Sunningrocks Border DON'T TAKE ME DOWN [ apprentice request ]

[lavenderpaw]

[ @Frostmoth mentor tag :3 no need to wait! ]

Lavenderpaw isn't sure she likes either ThunderClan or SkyClan right now. They both seem to have... murderous tenancies. But given what happened in RiverClan's corner of the gathering, the apprentice isn't sure she truly has room to judge. With Adderfang out there, somewhere, the molly cannot trust the territory to be safe. He has a taste of Pikestar's blood - and sure, it was in the name of his kits, but...

Her thoughts are dashed when she comes across the river, with the opposite shore donning some wide, flat stones. She thinks nothing of them, instead fixing her posture as she waits by her mentor's side. She's not sure what she said to convince him that this was a worthy journey to make - especially with the gathering fiasco - but surely she can make it up to him with whatever she manages to earn in trade. From her maw drops the tip of an oversized leaf. In it's cup lies a few iridescent shells, as well as fish scales and seaglass. During the gathering, she met some of the apprentices from the other Clans. Not a single one of them looked like they could swim, let alone dive for the river's treasures.

"You can say when we go," she gives her deputy permission, grinning towards him. He's lost some of his humor with recent events, and though she's never properly appreciated it when directed at her, she hopes that in time, he will regain it.

Upon seeing a patrol on the opposite side, she waves her paw in a greeting. "Hello -!" Lavenderpaw calls, hoping to catch their attention. "I heard that you guys line your nests with squirrel tails and such. I wanted to trade!" Hopefully the gathering hasn't soured everyone's opinion. The blue furred girl lifts up a piece of seaglass to show off, "I have pretty things, if anyone's interested!"

 

[ASTERPAW]

x

Asterpaw follows at the end of the patrol with steady pawsteps trying to subdue his constant sniffling now that the cold weather is gone but with greenleaf having arrived, well, that usually meant a lot of pollen being carried by insects, and he pauses in his tracks to use a paw to wipe at his nose. The tabby can't help but grimace though his attention wavers in the direction of the river as someone calls out to them as the bubbly Riverclanner boldly assumes that they use squirrel tails to line their nests and his snout wrinkles in the slightest. What a silly theory... its not even true in the slightest. He spares a glance to one of the warriors only to draw closer towards the water but makes sure that he keeps his distance so that he doesn't end up falling in, he knows that he'd be bullied if such a thing happened, and he would never hear the end of it.

"We, uh... don't use squirrel tails for our nests." He says with a sniffle, at least, he didn't... he preferred feathers woven into his nest along with some downy feathers that could sometimes be harder to come across. His warm eyes focus on the piece of seaglass that Lavenderpaw lifts up and he can't help but stare in complete awe, he had never seen anything like it, and he blinks once before speaking "Would... you trade that for, uhm, some feathers? Or... Or maybe, some insect wings. I have, uhm, some really pretty ones." Perhaps, he could trade some of his posessions for the seaglass and gift it to either of his littermates or his mother... like a get well soon gift of sorts knowing that she had lost a life during the gathering and Serpentberry didn't seem to leave her side.

He takes a few steps forward only to flinch when he feels his toes dipping into the cool water and the fur along his spine prickles in every direction, right, he almost forgot the watery border that was separating him and the Riverclan apprentice. "That's really pretty... what is it? Uhm... what else do you have?" Asterpaw asks rather timidly as his eyes lock with the fern-green gaze of Lavenderpaw and suddenly, his body goes completely tense but he doesn't know why. The chocolate tabby tears his gaze away from her feeling his entire face beginning to grow hot and he steps back realizing that he's too close and she can probably see the crusted gunk near his nose, he swiftly lifts soaked paw to hide his face.

IN FIVE YEARS TIME WE MIGHT NOT SPEAK

ASTERPAW

THUNDERCLAN APPRENTICE
TRANS MASC x HE/HIM/THEY/THEM​

x

"speech", thoughts, attacking
a runty, longhaired chocolate tabby with clay toned eyes and low white. a sickly apprentice with small patches of fevercoat left over in his pelt, kitten fuzz, and fat that clings to him but is fading away to give way to a taller/more lanky build
sickly child of juniperstar and sablestar; littermate of dreampaw and magpiepaw

asterpaw's an introverted apprentice that keeps to himself for the most part unless family's involved, he usually keeps his head low and eyes averted so he doesn't make direct eye contact. once, he actually gets to know someone is he more open towards them and can prove to be a devoted friend. once he's comfortable around other individuals, he tends to speak a lot more and sometimes over shares about himself without realizing it. he hates that he was born sickly but despite it, he tries to overcome it and pushes himself harder than any of the apprentices

 

[lavenderpaw]

Lavenderpaw's excitement dims with the first moggy that comes through. She doesn't recognize him, of course, but he looks recognizable. Nobody else could have that uncertain face and cascade of fur. Her tail twitches as she thinks about how Rosemarypaw and herself share a face. How disappointing it must be to meet her, and know that there's another running around. How disappointing it is to live that.

