development it's hard not to hold you ✧ diving

[lichenstar]

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Shallow as it may be, there are treasures hidden in the depths of the river. The currents are relentless in their pace, as timeless as the earth itself, forging a path it has always known and will always know. Sand litters most of the scummy bottom, stony slimy with algae, branches wedged between rocks make for convenient kick-posts. Wrapping a clawed foot around a jutting log, the scenery here could almost feel dream-like if not for the way the cold seeped under layers of thin fur to prickle at her skin. Weightless... standing with firmly dug-in claws to keep her steady, pale eyes squint through the silt and muck in search of something.... something....

A swift kick pushes her back to the surface, breaching the surface with a hacking cough- breath held too long feels like ice in their lungs and so the lead scrambles gracelessly to sit on a stepping stone in the midst of the stream. Soaked to the bone, soggy and dripping wet, her eyes never stray from the water. Where?

It had been made as only a harmless comment but now it consumed most of her waking thoughts. That gift... she shouldn't have lied about having one. Ripplesnap would surely eat her own tongue if she'd known the chaos a joke would cause. Crouching down again, a glimmer under the surface captures her attention quite immediately and like a raindrop joining a puddle, the ashy molly disappears under the surface once more.

Following after that glimmer, she chases it despite the discomfort of her aching belly, her tired lungs... it had to be here. (It was four seasons ago, Lichentail.) It has to be here.

Whatever the object is... it's thin... it flutters quickly through the water, faster than eager paws can keep up with. Giving a small hiss of frustration, a tumult of bubbles spills from their mouth, racing towards the surface before she follows soon after, head bobbing above with more hissing breaths of frustration. "How does anyone do this for fun," comes their complaint, lifting a sopping, hunger-thin body onto the shore closest to camp with a disdainful gaze towards the river.

It provides... only when it is convenient to do so.

"I'm never gonna find it..." A sobering defeat. They linger with body low to the ground, eyeing the rippling waters with an unwavering intensity- clearly, they aren't keen to give up on this, despite their words.​

 

[Sablemist]

"How does anyone do this for fun?" Sablepaw's ebony ears perk up at the sound of the leads hissed complaint. Poking her head out from behind a thick bushel of cattail, periwinkle eyes skim the riverbank until it captures Lichentail's gaunt hunger riddled frame. A small frown easily decorates her face as the molly mutters her next stream of words, defeated and sinking. Carefully, the apprentice steps out from behind her cover, soft vocals calling out. "What are you looking for Lichentail?" Dainty paws crunch upon the pebble laden shoreline, gaze searching the rippling water. "I could help you if you'd like." She offers, tossing her gaze back to the blue hued lead. Lichentail was obviously tired, and with so little prey being brought back to camp she was sure the warrior hardly had any energy to spare.

✿ ≖≖ riverclan apprentice / twelve moons old / she/her ≖≖ ✿​

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[DIPPERFROST]

Dipperpaw had despaired when she had been re-assigned to Lichentail. It was no secret that the blue molly was not a fan of swimming, and Dipperpaw loved swimming. There was nothing better in the world than slicing through the water, her fur fanning out in the water around her, fish swimming underneath her. She was born for it, she thinks. All RiverClanners should be adept swimmers. It was in their blood, such a huge part of their lives and their cultures. Her feelings on the matter are why it comes as such a surprise to see Lichentail in the water now. For a moment, she feels fear. What was she doing? Was she drowning? Sablepaw wasn't freaking out though so that must mean she was fine.

She watches as she surfaces then drags herself to the shore muttering to herself. She asks how anyone possibly swims for fun and Dipperpaw wants to tell her that swimming is the most relaxing thing in the world. Though at the moment her mentor did not look very relaxed so she held her tongue. She was going to ask, too, what she was looking for but Sablepaw had already asked and Dipperpaw was never the type of cat to echo so instead she waits patiently for her mentor to answer. Perhaps it was something she could help with?

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OOC NOTES . ✦ . CHARACTER INFO

• ooc : — ​
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  ➵ she / her
  ➵ riverclan apprentice
  ➵ single
  ➵ bisexual
  ➵ a tall, long legged blue tabby and white she cat with a plumed tail and blue eyes, the left one containing a burst of yellow
  ➵ toyhouse [ ✦ ]
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[Petalnose]

The sun beating against her pelt after a swim was something she quite enjoyed. Water made the body feel light.. hallow. Aching paws felt soothed and heating pelts were quickly snatched by the chill of water. Their diet aided their habits; water rolling off of most pelts with ease. A good shake would impressively leave some pelts merely damp. It was easy to judge others for a dislike of water, it was their protection, culture and peace. There wasn't much to dislike except the power and danger it possessed.

Petalnose had been nearby when she watched Lichentail resurface with hisses of frustrations, a little ways from the two apprentices. A glint of amusement sparked within her gaze through her stoic expression, "Fish slip your claw?" An eyebrow quirk of inquiry and assumption, blantant tease in her tone. She wasn't sure what exactly Lichentail was looking for, only clinging to her spoken assumption of tease. She was curious, although, she let it hide unlike the two lingering youth. It wasn't her business and why should it be?

Tags​

 

[lichenstar]

⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆

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A tail flicks back and forth, listening with pinned ears to the soft foot-steps of a curious clan-mate nearby. Glancing back quickly, the cursory look serves as a surprise- the familiar black and white fur, she is so alike her mother in that way. An overwhelming surge of pity wraps around her throat as Sablepaw offers her harmless inquiry... her generous offer to help. It is a sweet gesture from an even sweeter girl... so shaped by hardship lately and still she finds the patience for kindness. It's something worth admiring.

Dipperpaw's bland expression from further behind the shoreline changes only slightly, a question locked behind a steel-trapped tongue and reflected the same in those rain-drop eyes.

"What I'm looking for," she repeats, drawing out the words to buy herself some time to think. How could she possibly explain this without giving away the personal details? Besides... apprentices loved gossip, if Snakeblink's yammering with Catfishpaw proved anything, and the last thing she wanted was some good-natured loud-mouth to spill the surprise.

Petalnose has some of the best timing fish scales could buy, suggesting Lichentail looked sullen about losing out on a yummy meal. While her stomach ached for that to be true (just a little bit of a perch or... a trout...) and her mouth salivated at the thought, it was not quite accurate to her current struggles. "Well, wouldn't you just love for that to be the case... the mighty bird hunter brought low by a piscine menace."

Shaking her head slightly, Lichentail points her nose towards the water again, "I lost something in the river four seasons ago... I know it's a bit of a lost cause at this point but, a girl can dream." Turning to Sablepaw as an idea clicked to life, the molly smiles, "Have you guys seen any pretty stones in the riverbed lately? I'm trying to collect some gifts for the journey cats once they get home." Not a complete lie (lying always tasted so sour on the tongue) but a stretch of the truth by all accounts.​