camp Living well is just a privilege // RTA

[Marigoldpaw]

Marigoldkit sits by himself in the nursery, as per usual. The scowl on his face could almost been seen as his permanent facial expression with how damper his mood has been as of late. The spreading sickness in the clans wasn’t easy for anyone, least of all those actually infected. But despite being healthy, he’s still not satisfied in any sense of the word. He feels…inadequate? On top of the frustration from being stuck in the nursery still.

He’ll be an apprentice soon, very soon, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t frustrated he can’t do more for his family. They really didn’t have to take him in, and very well would have been in the right if they just left him to die that day, and yet they still decided his life was worth it to save. He’s young, sure, but he’s ready to get out there and give it his all. It’s the least he could do.

With how panicked every clan is right now, it’s no surprise it’s rubbed off on him too. Despite wanting closeness, he’s been trying his best to avoid most cats at any cost. The last thing he needs right now is to get sick, right when freedom is near. It hasn’t made his sour mood improve any, though.

Marigoldkit accidentally grumbles out loud to himself, barely noticing that he did so since he’s so wrapped up in his own head. His newly turned cyan eyes widen as he realizes his vocalized frustration, hoping no one noticed. He hates explaining himself…​

 

[PEBBLESTEP]

It wasn't fair that so many good cats had fallen sick to yellowcough. He could train his scrawny body and pathetic mind for moons, grow them to a point where they wouldn't be a burden to his wildborn clanmates, but there was nothing Pebblestep could do against sickness except for pray (and that never seemed like enough). With his head and shoulders sloping low, the young warrior waddled through camp, tail twitching in anticipation of an apology. He figured he would have to give someone a 'sorry' sooner or later, guilt gnawed at him like beavers at wood the longer he found himself without a productive thing to do. Senses heightened by a passive sense of dread, Pebblestep nearly jumped out of their skin at a distinctively sour grumble, jumping sideways with copper eyes wide as he stared down at the one who'd voiced such a complaint. His ears flattened and a paw tucked itself close to his chest for protection. "I am so, so sorry!" He pleaded, bowing his head in defeat. The lilac tom wasn't entirely sure what he'd done wrong, but he figured he would guess right the first time - it never occurred to him that Marigoldkit may have been lost in his own thoughts.

"I was in your way, wasn't I? Please forgive me, I was being selfish. I can leave if you want." His heart was beating against his ribcage, waiting for his sentence from the cream mink. Was he to be cast out back to the Twolegplace for inconveniencing a child? Or would he be forced to do apprentice duties again? Pebblestep did his best to steel himself against whatever judgment the kitten would pass, eyes falling into a resigned state and frown sombrely twisting.

​

 

[Sunfreckle]

Marigoldkit was a kit he was fond of enough, they had been a welcome presence in the nursery and friendly with his own kits and himself enough that he had developed a habit of keeping an eye on him even though another queen was technically in charge of their wellbeing. But that was how clanlife worked, really, you watched everyone even if they weren't family because the clan was a unit of its own. Not every kit was his, but he was responsible for every kit and it was as simple as that. Sunfreckle watched the mink kit wander to the outside of the nursery to sit and quietly added up the moons since he was found in his head, it didn't take a particularly smart cat to figure out what he might be thinking about; becoming an apprentice was a big moment in a kit's life. He's considering going to sit with him and talk when he hears the growl, tiny and frustrated and he can't help but smile in amusement at it. The life of a kitten was surely a struggle and the sound encourages him to stand and wander over in time to see Pebblestep apologizing and panicking over what he supposed the other assumed was a growl of anger at himself. From a kitten.
Sunfreckle sighs, but in a way that is more entertained than genuinely exasperated. "Pebblestep, relax, come sit with us." He settles finally, plopping down heavily next to the point kit and looping his great plume of a tail out around him but not touching, acting as a great furred wall instead.
"Marigoldkit, what has you so out of sorts hm? Do you want to talk about it?"
​

 

[Marigoldpaw]

Marigoldkit really didn't expect anyone to take his angry musings as directly aimed towards them, so when Pebblestep automatically assumes that he was upset with him, he can't help but laugh. "No, no! It's not you. I barely even noticed you were there! You're not selfish at all." He doesn't feel the need to apologize any more than that, so he's put to ease by Sunfreckle stepping into the conversation as well, his presence a comforting one to the young tom. He relaxes some as the red tabby's tail surrounds him, taking a moment to breathe and ease the tension in his bones.

