camp SUNSHINE ON THE SHORE - intro

[SHOALPAW.]

The waters look beautiful when the bright sun glistens upon it. Shoalpaw watches as the sun rises, and takes a deep breath. It's pretty, she likes to watch it when she can. See the world at dawn, when the new day is really born. It's especially common on sleepless nights where every little worry and insecurity she has threatens to bubble to the surface, to spill over. But she can't break down, not in the apprentice's den. She'd rather not wake anyone up. So instead, she holds it back.

It's hard though, sometimes. But she can't let them see how weak she is, how useless she is. And try and she might, nothing feels like enough and it makes her feel worse. Her mentor only praises her because they're her mentor, they want to feel like they've successfully taught her something. But Shoalpaw knows that she isn't good at things, no matter how hard she tries.

She takes a deep breath, watching the sun over the water. She wants to hit her paw against it, break through the reflection, just like she wants to break through and be better, but she can't. It's an impossible dream. She certainly hopes nobody will bother her, because she doesn't want to use her words, to lie to them to make them leave her be.

...Shoalpaw hadn't even noticed she was crying.​

"Speech"​

---

THE WATER’S SURFACE IS IN TOTAL HARMONY​

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[iciclefang]

Once, there'd been subtle embarrassment burning beneath her coat when she'd look at a Clanmate who could not perform as well as her. Unfortunate Dovethroat, failing his assessment over and over again; Ferngill, his spar going awry, his ceremony delayed by moons. In her apprenticeship, she'd likely have felt the same way about Shoalpaw... but now she has Crabkit, and by the stars, that's enough to shake some of her ill-felt resentments away. The queen sees the heaving of cream-and-gray-splashed shoulders and departs from her position to sit beside Shoalpaw at the water.

The sun gleams on freshly shed tears, but Iciclefang, to her credit, does not more than glance at them before moving her gaze to the water. The dawn's pale light shimmers across the river's surface and illuminates it down to its rocky bed. "It's lovely, isn't it?"

Iciclefang begins to wade into the water. It laps coolly against her legs, her abdomen. She half-twists, looking expectantly at Shoalpaw's glimmering face. "Care to join me? It's still warm from yesterday."

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Iciclekit . Iciclepaw . Iciclefang, she/her w/ feminine terms.
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — 24 moons old, ages realistically on the 17th.
  — mentored by Smokestar ; mentoring n/a ; previously mentored Cicadaflight
  — riverclan lead warrior & queen. mudpelt x icesparkle, gen 2.
  — former mate to Stormywing ; current mate to no one.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  sh tortoiseshell and white she-cat with ice-blue eyes. confident, capable, proud, dry, conceited, condescending, distrustful.
  
  

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[SANDPELT]

ꕀꕀ Once, Sandpelt had felt like a complete failure of a RiverClanner. He’d done all that he could, worked his hardest to be a good apprentice, and still he hadn’t ever become anything more than painfully average. Overshadowed by cats younger than him, faced with disappointed parents, he’d been prone to doing the same thing that Shoalpaw is doing now. So when the calico queen approaches Shoalpaw, Sandpelt is quick to follow behind her.

The girl looks like she’s been crying, but Sandpelt isn’t sure whether he should mention it or not. When clanmates bring up his own gloominess, his own insecurities, or try to reassure him, he just feels… defensive. Sometimes it’s nice to get a good cry in without anyone else noticing. No, he won’t say anything. "This is my favorite time of day," he says instead, his voice soft in the early morning light. Once he’s finished stumbling too quickly through the shallows, he turns back to look at the girl. Iciclefang says the water is warm, but he doesn’t agree. Its kind of chilly—but still he nods at Showlpaw. "Yeah, c’mon. The water’s nice." The tom flicks his tail, spraying drops of water across both himself and anyone in his close vicinity. Oops.

𓇢𓆸 you get on my nerves

• ooc: —
• 
  SANDPELT ❯❯ he/him, warrior of riverclan
  ❀ pretty, silky-furred tan tortoiseshell with one yellow eye. calm and hardworking, but can become snappy if angered.
  ❀ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ❀ penned by foxlore

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[hazecloud]

—————————————————————⊰✿⊱————————————————————
Shoalpaw had been rather unremarkable compared to the other apprentices, those who beamed brightest in their talents and overshadowed the stragglers behind them. It wasn't intentional, how she sometimes ignored the few in favor of others (and occasionally the kind that needed to be humbled through simple chores).

Shoalpaw's tears are a surprise, however. The cream blue tabby had been so quiet beside the shallows she had forgotten she was there until she could hear sniffles from behind, followed by the voices of her peers.

"Careful where you throw that!" The queen laughed to Sandpelt as she stepped into the water. The peaty sand, crackled with broken shells and pebbles, spread beneath her pads as she shifted her weight. Hazecloud threw a glance behind her to see if any of her children may follow, but they appeared too wrapped up in their own play, for now. "I hope it stays warm these next few days, the fish will float closer to the surface." Just in time for her to make a grand return to the warriors tasks.

✿ ———— I'll be your regular mama ✿ ————— And I'll put that gun away

•  
• 
  
  
  Hazecloud
  —⊰⋅ Queen of RiverClan
  —⊰⋅ She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ LH blue smoke with green eyes.
  

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[pebbletail]

(☼) pebblepaw does not know shoalpaw well. they sleep in the same den, yes, and he's frequented patrols with the blue tortoiseshell, but they're not close. still, the blue tabby is a considerate tom, and he does his best to include the girl in conversations and the occasional game. rising early, something he's grown used to, the apprentice slips out of his den to join his mother in the shallows, gently pressing his flank against her in greeting. ember eyes find dual hued crystal and honey, the latter stained with tears, and he will blink kindly at his fellow. "looks like it'll be nice today, at least," he observes, shuffling his paws along the sandy ground.

sandpelt flicks his tail above water, sending a shower of sparkling droplets across the river. pebblepaw finds that he doesn't mind- with the newborn sun warming his back, a little shiver is good every once in a while.

I DO NOT HAVE WINGS, LOVE ☼ I NEVER WILL

• // " #848DAE"
• 
  
  
• 
  PEBBLEPAW ☼ HE / HIM, APPRENTICE OF RIVERCLAN. MENTORED BY FOXTAIL. 8 MOONS OLD, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  a large blue tabby with low white and vitiligo. pale blue fur covers the length of pebblepaw's stocky body, sliced through with darker tabby stripes and spots. baleful orange eyes peer out of heavy set sockets, and his muzzle, paws, and tail tip are dashed with white.

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