liberty bell is a replica / silently housed in original walls [open]

The faint undercurrent of lazy riverwaters, heavy and wan upon the drowsy late afternoon air, was only occasionally disrupted by the gentle interlude of forcibly light chatter- tongue and teeth made perpetually light and stiff under the continuous, unyielding eyes that walked among them. Willowy boughs of an unpleasantly chilly breeze brought silky specks of snow stirring from their previous resting places, patchy blanketing bearing down softly against the barren foliage and undergrowth that fringed the unusually terse camp. Partially frozen chips of sand and softly rounded stones, relatively disguised beneath the smooth sand earth of the familiar island, dug sharply into the hard jut of Jayshriek's curved ribs, a dull ache blossoming faintly against the gentle webbing of nerves and assorted tissues. Settling into a semblance of resolute silence, the roughly coiling breeze seemed to cool and soften around the dark-furred young tom, seeping into the unkempt mane of his coat.

The faintest ghost of a twitch crept down the curved expanse of his tense spine, the only indicator that the tom was actually awake and aware of his drowsy surroundings, dark gaze sluggish as it occasionally drifted between various points of feigned interest. It was relatively early in the evening to find Jayshriek sprawled about as though he had little else to do, but the tedious task of searching for an Asylum chaperone for any further expeditions sounded unappealing at best, and downright infuriating at worst. It also didn't help that most Asylum cats had little patience for his restless pacing of the riverside, the subconscious search for that miserable foxwhelp that infuriated him so.

Ah, well. At least several of his other Clanmates seemed to be of like mind.

In short, Moonkit had nothing to do and was coming out of his shell and becoming more comfortable with his clanmates. Needless to say he was clumbsy and had bundled into several things, minus warriors because he tended to stay out from under their paws.

Naturally, today had to be the day where he would trip on his own small paws, to sprawling across the clearing and bump into one of the hungry warrior's. "I'm sorry Jayshriek!" he squeaked. "I was just running around camp because it is a day that I can be outside and I wasn't watching where I was going and you happened to be in the way!" he realized the contect of the words that he had just hurled at the warrior and hurried to make amends. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way, its just that I'm not yet used to having paws although I am sure that my mother, father or mentor will teach me how to use them properly!" he said thinking that he had shifted the blame back onto himself.

He was waiting to be scolded. He though the Windclan had the sternest warrior's, it was had made them so great. The discipline. "Sorry Jayshriek, is there anything that I can do to make it up to you?"
He was still getting used to actually talking to cats, so the talking was more of a nervous rambeling than anything.

Softly jostled under the unwarranted intrusion of a sudden collision, a rapidly dilating and expanding pupil the singular revelation that the dozing Warrior was truly paying any mind to the nervously babbling kit awkwardly stationed before him. Delicately lined features pulling back into a fine mimicry of a frown, Jayshriek remained silent for several agonizingly long heartbeats as he continued to peer at the ruffled little Moonkit- molten amber gaze simmering and frothing with that unpleasantly familiar chill that often resulted in his Clanmates feeling rightfully uncomfortable. Head lifting in a silent, silky flourish of dark fur awash in the wan light of the late evening sky, the sharp jut of his chin titled slightly as he cocked his head, quietly sizing up the pale-furred kit awkwardly lurching on before him.

"You're very nervous," Jayshriek eventually rumbled out, the low baritone of his raspy voice trembled against the fine points of his pristine canines, "for such a little kit. Contrary to what some might insist, I'm not going to bite your head off for not looking where you place your paws- I was always the same way whenever Ivystar was not around."

Moonkit shut his mouth immediately as soon as Jayshriek opened his mouth. "Really?" he squeaked. "All of the kits in the nursey say that you are the most grumpy unwelcoming cat in Riverclan and that you got your name by shrieking at all of the cats who came near you. Well, you would shriek at them and then you would eat them so that their mothers didn't have to deal with all of their incessant whining and talking and asking for food and asking to go outside and asking to be an apprentice!" he said, all in one breath. Once he ran out of breath he realized what he and said about the warrior and hurried to apologize. "Sorry, my mom and dad say that what I said was impolite and I am sorry from the bottom of my little paws to the head of my tiny little ears." He wasn't really sure what he was saying, but it sounded good coming out of his mouth so he figured that maybe he wouldn't be eaten?

Silky dark edges of wispy fur caught sharply against the wan light of the quiet evening, gentle ripples of quickly dissipating sunlight heavily framed the occasional, quickly-fleeting movements exuded by Jayshriek, a series of movements and brushes faintly reminiscent of the dark riverwaters flowing just a few paces away. Brows knitting together faintly in an unknowing expression of confusion and disbelief at what Moonkit prattled on about, the young tom continuously fronted a calloused expression, unwilling to divulge a fractional emotion while in the presence of unwelcome viewers who had turned a curious eye in the direction of the unlikely pair.

