Connections [Closed]

Cloverkit yawned, stretching out her legs; it was warm, and it felt nice to just lay outside. As nice as this was, she wanted to be milling about with the rest of the Clan — she was getting close to that age, and she hated every day she had to wait. Oh, well, she thought, giving a little huff. With nothing better to do, she rolled back onto her paws, gave herself another long stretch, and poked her head into the nursery, wondering if any of the other kits were awake.

Yarrowkit soundlessly chittered to himself as he rolled a moss ball around, twisting up his face in anger at the silence before attempting at chittering again, with the same results. He had spent the last few sunrises trying his hardest to get himself to speak, or hear, or anything, to no avail. Desperation was tugging at the tom like a snagged thorn, refusing to lessen it's grip on him as he tried, over and over again, to be normal. That's all Yarrowkit wanted- to fit in, to run and play with the others, to be able to hear his mother's voice. To be able to be the warrior he dreams of.

Yarrowkit can feel himself sigh, but no noise bubbles out from his throat. The other kits are playing in the clearing outside of the nursery-somewhere Ivystar had forbade him from going- and had once again turned their noses up at Yarrowkit's attempts to play with them.

Too wrapped up in his own thoughts, Yarrowkit fails to register the feeling of paw pads approaching the nursery.

Seeing one of her denmates awake, Cloverkit crawled back into the nursery, settling across from him. She batted at the moss ball a few times, passing it between her own paws a few times before rolling it back towards him.

"Hey," she purred. Her ears twitched, and she blinked at him expectantly. "Why don't you come play with us?" She offered, jerking her head towards the mouth of the den. She had known Yarrowkit in passing from sharing the nursery with him, but had never really interacted with him outside of passing glances.

Yarrowkit, startled, stares wordlessly at the she-kit in front of him. He’s seen her before, but they never truly interacted- how could they? From what he’s observed, she’s a boisterous and active kit and Yarrowkit.. Yarrowkit has never gone outside of the nursery. The she-kit clearly said something to Yarrowkit, her mouth forming around silent words at a speed he couldn’t keep up with. She had tossed his moss ball around- is she inviting him to play with her? But why?

The she-kit clearly seems confused at his lack of response, titling her head and searching his face, like she could find the answers in his eyes. She repeats herself again, slower this time, and Yarrowkit can register the motions of two words:
“Cloverkit.” “Play.”

Really? Him?

Cloverkit's little tail twitched when Yarrowkit didn't give her a verbal response, although he did meet her gaze. She waited for a few more moments, giving him a chance to respond, though he still said nothing; again, the tip of her tail flicked. She stretched out her neck, briefly pushing her nose into his cheek fluff, shifting a little closer to him so she didn't have to reach so far. She wasn't sure if he was simply shy or not, but either way, she was determined to make a friend out of him. She pushed herself onto her paws, taking a few steps towards the den's entrance before pausing and turning back towards him.

"C'mon," she urged, sitting back on her haunches. She gave him a warm smile, her tail flicking back and forth eagerly. She sincerely hoped that he would come with her -- even though she had only just engaged with him, every passing heartbeat made her more and more certain that she was going to get to know him. If she couldn't drag him outside with her, she would find a way to connect with him, even if they weren't passing meows.

Yarrowkit was floored by Cloverkit's tenacity, having found himself following her before he had the thought to. The she-kit simply had a presence about her, commanding attention wherever she prances; Ivystar had expressed multitudes of times that Yarrowkit was to never leave the nursery without a warrior's supervision, but Yarrowkit- for the first time in his short life- paid no heed to his mother's warnings. With a toothy grin and a wordless chirp, Yarrowkit willed his stubby legs to catch up to Cloverkit's longer ones as the pair made their way to the clearing. The other kits paused their play fights to ogle at the two, clearly surprised that Yarrowkit had ventured out of his nest. The stares frightened the tom-kit, but he felt instantly comforted by Cloverkit beside him; My friend is here to protect me, after all.

Cloverkit hopped her way out of the nursery, elated that he had come with her. She ignored the other kits, keeping her eyes on her companion; with a contented sigh, she turned her face skyward, though there was no sun today, just fluffy gray clouds and a gentle breeze which brought on a bit of a chill, though the air found a way to stay warm. Leaning over, she briefly bumped his shoulder with her own before trotting a few pawsteps away, careful to skirt around the other kits' games. As she padded to an open spot, a stray leaf got caught on the wind and, with an excited little noise, the little cat reached out a paw for it, swiping it out of the gust's grasp, giving it a hearty swat towards Yarrowkit.

