camp Bugs Life || going stir crazy

[Frostbite]

He was beginning to lose his mind. He loves his kits and doesn't mind looking after the others, but being cooped up in the nursery was beginning to drive him insane. He wanted to get out, go hunting, run a few laps around the marsh, something.

He was stiff, cramped, and even though he made sure to stretch, his body screamed at him for more. It wanted to move. Staying in a den all day was beginning to affect his eyesight as well, the daylight hurting more than it did before. He couldn't let his eyes get worse, so he gave in to his discomfort and began pacing around camp more to stimulate his eyesight and body.

It felt good to move around again, but being unable to leave camp limited what he could do. He took to doing chores like nest making, reinforcing dens and the camp walls, even tick duty. He was going to go insane if he just let himself waste away in the nursery.

He was pacing around camp, staying out of the way of everyone and still near the nursery in case he was needed. He walked at a brisk pace, eager to stretch his muscles. He wouldn't stop until he felt them ache, and when they finally did, he was content to rest in front of the nursery where he could resume watching the kits.

But he finds that he still has plenty of energy to burn and his muscles don't ache for long. Truly, this was torture. But he was the only queen in the nursery now, leaving no one else to watch it if he went for a walk with company.

He sighs, laying defeated on the ground like wet moss. Heavy and unmoving. A bug catches his eye immediately, and he watches it scuttle along with its round figure and many legs, stopping occasionally to wiggle its antennae.

"What do bugs even think about?" He asks no one in particular. He is simply in a slow descent into madness.​

 

[NIGHTSWARM]

➼ Nightswarm enjoyed the presence of bugs more than cats but they'd never admit to that outloud, no, it sounded silly and they would rather not deal with Skunktail poking fun at them or even their own clanmates. God, forbid their clanmates. They had returned from a hunting patrol and dropped off their prey on the fresh kill pile before plucking a frog from the pile noticing Frostbite from the corner of their eye and approaches deciding that they should offer him the small amphibian which they drop before nudging it forward with a paw. Their amber gaze moving from the queen to the bug that was crawling about and couldn't help but snort quietly hearing what Frostbite says. Nightswarm uses a paw to intercept the bug and allowing it to crawl onto their forelimb until it rested on their paw where the warrior would examine it carefully.

They turn their gaze to Frostbite once more and begin to speak "A simpler mindset than you and me. Survive, thrive, and then die." Which quite frankly wasn't different from them but Nightswarm didn't want to compare such a small creature to them, these bugs didn't think of leading clans, healing, and any of the other things Shadowclan and the rest of the clans do. Lowering their paw, they watch as the bug crawls off only to walk about on the earth once more. Bugs were easily killed whilst the groups of cats resisted death whenever they were able to and other times. It only took one massive thing to take on small creature. The thought of the Thunderpath and its monsters for example, Nightswarm draws in a sharp breath before speaking to Frostbite "How are you today? Aside from your sudden interest in bugs," A ghost of a smile tugging at the edge of their mouth.​

[ C'MON, C'MON, AND LOVE ME NORMALLY ]​

 

[CHILLEDSTAR.]

DON'T YOU GIVE ME UP, PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP​

---

"i hardly think bugs think at all. they simply do by instinct." they think everything acts on instinct. it didn't make sense for them not to. but bugs in particular are just that. bugs. they don't ever do anything out of their instinctual need. their eyes blink lazily before they squint towards frostbite.

"you must be awfully bored fo be picking at the brains of bugs. do the rest of us not interest you anymore, frostbite?"

they ask, with a raise of their brow.
​

 

[COMFREYPAW]

Comfreypaw remembers her mother when she was still a queen. She thinks Betonyfrost had liked it just fine, but her kithood more and more is beginning to blur the further she strays from it. She could remember some antsy feelings, stunted energy, but maybe she’s misplacing her own experiences. Regardless, she could imagine Frostbite’s boredom. Halfshade is sick and no longer helping him tend to the kits, and Forestshade, well… Comfreypaw likes Forestshade well enough, but the torbie queen spends far too much time outside of camp to be of any help to anyone. Starlingheart is in her den, with her sick son, the other two squirreled away in the nursery with the healthy kits…

And that just leaves Frostbite, now.

She draws near, watching him paw idly at a beetle. Nightswarm and Chilledstar are gathered, too, with very different receptions to Frostbite’s harmless question. Suddenly, there is tension, and that tension replaces the oxygen in Comfreypaw’s chest within an instant so that she cannot breathe. Diffuse. Diffuse. The tabby smiles so brightly it almost hurts. “Hey, c’mon! If you had to take care of as many kits as Frostbite has to, you’d start caring more about bugs too!” She places every bit of energy into the teasing lilt of her voice.

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — comfreykit . comfreypaw
  — she/her, apprentice of shadowclan
  — bisexual ; single
  — short-haired charcoal tabby with amber eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — art by Meadowllark

​

 

[Skunktail]

