camp TATTLER | getting even

[Chicky]

It had been days since the incident, the incident where little Acornkit had been picked on by two stupid apprentices who had bit off more than they could chew. They had been thoroughly berated by their mentors and the queens and sent to the elders' den to pick off tick after tick. It wasn't enough, Chickadeepaw had decided. They had messed with her sister, publicly provoked her and spooked her. It was a crime of the highest order in Chickadeepaw's mind, and she had just the idea to make things perfectly even.

Early morning. NPCpaw and CNPpaw had been called to dawn patrol with their mentors. They had moaned and groaned, rubbing the sleep from their eyes with drowsy paws before padding out to join the gathering cats. Their tails hung low and they muttered to themselves about having been woken up far too early. Chickadeepaw watched them leave through slitted golden eyes, forcing her fur to lie flat and her chest to move rhythmically as if she were asleep. Nobody cast a second glance at her. She listened, her good ear facing upwards to catch the retreating footsteps of the patrol - going..... going.... gone, out of camp!

Chickadeepaw picked her way out of her nest with a wicked grin, tip-toeing so as not to wake her siblings or other assorted den-mates. Once out, she bee-lined to the fresh-kill pile to pick out two juicy mice. She held them by the tails for a moment, adrenaline causing the fur to prickle along her spine. They'd be sorry this time for sure! They'd -

"What exactly are you doing with those?"

Chickadeepaw turned to face the owner of the voice - NPCclaw. An imposing and stern warrior, NPCclaw certainly wouldn't approve of her plan. She gave him an innocent smile. "Just... taking these to the elders! The dawn patrol woke me up and I figured they might be hungry."

The large warrior surveyed her for a moment, assessing the possibility of falsehood, his eyes narrowed, his jaw -

- parting in a large yawn. "Good kid. 'M sure they'll be grateful for breakfast." He relented, turning tail instead towards the dirt place - crisis averted.

Once NPCclaw was safely out of sight, Chickadeepaw scurried back to the apprentices' den to bury her bait in plush moss before returning to her nest and curling into a tight ball. Now all she had to do was wait...

Morning. Sunlight filtering down into the camp. NPCpaw and CNPpaw came stomping back into the den, grumbling to each other about how awful their trip was. They griped and whined all the way back to their nests where they plopped down and each promptly tilted their heads in confusion. NPCpaw shifted and reached under himself to pull out the fat mouse that Chickadeepaw had planted the hour or so before. His eyes widened at CNPpaw, who had quickly dug into their own moss to find their equal prize.

"Sweet!" NPCpaw hissed. "Finally something good about today!" They began tearing into their meal, not paying attention to Chickadeepaw as she picked her way to the entrance and took in a large breath to bellow:

"NPCPAW AND CNPPAW ARE HOARDING PREY IN THEIR NESTS!!! THEY'RE STEALING FROM THE FRESHKILL PILE TO EAT IT ALL BY THEMSELVES!!!"

/ takes place in response to and after the ankle-biter thread​

 

[Acornwish.]

ACORNKIT — the cow jumped over the moon .
Acornkit is still much too groggy for comfort, the recent nightmares taking a bigger toll on her sleep-schedule than the child could have ever imagined.
Throwing salt into her mental wound- she had woken up late! Normally, she preferred to be up with the sun, even if she preferred the sky it painted while it set- it’s rising hues were also very pretty.
With a yawn she clamors out of the nursery, her fur only half-groomed.
The sudden hollering that echos throughout camp is enough to startle her out of her subconscious, however. Much too alert, her eyes are saucers as she scurries across camp- recognizing the voice of her adoptive sister.
She ran up to where Chickadeepaw would still be standing, suppressing the urge to huff from her efforts.
The two names were eerily familiar- and it clicks a second later than it should, those were the apprentices that had cornered her.
She ducks between her sisters forepaws, spinning around to watch the duo with a bewildered expression as they begin to cry out in protest.
Something tugs at her maw- a smile. It’s satisfying, to watch their faces burn with embarrassment, she feels almost guilty to be enjoying this as much as she does, but she cannot help it, cannot even give herself a reason why.
Despite her amusement, a frown still pulls her mouth downwards. "That could have gone to mama… she works really hard." She murmurs with a sorrowful shake of her head.
She shuffles to the back of Chickadeepaws forelimb, clinging to it as she still looked at the two wailing apprentices with innocent disappointment in her gaze.

