Lionsbeach

[BEAR.]

"Maybe."

Satisfied Fawnsqueak was covered in Lion, he huffed. "You'll make a fine deputy, you just need to get your head out of this stinky cave." At his question, he wrinkled his nose. "No, it's some.. cat coming back. A truth cat, or something. I thought her name was stupid so I fixed it."

Moving on, he nudged him. "Let's go back home." @Dipper

[Fawn]

"Willowpaw's dead," he blurted out like it was a secret that couldn't be held any longer even if the truth was lying there in her corpse. It wasn't related to the conversation, he hardly heard what Lionstar was saying.. but he had to get that off his chest, and he breathed a shuddering sigh. "I guess this explains why she hasn't been around in..." He'd figured something had happened, but it was nice to believe she'd just left. Despite his hurting heart, there was closure in the discovery.

Home sounded pleasant. Later, he imagined he'd be fretting over the deputy thing and the.. apparently apprentice thing. But that was then. Fawnsqueak's gaze lingered on her, debating. This was hardly a burial, but moving her... that didn't seem right either. He told himself that she had been an explorer and would've likely preferred it this way. "The ledge I came in on... it crumbled. Is there-- uh, how did you get in here?"

@BILL.

[BEAR.]

"Willow-who?" was Lionstar's first reaction, giving only a side glance at the surprisingly preserved body. "Oh. That one. Good Stars, we go through so many of these walking meat-bags I forget who they are." He didn't know this cat, at least not very well.. so he didn't care.

"I went in through another entrance. Come on, cutie. We've been here long enough." @Dipper

[Fawn]

Fawnsqueak's stomach churned at the descriptor and shot Lionstar a disapproving look. "Geez, man. You could at least try to... have tact." Closing his eyes, he inhaled and tried to envision a nice memory with Willowpaw before exhaling, deflating. Grief was still alight like embers, but he knew they couldn't linger forever, an echo of whatever Lionstar was saying. The specific words were lost to him.

With a numb nod, he indicated for Lionstar to lead the way, trailing behind on autopilot as his heart hurt. It felt wrong to leave Willowpaw behind, alone in this seaside cave with nothing but an ocean view. When he spoke, it sounded distant, and he hardly recognized it as himself. "So, the 'star cats'.. are they, uh, nice up there? Like, good company?"

@BILL.

[Fawn]

[ @Casper ]

"...So you see that ledge up there?" Fawnsqueak asked and tipped his head toward a space that jutted from the cliff, a little cavern with not much else visible at this angle to his relief. He and Pigeonpaw had arrived on the newly-claimed Lionsbeach after a brief walk from RiverClan camp, luckily uneventful. "That's kind of what I meant when I said I hadn't been around. I was sort of there." A cough, self-conscious. "Stuck, mostly. I... don't really think that qualifies as doing warrior things." With a sudden clarity, he turned to Pigeonpaw to comment, "Honestly, I'm guessing you were doing more, uh, 'warrior-appropriate' activities than I have been." Fawnsqueak was thoughtful as he surveyed her, gaze softening in sympathy and guilt--she deserved the title more than he did.

He peered to the sky and marveled at the evening colors bleeding together in bright red-orange, the last glimmer of the day before the stars became fully visible. "I'm glad you were kind enough to let me bring you out here," he admitted, sheepish at the confession. "It's just... really pretty, y'know? And-- and it's even better with you, so yeah." Fawnsqueak felt warmth collecting under his pelt and was quick to continue, "Earlier, you said something about... Birchs..step? Who is that, anyway? ..Your mentor?" It was his sole shot in the dark since he knew Pigeonpaw's parents weren't in the picture anymore.

[pidgeon]

Pigeonpaw sat back on her haunches and craned her neck to see where her friend was looking. She saw the little cavern surrounded by jutting spikes of rock, and turned her eyes to Fawnsqueak in surprise.
"You were stuck in there!?" She exclaimed, her jaw agape slightly."Great StarClan, that must have been horrifying! I'm really glad you made it home safely," she sympathized, looking at him with concern.

