You Are Enough (c)

Subject: You Are Enough (c) Mon 9 Oct 2023 - 14:30

It made Sageroot very uncomfortable, the way Cloudychase had treated Wigglepaw. She felt bad disrespecting the dead like that, but it was true. The white tom had treated him like crowfood from the very beginning. Something had to be done. Picking up a meager thrush from the fresh-kill pile, she padded over to her apprentice and pushed it his way.
“Here,” she purred. “You should eat something. You’re still a growing cat, after all.” Slightly terrifying thought, the boy was already taller than her. Not that she was scared of her own apprentice, it just boggles her mind to have to look up to meet his eye.

Subject: Re: You Are Enough (c) Wed 18 Oct 2023 - 16:57

Wigglepaw

Gender: Male
Rank: Apprentice

("Feral Language")
("Forest Language")

Wigglepaw was settled at the far edge of the camp, his chin on his paws as he stared at nothing in particular. His pelt was clumped in several places, bits of dirt and leaves lodged in his fur as a result of not grooming himself for a few days. He didn't know what to do with Cloudychase gone. Before Sageroot became his new mentor, he would search for Cloudychase day in, day out. But now, it seemed as though everyone had given up hope...including himself, unfortunately.

Then, paw steps caught the young tom's attention, and he lifted his head, mildly curious. It wasn't Sageroot's fault...she didn't choose to replace Cloudychase...but Wigglepaw couldn't help but resent her. If she expected him to respect her or even care about her, she needed to forget about it. No cat would be as good of a mentor as Cloudychase was - he was sure of it. Had the white warrior been a little harsh on him? Yes, of course, but it wasn't his job to parent him, it was his job to train him.

Wigglepaw wouldn't hold that against the missing warrior. Eyes narrowed, the apprentice got to his paws, looking down at the she-cat unhappily. Why was she even trying? It wasn't like he would forget all about Cloudychase and besides, he didn't want her pity. He could see the way some of their clanmates looked at him and he hated it. Why were they sorry for him? Cloudychase would turn up eventually, he was sure of it. And even if he didn't...Wigglepaw knew that he would if he could.

Unimpressed, he pushed the skinny thrush back toward Sageroot, his appetite all but gone. "No. Not hungry." He'd shared a mouse with one of the other apprentices last night, the thrush should go to someone who really needed it. Already, his pelt had lost its shine, and he was visibly thinner than before...but something Cloudychase had told him once still stuck with him. He ate a lot. He shouldn't be taking prey from his clanmates if he wasn't going to replace everything he ate.

Subject: Re: You Are Enough (c) Tue 31 Oct 2023 - 13:42

Sageroot shook her head. “Please,” she insisted, the feral word seeming to roll off her tongue in a way that surprised even her. “You’re still growing. You need this.”

Subject: Re: You Are Enough (c) Wed 1 Nov 2023 - 16:56

Wigglepaw

Gender: Male
Rank: Apprentice

("Feral Language")
("Forest Language")

Wigglepaw stiffened as the familiar vowels and consonants flowed from Sageroot's mouth, forming one single word. He jerked his head up, taken aback by her brazen use of their language. Didn't she know that they weren't allowed to speak their feral tongue here? Sure, it was fine when none of the forest cats were around, but to use it in broad daylight in the middle of the camp! She didn't seem to be the type but was she trying to get them into trouble!?

The young tom ducked his head, peering around the warrior to see if anyone had heard her and was on the way to punish them. However, no cat seemed to have really noticed. Which was odd, considering there were plenty of others within earshot. Surely, one of them would come reprimand them or...or something, right? Though, after a few moments of silence, Wigglepaw puffed out a breath of relief. Well, they must have not been paying attention at all.

Body tense, the brown tom fixed a glare on Sageroot, his ears pinned back. The last time he had spoken their language in front of forest cats, he'd received nothing but a harsh scolding. The notches in his ear, courtesy of Cloudychase, didn't hurt anymore, but they always reminded him of what happened if he offended the forest cats. With his tail twitching, Wigglepaw leaned closer to Sageroot, eyes shifting nervously around the camp. "Quiet!" He hissed. "They might hear."

