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rocks on the beach (open, wc x rc)
emberpaw
WindClan
Posts: 8 
Rank: Apprentice
Age: 8 Moons
Gender: She-Cat
Mentor: Russetface
Played By: Boggs
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Post by emberpaw on Jun 7, 2015 12:19:34 GMT -5
 Emberpaw | 8 Moons | Apprentice | WindClan | She-cat
One moment, she had been slipping through the tall fields of lavender, and the next, sand slipped between her toes and dusted itself across the tops of her paws. Emberpaw skidded to a halt and looked around herself. The fields weren’t far behind, but a small beach extended on before her. Slowly, her long, feathery tail curled itself around to tuck against her side, its white tip twitching back and forth uneasily. Had she crossed the border? It was so difficult to tell—all she had smelled was lavender and fresh dirt and the occasional wife of mouse. Now, with pale sane sticking to her deep red fur, Emberpaw’s nose was rubbed down with the smells from the ocean and shoreline.
The scarlet coated she-cat slinked farther along, her claws ticking up bits of sand and the smallest pebbles she had ever seen. The farther she crept into the sands, the more rocks show themselves, and the larger they grew. Emberpaw perked her ears as she continued, and when she came upon a rock larger and flatter than the rest, Emberpaw was quick to bunch her muscles to leap up on top of it.
She sprawled herself out on the sun-baked rock, and a rich purr began to rumble inside of her throat as the heat from the rock seeped up into her skin and the lean, just budding muscles gleaned from long hours of training.
Emberpaw’s eyes shifted elsewhere along the delicate line of where sands ended and dirt began, but she couldn’t see or smell anyone else. Unused to the strength of the smell of the vast waters, it’s likely if another cat had been present, their scent would have been lost to the red she-cat as well.
”MmmMmn,” Emberpaw hummed and lowered her chin to rest it on top of one of her forepaws. The sun shone down brightly across the shoreline, warming both the young she-cat as well as her chosen perch.
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eelpaw
RiverClan
Posts: 7 
Rank: apprentice
Age: 8 moons
Gender: tom
Mentor: none yet
Played By: riptide
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Post by eelpaw on Jun 8, 2015 9:49:17 GMT -5
today had been one of his free days, when his mentor let him off the hook to do as he pleased. these were eelpaw's favorite days. he had gone on many adventures through the territory, most without permission. this morning, though, he had thought to actually ask his mother if it was alright that he headed down to the beach. nightscreech had laughed, nudged him with her chin, and sent him on his way. the lanky black tom was sprinting through the territory towards his favorite place, giggling to himself. oh, he really really loved the ocean.
the scent of saltwater hit him as it always did and it only increased his speed. the beach was so close! his yellow eyes lit up at the sight of the rocks he knew was the edge of riverclan territory. well, at least is was once. he didn't know where the borders actually were now, but it never mattered to him. as long as he would soon feel the pulse of the ocean's waves on his legs he'd be fine.
at last, the rushing sound of the water and the stinging of salt in his eyes welcomed him to the beach. solid packed earth changed to shifting sands in an instant, and eelpaw almost lost his footing a few times. he never slowed down, though, he just ran straight into the water. eelpaw was up to his belly when he lunged forward, dunking his entire body underwater. he stayed under for several more heartbeats, letting the free feeling of the water overcome him. it was incredible how he felt like he was flying underwater. the need for breath pushed him to the surface, and he gasped to fill his lungs. the water stung his eyes, but he continued to paddle out, the waves gently rocking him. it was only when he saw a dark red body on top of a smaller boulder did he turn around and head for the shore once more.
staying in the water, eelpaw swam over to the figure without must hesitation. his yellow eyes stayed on the cat, and he curled his tail up good-naturedly. "um, hello!" he started with. "i'm eelpaw. who're you? definitely not riverclan, i would know your face," he said, flashing the she-cat a winning smile.
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emberpaw
WindClan
Posts: 8
Rank: Apprentice
Age: 8 Moons
Gender: She-Cat
Mentor: Russetface
Played By: Boggs
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Post by emberpaw on Jun 9, 2015 9:57:05 GMT -5
Emberpaw | 8 Moons | Apprentice | WindClan | She-cat
For a time, the only sounds that entered her ears were the calls of stray birds, the steady crashing of the sea’s waves, and the breeze as it flitted through the rocks on the shoreline. Her eyelids drooped as the sun worked its way into her pelt, and the red-furred she-cat was just dipping into the realm of half-consciousness when a blurred shape bolted by not far down the coastline. A distinctly feline scent greeted her, and Emberpaw had just enough time to spot Eelpaw’s tail before the cat dove headlong into the curling and rolling ocean waves that greeted him.