At his next comment, her expression turned a little less soft. She was still frustrated with her lack of training--she was just about old enough to be a warrior by now, yet she felt so unprepared.
"I've hardly been out of camp, let alone doing anything warrior-appropriate," she sighed. "Lionstar assigned Birchsnow to be my mentor since Rainwhisper...disappeared, but she hasn't done much with me yet. I've still never had a single battle training session. I'm gonna have to start pestering her about that. At this rate, both my brothers will be warriors before me!" She felt a slight jolt of panic at that thought. She had always imagined herself and her siblings all receiving their warrior names together in one ceremony, and the three had talked about it since kithood. She would be distraught if she lagged behind them.

Her gaze softened once more, though, when the spotted warrior mentioned this beautiful place.
"Of course, Fawnsqueak. I'm always happy to spend time with you. And this place...it really is breathtaking. I don't think I've seen the beach like this before. It's so open, so peaceful." She gave him a warm smile. Even better with me? her face felt warm suddenly. He really did want to spend time with her! Although she felt a little guilty thinking about it, due to the actual circumstances of his disappearance, she was glad that he hadn't just been avoiding her and the other apprentices. He made much better company than Beetlepaw. "Thank you for bringing me here."

[BEAR.]

"The Star Cats are jerks." Lionstar couldn't help but huff, reminded of his awful leadership ceremony. What bullies! "I don't like them, Pine Fawn-- they harassed me."

Leaving the cave, he headed back down the path he had taken to get there. "I don't know why everyone here likes them so much," he admitted to Fawnsqueak. "They weren't nice at all. They didn't help me-- the only one I liked was that forgiveness cat. She made me feel powerful."

@Dipper

[Fawn]

Originally Posted by Casper

Pigeonpaw sat back on her haunches and craned her neck to see where her friend was looking. She saw the little cavern surrounded by jutting spikes of rock, and turned her eyes to Fawnsqueak in surprise.
"You were stuck in there!?" She exclaimed, her jaw agape slightly."Great StarClan, that must have been horrifying! I'm really glad you made it home safely," she sympathized, looking at him with concern.

At his next comment, her expression turned a little less soft. She was still frustrated with her lack of training--she was just about old enough to be a warrior by now, yet she felt so unprepared.
"I've hardly been out of camp, let alone doing anything warrior-appropriate," she sighed. "Lionstar assigned Birchsnow to be my mentor since Rainwhisper...disappeared, but she hasn't done much with me yet. I've still never had a single battle training session. I'm gonna have to start pestering her about that. At this rate, both my brothers will be warriors before me!" She felt a slight jolt of panic at that thought. She had always imagined herself and her siblings all receiving their warrior names together in one ceremony, and the three had talked about it since kithood. She would be distraught if she lagged behind them.

Her gaze softened once more, though, when the spotted warrior mentioned this beautiful place.
"Of course, Fawnsqueak. I'm always happy to spend time with you. And this place...it really is breathtaking. I don't think I've seen the beach like this before. It's so open, so peaceful." She gave him a warm smile. Even better with me? her face felt warm suddenly. He really did want to spend time with her! Although she felt a little guilty thinking about it, due to the actual circumstances of his disappearance, she was glad that he hadn't just been avoiding her and the other apprentices. He made much better company than Beetlepaw. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Ah," a small, nervous chuckle, "yeah, I guess." At the time, he'd been more concerned about finding a deceased friend, so realizing he'd been trapped had been secondary. He was glad the subject shifted to her training though, and blinked at the lack thereof.. "What? You.. haven't been training?" he questioned, incredulous. "Wow, that's kind of-- geez. I mean, we could try training sometime if you want, like supplementary ones." After a pause and a tad of inward debate, he peered to Pigeonpaw with concern and voiced it with the blunt statement, "Birchsnow kind of sounds like a bad mentor if she's basically ignoring you. You shouldn't have to literally seek her out all the time."

