A Calming Drizzle (Open)

Rain softly pattered down into the Skyclan camp, the calming pitter-patter lulling many a cat into a state of lethargy. The cloud-covered sky washed the entire camp in a cool silver light and a thin mist hovered over the ground from the light rain. A small, silver tabby she-kit peeked her little fuzzy head out of the nursery and peered around. She lifted her blue gaze to the sky, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of the cool drizzle on her face for the very first time. It had been raining very lightly on and off since a little while before she was born, hence her name. The late leafbare/early newleaf showers marked her arrival perfectly, and she enjoyed watching the rain more than anything.

Opening her eyes, Drizzlekit looked around the camp, taking in the sights. This was her first time out of nursery. Everything was much brighter outside of the safety of the den, and it caught the tiny kit by surprise how big the rest of the camp was. She hesitated by the entrance for a moment, gawking at the newness of everything.

He'd done it again. Rippedsky had somehow devised the worst possible plan for the young warrior. Mumblefoot was put in charge of caring for a kit. The queens were far too busy with their own bustling litters to take in one more. One had shared their milk but refused to take on this little one since she hadn't been born of the litter. His ear flicked as he awkwardly padded over to small kit. It was refreshing to find someone smaller than him, even if it was a kit. He felt giant in comparison to her.

"Hey, Drizzlekit... I brought you something to eat." Mumblefoot carried a small bird in his mouth and set it on the ground before her. Is she old enough to eat prey? Is that a thing? Can they do that? Being a pseudo-parent and having to care for a kit made him more of the already anxious wreck he was. Although, now it was a worry for someone else. In fact, being able to focus it on her was as much of a relief as it was a problem. He tipped his head slightly as he waited for a reaction from her. His experience with kits was... limited to say the least, despite the fact he had spent such a long time in the nursery.

The tiny kit looked up at him with huge blue-gray eyes, her pelt dampening steadily from the light rain. She tilted her head to the side slightly as she gazed up at the warrior, then down to the bird he had placed before her. After an awkward pause, Drizzlekit blessed him with a wholesome smile. "Thank you sir!" She mewed, tail twitching with delight. She stood up and bumped her head against his chest affectionately before settling down to eat happily. She seemed to be a very sweet, easygoing kit. Clearly she trusted easily.

After a moment of munching on the bird she stared up at him again, a curious gleam in her eyes as the half eaten bird laid forgotten before her. "What's your name, mister?"

OOC: For future reference a kit can't eat prey until they are about a moon old.

IC: Tinykit came padding out of the nursery, a few steps behind Drizzlekit. Despite being a moon or two older than the silver she-kit, Tinykit was about the same size as Drizzlekit. It seemed her body was committed to keeping her name accurate, not that she much minded.

As she entered the camp clearing she moved a bit-away from the kit into a spot where she was sheilded from the rain. Sitting down she watched the cats that padded through the clearing on their way in or out of the camp or their dens. As she watched, she noticed an unknown warrior walk over to Drizzlekit and drop a bird. With her interest peaked, Tinykit watched the two.

OOC: that is a fun face I did not know ;) in this context, Mumblefoot just is unaware of these things because he doesn't really know much about queens

He was pleased to see her happy, even though he could not quite understand the enthusiasm this kit seemed to have for life. When he was young, all he wanted to do was hide away in the nursery and seldom talk to any cat. Kits were strange in that way. In fact, she seemed to be devoid of the anxiety that had always settled within him since birth. At this thought, he tipped his head slightly. When Drizzlekit headbutted his chest, Mumblefoot tensed up. It was rare the tom was ever physically affectionate with others. Since leaving Whiteheart in the nursery for good, he had hated the feeling and a lack of comfort, but it was what it meant to get older. The feeling now was strange, yet it was nice to feel such innocent and unafraid love from the little she-cat.

"I, uh, I'm Mumblefoot. I'm going to take care of you, I guess." Per usual, the lack of confidence in his words shone through. However, instead of stammering over the words, he merely hesitated a bit. The sheer weight of responsibility that settled on his shoulders over this issue. He wanted to protect the little kit, it was his task now, whether he had originally wanted it or not. Saying it and doing it were two different things. The forest was filled with an incredible amount of dangers. She's never going out. In her place, however, the young warrior realized this meant he would have to go and fight the dangers. It was far too much to think about. With an exasperated sigh, Mumblefoot practically fell back into a sitting position. His orange-brown eyes watched dutifully over her as she picked at the meal. He was too focused on his now, supposedly, adopted daughter to notice the kit behind her.

The tiny ball of fluff stared up at him, the innocent look in her blue eyes simply heart melting. "Take... care of me?" She asked, seeming to consider his words carefully. Maybe she had a hard time with speech? It seemed to take her a while to fully understand another cat's words, and her own attempts at communication were slow and deliberate, even for a kit.

After a long moment a look of pure, uninhibited joy lit up her face. "So you're going to be my new mama!" She squeaked excitedly. "One of the bigger kits in the warm place said I don't have a mama, and I don't have anyone to take care of me. So that means you're my mama, right?"

Between the look on her face and the naive innocence in her voice, it was hard to argue with her.

Tinykit nodded when the warrior told the kit he was taking care of her, her curiosity sated. The kit had been all alone in the nursery and even Tinykit, with her indifference had felt sympathy for the she-cat. Just as she went to turn her attention away from the kit and the warrior, Tinykit say the it's face light up and Tinykit couldn't help but burst out laughing when Drizzlekit called the black and white tom mama.

Hopping up from her spot and padding over to the pair, still laughing, Tinykit poked Drizzlekit. "That's a tom Drizzlekit. He's your new Dad, not your new mom." Tinykit paused in her chuckling and looked over at the warrior. "Hey I'm Tinykit." Looking over the warrior Tinykit noted that he really looked like a big apprentice, but apprenties couldn't adopt kits so he had to be a warrior. "Your smaller than most warriors, do you think I'll end up that small too?" The words weren't said rudely or maliciously but more out of curiosity, and despite Tinykit trying to act like she didn't care what the answer was it was obvious she did in the way she tlted her head to the side as her ears perkd up.

"No, uh, I-I... I suppose." He wanted to argue the fact, but crushing the kit's excitement. What kind of mo- adoptive father would he be to do such a thing? There would be no arguing with her. Mumblefoot hoped she would listen well. It was difficult to determine whether or not he would be able to say no to her. His ear flicked at the thought. Before he could say anything else, another little kit came to join them. Tinykit. Well, she certainly lived up the name, just like Tinylegs before her. He remembered the stumpy-legged warrior fondly. In fact, the white tom had been rather inspiring to him when he had been discouraged by his size.

"Well... I don't know. Maybe Mintpaw would know?" Mumblefoot suggested to the other kit. Between two kits, he only felt more insecure. However, thankfully, Tinykit had parents to oversee him. There was no such luck with Drizzlekit. Although, even in their short moments together, he found himself enjoying her cheerful company. Kits were far more encouraging than apprentices. And even half of his clanmates. After a moment, he remembered her initial request, "Would you both like to see the camp? I can take you around. But, you have to stay close."