Slaps down a res, I'd die for this gremlin-
Username: Griffin Torrens
Cat Name: Batwing
Clan: BirchClanRank: Warrior
Gender: Tom
Age: 40 moons (34 in written piece)
Prompt: About
Adversities that aren't physical often go unnoticed.
All art is mine!
Songs:
It became apparent fairly early on.
"Batpaw? You were supposed to meet me in the clearing at
sunrise!"
The tom sat up quickly, vision cloudy and head fuzzy. "I'm awake!"
"If you really want to be a Clan cat, then you need to prove it."
Eyes glued to his paws, he nodded. "I'm really sorry. I must have slept through the others waking up..."
Jackdawcap closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he reopened them, he let his mouth curl up into a smile. "It's okay, let's go practice hunting," he meowed. Jackdawcap made his way to the entrance, calling over his shoulder. "Didn't sleep very well?"
"Yeah, something like that," Batpaw mumbled half-heartedly.
~
"Alright, show me what you remember."
After giving a determined nod, Batpaw lowered himself to the ground.
Tail low, he remembered as he positioned himself.
"That dandelion," his mentor instructed, tail gesturing the direction.
Batpaw paused as a yawn escaped. Chancing an apologetic glance at Jackdawcap before he began stalking, he checked the breeze. He found this part rather easy, keeping his body level and smoothly placing one paw Infront of the next. When he felt he was a good distance, he kicked off from the ground, paws stretched before him.
His claws hooked around the flower, pressing it to the ground. As the rest of his body followed, a foreleg gave out from beneath him, sending the apprentice into the soft grass. Hissing under his breath, batpaw sat up. He shook the dandelion seeds from between his claws, sneezing as the wind blew them right back into his face. "Urgh!" He hissed to himself, eyes ablaze. Covering it quickly, the tom took a deep breath before glancing up at his mentor. "Sorry, can I try again?"
Concern as obvious as a tick on his nose, Jackdawcap jumped down and padded over to the hairless cat. "Hey, is everything okay?"
The softness in his voice irked Batpaw.
I don't need sympathy! "Yeah, everything's fine," he replied, voice bright and smile tugging on his lips.
Giving a quick nod, the tom hesitated. "You know I'm asking as your friend, not your mentor, right? If something's wrong, you can talk to me. I saw how stealthy you were when the patrol found you, it's not like you to be clumsy."
"I'm fine," he assured, voice confidant.
"Alright."
Why's it always easier to lie than admit I'm not okay..?
~
The sun had set. Silence lay over the camp like a layer of snow. Like the dread that haunted Batpaw. It was as if the part of him that should be shutting down to let him sleep was working overtime, thoughts cascading like a waterfall, filling every part of his body with a feeling of
wrong. Everything that had been fine now felt like a mistake, like it would ruin his life. But everything yet to come felt worse, an unknown, waiting, like the gaping jaws of a beast.
Scowling, Batpaw flicked his tail. Careful not to wake the sleeping shapes around him, the tom crept out of the den. No more than a shadow, he left camp. This chill hit him instantly, seeping through his exposed skin and down to his bone. Yet the sphynx didn't hesitate, walking the route he had every night he'd been here.
He stopped at the trunk of a tree, a small one with an array of twisting branches. Bunching his muscles, Batpaw leaped up, batting at the leaves with an accuracy contradicting his earlier performance. The world was still for a second. Then the tree came to life, fireflies lighting it, flickering gently.
Warmth spread through Batpaw, and he lowered himself to the ground. The shadow of sleep had been banished.
"Hey."
Batpaw let out an undignified shriek and spun around.
"It's just me!" Jackdawcap chuckled, blinking out an apology. "This place is beautiful," he commented, coming to sit beside Batpaw. "Rather chilly though, even for Greenleaf." With those words, the tom pressed his side against the sphynx.
Warmth spread through Batpaw, physical this time. Taking it as an invitation, he pressed himself closer without comment.
"Couldn't sleep?"
There was something about the night that loosened his tongue, letting out things shunned by daylight. "Yeah. Too loud."
"Loud? Are their bugs in the den?"
"No, me. My thoughts. It's all too loud. Too
wrong. Stupid brain."
A pause. "How much sleep have you been getting?"
"I fall asleep around sunrise, a little earlier if I'm lucky."
Everything fell into place then. "I think you should talk to Dandelionwish, he's good at this kind of thing," Jackdawcap replied carefully. "I recon he could help you, either to sleep or settle your thoughts."
Batpaw narrowed his eyes, skin itching where fur would be rising. "I don't need any help, I'm fine. I'd rather be called lazy than admit I'm not okay!"
Jackdawcap didn't flinch, he simply kept his gaze steady, waiting for Batpaw to meet it. When the tom showed no signs of doing so, he let out a sigh and continued anyway. "I used to struggle sleeping, sometimes still do. Dandelionwish really helped me, I know he can help you to. But.. if you don't want to yet, that's okay. Kitten steps. While you're an apprentice, we can set a schedule that suits you. Get your body used to sleeping and getting up at the same times. Alright?"
"...Why? Most cats just... Don't see it or blame it on something else..."
"Because I care about you, and I want to be able to help however I can. Wake me up when you're ready to go back," he ended quickly, pressing closer and resting his head on his paws.
Batpaw glanced down at the tom, feeling as if he'd swallowed a mouthful of the starlit bugs.
If he cares about me... If he thinks I'm worth it, then maybe I need to start caring about me too.
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