camp Futures Made Of (Two Truths and a Lie) Virtual Insanity

[Shinebug]

A rare moment of stillness had come over Shinekit. The living shaft of sunlight wasn’t bolting around camp doing who knew what, or trying to dig a tunnel in the nursery so he could “find where the worms’ camp was”; no, for once he was sitting quietly near the prey pile, sky-blue eyes shut as he enjoyed a soft newleaf breeze buffeting flame-tinted fur.

Of course, it couldn’t last long.

The first sign came when a front paw began rhythmically thumping the earth, as if trying to draw inspiration from the ground itself. A twitching tail manifested itself soon after, and then it was off to the races. Shinekit was restless. He wanted to speak, to play, to interact. Soft eyes shot open as a solar-hued head turned to and fro, surveying the cats in camp before a sudden shout came from the child.

“Hey, let’s play that game! Lies and truths, or whatever its called. C’mon, everyone sit down!” A small sting of guilt struck him as the kit realized he was ordering around his older clanmates, so the selfish tom decided to sweeten the pot. “If you play with me, I’ll do whatever chores you guys have. Or I’ll make you a gift!” Confident that that would get at least a few people’s attention, Shinekit thought for a moment before beginning.

“I like playing mossball, I came from the sun, and my favorite food is squirrel!” a flame-tinted chest puffed with ignorant pride, confident that the others wouldn’t be able to deduce the falsehood.​

 

[LICHENPAW ❁]

.°❁ YOU TOLD ME 'BOUT NOWHERE

---

Lichenpaw bounds over to join Shinekit not long after the sunny-pelted child squeaks his declaration. He likes games, he's found, social creature that he is, and he's not opposed to playing with a kit for a little bit. The kit looks like he needs it anyway, twitchy and restless as Lichenpaw himself. He grins as he approaches the young cat, tail help high as its tip twiched back and forth. "Oh, you mean, uh, truth -- two truths and a lie, right? I've -- I've played that one before, I can join. No need to take my chores." He wants to join in after all, he doesn't need convincing. "I uh, wouldn't say no to a gift though!"

Lichenpaw gives a small, somewhat awkward laugh, and settles by Shinekit, smiling down at the younger feline. He listens intently as the kit makes the first play.

Shinekit is not a very good liar, unfortunately.

Regardless, Lichenpaw brings a dappled paw to his chin and tilts his head, as though deep in though. "Ooooh, that's a, heh, that's a hard one." He smiles wide, trying to suppress his laughter. He'll humor the kit, he thinks. Shinekit seems very proud of his deceptive skills, unearned though his confidence may be. He'll let the kid believe it for a little longer. "Hmmm... I think -- I think it's gotta be squirrel one. Yup." He peers down at Shinekit and squints his eyes, as though assessing. Then he gives a satisfied nod and settles his paw back on the ground, looking pleased with himself for figuring it out. "Yeah, you look like a, uh -- a cardinal kind of cat to me, little sun-child." There's mirth in his blue eyes as he makes his declaration, feigned certainty dripping from his words.

---

WELL IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMEPLACE I'D LIKE TO GO ! .°❁

⟪ OOC ⟫ ⟪ INFO ⟫ ⟪ REF ⟫

• //​
• LICHENPAW named for the lichen on the trees of his home.
  — he/him or they/them. 8 moons.
  — thunderclan apprentice, mentored by sunnyday.
  — bears a near-permanent nervous grin.
  
  primary character, medium-high activity. penned by saturnid.​
• 

​

 

[Shinebug]

At the acknowledgement of his offer, Shinekit suddenly seemed to become more canine than feline, fidgeting with excitement like a weird cat-shaped golden retriever. A wide smile crossed flaming features as Lichenpaw padded over, and the kit’s head nodded in confirmation at his request for a gift. In truth, the child had no idea what he’d get his clanmate. However, in his mind it seemed the proper thing to offer. After all, Shinekit was the one asking for social interaction, shouldn’t he offer something in return?

Pushing the problem of what to get Lichenpaw to the back of his mind for now, the shaft of sunlight sat triumphantly as the apprentice seemed to struggle. Maybe he needed a hint? He could eliminate one of the truths and make it a 50/50 chance, or the kit could add an extra lie to achieve the same effect…

Shinekit was so deep in thought that it took a moment for Lichenpaw’s answer to register with the tufts of flame he called ears. A hush fell between the duo, a long pause as sky-blue eyes took in his clanmate.

“Wow, you’re right! You’re good at this game.”

