PARADISE STATE OF MIND | exploring the sun-warmed pool


Celandinepaw hadn't a clue why she wished to wander past the boundaries of the camp. The gorse walls of Windclan's camp were like the wood-pillared fences of the Horseplace - a reminder of what lie beyond a curated world, yet a call to the crooning void nevertheless. And yet, the spotted tabby found herself weaving along the swaying wildgrasses in tune, brisk as a vagrant blowing through the moors. The cream-colored feline slipped past the morning patrols, ducking just beyond the grasping hands of heather. Whiskers whipped in the wind that whistled through the fields, and she had come to love how it danced upon her countenance and played along her flanks. The molly had heard of a certain place where the water never grew cold, like a stray miracle of nature amongst the rather monotonous yellows and greens, a sort of thing that had only been present in the tall tales of the barncat's ever-spooling sentences. Perhaps Dimmingsu had taken her there once or twice, though she couldn't quite remember... Regardless, it was keen curiosity that drove her footfall today, and she was no fool to the inner workings of her rhythmic heart. She headed just west of camp, following a path like twine reeling through the rushes and the raspberries, although direction was often lost on a wishful mind. It wasn't that far, though, so the former barncat worried little... If she found herself on a wayward path, she could simply shout for help (embarrassing as it would be).

Pushing past the sedges that belied the Sun-Warmed Pool, she stopped to stare with round and almost-owlish eyes, bluster of discovery twisting even through the wondrous and the wild. Before her lie water, shallow and exhibiting little temper, as though it, too, bathed in the grand sun above. Immediately did Celandinepaw stumble onto the pool's shore, staring at wide-gaze and fleecen reflection that met her at the water's edge, as though a fleeting imitation of her that would simply stroll by even as she thought of it afterwards. Her mouth lie slightly agape, even as she inched closer and closer to where the water kissed at the sand and dirt and gravel. Hesitantly, she placed one paw into the stilled waters, which returned a rather comforting warmth like an arrant brush of heat. Swishing her paw in it for a few seconds more, the molly giggled to herself. "Wow! It's true! This pool really is always hot!" She exclaimed to nobody in particular. Maybe I should come back at night to see if it's still hot.

  • OOC:
  • ( NOTE: Reference is a placeholder until a drawn reference can be supplied. Credit HERE )​
    6c5f28571f0113e3691b9873a3736696e2b571d0.png
  • —— CELANDINEPAW / She/They/He / 9 Moons
    —— Moor Runner Apprentice of Windclan / Mentored by Dimmingsun
    —— A shorthaired golden spotted tabby with yellowish-green eyes. Somewhat pudgy, though lean and able to hold her ground in the wild.
    —— Extroverted and unafraid to speak their mind, she is a friendly and affable face in Windclan. Though ditzy and somewhat cowardly, she tries her best to help her clan.
    —— Penned by Tempest. Contact on Discord (naruk4mi) for plots and threads.


 
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Ever the silent one who has touched upon the earth, with silent paw steps he had slinked after Celandinepaw when his charge left the safety of camp. He had been lurking around camp, with his usual blank expression on his face. He had spotted the golden tabby leaving through the entrance, he let a huff escape his nostrils before following... wherever the molly was going. What is she doing now? The scarred, dull black creature sauntered after the apprentice, weaving through the wildgrasses in the vast fields.

Scorpionback raised his head towards the sky, as a light breeze brushed against his figure. Shaking his head, he then follows after his charge with a tail flick. The former barncat raised a brow, as he saw Celandinepaw stop at a pool? Strange. A large tufted ear flicked, as he made it to the dubbed Sun-Warmed Pool standing next to his friend by the shore with a grunt.

