border Once In A Lullaby (joining)

[Chickbloom]

Eggshell had spent the last few days curled into a ball, cringing (and crying, just a little) at the embarrassing memories that kept playing on repeat in his anxious head. Silversmoke’s veiled hostility, Slate’s substantially less veiled hostility, Crowpaw’s hatred, Duskpool’s indifference, even Edenpaw’s kindness. It kept the kittypet awake, thinking of every little social blunder he’d made. He’d called them Cloudclan, for goodness’ sake! All of that begged the question,

Why was he at the border again?

Well, Eggshell had made some effort. Heeding (some of) Silversmoke’s advice, the butter-stained boy had worked up the courage to talk to some of the daylight cats who lived around him. It was awkward and embarrassing as always, but all of them had attested to how much they liked it in Skyclan, which was reassuring. Even without their input, though, the skittish Scottish Fold would’ve probably been back anyway.

The walk to the border was as anxiety-inducing as ever, but each time Eggshell had stepped into the forest a strange sort of calm cascaded over him. It wasn’t enough to completely counteract the coward’s nerves, not by a long shot, but it still felt nice. Nicer than his den, with false light and false floors and false comfort. The kittypet was alone so often, going days at a time before seeing another soul, he kept himself cooped up. It felt like all Eggshell ever did was eat and sleep.

Maybe some change would do him good? Maybe it was as simple as the scariness of Skyclan was somehow preferable to the solitude of staying with his housefolk. They hated him, he was sure, and some of skyclan did too, but maybe the rest wouldn’t? All the boy had to do was give a good first impression.

So, for the third time, Eggshell stood at the border. He sat straight, looking presentable for at least a few moments before amber eyes noticed a tuft of fur sticking out of his side, and all semblance of composure shattered completely as the coward worked desperately to flatten it down.​

 

[Bumblebee!]

Radio Silence ♥​

---

Skyclan always had some sort of vistor at its borders, be it rogues or former clanners seeking safety (himselr having been one of them long prior), or kitty-pets escaping from their home lives. So, Eggshell being on the borders came to no surprive to the mute warrior and by all means the boy looked quite harmless so Bumblebee dared not show any signs of aggression towards the other but a slight smile peered on his maw before a tilt of his head and a curious look in his gaze indicated he was curious as to what brought the tom to their borders.

Yet, unfortunately for Eggshell it seemed more like Bumblebee was staring so he would have to wait till another came along to ask those burning questions since the mute himself couldn't speak those itty bitty words of greetings. The scar on his throat a brandishing reminder to how harsh the outside world was and oh Bumblebee hope he did not scare the other off simply by being there and staring. ​

"speak""Thoughts"​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

Jittering with usual tremore and with spiked-up hostility, the scent of strangers sending him a little more down the path of snarling when leafbare's chill stung the air, Twitchbolt stomped right up to Bumblebee's side, eyes wide and judgemental. Kittypet, stupid, wandering into the forest and dragging out its twolegs. twolegs that would come traipsing through, would grab at Skyclan with their horrible fleshy spidery paws, and- and they'd cause horrible havoc, and it'd all be a curious kittypet with not enough foresight's fault. And it'd be horrible, and-

And this kittypet was not over the border.

The berating tirade that was about to spew, boiling hot, from Twitchbolt's throat died at its conception. Shivering still, the odd twitch jerking his movements erratically, Twitchbolt looked the stranger up and down. Any reports of kittypets wandering near the border recently had just been the regular old gossip.

Wide eyes glanced to Bumblebee, as he began in a frayed, cracking voice, "Who..." before noticing the curious tilt of the other warrior's head. Right, right- why would Bumblebee know a stranger? Unable to get rid of the glaze of suspicion that shimmered in Twitchbolt's eyes at the sight of any stranger, he stared at the kittypet wit ill-hidden scrutiny. "Who are you, then?" It was ruder than he'd intended. Maybe- maybe a smile would help.

A smile, therefore, wobbled across his maw. It was forced, but at least sincere. At least he had the courtesy to wait at the border, and avoid becoming a harbinger of awful Twoleg-infested disaster... ​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[Chickbloom]

The boy’s biggest fear was seeing Slate or Silversmoke again, and as each figure appeared Eggshell stiffened for an instant, hoping that neither Skyclanner would be as terrifying as the ones he met previously. The first one wasn’t terrifying, thankfully, but the kittypet couldn’t help but feel unnerved by their silence. Bumblebee’s gaze made the boy uncomfortable, and amber eyes shifted away for a moment before noticing the scar on the other’s neck.

Eggshell’s paw reflexively went to his own throat, rubbing it with a worried gaze as thoughts of the future raced in his mind. “Will that happen to me if I stay here? I hope not…” The crybaby kittypet was brought out of his own head by the accusing question of a cat who seemed the opposite of Bumblebee. Where the mute moved too little, seeming like a statue, this one moved too much, shaking like they were going through their own personal earthquake.

