camp I Was Born In New York City (open) On A Monday

[Earthsoul]

Ever since joining Skyclan, Soil felt like there was a chain tied to him. Well, if he was being more accurate, the chain got tied to him approximately an hour before joining. Clumsy steps had caused a sprain, and the energetic old man had been confined to camp until it was healed. Impatience hadn’t been tempered with age, and every morning he would test how his paw was healing, inevitably ending with a grunt of pain as he tried to walk with all his weight.

This morning, though, it was different. Soil took one step, then another, and the second he realized that there was no pain the early-riser shot out of camp like a rocket. Until his return in the early afternoon, the other members of Skyclan could’ve been forgiven for thinking that the eccentric old man had been a collective figment of their imaginations. However, any worries would be dashed when Soil staggered back into camp with a veritable feast. Admittedly he might’ve overdone it, huffing and wheezing as he was, but the proud tomcat would never admit it.

Soil staggered to the prey pile and threw down what he’d caught, tired emerald eyes beaming with pride. The old man had a chip on his shoulder about his age and he wanted nothing more than to silence rumors about being just another mouth to feed, whether they were real or not. “Eat up, y’all!” He shouted, happy to have an outlet for his energy after so long. “I may not’ve introduced myself to everyone yet, but my name’s Soil! I’m happy to work with y’all.” ​

​

 

[Lionsnarl]

"LIFE DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN THE SINNERS AND THE SAINTS"​

Age had never been a concern until recently. It creeped up slowly - the steady realization of Foxgecker's growing exhaustion, the quiet acceptance that Morningbird could do as much as he wished - and then suddenly, it was upon him with Leopardcloud's death. With the knowledge that youngsters that he had baby-sat once - Squall, Red, Ember - were adults now, warriors, veterans, and oh-so grown. He didn't feel old.... until he did. But surely, it was nothing compared to the actual elders of the clan.

Morningbird and Soil were perhaps the oldest cats the ginger king had ever known and yet... here was the latter, yowling with his old man wheeze caught in his throat. The ginger king had to crack a smile.

"Catch all this yourself?" Came the king's almost-polite tease.​

✦ ★ ✦​

 

[HUCKLEBERRY]

( ☼ ) man, some of these days it feels like you blink once and suddenly there's a new face in camp to greet you! while it isn't in overwhelming numbers, those that do migrate into their ranks won't ever go unnoticed for long by the ever attentive huckleberry.

today's lucky stranger was an old soul patched brown and white who went by the name of soil, he is perhaps up there in age with wise old morningbird but seemed to have a little more pep in those lanky limbs than the other elder seeing as he just came back with something for the pile.

as huckleberry approached he gave a friendly trill of greeting towards the ginger king himself before focusing his gaze on the older man, tufted ears sitting up a little higher on his head at the way he spoke. it honestly reminded him a bit of home which sparked a bout of curiousity inside of him. "mighty fine catch ya got there soil! ah'm huckleberry 's a real pleasure to meet ya." a warm purr would be tacked on with his words before he contiuned. "say, just curious but were you a barn cat?" ​

( i hear the wandering streams and the song of the birds )

 

[Earthsoul]

Tired emerald eyes lit with energy as Soil saw the approach of cats, both strangers to him (which made it all the better). The first one to pad forwards was young - then again, almost all cats were young in his view - and shot out a snarky remark. It was an attempt to get under the elder’s fur, half-hearted as it may be, but it didn’t bother the old cat. In fact, graying features broke into a smile at the jest. “See anyone else?” He retorted before continuing, “Could’ve been more, though. Haven’t hunted in trees for a while, but the basics came back easy enough.” His slow, almost rambley style of speaking would’ve gotten on any impatient cat’s nerves, but that was just who he was.

Once Huckleberry spoke, the well-traveled warrior couldn’t help but feel a slight weight lift from his shoulders. As childish as it was, Soil had been worried that he’d be the odd tom out in Skyclan when it came to his speech. It might’ve been strange, but the old-timer was glad to find someone who sounded like him. “Pleasure’s mutual, friend!” He purred before stifling a huff of laughter at the other’s question. “I’ve been just about everything” He started, getting caught up in memories once again. “Alley cat, forest cat, plains cat, house cat-“ The oak-furred tom’s features briefly scrunched up at the thought of kittypet life. “Didn’t stay like that for long, mind you. But yes, I’ve lived in a fair few barns over the moons. Always found nice folks in ‘em, but they let in the cold something awful during leaf-bare.” Emerald eyes suddenly sparkled with realization as Soil asked, “Were you a barn cat? You strike me as the type. Y’know, nice and all.” ​

 

[Stagkit]

REACHING FOR THE SUN​

---

He's sitting nearby, in a ray of sunshine that ignites the clearing. Stagkit watches Soil enter the camp with jaws full of prey, the kitten's head half tilted as he watched on with large, rounded eyes that glimmered curiously. Stagkit doesn't know who Soil is. He also doesn't know what a barn cat is, which his wide ears pick up on as the conversation progresses. The only word he thinks he understands is 'forest cat', because the child was certain that he fit that criteria. They were surrounded by trees, after all!