"speech"

tags​

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[Shinebug]

Sky-blue eyes turned in surprise as a sudden shout shattered the stillness of the sun’s rise. Shinekit, always a social creature, couldn’t help but wonder after the commotion. The ball of flame-tinted fur shuffled forwards, sticking to shadows and saying a silent thank-you that his origin had not yet reached its zenith, when it would bathe camp in a harsh heat. At least this early in the morning it was tolerable.

While wishing for the leaf-bare he’d only experienced once to return as quickly as possible, Shinekit sauntered up to the duo sitting at the entrance to the apprentice’s den. Chickadeepaw he was unfamiliar with, but the creature clinging to her limb like a leech elicited a friendly grin. Solar ears swiveled toward the sounds of embarrassment coming from his betters, and the sunburned simpleton couldn’t resist the urge to join in.

Of course, Shinekit had no idea the whole thing was a setup. Even if it was explained to him, it would probably take the tyke a few hours to fully grasp it. Still, he had his reasons. Respect for the position, mostly. “Apprentices are supposed to be better than that!” He squeaked, the feline not fully able to bring himself to outright anger. “You should…um…apologize!” That would show them, right?​

 

[WOLFWIND]

Wolfwind was unaware of the now deep - seeded beef; the rivalry between young apprentices that was sure to per...pro...perspire (?) for generations. She's lost her touch; the inborn nosiness... But she did totally see Chikadeepaw being the most suspicious cat ever before leaving on her patrol ( almost like apprentice her when she was about to pull off the most idiotic prank ever. Coincidence???? ) And double coincidentally, That same Chikadeepaw is now practically point to two unsuspecting apprentices with twoleg noise - machine and gesturing symbols to boot. Metaphorically, of course.

She has not the context, nor quite the character to assume she has the right idea from the beginning. A prankster knows another prankster, but was that what this really was? She didn't know, wasn't sure; so she wouldn't come out blazing, or anything like that. But if this was what it could be... Well, Wolfwind wasn't sure if she was a fan.

She's brought to the scene via screech practically the moment she trods back into camp. Funny situation, or somethin'. She approaches, not grinning for once; but not angry lookin' neither. Her face is carefully neutral, voice not overly skeptical, though it is a question. Sorta. " Uh. Are they? " She supposes even if the prey their wasn't their own doing, it was a bit presumptuous of 'em to start scarfing right away. Though, she thinks if she found herself in that situation, she'd think she was in an awesome dream where she just had to think about food to make it appear, to be honest. Not sure what to think, she doesn't say much else.​

 

[LICHENPAW ❁]

.°❁ I AM JUST A BROKEN MACHINE

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"Sure are," Lichenpaw supplies easily, coming to join the new commotion. A yawn parts his maw — he hadn't gotten much sleep — before snapping shut into a wry smile. There's a gleam in his eyes as he peers at the two apprentices, the ones who'd messed with little Acornkit. They deserved what was coming to them.

He'd seen all of Chickadeepaw's scheme, sleepless eyes watching the apprentice plant the prey in the two's nests, unsure of her goal. Now, though, it makes far more sense, and he's perfectly willing to back up Chickadeepaw's story. Acornkit herself is tucked close to the apprentice; good to see her getting along with her adopted brother. She's settling in better than he'd hoped... Well, aside from the nuisances who've been picking on her, of course. Lichenpaw brings a paw up to rub at his nose, brows lowering as though lost in thought. "I knew I'd been -- been smelling prey in there..." Just a bit more fuel for the lie, to make it seem more believable. Very crafty, he thinks.

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AND I DO THINGS THAT I DON'T REALLY MEAN ! .°❁

⟪ OOC ⟫ ⟪ INFO ⟫ ⟪ REF ⟫

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• LICHENPAW named for the lichen on the trees of his home.
  — he/him or they/them. 10 moons.
  — thunderclan apprentice, mentored by blizzard fang.
  — bears a near-permanent nervous grin.
  
  primary character, medium-high activity. penned by saturnid.​
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