SEABOUND ◜♡◞ EVENINGPAW

[BLACKKIT]

It's most certain her home exists far beyond this island with its creeks and reeds, all lost in the deepest greens. Since her path intertwined with RiverClan's, Diable keeps wondering how her adoptive father has been doing. There lives a heavy weight in her burning heart, akin to grief for someone who she knew in only a few moons before the thunderstorm struck upon their lives, carving a violent separation between them across the dark ocean on a white water monster. She can't remember if they were able to exchange their final goodbyes through the howling sky and sea— a sickening sync of horror— but Diable believes her adoptive father can share this ache.

Why else does her eyes sting, creating thin trails of her sorrows beneath the blurred sights?

Outside the nursery during the lonely evening, Diable finds her tears present in the river reflection and wipes them with a forepaw, but doesn't remove the burning in her chest. Instead, she holds it closely despite the pain, determined to let it not kill her but be a drive for herself to do better— become better. If RiverClan will become a new home for Diable to place her life within in the end, then she will make her old pa be more than proud of her. Regardless if she will stumble upon him again or not, her stubborn and determined father would most want Diable to keep moving forward, achieve her dreams and become the world's greatest lightbringer, finding the legendary Everblue.

'I'll make you more proud of me than ever before, Paps.'

Diable's ears prickle and her gaze shifts over to find a familiar apprentice behind. She has seen her a few times in the camp. Gradually, a name forms, and Diable dips her head in polite greeting. "Eveningpaw, h- hello there," she clears her throat, hoping she hasn't catch the gloomy state she was lately. She offers another a smile, warm and gentle, a delicate touch in loving sunlight. Diable isn't familiar with the concept of friendships, but she wonders if it's possible for her to make one with someone like Eveningpaw. "How was your... training of today?" The pause comes from her uncertainty on apprenticeships; Eveningpaw must had been trained for the day already?

With bright eyes gleaming, Diable realizes in great wonder about how there is so much she will have to learn about RiverClan if she does choose to make it her home in the end, though, it is nothing more or less than a grand thing that she most looks forward to understanding and appreciating in more of the following azure blessed days.

| @EVENINGPAW
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[EVENINGPAW]

The rivers do not often spit out drenched kittens, but here they are. Granted, the currents are always rich with something, as long as you know to appreciate it... but has it ever given RiverClan another member before? Diable's case is a curious one, so Eveningpaw unsurprisingly comes into her orbit.

Perhaps it should be expected — whatever story Diable has woven before ending up here is mostly a mystery, but surely she had a father, a mother, a family —, but Eveningpaw still has the gall to be surprised to see that orange cheek fur stained with fresh tears.

"Oh, hello-" The kitten does not give Eveningpaw the chance to get away. She smiles at her like she hadn't just wiped at her eyes... and normally, Eveningpaw is okay with attempting to comfort, but there is so little she knows about this cat. Would Diable prefer to be soothed, or to ignore the glaring facts of circumstance?

She remembers my name!

Diable meets her with gleaming eyes and a smile... so Eveningpaw ought to mirror her. "It was... alright!" It has not been easy to think of her training lately, not when Magpiepaw still rests under Moonbeam's care. Diable does not need all that thrown at her right now, though. "I'm kinda glad it's over, though. Don't get me wrong, I like it, it's just... sometimes you just want to kick back and relax, right? Wanna do that with me?"
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[BLACKKIT]

Diable had thought Eveningpaw wouldn't have seen the evidence of her grief, but it seems that it is too late when her gaze finds the tears before they were removed with a single swift motion. Tense silence fills between them while Diable awkwardly waits for Eveningpaw's response, her heart beating quicker in anticipated wonder about what she could be possibly thinking from the startling sight of her wet furred cheek and puffed stinging eyes. A famillar fear lingers in Diable, flaring terribly as the false stars across the deep end abysm.

