FLEETING WONDER [ o, playing in river ]

[koko]

Koko does not know how to feel about staying in Riverclan camp, she had only just gotten used to staying in Thunderclans. Here she cannot follow Nightingale like his little shadow, and in fact shes been actively avoiding him due to singeing bitterness within her; deep down she knows its not his fault. Knows its not anyones fault, knows that he had probably been just as scared as she was, hopes that he had looked for her too. The bitterness makes her feel guilty but shes childish, angry at being split from his side, angry at the fire, terrified for how Flame would recover.

She stares down at the water beneath her paws, deep in thought. Her tail thumps besides her and a heavy sigh leaves her mouth, followed by a heavy hacking fit that caused her to dip her head beneath the river surface. Its cool, refreshing and she yanks her head back up with a gasp for air. Its revitalizing, something she needed and she wades even deeper as if the rushing waves could rid her of the anger in her core. She does not realize how much she had missed swimming until she feels the land below her disappear in to nothingness and for the moment all her worries wash away with the current. She treads the water with ease, just as she had all her life, a breath of content. Plumed fur gets dragged down but at this point she does not care, she dips herself beneath the water once more, a giggle leaving her mouth as she breaks the tension and comes back up once more.

Stars above, perhaps being in Riverclan was not all that bad.​

[ BENEATH THE SAME SUN ! ]​

 

[SMOGBREATH]

He is not certain about all of these Thunderclanners. They makr him nervous, and not because he thinks them bad cats. Of course he doesn't but he is more concerned with their staring eyes and the fact that he doesn't know them like he knows other Riverclanners. They have gotten used to the way he looks but these other cats, he just isn't sure about them. Sighing he is about to make his way towards the river when he spots another feline and one he doesn't know. She seems like she is happy to be in the water and a lopsided smile blooms over his face. Even so he is hesitant to approach, watching for a moment before glancing over his shoulder for just a second.

Flicking his long tail he makes his way forward. Paws touching the water and allowing it to lap over his toes. He slowly sits down as he watches. "I'm happy you are having fun. It's a nice day for it." And despite everything that is going on. Especially from what he heard happened at the gathering. ​

 

[Flamewhisker]

The thought of getting her pelt wet willingly sent chills up her spine. She hated getting her fur wet, even if it was simply raining. Her fur was long, and when it was wet it was so heavy, and she hated how it felt plastered against her skin. The tabby couldn't help but wrinkle her nose as she came across Koko playing in the river. "Careful, or else you'll turn into a fish!" she could call, a hint of amusement lacing her tone as she slowly eased herself into a sit along the bank.

Flame would reach over her shoulder, and begin to draw her tongue over her charred pelt. No amount of licking could ever wash the smell of smoke off...maybe it wouldn't be too horrible to get wet. She lifted a hesitant paw, but quickly placed it back down. Her body was still too weak to risk having to swim too much. Besides, if she were to accidentally slip away too far, she had no clue how to swim. I'm not going to make a fool out of myself in front of these cats.​

[ IT DOESN'T HURT ME ]​

 

[Aspenfrost]

CHARLIE BOY, DON'T GO TO WAR​

---

The next to appear would be another Riverclanner, Aspenfrost finding the young molly basking in the coolness of the river to be quite charming. Perhaps there were pleasant qualities to these Thunderclanners after all.

The chocolate mink would stride forward, his usual charming smile on his maw as he settled in between Smogbreath and Flamewhisker, dipping his head in polite greeting to both warriors and taking note of how the ginger molly seemed to hesitate but interested in entering the waters.

"If you would like to give swimming a try, no better time than now with two experienced cats to keep watch." His tone was warm, and encouraging despite their different clans. Riverclan had taken the forest cats in and as such he would be a proper host when the moment called for it. Looking back out over to Koko, he would tilt his head and smile, "She's quite the natural, isn't she? It's nice to see other cats appreciate the river." ​

 

[SMOKESTAR]

"Well, it is good to see you looking less like me."
The cool remark was another of his strained attempts at humor that he never really knew whether or not they worked out or not; was he just too awkward to make jokes, was his tone too sharp or too low? Nonetheless, that was the greeting Flamewhisker would get as he approached.
The dark tom ambled along to the river's edge, the sound of unfamiliar childish laughter made his stomach twist in anxiety at the idea of a kitten too near the water's edge but the little cinnamon molly splashing about seemed quite comfortable in the river for the time and Aspenfrost and Smogbreath were both present. He was reminded ThunderClanners did not often have the opportunity to swim, that learning was never a priority but that perhaps now they might be more inclined to pick up the skill given what had happened. The river was all that had stopped the flames from continuing onward to RiverClan's own camp where the cats here at least had the ability to swim away.
"As Aspenfrost said, if you ever want to learn...now is the time." With so many skilled swimmers present the chance of any cat being swept away right now was next to none.

​

 

[koko]

There are voices, enough so that makes her legs freeze in the water and then theres a mouthful of water and shes coughing it out, nose scrunched up as her legs unlock. She treads water with ease again but this time with anxiety building in her chest. She prays to anything above that they did not just watch her mess up something that she has done almost all her life.

Theres a cat that speaks first, says hes happy shes having fun and she opens her mouth to respond, only a squeak comes out. Then the all familiar voice of Flame comes and immediately Koko makes her way to the shore, dripping as she runs to greet Flame with bright eyes. "Flame...!" she greets with slight excitement, shuffling her paws in slight embarrassment as more cats approach. He encourages Flame to enter the water and shes slightly bouncing on the tips of her paws at the thought. "Yeah, come swim with me..!" she cracks an awkward smile as Smoke is next to approach, the fur on her back prickling uncomfortably. It was one of her saviors, something that embarrassed her beyond belief- it was so pathetic how her legs tended to lock up and she casts her gaze to her paws instead.

"The water is cool, it feels... nice. I think you should." its anything akin to encouraging, it had helped with the heavy feeling in her chest and slightly charred paws- perhaps it'd help Flame too.​

[ BENEATH THE SAME SUN ! ]​