However, his mannerisms didn’t seem hostile, and the small, warbling smile he offered made the kittypet wonder if he and Twitchbolt were alike in a few ways. “Oh, uh - I’m Eggshell.” The response lacked confidence, as if the Butter-stained boy was so pathetic he would bend if someone corrected him on his own name. “I would like to - to join Skyclan as a Daylight…guy…thing…if that’s alright.” Although Eggshell was sincere in his desire to join, it wouldn’t take much to send him away. All Bumblebee or Twitchbolt had to do was take a few steps forward and let out a snarl, and the Scottish Fold would be sent scrambling back home (although he would doubtless be back a few days later). As the kittypet reflected on his own stubbornness, he glumly noted that cockroaches shared the same quality. ​

 

[edenberry ?!]

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 〰 If it weren't for the fact they enjoyed bothering Twitchbolt (to steal the warmth from his coat when the snow started up mostly), Edenpaw also liked being around this area explicitly because they were close to home. Well... if you could call it that anymore. But the lucky thing was... it also meant seeing friends and neighbors show up to ask questions and on rare days, things like this.

"It's Eggshell," they chirp in cheerful greeting just as the kittypet introduces himself. "Hi again, remember me? Edenpaw!" What was it... six months ago they'd sat on this border saying the same thing? The only difference was that they'd been a measly little rat of a kitten back then, much different from the too-long-limbed apprentice they were now with over-grown ears to match.

"Don't worry Twitchbolt.. he won't bite." Slate was more a concerning figure in that regard.​

 

[DUSKPOOL]

anger makes you stupid . stupid gets you killed .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

A familiar sight, one he hadn’t been all that keen on seeing again, especially out in the cold near their border, Edenpaw speaking up drawing a loud grunt from the tom in half agreement. “Looks can be deceiving kid.” He rumbled after a heartbeat, wooly tail flickering, turning to stare at Eggshell with a raised brow. He doubted the kid could even hurt a fly, not how the other acted when he last saw him.

At the sincere request, Duskpool stared at the other, tongue licking the inside of his mouth in contemplation, expression unnaturally neutral. “Yer sure about that, kid?” He remarked, tone rumbling. “It ain’t easy, bein’ part of SkyClan. Yer gonna have to have a lot of resilience if ya wanna be here, kiddo.” He added, molten hues narrowing, tone deadpan. A warning, at best, Duskpool found the kid peculiar, another youngster wanting to join. His thoughts drifted to Macaronipaw with a subtle twitch of his muzzle, nearly letting out a huff in amusement. “Best be real sure, otherwise it best if ya get goin’ back to yer twolegs before this here weather gets to ya.” ​

​

thought speech​

 

[Chickbloom]

At Edenpaw’s appearance, the barest hint of a smile shows itself on the butter-stained boy’s maw. It was probably a bit weird to feel put at ease by a cat he’d only seen once, but Eggshell was the type to hold even the smallest comforts close, lest they slip through his paws. “Y-Yea! I…remember you…” Eggshell’s excitement at the familiar spills out at first, before the boy forcibly quenched it for fear of embarrassing himself.

Another few moments, and another familiar face appears to address him. Duskpool was scary, but not in the same way Slate or Silversmoke were. Eggshell could sense the warning words of the wildcat were made more out of concern for the kittypet’s safety than simple disdain. Even so, the Skittish Scottish fold was frightened all the same. “I don’t…I’m not - I’m not a resilient person” the boy blurted out, trying to find the right words to convey his desire.

“But - But I’d like to learn. My twolegs leave me alone so much, and I get so lonely and scared and…” Eggshell shuffled his paws, voice gradually fading before he found it once more. “But I hear things about you all! How you have a community and care for each other, and…I don’t know, I guess I’d like to be a part of something like that…” Did that make him pathetic? Probably a little, he reasoned.​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

A Daylight-guy-thing- it wasn't the most encouraing pitch. But what sort of raving hypocrite would Twitchbolt be if he judged other cats for being nervous? His panic was a more... tense, coiling sort of thing, where Eggshell's nervousness seemed to be a little calmer- but still, he supposed they had something in common. And as cautious and suspicious as Twitchbolt so often was, he liked to think he wasn't inherently unkind.

The company of Duskpool and Edenpaw, and their additional lack of standoffishness, did enough to flatten Twitchbolt's hackles. Mostly. If they were stood at the sides and gazing upon the scene, critical and yet mostly trusting, Twitchbolt could conclude that he had not been... been tricked by some faux, fumblung shyness exhibited by a manipulative rogue who just wanted to get past the border.

It was a pretty saccarine explanation, but one that at the very least made sense. A sigh slipped from the bicolour tom's lips, shaky yet grounding. "... Alright." Nodding softly, the cogs started turning in Twitchbolt's head. "We'll take you to meet Blazestar. You'll have two moons to, to... prove yourself to us. If... if we decide it's not right for you to be a Skyclanner, you'll be sent away." It was best to lay all the rules out, wasn't it? And, well- Twitchbolt could see there was a passion beneath the nervousness, a kinship between him and Eggshell. He would search the stranger's face for approval, before flicking his crooked tail in beckoning. ​

penned by pin ✧​