Camp It's alright to take time || Spooky

[Russetfall]

FALLING FOR THE PROMISE OF THE

EMPTINESS MACHINE

Back when the shelter collapsed she had thought it merely a the trick of the mind, the disoriented imaginings of a cat that had barely avoided death. But no, the eyes that had peered at her through a slit in the wood had been very real. And they had followed the shipyard cats to their new home. A kitten had somehow followed them all without being really noticed until Pikestar announced he was going to highstones.

He had said that "she' had called him Spooky. His mother, perhaps? An aunt or some other guardian? It didn't matter, not when it was clear no one was watching him now nor had anyone claimed responsibility for him once Riverclan was aware of his existence.

Oh...speak of the devil. Here was the kit now, slinking around at the edges of the makeshift den like a shadow. Like he was afraid of being seen. He had certainly seemed afraid of being spoken to the last time she asked him something. "Spooky." Slowly Russetfall rose from her nest to approach the kit, ever present frown on her face. "You're safe here, you don't need to be so afraid."

That was easier said than done. Especially for one so young who presumably had been living on his own for who knew how long.

"You're not very good at talking to others are you? Like me." Perhaps she saw a part of herself in the boy. Perhaps it was a moment of weakness, she wasn't sure what it was that possessed her to lean down to gently touch her nose to Spooky's ear. "We can be bad at talking to people together."

ITS BEEN DECIDED HOW WE LOSE

──────i only wanted to be part of something─────

• 
  Russetfall
  — Life Guard of Riverclan
  — She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  — A Green-eyed Chocolate Mackerel Tabby With Low White
  #8a2c55

 

[Iciclepaw]

SPOOKY

Just close your eyes, the sun is going down... You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now

Spooky let out a startled cry, leaping so high it was almost comical. His wide blue eyes locked onto Russetfall as he scrambled back down, pressing himself to the ground. His breath hitched. Oh, breathe. Breathe, Spooky. It's okay. She wasn't angry, just curious. Maybe a little grumpy, but nowhere near as bad as he was used to. That was... good, right? Swallowing thickly, he blinked up at her before offering a shaky grin. " S… Sorry, I'm still… still learning… " he stammered, his white fur bristling slightly as his gaze flickered from the ground to Russetfall and back again. Safe. She said he was safe.

And he was safe… right?

Pikestar seemed nice. The other cats, too. They wouldn't hurt him. He should feel safe. But he was still scared. " O-oh, I'm… I'm sorry, I… No, not very… I mean… I could learn more… " Spooky stumbled over his words, tripping on each syllable as he forced himself to meet Russetfall's gaze. He needed to talk more. Needed to try. Then-- wait. She said she wasn't good at talking to others either? He blinked twice, staring at her before a tiny, hesitant smile pulled at his muzzle. " You… You think talking… is scary too? " he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Before he could process her response, something soft brushed against his ear.

A nose.

Spooky squeaked, eyes widening all over again.

" ...Wha..? "

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[Russetfall]

FALLING FOR THE PROMISE OF THE

EMPTINESS MACHINE

She wondered what had transpired in the kit's young life to leave him so terribly afraid of even speaking to another cat. Russetfall was certainly no social butterfly- far from it in fact, but at least she didn't retreat into herself when acknowledged by someone when she spoke up. She was listened to, even if it was just to complain. Maybe Spooky just needed someone to be there for him, to show him it wasn't nearly so bad as his poor heart seemed to believe.

"You're still learning what, hm? Where everything is around camp?" Perhaps he was looking for the apprentice's den? Or was just exploring as kits tended to do. Russetfall shook her head of the thought as soon as it had come. No. She doubted that was the case. "Talking isn't... scary, no. But I'm definitely not as good at it as some cats here are."

Peachy- Peachtrot, came to mind immediately. The molly easily spoke to anyone and everyone, as far as she was aware. She honestly got on her nerves quite a bit with how overly enthusiastic she could be at times but the tabby couldn't deny that Peachtrot seemed to have a natural talent for talking to others. Or maybe Russetfall's own upbringing had been rather poor on that front, most likely both. With a faint sigh she settled, head resting on her paws as she watched the kit before her. "I'm what I'm sure you've heard the adults call 'grumpy' or 'grouchy', I'm not good at talking. I say the wrong thing a lot of the times and it annoys people. I don't mince my words. And for some that's off-putting. Where I lived before I came to the shipyard talking like that was asking for a fight."

Maybe this was all a bit much to explain to a child all at once. "But together maybe we can learn, if you'd like?"

Someone had to watch over him, after all.

ITS BEEN DECIDED HOW WE LOSE

───────i only wanted to be part of something──────

• 
  Russetfall
  — Life Guard of Riverclan
  — She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  — A Green-eyed Chocolate Mackerel Tabby With Low White
  #8a2c55

 

[Iciclepaw]

SPOOKY

Just close your eyes, the sun is going down... You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now

Grumpy... Grouchy... The words echoed softly in his mind as the white-furred cat blinked up at Russetfall with wide, uncertain eyes. She did look grumpy, true enough... Eho wouldn't be, after getting hurt like that? And yet, all he could feel was the weight of his own helplessness. He had done nothing but run away. What if he could have helped? What if he could have saved others, too? What if no one had died in that terrible night, and then the painful thought sank in like a stone. A trembling shiver passed through him as he peered down at his paws, curling his feathery tail tightly around himself, as if to shield his heart from the fear and guilt.

" Mince... " he whispered, the word unfamiliar and strange on his tongue. His gaze flickered back to Russetfall, searching her face. " W-what... what does m-i-n-c-e mean? " he asked softly, swallowing hard. Learn… learn to talk… together? Was she offering to teach him?

His words tumbled out in a nervous rush. " O-oh, I don't want to waste your time… N-no, I'm sorry, I--I shouldn't have… " His voice cracked, his cheeks flushing with awkwardness and a desperate hope for acceptance.

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