So if Vertigo hadn’t eaten, and Asa hadn’t eaten, then there was only one thing to do. And it was better than just sitting in their unhappiness (that is, Asa’s perfect contentment, which was now being sullied by Vertigo’s unhappiness). And it was better still than the alternative: actually getting to work.
He jumped to his paws reflexively as Asa began to stomp his paw at the ground, trying to grab at his tail like it was a squirming mouse that needed to be stopped. “Uh, sorry,” Vertigo muttered, gaze fixed on the ground. He looked up. More clearly, now. “I’m gonna go grab something for us to eat. Be right back.”
When Vertigo was younger, he’d always just assumed that he was just like everyone else in the Atari. The supposed fact that nobody actually liked Trapping and fighting just developed naturally in his mind. Because why would they? Of course, his only evidence for this was his own feelings, but he had no reason to think otherwise, for a time.
But the passion that so many cats, like Asa, held clearly showed that the reality was quite the opposite. Vertigo remembered when they realized that some cats actually were happy, and it wasn’t just some kind of an open secret or performance. There wasn’t a specific moment, just a lump forming in Vertigo’s throat at one point and a thought whose volume seemed to increase more and more each day: You don’t belong here. You never belonged here, actually.
If everyone knew how miserable and pathetic and not at all Atari-like Vertigo really was, then they’d all come to hate him, surely. Okay, so maybe Asa didn’t hate Vertigo (he was pretty sure), but he still looked at him like the anomaly he was, with that same glint in his eyes that he had when he came across a broken snare. Just another broken thing not doing what it was supposed to, that was Vertigo.
“Alright, I’m back.” Because that wasn’t obvious enough, apparently. “Hopefully this is good.” He’d brought back two birds, each grotesquely mangled in that patented Atari way, and placed one before Asa. Of course, the normal thing to do would be to actually ask Asa what kind of prey he wanted, or if he even wanted any at all, but Vertigo had left in a bit of a hurry, so he just took two pieces that looked more or less the same and hoped that’d work. He kept his tail on the ground, on the opposite side of his body from Asa.
“So. Um, how’s Juniper doing?” Vertigo said between bites. Yes! Ask about his child! Why hadn’t Vertigo thought of it sooner? Such a straightforward way to shift the focus of the conversation away from himself and his own feelings, good job Vertigo.
(i’ve decided that the atari has a prey pile. this is fine probably)
Chisei had been sitting with their eyes closed and listening to the wind. Windy weather was their favourite and sometimes it almost sounded melodious. They wondered if it was secretly words, despite themself.
What was definitely words, though not ones that necessarily made sense, was what was spewing out of Goshawk's mouth right now. Chisei cracked open one eye and lazily hollowed the odd circles he made. They were used to his nonesense at this point.
"Yesterday morning it rained, I'm pretty sure." they replied calmly, flicking their ears in suppressed amusement.
goshawk, finally done with his little dance around chisei, stops in front of his fellow initiate. "oh me, oh my," he murmurs softly in chisei's voice, blinking. he pulls over the younger cat's answer momentarily. what an astounding answer. dear!! how can he counter this!!
"but! consider this, dear friend: did it really rain yesterday? or was that just a figment of your imagination ..a dream, perhaps? truly scary, indeed - how hard it is to prove anything. talk about being deceived, indeed." he laments, still copying chisei's voice. he wears a big, dramatic frown on his maw as he plops down, shaking his head. though, a split second later, he's grinning again. seriously..what's his problem.
goshawk, finally done with his little dance around chisei, stops in front of his fellow initiate. "oh me, oh my," he murmurs softly in chisei's voice, blinking. he pulls over the younger cat's answer momentarily. what an astounding answer. dear!! how can he counter this!!
"but! consider this, dear friend: did it really rain yesterday? or was that just a figment of your imagination ..a dream, perhaps? truly scary, indeed - how hard it is to prove anything. talk about being deceived, indeed." he laments, still copying chisei's voice. he wears a big, dramatic frown on his maw as he plops down, shaking his head. though, a split second later, he's grinning again. seriously..what's his problem.