Her eyes widened with worry. That was the sea! The endless salt lake! She remembered hearing tales elders had told her of giant fish that hunted whatever came into the waters, was he mad? He was going to drown or be eaten, no one she knew was that good at swimming.
Emberpaw hoisted herself to her paws and quickly skittered to the edge of the rock, the tips of her long claws scratching audibly against it
”H-hey! Get out of there, the dog fish will get you!” Emberpaw called out to him as the strange cat turned towards her and began swimming her way. Despite the fact that Eelpaw was a stranger to her and that he had just dove into the sea willingly, Emberpaw was relieved by his approach. At the very least, it meant that the dog fish with their awful teeth weren’t close by, hunting them as they spoke with one another.
I’m eelpaw, who’re you? Definitely not riverclan, I would know your face!’ Emberpaw tilted her head at this. Riverclan? That couldn’t be right, she hadn’t even scented the border. She had always been told that the borders were very strongly scented.
A part of her wanted to quip that she hadn’t smelled the border anywhere, but what if she had just missed it, and then this tom from another clan was able to find it? Not only would it be embarrassing, it would be a mark against Windclan. But then… so would knowingly crossing a border if it had been there. Emberpaw leaned over the edge of her perch and strained her whiskers towards the other apprentice, peering into the salt waters below him.
”I’m Emberpaw, and—“ She paused, struggling with what to say, ”And- and just so you know, I didn’t smell one single scent marker from Windclan or Riverclan before I got here.” The red furred she-cat nodded her head at this, and found herself caught off guard by Eelpaw’s smile. She had heard that cats from other clans were hostile and wanted nothing more than to steal territory and resources. Why was he smiling?
He had a nice smile.
”Why were you swimming around in here?” She asked.
Blinking the thought away, Emberpaw leaned over and extended one of her forelegs to him in an offer to help him up onto the boulder.
D10 Magic-ness
Initial – 3, startled & worried
Reaction – 7 relieved to approach
Reaction – 5 neutral to clan, leaning positive because of former reaction and final roll.
Final – 8 receptive to smile and friendly nature.
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eelpaw
RiverClan
Posts: 7
Rank: apprentice
Age: 8 moons
Gender: tom
Mentor: none yet
Played By: riptide
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Post by eelpaw on Jun 9, 2015 15:58:01 GMT -5
his wide, peering eyes watched the red she-cat struggle for words. she seemed conflicted for some reason. the lanky black tom tilted his head to the side, looking over her facial features. she seemed nervous--about what he didn't know. eelpaw dug his claws into the wet, shifting sands underpaw. finally, the other apprentice began to speak, saying her name was emberpaw. and, oh, she was from windclan! he hadn't met many cats from there. with the overpowering scent of the ocean, she could've been from starclan and he wouldn't have known the difference.
eelpaw shook his head at her defensive comment. "oh, i don't care. borders are just for old grumpy cats who don't have it in them to share," he said. at least, that's what he thought. what was the point of drawing imaginary lines on the earth and risking cats' lives to protect it? it was stupid. completely and utterly stupid. shaking his head clear of the thoughts, eelpaw focused back on emberpaw. her pelt was so cool, it looked like fire itself.
”why were you swimming around in here?”
the tom had to scoff at this. "why? well, because swimming is my most favorite thing to do, like, ever!" he exclaimed. just the feeling of the water on his skin made shivers go up his spine. it was so exhilarating! if possible, his grin grew even wider. emberpaw extended a paw towards him, inviting him up on her boulder. after a large effort, he managed to scrabble up on the rock, sliding around a bit. eelpaw hit a particularly wet spot and slipped, hitting his chin on the hard surface. "ow," he mumbled, but made no move to lift himself off the boulder.
"why don't you like swimming? besides your clan," he inquired, ears perked in interested. however, the reasoning dawned on him quickly and he waved a paw in the air as if to brush away his previous question. "wait, i know why. it's all in your name. if i pushed you in the water right now, you'd fizzle out, or something. fire and water don't mix, you know," he said. he took a deep lungful of sea air before sitting up. eelpaw rubbed a paw over his throbbing chin, wincing at the touch. "boulders are really hard, you know. i don't recommend you slamming your face into them."