He stumbles into camp dramatically, nose up and with a jerk of his head as he passes by he flings his only catch of the entire venture onto the freshkill pile; oh, how that toad looked so pathetic next to the rest of it and he had spent no end of wallowing about in mud just to get it. His luck had been so dreadful recently, maybe it was just the area he was in? Perhaps next time Skunktail would make the effort to venture to new spots on the territory rather than cling to his comfort zone of familiarity. Surely that was the only problem and not him being some kind of prey deterrent. If he had the skill of his namesake he imagined he also wouldn't want to be near him but alas-his tail did nothing but look nice as it curled at its back though sometimes he wished otherwise. His clanmates were a rather miserable lot and being able to send them running with one little spray of bad scent sounded like a blessing.
The black and white tom wanders over, catching Frostbite's comment and grinning in confusion and a touch of delight at the nonsense of it. The kits weren't just draining him of milk, they were sipping up all his brain juices too it seemed! Poor guy!
Nightswarm answers in a way that is both logical and clever and he leans into his sibling's side with a friendly shove of the shoulder, "I don't know, that sounds like ShadowClan really...why survive when you can't have a good time?"
Case and point: There was Chilledstar, frosty as their namesake which was hilarious if you thought about it. Frostbite was hardly as cold and uncaring as the ice for which he was called but their leader had always been a bit of a mood dampener.
"What's interesting about most of you lot anyways? I'd rather talk about the bugs too!" His laugh rose into a hyena cackle of a sound, raising a paw to wave at poor little Comfreypaw's panicked attempts to keep the conversation light. "If you were a bug what kind would you be? Think I'd make a rather nice moth or maybe a..." Black lips curl, teeth shine mischievously, "...stinkbug."
​

 

[pinekit]

tags. ↟↟↟ Pinekit was happy to have Frostbite in the nursery even if it was driving the white warrior a little mad. Frostbite was fun and big and warm. A great queen in his eyes. Plus Frostbite didn’t mind if he curled up in his white fur for a nap whenever his own mother was away or busy.

The brown tomkit trotted out of the nursery and attempted to climb onto the back of Frostbite while the queen was laying down. This was done in a calm but obviously coyish playful way. He would sprawl himself sideways, draping over the warrior’s broad shoulders. ”Bugs don’t care about anything. I saw a beetle the other day and he wasn’t afraid of me at all,” the kitten mewed, adding his own two cents to the mix. His ears flicked upon hearing Comfreypaw. Pinekit pawed gently at Frostbite’s side. ”We make you care about bugs?” He asked inquisitively, eyes narrowing in confusion. By what Comfreypaw said taking care of so many kits might make some cats care about bugs? What’d that mean?

Skunktail arrived and whisked away Pinekit’s attention. At first a small frown of contemplation sat on his maw as he stared at the black and white cat. Pinekit wasn’t sure what to make of the high energy and cackling radiating from the warrior. ”Okay,” the kit agreed easily to continuing the conversation of bugs rather than his- apparently - unworthy clanmates, himself included. But bugs were probably more fun to talk about than himself so Skunktail was right. ”Do they really stink?” Pinekit sniffed, in reply to Skunktail. ”I would be a strong beetle bug. What would, what would all of you be? Comfreypaw, what would you be?” The kit inquired with eagerness, easily falling into Skunktail’s game. He sat up, perched on Frostbite’s back.

​

 

[Frostbite]

A simpler mindset, oh, how lucky insects are. "Technically, thats what all creatures do." He says. He doesn't want to get existential....Well, more existential than he currently is.

"I'm doing just fine, I'm simply trying to keep from going crazy. I've never had to be so still before." He says, stretching his legs out. They yearn to be used... To be running through the swamp in pursuit of prey, fighting off trespassers and literally anything other than laying cooped up in the nursery. He appreciates Nightswarm asking, though. Something about being asked about makes him feel a small flicker of warmth inside.

Pinekit comes from the nursery and drapes himself across his shoulders, giving them his wisdom. "Maybe you didn't scare him enough?" He suggests. "Or maybe he knew you wouldn't hurt him, so he carried on his way." He adds. He likes Pinekit. He's always burying himself into his fur and he can't help but melt a little inside each time.

Chilledstar believes that bugs don't think at all, that they simply act on instinct. But you have to be able to THINK to do that!! CHECKMATE, CHILLEDSTAR.

He's losing his mind, thinking about how bugs function. This is how he dies, by madness.

He contemplates the tone and squint from Chilledstar. Were annoyed, or were they joking? He couldn't quite tell. As he contemplates this, Comfreypaw comes to his defense. Yeah!! If Chilledstar had to take care of all these kits they would probably go crazy!

"It's true, all these puffballs are driving me insane, I fear my mind will soon be lost." He says with a smile, looking at Pinekit. He never expected to enjoy taking care of kits. His heart changed when his kits were born....Or maybe he simply discovered a part of himself he hadn't known before.

Skunktail arrives and he thinks about his words for a moment. Why survive when you can't have a good time....He's right, why bother with this life if it's only going to be miserable? Why be miserable when you can enjoy yourself instead??

Maybe he'll try being more carefree.

He can't help but laugh along with Skunktail. His clanmates were...Tiring sometimes. There were a few cats that came to mind that made his eyes glaze over and drained him of any energy he had when they were around.

What bug would he be..... Hm..... "I dunno about bugs.... What do you think I'd be?" He asks. "Stinkbug." He adds on with a snicker, addressing Skunktail.​

 

[COMFREYPAW]

Some of the tension leaves her body. It seems none of the cats had gotten their fur too ruffled, and little Pinekit’s innocent presence likely helps at least a little. The dark tabby turns to smile his way, then Skunktail’s. “I’d be a butterfly,” she answers. “They’re bright, and colorful, and they can fly. Wouldn’t it be neat to fly?” Fly far, far away from the sickness-infested hole their camp has become, away from the cats who look at her with pity. Because of Betonyfrost.

She giggles at Skunktail’s answer of stinkbug, then acknowledges Pinekit’s with a tender smile. “A beetle is strong, but did you know ants are even stronger, Pinekit? They pick up lots of things bigger than them.” She sweeps her tail across the ground, forcing herself to relax after her earlier near-panic, and waits patiently for Skunktail’s bug assignment for Frostbite.

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — comfreykit . comfreypaw
  — she/her, apprentice of shadowclan
  — bisexual ; single
  — short-haired charcoal tabby with amber eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — art by Meadowllark

​