camp LOOK AT ME NOW ♥ ladybug

[SQUIRRELPAW]

The arrival of leaf-fall meant two things in Squirrelpaw's eyes: one, that they would have less prey to feed themselves with, and two, that there would be fewer bugs to entertain herself with. It was difficult for the girl to decide which of the two would be worse. The blue torbie had been lounging outside of the apprentice den with Fadingpaw, casually sharing tongues and passing a mouse back and forth between them. When all of a sudden, a floating red speck appeared as if from no where and landed right on the end of her denmate's nose.

"Oh wait, hold still!" she commanded the other apprentice in a hushed voice, forest green gaze going wide as she recognized the insect. It was a beautiful shade of vermillion with perfect black dots speckling its shiny shell. She'd seen ladybugs a few times, out in the forest during the height of greenleaf, but never had one graced them in camp before. With the weather changing and cold setting in, she was sure they would all be dead or gone by now.

Squirrelpaw gently reached out a paw and coaxed the ladybug off Fadingpaw's muzzle, pulling back so her companion could see it as well. "Have you ever seen one of these before? Pretty, right? They always remind me of my dad for some reason." It was silly, seeing as she'd never met Flycatcher and had no idea if he even knew what a ladybug was; but something about them felt familiar, nostalgic almost. A soft smile traced her lips as the little red bug crawled up her leg, but seemed content not to fly away just yet.

‎‎ooc ♥ info

• [ @Fadingpaw but no need to wait <3 ]
• 
  

  

• 
  SQUIRRELPAW ♥ she/her, apprentice of thunderclan, 9 moons
  ⭃ lh blue torbie with high white and green eyes // slender but fluffy
  ⭃ single, bisexual, crushing on no one // flamestar x flycatcher
  ⭃ sister to bugpaw, ravenpaw, sunpaw, falconheart and stormfeather
  ⭃ mentored by lightflower // adoptive sister to sparrowpaw
  ⭃ peaceful powerplay permitted // underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by limerence ↛ @limericks. on discord, dm for plots

​

 

[STORMYWING]

Stormywing pads toward the apprentice den in search of her own trainees, her thoughts tangled in a mess of emotions after her conversation with Thundergleam. The crisp bite of leaf-fall was settling into the forest, and while she enjoyed the cooler air, she can’t ignore the tension that always seemed to come with the changing season. Prey would become scarcer soon, and with everything else going on, it only adds to the weight on her shoulders.

As she neared, she overhears her cousin's voice, light with excitement. Her golden eyes narrow slightly in curiosity as she picks up the conversation between her and Fadingpaw. For a moment, her heavy thoughts are pushed aside. Ladybugs. Of all the things to be talking about right now. A smile cracks her muzzle as she lightheartedly rolls her eyes. The tabby pauses just outside their view, her ears then twitching at the mention of Flycatcher. Her heart gives a sudden jolt in surprise. Flycatcher had been her rock, her guiding light in ThunderClan, and she'd leaned on him more than anyone after leaving the kittypet life. He'd been more than just a father, a deputy. He’d been the one to give Stormywing purpose in the clan.

She swallows hard, her tail flicking once as she steps forward. "They remind you of your dad?" She asks, her voice softer than usual, almost wistful. She hadn't meant to interrupt, but hearing Flycatcher's name always brings back a wave of memories she isn’t prepared for. The warrior glances at the small insect crawling on Squirrelpaw's leg, forcing a faint smile. "Flycatcher would've liked that. He always had this way of appreciating the small things…" She trails off, her eyes distant for a heartbeat before she snaps back to the present.

Sitting down beside Squirrelpaw, she gently bumps her kin’s shoulder. "You've got his same spark, you know." Stormywing's eyes soften as she looks down at her younger cousin. It’s strange, seeing so much of Flycatcher in her. Even when the torbie didn't realize it, she carries his legacy in everything she does. He’d be so proud of her.

