FOG || Orchidpaw and Burnkit

ORCHIDPAW

Even though Indigowater's announcement happened a while ago already, Orchidpaw still didn't feel so... at peace. Her fur was ruffled from the tense air in the camp, and it was clear to say that she was still upset by the whole incident. Relief initially surged through her when she realized that she no longer would have to sleep in the same den as the troublemakers (particularly Lupinekit; the young molly was admittedly afraid of the other for killing the beetle), as she would be too scared of her personal belongings going amiss. But still --- she couldn't help but feel bad. Perhaps there was something she could've done to not let the whole thing spiral into a punishment like this in the first case for the two kits...? But what they did was truly mean. Still though... she liked it better when everything was nicer. 

The small apprentice sat a ways outside the Medicine Den, which was likely a good distance from the cat inside. Remedy was taking a break, so Orchidpaw decided to do too, and the feline honestly didn't want to be cooped up in a space with Swanpaw for too long; she always felt that she was doing something wrong around him. His prickly nature seemed to intensify after she became an apprentice, and it did nothing but intimidate her. She blew out an exhale in a quivering, long sigh, and rested her head onto the ground, her green eyes staring out into the expanse of the grassy terrain.

BURNKIT

Burnkit hid in a tall patch of grass, as to him, it felt like he didn't deserve to be around anyone at the moment. 

Despite his best efforts to remain hidden, his ears and tail still poked through. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened earlier -- the burr, Indigowater's reaction, how stupid he was to believe that any of Lupinekit's plans were beneficial for him or anyone around him... all he felt was guilt. He sent a small prayer to the sky wishing he could go back in time and never do any of it. 

But, alas, what's done is done. To him, it looks like the entire clan is either upset from his actions or (justifiably) gossiping about him, and it's almost entirely his fault. There's nothing he can do about it, other than sit and mope in the grass.

ORCHIDPAW

Dark specks poked out from a particular bundle of grass that crossed her eyes, and upon squinting, Orchidpaw realized that they were nothing but the ears and tail that belonged to a kitten. What were they doing here...? Were they afraid of their nests getting messed up too? Surely the burrows would be a more comfortable or safer place to spend one's time; as a kitten, Orchidpaw only always exited the Nursery burrow to find Goldenlion. She had been a coward then, and was still a coward now, but worry drove her paws forward. The molly lightly waddled over to the patch of grass, though each step sent her nerves into a loud ringing. 

When she was close enough, Orchidpaw gently nosed her way through the grass, surprise dotting her eyes for a second as she saw no other kitten but Burnkit. Hesitation began to blossom in her heart, but she was here anyway, so... "u-um... h-hi...?"

BURNKIT

Burnkit's misery was briefly interrupted by two green eyes that suddenly peered down at him, eyes which he gathered to belong to Orchidpaw, the medicine-cat apprentice. The misery returned once he saw her apprehension. 

"Hi," he sat up, attempting to look casual, "If you're here to scold me, trust me, I got enough of that from Indigowater." 

He assumed she probably thought he was up to something, the way he looked like he was creeping up on something. It's no wonder-- how could any cat in the clan trust him again after what he did? He slumped back down again, causing the grass he was hiding in to become flat against the ground he was sulking in. 

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy being a nuisance to the clan?" Burnkit mumbled into his paws, trying to avoid her gaze.

ORCHIDPAW

"U-um..." she swallowed. Sadness and regret radiated off Burnkit in waves; Orchidpaw could see it from the way he held himself, and how he sounded so sullen compared to the energetic, upbeat kitten voices she had been hearing lately. It did evoke a sense of sympathy in her mind, and Orchidpaw's feeling of feeling bad only seemed to swell. She didn't like it like this...! She didn't like it when cats were mean or angry or loud or sad or tense... honestly, if anything, she really wished to be in one of Goldenlion's embraces right now, without having to think about anything but how warm her father's hug was. 

"I-I a-actually can't-" her own voice trembled with innate shyness and worry - "can't s-see you b-being a nuisance right n-now...? S-sorry," she added, the look on her face pitiful. "I-I mean... y-you're not doing a-anything mean right now...! Right...? S-so... so I d-don't think so...?"

BURNKIT
Burnkit felt a pang of regret for the way he snapped at the molly. Seems he can't do anything right today. 