Had she said his name before? Fawnsqueak couldn't remember. Well, he could hardly remember anything in that moment except how he liked the way she said it, and he melted into a silly grin, ducking his head to hide it. "It'd be nice to spend more time out here, y'know? Just to sort of get away from the bustle of camp..." A little sheepish about the idea, he mumbled, "I bet that sounds dumb." Definitely a dumb idea. She wouldn't want to come out here frequently, especially not with him as an escort. Fawnsqueak's eyes lingered on Pigeonpaw for a moment too long as he considered what to say, finally settling on, "I.. really don't think you're the one that should be thanking me. Your company-- it's... I like it."

He coughed to move on and straightened his posture. "Do you think there's anything- y'know... worthwhile out here? I saw some fish in the water but they're way too small for even a kit to enjoy." If they were going to sneak off and spend an evening enjoying the gorgeous sights of the beach, they might face less judgment if they could come back with food.

[pidgeon]

Originally Posted by Dipper

"Ah," a small, nervous chuckle, "yeah, I guess." At the time, he'd been more concerned about finding a deceased friend, so realizing he'd been trapped had been secondary. He was glad the subject shifted to her training though, and blinked at the lack thereof.. "What? You.. haven't been training?" he questioned, incredulous. "Wow, that's kind of-- geez. I mean, we could try training sometime if you want, like supplementary ones." After a pause and a tad of inward debate, he peered to Pigeonpaw with concern and voiced it with the blunt statement, "Birchsnow kind of sounds like a bad mentor if she's basically ignoring you. You shouldn't have to literally seek her out all the time."

Had she said his name before? Fawnsqueak couldn't remember. Well, he could hardly remember anything in that moment except how he liked the way she said it, and he melted into a silly grin, ducking his head to hide it. "It'd be nice to spend more time out here, y'know? Just to sort of get away from the bustle of camp..." A little sheepish about the idea, he mumbled, "I bet that sounds dumb." Definitely a dumb idea. She wouldn't want to come out here frequently, especially not with him as an escort. Fawnsqueak's eyes lingered on Pigeonpaw for a moment too long as he considered what to say, finally settling on, "I.. really don't think you're the one that should be thanking me. Your company-- it's... I like it."

He coughed to move on and straightened his posture. "Do you think there's anything- y'know... worthwhile out here? I saw some fish in the water but they're way too small for even a kit to enjoy." If they were going to sneak off and spend an evening enjoying the gorgeous sights of the beach, they might face less judgment if they could come back with food.

Pigeonpaw appreciated his thoughtfulness over her mentor-issues. It was nice to feel like someone cared, and to have someone take her seriously instead of belittling her. It wasn't her fault that her parents hadn't been around to raise her, and it wasn't her fault that she'd never gotten a proper mentor who would stick with her training.
"It means a lot to hear that, honestly. It seems like everyone likes to blame me--and my brothers, for that matter--for the fact that we haven't had a lot of, uh, good influences. It's hard to see eye-to-eye with certain cats sometimes." She would be lying if she said it didn't make her feel upset that people didn't understand. But she tried not to let it get her down, and she definitely didn't want it to define her.

"Whether it's for training or not, I think I'd really like to come out here more often." She beamed, returning to her usual bubbly self. She was quite enjoying just being here, relaxing, enjoying the view of the ocean. "It doesn't sound dumb at all, trust me. I'd give anything to have more excuses to leave camp. And if I have to have an escort with me, I'd be glad if it were you. Don't underestimate yourself; you're good company, and I like having you around!" Her deformed paws fidgeted with the sand idly as she spoke, a trait that seemed to be recurring with her. It wasn't quite a nervous tick, as she wasn't particularly nervous. Just a habit she'd formed, and often couldn't prevent herself from doing.

She wanted to ask Fawnsqueak about Lionstar. There was so much she was curious about, and she wanted to hear all the details about the drama that had unfolded on the Seastones all those sunrises ago. But she figured now wasn't the time for that. She didn't want to make the tom more uncomfortable, so she'd leave it be for now. At the mention of prey, a wide smile tugged at the edges of her mouth. A chance to show off what I have learned! She thought with excitement. Her eyes darted across the beach, searching for one of those ugly, huge birds. And she spotted some.

