development DROWNING IN A RIVER OF DENIAL

[Chicky]

Waking up felt... odd. Which was weird because this morning was really no different than any other morning. It was warm. It was sunny. It smelled like the forest. Everything was normal but Chickadeepaw still felt weird. A phrase had struck with her from the previous day, a simple phrase that usually wouldn't have made her even bat an ear, but still now... now... now Chickadeepaw rotated the sentence around in her mind: She's doing really well.

A passing warrior had commented it to Whitelion: she's doing really well. It was a compliment from every angle. Chickadeepaw was doing well. Chickadeepaw was doing spectacularly, clearly, obviously, amazingly, Chickadeepaw was an outstanding student and Whitelion would do well to remember that... but how were they doing well? Were they.... doing as good as their brothers? How did they measure up compared to Duckpaw and Dovepaw? Were they just as good then? Were they doing really well because they were the most amazing apprentice who ever lived or were they doing really well but they had some catching up to do with the rest of their litter?

She's doing really well. It made their fur prickle; it made the tips of their ears go red with... frustration? Annoyance? They were just as good as their brothers, of course they were. Heck, they were better than their brothers! Ha! Take that, random warrior! Yeah, yeah, yeah! Not only were they going to get up and kick butt, they were going to get up and kick butt so hard that Dovepaw and Duckpaw were gonna come running to them for tips in kick-butt-ery at the end of the day!

Now that the most urgent of matters were handled, Chickadeepaw could get on with their day. Good. Still, as they left the apprentice's den, they could still feel those little pin-pricks of discomfort along their spine. Why did they still feel so weird?​

 

[BURNSTORM]

When his brother was called to the position of medicine cat apprentice, Burnstorm had felt a pinprick of jealousy. It was white hot and blinding, it got under his pelt and made his skin itch in a way that could never be satisfied. He had always wanted to know he had a higher purpose, know he was meant for greater, but Fireflypaw had actually been called to that greater purpose. He knew with absolute certainty that he was meant for more while Burnstorm was still left wondering, searching desperately for a sign.

Chickadeepaw is not a cat he knows well, nor does he really care to. She was loud and if he's being honest, obnoxious. It is rare to see her quiet though so when he is passing the apprentices den, his old den, he pauses when he sees her. "Fox got your tongue?" he asks, blinking golden eyes.
​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

Howlingstar intends to approach her grandson. He's been a warrior for several sunrises now, and she'd be lying if she said she hasn't been curious how he's been handling it. But before she reaches him, he halts near Chickadeepaw, asking her about her silence. Ears pricking, she idles, deciding to wait on asking him about his warriorhood and instead focus on the apprentice. "Is everything alright, Chickadeepaw?" She mews gently, a tilt to her head. Her thoughts mirror Burnstorm's - she seems awfully quiet, much more subdued than she usually is. "Not feeling well?" She's about to send the girl straight to the medicine cat's den, with that look on her face!​

 

[& RAINBOWPAW]

Rainbowkit wasn't so good at telling faces yet. They know what happy looks like– cause when he and his siblings are happy, they're warm and smiley. He knows what sad looks like, and Rainbowkit doesn't like seeing sad. They don't want anyone to be sad ever. They think Chickadeepaw's face is something sad-adjacent, but not quite. Burnstorm knows what it is. So does Howlingstar– of course she would, cause she's Howlingstar, and she has lots of kits too. Sunfreckle has lots of kits, and he always knows how they and their siblings are feeling. Rainbowkit thinks its a parent power.

Rainbowkit's not old enough yet to say anything decisive. They look between the warriors, and then Chickadeepaw's funny face. He wish he knew what the funny face meant. " Sick cats should see Berryheart. " That's something they know for sure, so they can help a little bit. They could help lots with their newfound freedom.

『 OOC 🌈 08.06.2023 』

• OOC: —
  

• 

• rainbowkit & [ raine ] [ bow ] : sunfreckle xx rabbitnose 2nd litter. littermate to sunshinekit & emberkit. younger brother to mousepaw, sparkpaw & frecklepaw.
  —— amab. they / he ; fine with gendered terms ( tom / boy / brother / etc . . . )
  —— currently 2 moons old.
  
  a typical size for their age. warm - faced and bright - eyed, rainbowkit sports boyish features and an easygoing smile. early signs of a thick ruff to come can be seen in plush cheeks and a thickening tail. sports long curling whickers and a dip of sun - red down the length of their neck.

• this is for cute purposes begone.

​