no need to run or hide ; a wonderful life [open]

title reference: wonderful life - smith & burrows.

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Pale shadows crept across the soft dusting of freshly-blossoming snowfall and partially-frozen hail; iridescent specks of liminal grey-white light easily framed against the honey dusted decay of foliage encircling the wilting island. Angular little face peeking out from within the densely woven shelter proffered up by the tender Nursery, the young kit was carefully observing the slow-going happenings of the relatively empty snowy camp, very obviously starstruck by those who milled about in the cool shade of early morning- entirely oblivious to the gloomy realization that some of those very figures were transient ghosts. Jaystar, despite the blatantly clear division between his time embroiled as authority and as parent, had fiercely instilled several rules for their other part-time caretakers who fended after Ospreykit and their littermates in the absence of their parents- until they were several sunrises older, they weren't allowed outside of the Nursery without careful supervision.

Although Ospreykit, despite their youthful age, found the outside world to be extremely fascinating, they didn't much care for the awaiting reality of a fierce scolding should they be caught roaming without supervision; especially if the culprit to their revelation was Jaystar, and not Harebounce. They were well aware of the fact that Jaystar wasn't here and most of the habitual caretakers nearby weren't paying exceptionally close attention to them, but the residual warning lingering low and hot against the firing synapses of their little consciousness- still too young to safely leave the shelter of the den without running the risk of something happening.

Wriggling ever-closer to the snow-veiled entrance to the thickly-amassed shelter, Ospreykit perched tightly forward their narrow haunches, attempting to peek further outside of the den without incurring the wrath of any outside spectators.

A snake! No, a, uh...a trout! Yes! The dark-furred tom blended in with the shadows that hung over the nursery. In any other sense, it provided a warm and safe home for them. Yet, in this instance...Well... yellow eyes locked onto the tail of his sibling who peered just out of the nursery, hesitating to the cold and scolding--Owlkit was sure. Wide eyes narrowed to slits.

He was hunting. The cold outside made any prey scarce. The clan was relying on him to bring food home, and he could hear their hungry bellies from here. Oh, perhaps that was his own. Immersion suddenly broken, the tom sat up to groom his shoulder. If Jaystar wasn't in camp, why not go out and explore?

A flick of his sibling's tail sent the tom back into a crouch. The trout lingered a heartbeat away. It swayed in the current, oblivious to the tom's gaze. He was hungry, and he could provide for the clan in their darkest hour! Leaping forward, he kicked out the moss to their nest behind them, sending it careening deeper into the nursery. Tiny claws latched into Ospreykit's tail. The thrill of the hunt! Owlkit caught the trout! "Rah!" He yowled, rolling onto his back, preparing to kill the trout with a swift kick of his hind legs.

Robinpatch hadn't been able to do much of what he enjoyed ever since those annoying dark forest rats had began to live with Riverclan. He huffed as he entered the camp with a medium-sized fish, green eyes scanning the clearing with distaste as he spotted a few. He ignored them for the most part. If they didn't bother him, he wouldn't bother them. It was easy as that. However, if they decided to try and pick on him, let's just say that he'll be returning their 'jests' tenfold.

Shaking his head, the senior warrior decided on visiting the nursery today. His nephew had had his kits with his new mate not too long ago and he wanted to properly meet the little buggers. The only thing he knew about them were their names...sort of. He'll probably mix them up at first so they'll probably need to tell him first so he can memorize them. Anyway, he worried for his grandnieces and grandnephews with how crazy their whole family was. He had the most faith in Harebounce than Jaystar but he'd never say that aloud.

Before he even got close to the den, he could see a tiny head peeking out from the entrance, another figure just behind that one. An amused look crossed his face as he slowed his pace so he could witness what the little kits were up to. Before long, the one behind the first pounced on the other's tail. Ah, the innocence of kits never failed to make him smile. Then, yet another kit walked up to the two and began to speak with them. She was unfamiliar to him so he assumed that she wasn't part of Jay's litter. Ah. Guess he'll also get to meet some other cute runts as well. Lucky him.

He finally hurried over to the trio and once he'd arrived, he plopped down in front of the nursery's entrance. He placed the fish down and shot them all a grin. "Hey there, buggers. You runts tryna get outta the nursery?" He settled himself comfortably before he continued, "Name's Robinpatch. I'm your dad's uncle so in a way, I'm your uncle as well." he meowed at the two first kits. "Just call me uncle or uncle Robin. None of that formal stuff. That ain't really for me." he purred. He then turned to address the little she-kit. "And you, little missy, can call me Robinpatch, Robin, or I guess uncle Robin as well but I ain't really your uncle. I don't really think you want me to be your uncle. I can be a bit strange, just like the rest of my family." His tone was teasing as he made a funny face. He didn't really care what others called him. He was just messing with the kids.

"Anyway, don't know where that troublesome nephew of mine's at right now or even where Harebounce is at but if you want, I can watch you guys while you explore the camp so ya don't get in trouble. It's up to you, kiddos. I ain't gonna force ya. We can just talk here." he shrugged. "But first, before any of that, here's something I caught that ya can fill yer bellies with. Took a while for me to catch it since the weather's been extra hard on the clans but I managed." He gently slid the fish over to the trio of kits. "So, gonna tell me your names? It's only polite to do so after how awesome my introduction was." he purred, eyes twinkling with mirth.

Pipitkit was severely unimpressed that her siblings had abandoned her in the nursery for sleeping in too late. How could they? She had told them not to let her sleep in, she wanted to explore with them and it grated on her pride that she was the last to stumble out of the nursery. The calico tabby stomped out of the nursery with a big huff, looking like a particularly cross hedgehog until she heard the warrior, Robinpatch, greet them. Her curiosity overcame her moodiness, as she trotted over to examine the huge fish that he'd plopped onto the ground.

Raising a delicate little paw, she gave it a nudge. Slimey.

"We eat that? Ew."

It took a few heartbeats of frantic maneuvering to disentangle themself from the spindly, prickling grasp of Owlkit's pinning paws, the roughened edges of their squabbling littermate's little claws catching and prickling unpleasantly against the downy tuft's of Ospreykit's dark coat. The frail expanse of the young kit's spine folded with a sudden pop, resonating with a surprising intensity in the early morning light, sleep-stiffened joints entirely dissatisfied with the sudden jumping. "You're so annoying!" Little paws scrabbling and kicking against the equally darkened and roughened coat of Owlkit, it took another few moments of aggressive and wild squirming in the ensuing battering between littermates before they realized others were also present.

Rolling free with a little puff, un unsettling pale-gaze fixated upon the new faces; both in familiarity, such as Owlkit and Pipkit, as well as both in unfamiliarity, such as Brookkit and Robinpatch. Though technically Ospreykit and their littermates had done nothing to evade the stringent stipulations placed upon their scraggly collection, it still felt like an inevitable lecture was bearing down upon them with all the welcome of a starved hawk. " 'don't know you!" Ospreykit snappishly asserted after a few moments of wayward struggling, squeaky voice sharp with the intent of speaking over any potential contributions from Robinpatch and Brookkit alike. Peeking down at the shimmering swath of scales that comprised an entirely limp fish, a faulty gleam of curiosity caught wan on the bridge of a crooked muzzle. "Why does it smell like tha?"