Quote:
Originally Posted by yummyluc
@king kaleb!
practically silent, a large tom slipped into the clearing, turning to skim the edge of the area filled with milling and conversing cats. his ears twitched as he picked up bits and pieces of conversation and the smaller details, such as footsteps and the clicks of tongues. sighing, the ragdoll tom shut his eyes and kept his head low, keeping his feet light on the ground and hardly noticeable. it wasn't exactly that he didn't like cats or was too anxious to talk to them, it was just that they were all so... loud with everything they did. speaking, eating, moving. somehow, he could pick up on every. little. detail. and it was more annoying than he let on. he hated patrols, and he hated sleeping, and he hated eating because sooner or later, the others would get loud and he could hardly focus. he managed, but it was hard. that's why he was so nervous when talking to other cats, out of fear that they might talk too loud. suddenly, he stopped and his vibrant green eyes popped open. it was... quieter here. he examined his surroundings and found it was nearer to the elders' den. of course. there weren't many as many cats being energetic and loud near there, but he hated to burden the poor old souls. instead, he took a few paces closer, feeling more and more content as the noise became easier to bear. once he was comfortable with where he was --not too close to bother the elders, but not too far away that the noise began to get to him-- he sat down and tucked his legs close to his body, his fluffy tail wrapping neatly around his paws. he closed his eyes.
beetleskip wasn't dysfunctional, nor was he a liability. he was simply different. had been ever since he was young. he picked up on absolutely everything. when cats' ears would twitch mid-conversation, or their tail would swish, or how their tones would falter if they felt uncertain. the smacking of jaws when they ate, the sound of footsteps when they trained, snippets of silent conversations in the early hours of the morning. he hadn't minded, it was something so normal to him, but that didn't mean it didn't affect him. he took a deep breath of the crisp, cool air and sat tall to enjoy his contentment. he feared it would not last long. |
he was tired, even if he wouldnt admit it. training with his young apprentice frostpaw had taken a bit out of him, given his age. it would be his last apprentice before he retired he assumed, so he would put his all into it. the poor kit had gone through so much. he had lost all of his siblings and was taken from his own clan by a greedy queen. he was back now, safe in his birth place, but parent less. risingcreek had taken to the youngster almost immediately, feeling a wave of fatherly instincts run through him. he never had kits of his own, or even a mate, instead working hard on his duties and now he was paying for it in the long run. but he felt the same instincts run through him when he saw beetleskip sitting alone in the clearing. he never had spoken to the tom one on one before, only a few patrols here, some hunting trips there, but nothing personal. he always seemed on the shyer side of things. risingcreek never minded though, he always picked up on other cats personalities pretty quickly and wuld make sure to use softer, more calm tones when addressing beetleskip whenever rising was leading the patrols. he did that with everyone, it was just a matter of respect. afterall, you never knew what was running through another cats mind all the time, or what theyve gone through. but seeing beetleskip alone made him feel..hmm, was the proper word sad? because he knew the tom wasnt a bad guy, or atleast, thats what he gathered from the brief interactions theyve had together. so maybe now was the time to approach him, after all he seemed to be rather calm currently given his usual emotional stance.
walking closer, he made sure his steps were soft. everything about risingcreek seemed to be calm and collected. from his movements to how he spoke, to even the soft smile that was constantly on his face. he loved meeting new cats, and beetleskip was no exception. once he was close enough, which was a good few pawsteps away, he tilted his head in a greeting, "Nice day, isnt it?" he mewed, taking a glance across the clearing. there was a subtle hum of cats chattering, kits playing, and so on. it seemed like a typical day,"Mind if i join you?" he ask briefly. hes understand if the tom said no, after all they dont know really anything about eachother except eachothers names and the such, and risingcreek understood how some people were finicky.