And now you're gonna watch me
Breaking through the dirt
.
Ratfish has reached the age of one moon a while ago, but rat hasn't been part of the Junkyard for a long time. Rat didn't get to participate in their traditions, but there was one rat really wanted to try. It was getting to pick out a toy, a stuffed animal to be his and his only. Ratfish's first real possesion.
They wanted to be included so badly, but lacked the words to express it. And so, after days of silent wishes leading to nothing, they decided to search for a toy themselves. They searched and searched through piles of junk, looking for something intact enough to be hugged in the night without fear of it falling apart in their paws. Ratfish wasn't exactly sure what to look for, but he hoped he would know when he found it. Rat searched and searched, finding all kinds of cool trinkets like springs and metal nuts and cans and grease, but none of it was a toy. Not a toy rat could hug.
They almost gave up, the sun beginning to set, and Ratfish turned around to head back, when something caught their eye - they almost didn't notice, for it didn't glint in the light nor did it give off any rusty smell. It was blue and round and...soft? Huggable?
Ratfish quickly jumped at the pile to unearth whatever this thing could be hidden beneath the pile. Junk flew in all direction as they pushed it away, cogs and scraps up in the air as Ratfish threw them away from the pile. The noise of all the metal and trash falling to the ground just added to Ratfish's excitement and soon they reached their treasure - a round plush fish, with one button eye hanging on by a thread, its texture rough and dirty from being out in the junkyard for so long. But Ratfish didn't care - this was theirs. Theirs. Their very own plush.
He walked back, his new stuffed animal in his maw, thinking very hard about what to call it. Which isn't to say a lot, as Ratfish wasn't very used to thinking hard nor was it known for its creativity. As its paws finally reached the Rustclaw camp, it was as if a light flicked on in its mind - a genius idea had struck it, the perfect name for its new toy.
Dropping it on the ground, Ratfish proudly announced. "Fishrat!" Their new best friend.
Rust watches the other cats from atop her perch, stretching her legs out across chilled metal scraps in a desperate attempt to stop the ache in her bones, the result of a recent growth-spurt of hers. She always knew she was gonna be tall - the other cats in the twoleg cages from her kithood had told her she's got long legs - but this is sorta ridiculous! She's almost the height of the adults already, and she shows no signs of stopping. I wonder how tall I'll actually get? I bet it'll look really cool to tower over all my enemies... no one will ever underestimate me ever again!! She chuckles to herself at the thought, imagining giant paws crushing others and tearing them apart. One day...
Her daydream is cut short by the sight of a nearby cat, however, and Rust rolls back onto her belly to watch them. It's one of those kits that had recently been brought in by Gaia and Barbie... seems like they're looking for something. It becomes apparent to Rust when the young cat finds a little plush toy that someone must have told them about the Rustclaw tradition for kits to find themselves a toy to keep until becoming a cadet.
Rust had joined right at the cutoff in age for such a thing - not that she cares, cuz she'd never do something so stupid as to keep a plushie on her all the time. She might as well roam around screaming that she's a weakling for all to hear - these claws are made to tear into things, not hold them gently.
With a graceful leap, Rust lands upon the cold ground of the junkyard to approach the kitten and its new 'friend'. Her form stands over it with her good eye narrowed and her lips curved into a crooked grin. "Found somethin' ya like?" The dirt-stained fabric of the plush toy isn't exactly impressive, but the kitten looks upon it as though it's a sacred treasure. She supposes a lesser being would be entertained by something so simple as this... "Better take good care of it."
Barbie feels an odd sense of protectiveness over the two new kids. Neither of them really remind her of... well, her, but the fact that Tick Tock and Ratfish are so close and protective does engage something in her memory. That, or envy makes her green and she vies to have something like they have. Barbie can't really recall ever having siblings, in truth. Maybe she wishes she did...
In any case, Ratfish's return to their base perks Barbie's attention. Like Rust, the girl was too old to be indoctrinated into whatever farse the stuffed-toy tradition was. She's sure it's purpose would be more potent to her if she had ever gone through it, but as a tempermental teen, she can't say for certain. Still, Ratfish seems eager to show off, and Rust is in no rush to admonish them for having a piece of joy. Barbie sticks to the status quo, again tucking aside her less than desirable feelings.
"Isn't that a clever twist," she rumbles, her purr like thorns in a nest. The bare skin of her tail thwaps against the ground, and her claws scrape the concrete underfoot. "Could Nonna fix its eye, do you think? One wrong pull, and that's a blind fish...!"
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