Yes, Shinekit didn’t think anything strange of the options he’d offered. The child had been born of the sun, at least that’s what his mother and the other queens in the nursery said. That’s why he was the color of flame, why he had so much energy, and why he was so hot all the time (though a pelt that was entirely too thick for someone so young may have had something to do with that last characteristic).

“Well, you’re half-right. My favorite food is actually mouse, not cardinal. Still, I’ll give it to you! Most big cats don’t believe me when I say I’m from the sun, so I thought that’d trip you up for sure! It’s like a reverse brain trick or something.” Realizing that the game up to this point had been rather one-sided, the sun child stopped his rambling. “So, what’re yours?”​

 

[LICHENPAW ❁]

.°❁ YOU TOLD ME 'BOUT NOWHERE

---

Well, Lichenpaw certainly wasn't expecting that. He can't hold back the bark of laughter when Shinekit says he's right. Is... is the kid trying to humor them, the way they did him? ...No, he seems serious. Oh, stars above, he's serious. This kid is adorable. He lets his giggle subside as Shinekit continues, listening intently. He likes mouse, apparently, and he says that most big cats don't believe him.

Oh, Lichenpaw is not going to be able to resist playing along. It's no harm, he thinks, the kit can keep believing it while he's young and then laugh about it when he's older. "That's silly of them," Lichenpaw declares. "I can tell just by looking at you, sun-child." Now then, as for the game...

The first time Lichenpaw played this game, he never actually got to give any lies or truths of his own. He was too new here to know anyone well enough to catch their lies, so he merely listened, learning as much about is new Clanmates as he could. He's a bit glad, truthfully, as he's not fond of talking about himself. It's easy to miss, with as much as Lichenpaw talks, but his words rarely skate close to the personal, the young tom a far more private cat than his outgoing chattiness might suggest. So he wasn't exactly looking forward to sharing about himself.

This gives him a great opportunity, though. If the kit's going to claim he came from the sun, then all rules are out the window. He can embellish a little bit. "Let's see..." he begins, a glint in his eyes. "My -- er, y'know, um. The land I'm from. It had stone trees that glowed in the night. That's one." And it's a little long, maybe he should keep them a bit more succinct. That one's a truth, of course, and pretty obvious to anyone who knows him. He knows what a streetlight is called, but he can't help having a little fun.

"I uh, well, one time I fought a bear, and -- and I also shared tongues with the um. The moon." There. That works. He swipes his claws across the air as he says the first one, then gives a small nod once he's finished speaking. His smile is wide. He's so good at this game.

---

WELL IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMEPLACE I'D LIKE TO GO ! .°❁

⟪ OOC ⟫ ⟪ INFO ⟫ ⟪ REF ⟫

• //​
• LICHENPAW named for the lichen on the trees of his home.
  — he/him or they/them. 8 moons.
  — thunderclan apprentice, mentored by sunnyday.
  — bears a near-permanent nervous grin.
  
  primary character, medium-high activity. penned by saturnid.​
• 

​

 

[Shinebug]

Sky-blue eyes drop unexpectedly at Lichenpaw’s laughter. For a few moments there is silence from Shinekit as thoughts swim to the surface. Why was he laughing? What was funny? Just as quickly as they appeared, though, the questions are gone from a tiny mind as the apprentice speaks. And like that, a wide smile returns to the talkative tomcat’s face.

“My mom says that the other cats don’t have a…” invisible eyebrows scrunch as shinekit glanced skyward, trying to remember all the syllables. “‘Mindset conducive to indulging imagination.’” He paused, going over it again in his head to make sure it was recited correctly before continuing, “whatever that means. But I’m glad you’re not one of them!”

Shinekit already liked this cat, but the boy’s appreciation grows even more as the other begins to recite his half-truths. The shaft of sunlight is enthralled, listening attentively and drinking from this poisoned Pierian spring with glee. Glowing trees? Sky-blue eyes dart around, investigating all within his knowledge to try and spot one of these fabulous pieces of flora, but to no avail. The scatterbrain snaps back to attention as Lichenpaw continues, however. And soon enough he’s left with a conundrum.

It’s easy to solve, though, and once again a flaming chest puffs forth with absolutely unearned pride. “The last one!” he squeaks, proud of his deductive reasoning skills. “The moon is super high in the sky, right? So you would need a super long tongue to clean its fur properly. Also, since its so high up, you’d need to shout really loud to talk to each other. The moon only comes put at night, so all that shouting would’ve woken everyone up!” Shinekit takes a moment to bask is his victory before leaning in close. “say…when I become an apprentice, could you take me to see those stone tree things? They sound really pretty!” ​