The gray-and-white she-cat glances over at Fadingpaw briefly, feeling a bit bad for interrupting the apprentices’ conversation. She casts the other a smile and leans back, shutting her maw.
​

 

[SPARKPAW]

"Its just a bug. How could it remind you of your dad?" His question comes as he halts beside the pair, looking at the ladybug doubtfully. A bug reminded her of her dad? How?! Sparkpaw's brows raised as he glanced at Squirrelpaw curiously, waiting for an explanation. His question may have come off as more rude than he originally intended it to be, but he still wanted to know out of genuine curiosity. This only led to further questions, all of which he made a mental note to ask her about at some point in the near future. Does she like all bugs? Or only these ones? Did I upset her with my question? Or does she know I didn't mean it like that?
​

SOMEBODY WAKE ME FROM THIS NIGHTMARE ⋆ ★ ⋆ ITS NOT THE REAL ME

• ooc. — ​

• 

• SPARKPAW
  ↪ sparkpaw / cisgender male (he/him)
  ↪ 08 moons / ages one month on the 17th
  ↪ thunderclan apprentice
  ↪ lh red tabby
  ↪ peaceful && healing actions may be powerplayed !! / attack in underline & @/account
  ↪ tags / toyhouse / penned by halimede
  ​

 

[Finchpaw]

⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☀︎˚｡⋆ Finchpaw had spent his day tending to an unkept nest, traversing to and from his den, in and out of camp, collecting materials to weave into something completely new. It was easier said than done, but done is what it needed to be. Truthfully, he didn't mind, in fact he enjoyed it to some extent- it was much less physically taxing than what was expected of him during spars or when hunting- but it was not so easy that he would grow restless and bored. Yes, it was a perfect balance, domestic while remaining laborious, something in between challenging and lenient. A change of pace that was not often seen for the likes of Finchpaw, who was ever the hard worker and one to push himself as hard as he could go without breaking.

Just as he was finishing up, the last of downy feathers and elastic but sturdy twig frames pieced together like a puzzle crafted perfectly for each other, excited chatter flowed from the outside of the den and danced within his ears. Satisfied with his nests completion, he would turn his attention elsewhere, emerging from the apprentices den to be met with his clanmates gathered somewhere close by. He had arrived in time to witness a ruby red ladybug land upon the nose of Sparkpaw, approaching his companions with a gentle smile newly tugging at the corners of his jaws. "They say that's good luck, you know. For a ladybug to land on you, or to show up in your nest."

"Have you ever seen one of these before? Pretty, right? They always remind me of my dad for some reason."

The tone would shift then, Squirrelpaw's closing statement one that brought a wave of confusion and emotion across those who had accumulated around the area, most notably from Stormywing, who seemed to have a much more profound outlook on what Squirrelpaw had said- despite Finchpaw knowing little in the ways of his clanmate's familial affairs, it was no secret that Flycatcher was a very beloved and cherished individual between the two of them and surely others who had known him in life. Finchpaw would selfishly wonder if he might have such everlasting impact, if he would be remembered with such fondness even once he had departed from the physical world. Was it something that one needed to work hard for, or was it a gift given to you for being the purest form of yourself that you could be? He had little time to contemplate this matter further, another familiar voice cutting through the tender moment in a way that was almost jarring.

"Its just a bug. How could it remind you of your dad?"

Finchpaw's eyes narrowed as his hazy sky blue orbs settled upon Sparkpaw. He figured that the question came from a place of genuine curiosity, however his delivery and disposition in an attempt to seek an answer was anything but considerate. "I don't think she means it literally...Maybe it's less about the ladybug itself and more about what the ladybug stands for. What it represents." He tried to be helpful as he replied, though he was aware he very well could be wrong. He in no way intended to speak for Squirrelpaw, but he was unsure of how well she would take to Sparkpaw's more hardened way of interacting with others.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── IS IT OUTRAGEOUS FOR ME 𓆩✦𓆪 TO WANT TO LIVE DESPITE IT ALL? ──┐‎

• 
  
  
  

• 

• 
  FINCHPAW 🕊 he/him, apprentice of thunderclan, 8 moons.
  ⭃ chocolate/cinnamon chimera w/ high white.
  ⭃ important relationships on this line / / family, mate, apprentice, kids, whateva! - [tbd]
  ⭃ peaceful, healing and minor combative powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by sloane ↛ @encarcerated on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​

 

[Softsight]

Softsight didn't have a particularly set opinion on ladybugs, but she'd definitely encountered them before. They were pretty little bugs, one of the few that Softsight found herself enjoying and letting be around her, as they weren't annoying like flies or as discomforting as spiders. To hear that little Squirrelpaw associated them with her late father was another comfort, in a way, and it was a simple as that that Softsight's view of the insects changed. They weren't just pretty bugs, but a reminder of a warrior who had deserved more time than he'd been given.