Yet, Eveningpaw still returns Diable a smile with bright eyes like she deserves to be acknowledged as well; a distorted reflection that she can not recognize in a moment of dread. Relief slowly settles upon Diable's acute consciousness at Eveningpaw's lack of comment towards her current state, each second becoming a lesser heavy burden to bear as long as Eveningpaw doesn't have to hold onto her crestfallen blues. The apprentice doesn't know her beyond the name of Diable. She has been nothing to Eveningpaw but a weak strang—

We can still be kind to anyone who come across in our lives, like him to me—

"The training can be a lot," Diable states with soft sympathy, presenting a terrfiying impression that she, too, could have the experiences of facing such hard guidances even as only a kit. ( She tries to ignore the phantom taste of ugly iron that builds from a haunting reminder. ) She doesn't ask what the common routines for Clan apprentices are like; she assumes training is the last thing that Eveningpaw wants to dwell on any more longer, so she offers, "I'm glad yours today went well, though, you do deserve to relax now!"

Diable's ears prickle in surprise at Eveningpaw's invitation of accompanying in her personal time of rest. She glances around, akin to ensuring if the apprentice asked anyone but her, then stares back with eyes slightly wide. "Oh, um," Eveningpaw seems sweet as she is... Diable thinks about her kind smile and nods with greater enthusiasm than uncertainy. "I'd love that!" Existing more brightly with an attempt to hold back bubbling excitement, she allows Eveningpaw to guide them to where they can have peace together.

"I'm curious to know when does a RiverClanner become an apprentice? Are there any tests that a kit have to take for them to be qualified on taking the apprenticeship if they were to pass?" Diable soon gently breaks into a few inquires to Eveningpaw while they pad side by side, her head canted. "I hope I can be one like you soon enough!" She wonders how long would it take before she can be considered as so. Though, whatever it will take, Diable can believe that in the end, she can do anything and everything.

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[EVENINGPAW]

Eveningpaw nods; glad for Diable's understanding, flimsy as it might be, courtesy of her rather short time within RiverClan as of yet. She wonders if the wayward kit will settle in well, like Splashpaw — she might have the advantage of being familiar with Clan culture, but the difference between the marshes and the rivers are vast... and were surely a challenge to overcome. At least Diable is still young and easy to mold into whatever Lichenstar needs her to be.

"Great! You deserve some rest, too." Eveningpaw settles beside Diable, wrapping a half-circle around her. It seems she will forever gravitate towards inhabitants of the nursery... would that change as she grows more and more warrior-like, or will she be unable to let go of the fondness and nostalgia that it provides?

She regards the frail little thing as Diable speaks. Whiskers curl this way and that way; it makes Eveningpaw think of billowing breath within the frigid moons of leaf-bare. "I think you're almost apprentice age, actually... but I'm not sure if mo- Lichenstar will want to make you one right away." Realization hits her at the wrong time — when she already finished speaking. "I mean, not like you wouldn't be a right fit or anything- but, you know, we don't want to make this change too drastic for you..."

Inwardly, Eveningpaw cringes at her own words. Hopefully Diable won't mind her messing up too much...

"There's nothing like that, not yet. There is an assignment when you near your training as an apprentice, and if you pass, you become a warrior... it's all very exciting!" She is surprised by her own mirth; Eveningpaw had always hoped for her apprenticeship to go smoothly, so she could become a ferocious RiverClan warrior, but she had assumed recent events would dampen her mood. It appears her spirit remains undefeated in this aspect. "Like me? How do you know if I'm a good one?" Eveningpaw teases, usual light-heartedness settling upon her. It is decisively easy to talk with Diable, and she welcomes the simplicity of it all.
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[BLACKKIT]

Diable blinks hard, as she continues to be surprised by Eveningpaw who said she deserved some rest as well; a strange unfamiliarity in the phrase that is meant for herself. While she watches Eveningpaw settling closer to her in a half-circle, she tries to remember what she did earlier and realized she had done her own training in a camp corner where she'd be little noticed as possible. Diable can't recall the last time anyone had told her to stop and rest. Even her adoptive father would only gesture for an end... It's nice to hear this.

"I do," Diable agrees with warm enthusiasm. Her lips twitch into a wider smile and a genuine satisfaction flickers across her amber eyes, a knowing she does indeed deserve to have some rest, also, after her self-training earlier today. She's grateful Eveningpaw could tell her this in return. Giggles escape Diable as she's drawn to the presence of Eveningpaw, her warmth a delight to hold and cherish, although it's loosen from her grasp when Eveningpaw mentions the high likelihood that Lichenstar won't make her an apprentice right away.