Stagkit doesn't seem to grasp that staring was probably rude, so of course his eyes still rest upon Soil. Even though the youth says nothing, it's clear that he's listening to the conversation.​

 

[MORNINGPAW ☆]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

One day, when Morningpaw - kit, then - had been away in ThunderClan, Soil had shown up in her father's Clan. Older, though not as old as Mushroomkit's grandfather, and Morningpaw had mistaken him for another elder until today. He brings in mouthful after mouthful of fresh-kill. She's astonished. Although leaf-bare isn't among them, and SkyClan seems to be doing better with prey than ThunderClan, she hadn't even realized that much food still existed in their cooling woods.

She settles her plush patchy bulk beside Stagkit, listening with pricked ears as Soil explains his origins. She knows what a barn cat is because Huckleberry is one, but otherwise... "Were you ever a kittypet?" She asks, innocence clear as river water shining in blue eyes. It's not a barbed question; after all, her father was a kittypet only moons ago!

She notices Stagkit's eyes are huge and strange, trained on Soil without blinking. She coughs under her breath to him, "Stagkit, blink! Your eyes are gonna hurt and get all dry."

- ,,​

​

 

[Earthsoul]

Emerald eyes flitted to the side as the elder noticed Stagkit’s presence. The kit that their deputy had saved seemed to be doing well, but whenever he saw the little one, all Soil could think of was the carnage of that day. “His mother…” The graying grandpa thought to himself, eyes meeting the two dinner plates staring back at him for a while before calling out. “Stagkit, come get closer t’me! All this cold can’t be doing a youngster like you any good, after all. My fur’s been warm enough for me for over a hundred moons, ‘bout time I share it!” It was an excuse, but Soil didn’t much care. He didn’t want the small kit all on his own, lest another calamity strike.

Admittedly, the elder felt some small relief when Morningpaw went to sit next to the silent kit, and an aging mind was able to turn away from tragedy and back towards the conversation. Unfortunately, tragedy struck seconds later when the apprentice asked her question. A good-natured groan left him as embarrassing memories were dug up. “For a small amount of time, yes,” he started, “though it felt like ages.”

a blanket of silence briefly enveloped Soil as he tried to remember the finer details. “Must’ve been…seventy, seventy-five moons ago now? I’d been living near a twolegplace for some time, and made friends with the kitttypets there. Nice folk. Well, they kept trying to convince me to get myself some twolegs. ‘Course I said no, but once leafbare came I…not proud of it, but I changed my mind. I could handle normal leafbares, but this one was bad. Felt like I was freezing most every day, and the prey might as well’ve packed up and moved themselves.”

The old man cringed for a moment before continuing. “So, I did what I had to do. Made myself all nice and presentable for some twolegs that took care of a friend of mine. They were nice folk, too, I have to admit, but living with them was rough. Kittypet food tastes like rocks, and they put a collar on me! Y’know what I had to answer to? Tumbleweed. Tumbleweed! Never in my…ugh, I’m gettin’ off topic. My plan was to wait until leafbare passed and then run away. Something that should’ve taken three moons turned into six! Those twolegs were vigilant, it took ‘em a lot longer to slip up then I thought it would. Six moons if my life I ‘aint never getting back.” The elder sighed, finally finished with his story. ​

 

[Stagkit]

REACHING FOR THE SUN​

---

The youth turns his wide eyes upon Morningpaw for a moment, remembering to blink with the given reminder. He doesn't really know her either, but then... he's still new to SkyClan. There were plenty of faces around, but not many names he could recall. Perhaps he was lucky to be so young, soon enough the day he had been found by that patrol would be little more than a hazy dream. Stagkit does pad clumsily closer to the older cat though, as he had directed, though those owlish eyes were still locked upon Soil as he went on the tell his story.

"What's a twoleg-place? And what's a leaf-bare? And what's a collar?" Stagkit questions, because naturally, there was only one way to learn. "Why did they call you Tumbleweed? What's a tumbleweed?" This might have been the most words young Stagkit had spoken at once since his arrival.​