"See those gulls over there?" She began, gesturing to the small flock with a paw. "The one thing Birchsnow has taught me is how to take 'em down. I caught one all on my own the other day! I bet I could snag one right now, too." She sounded confident, and had already risen to her paws and dropped into a hunting crouch. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad either. She conveniently left out the part where that gull had tried to attack her right back. This would be her chance to impress her friend, and grab a tasty meal! What could possibly go wrong?

[Fawn]

Originally Posted by Casper

Pigeonpaw appreciated his thoughtfulness over her mentor-issues. It was nice to feel like someone cared, and to have someone take her seriously instead of belittling her. It wasn't her fault that her parents hadn't been around to raise her, and it wasn't her fault that she'd never gotten a proper mentor who would stick with her training.
"It means a lot to hear that, honestly. It seems like everyone likes to blame me--and my brothers, for that matter--for the fact that we haven't had a lot of, uh, good influences. It's hard to see eye-to-eye with certain cats sometimes." She would be lying if she said it didn't make her feel upset that people didn't understand. But she tried not to let it get her down, and she definitely didn't want it to define her.

"Whether it's for training or not, I think I'd really like to come out here more often." She beamed, returning to her usual bubbly self. She was quite enjoying just being here, relaxing, enjoying the view of the ocean. "It doesn't sound dumb at all, trust me. I'd give anything to have more excuses to leave camp. And if I have to have an escort with me, I'd be glad if it were you. Don't underestimate yourself; you're good company, and I like having you around!" Her deformed paws fidgeted with the sand idly as she spoke, a trait that seemed to be recurring with her. It wasn't quite a nervous tick, as she wasn't particularly nervous. Just a habit she'd formed, and often couldn't prevent herself from doing.

She wanted to ask Fawnsqueak about Lionstar. There was so much she was curious about, and she wanted to hear all the details about the drama that had unfolded on the Seastones all those sunrises ago. But she figured now wasn't the time for that. She didn't want to make the tom more uncomfortable, so she'd leave it be for now. At the mention of prey, a wide smile tugged at the edges of her mouth. A chance to show off what I have learned! She thought with excitement. Her eyes darted across the beach, searching for one of those ugly, huge birds. And she spotted some.

"See those gulls over there?" She began, gesturing to the small flock with a paw. "The one thing Birchsnow has taught me is how to take 'em down. I caught one all on my own the other day! I bet I could snag one right now, too." She sounded confident, and had already risen to her paws and dropped into a hunting crouch. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad either. She conveniently left out the part where that gull had tried to attack her right back. This would be her chance to impress her friend, and grab a tasty meal! What could possibly go wrong?

Fawnsqueak pawed at the sand, kicking it from one side to the other to keep himself occupied, afraid he'd take up a different nervous habit that wasn't so innocuous. "I'm glad," he said, genuine and grateful, "I'd... hate to be forcing you to stick around me, so..." The thought of it crippled his heart, if Pigeonpaw was merely entertaining this friendship in an effort to spare his feelings. Even if she was, Fawnsqueak silently promised that he'd hopefully make it worth her while by bringing her to as many breath-taking landscapes as he could find.

When she mentioned the gulls, Fawnsqueak followed her line of sight and tipped his head at the strange birds. "Those?" he questioned, gawking, visibly baffled by the thought of eating that. He'd seen in on the fresh-kill pile--rarely--but had no idea this is where they were. Admiration sparked in him as she spoke of her own experience with the creatures, and he added his awed "congratulations" in response to her victory. "Wow, that'd honestly be kind of cool if you could." Not only was he curious about them, but he wanted to watch how a cat would nab it.

Peering on, awestruck, he hushed to avoid startling the gulls and ruining Pigeonpaw's chance since she was already creeping toward them. All he could do was wait in intrigued anticipation.