PAFP Prompt Border TC RC Ripple in still water || Prompt

[Rattlepaw]

x

x

x

RATTLEPAW

THUNDERCLAN

APPRENTICE

HE/THEY

09 MOONS

DINGO

Ever since the little party at Sunningrocks had happened Rattlepaw had found himself drawn back towards the river. The RiverClanners pelts were always pristine and he had heard plenty of good things on the river itself, the abundance of fish it held, how it helped to keep their pelts slick and clean and how swimming could be great for training? He looked up to his mentor, Ghoststrike and had always wanted to impress the older tom somehow. Maybe taking up a whole new kind of training to expand his skills even more would surprise him? But it wouldn't be a surprise if he didn't do it in secrecy at least somewhat...

So, once the sun set and the moon started to climb it's way high up into the night sky the apprentice would carefully pick his way out of his nest and out of camp, heading towards their border with RiverClan under the cover of night as this way not only helped ensure his extra training stayed a surprise but also meant he was less likely to disturb their allied neighbours over in RiverClan as well.

The stars sparkled up above him as he made his way to the running water, their reflection shimmering where the water stilled most. It was very beautiful actually to watch the light of the stars twinkle in the water before rippling across the surface whenever the river was disturbed. He broke the surface carefully starting with one front paw, the water was cool from the night air and he'd pull away instinctively at first before pushing past the sensation and placing the paw back beneath the water. It rippled again and so too did his reflection at the water's edge. The funny way it wobbled and warped made a smile curl onto his muzzle and encouraged him enough to add his other front paw in next.

It took all his self-control after getting both front paws in to not prance and hop about in the river shallows like a playful kit right then and there, he wondered now how the RiverClanners managed-- Or maybe they had all done exactly as he wanted to now at some point. He knew he couldn't risk doing it though as the splashing would likely draw the attention of somecat and he had come here to train, not play around... He looked reluctantly towards the deeper waters though, unsure of how to further proceed.

Living in this world you left behind

A Smoke torbie / Chocolate lynx point chimera with low white and amber-yellow eyes. Looks like a half/half of both his parents.

Littermate to LEAFPAW and THISTLEPAW
Adoptive Sibling to ROWANPAW, THORNKIT(?), FALSEKIT(?) and FAITHKIT(?)
Son of SERPENTBERRY and THORNSTAR / Nephew of SNAKEBLINK
Mentored by GHOSTSTRIKE
"speech" // "thoughts" // #FF9933

OOC- Prompt; Dip your toes in the river shallows / Attempt to swim in the river (May only count for one)
@Twinkletuft

 

[Twinkletuft]

Well I know you're afraid,
but if even just one of us has faith...

‎

TWINKLE(TUFT), She/Her / 11 moons / Riverclan Apprentice
Fluffy rosetted silver tabby molly with tweed white hairs and soft blue eyes
Daughter of ASTRO and NEBULA, Sibling to COMET(TAIL), & ECLIPSE(SHADE)
Whimsical and oddly wise beyond her years if not a bit silly, has dexterous paws that are good for making things, goofy and bluntly honest
Tagging [@]

‎

Twinklepaw had been thinking up a few ways to lift up spirits in Riverclan. So outside of her usual duties she tried thinking up some new weaving techniques in secret! What use was a surprise if people could see it? Every now and then she thought about using new materials too, so she figured that going out to scout for some would be a decent use of her free time.

Every now and then, Twinklepaw's schedule would allow her to stay up a little longer than most others and this night was no different. It was at this time that she would sometimes slink away to do some secret weaving. Of course, she wouldn't leave the territory as that would be foolish, she only reached as far as the river that also bordered Thunderclan. Sitting by it, Twinklepaw looked around for little treasures that may have been carried by the water. The stars above were always a welcome sight too, both in the water's reflection and when looking up to them. It was a nice night, so she took it as a good sign.

Thinking about the stars, what was it that her dad Astro said about certain groups of them? They made shapes sometimes, didn't they? Twinklepaw tried to remember some of them and she was actually pretty good about it. While on that train of thought, Twinklepaw tried her paw at some weaving with what she could find.

"Hm?" What drew her attention away from her little project was the presence of another cat. Her nose wrinkled, a Thunderclan scent. With a flick of her ears and curious gaze she used her senses to try and find whoever it was. It wasn't someone that she knew per se, but it was someone that she had at least briefly caught a glimpse of before. "Hello there." She chirped. "I didn't think another apprentice would be up to some secret shenanigans. Are you trying to get a handle on swimming?"

‎

You can be certain that some day—
All of our dreams will come true!

 

[CHITTERHUSK]

You're already there when the sound of pawsteps breaks the quiet. You don't move at first—just keep your gaze on the water where the stars fracture and bend across the ripples. The river has a way of making everything look strange, familiar things pulled out of shape until they're almost something else entirely. You like it better that way. It's the voice that draws your head, a chirp at the edge of the night, and your eyes find the apprentice. Her tone is light, curious, but you don't mirror it. You tilt your head, slow, deliberate, and let your eyes settle on her before shifting to the ThunderClan cat with his paws already in the shallows. You don't say anything right away. Silence works better than words sometimes.

When you finally speak, your voice is low, even. "You shouldn't wander into water if you don't know how to exist with it." Your gaze flicks to the cat's reflection, broken in the surface like all others. He looks eager, restless. You don't scold, though—your tone is less warning, more observation, as if you're just stating what's already known.