The leaf makes it about halfway to Yarrowkit-- who was watching it flutter around in the breeze in rapture-- before being caught on another small gust and blown sharply to the side. Yarrowkit, long fur twisting in the wind, continued to watch the leaf fly away, not sure what he was supposed to do. That is, until he began to look around. All of the kits around them were playing; chasing each other around, batting at ears and tails with claws still sheathed, dancing on their haunches as they reach for insects too high to catch. The leaf caught the sun as it twirled, and Yarrowkit, eyes widened and ears flattened, lowers himself closer to the ground.

He takes off like a lightening bolt, stumpy paws pounding the ground as he nears the still floating leaf. He feels free, uncaged, like the birds he always watched with envy from the nursery. He's actually outside, running and playing like he always wished to, and his joy bubbles out of him in the form of shrill yips only he can't hear.

He swivels his head to smile back at Cloverkit, just in time to trip over a pebble and fall on his face.

"Yes!" Cloverkit cried without thought when Yarrowkit leapt for the leaf. She had been slightly unsure when he'd only stared at it passing by, but now he was playing — they were playing together! She had just started to move toward him, mid-bound when her cheering was cut off. She faltered, tripping over her own paws and nearly hitting the ground herself. Though stumbling, she righted herself and blinked at him, waiting to see if he'd get up.

After barely a few heartbeats of watching and paw-shuffling, her want to check on him won out over her patience and she trotted over, gracelessly flopping down and rolling onto her side, hardly a whisker away from the tomkit. Reaching out a paw, she batted lightly at his shoulder, hoping he would understand her gesture of 'are you okay'. She hoped he wasn't seriously hurt, but she had to admit, it had been a little funny– just like it was watching the other kits trip and tumble –and she couldn't suppress a giggle.

Yarrowkit, too embarrassed to raise his face from the dirt, laid there motionlessly as Cloverkit prodded at him. 'I just had to go and make a fool of myself, didn't I?' Though, as he hid his face with his paws, he could feel Cloverkit's lithe body jostle next to him- was she laughing at him? Yarrowkit couldn't help but let out a groan, silent in his own ears but audible to the others around him. 'Well, there goes my only friend,' He thinks miserably. It most likely wasn't even just Cloverkit who was laughing at him- every cat was! He managed to go out all this way, show his bravery, and then immediately make a joke out of himself. He knew he should've never left the nursery!

Immediately, Cloverkit wondered if Yarrowkit had actually hurt himself. The stillness of his body worried her, until he made a muffled, disgruntled noise, which only made her laugh more. She didn't think he was trying to be, but he was awful funny; she was glad he'd come out with her. She pawed at him a bit harder, trying to roll him over, either by force or getting him to do it himself. "Yarrowkit, come on, get up," she urged, resorting to pushing at him with her nose. A little voice in her head asked if he could really hear her — after all, he hadn't been responsive to her speaking so far; or maybe he was just particular, she hadn't quite figured it out yet, but something in her just needed him to look at her, to see she was smiling and not at all upset by him.

For a few short moments, Yarrowkit refused to outwardly respond to Cloverkit’s prodding. She was just going to belittle him more, anyway. But, the more insistent the prodding got, the more Yarrowkit struggled to stay still, until he finally turned his furry head and looked up at the she kit who was.. smiling? She had a smile on her face! Yarrowkit blanched. Was she really just looking at him like that, not laughing, but grinning with mirth in her eyes?
Yarrowkit swiftly swiveled his head around, searching for the smirking faces of his clanmates, but few cats were even watching, and those who were looked more worried than condescending.
Yarrowkit smiled back at Cloverkit, full of relief.

For a few short moments, Yarrowkit refused to outwardly respond to Cloverkit’s prodding. She was just going to belittle him more, anyway. But, the more insistent the prodding got, the more Yarrowkit struggled to stay still, until he finally turned his furry head and looked up at the she kit who was.. smiling? She had a smile on her face! Yarrowkit blanched. Was she really just looking at him like that, not laughing, but grinning with mirth in her eyes?
Yarrowkit swiftly swiveled his head around, searching for the smirking faces of his clanmates, but few cats were even watching, and those who were looked more worried than condescending.
Yarrowkit smiled back at Cloverkit, full of relief.