Open PAFP Territory locusts sang off in the distance ] treasure hunt

[scarabpaw]

The steady roar of the waterfall fills the air, a constant backdrop to the soft sounds of paws shifting through damp pebbles and sand. Scarab's tail flicks as it scours the ground, its wide eyes scanning for anything that gleams or glints under the light. Water sprays up in a fine mist where the falls crash into the river below, the moisture making everything feel just a little bit cool against its fur. The scents of moss and fresh water are thick in the air, but Scarab barely notices—its mind is entirely fixated on the search. Amber is close by, just as intent on the hunt as Scarab, though she is far more patient in her method. Scarab, on the other paw, scrambles eagerly from one patch of ground to another, kicking pebbles aside with little regard for neatness. It chirps every now and then, excitement spilling from its throat even when its discoveries turn out to be nothing more than smooth, dull stones. "Oh! That one looked shiny for a second—oh, never mind, it's just wet." It hums, undeterred, shaking out its damp paws before resuming its search.

But then something moves.

Scarab freezes mid-step, pupils narrowing as it hones in on the tiny flicker of motion among the pebbles. It crouches low, barely breathing, as a small creature scuttles into view—a bug, its shell dark and glossy, with legs that move in a flurry of tiny, frantic steps. Scarab's excitement surges, its whiskers trembling. "Whoa…" It forgets all about the shiny things. In an instant, it scoops the bug up in a paw, careful but swift, cradling it as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. The tiny creature wiggles, its legs ticklish against Scarab's fur, and the young cat giggles, utterly enchanted. "Amber, Amber, Amber!" Scarab calls, its voice brimming with enthusiasm. Without waiting for a response, it rushes toward her, paws kicking up damp sand as it bounds over. "Look what I found!"

Before Amber even has a chance to turn fully, Scarab practically shoves the bug right in her face, sitting back on its haunches and holding it up with both paws as if presenting the grandest of discoveries. "It's a bug!" Scarab announces gleefully, its tail swishing wildly behind it. "Look at its little legs! They're so fast!" The bug, seemingly unimpressed with being the center of attention, wriggles in Scarab's grasp. One of its tiny legs brushes against Amber's nose. "Isn't it cool?" Scarab continues, undeterred. "I mean, it's not shiny, but it's got this sort of… I dunno, a cool shell! It's kinda smooth, see?" It wiggles its paws to make the bug move again, watching with fascination as its tiny legs scrabble for purchase. Then, as if suddenly struck by inspiration, Scarab grins. "Oh! We should name it! What do you think it looks like? It kinda reminds me of—oh, wait, wait, maybe I should keep it! Maybe it could live with us! Do you think it would like that?" It beams at Amber, completely oblivious to whether she is amused, disgusted, or just plain overwhelmed by the insect currently mere whiskers away from her nose.


[ @AMBERPAW ]

 

[AMBERPAW]

RiverClan's territory was so vastly different from the shipyard, but it still held similarities. Amberpaw could still taste the salt of the air in her mouth and feel the grittiness of the sand, always determined to bury itself in her fur despite her frequent grooming. The spray from the waterfall was not so different from that of the sea. Yet she knew when she looked down at her paws, she was somewhere else; the pebbles and sand under her paws were smoother, sharp edges worn away by babbling water. Still, Amber was sure that there were shells among them. As Scarab scrabbled from one location to the next, Amber carefully hooked her claws around pebbles, pulling them back and inspecting them for any glint of a shell. She twitched a large ear at Scarab's "Oh!" but didn't turn. She had heard that noise, and the sentence that followed, at least a couple of times already. The sun glinted off something nearby. She straightened up and padded toward it. Then she heard her name.

No grace, one hundred percent speed, her sibling flew toward her, and she only saw it out of corner of her eye before it had pushed something wriggling practically up her nose. "What-" She straightened up to protect her face from the bug, even as Scarab brought it closer gleefully. "It's a bug" was obvious but, frankly, she appreciated the description, since it was so close she was going cross-eyed to look at it. She screwed her eyes shut as the bug's coveted fast little legs brushed against her nose. If it bit her... "It's-" She started again, but Scarab's idea hit its train of thought with enough force to knock hers askew as well. "A name? Ugh, um, it looks like a Bugkit." She opened one eye to squint at Scarabpaw, nose bridge crinkled, her chin pulled higher away from Bugkit. It probably was under six moons old, like Pike wanted everyone with the -kit name to be. She blinked, took a step back, and took in her blissfully enthusiastic littermate, bug in paws. Thrilled. The corners of her maw rose, and a teasing light brightened her eyes. "No, someone'd sit on it. 'nd I can't promise it won't be me. Hey, what happened to looking for shells?"

 

[scarabpaw]

Scarabpaw beams, delighted by Amberpaw's reluctant engagement. "Bugkit!" it echoes, voice high with excitement. "Oh, that's perfect." It lowers its head to peer at the tiny creature, utterly unbothered by its frantic leg movement. "Do you hear that, Bugkit? You've got a name now!" It grins, eyes sparkling as it lifts the bug just a little higher, admiring its smooth shell as if it's some precious gemstone rather than a wriggling insect. Amberpaw's next words, however, make Scarabpaw pause. It blinks, tilting its head in exaggerated contemplation. "Hmmm. You would sit on it?" It gasps, clutching Bugkit just a little closer to its chest, as if shielding it from some impending doom. "You wouldn't! That'd be tragic! The shortest life in all of history!" It narrows its eyes at Amberpaw, scrutinizing her for any signs of genuine malice toward its new six-legged companion. When it finds none, its grin returns full-force. "Guess I'll have to keep Bugkit really safe, then. No sitting. No stepping. No accidental drowning." Its ears perk up, and it tilts its head the other way. "Do bugs drown? Probably. Maybe. We should test that."

It turns, scampering a few pawsteps toward the river before hesitating, suddenly caught between conflicting desires. If it puts Bugkit down to see if it floats, what if it scurries away or drowns? But if it keeps Bugkit and continues searching for shells, that means it has to hold onto it the whole time. It contemplates this with great seriousness, tail flicking rapidly. And then Amberpaw brings up the shells. Scarabpaw gasps again, louder this time, ears shooting up. "Right! We were looking for shiny things!" It pivots so quickly it nearly trips over its own paws, though it recovers with a hasty, ungraceful hop. "How could I forget? I got so distracted. But to be fair, Bugkit is pretty cool, so I think it was justified." It glances down at Bugkit again, watching as its tiny legs wave in the air, then glances back at the river. "Okay. Okay, okay, new plan. We keep looking for shells, and I keep Bugkit safe. But, uh…" It shifts its paws, considering. "I can't hold onto it forever. Probably. Do you think bugs like to be carried around?"

It shuffles closer to Amberpaw, eyes big and pleading. "Can I keep it? I can find it food, probably. Do bugs eat fish? What if I—oh! Maybe it could ride on my head! Then I'd have Bugkit the fearless explorer keeping watch while we search!" Its tail lashes with renewed excitement at the idea, clearly already picturing some grand adventure with its new tiny companion. "Oh, oh, and we could train it! Maybe it can do tricks!" It places Bugkit down carefully onto its paw pad, watching eagerly as it begins to wriggle once more. "Look, it's already practicing its battle stance!" It looks back up at Amberpaw, practically vibrating with enthusiasm. "Sooo… can I keep it? Pleaaaase?"