WHO'S IN A BUNKER? \ raccoonstripe

[STORMKIT]

Everyone needed to shut up, or Stormkit was going to lose it- he'd already told one of his denmates to leave him alone, thundering off in a random direction and planting himself on the ground. He remembered, his father usually took himself off somewhere a little isolated... or, had been doing so recently. It was difficult to seek out other cats, specific ones... except Raccoonstripe and Nightbird's, whose scents he knew with a little more nuance, whose voices he could hone in on through bustle. So to his father he strode, brushing his whiskers against that familiar foreleg. "I'm mad," he began, barely uttering a 'hello'.

Simply, he had faith his dad would be able to do something about this. He'd heard Raccoonstripe say it once or twice. Not in conversation with him, but certainly once or twice in his presence. "Someone called a patch of flowers or something boring like that beautiful and I'm mad!' He stomped his foot, lashed his tail. "I don't know what it means! But everyone keeps saying it! They're so selfish!"

\ @RACCOONSTRIPE !!​

penned by pin ༄​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

Raccoonstripe has always been one to seek his solitude when he felt he needed it; ever since the days of his boyhood, when he'd grown rough and rowdy in the marshlands, he'd taken off after spoilt fights and too-hard hits to the ear. It's difficult now, he fears — whereas young Raccoon could have flocked to anywhere in the territory he'd wanted at five moons, Stormkit is locked away, guarded by gorse and bramble. The furthest he can get from his denmates is to sit grumpily by his father's side; the little tomkit barely acknowledges Raccoonstripe before declaring he's mad.

The tabby blinks his own thoughts away and directs his attention to his sulking son. "Mad? What has you mad today?" Though he doesn't mean to, there's a tinge of amusement in his voice, as though he struggles to take anything Stormkit says seriously.

The dark-furred kitten tells him someone called a patch of flowers beautiful. Raccoonstripe's brow creases with puzzlement. "I don't know what it means! But everyone keeps saying it! They're so selfish!"

He bites down on his lower lip, knowing Stormkit cannot see his trepidation. These are dangerous waters he walks, and perhaps neither he nor Nightbird are equipped for nuanced conversations like these... but Raccoonstripe is the only father Stormkit has, and he knows he has to do what he can to turn a moment of hurt feelings into a learning moment.

"You've heard me call your mother beautiful before, haven't you?" Raccoonstripe flicks the feathered tip of his tail against Stormkit's flank. "There's plenty beautiful about her. She has glossy, silvery-dark fur, and these big eyes that could rival the stars themselves... but that isn't what makes her beautiful."

Raccoonstripe lowers his voice conspiratorially. "There are lots of cats in this Clan with pretty fur. Anyone can have pretty fur, if you clean it enough. That's not a big deal, I promise." He smiles, whiskers trembling against his child's cheek. "But not every cat can be Nightbird. She's one of the fiercest warriors I know. She's sharp-witted and clever. She can talk smack to the proudest warriors in any other Clan and come out on top. She can make everything seem worth it, even when you feel like it isn't. That's..."

Raccoonstripe twitches an ear, thoughtful. "That's what beautiful means. Who makes you laugh? Who makes you feel good about yourself? Who makes this life worth it?" He prods Stormkit's flank gently with a forepaw. "And you have an advantage, you know. You won't get caught up on all those silly things like pretty fur and eyes, like the rest of us do. You'll be able to see cats for who they really are. And isn't that special? You'll be able to know what beautiful is before anyone else can."

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Raccoon . Raccoonstripe, he/him w/ masculine terms.
  — "speech”, thoughts, attack
  — 46 moons old, ages realistically on the 5th.
  — mentored by n/a ; mentoring Thistlepaw ; previously mentored Wildheart, Moonwhisper
  — thunderclan lead warrior. gray wolf x howlingstar, gen 2.
  — currently mated to Nightbird.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh black tabby with white and dark brown eyes. charismatic, charming, calculating, ambitious, shallow, manipulative.
  
  

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