summer school: swimming 101! [p]

[idia]

SQUIRRELRISE
she/her. 13 moons. small, scarred russet molly with brown markings and yellow eyes.
[ chill of death, hulk SMASH ]

lately, squirrelrise has been thinking about the conversation she had with twistedpaw at the gathering. 'You'll rise above others' expectations.' the encouragement still makes her smile when she thinks about it but ...actually surpassing all expectations is easier said than done. she feels like she's been doing decent enough?? leading patrols, offering training (to only one apprentice..who technically asked her first but still) and not causing problems around camp. oh! and making friends! which, really, she still never thought she'd be able to do. well, other than goopywhisker and mistlewhisker, but now she's branching out. it's good, just slow. that's what makes her antsy and keeps her up at night.

luckily, she has a plan. um, sort of. she wants to be a better warrior and she figures, what better way to do that than learn new skills? sparring was off the table for now since she still gets anxious with that, plus she knows how to fight - she shakes away thoughts of the battle. tree climbing seems horrifying and she's afraid she'll fall off and break a leg or something. unlikely but not impossible. with the nerve damage and subsequent numbness in her left paw, she's a little worried she won't be able to detect weak spots in the wood as easily. flaying will no doubt make her sick to her stomach. so there's ..swimming!

I'm going to drown, she thinks with a shudder. no, no! nothing bad will happen as long as I have a good teacher, she reassures herself, trying to force away any bad thoughts. and who's the perfect teacher for this? her mom. she's not entirely sure if mistlewhisker knows how to swim, but it's worth a try. anndd maybe she isn't ready to pick someone she doesn't fully trust for an activity such as swimming. luckily, she spots the deputy without having to search too much, and promptly approaches her.

"hi, mi-mistlewhisker," squirrelrise greets, small grin on her maw. "this is..random..but, do you k-know..how to..s-swim? if you do..er, could you..teach..me?" she's hoping the older molly isn't busy with deputy duties (though shes not exactly sure what deputy duties entail exactly..). not only can she learn to swim, but she can also hangout with her mom.

[ @Mica ]

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 43 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye]
Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Squirrelrise - @furrensic ]
· · ────────────── · ·
The familiar pawsteps of Mistlewhisker's former apprentice had the deputy looking up from where she was... scratching lines in the sand? It was difficult for anyone but her to understand, but these were future patrol ideas she was fleshing out. A pale eye searched the smaller molly's face expectantly as she listened to her request. Learn how to swim? Mistlewhisker hadn't expected that from her former apprentice. Squirrelrise had already become a warrior, and not many warriors wanted to continue training after they received their name. Pride at Squirrelrise's continued search for education bloomed in Mistlewhisker's chest. "As a matter of fact, I do." She rumbled, pushing herself to muscled legs and gesturing for Squirrelrise to follow.

Out in the territory, Mistlewhisker looked down at Squirrelrise. "What about swimming interests you?" Mistlewhisker had been taught by her own mentor, who had been incredible thorough with her training. She wasn't sure where he learned how to swim, but she was pleased she could continue the tradition.

Once they reached the RiverClan border, where the water was deepest, Mistlewhisker turned to face Squirrelrise and waited for the molly to finish before giving her a small smile and continuing. "Swimming is similar to walking, movements wise. The hardest part is keeping your head above water." Mistlewhisker slipped into the water until she was stomach-height in it, biting back a hiss as something slithered past her leg. She loved the marshes, but hated all the reeds and vines in the water. Yuck. "Come, I will show you."