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rainpaw
WindClan
Posts: 11
Rank: apprentice
Age: six moons
Gender: agender
Mentor: nectarfang
Played By: pumpkin
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Post by rainpaw on Jun 14, 2015 18:45:08 GMT -5
Rainpaw wasn't often given free days at this point in her training. If her mentor didn't want her to do something, her father wanted to give her private training. If her father didn't want her for something, another member of the clan wanted the biddable cat to run an errand for them. In all, little Rainpaw didn't have much in the way of free time. To be honest, when she was given free time she often didn't know what to do with it. As a kit she had never been one for playing or romping about with the other kits - she had much preferred to sit quietly by herself or to spend time with her father. So when her mentor had pulled her aside today and told her that she had the day to herself... well, she hadn't really known what to do about it. She had asked the older cat what they wanted to her to do. When that had gotten her nowhere, she had gone to the elders.
They were the ones who had sent her on this mission. Evidently, she was to 'leave the camp' and 'get in trouble for once, for Starclan's sake!'
The thought of getting in trouble made some sick and squirmy uncurl in her guts, squeezing her organs and making her feel as if she had to spill them. She'd taken to the fields just in case that was the case, but after a bit of wandering the feeling had subsided. It was through her roaming that she came across a familiar scent. She didn't know Emberpaw well, but she did share the apprentice den with the she-cat. She wasn't sure what set her to following the path of the other apprentice, but she soon lost it to the overpowering scent of flowers and the ocean. The apprentice sneezed and looked up - to find the familiar red fur of the other apprentice and the dark fur of a cat she did not recognize.
A non-windclanner? Had Emberpaw passed the border? Rainpaw doubled back and sniffed at the ground to be sure, but all she smelled was the ocean. The pair were obviously engaged in conversation. The quiet cat didn't particularly desire to speak to either cat, particularly the one from outside her clan. But what better way to cause trouble than to speak to an apprentice of a rival clan? She stepped closer, ears picking up the tail end of the conversation. Copper eyes fell upon the darker of the pair.
"Hello." She said, dipping her head politely. "Am I intruding? I'm supposed to be causing trouble."
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sharkpaw
WindClan
Posts: 7
Rank: Apprentice
Age: Seven moons
Gender: She-cat
Mentor: x
Played By: Aubergine
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Post by sharkpaw on Jun 14, 2015 20:25:39 GMT -5
Camp was boring. Things were quiet and everyone was peaceful, and it was considered a good thing if there was nothing of note happening. Honestly, Sharkpaw couldn't stand it. The calm and quiet made her fur stand on end. She set down a piece of fresh kill in the medicine cat den and, satisfied that her chores were done, slipped out of the camp once she was sure no one was watching too closely. For a while, the apprentice had slunk through the lavender fields, crushing the flowers with her paws. But when a rabbit had slipped away from her paws and nearly given her a nice kick on the face for her efforts, she'd figured that was enough of that.
So, her good mood ruined and posture sullen, Sharkpaw had started towards the cliffs. She could climb them well enough, and that made her feel good and smug and superior, even if she couldn't chase after hares and snag the wings of birds like her classmates could. Once the apprentice felt better, like she was the greatest apprentice Windclan had ever seen and Starclan help them if they couldn't see that. Fortunately for her, those plans were ruined by something much more exciting when she caught the scent of her clanmates and a stranger. Ears standing up straight, she picked her paws up quickly, moving towards the borders.
The silver cat brushed away the memory of her recent failure, puffing out her chest and shaking her head proudly as she looked over her classmates and the stranger whose fur salt clung to. With awfully little care for whatever they had been talking about (and really, Sharkpaw didn't think it was very important if she hadn't been there), she quickly took her place on a rock, clearing her throat. "Hey!" The apprentice called out, tail lashing. After a moment, the cat paused. She hadn't really thought about what she was going to say past announcing herself. "I didn't know that there was a party going on." She puffed out her cheeks and scrambled down her rock quickly, nose twitching.
Suspicion laced her gaze as the she-cat looked around at the trio of apprentices. It didn't seem like there was anything bad going on, but you could never be sure. But were bad things really that bad? At least bad things were exciting.
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emberpaw
WindClan
Posts: 8
Rank: Apprentice
Age: 8 Moons
Gender: She-Cat
Mentor: Russetface
Played By: Boggs
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Post by emberpaw on Jun 18, 2015 23:29:51 GMT -5
Emberpaw | 8 Moons | Apprentice | WindClan | She-cat
When Eelpaw’s chin thunked against the sea-worn face of the boulder she was perched on, the red furred she-cat winced in sympathy and leaned forward to try and grasp his scruff in her mouth to help haul him up. ”Oh, ouch, that looked like it hurt,” she grumbled in a soft tone, ears gently folding back. Once Eelpaw was safely up beside her, Emberpaw sat back on her haunches once more, only to cringe and hike a foreleg up at his next question.
