RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY // leaf "boat" race

[FIGFEATHER]

THERES MAGIC IN YOUR EYES, TEQUILLA SUNRISE​

As a child (mostly) locked up within the confines of camp, one needed to have an imagination to stay entertained. Earlier in the morning the stars above had given the clans a good shower, causing puddles to pool and form where the earth dipped in. While most kits took to splashing about (well, so did Fig, but not today) the child was placing leaves into the puddles.

She watched as they drifted and floated, making the ever-so-tiniest ripples in the water. Eventually she found her brain cheering on certain leaves, like... "Go yellow leaf, you are so much faster than that icky brown one!". Which inevitably sparked an idea she could pull her clan-mates into.

"Everyone, grab a leaf! This yellow one is mine, don't take it." She yanks her prized leaf out of the puddle and races back to the beginning of the temporary stream. "Our leaves are gonna race! We place 'em into the puddle and on the count of three we release them! Whichever leaf gets to the end of the puddle wins, okay????" She hardly gives anyone time to gather their own leaf before she eagerly places hers back into the puddle, holding it down with a single paw. ​

 

[BASILPATCH]

Basilpaw remembers a time when he had been free to stay in camp if he had so chosen. Now it was all ‘you have to train Basilpaw’ ‘don’t you want to become a warrior someday?’ And while, yes, he did hope to one day become a warrior who was big and strong and who could keep his family safe, he also just wanted to sleep in later and he wanted it to just happen without having to put in any of the work or make any changes.

It’s rare, but he is relaxing in the camp when he notices whatever Figkit is up to. Intrigue draws the black and gray tom to stand and watch, then when she invites others to join her he happily scrambles to find the nearest leaf and place it in among the others. As it floats along the stream, a wide grin spreads across the apprentices face. “Wow look at it go!” He yells, almost a little too loud. He can’t help it though, this is exciting! ​

 

[HUCKLEBERRY]

Still holding steady with a stranger's laugh ♡​

huckleberry had been tucked away inside the warriors den, large, clumsy paws trying their best to weave feathers into his newly claimed nest but the tom didn't quite have that touch grace. honestly, when he pulled away from his work it just left it looking like someone had just finished fighting a flock of birds that had gotten into the den but for huckleberry he seemed pretty proud of himself. with careful pawsteps, the warrior would push himself out the den with a couple of feathers going unnoticed in his fur.

tufted ears would lift up at the excited voices of figkit and basilpaw who stood by the puddles with their own leaves in tow. the little red tabby had exclaimed to anyone around to grab a leaf so that they can race them and well, how was huckleberry supposed to refuse such fun sounding activity? the smoke would take a second to scan the grounds for a leaf, he was quick to spot a yellow and green one that he could scoop up before padding over to the duo with a grin. " scooch on over kiddos, ah think ah jus' found the bestest leaf ta' race with! "​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

Figkit was a lively presence, brimming with vigour and vivacity in voice and demeanour both. Twitchkit's louder moments were never borne of glee- it was nice to have a cheerier voice around, even though he was envious of Daisyflight's children in a way he could not quite understand. He did not openly display his enthusiasm for her game, however. Was it even enthusiasm that he felt? It was more like... curiosity. Was this fun? Was this what he was meant to be doing for fun?

Snow and mahogany, the bicolour tom let wobbly legs of asymmetrical colour carry him to the scene, picking up a green-mottled-amber leaf on the way. At the 'shore' of this puddle, sidling up beside Basilpaw, Figkit and Huckleberry, Twitchkit suddenly found himself feeling very small- both in stature and spirit. Huckleberry exuded confidence with his words, Basilpaw enthusiasm and Figkit a competitive spark. All the while, Twitchkit could scarcely bring himself to speak as he settled his leaf upon the surface, holding it in place with a look reading lost in mismatched eyes.​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[GREENEYES]

Greenkit's occupied himself with jumping in puddles today - a task aimed at seeing how high he could splash the muddied water. Though, as his trials begin to yield the same results, Greenkit begins to grow bored.

His sister's call to grab leaves comes at a perfect time, and muddy paws bound over to the puddle Figkit's decided to play in. Bright eyes look around for the perfect leaf - one far better than his sister's yellow one, since she refuses to share. His gaze finally lands on a green leaf near by, edges spotted with crimson - the beginnings of leaf-fall.

"Wait for me!" He snatches the leaf up quickly, not wanting to miss out on the leaf race his sister has declared to happen. Mud-soaked paws return to the puddle, placing his leaf beside everyone else's.

"Mine's going to win!" he tells his sister with an affirming nod, crooked tail thumping against the ground in excitement. It had to win, after all! It was cooler looking than Figkit's, and only cool looking things could win.
​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

THERES MAGIC IN YOUR EYES, TEQUILLA SUNRISE​

Figkit grins, pleased that her game has kicked up so much attention. She watches as cats pick up their own leaves and place them into the puddle, despite the strong competition, the little girl was still confident her leaf was a winner and would be victorious in this race. Basilpaw and Huckleberry, older felines yet age did not matter in this game. No. It was entirely on the leaf! The red tabby remains confident.

Twitchkit's expression blatantly reads confused and lost, but he seemed to get it...? He had placed his own leaf in the puddle afterall, so Figkit doesn't soeak up in assurance or anything of the sort. She was just a kid, and her comforting nature was yet to bloom.

But then there is Greenkit, she narrows her eyes, genuinely annoyed. "No its not." She meows bluntly, "mine is gonna win." and she was about to prove it too!

"Okay... on three we let go of our leaves... okay? One... two... three!" Figkit lifts up her paw, giving her yellow leaf just the slightest push to get it going. Swiftly it takes off, flowing down the temporary stream. Her start seemed to be going good- perfectly one could say. But then it happened.

Her leaf just, stopped.

"Why isn't it moving?!" She groans, brows furrowing, "MOOVEE!!" She leans over and puckers her lips, blowing air out of her mouth in an effort to get her leaf floating down-stream again. Yet to no avail, despite her huffing and puffing.​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

Luckily, Twitchkit was far from stupid- though even if he wasn't, this game would not have been hard to figure out. On Figkit's three he lifted a white paw- spinning into low-octane action, his leaf began to float. Rarely-seen, a smile began to splitt his features, its soul present and wispy. Eyes stayed so focused on the joy of the leaf as it moved, marched, forward that he hardly heard Figkit's complaint until she shouted it, commenting her leaf forward as if sheer force of will would aid the force of nature.

Even though it was meant to be a competition, it'd be unfair if he won against an incapacitated opponent, right? Leaning over in an attempt to aid, fur still slightly spiked from the shock of her yell, Twitchkit leaned forward and blew on Figkit's leaf as well, trying alongside her to at least get it going.​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[GREENEYES]

This is great! His leaf is going so fast!

Greenkit is sure it will win against everyone else's! The red-furred kit hops with excitement as he watches it go down the stream of water. He turns to look at how far back his opponents are, only to face Figkit shouting, a yellow leaf frozen in place in the middle of the puddle. Her and Twitchkit try blowing on it to move it, but it seems like it's not working.

Well, that's not very fair, is it? To win against leaves that aren't even moving?

Suddenly, the race isn't all that exciting, anymore.

He sticks a mud-soaked paw into the puddle to stop his leaf, only to carefully pick it up in his teeth and set it back at the start.

"Let's try again," he tells them, though his words are mostly towards his littermate, hoping for a fair race this time, "You can even use my leaf, if you want!"
​