MICROWAVE POPCORN | arachnid friend

[BATSHRIEK]

"GUESS WHAT, I'M THE DEVIL HERSELF"​

The day has gone by quickly, much too quickly for their taste. They've been busy with patrols and hunting all day long, darting between patches of shade to avoid the harsh glare of the sun above. Her hunting today has been less successful than usual, which is disappointing, really. They were hoping to bring back a bit of prey for their fellow SkyClanners, but a couple mice is better than nothing. She's headed back to camp after their latest unsuccessful round of hunting, limping slightly from a rough tree dismount. Their paw twinges mildly with each step, but Batshriek doesn't think it's bad enough to complain about. Stars forbid someone hear them complaining and drag the medicine cat over to "care" for her. Just her luck, the weirdo would try and force her to go to the medicine den, where the ill cats stay. They'll tough it out.

Up ahead, something moves across the ground, and they jolt, ready to give chase to another fast-moving mouse. But when they stalk closer, the creature comes into better view, and they can’t help but laugh at themself—their eyesight isn’t that bad, right? The shadowed feline tilts their head down, squinting at the creature that sits at their paws. Upon closer inspection, its body is small and compact, and the creature has long, spindly legs sprouting off from the small ball that is its central body. Mismatched eyes blink slowly as the creature runs one of its willowy legs through what appears to be a pair of large fangs. Much like a cat, this tiny monster is. She mirrors the movement, licking a paw and running it over her face. "Oh... What are you, fellow?"
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[Snowpath]

He was not allowed out of camp, he was too small and easily sized to be carried away by some predator, but as long as he was with his mother it was fine. Daisyflight did not take them far from the camp's edge often and always insisted they remain closeby to play which he was very good at doing, but today there was a sound that disturbed his silent picking up of rocks and stacking them into tiny dens for his imaginary little clanmates to live in. The sound of another voice that was not his mother or siblings. Snowkit dropped his rock, turned to wander over to the brush where he spotted the telltale signs of a black and white cat crouched close to the ground; vaguely recalling they were a clanmate and wondering what it was they were doing. The pale kitten wriggled forward in a similar crouch, golden eyes turning to the others paws where before them some strange black mass of little sticks perched.
"That kinda looks like the shiny shell I found once...but...leggier." He was referring to his cicada shell he'd found and given to Greenkit, but Batshriek wouldn't know that and he did not elaborate.
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[Daisyflight]

"SUREFIRE, YEAH, THE SETTING SUN WANTS COMPANY"​

Having already put in her time hunting, Daisyflight had settled that afternoon in taking her kits out to explore. Idle paws scooped at her ears, ensuring each fur was in place. Following the uneven gait of Batshriek with an inscrutable gaze, the molly caught sight of the creepy crawly they stood over. The neutral expression morphed swiftly into distaste, tail rapping against the earth.

" 'Leggier' is very apt Snowkit, spiders are a flimsy, many-legged pest. Their webs make for an annoying groom." She shuddered at the thought of the viscous, clingy material amongst her pelt. "Are you... partial to them Batshriek?" A question, intoned with a playful caution was lobbied at the ink-splashed feline.​

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[BATSHRIEK]

"GUESS WHAT, I'M THE DEVIL HERSELF"​

The child who approaches them first brings a crooked half-grimace to their face at first. They’ve watched too many unsuspecting, harmless bugs get crushed beneath the careless paws of young cats. But Snowkit doesn’t crush the creature, and instead drops into a similar crouch to inspect it. "A shiny shell with legs," they chuckle, smiling at the child. Batshriek isn’t considering that the child is talking about a bug’s shell—their mind is flashing with images of a clam’s shell with long, spindly legs. They don’t quite see the connection, but they’re willing to keep quiet for the sake of this surprisingly gentle child.

Daisyflight’s question perks her up, and she turns to regard the deputy with bright eyes. "Yeah, I like them, their webs make good decorations." It’s almost the exact opposite of what Daisyflight says, and that brings a toothy grin to the black and white cat’s face. But she does agree—sometimes getting their webs out of their fur is a horribly annoying task. For a nice-looking nest full of spiderwebs, they have to run the risk of getting their pelt messy. And since allowing others to groom her fur is out of the question, she’s had to get used to the feeling of webs on her own tongue. "I’ve seen these guys before, but I don’t know what they’re called. I don’t think it’s a spider, though. They don’t make webs." She tips her head to an almost comical angle, one of her legs trembling underneath the weight she shifts upon it.

