camp ILLUMINATION - intro + sunrise

[GLEAMPAW.]

Sometimes, Gleampaw's thoughts weren't as pure and nice as she wanted them to be. Within her nightmares, tragedies repeated as she tried to figure out what they - she - could do differently, even though it had never been her fault, never been something she could prevented. They were unpleasant, prompting the young she-cat to lay awake during those nights.

But something was drawing her out, it seemed. Maybe it was just her instincts, maybe it was just the need to do something, anything, that wasn't laying in her next, just trying to forget. She got to her paws, careful to be as quiet and undisruptive as possible.

Turning her attention to the sky above, she noticed the crossing between the darkness of the night and the brightness of the day. Gleampaw let out a soft breath of awe, eyes gazing over the scene. As the sun slowly made it's way into the sky, it reflected upon the waters, giving it a a slight golden hue.

"Wow..." Gleampaw breathed out, mouth agape as she tried to take in the memory of the very thing her parents named her for. If only there was someone to enjoy this view with her - it was a beautiful sight she wanted to share, but most cats would sleep in if they had it their way - she didn't want to wake them up or be a bother.

"Speech"​

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LIGHT UP THE SKY WITH SPARKLING HEAT!​

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[CICADASTAR]

sleep did not come easily to him either. an unfortunate truth, one he’s struggled with for moons more than he could rightfully tell. it had gotten easier now with smokethroat’s familiar presence a heavy, comforting weight lulling him into security he’s hardly felt before. a smoldering warmth, all - encompassing, the rise - fall of his chest against his flank a steady rhythm — but even now he sleeps lightly, rouses at the faintest noise.. and his temporary reed den was nowhere near as soundproof as his beloved willow tree. he wakes today to the sound of dawn patrol milling from their dens, chatting softly around the freshkill pile. it perks large, angular ears, slits open pale blues. gold pours over his nest, bathes him in light, in that ever - warm halo of morning. it was glaringly bright from this angle, and try as he might, he could not close his eyes tight enough to force the yellow - white gleam from over paper thin eyelids, and well.. he supposed that was as good a wake up call as any.

the spindly leader pulls himself from his mate’s warmth, pins his ears against the chill of morning as he does. great starclan, newleaf was a blessing — but what he wouldn’t give for the heat of greenleaf right about now. giving himself a brief shake, the man steps delicately around his snoozing lover and through the archway of his den.. and nearly right into — “ gleampaw! “ pleasant surprise, a smile that graces monochromatic features. he blinks slow in greeting, takes the time to stretch abnormally long, thin limbs out front, arches his back in a way that would seem.. painful. he merely yawns as much as his still - healing maw would let him, before settling down, flourishing his tail over ivory paws, “ you’re up awfully early. “ apprentices tended to sleep in — worn from their training, from the stressors of clan life, “ couldn’t sleep? or just enjoying the sights? “ he inquired softly, gazing over the lazily rippling waters just as she is. a reason enough to wake early, he would say.

− ♱ information out of character ⟐ visual reference translated ♱ −

• ˖ ⁺ ｡ ˚ ⠀ CICADASTAR⠀⠀−−−c−−−⠀⠀king of the rivers.
  m. he / him. black smoke & tortoiseshell chimera with intense salt - blue eyes. a handsome, looming tom bearing patchwork black - silver curls that fall over his slim figure in loose, shining rivulets, broken with white and glossy from his fish diet. descending from a heritage of overtyped oriental shorthairs, cicadastar stands unusually tall amongst his peers, and holds himself with a tragic grace, poised and prim and ever - aware of how he is being perceived.
  
  ᨒ gay, courting smokethroat. smells like wet stone & moss.
  ᨒ speaks with a german accent. 40 moons, ages on the eighth.
  
  penned by antlers​
  
  
• 
• none.

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[FERNGILL]

An early riser- for it was always useful to wake up early before the shores were swept by others, the best pebbles and shells stolen- Fernpaw's face was illustrated with perfect surprise when he exited the apprentice's den to find Gleampaw already outside. For a moment he thought to panic- but his attention was almost immediately captured by the sunlight, inferno-hued as it peeked a solitary, fiery eye over the horizon. The water glowed from the inside, as if set ablaze- and immediately Fernpaw was inclined to make this sight even more beautiful, if it was an imaginable thing.

Dashing into the apprentice's dan, paying very little mind to who he startled awake as he did so, the tiny apprentice rustled through his horde of stones to find a see-through, lake-blue pebble he'd found a week or so past. No longer was his collection almighty, most of it swept away in the flood... but this was perhaps the most prized of his recent retrievals.

Moving into the daylight once again, the undersized tom shot Gleampaw and- Cicadastar, who he hadn't noticed a moment ago- a cheery smile that made his pinched, unsightly features look a little more pleasant. Balancing the pebble on the back of his paw, he held it up to the light- and the gold hue pushed through the prism, setting his paw ablaze and conjuring scattered embers across his foreleg. "Look!" he chimed, transfixed. ​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[GLEAMPAW.]

She didn't notice Cicadastar, nor Fernpaw, until they spoke to her, too fixated on the view to pay attention to those approached her. When her leader spoke, Gleampaw turned around, offering a smile and a nod. "Sorry, I'm in the way, aren't I?" She shuffled over a little, listening to him ask why she awake so early.

"I had another nightmare," she admitted, "and I didn't feel like rolling around in my nest, so I felt compelled to go outside. I'm glad I did, this view is beautiful. It makes me appreciate my name even more."

She turned her attention back to illuminated waters, the light of dawn helping to ease her thoughts. Soon, she had all but forgotten what the nightmare had been about. Though, as mesmerized and lost in thought as she was, she was not startled by Fernpaw's excited outburst, instead focusing on the pretty stone and the light diverting onto the older apprentice.

Golden eyes shone as she ooh'd and aah'd at it. "That's amazing, Fernpaw!" she exclaimed, though still minding her volume. "I would've never thought of doing something like that. Maybe I should start looking for stones like that and getting up earlier, so that we can have more rocks to do this with."

"Speech"​

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LIGHT UP THE SKY WITH SPARKLING HEAT!​

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