”Swimming? Out there, in that?!” Emberpaw’s fur fluffed up, and her fox-like tail looked at least twice its usual size as she backed up a few paces. ”There’s no ground out there, it just goes on and on forever, and… There’s things in the water, big fish,” she shook her head rapidly, a small shiver coursing through her frame. Evidently, this was a very serious fear of hers. ”It’s nice to look at- but I’m not going in if I can’t see the bottom. I’ll get eaten.” it wasn’t a worry in her mind—it was unavoidable, should she jump into dark or murky waters.
Thankfully, Eelpaw took the conversation in a different direction, commenting on her name and making a joke.
Emberpaw’s ears perked and her head tilted to the side. She’d never thought of it like that, before. Perhaps Starclan just didn’t want her to swim, either. A laugh started to bubble up at the idea, and the more she thought of the corny pun and the idea of fate, the funnier it became. Shaking her head, Emberpaw let out a steady purr, only for it to be interrupted by an excited mew at Rainpaw’s presence.
”Well come over here, then, I found a Riverclanner!” Emberpaw called out and waved her tail in welcoming to the shyer natured she-cat. ”His name’s Eelpaw and he says swimming is his favorite thing. He’s going to get eaten one day.” Emberpaw explained, beginning to make introductions. ”This is Rainpaw, she’s really sweet and I like her.” Apparently, it was all that simple.
Until Sharkpaw arrived. Used to being the center of attention, Emberpaw did not share the spotlight well—and the spotlight was something that Sharkpaw found herself in often.
Too often for Emberpaw’s tastes.
”And that’s Sharkpaw.” Emberpaw mumbled, distinctly lackluster and undetailed.
D10 Magic-ness
Hurt Chin - 8, friendly concern
Swimming? – 1, apparently has a phobia of being eaten by large fish
Eelpaw's Humor - 10, sides are bursting.
Rainpaw's Arrival – 9, excited to see her.
Sharkpaw – 4, less than pleased.
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eelpaw
RiverClan
Posts: 7
Rank: apprentice
Age: 8 moons
Gender: tom
Mentor: none yet
Played By: riptide
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Post by eelpaw on Jun 19, 2015 15:52:35 GMT -5
the stupid grin on his face grew at the sound of emberpaw's laughter. no doubt making others happy was one of his favorite things. he almost forgot the dull throb in his chin. the lanky black tom glanced back at the ocean, watching the sunlight glitter on it's wavering surface. his wide yellow eyes darted back to the red she-cat in front of him. "oh, i know what the ocean's filled of. one time, i actually saw a fish with teeth, right in front of me," he exclaimed, puffing out his soaking chest. "but usually all of the big stuff lives out further," he said, jutting his chin out toward the horizon. "one day, i want to go out far enough to see a giant eel." his eyes lit up at the thought. "the ocean's not that scary, i promise!"
not soon after, emberpaw's attention was snared by something behind him. eelpaw turned, expecting to see a troupe of warriors to come pluck them off the shore, but instead, a little apprentice stood with her head dipped. he was about to answer her question when emberpaw began the introductions.
”well come over here, then, i found a riverclanner!”
eelpaw waved his long tail in response, sending the apprentice a smile. white teeth flashed against an ink black pelt. he rolled his eyes at the she-cat's comment on him eventually getting eaten by something in the water. soon, though, he learned the smaller cat's name--rainpaw. she apparently was a windclan apprentice as well. "hi rainpaw. maybe you'll be more accepting to my adventures in the water than this one over here," he motioned with his tail to emberpaw, "if your name says anything about you."
once again his attention was caught by another newcomer--this one much louder than the first. he could tell by the way the silver she-cat swaggered up to the boulder that she was full of confidence. emberpaw mentioned in a bored tone that her name was sharkpaw. he could see the fierceness of the name in her. "cool. hi sharkpaw, i like your name. you know one time i'm gonna see a shark in the wat--" he was unceremoniously interrupted by said she-cat.
"i didn't know that there was a party going on," she huffed, glaring at them suspiciously. specifically, him. of course, out of the four apprentices, he was the only one not in windclan.
"yeah, and it's a pretty fun one, too," he commented, giving his chest a few licks. the seawater still clung to him. eelpaw's eyes lit up with an idea, and he turned to glance at the other three she-cats. "you know what would be more fun?" he asked, casting a look at the ocean. "how 'bout i teach you guys to swim? i mean, what better teacher than a master riverclanner himself?" he purred mockingly, batting his eyelids. "don't worry, i'll fetch you if you drown. we'll start slow, promise."