[I suppose this can also count as the "take a dip" bingo box too :3]
[ #micasummerbingo2024 ]

[idia]

SQUIRRELRISE
she/her. 14 moons. small, scarred russet molly with brown markings and yellow eyes.
[ chill of death, hulk SMASH ]

swiftly following after her former mentor, squirrelrise pads alongside mistlewhisker through the territory. hearing the molly's question, she glances up at her momentarily. "I..want to..expand my ..s-skills." she informs, feeling a little self conscious now that she's saying it out loud. although she knows she shouldn't. "er..I figured..this would..be the - the easiest for..me to s-start out with." she adds on.

reaching riverclan's border, the russet molly realizes just how deserted it is now that the clan is gone. really, she figured they'd be back by now. has riverclan decided to stay gone? she wonders with a twitch of her bushy tail. only three clans would be strange and most likely frowned upon by starclan considering there's been four for seasons. five before, too. huh. maybe the clans would keep getting smaller, until there was just one left? the thought makes her frown.

watching mistlewhisker slip into the water, squirrelrise feels her pelt bristle as nervousness begins to build. okay, okay..it's fine, no bad thoughts, she reassures herself, ignoring the way her stomach churns at the possibilities of something going wrong. arrghh, no! nothing will go wrong!! mistlemom makes it sound easy for the most part, so it must be.

slowly inching into the water, she makes her away towards mistlewhisker, all while murmuring "I got this," under her breath. having short limbs, the water rose past her stomach. ough, her pelt felt ten times heavier already. "this..is..not that..bad." she comments, mostly trying to convince herself and ward away any anxious thoughts.

[ @Mica ]

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 43 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye]
Purrks: Killer Aptitude T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Squirrelrise - @furrensic ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Squirrelrise being a warrior who wanted to broaden her skills was not a surprise to Mistlewhisker, but the Deputy was pleased nonetheless. More cats could learn a thing or two from that dedication.

As Squirrelrise made her way into the water, Mistlewhisker held back a smirk at her self-reassuring whispers. The Deputy pretended not to hear, instead wading further into the water and letting her legs go limp and begin to tread. Once Squirrelrise was further along into the water, Mistlewhisker stabilized herself. "Swimming can be nice on the hot days of Greenleaf. If you don't mind sunning yourself to dry, it seeps into your fur and cools your skin directly." Then again, Mistlewhisker did have relatively short fur. "Now, lean against me and practice paddling your front paws. Then once you feel comfortable, lift all your legs and paddle them all at the same time." Because Mistlewhisker was significantly taller than most, she could stand where other cats could not. That helped with lessons.

[idia]

SQUIRRELRISE
she/her. 13 moons. small, scarred russet molly with brown markings and yellow eyes.
[ chill of death, hulk SMASH ]

oh yes, the waters definitely cooling. maybe she's just not used to the cold, having such thick fur, so squirrelrise shivers a tad. getting her fur to dry when this was over would more than likely be a nightmare and she'd look like even more of a puffball, but that's for future her to worry about. current her has bigger problems, like wading deeper into the water— stars, she's hoping it doesn't get deep enough to the point it's just her neck and head above the water. this is already a little nerve-wracking.

"got it," squirrelrise nods, leaning against mistlewhisker. paddling isn't something she's used to, actually— she's never done it before, never had the need to. but, she figures the motions are similar to digging. half balancing on the hind legs and half leaning on her former mentor for support, she lifts her front paws and begins paddling. it's a little awkward at first, though it becomes more natural as she grows more familiar with the motion. "l-like this, right..?" she questions.

now came the intimidating part: paddling with all her paws. she's heard of mind over matter or however it goes but this is just..scary. a part of her wonders how riverclanners do this constantly. she thinks she's going to sink like a rock as soon as she tries. even if mistlewhisker is literally right beside her.

"this..is...thissss...errrmghhngh.." she mutters under her breath, experimentally lifting one of her hind legs to paddle with her back paw. deciding to just give it a go and lifting her other hind leg, she immediately flails for a hot second, paws splashing water everywhere. mind over matter is!! a scam!! fake!! she feels like a fish out of water! wait, I'm not drowning, she realizes, forcing herself to calm down, paddling a bit slower so she wasn't sending water everywhere. "urgh,,s-stars..how does..riverclan do this..all the time.."

