initium [open to tc]

The air, still and sodden with the faintest promise of a lingering evening chill, clung stubbornly to one's whiskers. A persistent snagging of seasonal weather that remained undisturbed beneath the newness of each day. Chilly rivulets of hazy winter-light hung heavily atop the stifling dreariness of the traipsing morning sun; cool honey-wax dappling, lackadaisical in nature, casually overlaid against the brackish, cold-hardened earth made all the more stiff with frost-dusted grasses.

Not an entirely unusual day in the newly-cemented sense of normalcy- only made markedly different due to the fact that Kestrelkit had opened her eyes.

Her initial realization had come with little spectacle despite the revolutionary experience of seeing the world beyond the darkness of limited sensory input; shapes, colors, beings, all once only made familiar in the limited capacity of her nose and ears. Though, the newness of it all had certainly made her all the more curious, desire to know all ravenous and prickly at the edges. Tottering forward on shaky and thoroughly untested legs, the little Molly found herself wobbling all around with little destination in mind, fawn-like movements only occasionally dispersed with the occasional polite chirp or purr. It happened to gather little favor if she happened to stray beneath another cat's paws.

Youth-softened gaze emboldened with the starstruck gleam of amazement and overwhelm, Kestrelkit seemed uncertain of what steps to take next.

Crocusfrost had found that with the conclusion of her scouting duties, life had largely fallen back to a normal rhythm... despite everything. Today though, she was keeping watch over the clan's youth as the queens took a break to rest and eat. She hung close, vigilant without having to stare down the little bundles, an ear pricked in their direction as she made sure to survey the skies and for dangers that may erupt from kits that may get under paw. Otherwise, she let them be themselves, undisturbed by the adult keeping watch of their safety.

Weight perilously waning between short, untried little limbs, Kestrelkit was quick to awkwardly drop to her haunches; newly-acquired skill of graceless waddling evidently a bit too much work for the young molly. Why didn't anyone warn her that walking was hard? Kitten-soft gaze stretching quite large at the overwhelming display of her surroundings, the little molly's starstruck, honeyed gaze easily portrayed a shallow mirror to the slow-going happenings of the world around.

Little head cocking to the side at the newfound sight of Daffodilkit, her apparent denmate's scent was distinctively familiar in all the ways that her physical appearance was absolutely alien. The unkempt kit's features knit together in a brief, yet surprisingly intense, display of thoughtfulness. "I don't know who you are!" Kestrelkit eventually squawks, squeaky voice softened by the faint edge of pride at coherently voicing the thought, peering over at Daffodilkit. It was only by simple chance at she also managed to spot Crocusfrost merely a few tail-lengths away as well, gaze still soft with the lack of focus and sharpness associated with older cats. "I don't know who you are, either!"

Whiskers twitching in amusement, the small grey kit slowly pushed herself up to her feet, stretching forward as she stood to her full, albeit not impressive, height. This, of course, was to last only a few moments before Daffodilkit once again found herself sitting as she made it closer to Kestrelkit, a soft laugh escaping at the look of utter bewilderment on her face. "You do. Well, you at least know me." A slight furrow in her face as she glances towards the other cat that the kitten greeted, briefly upset in herself for not noticing, not immediately realizing that of course the queens wouldn't have left them to their own activities, that of course they would've been given a sitter of some sort.

Turning back to the smaller, wobbly-legged kit, Daffodilkit crouched down in front of her, nose to nose. "I know that the world seems so interesting and bright and new, and that you really don't want to, but close them again and breathe. Let your nose put names to what your eyes are only just now seeing. I'm so happy you've joined us outside, Kestrelkit."

The wide, reflective pool of Kestrelkit's partially developed eye allowed for a twin-mirror reflection of Daffodilkit; a blue-washed rendition of the slightly older little she-kit, ill-defined and lackluster in nature due to the abrupt measure of their close proximity. She blinked up at her older counterpart for another heartbeat or two, meticulously turning the unfamiliar series of instructions over and over as though a complex riddle meant to be solved. If you asked any Queen, Kestrelkit's apparent inability to truly listen was already a well-spoken complaint.

"'kaaayyyy," Kestrelkit eventually mewed after a few half-moments of intense deliberation, little nose wrinkling up with the effort it took to follow simple direction. The pitchy, uneven breath awkwardly inhaled in a hurried rush did little to help the young molly parse out much sensory information; the world melted down to a few trace scents, all raw and new and overwhelming against the strain of her curious tongue and palate. Even worse, the lingering scent of her own nurse-milk was still thoroughly laden atop her pelt, haphazardly obscuring the depth of any new smells to be caught. "Hey," a single lid blinked open in a rather conspiratory manner, "what 'm I supposed to smell? You?"

A pause, followed by the slight agitated flick of a tail. "I....", a scrunch of her nose followed another pause, confusion warring with the question, and with the previous explanation. "Y..yes. Its .. you know me. Kinda. We sleep in the same place. Do I not smell like myself.." That last statement was said in more of a mumble to herself, as the small grey kit suddenly stood up to quickly pace in circles around herself, checking her pelt and tail for differences, or stuck leaves or smelly mud.

Seeing nothing that could cause her to smell different, the small kit immediately stopped and dropped slightly, panic beginning to replace the confusion that originally filled her eyes as she brought them back over to the warrior that was looking over their exploration. "Crocusfrost, do I smell wrong? Is that why Kestrelkit doesn't recognize me? Am I dying??"

A twin mirror of panic dawns upon the fine, fluff-kissed features of Kestrelkit; both young she-cats evidently absolutely clueless in this greatly terrible conundrum that had fallen into their paws. An immediate feedback loop of fright webbing out between the completely unseen connective tissues of the two young kits. Of course, understanding something as worldly and complex as the short-comings of a not-yet-fully developed nose was much too advanced for both young cats, especially in the subsequent onset of their wild-tipped panic. Her father would certainly cuff her for such an improper display of fear, but in the moment Kestrelkit could focus on little other than the cold whisper of unkempt panic curling through her veins.

"Oh no!" Kestrelkit wailed, little heart seizing with the frigid touch of fright. "You're dyin'!" What do we do?" Surely Crocusfrost would know what to do!