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rainpaw
WindClan
Posts: 11
Rank: apprentice
Age: six moons
Gender: agender
Mentor: nectarfang
Played By: pumpkin
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Post by rainpaw on Jun 19, 2015 22:36:35 GMT -5
rainpaw obediently walked closer as emberpaw beckoned her closer. she looked between the fiery she-cat and her soaking wet companion, her ears perked with interest and tail held in a questioning crook. "oh." she said, carefully processing this information. a cat named eelpaw who liked to swim. she carefully regarded eelpaw, extending her neck to sniff at his salt encrusted coat. he smelt so strongly of fish that for one moment she privately thought that it was unlikely he would be eaten by one, as they would mistake him for one of their own. but... "fish don't eat cats." she told emberpaw in an attempt to be reassuring.
except... "he smells like fish, so someone might eat him." was that a joke? or was rainpaw serious? it was hard to tell. her face remained blank the entire time - she was probably serious.
there was the slightest twice as she was called sweet - a widening of the eyes, a twitch backwards of the ears. "oh." she said, simply. being liked was a strange thing to her, as foreign as the dark side of the moon. why would another cat like her? she stared down at her paws, trying to puzzle out the mystery that emberpaw had laid at her feet. a traitorous little thought rose from deep within her - did she even care if emberpaw liked her or not? she struggled against it.
then a voice pierced her inner thoughts. the tom from riverclan was speaking to her. did her opinion matter to him? why?
"if it makes you happy." she replied evenly. it wasn't her place to question his habits.
the sound of another cat speaking didn't garner much of a reaction from rainpaw. she turned her head to regard the loud apprentice with her head tilted ever so slightly to the side. "it's good that you're here, sharkpaw." she greeted the other apprentice with honest, wide eyes and a gentle voice - completely at odds with what she was going to say next. "you're good at getting into trouble."
she didn't focus on sharkpaw for long, though - eelpaw wanted her to do something. she didn't even consider it - "yes." she said. she stepped forward, tail sweeping behind her and gaze focused on the ocean. she had never been this close to the water and now, it seemed to have cast a spell over her. her longing for the water should have been shameful - she was a windclan cat, and the ocean was the realm of riverclanners and fish. but rainpaw couldn't bring herself to feel anything but a dull longing for the ocean, thrumming like the beat of her heart against her ribs.
for the first time, something like emotion entered her voice. "please, teach me." she said.
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sharkpaw
WindClan
Posts: 7
Rank: Apprentice
Age: Seven moons
Gender: She-cat
Mentor: x
Played By: Aubergine
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Post by sharkpaw on Jun 22, 2015 22:02:04 GMT -5
The apprentice looked over Emberpaw, Sharkpaw’s fur raising up slightly at the other cat’s words. “Yeah. And this is me.” She tossed her head and posed a little, eyes still fixated on Ember a bit. Of course, she was certain that the other apprentice was just jealous. Right, of course, that was definitely it! When Eelpaw spoke, though, she looked towards him instead, eyes bright with interest. “Really? Aren't sharks like...bigger than even two badgers put together? It might end up sending you to Starclan.” She’d never seen a shark, but she was pretty sure they were big and really, really great. After all, they had to be great if she was named after one.
When Rainpaw spoke, the silver apprentice couldn’t really contain her surprise. “Oh! Um, yeah. Of course it’s good to see me.” Sharkpaw may have thought an awful lot of herself, but having someone want her around was a bit of a shock. Her expression soured and her whiskers twitched as the other cat explained why it was nice she was here. But the she-cat recovered quickly, sticking out her chest and swishing her tail like getting in trouble was a good thing. “Yeah! I’m, uh, pretty good at exploring and things like that.” Her words faltered slightly, but she did her best to not let that wavering show. "I didn't know you were the adventurous type though, Rainpaw!" Maybe she'd make a new partner in crime!
The Riverclan cat's word made her look him over. He wasn't here to hurt her clanmates, right? Even if she didn't want to be overshadowed by Emberpaw and Rainpaw was...kinda weird sometimes, they were her clanmates. If Eelpaw was here to hurt them, she would beat him up! However, any misgivings she had about his presence on the border evaporated at the offer of swimming. Sharkpaw’s eyes blew wide and she quickly hopped off her boulder to wiggle in excitement. “You’d teach us? To swim in the ocean? Wouldn’t that be great, guys?” She looked at her fellow Windclan apprentices, though her focus lingered on Emberpaw. Sharkpaw bet she’d be a better swimmer than her! A flare of determination grew in her chest. Rivalry was good, and fun, and even if Emberpaw didn't care much at all about beating Sharkpaw, the silver cat sure cared about beating her fellow apprentice.
