development i bet on losing dogs (o, denial)

[Foxpaw!]

Foxkit sat at the edge of camp near the stepping stones, craning his neck and squinting his round orange eyes, as though doing so might allow him to see and hear further out than any warrior patrolling the territory. He stood up on his hind legs, balancing unsteadily for a few moments before topping backwards with a frustrated squeak.

He had spent many evenings in this exact spot, more often recently. When he had been brought here a moon ago, the older cats had assured him that they would keep an eye out for his mother and littermates. They had promised to tell her where he was, so she could come and take him back with her. But as the days wore on, worry flooded Foxkit's tiny head. Maybe the warriors weren't looking hard enough. Maybe they weren't sure who exactly to look for. A few times he had tried to follow them across the river, certain that he would be able to better direct them in what to search for, but each time they had shooed him back across the rocks.

So he had simply parked himself in this spot, straining his eyes and ears to search for a mother who would never come, despite her son's unwavering belief that she meant to return for him. What was taking so long? Maybe she was lost. Lots of bushes looked alike, after all. Maybe she couldn't find the one she'd left him under. Maybe she had ventured so far away in search of food that she couldn't find her way back. What if she had drowned, or been eaten by a fox, or taken away by a twoleg?

Foxkit quickly shook his head. His mother was far too smart for all of that. No way would a fox ever get her, and she kept well away from dangerous waters and pesky twolegs. She was on her way back still, surely.

// feel free to be the one to explain to him that his mother isn't coming back, its for his character development

 

[MIDNIGHTASH]

જ➶ Why did she get a sense of annoyance seeing this kit every day looking and searching across the river. Hoping against all odds for a mother who would never grace his vision again. Perhaps it is because she knows the pain of being unloved by her own mother and though she is well in the grave now the girl still feels that sting in her heat. At least she doesn't have to visit the Elder's den as frequently anymore. Her amber gaze narrows as the young kit pushes onto his hindlegs as if he will be able to see better before toppling over and she snorts at the antics before she finally gets up and makes her way over to him. Her eyes are not kind, normally such a looks is reserved for Magpie or Moth. Maybe even Osprey and so she looks like she might scold him but her gaze slowly moves off over to the river before shaking her head. "You know you might as well accept it already. It's been a full moon and no one has seen paw or tail of your mom. She isn't coming back for you. She dumped you and didn't care."

Her voice isn't sharp or anything. Just neutral as she shakes her head. "You might as well put all of this effort into becoming the best Riverclanner you can be. That way you can prove her wrong and that you were meant for great things. It'll be her loss anyway." A mother like that didn't deserve a kit anyway and she glances back down to Foxkit.​

 

[FERNGILL]

Midnightpaw and Foxkit looked quite alike, but... there was no kinlike warmth in Midnightpaw's voice. No, she just seemed... flat, unwilling to cushion her words even for a kitten. A fiery ear could not help but burn at the words, flicking to attention- an eye of solitary green hardened with disapproval at the apprentice's tone. it was one way to break the news, certainly... and the truth couldn't be concealed forever. And as Midnightpaw continued, a positive spin began to spark off of her words. Foxkit could become a great Riverclanner- and yes, in leaving him his mother had lost something special. Ferngill's heart ached furiously when thinking of it- and he approached with tentative tranquility.

"I'm sorry, Foxkit. But RiverClan will be here for you." They would all raise him up to find belonging here- RiverClan was tight as a family, always had been. Even his own gaze of emerald would loyally stick upon Foxkit, looking out for him... it was necessary, now. RiverClan could show him the care his mother had never afforded him. "You're perseverant, you're strong... and we won't leave you alone." ​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[TURTLEDOVE]

—————————————————【 riverclan | apprentice | she/her 】————————————————

【◈】Turtlepaw had no mother. She died giving birth to her. Her father died before that even. She had never felt alone, though. The queens that adopted her were so kind and treated her like one of their own. It stung sometimes to not see her parents walk around camp or to hear their praise, but she figured she got the same glow of pride whenever Snakeblink or some other warrior complimented how much she had grown.

She saw herself in Foxkit. No mother. No father. No one but the clan who took him in to give him family. As she approached, she gave Midnightpaw a rare, withering look. She could have put it a better than being "dumped". Turtlepaw shook her head and crouched beside Ferngill to look Foxkit in the eye. "Ferngill's right! We make a great family! Even if some of us" - a harsh look to Midnightpaw again - "aren't always the nicest, we really do love each other. And we'll help you grow even bigger and stronger! Someone that would make you mom proud!" She sat with the words she just spoke for a moment. Had she made her mother proud? Would they visit from StarClan one day and tell her what a good job she had done? She hopes so, for her and Foxkit's sake.

[penned by muddly].

​

 

[Foxpaw!]