"Oh," she says. In part because he rebuffs her comments about squirrel tails, but also because the gravity of the world weighs on her for a moment. Lavenderpaw looks at the trinkets she's brought along, missing the new shine in his eyes as he tempts to move closer, only to be warded away by the slow moving waters. He speaks again, though, and asks if she could settle for feathers (she could, but her mother is apt in catching anything with wings, so it wouldn't be curious and new,) or... insect wings. Interest and excitement return as she considers the offer, thinking of butterflies or lightning bugs, how she's never been able to catch them... But he looks like someone who has.

"It's seaglass...!" Lavenderpaw explains when he asks, "It's like... a rock, and when it sits in the river, the river takes away it's sharp edges. Look -" as if to sell the deal, she brings herself to the opposite bank to him and dips the seaglass in the water. She pulls it out, showing off how shimmery it can get after a quick washing. "Cool, right? Um... What sort of bug wings do you have...?" She engages with him more, her brow furrowing momentarily when he brings a paw to obscure his face. She hadn't noticed the snot crusted to his muzzle, and frankly thinks he looks silly. But given her venture, she doesn't mention it right away.

 

[FLICKERPAW]

The trek towards one of ThunderClan's borders would be pleasant enough, if only Asterpaw could stop his incessant sniffing. Flickerpaw had thought she would get used to it in time—repeating noises have a way of blending into background—but she had no such luck so far. At least her nest in the apprentices' den is further from his, courtesy of having been made a 'paw earlier than him. She shoots a glare towards him, as if asking: can you control yourself?

At last, Flickerpaw is spared from him when the two Clans' individual patrols meet. Her narrowed eyes take in the RiverClan cats. Deputy, she recognizes the black-and-white tom, and his new apprentice.

Almost at once, the RiverClan apprentice starts talking. Flickerpaw only offers the tiniest of nod in acknowledgement, taking the time to sit carefully and elegantly, her tail wrapped around her paws. The last thing she wants is to ramble on with the enemy. But at least said enemy offers plenty of things for her to chew on. Like the apparent rumor that ThunderClan chooses to sleep with their own prey. How absurd.

"Where did you hear that?"

Flickerpaw says at last, cutting in when the stranger and Asterpaw begin their strange trading. Why would anyone want their shells? Sure, they're pretty when the sun hits them just right, but they're just useless trinkets at the end of the day.

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear,"

Flickerpaw offers further, voice not betraying her ill-intent. To any unsuspecting cat, like her mentor, she just appears to be helpful. It's good advice.

@Magnoliapeak

 

[Magnoliapeak]

Magnoliapeak moves silently with the ThunderClan patrol, and she (unlike her apprentice) is unbothered by the sniffling of Asterpaw. There are far more annoying things to concern herself with, and she is focused on the task at hand. She catches Flickerpaw glaring at him, and nearly cuffs her apprentice over the ears before stopping herself at the scent of RiverClan. Her eyes meet the RiverClanners, but she still does not say anything. Most prominently among them is the deputy and his apprentice. Magnoliapeak has a tepid opinion of their fishy neighbors. Their scent is the most disturbing thing about them, followed perhaps by how naïvely over-friendly they are. But she supposes that's better than being a murderer.

The dilute tortoiseshell listens to the RiverClan apprentice speak to Asterpaw excitedly. The two are fully engaged in trading trinkets with one another, and Magnoliapeak might be endeared if her heart were a little less stony. Still, she does not interrupt them. She waits quietly beside Flickerpaw, and measures her apprentice's own reactions. Flickerpaw doesn't seem as excited as her clanmate. Magnoliapeak nearly snorts. A girl after her own heart.

Flickerpaw finally cuts in to question the RiverClan apprentice on where she heard that ThunderClan sleeps with squirrel tails. Bothered by such a trivial thing. So trivial that it had initially gone right over her head. Magnoliapeak narrows her eyes, but remains silent. Flickerpaw's words are benign enough, but between her own judgment and her preexisting experience with training the sharp-tongued Sandpiperpaw, she knows Flickerpaw could have ulterior motivation in her words. But it's too soon for her to cuff her apprentice over the ears and remind her of her manners, so Magnoliapeak sits on her haunches and focuses on the conversation ahead.

SPILL IT OPEN ❀ LET IT RUSH TO MY HEAD

• "speech"
  

• 

• MAGNOLIAPEAK she/her, thunderclan, twenty-three moons.
  ❀ shorthaired dilute tortoiseshell with amber eyes.
  ❀ mentored by her parents (informal), mentoring sandpiperpaw and flickerpaw
  ❀ sister of hyacinthrain and honeysucklecry; daughter of hazelheart x bracken (rip)
  ❀ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline and tag when attacking pls!
  ❀ penned by carat / ccaarraatt on discord, feel free to dm for plots.