Taking a few steps towards the shore, she looked back at the gathering, trying to act like the ocean was something she was totally familiar with. Rainpaw’s words made her bob her head in agreement. “Okay, mister master swimmer. You better live up to your promises and teach us all to swim. I bet we’ll be just as good as any Riverclan cats!” Sharkpaw wriggled her rump, heart beating and excitement thrumming through her veins as her ears swiveled towards the ocean. The sea was something special, something that Windclan wasn’t supposed to really touch, but was bright and beautiful and, most importantly, exciting!
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emberpaw
WindClan
Posts: 8
Rank: Apprentice
Age: 8 Moons
Gender: She-Cat
Mentor: Russetface
Played By: Boggs
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Post by emberpaw on Jun 24, 2015 21:05:50 GMT -5
Emberpaw | 8 Moons | Apprentice | WindClan | She-cat
As quickly as her adventure had begun, it seemed that forces were already working against Emberpaw to make it a rather difficult one. The more Eelpaw smiled, the wider her grin grew, and the more at ease she felt—until he started talking about the water. She knew what was in there. She had heard stories, and every ripple beneath the surface in a murky pool threatened to reveal the gaping jaws of a giant turtle or snake or fish—ready to swallow her whole. Part of her knew it was irrational—and it was a large part of the reason why she was so ashamed of her intense, crippling fear of going into water that she couldn’t see the bottom in—or water that was deeper than mid-ankle level.
”W-with teeth,” Emberpaw breathed nervously, flattening her ears and tucking her chin towards her chest, amber eyes quickly flicking out to the surrounding water that lapped at the bottom of the boulder she had perched herself on. Fish with teeth were creatures straight from her nightmares—the fact that they were real only made it so much worse. ”Usually,” Emberpaw shot Eelpaw an almost hurt look, as though he were trying to hide the true risks associated with water from her. Embarrassed by her tongue slips, Emberpaw looks away from the other apprentices.
An ear swiveled when Eelpaw addressed Rainpaw, joking that perhaps she’d be more accepting of his tastes, given her name. Something strange settled in the deepest parts of Emberpaw’s belly, and as she cut her eyes to Sharkpaw when her new friend seemed only even more excited to see the other she-cat, it only grew more intense.
What if Eelpaw and the others decided that they didn’t want to play with her? The more excited the other three apprentices became at the prospect of learning to swim, the more visible the miniscule shivers coursing through Emberpaw became. ”W-well my Daddy says that Windclanners are the fastest cats and the most agile, s-so… who really needs water anyway…” she trailed off with a nervous whisper, settling herself at the very center of the boulder and wrapping her tail tightly around her paws, cutting a worried glance at the other two apprentices—but it seemed as though she was quickly out voted on the matter. A sense of dread welled up inside of her, and when she looked to Sharkpaw and caught the other she-cat eye—even for just that short moment—it was enough to at least make her consider getting into the water. Lips pursed, the red furred she-cat crept closer to the edge of the boulder, claws scratching against its surface as they tried to find purchase for an extra sense of security.
She hadn’t even touched the water, and already her fur was beginning to stand on end.
”Is- is something in there?” she whispered, leaning her head closer to Eelpaw, hoping that at the very least sharkpaw wouldn’t hear her. Ordinarily, she found ways to rise to the idea of competition with her fellow apprentice, but in a circumstance with very real fear coursing through her, it was harder to view their friendly rivalry as… well, friendly.
D10 Magic-ness
talk of water + creatures - 3, visibly nervous
security check – 2, worried about being left out
Rain's reassurance - 4, (gfdi, the rng is not on my side this time) just barely not good.
more sharkpaw feels – 5, beginning to adjust to new circumstance
SWIMMING?! – 6, wants to so she doesn't get left out, but didn't meet 9/10+ criteria due to phobia.
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eelpaw
RiverClan
Posts: 7
Rank: apprentice
Age: 8 moons
Gender: tom
Mentor: none yet
Played By: riptide
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Post by eelpaw on Jun 25, 2015 20:35:05 GMT -5
before he even got the entire question out of his mouth, little rainpaw had spoken up with a quick "yes." that was the last thing eelpaw expected to come out of her mouth, but in return, the tall black tom flashed her a winning grin. the white of his teeth stood out in stark contrast with the rest of him. "glad to know you do have some spirit in you, little rainstorm!" the name seemed fitting, due to her sudden outburst of courage. not soon after, the other, more confident silver she-cat speaks up. sharkpaw looks about ready to jump out of her fur at the offer.