"I...guess I do. It might sound a bit stupid though." His mother still has a grip on him even as she abandoned him, it seems. "I'm impatient! I know I'm young and all, but I wanna help! And I know I'll be able to soon, but...what can an apprentice really do? I wanna help figure out all this sickness stuff!" Is there much a cat as inexperienced as him can even do to achieve that? Not really. It's not like he's a medicine cat, anyways. "I wanna be useful...and I'm...scared that I'll get kicked out if I'm not good enough." There's no basis for his fear, he realizes; but all the same, it's still there.​

​

 

[& RAINBOWPAW]

Marigoldkit was a friend. Though that bar wasn't very high, but Rainbowkit doesn't see why it should be very high. Everyone in the nursery was their friend, and everyone outside of it too. Before Marigoldkit says anything, he's clearly grumpy, because of the grumpy face he was making – Rainbowkit can glimpse it from where they sit by their father's legs. They think that Sunfreckle notices it too, and Rainbowkit follows the moving mound of red fur as he moves, the tail he's grown into swaying all the while.

Marigoldkit is so ferocious that he manages to scare a full grown warrior. Rainbowkit blinks at him, impressed. Poor warrior. They didn't do anything. " Marigoldkit's mad... " they explain to them. Not at the warrior, but at something else, he thinks. resting his head on his fathers side, Rainbowkit looks expectantly at Marigoldkit.

The other kits seem to think so much about being an apprentice. Rainbowkit doesn't really think about it at all. He was worried he wouldn't be a useful apprentice? " Apprentices do lots of things, I think, " Rainbowkit tells them. " They talk about it a lot. " Or maybe complain was a better word for it... It didn't sound all too fun. It's a problem that Rainbowkit doesn't really understand, but he would like Marigoldkit to feel better. " You'll be the most useful of all, I bet. No one would ever kick you out, promise. " They couldn't really promise that, but they were pretty sure, anyways. Howlingstar has never done something so mean.

『 OOC 🌈 09.05.2023 』

•  

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• 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 3 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.

​

 

[Sunfreckle]

The red tabby smiles warmly, folds his tail in closer in comfort now that he realized it was not a bother - touch was something some cats were sensitive to, a fact he was terribly aware of despite it being how he expressed himself wholeheartedly. Rainbowkit waddling over to join them earned an approving nod, the younger kit spoke with such assuredness it was hard not to simply agree and leave it at that but he did need to say something in regard to it.
"Your duty as an apprentice is to learn, to strive to improve yourself. You leave this sickness worrying to us warriors, hm? You'll need all that extra effort in keeping your mentor on their toes!" Sunfreckle chuckled, he wondered who the young point would be assigned to and was somewhat sad he would not get an apprentice himself until several more moons.

"But you need not worry. Howlingstar is a kind cat. She would never kick a cat out who was doing the best they could. Even if the best is not what you think it should be, the fact you try, that you put heart into it, is all she cares for. You will improve if strive to keep going, that's the pure and simple fact of it."
Marigoldkit was a loner born child, it made sense for him to worry that he would be cast away if he did not fulfill some purpose and it was the same fear his former apprentice had before he vanished; he hopes dearly wherever Shallowpaw is that he is happy and safe, but he also hopes Marigoldkit will not share the same fate. That he will stick it out and become a warrior in time. Sunfreckle had not lied, Howlingstar did not simply throw cats away, she put her faith in him of all cats at times, a member of her council and an alarmingly average warrior and hunter at best. She even offered mercy and a chance to redeem himself to Sunnyday despite the other spitting in her face in response time and time again. He knew no cat more caring than the elderly leader, he knew no cat with more heart.
"Enjoy your final days as a kit, Marigoldkit. Go play, have fun and make sure your fur is neat when the day comes to be given your apprentice name." His head dipped, tongue rasping over the kit's head to smooth his fur back.

​

 

[Marigoldpaw]

Rainbowkit joining the three of them and giving him words of encouragement, he can't help but smile at the younger kit. There's obvious uncertainty in their words as there's no doubt they knew even less about how the clan functions than him, but he wants to believe that he's not going anywhere and will be an amazing apprentice solely because Rainbowkit thinks so. How could he let his friend down? The kit was one of Marigoldkit's favorite cats in general, even if he wouldn't say it out loud, so he's glad to hear that they have so much faith in him.

He's glad to have Sunfreckle here to quell his doubts, too. It's true that there was little time before he would be busy for the rest of his life, so he might as well relax and enjoy it while he still can. He'll miss sharing a den with the lead warrior's kits, but it's not like he has to stop hanging out with them altogether. He'll do his best with them in mind. He'll even make sure to save some time to keep them company, until they get their own mentors.

"You're right. I have so much pent up energy, I bet my mentor won't be able to keep up!" Marigoldkit chuckles. "I'll try my best to keep improving too when I'm an apprentice. I'll always put in effort for the sake of the clan, even if it's something like taking care of the elders. Thanks for helping me feel better, though." He winces at first as he's licked by Sunfreckle, but quickly settles and gives a little giggle before returning his attention to the other tom's child. "You too, Rainbowkit. I bet you'll be an awesome apprentice! It won't be too long before we might be able to train together."​