It wasn't the first time Chisei heard their own voice coming out of Goshawk's mouth. It didn't make it any less unsettling and impressive at the same time. The initiate had tried to hint at their friend that this wasn't a pleasant experience, though they gave up eventually and tried to accept it as a normal event. Sometimes they wondered if Goshawk found their calm rationale irritating or fun.
"Well, yesterday me and someone else talked about the rain that was happening and they agreed that it was raining, and I don't think two cats can have the same imagination. Besides, the leaves are still wet." they said casually, not portraying the slight disturbance Goshawk's mimicry caused them. They hooked a wet leaf on their claw, tempted to flick it at their friend's face.
Hawfinch looked around and sighed a few cats were mingling but he just nodded in acknowledgement.His main agenda was to find his sister he had wanted to talk to her about the young mostly about the ones who were showing potential of becoming a claw
Narcissus sat in silence, locked in battle with her eyelids. She wanted to stay awake, but the heat and the sun and the gentle breeze had other plans entirely. She tried pleading, she tried reason, but there was no reply. Her head just kept sinking into her fluffy pelt, her eyelids closing in on her eyes with no hesitation nor mercy.
Her thoughts began to follow the rhythm of her labored blinking. It’s! The! First! Thing! In! The! Morning! You! Can’t! Possibly! Be! Falling! Asleep! Already! Wake! Up! Please..! Narcissus just tried brute-forcing her eyes open, but no. They just collapsed back down with an even greater finality. Well, maybe that was okay. Most of the Young were still fast asleep, so she probably could... just for a second...
Noticing her brother’s presence next to her, she suddenly jumped to her paws, eyes wide with alarm. “I’m awake! I mean, uh, good morning, Hawfinch.” Even her yelps came out rather soft and subdued. She flashed her brother a slightly guilty smile. “How are you? Can I help you with anything?” Of all the cats who could have bore witness to such an embarrassing moment, Narcissus’s brother was one of the better options, at least.
As the last of the sun escaped the horizon's grasp, drifitng up into the sky, Orion returned the camp. Like every other morning, his mysterious dawn venture had come to an end, and now was the time for daily activities to commence. The golden tabby tom slunk through the camp, green eyes wandering peacefully over the other members of the Atari that had arisen while he was out. Goshawk, his self-proclaimed miniature, was bouncing around another initiate who seemed bemused but not disinterested. Orion was familiar with that response to his own riddles. It was preferable compared to other reactions.
The Crown lounged nearby as well, and Orion bowed his head elaborately as he passed by, offering a sly grin in his friend's direction. He would have to catch up with her later. The trapper ducked his head into his den to collect a hawk feather, bringing it with him atop a rocky formation in the corner of camp. Sprawling out across the stone, he went to work grooming the feather with rhythmic stroke, dark eyes half-closed.
Asa's head dips, and this is all the thanks and acknowledgement that Vertigo gets for leaving to get them both something to eat. He returns his paw back to where it'd been tucked up beneath him, too, faintly disappointed that he hadn't been able to catch Vertigo's tail. If nothing else, he'd hoped a sore tail might dissuade Vertigo from thinking too hard about whatever's got him sounding the way he does this morning. It isn't just the heat.
Asa's still buiding Vertigo's snare in his own mind, but he can't settle on the material. He already knew brute force and light bullying, for all that Asa finds it funny, likely isn't the way to do it. Cruel and punishing traps leave preymeat tight and bitter in the end, and Vertigo doesn't need anyone else's help getting like that. The thought pries a breathy nose-laugh out of Asa as his brother returns.
None of the solutions he thinks up in that short time are any newer than the problem itself. Asa pulls at the feathers of his meal, neatly collecting them in a separate spot. There's no plan for them later or anything; he just hates a mess, is all. He's content to eat in the usual silence, taking small bites and chewing carefully. The injury to his throat had damaged more than just his voice, but it was another change that Asa has long since adjusted to. He eats slowly, he eats cautiously, and he hardly ever winces around the swallows anymore.