"you’d teach us? to swim in the ocean? wouldn’t that be great, guys?”
eelpaw glanced over toward rainpaw and emberpaw, taking in the apprehension on the fiery she-cat's face. guilt poked at the black apprentice. he didn't want to make her do anything she wasn't comfortable with. but on the other paw, he wanted to encourage her to step outside her usual routine. it was the water for starclan's sake! there was nothing more magical or mysterious on the earth. just looking out over the ocean gave him such a rush of adrenaline he couldn't contain it. plus, teaching other cats was one of his favorite things. if he could share his knowledge to them, by starclan, he would! he just had to remind himself that these were windclan cats and they hadn't been raised around water. it would be a challenge, but he was up for it. "of course i'll teach you," he purred.
”w-well my daddy says that windclanners are the fastest cats and the most agile, s-so… who really needs water anyway…”
the tom nudged emberpaw with his shoulder. "i won't force you to do anything, emberpaw. but i promise it'll be okay. you don't even have to go that deep if you don't want to!" another easy smile covered his lips. "there are things in there, emberpaw. but nothing that would hurt you, not at this depth. these things are living just like us and if we respect them, they will return the favor." almost those exact words had been on his mother's tongue not too long ago when she was explaining the ocean to him. eelpaw lept off the boulder and onto the shoreline, relishing in the hushing sounds of the ocean's waves. the push and pull of the tide could lull him to sleep, but his excitement was too high at the moment. with a wave of his tail, he encouraged the others to follow him to the shore.
instantly, as the small waves brushed over his paws, eelpaw got shivers. "okay, we'll start small. everyone, come dip your toes in the water--it feels great!" he cried, splashing his paws a bit. he waded around in the shallow water, letting the other cats get acclimated. soon he was walking out further, up to his mid-chest in water. a colorful star caught his attention, though, and he gleefully called the she-cat's over to him. "look! a starfish!" glancing up, eelpaw realized it might be a bit deep for the shorter cats. "be careful--there's a strong current a bit further out that will catch you. it's dangerous to cat's who can't swim," he reminded them. "remember to keep your chin up and hold your breath if you go underwater. paddle with both your front and back legs."
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rainpaw
WindClan
Posts: 11
Rank: apprentice
Age: six moons
Gender: agender
Mentor: nectarfang
Played By: pumpkin
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Post by rainpaw on Jun 27, 2015 1:24:14 GMT -5
copper eyes shifted from emberpaw to sharkpaw as the silver she-cat confirmed her name. the action confused rainpaw - had emberpaw not just introduced the rowdy apprentice? perhaps rainpaw had missed out on some riverclan etiquette. the thought sent little ripples of disturbance through the calm of her mind, as if a heavy stone had suddenly been dropped in her gut. she swallowed and looked towards eelpaw, her swishing tail tucked close to her legs. "my apologies," she said, with a hesitance that showed her reluctance to be perceived as rude in front of this stranger named eelpaw. "this is rainpaw." introduction made, she turned her attention back to silently standing by while the others conversed.
were sharks really so large? it was fitting that sharkpaw shared their name, then, as the she-cat seemed to be larger than life. she was talking to rainpaw now and the slender cat blinked at her clanmate, as if only just remembering she was there. "i'm not." satisfied with her answer, she turned her head to look back at eelpaw - and he was addressing her as well.
all of the attention was beginning to make rainpaw feel as if the sand underneath her was slipping away, replaced by a yawning black hole that threatened to eat her up. she thought about leaving - but he was grinning at her. rainpaw didn't know what to make of that grin. she felt sudden heat spread to her ears and so she folded them back, tucking them against her skull so they would not catch on fire - as she was suddenly worried they would.
she looked away. he was speaking to emberpaw now, and so she took the time to try and puzzle out what had just happened.
wide copper eyes stayed firmly focused on her paws. by the time her heartbeat subsided and she looked up again, eelpaw was already in the water - and he had found something. rainpaw hesitated for only a moment, before splashing in after him. younger than the other cats and only just out of the nursery, rainpaw quickly found herself paddling and trying to keep her head above the water. she set her jaw and kicked with her back legs, focusing on trying to stay afloat in one area rather than reach eelpaw.
her head bobbed under the water and she was quickly spitting up seawater. realizing she needed to retreat, she kicked back to a slightly shallower area.
