Theraphosa's VAs

[Dolomedes]

Table of Contents

Ashkit - VA 1
tw: Scary figures/creatures; Fear; Implied kit harm, kind of; That's all I think, if I am forgetting one let me know immediately

[Dolomedes]

Ashkit VA 1
TW: Listed in ToC

Warning: Not reread or edited so there are plenty of mistakes likely

Ashkit
He/him | ShC kit | Moons: 1 | No purrks
“Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back”

A ball of smoky colored fur came tumbling out of a pile of fluffy kittens who were all snuggling to their mother. The kitten laid dazed on their back for a moment, staring up at the roof of the nursery. Dark paws hung in the air, gray speckles lining them as the kitten turned his paws to look curiously at the dark colored toes that lay hidden among the fluff. Ashkit huffed suddenly, and flopped from his back onto his side before hopping up onto those weird little paws of his. He took a moment to look back at his family before looking towards the noises he could hear just outside of the nursery…his curiosity won.

Soon the black smoke cat was cautiously taking a few paw steps out of the nursery and looking around quickly. Ashkit hasn’t left the nursery without mom or dad before, especially by himself. It felt too quiet, there were no rules saying he couldn’t leave the nursery without them…or was there? The kit stopped his light stepping into the clearing and looked over his shoulder. Dark green eyes flitted around, watching as warriors and apprentices each went about their duties, no one seemed to be taking notice of him. A feeling filled his body and bones and Ashkit felt…well-he didn’t know the name of this feeling but it made him want to keep going! If he got in trouble then it would be worth it.

The clearing was big, Ashkit hasn’t even been able to explore the whole thing yet- though that was partially Silentcrow’s fault. They haven’t been given much free time to themselves yet because it could be dangerous for such young kits to be getting into trouble yet. That was silly in Ashkit’s opinion, that opinion reaffirming as he looked around. It was sandy beneath his paws, the cliffs that lined the area reached forever up it felt like to the kit as the stone brushed against sky, all the walls leading down into the tree roots that twisted in turns like they were trying to tie something down in the stone. Was it? If there are cats in the stars then could there be cats in the stone cliffs, were they being naughty and that’s why the tree roots needed to tie them up. Ashkit did not know, but he made a note to ask the next cat he talked to.

Speckled paws continued to creep around the nursery and the tom dashed into the green bushes that lined the camp, hiding away in the shade and shadows that they offered. Something in his bones told him he needed to be sneaky, Ashkit wanted to be sneaky. He wanted to do something- he wanted to do something and see if someone would notice. When asked, the kit would not be able to explain quite why this was the case-only that it most certainly was a necessary thing to do. At first, the kit turned to the stream that was nearby. The water was much too cold the moment he touched his paw to it and Ashkit reared it back into his chest hissing. The water was not frightened, because water does not frighten. Ashkit still puffed out his fur but glared into the bottom of the dark water before stalking off to find something different. This was not the thing he needed to appease the burning curiosity beneath his midnight-black fur.

A scent carrying all sorts of odd mixes and matches of earthy and scary and musty suddenly hit Ashkit’s bi-colored nose, causing the kit to scrunch up his face. What was that? It was very much something that was curious- the kitten exited the bushes and back towards the nursery. Ashkit paused for a moment before turning his eyes to the cave that resides nearby. Dark forest green met darkness. That was where the weirdness was coming from and the kitten carried himself over, flicking his rounded ears and plumed tail. Ashkit stared some more at its entry-he could hear cats inside- mmmmm….. There were adults in there if he were caught that would mean the end of his exploration. No, he would save the cave for last.

Something different caught his attention and the kit stared at the entrance of the camp, something stared back. When Ashkit took a few pawsteps towards them the figure’s small, sharp eyes disappeared. Hmm, maybe they were shy. No matter. The Shadowledge- Ashkit had been told about the shadowledge, it was where meetings were held and also where Dawnstar resided. How lonely, the kitten was back on his paws and walking towards the odd structure in the middle of camp. The sandy grains of the floor caught in his paws’ fur and Ashkit winced, distracted from his course and sat down. The dark colored toes were the same as ever- but inside the swirling fur were little specks of tan and other sandy colors. A frown appeared on the little tom’s face and the kit took to work getting it out of the culprit paw. How annoying.

