animals of art | intro

[batpaw]

It is a little bit cold, but not uncomfortably so, where Batpaw is crouching. There is a stretch of open land - vast, to her young perspective - between her and the fence that marks the edge of Twolegplace. If things had gone just slightly differently, she would probably be crouching on the other side of that fence, the distance kept the same, and staring at the forest with as much curiosity as her green eyes shine with now. She would have name like Stephanie or Jet or Kitty, and one of those noisy, shiny bells on a collar, and no where near as many friends. She quite enjoys being on this side of the fence and making the shadow of a tree darker.

A dark tail wraps around dark paws, like she can keep them in place. She doesn't want to be a kittypet, or even a daylight warrior, but the light in her eyes isn't just sunlight; the world on the other side of the fence intrigues her. This doesn't say much about Batpaw. The life of a bug intrigues her (how do they live under rocks and tree bark and everywhere she goes?). But unlike bugs, she could find out how kittypets live if she really set her mind to it. It would be only a really very short walk to peek through the fence.

Batpaw snakes out a paw from the coverage, tapping it about in the snow.
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[FOXGECKER]

"Petit enfant, what are you doing way out here, hm?" The gentle tones of the tom sounds from the branches of the tree. His brilliant blue gaze shifts as he looks at the fence that marks the beginning of Twolegplace. Once he lived there with his own twolegs, once he had a home that quickly replaced him and so he left. When he met Rain he discovered his own purpose, something greater than himself and he has never looked back since then. His heart and soul has always been to Skyclan. From the pain of their deaths to the celebrations of new apprentices and warriors to come. It's invigorating if he has to be honest and he smiles lightly as he scrapes his way down from the tree. Landing with a gentle thud upon the ground he shakes himself, wincing at his back. Ah, old injuries do him no good.

Still he is amused by the curious look in Batpaw's eyes and a gently nudge he gives to her as he sits down beside her. Curling his tail against his healing form he sighs softly. "Some say that kittypets live comfortably. But they do have to contend with dogs, rogues, and other...unsavory things." Like monsters big and small. It is a interesting life to say the least.​

 

[BEARHEART]

(

) Being so close to twolegplace again had Bearheart feeling somewhat flighty. There was a tightening in his chest that threatened to overwhelm him, but he strived to conquer that part himself. Something which was easier said than done. However, the sound of a voice nearby offered a distraction from the dark thoughts and he found himself drifting towards the source. That's when he found Foxgecker and Batpaw. The fat tom blinked slowly in greeting as he joined them. "Hey now, don't go scaring the kid. How about talking about some of the positive things, like the plentiful food, warm places to curl up, and endless snuggles." He wasn't sure if the need for positivity was for the sake of the apprentice or more for him. It wasn't something he really wanted to unravel at that moment.
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[DAWNGLARE]

His quest for poppy seeds is what leads him oh-so far from the usual grounds he prowls. Teetering on the edge of the pine forest, drifting towards his former home. He's but a hop, skip, and a jump away, white paws smattering against the snow-laden ground. Nearly, it's like he sinks into sun-touched void, the ground floats somewhere where he cannot see, but he feels it all the same. The whispers never changed, even if they sit muffled. It's not like there's one-way to listen, anyhow. No, it's a matter of practice, something-something... An ear to Her heart...

Oh, talking. That sickly beast, his speech frightening, his looks even more so (inferior mimicry, attempt to replace). He speaks to a little shadow. Spilling nothing but lies, surely. With the dip of weight from frayed face and burning flesh, Dawnglare is left alone on his branch. Claws click and peel at the frayed bark. "Kh–" cut off by a sneeze, his arrival is announced. A frosted cloud puffs thick in the air, strains with his effort. "Oh, please. I contend with nothing," feverish hiss, declaration to no one, no, declaration to him. His gaze is sharp, burning into the back of his blood-soaked head. At least, blood-soaked in appearance, but soon to be reality, oh, he hopes.