[ @Mica ]

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 43 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye]
Purrks: Killer Aptitude T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Squirrelrise - @furrensic ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Teaching cats how to swim was one of Mistlewhisker's less-liked activities, mostly because--yep. As Squirrelrise thrashed in the water, trying to get her bearings, Mistlewhisker received the brunt of the splash. The Deputy pursed her lips, blinking the water out of her eye and watching as Squirrelrise paddled in place. Her daughter's comment had Mistlewhisker snorting, tail flicking the surface of the water from where she stood, supporting her. "They must have some talent outside of being nuisances." She muttered dryly. "Try swimming in a circle. Remember to keep breathing--filling your lungs with air makes you better at floating." Squirrelrise was doing pretty well--a bit of practice and she would have it. Would this translate to aquatic battle? No. But unfortunately, Mistlewhisker was not versed in water-fighting.


[I love Squirrel's internal monologue I would literally die for her]

[idia]

SQUIRRELRISE
she/her. 13 moons. small, scarred russet molly with brown markings and yellow eyes.
[ chill of death, hulk SMASH ]

oops. she did not mean to accidentally waterboard mistlewhisker. and if squirrelrise wasn't so focused on paddling and fully processed the comment about riverclan -- well, she's not a meanspirited cat at all, but she would have agreed.

her ears flatten against her skull briefly as she was instructed to swim in a circle, anxiety flickering across her features. that..she is not sure she can do. multitasking - breathing while paddling - is already hard, and now she needs to swim a whole circle. no, wait..I got this! it shouldn't be too hard, I just need to..move, she encourages herself.

so, making sure to take deep breaths, she starts to swim..very slowly. she definitely needs to work on her breathing, considering it either borders hyperventilating, or she just ends up accidentally holding it. the latter causing her to start to sink for just a second, which results in her flailing her paws again until she calmed her breathing. eventually, she finishes swimming in a circle around her mother, looking soggier than ever, but also proud of herself. "I - I did..it..!" she meows, a tinge of disbelief in her voice.

[ @Mica GAH thank you!! I would die for mistle she is such a great character. sorry for such a bland reply ,, my brain just ,,gave up LOL ]

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 43 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye]
Purrks: Killer Aptitude T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Squirrelrise - @furrensic ]
· · ────────────── · ·
It was slow-going and a little nerve-wracking for the red feline, but Mistlewhisker watched on as Squirrelrise shifted herself around and began paddling in a circle without the Deputy's support. Once Squirrelrise got her footing again, it seemed that the nervousness melted off of her and revealed a beaming smile. Mistlewhisker couldn't help but return it, albeit smaller and less bright. "You did. Well done. The skill takes practice, so if you desire to come out here again, let me know." It was... nice, having this alone time with her daughter.

Mistlewhisker paused, looking Squirrelrise up and down. She was soggy and looked rather like a drowned squirrel (har har), but Mistlewhisker couldn't help the pride that blossomed in her chest and forced words out of her mouth. "I am proud of you, Squirrelrise. You have come very far in your journey. I am pleased to call you my daughter." Mistlewhisker waded closer to Squirrelrise and rested her chin on the top of the smaller warrior's head. Mistlewhisker did not say she was proud of cats, not very often. It was less that she struggled to say it and more that she expected cats to know when she was proud of them. But being around Squirrelrise, Goopywhisker, Gutspaw, and those she called friends had shown her that when she actually says she is proud of someone, it boosts their morale considerably.

Pulling away, Mistlewhisker waded back to the bank and pulled herself onto the dirt, shaking herself out. Looking over her shoulder, Mistlewhisker spoke. Her words, while blunt, were not unkind. "You should apply yourself more in the clan. I can imagine an Enforcer spot for you, if you only reached for it." Mistlewhisker might have been proud, but she respected excellence, not mediocrity.

"You are welcome to practice more, or we can go home."

[Me when I hate writing Mistle having high expectations of everyone bc she is so hard to please and feels MEAN!!!]