Private Thread How You've Grown

Every day is a good day for a nap.

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It was a pretty day, as most had been recently. The sky was blue and the grass was green and prey was plentiful, that meant less work for him! Even he couldn't stay in his nest all sunrise though, and once again he found himself padding out of his nest. This time, in search of Otterwhisker. Having spent time with two of his milk-siblings a few sunrises ago, it reminded him to spend time with his adopted mother too. 

His green gaze shifted around camp, looking for the pale-furred elder. Eventually he spotted her, and padded over to the place she was sitting. "Hi Otterwhisker!" 

What I dream, the day might send. Just around the riverbend.

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Otterwhisker's gaze shifted over her leg as she spied her striped son. It was good to see him up at a reasonable time, she thought to herself, as a purr caught between her half-lick. Blinking pleasantly at him, the tip of her tail waved him over.

"Morning, Ravenbloom." She half shifted herself so that she could more easily stretch over towards the tom. Tongue stick half cocked she aimed a swipe at his flank, wondering if he was in the mood for sharing tongues.

"I had the most pleasant dream last night. Do you want to hear about it?" She only wished that a stomach full of words and effort could appease him for the time being. If he was truly hungry, they could both go visit the fresh kill pile to see what the dawn hunters had brought them.

"Let's walk and talk. I was just about to grab something to eat."

Every day is a good day for a nap.

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Standing still while Otterwhisker stretched over to him, the darkfurred tom's gaze rested gently on the older cat. He instinctively flinched back just a slightly when she moved swiped her tongue towards his flank, not expecting the sudden movement. Once his mind took over his reflexes he remained still, almost bouncing on his paws as he overflowed with energy for the day.

"I'd love to hear about your dream!" Ravenbloom chirped, curious what her mind had come up with to entertain her while she slept. For him it was usually chasing prey, catching a fish, sometimes he was even a bird! Ha, him a bird? It'd be funny to think of him with feathers and.. Oh Otterwhisker was moving!

"I'll grab something too! You can tell me about your dream while we eat." He mewed while catching up to the other cat, before slowing down to match her pace. 

What I dream, the day might send. Just around the riverbend.

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Ravenbloom was good at keeping a smile on her face. With a chuckle, she made her way to the fresh kill pile, the roots of the willow casting the area in dappled shade. After a few moment mulling over what tempted her, she picked a trout from the pile. "Why don't we share this one?"

Her mouth stretched over the wide flank of the fish before she carried it a few paces away to eat. She put the fish down with a few licks, mouth already watering and began to tear into it with her paw, raking thin claws along its spine to loosen the fins there to access the succulent meat within.

"I remember fishing on the back of the river and staring into the water and I saw a flash of silver. I tried to fish it out but I got pulled into the river..."

Every day is a good day for a nap.

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"We can share that one!" He chirped, shifting his green gaze from Otterwhisker, to the fish, and back again. It looked plenty big for the two of them, it reminded him of his adventure the other sunrise. While following Otterwhisker away from the fresh kill pile he began to speak. 

"I went hunting with Hailstrike and Merryaster the other sunrise! Hailstrike and I were trying to catch the biggest fish and somehow she caught one bigger than me." For the briefest heartbeat his tone went pouty and his cheerful body language shifted to a sadder version. That only lasted for a moment however, and as he settled down across from Otterwhisker Ravenbloom mewed determinedly, "But next time I'll catch the bigger fish!"

He then listened intently as Otterwhisker began describing her dream, stifling a gasp when she said she was pulled into the river. "You said it was a dream, not a nightmare! Didn't you drown?" He mewed, concerned for the health of his milk-mother's dream self. 

What I dream, the day might send. Just around the riverbend.

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The edges of her maw stretched in a knowing grin as she savored the fishy flavor caugth between her claws. She understood his worry. Ravenbloom was easily moved by the smallest things. Her earz lazed back as if to ease him, before lifting her head.

"I used to have plenty of nightmares about that very thing. Probably stems from when I nearly drowned...but this wasn't a nightmare, at least I don't think so." Soon she was able to get to a strip of flesh and tore into it, chewing a small bite before pushing the carcass over towards him before continuing.

"I slipped into the river but I was able to breathe freely as if I were a fish. I swam along the bottom and could see the sky the deeper I went like a reflection. Further and further I swam...until I came across a whole group of cats just swimming along like me. Odd seeing a bunch of fish cats, huh?" She purred, lighthearted.

Every day is a good day for a nap.

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The dark-furred tom nodded in understanding, almost drowning did seem like it'd be scary. But she was alive and that's what mattered! This dream was a fun dream. He hooked a piece of the fishy flesh onto his claw after Otterwhisker passed it closer to him, eating it down in one big bite before gently nudging the fish directly in the middle of the two cats. He listened intently to the rest of her story, intrigued to see what she would say next.

"That's so cool!" Ravenbloom exclaimed after the other cat finished speaking, "I wanna be a fish cat swimming with other fish cats! Imagine not having to go up for air. We could have an underwater camp, none of the silly land cats could ever enter!" The other clans already referring to them as fish-like terms as insults. They might as well embrace it! Although even he knew cats couldn't actually become fish. 

What I dream, the day might send. Just around the riverbend.

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Otterwhisker exchanged a rueful sort of glance with him as he exclaimed how fun it might be to be a fish cat. They were already cats who ate fish, cats who might prefer eating fish and hunting fish, so why not more? It wasn't like she didn't know that other Clans might have thought of them as such.

"I think it would be fun. Just think of it..." Humoring the young tom as they shared a meal. The trout was more than a few mouthfuls for the both of them, and could even have room to share with one more if needed. Her barely claws swiped over her tongue as she savored the fishy flavor, eyes half closed as she pondered just what sort of life could be lived under the surface.

"If we didn't need to come up for air we could travel up and down the river at our leisure. The other Clans wouldn't be able to hear or see us coming and there would always be fish to pick from. We would just have to make sure we could live on land in time before the leafbare freeze." It was fun to reminisce about what could happen in such a case, impossibility aside.

The older she-cat sighed as she took another bite, a purr of longing behind her throat.