He readjusts himself. The branch bends with along with him. The smile he wears is crude, barely there, made up of smashed, bitten lips. He doesn't know why they're even speaking of this, truly. But now, now– Another sneeze. "I had a million little things wh-when I stayed within their walls. And what do you have? Nothing." Know you are nothing, little shadow. And neither was he, nor the other one, big and yellow... Clicking against bark, his back claws scrabble against the brittle edge.

[ Dawn: And I took that personally. ]​

 

[batpaw]

Her paw pulls back instantly at the sound of a voice above, though she hardly has time to look for the warrior in the trees before he is beside her in the tree's shadow. Less time to think of an explanation for her being here, as, despite her large ears, it takes her a moment to process Foxgecker's question. "I'm just - thinking. About an almost-life," Batpaw admits, a little sheepishly, peering up at the tom. As he goes on her ears fold back slightly, bashful, the realisation that she could've just asked her clanmates about kittypet life setting in. That would have been so much simpler!

"Really?" A quiet, not-quite question in response to the dangers kittypets face. To be challenged by dogs and rogues and more without a clan, or even training, to help sounds terrifying, and Batpaw is a little relieved to hear Bearheart agree. And even more relieved to here the good things about being on the other side of the face. Having never lived through newleaf, the idea of plentiful food is novel. Her ears perk back up and she pushes herself a little taller. This time, there's excitement in her voice when she says, "Really?"

She opens her mouth to ask Bearheart for more information, please, on these warm snuggles and endless food, but a sneeze cuts her off. She cranes her head back to look in the trees, this time having the opportunity to look for the tom, and her attention lands on Dawnglare. Batpaw shuffles so she can look at him without him being upside-down. He contended with nothing. Foxgecker was wrong? "That sounds nice," she says, genuine, looking between Bear and Dawn, willfully ignoring the differences in their tones, "Maybe I'll have something, someday, too!"
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[sheepcurl]

Sheep follows after Dawnglare, from the underbrush below she appears in slight confusion, blinking at the gathered group. Batpaw seems to be contemplating something with a shine in her eyes that only speaks of curiosity in younger cats and … When Dawn speaks Sheep unfortunately has to agree. She was a daylight warrior once. Lead warrior now, she has to stop and comprehend how far shes come for a second. Once just a sleepy little kittypet that showed up whenever and now a… Wow.

“They do sort of have it better in there.” it wasn’t a lie. Skyclan was fighting against starvation and other clans, the kittypets didn’t have to worry about any of this. She finds herself missing her twolegs, yearning to visit them. Would they freak out at her scars, would they rush her to the scary twoleg? A frown. “But nothing beats Skyclan, cariño.” teasing, but it held truth. The life of a kittypet was split between two kinds of cats: one that was let out by their twolegs and the other, the one that is trapped inside.

Sheep isn’t sure she could defend the kittypet life, shes glad being here. She hopes Batpaw’s curiosity stays as curiosity. Eyes flicked over each member of the group, it seemed like all of them had had twolegs at one point, too. Huh. Small world.

 

[BEARHEART]

(

) Bearheart was already preparing to share more about the positive aspects of his former life when Dawnglare arrived, the presence of the other rendering the fat tom momentarily quiet. The Siberian wasn't entirely sure how to feel about the older tom, though he was of the census that he found the guy somewhat creepy. His uneasy stare betrayed his inner feelings but he was swift to bring his focus back to that of Batpaw. "You know what, yeah, maybe you will. Life carries with it many paths, right? Besides, it's good to imagine, it keeps the mind sharp!"

It's then that Sheepcurl arrived and she offered up her words of wisdom, but Bearheart finds himself not in agreement. SkyClan was great, yes, but he wouldn't say that it was the life to lead. If somehow, some way his late owner reappeared among the living once more and called his old name he wouldn't hesitate to run back into her loving arms. "Depends on who you ask..." He finds himself murmuring the words as he casts his gaze elsewhere, not willing to look the others in the eye during that moment.
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