you can show me // fish tutorial

[► Fluffykins.]

YOU CAN BE YOU - I CAN BE ME
oddpaw | 03 months | agender | they/them/it/its | physically easy | mentally medium | attack in bold #ffdb58

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There is an awful lot about this world that the child does not understand. Ever since their apprenticeship, poor rainchaser has had their paws full with the troublesome little cretin - it neither talks nor walks right, and now? Now it seems to e trying to self-destruct.

What is meant to be a simple fishing lesson held upon the shoreline of the river has quickly turned south - all words of warning and 'b careful' and 'don't scare off this fish' and 'don't stray to far' going in one ear and out the other in but a matter of moments. High-stepping its way down to the waters edge, the moment the rippling tide touches it's paws it feels a jolt. a shock, a shiver. Tail sticking straight upon the air, the creature gives a childish laugh, all four feet splashing down merrily. It's mentor can only sigh in exasperation.

One thing leads to another - a minnow darting by, the flash and gleam of silver scales in the springtime sun. And then the thought strikes them - could they to join the little fishies down below? Without a thought in their little head, the child of fire and ice simply plonks it's head right on down face-first - eyes open wide in awe. There is plenty to see down here after all - tiny little fish, friendly plants that wave hello, smooth and sharp and shiny stones, silky soft sand. And then they make a vital mistake - it of course, doesn't cross their mind that cats cannot in fact breath underwater, and so they do just that.

Round head is thrown back with an undignified splutter, coughing and hacking up that water they've inhaled. And rainchaser? The warrior can only facepalm and curse the stars that this is their apprentice, as they watch oddpaw's foolish struggles.

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[BUCKGAIT.]

MY NAME IS BRUTUS AND MY NAME MEANS HEAVY ✧​

in truth, buckgait does not interact much with the oddly behaved child. she is preoccupied with many other tasks, and looking to understand them was never high on her list. her attention is more on rainchaser, looking to check in with the warrior, though her question to the other is halted at what buck witnesses.

oddpaw is fitting to their name. odd. strange. she does not hide it nor attempt to make it easier to swallow. she does not intervene when the child breathes in the water, nor when they bolt their head out of the river and sputter for air. it's a learning experience, and there was no real harm done. there is clear exasperation on the face of rainchaser, while buck's head simply shakes. "i hope you learnt your lesson, oddpaw." calls the voice of the deputy, trying to make rainchaser's day a bit easier. "you'd do well to listen to your mentor." chiding and rough, with little room for oddpaw's explanation of their actions. most apprentices know not to take the path of fish, nor attempt to.

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[CLAYFUR]

In Clay’s experience, spluttering and coughing is almost never a good thing. Especially when the noises are coming from a child. He’s been just lounging nearby, but the sound of Oddpaw’s coughing draws his immediate attention. For a moment, panic enters his expression. He stares wide-eyed and worried at Buckgait, before the fact that neither of them are panicking registers in his head.

A few short breaths calm him enough to focus on figuring out what’s happened—and judging by Buck’s words, it’s simply an event of an apprentice learning something the hard way. Hazel eyes shift back to Oddpaw, and he pads over to stand in the shallows near the ginger and white child. "What was that, Oddpaw? Are you good?" He questions in a genuine, only slightly concerned tone. Should he pat them on the back, like his mother had done that one time he’d choked on a stick? A white paw hovers in the air, unmoving—unsure of what to do, awaiting Oddpaw’s answer to his question.
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[ WHAT'S MY AGE AGAIN? ]​

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[BIRDMASK]

Though he can’t imagine it now, there was probably a time where the river would have intrigued him just as much as it does Oddpaw. Objectively, it’s a wonder to behold: it brings enough food and water and protection to an entire clan that they could thrive or die by it. The latter is more what concerns Birdmask, though. Yes, yes, the river flooding recently was awful and harrowing for everyone involved, but more personally (and therefore, more importantly)? The river can kill the ones you love. So there’s that. It’s a no from him.

From nearby, Birdmask watches the young apprentice from the corner of his eye, peering at Oddpaw between long swipes of his tongue over his pelt. It doesn’t seem to be doing anything outside the scope of a wetpaw, though sticking its head in the water for fun does seem a bit on the enthusiastic side of Riverclanner behaviour. Staying down for so long for such tiny lungs is a bit odd, though. Should Odd be up by now? Is it okay? Panic reaches lazy claws into Bird’s lungs and slowly begin to squeeze.

But there’s Rainchaser and there’s Buckgait and there’s even the more relaxed Clayfur to deal with the fall out, so his panic recedes even as Odd’s coughing starts up. And if Rain and Buck aren’t worried, why should he be, right? “Could we not-drown a little quieter, please?” His voice calls over, but Bird makes no effort to bring himself closer to the others – or the water.​

 

[FERNGILL]

Fernpaw was fond of swimming- fond of the river, even when it spilled and swelled like this. The depths of the waters were the only aspect of his training that had ever been welcoming to him- every other part of apprenticeship was ice-covered with how slippery it was to grasp. But swimming- working with the river- it'd come to him so, so easily. Like breathing, almost- and whenever he faced another failure, he knew he could turn to the river and let it take him in its reflective embrace, warm himself in the blanket of its current...

Not everyone had that reaction, though. Not everyone connected to the water like he did- Ravenpaw was one such example. And apparently Oddpaw, too- coughing and spluttering like the hands of the river itself was choking them, a sound that flared Fernpaw's bulging eyes wide, sent him scampering over. Screeching to a halt, as soon as he noticed the lack of panic his own fretting was dampened, though a question still remained. "Were- were you trying to- swim...?" Perplexed features crumpled, the perfect picture of his river-deep confusion. ​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[frogpaw]

Snakeblink is a skilled mentor, and for that Frogpaw can only be endlessly grateful. After everything that has happened in these moons, he thinks that he's coming along pretty well. Better than Oddpaw, at least. Perhaps that seems an obvious thing. He's older, more mature. He's seen more, and he's eager to learn. This one is...a child. But as much as he may try and rationalize with himself, the apprentice cannot help but be at least a little bit annoyed by it all. Concern from others makes him a bit more concerned, but the bubbling anxiety is easily calmed by more rational thought. The others were not too bothered, aside from Clayfur who seems more concerned yet even then only mildly so. Therefore: irritation.

He had wanted only a bit of time to practice his fishing. Instead, he would have to deal with his clanmates shuffling about in some desperate attempt to teach or save this other apprentice. Maybe he should just give up on peace and quiet while it's still only a minor disappointment, rather than waiting for it to grow into something much, much larger. The black smoke pulls himself up from where he sat and pads a little closer, and by the time he's there the irritation has faded to a small, somewhat dry yet quite genuine smile. "You're supposed to grab the fish," he teases gently, "not the water."

˗ˏˋ〚  OOC NOTES REFERENCE INFORMATION 〛´ˎ˗

• ooc: —
• 
• FROGPAW. APPRENTICE OF RIVERCLAN. EIGHT MONTHS OLD
  —— npc x npc, has several npc siblings. mentored by snakeblink.
  —— loyal to riverclan, but somewhat uncertain of his place there.
  —— unknown sexuality. single, not actively looking or interested.
  
  a lanky, slender black smoke with low white and soft blue eyes. his ears are gently curled, and each paw has at least one extra toe, making them seem broader and larger than a typical cat's.
• "speech"

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