GOSSIP GIRL [ icepaw ]

[SNAILSTRIDE]

From top to bottom, Snailpaw's legs ached like an elder's in the winter. It felt as if they had been running all day, chasing rabbits whenever they dared poke their hungry heads out of their burrows. Only one had been caught, one that leafbare likely would've consumed anyways with how frail it'd been, but the apprentice had absconded responsibility for it death to give Clambite more dignity in the eyes of very important WindClanners. They'd dragged themselves back to camp on stiff limbs, opening their eyes more and more slowly after each laborous blink. The hard work sucked, especially for no reward, and Snailpaw didn't doubt they'd feel it tomorrow. A withering glance was offered to the fresh kill pile as they passed it, but with blood still on their tongue, they weren't hungry. Instead, the tabby moved towards the sleeping areas, doing a double take a familiar grey and white shape. They spotted Icepaw in solitude, without giving it a second thought, they shook away the cobwebs and bounced right on over towards the tunneler apprentice. "Heeeey Icey, tough day eh? Hehe, phew." The tabby collapsed on their haunches close to the tunneler, their head lulling between their shoulders as if they were ready to call it a night. They didn't budge any closer to the divots that would have sheltered them futher from the cold and camp, knowing that they wouldn't get a chance to talk to Icepaw again for a while if they passed up the opportunity now.

The pair lived different lives, one above ground the other below, one loathed the pressure the clan put on apprentices to learn and the other who seemed to relish in it. Most of what he knew about Icepaw was absorbed through osmosis by listening to Firepaw, the conversation with the latter apprentice still fresh in his mind as he looked the frail point over. Their face briefly contorted with a frown at her state, before they swallowed down their concerns for the other and flashed their teeth mischeviously. They'd heard a lot about the raid, the horrors his poor friend must've seen... the tabby couldn't even begin to comprehend it, so he wouldn't try. If they'd had a traumatic experience, they wouldn't want to talk about it so soon anyways. "Sooo... I went to the gathering... my first one, actually." They rest their head on their paws, blinking innocently up at the apprentice. "I got talking to some SkyClan apprentices and they were all huffy with me but I think they liked me. The one I called a kittypet did at least, I got that impression, you know when you bother a sibling and they pretend to be annoyed but really they love it? That sorta vibe. Anyways uh... Firepaw almost started a fight with them!"

They figured that, if Icepaw had any interest in the gathering, it would be about the clan announcements, but Snailpaw's attention had wandered during that time. It was hard for them to focus on something so detatched from them and their interests - why would RiverClan or ShadowClan's status affect him, an apprentice with no say in how WindClan was run? They tilted their head, their cheek smushed against an alabaster paw. They could fall asleep like this, the sun disappearing behind the moor and painting the sky an easel of pastel reds and oranges, in this brief moment, there was peace. "Nothing actually happened though, don't worry! I wouldn't have let those guys lay a paw on ol' Firey."


@icepaw
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[icebreath]

TAGS — so sorry for the wait!!

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They're half asleep and half dreaming of swimming through the tunnels when a familiar voice jolts them awake. Blue eyes snap open and look upward to see Snailpaw settled next to them, upon which they lift their chin from their paws and offer them a weary smile. She doesn't have it in her to be annoyed by the intrusion. In fact, she's honestly tempted to scoot closer and properly share the warmth of his body heat; his fur is much longer than her own, and so soft-looking. But she doesn't let herself, awkwardness keeping her in place. He's a clanmate whose face she knows and whose airheadedness she's both heard about and witnessed from some type of distanced position, emotionally or physically, but they really don't know each other well at all. She can say the same for most of the moor-runner apprentices, save for Bunnywhisker, who still counts among the group in Icepaw's head by force of habit — and the friendship they'd had as tunneler apprentices together. Though she's been so withdrawn lately, so swept up in her warrior duties, that Icepaw's hardly gotten to speak to her lately. Hopefully she's doing well.

"Yeah, it's been busy," they reply, still smelling of the earth where their duties were carried out not too long ago. Duties she knows have granted her a much tougher day than Snailpaw's, surely. And all of the moor-runner apprentices. It's hard not to scoff internally when she hears any of them commenting on or complaining about their own workload, as if the tunnelers aren't facing literal danger around every corner of their labyrinthine workplace. She honestly can't believe Firepaw's snarky attitude toward them, the level of disrespect for their work. You'd think she'd understand, having started off as a tunneler herself, but her skull's probably too thick.

