- Feb 26, 2025
- 16
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Joy walks close to Splashdance, her pelt brushing against the warrior's leg as they push through the reeds. Every step forward feels heavier than the last, exhaustion creeping into her bones, but she doesn't stop. She can't, for the first time in her life, her belly is full.
Splashdance had stopped along the river before bringing her here. Then, with a strength Joy could hardly believe, the warrior had pulled a fish from the water like it was the easiest thing in the world. Joy had hesitated at first — she'd never eaten fish before, only what meager pieces of scraps her mother had been able to scavenge. But at the first bite, warm and rich and unlike anything she had ever tasted, hunger had swallowed any reluctance.
Now, warmth settles in her belly, a strange, almost foreign feeling. It dulls the constant ache that has been her companion since birth, makes her limbs feel heavier but stronger all at once. She isn't quite sure how to process it.
But the moment of comfort is short lived. The smell of water still clings to her fur - thick in the air, mixing with something new — something unfamiliar. The reeds ahead part at Splashdance steps through them and suddenly, the world is so much bigger than she could have ever imagined. She freezes.
The hollow beyond the river's edge is alive with movement, a world bustling with noise and scent and the shifting bodies of more cats than she's ever seen in her life. Warriors stride across camp, their movements confident and sure, as if they have never once had to worry about where they were going to sleep at night. Others lounge in the sun, sharing tongues in easy companionship. There are so many of them, each stronger and with fuller bellies than her or her mother.
Joy feels their gazes settle on her, prickling against her fur like millions of tiny thorns. Some eyes hold curiosity, some quite caution. A few are unreadable, their expression guarded. She shrinks beneath their stares, instinct telling her to bolt. The reeds are right there, she could slip into them and disappear before they sent her away themselves. But she doesn't. She has to be brave. Brave like the river, always moving forward, brave like the wind, never stopping. That's what Mama would've said, anyways.
A cat approaches. Her fur fluffs up slightly, but she holds her ground. She doesn't know who this cat is, if they'll welcome her or send her away. She doesn't even know if she belongs here, if she'll ever belong anywhere ever again. But she has to try.
She swallows, summoning what little courage she has left. Her voice wavers but she manages. "Hi. My name's Joy. It's uh.. nice to meet you." she doesn't know if that's the right thing to say, but she says it anyways, ears twitching nervously as she waits for a response.
// anyone is free to be the cat she is talking to!
She is with @splashdance but no need to wait!
Takes place immediately after this thread
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LIGHT&HOPE
Joy is a fiercely independent and passionate she-kit, born into a harsh world where survival is a constant battle. Abandoned by her mother on the border of RiverClan, she is determined to carve her own path, driven by a competitive spirit and a need to prove herself. Proud and quick-tempered, Joy's journey will be shaped by her struggle to stand strong in a world that doesn't always show mercy.