a spider and a wasp (c)

Spiderkit's bordeom had easily gotten the best of her, and without any established borders, she had found herself near a loose congregation of the Shadowclan cats. She had tried to stay near the lake like her mama said, but nobody there wanted to speak with her. Everyone was fussing over things to do and sick cats, which she could understand, but it didn't mean the young kit liked it. There was practically nobody to talk with. Half the clan was sick, and the other half was rushing around to complete tasks in their absence. All of the queens and elders were exhausted and trying to avoid illness if it hadn't reached them yet. And there were barely any kits in the clan, so nobody really wanted to play with her. She had been wandering around when she suddenly felt a strong force behind her, and she stumbled forward, just barely keeping her balance as Wolfkit pushed into her.

She turned around, ready to apologize for the misunderstanding, but the tom got his words out first. Her mouth curled downwards into an agitated frown. Who did this kit think he was, yelling at her like that? Her fur bristled angrily, and she could feel heat rising to her face. Mama had told her not to get into any fights, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. "You're the one who bumped into me, mousebrain." she retorted snarkily. "And don't talk down about Riverclan. We're practically the same as you are." Traveling together as a large group had meant that she didn't understand the drama between groups. While she was proud of her heritage, she didn't see the point in being rude to others because of theirs.

Spiderkit's eyes flashed with anger as Wolfkit continued to berate her clan. She felt a rumbling building in her chest, getting close to forcing its way out. She was somewhat frightened by the feeling and attempted to swallow it the best she could. He was wrong. They weren't slimy, or stinky, he was the one with bees for brains. She huffed an indignant sigh, glaring at the other kit. She simply couldn't fathom why in the world he was so rude.

Fine, if he was going to be that way, she just had to follow in his footsteps. Fighting fire with fire, as one might say. "I don't know what they teach you Shadowclanners, but in Riverclan at least we learn not to threaten cats for no reason. And I don't think you could get anything done without being noticed. You obviously always have some mean comment to add." She hadn't even been truly offended by his words, just the implications they had. She was learning that she would not stand for anyone coming after her or her clan. She had half the sense to say much worse, but she knew her mama and Perchstar would be displeased with that. If there was one thing she wouldn't risk, it was the delayment of her ceremony. Once she was an apprentice, she could learn how to show this annoying kit a lesson.

"And I don't need any advice from you." she hissed, trying to make herself appear larger. This kit had an obvious size advantage, but she needed to show him that she wasn't intimidated. Now she was faced with a dilemma-- she wanted to leave, to not talk to this mouse-brain any longer, but she also didn't want to obey what he had said. She needed to prove her point. She found herself with her feet planted firmly on the ground beneath them. "I think I'll just stay her for a little while. You can't tell me what to do." she said, her eyes locked on her adversary's. 

This was a matter of principle. This kit had not only insulted her but also her clan. Multiple times. She wasn't going to back down from him. She didn't want to prove him right. Spiderkit was not a coward, and she didn't listen to little bullies like this Shadowclanner. She let out a forceful sigh, her shoulders tense as she glared at him. She took in his words, realizing that he had a point. There wasn't anyone else here. But she didn't care about that. No, she couldn't. He was too fox-hearted to try anything. Her fur bristled as he continued pouring insults out of his mouth. "Make up your mind-- am I a fish or a hedgehog?" she responded with faux confusion. She was going to take his cruel words in stride.

"And I'm sure your mama would hate to see all of this. Does she know how fox-hearted and mean her kit is?" she spat, taking a sizeable step towards him, so the pair were face to face. "Threaten me all you want. You won't do a single thing." she responded, not as a challenge, but as a statement of fact. She assumed he wouldn't jeopardize his chances of being an apprentice soon over a petty fight. She felt a small twinge in her mind telling her that it was safer to turn back now, but she didn't care. She was going to stay for as long as it took to make him back off.

Spiderkit stared at him, waiting for his response. She felt angry. So angry that it almost frightened her, that she began to wonder if there was something wrong with her. Why was she so infuriated by him? But she reminded herself that he was the one insulting her. She had a right to be angry. She wasn't sure what his problem was. There was a moment of silence, and then suddenly she saw a flash of fur moving towards her, coming down upon her head before she could duck out of the way. She let out a small, sharp cry. It wasn't that painful, just unexpected. He had called her bluff.

She looked back up at him after a moment, her brow furrowed. Although she tried hard not to show it, twinges of fear were evident on her face. "What is wrong with you?" she mewed angrily, taking a step back from Wolfkit. She wanted to keep at a safe distance. Glancing around, it seemed nobody else had seen what had just transpired, and Spiderkit wasn't going to tattle on him. That would be giving in to him, somehow, and she wasn't going to do that. "If you touch me again, I will hit you back." she hissed, trying to muster the most intimidating voice she could find, her eyes flashing.

Air sharply exhaled through her nose as she stood, tail twitching. She wanted to see what his next move was. Adrenaline raced through her body, but it was far from an enjoyable feeling. Just a lot of agitation.