It makes sense, though. Not only is she new to the life of Clans, but she also did have a dreadful experience with the river before she was stranded here; she needs more time for a proper transition adjustment and health recovery. Diable's smile softens to express the lack of offence. "Yeah, no, you're right," she squeezes her words after Eveningpaw's rushed correction so she won't beat herself more over it, "Even, um, Moonbeam told me I need time, but, to become an apprentice— then a warrior, it does sound amazing..."

Diable's warm amber eyes twinkle and her chest swells hearing Eveningpaw's mirth at her upcoming future of being a RiverClan warrior. If she herself can truly get to stay here, the idea of herself becoming so would be incredible. It must be a common Clan kit's dream to become a great warrior of their own Clan, a significant piece of such a special heart. Though, as exciting as it sounds, she wonders if staying in Riverclan for the rest of her life means that she will have to let go of her grand dream of finding the Everblue...

At the lighthearted teasing, Diable huffs. Her head lowers a bit and she can't deny the reality that her cheeks burn furiously when she's being questioned. Isn't it obvious? "Well, you seem kind and mindful by this exchange alone, first of all." Soft gaze dwells on the apprentice longer, and recalling her excited answer, "And I see you're looking forward to becoming a warrior. Passion is good." A guardian can be intelligent and powerful, but in the end, they are most defined by the image of their heart, or lack thereof.

Diable then thinks about one of her own passions to use as a good example. "Like, I want to learn more about fishes while I would try to fish at least thrice every single day— I know so much about these water creatures, believe it or not— but I've always wanted to be one of the greatest fishers in the whole wide world!" Diable's bashfulness dies over time, soon replaced with ardor in her great goal, before she puffs her chest out of infinite pride. "Which I will when I am passionate enough, just like you, Eveningpaw!"
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[EVENINGPAW]

The permission for self-indulgence seems allowed in Diable's world, and Eveningpaw blinks at her approvingly. Calling rest an indulgence does not sound fair, but that is what she sees all around her: warriors or apprentices pushing themselves to the limit, all for honor or whatever internal code they've built. She has yet to experience such bone-deep fatigue. Training is fun and good, and even if she doesn't do something perfectly the first time, well... it still fills her with annoyance, but she can let it go in favor of trying again the next day.

And shockingly, Diable agrees with the possibility of later-than-normal apprenticeship. Lichenstar seems to have a knack for inviting good-natured outsiders. Splashpaw is pleasant, and Diable seems smart enough to understand even the foreign concepts of a Clan.

"Rule number one, you always listen to Moonbeam!" Eveningpaw's teeth flash with the grin she wears. Diable probably would not dare disobey... but Eveningpaw will always take a chance to praise the medicine cat. "She is like, all-knowing, kind of like Lichenstar. So if you do what she says, you'll recover in no time at all!"

Eveningpaw wonders if Shellpaw thinks of it that way too; now that the past is behind her, does she look upon it with nostalgia tainting her vision — obstructing the cruel truths? Moonbeam could not take what ails Shellpaw... not completely.

A flutter of soft fur frames the paw she places on her own chest. "Why, you flatter me!" So many compliments! "I've got the passion for this ever since I was born. You look like that, too." Eveningpaw's first encounters with the rivers had been within a controlled perimeter; surrounded by capable adults, their eyes never leaving the vulnerable bodies of small kittens. Diable did not have that chance... and yet she remains enthusiastic, as if none of that had ever happened. The ever-incessant rumble of water does not appear to bother her.

"Oh, do you have a favorite fish?" Diable and Eveningpaw hit a rythm. They jump from point of conversation to another seamlessly, like how RiverClanners hop over smooth pebbles without a care in the world. "If you love the fish, it makes you a better fisher! Or at least... I think that way. I would not want to hunt frogs like ShadowClan- ew!"
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[BLACKKIT]

Diable's smile becomes wider when she listens to Eveningpaw speak about Moonbeam, enjoying the care that she holds for the medicine cat. She hasn't got the chance to properly interact with Moonbeam despite being her patient, though, Blackkit knows already that she's a dedicated feline; this further proves the positive image that Moonbeam represents. "Hold on, isn't listening to Lichenstar the number one rule, to Moonbeam the second?" Diable jokes and she's surprised to find how in utter ease it's delivered. She realizes how completely comfortable she has been speaking to Eveningpaw, an uncommon occurance from a place well known for its unforgiving mockery.