"I've heard ladybugs are quite lucky." Softsight comments as she joins the few apprentices and Stormywing. She wasn't sure where she'd heard it, just that it had stuck with her, and perhaps that was another reason she was so accommodating for the creatures. "I didn't know Flycatcher as well as some, but he had a bright spirit. I wouldn't doubt that he might enjoy being likened to a ladybug." She hadn't known him well, but she had known him - and she'd known him as a staple of ThunderClan, even after he was gone.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OOC ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ .ᐟ.ᐟ INFO ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• !
  

• 

• SOFTSIGHT ✩ warrior of thunderclan, fourteen moons
  → peaceful and healing powerplay permitted.
  → penned by Archivist → .archivist on discord.
  

​

 

[shrewkit]

"Why would he like being a lad- laid ... ladybug?" Shrewkit manages quietly, peering around Softsight's legs as if her presence would shield her from the gentle smiles of ThunderClan's warriors. Mismatched eyes are carefully upon the ladybug that Squirrelpaw cradles, as if anything too intense might startle it away. She's not particularly interested in the topic of the calico's late father (it's a circumstance they share, as much as Shrewkit doesn't think about that a whole lot), but the shiny bug that rests on the apprentice's paw is a thing of considerable curiosity.

A small frown settles on her features, and she blinks up at the older ThunderClanners. Her question hasn't been answered immediately, so she seeks more confirmation with tufted ears drooping by a fraction. "What does the lay-dee-bug mean?"

✧ 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦

•  
• 
  
  SHREWKIT ✧ she/her, kit of thunderclan
  
  — "an ashen tortoiseshell kitten."
  — badgerstripe x sleekserpent ; littermate to faithkit & heartkit
  — speech is in #F7A6D9
  — tags | penned by mercibun, contact on discord for plots.
  
  

​

 

[Woollykit]

The sun feels nice today, and with it the bugs seem to be enjoying the rare Leaf-Fall warmth. Woollykit gets how they feel, she, too, is enjoying the sudden change in temperature today after several where all she'd wanted to do was curl up in her lonely nest and hide away from the chill in the air. Today, she's laying out in the clearing, trying to imagine just how the days can be this nice and then suddenly freezing cold the next. It doesn't make sense. Her momma had told her that she'd be an apprentice in Leaf-Bare, and she'd probably get her first hunting experiences in the snow (Woollykit had to ask what that was... and then she had to ask what was so trying about it. Her momma laughed at her ignorance, which annoyed Woollykit at the time, but after Frondrock explained, she sort of got it. A little bit.) That was not an experience the tortoiseshell was looking forward to.

ThunderClan's members, however, seemed to be entranced by one bug in particular - a ladybug that landed on Fadingpaw's muzzle, and now resided in Squirrelpaw's gentle grasp. Curious, Woollykit wanders over, smiling at Shrewkit and stopping next to her denmate to listen to the conversation for a minute.

"Maybe he looked like a ladybug?" She suggests, though she finds it hard to believe a cat could look like that. "They're cute little bugs, see?" Woollykit answers Shrewkit's question. "They're red or orange, and they don't do much, but they're nice to look at! My momma told me before I remind her of a bug, too," Woollykit says so proudly, frizzy chest puffed out with pride as she relays her mother's old compliments to those gathered around.​

 

[SPARKPAW]

"It was just a question, geez." The firery tom's own eyes would roll with Finchpaw's response. Maybe she did mean it literally, who were they to know. Squirrelpaw still seemed to be entranced by the ladybug as the kits approached them, and he found himself offering them a lop-sided grin as they approached.

"I don't think she meant he was a bug. Maybe he just liked them." He shrugs, unable to answer Shrewkit's followup question about what the ladybug meant. Unsure himself, Sparkpaw found himself hesitating before Woollykit is able to jump in with comments of her own. Chuckling as he watches the kits, he can't help but wonder if they even understood what they were talking about.
​

SOMEBODY WAKE ME FROM THIS NIGHTMARE ⋆ ★ ⋆ ITS NOT THE REAL ME

• ooc. — ​

• 

• SPARKPAW
  ↪ sparkpaw / cisgender male (he/him)
  ↪ 08 moons / ages one month on the 17th
  ↪ thunderclan apprentice
  ↪ lh red tabby
  ↪ peaceful && healing actions may be powerplayed !! / attack in underline & @/account
  ↪ tags / toyhouse / penned by halimede
  ​