With a jerk of their head to Snowkit, they chirp, "Cute kid; one of yours, I assume?" There’s too many children around for her to keep track of, so she can’t be blamed for not knowing the parents of this particular one.
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[TALLULAHWING]

The torbie is on her way back to her housefolk, hunting and patrolling done for the day, when she happens upon the deputy, black-and-white Batshriek, and little Snowkit huddled around a spider. "Whatch'y'all lookin' at?" She inquires, nosily peering at the insect.

She's no stranger to all manner of critters, being from the farms. She and her brothers and sisters had delighted in pouncing on even the worst of insects, even wasps and hornets with their wieldy stingers. Tallulah blinks pale eyes at the spider before withdrawing and giggling at Batshriek.

"Did you just say spiders don't make webs? That's gotta be one of the darndest things I ever did hear! They can make webs big enough to trap kits!" She smiles indulgently Snowkit's way. "Huck almost got caught by one when he was smaller'n you! Mama had to get him out."

She is making this up, or at least she thinks she is, but it sounds like it could have happened!
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PENNED BY MARQUETTE​

 

[Snowpath]

"It had a lot more legs than we do and big eyes! There was a hole in its back but nothing in it. It was neat." He'd have to find another one someday to show Batshriek, his simply worded little descriptions did not do the shiny treasure justice. He vaguely remembers that cobwebs are something Dawnglare likes and keeps in his den, for what purpose he is unsure until Tallulah arrives and he offers her a pleasant smile in greeting up until she speaks.
Golden eyes slowly widened in horror, tiny mind making the connection from what he had previously just learned to what he knew already. The medicine cat's disdain for kittens had never been a secret but now the reason he stored web in his den was revealed.
Dawnglare was a spider. He was going to make a big web and EAT THEM ALL! With a shrill cry of alarm he turned sharply to tuck himself under Daisyflight, succinctly answering the monochrome warrior's question without saying a word; he was most assuredly one of hers.
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[Daisyflight]

"SUREFIRE, YEAH, THE SETTING SUN WANTS COMPANY"​

Decorations? Her face fell sour at the mention, the thought of a cloister of that infuriating goop in the corner of her den plunging her into disgust. At the praise for her son, however, pride completely transformed her countenance. A satisfied flick of her tail ran parallel with the puffing of her chest, beaming smile levied at Batshriek. "Why yes, he is- oomf."

Pleased hum interrupted by the silver shape of Snowkit pressed against her, Daisyflight let out a laugh. Curling the honeyed blanket of her tail around her kit, the molly gave Tallulah a glare- one filled with a smirked fury and exasperation. Olivine eyes still bright with mirth, she chided, "Would you all stop filling my kit's head with feathers! Don't worry Snowkit, cobweb is undoubtedly annoying but it holds less strength than your mossy nest." She nosed the tiny tom's ashen forehead in reassurance, lowering the puff of fur that shielded him from the others.​

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[BATSHRIEK]

"GUESS WHAT, I'M THE DEVIL HERSELF"​

Snowkit answers their question without words, throwing himself into his mother’s side. They offer the deputy a smile, eyes crinkling slightly, listening to Snowkit’s description of the shell they’d found. Now she’s curious; she’s imagining some giant creature’s shell, with the space to fit an entire cat inside of the hole in its back. What a nice nest that would make, if filled with comfortable moss. "A hole… in its back? Where did you find it?" She has to know where she can find one. She wants one.

Tallulah seems to misunderstand them though, and Batshriek scoffs. I know where to find spiders—in this cat’s head. Their mismatched eyes shift to the she-cat’s face. She’s kind of pretty, Bat thinks, but she smells odd. Too flowery. "No, spiders do make webs. That’s the whole… spider thing," she says, squinting at the other SkyClanner.

Daisyflight also seems annoyed with the other tortoiseshell, telling her to stop filling Snowkit’s head with feathers, and Batshriek can’t help but snicker at the thought. But the deputy compared the strength of cobwebs and the moss that they make their nests with, and the black and white feline perks up. "Ooh, a nest made of cobwebs. What a cool idea." Sleeping upon a nest of spider’s silk, they would feel so badass.
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