You step closer, paws brushing the damp earth at the river's edge. The mud clings, and you don't mind. The water pulls your eyes again, how it tugs at the sand and stone in its current, how it shifts shadows into things that could be shapes or could be nothing at all. You crouch near it without hesitation, letting it lick against your paws, the coolness running up your limbs. You're still not looking at him, nor your clanmate. "The river teaches its own lessons. You tempt it." There's no malice in it—it is truth, the kind that doesn't need sharpening. You let the silence hang, your eyes drifting back to Twinklepaw. Her little weaving is half-finished by her paws, a strange choice of project for the middle of the night. Your whiskers twitch faintly, not a smile, not quite amusement.

 

[Rattlepaw]

x

x

x

RATTLEPAW

THUNDERCLAN

APPRENTICE

HE/THEY

09 MOONS

DINGO

Rattlepaw's gaze shot up towards the riverbank on RiverClan's side when a voice chirped out to him-- He hadn't seen this cat before but they looked to be around apprentice age like he was, which made his fur settle back down after the initial alarm. He blinked up at her reflecting the same curiosity that shone in her own eyes. The white tweed hairs in her pelt gave her an oddly beautiful and almost starry look, like she was one of StarClan's residents walking among them. The moonlight shining on her silver tabby pelt sparkled in a way he couldn't draw his eyes away from, at least not until he realized she was talking to him! "O-oh! Hi!" He nodded when asked if he was trying to get a handle on swimming, "I thought I'd come out here and practice-- Sorry if I woke you up though. I'm Rattlepaw, of ThunderClan, what's your name?"

She wasn't the only cat who had heard him either as they were soon joined by another RiverClanner, he willed the fur along his back to remain flat. Neither of them were threatening him and in a way it was less scary facing the river's waters with two cats here who he could only assume were already experienced swimmers. He didn't exactly expect either to teach him though since they were of differing clans. Rattlepaw's whiskers quivered as he stood in the cold waters looking up at the two, his ears facing forwards as he listened to the voice of the older RiverClanner. "But how else will I learn to swim?" He'd ask it curiously, grateful that neither of the other two seemed cross that he was there. Maybe this could still be a learning experience then after all?

Listening to kelps next words Rattlepaw looked down to the water rushing past his paws and pelt as he trekked a little deeper in, carefully, slowly, gradually. He wasn't quite sure what kelp had meant by what it said but that was the point of a lesson, to learn! "How might one learn to exist with the water?" He'd ask it, his tail curling curiously and an eagerness to learn shining brightly in his eyes. He hoped the answer wasn't just that he had to be RiverClan, he wanted to know how these cats learnt such a skill without a fear for drowning!

Living in this world you left behind

A Smoke torbie / Chocolate lynx point chimera with low white and amber-yellow eyes. Looks like a half/half of both his parents.

Littermate to LEAFPAW and THISTLEPAW
Adoptive Sibling to ROWANPAW, THORNKIT(?), FALSEKIT(?) and FAITHKIT(?)
Son of SERPENTBERRY and THORNSTAR / Nephew of SNAKEBLINK
Mentored by GHOSTSTRIKE
"speech" // "thoughts" // #FF9933

 

[CHITTERHUSK]

You watch him move deeper into the shallows, the water sliding up his legs, and for a long moment you say nothing. The air is cool here, the kind of cool that clings to fur and makes the breath come slow. You let it sit between you—the sound of the current, the quiet chime of insects from the reeds, the low hum that only the river seems to make when night presses close around it. It's steady, constant, and you find a kind of calm in it even with the ThunderClan cat splashing his way toward uncertainty. "One way or another, the river teaches everyone who steps into it," you acknowledges finally, voice steady but quiet. Your eyes flick to his paws, to the way they hesitate just before each shift. He's careful, deliberate, not yet sure. The kind of careful that still belongs to land. "But learning isn't the same as understanding."

You move closer, the mud pressing softly at your paws. The stars ripple in the water, fractured and strange—tiny fragments of silver scattered across the current. You tilt your head toward them. "See how it changes shape when you move?" you ask, though it's not really a question that needs answering. "The surface looks calm until you touch it. Then it shows you how deep it really goes. How it could sweep your paws from beneath you in a moment, if it so chose." You keep your gaze on Rattlepaw, his reflection twisting in the dark water. You lower yourself onto your haunches, close enough now that the spray catches against your fur when the current stirs. "A for how to exist with it?" you muse. "You don't fight it. You don't try to shape it. You let it move through you. You let it take what it wants."

There's no edge in your tone—no challenge, no warning. Just the simple, grounded truth that you live with every day. You dip a paw into the current, drawing a lazy circle through the reflection until it folds over itself again. "It doesn't care about borders or clans or names," you add, gaze fixed on the distortion. "It's older than all that. If you want to learn, start by listening to it. Stop thinking about what you want from it." The silence that follows isn't uncomfortable. You let it stretch, the air breathing slow around you. The river keeps whispering—soft, endless. Eventually, you glance up again, meeting Rattlepaw's curious eyes across the rippling divide. "And don't wander too far," you add, almost idly. "It's easy to forget where the bank ends when you stop watching your paws." With that, you turn your gaze back to the current, the reflections twisting and shifting in ways that never quite look the same twice.