She visibly perks up at the mention of the gathering, an event she'd refrained from with the excuse that she was sore from training. Not that she needed an excuse — attendance isn't mandatory, which she knows considering she's never gone to a gathering before. It's always stemmed from indifference in the past, and admittedly some anxiety toward the other clans. The latter has taken over this time, which she'd hate to admit to anyone — especially after her big moment during the raid. Sure, Fourtrees is a sacred space, but what was really stopping SkyClan and RiverClan from lashing out at WindClan when they're least expecting it? ShadowClan's an ally and could potentially defend them, but what if they didn't? Or what if it wasn't enough? None of this had come to pass, thank StarClan — she obviously would've heard about it immediately. But she had heard through Rainpaw about the verbal hostilities of that night, the threats made against her home. Their enemies have banded together, citing their hatred toward WindClan as their uniting force. All Icepaw can do is hope and pray to StarClan that they'll be underground working in the tunnels, blissfully ignorant, when their own territory is ultimately invaded.

There's little time to let her anxieties run wild before her attention is once again hooked by Snailpaw's gossiping. Doing their best to ignore their twisting stomach, they tilt their head with surprise at his words. "You talked to SkyClanners?" she asks incredulously. Though his tone is amiable and his words are optimistic, it quickly becomes clear that these cats were definitely not happy to chat with him. She can't decide if he's bold or plain oblivious. Actually, no. Definitely oblivious. She's almost glad Firepaw got involved before they could say anything too messed up to Snailpaw. "She would," they remark quietly. "I bet they wanted to." Lay a paw on Firepaw, she means. And on Snailpaw, too, without a doubt. And on every single WindClanner both present and left at home. How long will it be before the gathering's truce is broken? Even ThunderClan had gotten involved in a way, voicing their disapproval toward WindClan's actions. But cats were dying! They still are! They would've done the same! And yet WindClan is being condemned for looking out for their clanmates, as if the other leaders wouldn't do the same for their own. Her lips are pursed as she mulls it all over, her brow furrowed with concern. "Listen, you should... probably be more careful with who you talk to. I bet, like, every SkyClanner wants us dead. You're lucky Firepaw was there." Which is something she never thought she'd say.
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[SNAILSTRIDE]

They noticed, however briefly, Icepaw's disbelief that they'd talked to an enemy so nonchalantly. It hadn't been difficult, when the tabby got interested in something, all fear and common sense took wing. Kittypet life fascinated him, so he'd asked them about it; the responses were ones that a lifetime in the fierce WindClan had taught them to navigate. They wouldn't have prodded to the point of violence, still, under StarClan's divine protection, they felt safe to inquire. Snailpaw would be the first to admit that they had been the first to exist when those tensions boiled at the leader's speeches, they didn't need to hear the condemnation of other clans to feel the wave of tension course through Fourtrees the moment WindClan's 'crimes' were announced to the world. "They already had by the sounds of it! Lay a paw on Firepaw, I mean. I think the chunky guy was the one that got a hit on her in the raid, she gave one back though, I saw it on his neck! It was kinda gross. Sorry maybe I should've specified it was him to begin with but to be hoooonest, it kinda escaped my mind." It was only by recalling past events did they make that connection.

His mentor had always said that it was dangerous to treat your enemies like they were living, breathing things. They were obstacles between a clan and its progress, their families did not matter when your own was suffering. Snailpaw argued, 'well why can't everyone's families matter all at once?'. Shrikewing had given them an answer back then, and Icewing gave a similar one now - because they wanted your flesh and blood dead just as much as you wanted theirs out of the way. Their muzzle twisted about for a moment, contemplative before they raised their head optimistically. "Honestly? They're kinda like us! Why, they didn't speak to me any different than some of the other apprentices did! They had that sorta energy, you know? Fierce and smart-mouthed, but cared for their own. I bet they'd be really great to talk to if we weren't enemies... " Snailpaw trailed off, their ears twitching and flexing like the wings of a bug. It felt as if no one was bound to get along forever, even if such a world was admirable for the apprentice, but they couldn't help but feel like if everyone could've made more of an effort to be friends, then the Great Battle could've been avoided. They'd barely been born at the time when the battle took place, their parents had been too busy nursing to fight in a cause that they weren't adamant about, but Snailpaw still felt the consequences. They were in all the older warriors, it changed how they acted, how they treated others. It made so many of them monsters, he feared.

