poison the well — intro, open

[marrowroot]

camp is peaceful that day. it's calm with just the clear skies and the heat that seemed to slow everyone to a near stand-still. not marrowroot, though. no, if you ever saw marrowroot sitting before sundown, it would be the end of the world. the tom didn't quite believe in breaks, nor did he care to take them when he had better things to be doing — such as but not limited to: dropping a squirrel into the freshkill pile, and looking for something else to do. it seemed that today had been incredibly productive, despite the slowness that the heat brought. it was perfect, it meant that he didn't have to start barking orders at the apprentices that sat around with "nothing to do".

there was always something to do.

his mother had instilled that never be caught sitting still mindset into him at a young age. she had drilled it into his head that if he was caught doing nothing, he would be deemed the following: lazy, a nuisance. don't let that fool you, she was a very kind cat, she would comfort him when it stormed and curled around him so tight when it got cold that he found it difficult to breathe through her fluff, but she'd had issues of her own, just as everyone did. he never held that against her.

there had to be something he could do, but a quick glance around the camp showed that everything was already being done. patrols had set out already, hunting patrols, maybe there was an herb patrol being set up somewhere. the apprentices were already working at the elder's den, feeding the queens and the kits, and he's left floating in space, with nothing to do, and only time to watch everything happen. olive green specks settled on a passing apprentice, who flicked their ear at him in a silent greeting. the one would grow up to be a good warrior, he'd long since decided. heaving an almost defeated sigh, he did the impossible: sat down for a few minutes in a sun spot. "well. seems like all the work is being done. what a new concept." he breathed to himself.​

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[Chicky]

"That's so gross, just let it go!"

Chickadeepaw pointedly ignored the voice, her jaws still firmly clamped down on her still-wiggling catch. She had no idea how it happened but one moment she was practicing pouncing with Graypaw (stupid Graypaw whose mentor was now Singing Frog - blegh!) and the next, she had a frog in her mouth! Like.... it had just hopped in there! Chickadeepaw had been so careful not to crunch down immediately - it was cool, she just had to show to Acornkit! So careful, so careful....

Graypaw rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. That's gross and you're gross for touching it!

Chickadeepaw snorted and shoved the other apprentice with her shoulder, eliciting an offended little 'ugh!!' and a hard shove back. They continued at this for a few moments until Chickadeepaw just thrown off balance and went stumbling into the dirt, her butt hitting the ground hard and her mouth opening in a squeak.... a squeak that gave her captured frog just enough wiggle room to drop and hop back into the safety of the undergrowth.

Chickadeepaw stood up with a stamped foot and a whine, turning her golden eyes to the nearest warrior in a brattish plea for support. "Marrowrooooooooooooooooooooooooooot, I lost my froggggggggggggggggggggg!!!! I was gonna show that to Acornkit!!"​

 

[✧ Sleekserpent.]

I DON'T KNOW EUPHORIA
sleekpaw | 05 months | genderfluid | he/she/they | physically easy | mentally hard | attack in bold mistyrose

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What is it with everyone around here and frogs. Sleekpaw visibly flinches at the sound of screeching coming from chickadeepaw, only to jolt to a stand in a panic as he looks around as though the frog might come after him next. "Ew! Why did you bring one into camp!" she whines, nose wrinkling, though she calms after her cursory glance reveals the slimy creature is long gone. "What're you doing anyways?" they add, padding over the last few pawsteps to join both the annoying apprentice and marrowroot where they stand.
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[marrowroot]

the peace is shattered by graypaw, chickadeepaw, and here.. frog? he watched it hop away with an almost confused expression. it wasn't prey, so why had she brought it into camp? in an almost stunned fit of silence, he twisted his body to stare off in the direction that the frog had gone. well, today may end up eventful after all. "this is why you don't roughhouse while carrying things." he advised, rising to his feet. again. this was something to do!

"resting." he answers as other apprentice came along. "not anymore, i suppose. i guess now there's a frog to catch." he didn't want to hear the fit that chickadeepaw might throw if the frog wasn't caught, and this may just be a good lesson for the two apprentices. he looked between them, a shimmer to his eyes as he flicked that long, fluffy tail. "hows about we make a game of it, hm? whoever can run the frog to me, i'll sneak an extra mouse to."​

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[SHININGSUN]

☼ Shiningsun had just been trailing back into camp with a few fresh bramble vines clamped loosely in his jaws destined to be woven into the camp walls when he overheard the commotion from the apprentices regarding something about a frog. He set the vines down off to the side, out of the way of being stepped on, before he padded towards Marrowroot, Sleekpaw, Chickadeepaw, and Graypaw to investigate what was happening. "Did I hear someone croaking about a frog on the loose?" Everyday was an opportunity for a bad pun, so after chuckling to himself over his joke he decided to sit himself down with a broad grin. "Let's make this game a lil' more interesting, loser has to help me weave thorny vines into the camp walls. So you better hop to it."
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