Though Wigglepaw didn't know it, most of Thunderclan was pretty tolerant of him and the other ferals. The dirty looks and snarls he'd received as a kit persisted, but mostly in his mind. It was thanks to Cloudychase, really, that his perception of the forest cats was a little skewed. They were just fine to be around and share a den with but forget being different - it was best to try to act exactly like they did.

Subject: Re: You Are Enough (c) Thu 2 Nov 2023 - 11:54

Sageroot’s heart fluttered at the apprentice’s reaction. Just how badly had Cloudychase hurt him? As no other cat noticed, they both relaxed. “Hey, it’s okay. I think Cloudychase was the only cat who minded. Actually, I think it’s kinda cool to be able to speak two languages.” She looked around, briefly catching the eye of a nearby senior warrior. “See that cat?” she mewed. “That’s Blazefang, Cloudychase’s mom. I know she’s on your side. Remember how she yelled at him?” She reached out a paw and brushed the tom’s shoulder, eyes lingering on his cut ear for a moment. “He did that, didn’t he,” she whispered under her breath. It wasn’t a question. Her fur bristled a little at the thought.

“By the way,” she added, “I know what it’s like to be… different. I was born with my mind a little crooked in my body, as some cats say. I hear too well and can barely smell at all, and sometimes talking to cats is awkward. But y’know what? Echosong’s that way too and he’s a successful medicine cat now. We’re all different and that’s not a bad thing.”

Subject: Re: You Are Enough (c) Fri 3 Nov 2023 - 11:57

Wigglepaw

Gender: Male
Rank: Apprentice

("Feral Language")
("Forest Language")

Wigglepaw leaned back, clearly hesitant to believe Sageroot. Cloudychase couldn't have been the only one. If he was, he would have been...wrong to be so harsh, wrong to have treated him as he had. Wigglepaw blinked, trying to wrap his head around the maelstrom of thoughts whirling through his mind. It made no sense. Cloudychase had been...was...a strong, capable warrior. He was loyal and cared about everyone in Thunderclan, even him, despite his differences, right?

After a moment, he followed Sageroot's gaze, making eye contact with Blazefang and feeling a pang in his chest. Cloudychase's mother. He'd met her once or twice before and though they didn't really know each other, she seemed like a nice cat from what he'd seen. He felt bad for her, though. It must feel awful to lose two children in one day. He couldn't imagine what it would feel like to lose two cat he cared about. Vinepaw...Crocuspaw...it would be a pain unlike anything else.

Nodding slowly, he turned away, tail twitching uncomfortably. "Yes. Blazefang is..." He paused, searching for the word. "...kind." He finished lamely. Cloudychase was kind too, though, wasn't he? He just wanted what was best for him. He'd only been harsh to make him stronger - to protect him from the outside world and what others would think of him for being different. That was the only reason, right? Otherwise, that meant that Cloudychase hadn't been a good cat. All he had done to try to impress him and win his approval...all of it had been for nothing.

Wigglepaw's brows furrowed at the thought but before he could think about it anymore, Sageroot put a paw to his shoulder, jerking him from his disastrous thoughts. Voice stuck in his throat, Wigglepaw squirmed away from her touch. He wasn't sure what to say. A part of him wanted to defend Cloudychase, explain the situation - that it had been his fault. However, another part of him wasn't sure anymore. After a moment, he just shrugged uncertainly. "Not Cloudychase's fault."

Sageroot continued, though, and Wigglepaw glanced back at her, confused. She certainly did talk a lot - far more than Cloudychase ever had. Though, maybe his mind was just crooked in his body too? Maybe he really did care and just wasn't sure how to show it? The thought, if only a little, comforted Wigglepaw somewhat. "Then...Cloudychase wasn't bad." He meowed softly. "His...his mind, it worked different." Despite it all, Wigglepaw didn't think he could see his former mentor the way Sageroot did. Not even when the God of Death came for him.