Narrowed, pools holding amber observed the water before him with a click of his tongue. "Very... Interesting." He rasps out, as he settles onto his haunches, curling his tail tightly around his dark paws. He glances as the golden-touched apprentice places a paw on the stilled waters, flicking his attention as it makes faint ripples. Hearing her giggles, he snorts as she says the pool really is always hot. He is also a bit... curious if it really is hot. He indulges his curiosity, by taking a paw and sticking the whole thing in the water. He waits for a moment, before the comforting wash of warmth gets replaced by the heat. He takes his paw out with a curious whisper. "Hm. It is hot. I wonder... How did it become like that...?" He leans over, looking at his tired and scarred reflection in the water with a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.
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  • ( they come in creepin' ) ˚₊‧꒰ა ★ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ SCORPIONBACK. ╱ windclan warrior.
    trans masc ; HE / HIM, accepts gendered terms ; 21 MOONS & AGES EVERY 12TH.
    — pansexual / not actively looking / open to crushes & romance
    — a tall, lanky shorthaired dull black feline with narrow dark amber eyes.
    battle notesthoughts ; "Speech, 9a3b3b" ; attacks only
    — may powerplay minor harm ╱ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
    — smells like raspberries & midnight rain
    ic opinions: he can be outright mean and rude,, </3
    — all opinions are ic

    biography / @ on discord for plots
    — penned by calzone
 
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The sun-warmed pool: the lifeline that kept the moor's camp from being torn by flames, kept it alive in time of need. She knew this place well. A place she oft hunted around, for many prey flocked here for water when the lake was not a viable option. Today, it was not prey that she found here, or even peace- but that of an apprentice and warrior, both equally curious about what it was held.

Rivewhisper was silent upon her approach, ears perked forward before she realized they were Windclanners as well. She seemed to appear from shadows, chuffing quietly in amusement before she answered. "Sunlight." Rivewhisper hummed, her paws dipping into the warmed pool. While she never thought she'd be great at being a swimmer, the pool was one thing that she would never draw away from.

Her head lowered down, nose gently brushing at the surface before she stood back tall, her tail swaying behind her. A tiny grin settled on her face and finally she looked towards those she stood near, sun brushed down her braided pelt and warming the colors. "You should come on days it's cloudy. It isn't so warm them." She meowed, ears twitching up at the blue sky. A thing she often gazed upon in wonder.
  • "speech"
  • RIVEWHISPER she/her, moor runner of windclan, eleven moons.
    LH broken braided chocolate tabby with high white and piercing blue eyes. scars stretch over her left eye and across her stomach. graceful, sleek, average height. built for running and stamina
    mentored by snakehiss / sunstar / / mentoring no one
    small romantic interest in redheart / / sibling to featherspine ; sunlitwing ; bearflight ; singedpaw
    peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
    penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

Code:
 

In truth, Featherspine did not know why she had ended up here. It was a place of relaxation, and relaxation was something that did not find him very easily, even to reward himself after a successful hunt. His hunt had not been successful, and yet, yet... he was here. Celandinepaw's chirping amusement earned a tutting eye roll from Featherspine- it was the sort of very-simple amusement that reminded him of Pinkpaw very greatly. She imagined her calico friend had a lot more fun in Celandinepaw's presence than his.

Robotically, Featherspine padded slowly over to the bank... but Scorpionback's idiotic question earned another loud tut from her. Sunlight, murmured Rivewhisper, kinder than he. Featherspine simply barked, "You can't b-b-be that stupid." It was in the name warmed by the sun. And it certainly wasn't always hot- if the sun did not show its kindly, blazing face, it would be a normal dirty, horrible pool of water that prey and predator alike waded through.

Featherspine glanced quickly away when she caught the glimmer of her reflection in the water's surface. Her face was still too much like a child's. "Exactly," she agreed with her sibling with a pointed, irritated flick of a white arrow-tipped tail. "Like all g-g-good things, it'll be gone soon. Cherish it." Featherspine would not bother, though. No point in knowing the good when it could not be relied upon.
✦ penned by pin
 
The Sun - warmed pool was definitely one of the best things ever, and as Celandinepaw's good friend, she wanted to make sure she saw all the best things in WindClan! " It's soooo cool, right? " she gushes. What did all the other clans do when they were chilly? Um, freeze, probably! While they could just take a leisurely stroll to the sun - warmed pool... If this didn't prove StarClan loved them, she didn't know what did! Ignoring, um, all that other bad luck stuff... Pinkpaw bounces about, usually eager to add onto whatever any cat was saying, but... Scorpionback kinda leaves her speechless, cuz even she knew that!

