Turnip had been spared, all things considered. She was still a clumsy and irresponsible cat in the eyes of many, she was a kitten at heart, and her father returned safely from the battle. But, she knew. She knew her own family's security could not be said for others.
Lives were lost. Though they walk amongst the stars now, they no longer were able to play with her or grow old. Kits were left parentless, mates were left on their lonesome. Needless bloodshed, and for what?
Turnip had wanted to be an optimist. She had wanted to be able to see hope in the path ahead. But she could not. Darkness loomed ahead of her, and she couldn't see the light. There was nothing to be done by a clumsy little tortoiseshell who tripped over her own paws and went rolling downhill once.
A sigh left her lips and she tried to force an idea onto the tip of her tongue. "Maybe I could...?"
Nothing.
Another sigh. Turnip got up, and immediately stumbled and tripped, tumbling over herself and squealing as she made a fool of herself.
"Waaaah!"
Embarassment for her would at at least make someone else smile, right? Yes, that had been her plan all along!
The pep talk she was going to give herself afterwards would be a long one...
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ On a day long ago, Haze had met his father.
Shrunken from lack of milk, pressed against his littermate's scruffy and dirty gray fur, he had cried. His cries had been shrill. Starving. Sad. Someone had left them and was not coming back. He does not remember who that someone was--a mother? A Twoleg?
What he does remember is a broad silver shape emerging from behind him like the sun behind the clouds. A warm expression, a soft voice, the gentle touch of a cat's tongue to his ears. Haze had been drawn to him even as a frightened child, and had never left his side since. From place to place, they'd traveled, and Rain had brought them new siblings, new friends, new territories.
How could he just be gone?
Haze lies in camp the way he had only a few suns ago. His white belly had been upturned, like a flower seeking the heat, full of prey and comfortable. He'd felt relaxed. He'd felt happy, like this was a place he belonged and would always belong.
But that can't be true anymore, because Rain isn't here.
The silver and white tabby's eyes are dull. He's not groomed himself since he had limped home behind the others, hind leg stiff, fur matted with blood. Since he'd seen the ghost of his father descend from the stars and claim they must have peace.
Haze doesn't believe in peace anymore. Where that was once a sleepy warmth is a fire, a fire that is hateful and growing. Briar. The albino. The tortoiseshell with the ice-colored eyes who had killed Rain.
He wants to see them all suffer. He wants to see them all dead.
Frazzled whiskers twitch as his sunken expression focuses on a younger cat. She stumbles and trips on what seems to be nothing. Still full of life. Her parents had returned, he remembers, in tact. But is that a reason to begrudge her?
He thinks about Cosmos, how he'd fretted for his brother's return. Wonders how he's doing.
No, he will not be sour, not for the young. They don't deserve to be under the graycast skies that will be Haze's for the forseeable future.
He forces himself to snowy paws and closes the gap between them. Makes himself smile. He does not know how he does this; he hopes it does not look as unnatural as it feels. "Need some help, kiddo? Bet they felt that collision all the way to Twolegplace."
Bug had been lucky. She didn't lose anyone in the war, nor did she have to fight in it. Too young, they'd told her. It irks her at first, having to stay behind while her friends and family risked their lives. She wanted to help. But then the kits started fretting, worrying about their parents and older siblings who were in the war. It'd been her duty then to help them. She told jokes and sang stupid songs until her voice was hoarse. She did what she could to make them smile.
She still remembers the sight of the soldiers limping back to camp, covered in bruises and bitemarks and blood. She recalls that moment of horror when she realized that the war patrol was smaller than the one that had left. Naive optimism had led her to believe that everyone would be fine, that they'd win and come marching back, victorious.
But life doesn't work that way.
The young feline is snapped from their thoughts by one of their denmates. Misty eyes turn onto Turnip, the slightest twitch of their whiskers following the other's clumsy mistake. Haze comments that the collision must've been felt all the way in Twolegplace, and Bug forces a laugh. They all need a little humor, something to lift their spirits before they fall into the trap of cynicism. Or maybe Bug is using this opportunity for themselves as a way to escape from reality by laughing and joking.
"Haha, zing! Try not to cause any earthquakes," she pads over to them, her gait noticeably less bouncy than usual. Yet she still scrunches her nose, her tail curling. "We're gonna have to rename you Trips-a-lot if you keep that up!" She laughs at her own joke, aiming to give Turnip's shoulder a playful nudge.
It took a moment for Turnip to get up, gather her thoughts, and realize she was, in fact, being spoken to. Her pelt felt hot, embarrassment spreading all over her body. Averting her gaze away from both Haze and Bug, she forced herself to laugh at her own expense.
"Ahahaha, yeah!" She giggled, letting out a tiny little squeak when she was given a playful nudge. She flinched back and once again went stumbling back. As she forced herself up once again with a sigh. "Maybe Trips-a-lot WOULD be a better name for me..." It was routine at this point. A routine Turnip didn't like, but persisted with anyways. After all, it seemed like her calling within the group. And that was fine. If others could smile... that would be fine.
Bug's smile falters when she notices the less-than-joyful expression on Turnip's face. She's always had a habit of taking her teasing a little too far, and she always feels bad afterwards. Blinking, the chocolate calico moves to help Turnip back up after the other molly stumbles from Bug's nudge. "Hey, you'll find your balance! And even if you don't... I'm sure there's other things that you're way better at!" She smiles again, this time with sympathy.
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