"i apologize. i'll try harder."
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sharkpaw
WindClan
Posts: 7
Rank: Apprentice
Age: Seven moons
Gender: She-cat
Mentor: x
Played By: Aubergine
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Post by sharkpaw on Jun 29, 2015 0:06:31 GMT -5
Sharkpaw paused at Emberpaw’s nerves. It was great to try and prove she was better than everyone else, but seeing one of her clanmates scared made at least some sympathy spark in the bullheaded apprentice’s heart. “Hey! You’ve got teeth too, right? If any mousebrained fish comes up to you, you can just bite it!” The silver cat mimicked bighting the hypothetical fish-with-teeth, tail lashing back and forth fiercely as she looked at Emberpaw. It felt bad to see someone else so afraid of something, especially when the ocean seemed like it was full of such great stuff.
She paused, though, at Rainpaw’s comment. “But-“ Looking confused, she stared over the other cat before deciding to shake it off. Her classmate had always been a little different. “Well, it’s good you’re out here anyway. Being stuck in camp for so long will rot your paws!” Sharkpaw said, like she knew anything at all. But her attention turned to the Riverclan cat as Eelpaw took a shot at reassuring the worried windclan apprentice. She didn’t know much about water, or swimming, or the things that curled beneath the depths and flashed their scales. So she added what she could with sheer bluster, bobbing her head in agreement. “Yeah- and we’re all here to help you if anything bad happens!” Sure, she hadn’t ever been in the ocean, but how hard could it be?
Most of her concern about her clanmate seemed to fly out the window as Eelpaw actually approached the water. Her paws dipped in to the water and she could feel her hide vibrate with excitement. Something in her chest was unsettled, though. Did she really need to learn something new? Wasn’t she good enough? But the water looked neat, and she was named after something in it! The cat’s sudden dilemma was solved by her blustering forward. It felt better and seemed easier to accept learning new things if she didn’t act like she needed to be taught.
Unfortunately, swimming was an awful lot different than walking and she hadn’t listened too closely to Eelpaw, and Sharkpaw’s head quickly went under the water. Still in the shallows, she managed to paddle to a point she could properly stand, spluttering sea water from her mouth as she got her bearings. “Gross!” She coughed out, ears flicking backwards. “I uh- I think I saw something over here. I’m gonna…look at it, for a bit.” Embarrassment fluttered in her chest as she watched the other cats with narrow eyes. Maybe she could learn from just watching Eelpaw. After all, the silver cat had no plans to ask for help even if she was soaking and felt terrible and was glaring pathetically at the sea.
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emberpaw
WindClan
Posts: 8
Rank: Apprentice
Age: 8 Moons
Gender: She-Cat
Mentor: Russetface
Played By: Boggs
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Post by emberpaw on Jul 18, 2015 9:15:19 GMT -5
Emberpaw | 8 Moons | Apprentice | WindClan | She-cat
It’s just water, she tried to tell herself, perched on the very edge of her boulder with her claws fully extended, amber eyes staring intently down at the waves as they lapped threateningly at the base of her safe haven. The shores of the beach were just behind her. But all of that water… her fur began to prickle, and the red-furred she-cat took a step back. The others didn’t seem to be having any problems, but—all she could think about were dog fish, looming beneath the surface, just waiting to snatch up a cat and swallow them whole. She’d heard so many stories about them…
”I- I’ve got to go, Russetface is going to be really mad if he finds out I was swimming around instead of training,” she called out to the rest of them. They were all apprentices, too, surely they would understand the threat of a wrathful mentor? It was a believable excuse, wasn’t it…? Without making eye contact with any of them, Emberpaw skittered back across the gray face of the boulder, claws making little scratching noises as she propelled herself off of the edge, white-tipped tail fluffed up anxiously.
She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t swim. The idea of getting into those waters and flailing about, trying desperately to keep her head above the water—it was something that terrified her. ”It was nice meeting you, Eelpaw!” Emberpaw called over her shoulder, wasting very little time in scrambling across the loose sands of the beach and back to the relative safety offered by Windclan’s home territory—where the only predators she had to worry about could only come from above her or around her, but not underneath her.
Now if that nagging feeling of embarrassment at her own cowardice would go away, she might not have felt so badly.
emberpaw has left the scene and can no longer be interacted with in this thread.
D10 Magic-ness
no magic this time, just exiting since this thread goes bye-bye soon, looking forward to future mischief!
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