a hop, skip, and a jump | cricket

[Flycatcher]

Fly had been feeling lazy today. Usually, he liked to be up early if he could, even if waking up early just meant busying himself around camp or moving to the front of the den trying to get his fur to lie flat before he went on a hunt or patrol. Today however he had been especially comfy in his nest, and as such decided to lie there for a little longer. It was not like ThunderClan would burn down due to one day of him being lazy. When he finally stirred, he stretched out of his nest and padded outside to find something to eat, taking only a small mouse to stave of his hunger. As he sat eating his mouse, he had almost finished when a small brown bug hopped in front of him. It's presence had caught him by surprise, but he watched it with animated glee, as it moved in front of him, easily amused by its jumping motions. He quickly swallowed the last of his mouth before getting up to follow it, wondering if it would be possible to practice hunting on something so small and nimble.​

 

[Leafshade]

SO YOUNG, YET SO BROKEN​

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Leaf wasn't one for games normally, spending most of his time alone unless forced to join a patrol, like today.

They were just returning when he spotted Flycatcher....following a cricket. His usual scowl would form on his maw as he watched the warrior stare with obvious amusement after the bug and Leaf was about to walk away from the silliness when the insect jumped and landed before him.

Leaf would look to it, and then up at Flycatcher, his gaze as steely and cold as usual. "Chasing bugs are we now, Flycatcher?" He would sneer, mentally flinching at how harsh he knew his words must sound, "Don't you have something better to do than take part in kitten games?"

He sounded like his father, he realized, and he would look away with a snort, "Not that I care or anything. Just...don't get in trouble for ignoring chores or whatever..." ​

 

[PLOVERPAW.]

Through half-lidded eyes Plover watched Flycatcher follow closely after a bug of some sort—perhaps a cricket, but they couldn’t tell from their distance. He seemed focused, enough so that he didn’t notice the apprentice staring at him, but Plover thought he was nice enough not to care even if he did catch them watching. They were about to question the warrior when another, colder warrior began to speak. A sharp-edged voice, matching with steely cold eyes and harsh words, threw Plover off kilter, and they hesitated. They had already been told off by enough cats older than them, and watching one warrior scold another set their heart pounding. They didn’t quite understand why, but the tom seemed to let up a bit, and the blue smoke would sigh in relief.

Finally, they stood, drifting over to stand a few tail-lengths away from the blue tabby. "Why do you chase them?" They would ask, tail flicking lazily. Perhaps this tom had more depth than they had previously thought. "Is the bug… prey to you?" They had heard of cats who lived on a diet of only bugs, one of Grebe’s old tales that seemed to be caught somewhere between fact and fiction. But for a bug-eating cat to be here in ThunderClan seemed almost impossible.
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[ PENNED BY FOXLORE ]​

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[Flycatcher]

He should have known there were bound to be a few questioning looks from his clanmates. Leaf is the first to call out to him, sneering at his decision to play a 'kitten game' as he so nicely put it. Fly rolled his eyes a little but was otherwise unperturbed by the cool words from Leaf. "Don't worry, Leaf, I don't plan to shirk my duties all day," He assured the blue point tom. "But I'm entitled to a little fun now and then."

After addressing Leaf, his green eyes moved to Plover, who was more curious about what he was doing. "It's just a game, really," Fly answered, chuckling slightly. At their question about whether it was prey, Fly had to think on the answer a little more. He had never thought of eating one before. He had eaten bugs before, usually at the urging of his elder sisters as a prank, but it wasn't really something he cared for. "Sadly, I don't think a cricket would make much of a meal," He finally said with a laugh. "Though they make good practice for hunting, don't you think? Especially for prey that's a little faster than we are like mice."​

 

[JACKDAWFLIGHT]

First he'd been worried that Plover was right – that Flycatcher actually was looking to catch crickets for lunch. Countless shudders passed through the dark warrior as he recalled the slimy feel of frogs and the nasty odour of carrionplace (he'd rarely ventured there but it was a nasty place) and he doubted that crickets would be much better tasting. He flicked his ear at Leaf's words, taking no mind to the jabs at the insect-chasing-warrior and decided instead to make his way towards the younger cats. "They'd be good for practice," he tentatively agreed, voice barely rising above a mumble when he was certain Flycatcher had no intention of eating the cricket. "Although a rather short-lived practice session if one squashes it..."
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