pafp BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN // shine

[SHININGSUN]

☼ Shiningsun was pleased to say that all the duties were done for the day, now it was time to get off his paws and chill. With a smile that beamed brightly across his soft, fluffy features, he scanned the camp clearing for opportunity and he was soon delivered with the sight of Shine, alone. He was just begging for company! The warrior bounced his way over before flopping down next to the youth with dramatic flare, all the while never losing his smile despite the fact that his shoulder was aching a little after his little stunt. "Hey there, kiddo! How's it going my Mini-Shine?" He held out hope that maybe the nickname would stick, especially since their names were somewhat similar.

"I wish you could have seen it today, I saw this massive feather balanced on a branch in one of the trees. I think it might have been an owl feather but I can't confirm. I would have brought it back but a crow stole it before I was even half way up the trunk. Bet it's lining a nest right now." Shiningsun shared with a slight pout of his bottom lip. It would have made a cool addition to the lining of his nest, but oh well, it was still a cool story all the same.

//please wait for @Shinekit
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[Shinebug]

Shinepaw had only been an apprentice for a short time, and to say he wasn’t used to it was an understatement. For one, the cat kept having to correct his course, veering away from the nursery and towards his new den whenever it was time to sleep. For another, the shaft of sunlight was surprised with how much free time he had. He still had to train and patrol and hunt (and train some more), but the fact that his schedule wasn’t completely packed baffled him. It felt…wrong, to be sitting around when he could be making himself useful.

These were the thoughts running through an admittedly tiny mind as Shiningsun suddenly appeared next to him. Letting out a small shout that became a slightly bigger laugh at the surprise, Shinepaw pondered the simple question for a moment. “It’s kinda weird, I guess” he admitted tentatively, smiling softly at the nickname before continuing. “I’m an apprentice now. But I don’t - I don’t feel any different. I still feel like a kit. Is that bad?”

Juvenile worries were temporarily put to the side as Shiningsun regaled him with a story, and soon he was enthralled. “I can’t wait until I can do fun stuff like that!” Shinekit spouted, energy shooting from melancholy to extreme in a moment. That would be it, he decided internally, becoming a warrior would be when he would finally feel grown-up. “I would’ve loved to see the feather, but I bet the crow is happier with it than we would’ve been” he chuckled.​

 

[SHININGSUN]

☼ "Oh? Well, sometimes the feeling of change can come slow, it's not always instant. I've only been a warrior now for a moon but I still find myself falling into old apprentice habits." Shiningsun replied as he reflected on his own experiences. Admittedly his apprentice days hadn't been great, though it was nothing to do with the clan or its ways, he had just been cursed by having a foul mentor. But he had pushed through and he was finally able to do so much more.

"I'm sure more great discoveries will come about. I bet you'll start building up cool stories soon enough now that you're able to take your first steps out of the camp. Have you had any tours or patrols out in the territory yet?" He was genuinely curious, though he imagined that maybe it was still too early into apprenticehood for Shinepaw to be out and about. He would offer to take the youngster out himself but he knew that would be against the rules, so he decided not to humour the idea in the first place.
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[Shinebug]

It was hard for Shinepaw to imagine Shiningsun as anything less than what he was now, and sky-blue eyes widened with surprise as the older cat revealed just how long he’d been a warrior. “Only a moon?” The apprentice asked, making no attempt to hide the disbelief evident in a still-squeaky voice. “I thought you were a lot older. You seem so mature!” No, mature wasn’t the right word. After all, one of Shinepaw’s first memories of Shiningsun was when the latter had gone around singing his heart out to the whole camp. “Or at least really put-together” the shaft of sunlight corrected with a small chuckle.

At the other’s words, A scatter-brained mind shot off in different directions. Shinepaw would be lying if he said that he hadn’t fantasized about being recounted in legends, hunting enough to feed everyone in leaf-bare or ridding the forest of foxes entirely, something righteous like that. However, right now the flame-colored furball felt like he didn’t know right from left.

“I’ve only been out a few times” Shinepaw started, putting a paw on his forehead. “I knew the territory was big, but I didn’t think it was that big! Flycatcher showed me the way around once, but I’ve already forgotten it all. I’m worried I’ll never get it.” As sky-blue eyes strained with concentration, a worried face lit up in excitement as the shaft of sunlight remembered a story. “Oh, yea! We were out on patrol by the border, and I saw Windclanners!” If he wasn’t consumed with eagerness, Shinepaw might’ve realized someone more seasoned (Shiningsun) might find the tale mind-numbingly mundane. Alas, he continued. “I thought they would have horns and big fangs and stuff, but they looked pretty normal.”​

 

[SHININGSUN]

☼ "Heh! I'm gonna take that as a compliment, thanks!" Shiningsun purred warmly as he softened his gaze. He did try to present himself as being someone who looked somewhat competent in his role. It wasn't like he had any aspiration to be more than a warrior, but he did aim to be the best ThunderClanner that he could be. If Shinepaw could see that then he knew he had to be doing something right.

Ah, so he had been out a few times already. Good, it was a start, though he could understand that it would be hard to remember the territory to begin with. It was big and so much more than a camp's layout. In the end practice made perfect, he felt certain that the little ray of shine would suss it all out eventually at his own pace and in his own way. "Oh, you saw WindClanners? That's awesome! Yeah, they're actually quite small. Though they're fast!" Shiningsun looked impressed with Shinepaw's news, even if it probably wasn't necessary. But it didn't matter, it was clear to him that it was worthy of note for the young apprentice so he was going to treat it as such. "Just you wait until you see RiverClanners and ShadowClanners, though the latter ones can be hard to spot. They really do blend into the shadows, haha!"
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