Being Spotted [open]

The small black and white kit stretched as she woke up. There was some rustling behind her, but when she turned, she saw nothing. Poppykit sighed. She knew her fur was weird; other kits didn’t have spots like she had, and sometimes she would swear that they looked at her funny. Like some kind of kittypet or novelty show.

She got to her paws and sat at the entrance of the nursery. The newleaf sun was welcomed, especially after such a cold leafbare. There was something about watching the other cats go about their business that made her at ease.

Poppykit sighed, feeling rather down on herself. How could she be a warrior of ShadowClan with all of these spots? She wouldn’t be able to sneak like her denmates.

She watched cats come and go, looking forlorn.

Murkystrike walked into camp, having returned from a border patrol. She stretched as she reached the center of camp before straightening and surveying who all was around. She didn't see Batglow, or Rosepaw or.... Her heart seemed to skip a beat as she thought of Mistyfalcon. With a shake of her head, she turned to the other part of camp and her gaze landed on one of the new kits. She believed that she had been named Poppykit... Or was that one of the other kits? Either way, the little one seemed lonely and upset, so she quickly shook her pelt out and made her way over. "You're Poppykit, right? What's got you looking so down?"

The warrior that approached her startled her out of a trance. She turned her head up to Murkystrike, still with a small frown.

“I was playing hide and go seek with my friends and they could always find me ‘cause of my spots. None of the other kits have spots like me. I was easy to find.”

“How can I be sneaky like all my friends and like the rest of ShadowClan when I have all these white spots?”

Murkystrike nodded slowly, the young kit's spots certainly didn't do them many favors, considering ShadowClan's territory. "Well, let's think about it together, shall we? Your.... Challenge, cause it's not really a problem now, is it? Your challenge is the color of your pelt. You can't help that any more than I can, or your friends. So, we have to figure out how to work around it." The warrior settled down next to the kit before continuing. So, we have a lot of marshes in ShadowClan. That means we have a lot of mud. One method you can try is to disguise your pelt by rolling in the mud. That does mean your pelt will be dirty, and you'll want to clean it so your denmates and parents don't get upset, but it will hide your spots. Another way is to use the grass and branches on the ground to aid in hiding you. The white spots in your fur look an awful lot like sun spots coming through the trees. Finally, ShadowClan is usually more active at night than during the day, so the darkness will help conceal you as well. What do you think? Want to try anything? I can help."

Poppykit listened intently to Murkystrike, a small smile and wide eyes looking at her. “So... it’ll be okay? Really? I can still be a warrior?”

The kitten smiled, wiggling in place. She may prove her right to be in ShadowClan after all. “I just want to make ShadowClan proud...”

She seemed to have said the right thing, as Poppykit brightened up. "Of course you can still be a warrior! I've seen plenty of white-furred warriors, from various clan. Why, think of Daisyflame! He's mostly white, and he's one of our most experienced warriors. You'll do just fine." Murkystrike purred as she nudged the kit with her nose lightly. "Poppykit, as long as you do your best and work hard, you will always make ShadowClan proud. All of us. Trust me on that, okay?"