Foxkit stared at them, mouth hanging slightly open. The concept that his mother was never to return had not been a possibility in his mind. She had promised. And if she had just meant to dump him...well, she wouldn't have said she was coming back! She would have left him somewhere other than a bush, like with twolegs or even just dropping him directly off at RiverClan camp! And she'd have left all his siblings too, certainly not just him.

But none of the RiverClan cats believed she was coming for him. Had they even looked for her? His eyes narrowed, blazing with fury. "You just didn't look hard enough!" he blurted, angry tears brimming in his eyes. "Let me go, I'll find her myself!" He scrambled forward across the stepping stones, stumbling as he went. He fell, saving himself from toppling into the water by spreading all four of his paws across the rock and attempting to slow slink forward.

He looked back over his shoulder, still glaring at the RiverClan cats. "She didn't leave me here. She promised she was gonna come back and get me!" She wouldn't lie to me. She wouldn't. "You're wrong!"

 

[FERNGILL]

Ferngill grimaced at the truth, and the way it seemed to settle uncomfortably in Foxkit- he was adamant, saying they were wrong, that his mother wouldn't have broken such a promise. A needle-shapr pang javelined Ferngill's heart; he couldn't imagine a mother not caring for her children. How could you let hatred glimmer in your eyes, looking at a kitten? How could you resist the love, and choose apathy instead? He let out a heavy sigh, one that grew heavier as Foxkit struggled forward, taking charge.

"Foxkit, sometimes... sometimes cats break promises." It hurt to say it... would it be better to keep on pretending? To keep Foxkit hoping, to spare him this hurt now? "It's been a long time, now." His tone was unmistakeably sorrowful. Two moons, nearly. "There are lots of cats in RiverClan- and we all looked. But I think she broke her promise."​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[MIDNIGHTASH]

જ➶ The look that Turtlepaw gives her is one that is met with her own look of annoyance. Her tail curling just slightly as she snorts a little. "At least I'm not trying to lie to him." Her voice is a snap as she shakes her head. Others might keep his head full of false hope that his mother cared about him. Obviously she didn't or maybe she did and circumstances got in the way. Regardless she is not going to be the one to keep telling him that she will come back to him. When a harsh look is thrown her way again she bites her tongue. Her claws flexing before she finally rolls her eyes. Nice? She can be plenty nice when it warrants it but this child is wasting his time on a fantasy. With a rough sigh she glances to Ferngill as he tries to make the stumbling and tripping Foxkit understand the situation and she supposes she can help at least a little it.

"She may not have even broken it on purpose. Something could have happened..." The territory is a dangerous thing and she can understand why the kit is upset but to her it is time to kove on. Time to focus on being a Riverclanner and not just some drifting riffraff.​

 

[Foxpaw!]

Foxkit's expression twisted at Ferngill's words. Sometimes cats broke promises. He said they'd all looked for her, that they'd really tried. But...had she really left him on purpose? For being too slow and too hard to look after? Just abandoned him forever under a bush without even trying to make sure he was somewhere safe? Slowly creeping back across the rocks, Foxkit stared down at his mismatched forepaws, suddenly feeling stupid. Stupid to have hoped, to have ever believed that his mother would return to him. The thought made his stomach hurt.

Midnightpaw spoke again, offering the suggestion that perhaps his mother hadn't broken her promise on purpose. His mother was too smart to run into trouble, or at least that was what he had always thought. But on purpose or not...Foxkit clenched his jaw, still not looking up from the ground. "But..." he started quietly, his small voice fading into nothing. What more could he say?

 

[claythorn]

Forgotten by a mother. That was something Claythorn knew the bitter taste of, left behind by Hazel, cast aside for the wolves. Nearly literally, if you could call a handful of cannibalistic cats 'wolves'. Claythorn watches from across camp, and while Midnightpaw's words weren't selected carefully, it was truth. Ears twitched as she looked on, careful mismatched goldens staring for a long moment before she pushed to her paws and stepped over.

"Things happen, Foxkit." Claythorn spoke, her voice not unkind. "It's not easy to forget, either. I know." She softly inhaled. "But they're right. We'll be here for you." Her tail twitched, gesturing to the other three cats gathered. "Riverclan is your family now." Claythorn spoke carefully, the cold bite removed from her words. It was rare she did that, but typical of her to do it for orphaned kits. She saw too much of herself in them.

She was still standing on the outside of the gathered circle of cats, chin tilted down into her chest to keep her eyes steadily on the upset kit.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ┌── WHO ENCRYPTED YOUR DARK ⋅❁⋅ GOSPEL IN BODY LANGUAGE? ──┐‎

• "speech"
  

• 

• CLAYTHORN she/her, warrior of riverclan, eleven moons.
  ⭃ LH chocolate torbie with mismatched golden eyes, scars across her right cheek and over her left ear. cold exterior and threatening glares, built for stamina/battle and not swimming (tall/muscled)
  ⭃ mentored by darkbranch (npc) / / mentoring no one
  ⭃ no current love interest / / only child
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​