In agreement with Rivewhisper, she nods. " Uhuh - huh. " Featherspine's comment is just a little bit too prickly for her to agree with... but maybe she does want to tilt her head a little at Scorpionback. They've both been here for a few moons now, too... " Have you guys really not been here before? You got lots of lost time to make up! Get in the water! No scardey paws! "

Why would you wanna come back when the sky is cloudy? " The warmth is the best part! " she remarks. Or... is Rivepaw just trying to teach Scorpionback how the sun works? Which... maybe he needed. Maybe he grew up in a cave, or something? Hoping tha tit'd encourage them to step fully into the pool, she does so herself, all four of her paws making a small splash. " Not all good things. My friends Celadinepaw and Scorpionback and Rivewhisper and Featherpaw are all gonna be here forever! " she purrs. Right?
 

Familiar shadow slithered up next to Celandinepaw, like a mirage soaked and brined in gloom, though she gleaned little coldness from Scorpionback. Despite his looks, she considered Grave her closest companion, as he had presided over her like a watchful ghost. He never intruded, though, only kept pace with her own hurried footfall. The scarred tomcat leaned forwards and wondered how the Sun-Warmed Pool had even gotten like that, as heat wallowed and swam along the surface of it, as though it stole the energy from the sun itself. Hmm... I dunno. Maybe the sun rests here every night and gets up, shedding some warmth when it does. The spotted tabby wanted to spout, but the hypothesis seemed a little farfetched on a second musing. At least Rivewhisper knew of its secrets, murmuring its name as if in reverence, or at least a flume of balmy wonder. That makes sense... "Thanks! I definitely will." Celandine flashed the tabby a warm, ivory smile. Whiskers twitched as Celandinepaw glanced briskly back at her reflection, though slanted and muddled as it was within an imperfect mirror. The only other chances she had to gaze upon her face was through murky puddles sloughed off from rain's wake.

Like all good things, it'll be gone soon. Cherish it. A more irritated voice made itself known to Celandinepaw, and wheat-tinged gaze settled upon the tawny-pelted Featherspine, with a more heated sort of intonation that chafed at the conversation. The tomcat had always seemed quite cynical, if anything. Rebuttal in defense of Scorpionback lilted upon her tongue, though the impulse soon faded as easily as fluttering morning dew. It was better not to make enemies here, she had found. "Ah! Noooo! The water's too scary!" Celandinepaw laughed as Pinkpaw practically barrelled into the crowd, that reliable cheeriness never dampening the golden molly's mood, hospitality burning and boiling over. At least she could always rely on the calico's peppy mood to lift any situation. "Well, I'll try to be here forever, at least." Despite Featherspine's pessimism that seemed to seep into his every motion, the former barncat did understand her point - life was no long-due nap in the eiderdown nest. It changed, as scary as such a thing could be. Wherever comfort rested, chaos was due to trail it.

  • OOC:
  • ( NOTE: Reference is a placeholder until a drawn reference can be supplied. Credit HERE )​
    6c5f28571f0113e3691b9873a3736696e2b571d0.png
  • —— CELANDINEPAW / She/They/He / 9 Moons
    —— Moor Runner Apprentice of Windclan / Mentored by Dimmingsun
    —— A shorthaired golden spotted tabby with yellowish-green eyes. Somewhat pudgy, though lean and able to hold her ground in the wild.
    —— Extroverted and unafraid to speak their mind, she is a friendly and affable face in Windclan. Though ditzy and somewhat cowardly, she tries her best to help her clan.
    —— Penned by Tempest. Contact on Discord (naruk4mi) for plots and threads.