Now then, where was he? Oh yes- the shadowledge on this is hunting for something. Ashkit was less cautious now then he was at the start of this adventure- well, he kind of had to be- the ledge was in the middle of the clearing. When he looked towards it, Ashkit found that it looked different from what he just did, it looked bigger, sharper, more imposing. The shadows that fell from it as the setting sun was pierced by the jagged top. Well- Ashkit didn’t have that good of a look at the structure before that dreaded sand was caught between his paws. Speckled paws made contact with the sandy earth again and his swirling fur ruffled as a light breeze carried through camp. The structure grew larger as the kit approached, the shade twisting in his eyes the hole in the base grew. That was where Dawnstar slept right? Silentcrow said something about that. Oh-Silentcrow- mom.

Ashkit looked back towards the nursery, nobody seemed to notice his absence- normally, Silentcrow would’ve noticed his wandering by now and come to scoop him up. He wasn’t even hiding this time. How strange indeed- well, he wasn’t going to give up the chance. The midnight-furred tom turned his dark forest gaze back to the shadow ledge and oh...Ashkit was entirely certain that someone hadn’t been sitting up on the ledge. Maybe it was Dawnstar about to call a meeting and he simply didn’t hear her climbing. It was a shadowy figure with glowing eyes, Dawnstar didn’t look like that, at least the kit didn’t think so. His dark, forest-green eyes watched the figure. Hmmm, that wasn’t Dawnstar- Why, Ashkit wasn’t even sure if it was a cat. It seemed to melt into the shadows and the body was impossible to discern from the head and the eyes from teeth. Ashkit took a step back- looking behind his shoulder and when he looked back the figure was gone.

Ashkit frowned and looked around, maybe some of the warriors saw the strangeness as well. The kit looked around the clearing only to find himself, completely and utterly alone. Di..did-was there a bunch of patrols just now and now everyone is busy? Ashkit bounded back to the nursery, ducking into the space and whipping his head over to where his siblings and mom should’ve been resting but instead the figure laid in her place. Piercing eyes meeting green ones. Ashkit stepped back and tumbled over his paws and tumbled into his back. Scrambling on the sandy floor, the kit dug his claws into the soil as he made purchase and Ashkit bounded away. Growling sounds that dug claws into his frenzied heart sounded from the nursery followed by sharp cracks of stone breaking off and thuds as they fell onto the sandy earth.

Ashkit looked back and saw that the shadows that once had hidden Ashkit’s own little body had merged with the figure’s. The beast was nearly too big to squeeze out of the nursery, the stone tumbling off to make room for its mass of a body. The kitten made no noise, the air that filled his lungs seemed to be completely gone. The kit’s eyes were wild as they looked for a place of escape. The odd scent washed over him again and Ashkit looked to the cave that he initially turned away from and dove into it. Quiet stillness enveloped the kit’s shaking body but it was broken as a giant claws reached into the space from the entry and Ashkit squealed as he ran away further into the darkness. He crashed into a wall and Ashkit dug his own claws into it as though it would open up if he scratched at it.

Ashkit could do nothing as the creature reached in with a huge paw and dragged him out. Ashkit’s body was flung from the den-

A ball of smoky colored fur came tumbling out of a pile of fluffy kittens who were all snuggling to their mother. The kitten laid dazed on their back for a moment, staring up at the roof of the nursery. Dark paws hung in the air, gray speckles lining them as the kitten turned his paws to look curiously at the dark colored toes that lay hidden among the fluff. Ashkit huffed suddenly, and flopped from his back onto his side before hopping up onto those weird little paws of his. He took a moment to look back at his family before looking towards the noises he could hear just outside of the nursery…his curiosity won.