Vertigo speaks again. Asa's chewing still, counting it out in his head. The counting probably isn't necessary, but he enjoys it. His thoughts flick to Juniper. He swallows.
"Learning." It's taken quite a bit of effort for Asa to resist the urge to monopolize his daughter's time, to just sit her down and cram her head full of everything he thinks she could ever need to know. It wouldn't be right of him, no matter how certain he is that it'd be making her life easier in the long run. Life isn't easy, especially here, and part of her initiate training will be to experience that truth for herself.
"Will make a...good trapper," he adds in a tone that's half proud and half barbed.
Dawn was breaking. The sky was clear. And would-be King of Kings was awake.
Granted, the black tom always woke early. But golden dawns like this one made him feel alive and powerful, as if the sun's rays themselves flowed through his veins to give him its energy. A shame, indeed, that he had little to use it for. The monarchs of this group weren't worth the waste, and most duties were taken care of before he could get to them. So Ozymandias took to the lands beyond his lands for his outlet. Practice, he called it. The souls that fell to his claws there wouldn't be missed by anyone, anyway.
This morning, he opted to lounge. Dark eyes scanned the craggy clearing from the rock Ozymandias splayed out on, watching and waiting for something to pique his interest.
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On hiatus from June 9th to June 17th. Do not bump me/send me messages, they will go unresponded to.
Dawn was breaking. The sky was clear. And would-be King of Kings was awake.
Granted, the black tom always woke early. But golden dawns like this one made him feel alive and powerful, as if the sun's rays themselves flowed through his veins to give him its energy. A shame, indeed, that he had little to use it for. The monarchs of this group weren't worth the waste, and most duties were taken care of before he could get to them. So Ozymandias took to the lands beyond his lands for his outlet. Practice, he called it. The souls that fell to his claws there wouldn't be missed by anyone, anyway.
This morning, he opted to lounge. Dark eyes scanned the craggy clearing from the rock Ozymandias splayed out on, watching and waiting for something to pique his interest.
As The Traveler's golden green eyes blinked open, the voices surrounded her once again. Not the usual voices and noises, but other cats. Yes, that's right. She's in the... the Atari. The Initiate couldn't help but feel uneasy about this place. She didn't have the best reputation with groups. After what had happened to Flutter. Paw. Flutterpaw was her name now, wasn't it? Or it was. The memory of seeing her grave had changed something in Moth. Voices and noises surrounded her. Cornered her from all sides. Laughing. Heavy breathing. Snarls and growls. Dark, evil noises. Deathly noises. A stiff swallow, then She rose to her paws, stretching each leg in turn. Then her back. The noises of other cats helpfully muted any horrible hauntings for the most part. Not completely but enough that the reached sounds in her head would leave her alone. Or so it seemed. As she exitedthe den, a hollow giggle sounded from behind her. Nobody was there. Breathe, Moth. Breathe. She found herself sitting near a rock, stiff and rather uncomfortable looking. She casted a Glance to a nearby cat sunning. A tiny smile, then she decided it would be best to observe for now. To hope and prey the damn voices would leave her alone today.
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@/dino . [Open]
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"Underground look around not a sound can escape
Freakin out I'm how many hours away!"
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Paris, Alec, Bean, Glitch, Indy, XxGhostStarsxX, PeanutCash, Morrigan, Hollyheart, Dolomedes, Marigoldwhisper, and iliri all reside in here. They will never escape :>
Skrill padded into camp, her bright orange eyes traveling over the area before her. Her tail lashed behind her as her paws lightly touched the ground as she walked.
[Ehh..open?]
Hawfinch-Claw-35 moons-
Hawfinch was in a hurry to get to where he needed to be when he bumped into a cat he quickly turned back to see who it was he hoped he hadn’t hurt the cat “Are you okay?”
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Vinepaw wishes you well
Specklepaw is the current medicine cat apprentice for Frostclan
Hyenaslash is the current medicine cat for Sunclan he has an open den policy
Re: Atari Camp