"Guess that's no helping that now though, huh? We do what we gotta do for our clan but I dunno, I wish we had more to show for it than more bad memories." They cringed at how that sounded, bringing their paws closer to their body. "Not to say you didn't do a good job though I mean, I heard from a few warriors that you charged right into that camp and got that catmint no problem!" They hadn't been meaning to bring the raid up, an aforementioned 'bad memory' for plenty involved, but Icepaw didn't deserve to have her achievements put down despite the horror stories. They smiled a few seconds later before their brows quivered and a pout appeared on their white-tipped muzzle. "You're... you're doing ok, aren't you? I didn't want to ask 'cause it felt kinda rude but, you don't seem very happy. I don't blame you, really, I don't! But I'm here if you need to let whatever you're feeling out, alright?"





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[icebreath]

TAGS — Her eyes widen a bit, thinking about how she'd feel in Firepaw's place — face to face with the apprentice she'd fought in SkyClan's medicine den. Sickeningly anxious, probably. Just the notion is enough to make her heartbeat speed up a bit. What might she say to Icepaw? 'How could you steal from my suffering clanmates,' her brain quickly jumps to. 'Mine needed it more,' they would reply uneasily, wondering just how badly their enemy is faring in this unforgiving season. SkyClan wasn't even supposed to find out about their greencough epidemic, wouldn't have at all if it weren't for Dandelionwish's stupidity. For all she knows, SkyClan is suffering just the same, their secret better kept. She hastily pushes the thought aside. "Wow, good for her," she says after a moment. How that could've escaped their mind is beyond her; memories of the raid and all the accompanying political tension never cease to haunt her, even if they're simply lurking in the back of her thoughts, threatening to spill over and overwhelm her far too often for her liking. In his defense, though, he wasn't part of either patrol. But still.

They're incredibly naive, she decides with a sinking feeling in her stomach as they go on. It's hard to ignore her imagined scenario when Snailpaw's talking like this, like they're real cats. Thank goodness she's never been to a gathering before, has only even interacted with other clans' cats a grand total of one time in her entire life — courtesy of a rare above-ground patrol. How much harder would the raid have been, had she been able to interact with and get friendly with SkyClanners beforehand? Not that she'd ever want to chum it up with a bunch of lazy kittypet wannabes. Despite the harsh thought, she looks visibly uncomfortable, troubled. "But they are enemies," she interjects quietly, not unkindly, amid the brief silence.

A frown creases her silvery features at Snailpaw's remark and her gaze drops to the ground. Nothing to show for it. She knows it's not true — even Juniperfrost has been treating her a bit differently since the raid; her accomplishment, however small, has made an impact, which is something she never would've expected from herself. But still, this is the second time her peer has said something like this and she has to wonder how many other cats feel the same. In their defense, she had only snagged a single sprig of catmint, which really isn't much for a whole den's worth of sick cats...

Snailpaw's quick to recover, and Icepaw's quick to move past it in favor of relishing the praise. "I wouldn't say no problem..." they say bashfully. Though their pale eyes are still looking downward they seem self-satisfied in a muted way, the corners of their lips twitching upward in the beginnings of a little smile. "But I think back on it and, like, I can't believe I actually managed to get something." She and Nightmareface both. How nice, that the mentor and apprentice pairing had come out victorious together! Even if Icepaw had earned a stern lecture from her on the way home for getting pinned, which only made the panicking molly feel worse in the moment despite the truth to it, she likes to think it brought them closer together. "Thanks for saying that."

Out of everything Snailpaw's said during their conversation, this last bit throws her off the most. "Wait, what?" That's all she can get out for a good moment, looking alarmed by the sudden observation. I don't seem happy? But she is; she's proven herself to be a valuable WindClanner even beyond the jurisdiction of the tunnels, has earned the respect of Sootstar herself for her feat. Even Firepaw had begrudged her a compliment after the raid, and in general her bullying has been gradually decreasing as her respect for Icepaw is perhaps slowly taking its place. She still teases them, sure, but it's not the same as it used to be. Her training is going well and she's enjoying... what, exactly? Working endlessly to make sure her hard-earned respect isn't lost, to make sure she has no time or energy to fret over all of the insecurities and fears that plague her? "What... makes you say that? I'm fine." It's likely not convincing, the sentence delivered in a choppy manner and her paws shuffling a bit uncomfortably. It's her turn to bring them closer to her small figure, like she's trying to shrink into herself.
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