck from the outside world. 

Yeah, she was a pleasure to be around.

[prunella]

Tigerpaw was dozing soundly in his nest, tucked within the apprentices' den. His tail rested over his nose and his whiskers fluttered as he breathed, flanks rising and falling steadily. He had worked himself to the bone the previous day with his new mentor and wasn't quite awake yet, despite the dawn light filtering into the den. However, Sootpaw was definitely going to change that.

Tigerpaw let out a mrrow of surprise as a splash of mud spattered him across the muzzle and he jolted out of his nest, hissing indignantly. It took Tigerpaw a moment to get his wits about him, blinking sleep out of his eyes and spitting out mud, lifting up a paw to draw it hastily over his mouth.

"Have you got bees in your brain?" Tigerpaw mewed, sleep still edging his voice, but fur totally on end, "you're getting mud everywhere! What's wrong with you? How do you even get covered in that much filth?" He snorted in disgust, evacuating his nest and still trying to rub the mud from his muzzle.

[Mama]

Honeypaw had moved into the apprentice den recently, hoping that his old friend, Sootpaw, was a bit... Cleaner. He didn't want to make anyone mad with a messy coat, and seeing how well kept clan members generally were looked upon better, the tom tried his best to keep neat.

He was having a lovely dream of prancing through weird fantasy environment in his dreams, like water that made you float, and trees that looked like berries. It was certainly odd, but definitely different from reality. So far in his short time as an apprentice, he'd stepped on thorns one too many times, only noticing when he had to groom, and still couldn't get the hang of any fighting stance. But, thankfully, there was still time to learn and grow.

However, his pretty wacky dream was interrupted by mud splattering across his face, and he flickered his eyes opened. Hmm, one was sort of dark. After blinking hard a few times, the mud seemed to clear out and he wiped his face off with the front of his paw. Then, the tabby shot a glare towards the source, tail flicking angrily.

[bits]

Now, Sootpaw wasn't necessarily covered in more muck than usual. There were just a few droplets that came loose from her once-tortie pelt. But to those unfamiliar with her messy antics, that was likely a few drops too many. Not particularly built for consideration, Tigerpaw's protests being met with first a blank stare, and then an amused twitch of the whiskers. She didn't smile, her facial expression more or less blank, but the dry reply was enough to sate her need for entertainment at the expense of others.

"Consider it an improvement. Y'should wanna cover up a bit."

While not much of a talker (even now), Sootpaw seemed ready to disparage anyone who dared to try and admonish her. Or not. Look, Sootpaw was a jerk through and through. Maybe she was born that way, maybe it was something that happened while she was growing up. Either way, the dirt-covered apprentice was nicer to rocks than she was her clanmates.

It was the disgruntled look from Honeypaw that finally made her frown. The kitten who had once joined her in getting messy (much to the chagrin of the queens in the nursery, she was sure). It seemed that he, like so many others, cared about appearances now. Everyone seemed to want to be 'productive' or 'responsible'. The desire to make others proud and to be a true member of Mothclan never really hit the gremlin-esque apprentice. She seemed to lack a sense of accountability to the clan, and even with the deputy as her mentor, she didn't seem to care enough to change her behaviour.

But Honeypaw's glare was returned with a glare of her own spiteful eyes. In retaliation, she looked back to Tigerpaw and very purposefully flicked mud towards him.