More giggles escape, Diable's forepaws against grin to quiet the delight as if Lichenstar and Moonbeam can hear afar. Mirth gently falls at Eveningpaw's touch against her own chest, a gesture of being flattered. Amusement doesn't cease then. It only remains bright while Diable chuckles. "You see? That's one of the things that'd make a fantastic apprentice. To develop a passion is one thing, but to be born with it? Now, that is a whole different level of awesomenessery!" Surprise flickers in her widen eyes when Eveningpaw notes that she shares that special avidity. Diable blushes more, but tries to remain composed with a firm nod. "Yes, good eye. I am like that as well!"

Diable's mind registers the question and her heart skips in excitement of getting an opportunity to talk about fishes. A lot of cats only see them as just preys to feed on for the empty stomachs and sun shaped hungers, but to Diable, she sees them as few masterpieces of nature. Her body sways with sweet delight while she considers Eveningpaw's inquiry, then her head perks up!— "Oh! There's this whole group that I call them Rainbowfight Fishes!" Diable exclaims, almost jumping from seat. Her eyes burn furiously in the dying light. "They have so many colours with a lot of different looking fins and tails! They also tend to fight other fishes and can briefly breathe air!"

Shyness returns to Diable once she realizes how overexcited she's been becoming, herself almost out of breath as if she is the fish lacking water to breathe through. Out of burning bashfulness that ripples across her lowered body, Diable rubs the nape of her neck and clears her throat. "Um, do you also have a favourite fish or, just... any other animal?" she returns Eveningpaw a question that she's as curious to know her answer of it. When Eveningpaw thinks about her as a better fisher for her passion in these scaled creatures, she agrees through a hum. Though, her brow raises at the mention of ShadowClan that apparently eats frogs as one of their common preys...

"ShadowClan... Ah, yes, there's more of them around here— with ThunderClan, WindClan and SkyClan as well, right?" Across the three moons of being part of the Golden Hour, many different cats from various lives visited with endless stories to offer and knowledge to share. Clan cats happened to be one of the most common themes within them, some were real as the experiences and the rest were just fake for the entertainment of it all. Diable still can't believe she was stranded in one of these Clans, though, as unfortunate the lead-up event had occurred, part of her is most thankful she'd fall into the life of RiverClan for her to meet many kind cats, like Eveningpaw.

"I had a frog before. They tasted weird... Slimy." she cringes at a memory.
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[EVENINGPAW]

"Oh, heh..." Diable's right of course. Up until now, he's probably been wholly oblivious to Eveningpaw's heritage that stops her from looking at Lichenstar like some sort of unreachable deity — still someone to obey, but perhaps not to the degree that others might be used to. "Well, Lichenstar's my mom... you should always listen to them, too, but I gotta get my mother-daughter chaos in!" Eyes sweep their surroundings to make sure the topic of conversation is not close enough to overhear. She's raised their hackles enough for now.

Much to her pleasant surprise, Diable seems to agree with that notion. Her paws shield her mouth, as if that would quiet their words, and Eveningpaw feels like she's been put into a gossip party.

She nods along frantically to her new friend. "Just you wait til you become an apprentice. We will be unstoppable!" Invigorated is how she feels. It is always a happy day when you receive new friends; and although she likes to think she has a lot of them, she more or less knows about them all now... new kittens are always a fresh opportunity, but someone coming from outside, like Diable and Splashpaw, are even better for this.

"Rainbowflight Fishes?" Eveningpaw has to remind herself that despite the similarities, Diable no doubt has plenty of terms that Clan culture would be unfamiliar with. That must be how she feels, learning so many new things all at once... it must be daunting. Eveningpaw's mind would whirl, were she in her stead. "That sounds so cool... you know so much about fishes, like any other RiverClanner!"

It proves to be difficult to choose a favorite when prompted. She seldom thinks about it nowadays; any prey caught is a successful day, and any food taken from the fresh-kill pile is a belly-full day. "Mmm, I like the shiny fish! The shinier, the better. We sometimes like to take their scales and decorate each other with them!" It is a much beloved tradition by her. Truly, she had been born into the right Clan — it might be a bit of bias, but Gatherings prove that they wield the prettiest and most graceful pelts out of them all.

Diable calls frogs slimy, and a shudder runs through Eveningpaw's body. "No kidding..."
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