Well... that's certainly something; especially considering that he hadn't strayed near the Nursery in several moons now.

Waving off Moonkit's profuse apologies with a fractional flick of the ear, Jayshriek's head droppoed down against the slim perch of his forepaw once again, teeth clicking softly under the collision of bone and flesh. Sharp, molten gaze remaining fixed on the small, puffy shape of the little tom before him, the dark-furred Warrior's pristine teeth were momentarily exposed as he spoke once again. "I was... unaware I was responsible for such behavior. Tell me, do I also snatch up and devour any kits who happen to stay up past their bedtimes?"

Moonkit's wide blue eyes stretched even wider as he heard Jayshriek's remark. "No, I am not up past my bedtime!" he said blinking his eyes, "It is only the afternoon and not yet ready for my bedtime!" he said proudly, like he actually had anything to do with it. He quite liked Jayshriek, he was quiet and intense...not noisy and loud like other cats. He didn't order Moonkit around either and yell had him to be less of a climbs furball. "Speaking of bedtime, did you know that Wisteriabloom named me Moonkit because I look like the moon? And she said that I liked watching the moon when I was really young." he said as a matter of fact.
He wasn't quite sure why he was opening up to this cat, but it was nice to talk to someone about what his name meant as not many cats were interested.

Jayshriek's dark gaze remained fixed upon the scruffy shape of young Moonkit, the pale-furred little tom nothing more than a watery smear of pale shades in the reflective dark gleam of his simmering liquid amber gaze. There was a slight ache trembling through the fragile bones of his forepaw as his sharp chin remained crested against the gentle curve, but the dark-furred Warrior made little to no movements as he idly digested everything the young kit relayed back to him. Thankfully the unprecedented discussion centered upon his name and apparent reputation had come and gone like debris carried upon ravenous spring currents, and he no longer had to devote any thought to whatever was apparently said about his name.

"It is a good name," Jayshriek eventually rumbled out after a heartbeat or so, low voice heavy with thought, "the moon is a guardian and giver of blessings. Perhaps that is a sign of what will come in your lifetime." Feathered dark tail giving an idle twitch before coming to a gentle halt against the narrow expanse of his hindlimbs, the smoky Warrior's dark gaze drifted shut in a slow blink before eventually reopening with all the familiar intensity of a dying star. "I was named for grandfather Jaystar, as it seems my kin loves to share names and legacies."

"Jaystar?" Moonkit perked his ears up at the older cat. "I've never heard of a Jaystar here in the clan, although if he was you grandfather then he must be dead by now." Moonkit tipped his head. "Tell me, do you believe in Starclan?" he asked with his blue eyes curious.

Moonkit was somewhat of a strange kit. He was more mature than the others, although his battle and hunting skills were lacking as he was only a kit and hadn't yet had the time or the opportunity to practice on anything or anyone. He didn't believe that Starclan existed, only that the stars above where there for the wisdom and the beauty of the night sky, not to look to them for dead cat's advice. They had lived their time and it was time for a new generation to think and act on their own.

"Jaystar's long gone," Jayshriek agreed out on a low droll, heavy voice vibrating sharply against the familiar weight of his own bones, airway constricted softly by the weight of his own forelimb jutting into the gentle slope of his throat, "he died whenever Ivystar was still young, back whenever she had first earned her Warrior name I suppose- well before most of us were even blimps in the grand scheme of existence." Honeyed dark gaze remaining fixed upon the scruffy shape of Moonkit, the dark-furred Warrior remained quiet for several heartbeats as he examined the secondary shift in conversation, his drowsy brain doing its best to keep up with the younger tom's curiosity.

"I suppose I do," Jayshriek eventually mewed, consciousness discordant and faraway as he recalled strange dreams and veiled whispers traded beneath the stars, immediately deflecting to the strange conversation imparted with Jaysong, "but you'll learn more of such things whenever you're older."

Moonkit looked at Jayshriek with a small smile that seemed to be wisdom beyond his years. "I suppose that I will learn of such nursery things when I am older." he said musing. He flicked his eyes towards the sky which was starting to pale and the tiny balls of light called stars starting to peak out of the darkness that was starting to fall. "And yet, as young kits the queens and warriors tell us of Starclan and how we should learn when we are young. They never tell us that we should wait or to discover things on our own. They teach and mentor us. Starclan is non-existent, spirits of the warrior's don't pass on to an afterlife. It is nothing but kit's tales." he said blinking and turning his gaze back to the older tom.