She looked like a well-intended cat-- kind, sympathetic, though, maybe a little introverted. He had seen her a few times in the nursery before she was apprenticed, but he always assumed she wasn't interested in playing with him, the way their energies clashed. While Orchidpaw was most likely the type to simply watch a small bird peck at some leaves, Burnkit was definitely the type to leap after it in a heated chase. 

"Sorry, I've just been having a bad day..." He sat up again, though still avoiding her gaze. "I didn't mean to upset the clan. Honestly!" 

He pawed at the grass, hoping she wasn't going to say anything that would make him feel worse than he already did.

ORCHIDPAW

The apprentice swallowed silently, shuffling her paws as her eyes dropped down to look at the ground. A part of her felt like she was intruding his space, and it screamed at her to go away, but honestly she thought that she would feel even worse if she just left the younger cat to wade and wallow in his guilt. She couldn't imagine getting yelled at by Indigowater...! The Deputy was so scary...! And to the whole Clan too... what Burnkit and Lupinekit did was horrendous, but Orchidpaw felt the strongest secondhand embarrassment when the announcement happened. She felt so so bad for them, yet so nervous of what they could do. 

"I-it's... i-it's o-okay... j-just d-don't do any- anything like that again." Please no burrs in my nest, she uttered in her head. "It's... that was a r-really mean thing to d-do. It... um... could've hurted the warrior, I-I think..." her eyes looked back at Burnkit. "I... um... have you said sorry?"

BURNKIT

The gray apprentice seemed so awkward, the way she was dragging her paws on the grass. Still, he was grateful he had a distraction from his self-deprecating thoughts. 

"Of course I wont! For as long as I live, I will never do anything like that again!" Passion sparked in his eyes. He sounded truly wilful to be well behaved for the rest of his life. "I feel so terrible for Chestnutfall, all I can think about is, how would I feel if someone put a burr in my nest?" 

His gaze lingered from the ground to the warriors den, and finally his eyes met Orchidpaw's. He never noticed it before, but now that he's really looking at her, in his opinion she's a really pretty cat. 

"I can't apologise-- not yet, anyways-- I don't think he wants to see me right now. I don't think anyone does." He began to think about the warriors, and then about the deputy, and then Glorystar-- what really stumped him is, what warranted that reaction from the Clan? Of course, he knows what he did to Chestnutfall was terrible, but was that really all it took it anger so many cats? 

"Do you know why everyone is so mad at me?" he inquired.

ORCHIDPAW

Orchidpaw took a few seconds to let his words sink in before formulating her response. "I... um... I-I guess it's b-because it's a real m-mean thing... I think." The apprentice laid down on the ground on all fours, tucking her limbs into herself so that she assumed a loaf position. "L-like... here... every- everyone's like- like- everyone likes each other. E-everyone is nice to each other... a-and so being nice is a r-really big thing here... I think. L-like...! Like... they found us, r-right?" her sage green eyes blinked at Burnkit. She really felt the need to say thank you for putting up with me so far I can go away if you want me to but the conversation was just... too far away from it. "A-and w-we're one of them too... so if we... i-if you do that to someone... I t-think... I think it kinda feels like doing it to... um... the whole group? I-if that makes sense?"

BURNKIT

He waited patiently for Orchidpaw to finish what she was saying, hoping he didn't seem annoyed by her stammering. He often had trouble with the same thing back home--er, back at the barn-- when you have a lot to say, but you're not sure if anyone wants to hear it. 

"Yeah, that makes sense, I suppose," his tail drooped. "Jeez, you guys sure are tight-knit, huh? Hurt one cat and the whole place feels the pain." He started to think of his life back at the barn, before the Clan found him. Things were so much easier then; he knew exactly where his place was. 

"You know a lot about clan-life," he started, a proposition formulating in his head, "I know next to nothing. All I know is listen to the older cats, which, apparently I'm not very good at...I think I don't have to explain that one. You probably know all about it." He realised he was rambling and felt like he was losing Orchidpaw's attention. 

"Anyways, as I was saying," Burnkit cleared his throat, "Could you teach me how to be a good clan cat? You know so much about it." Hope sparkled in his yellow eyes.

ORCHIDPAW

"O-oh," the molly breathed, looking a little embarrassed. She wasn't used to getting compliments yet, even though she was surrounded by cats who were kind and loving. ""I-I... um... i-if you're s-sure! Like... I don't think... um... Burnkit, I'm not a very bright cat," Orchidpaw mewed, an excessive sort of humility seeping through her tone. "Y-you don't have to listen t-to me if y-you don't want to... I'm sure there a-are more cats who could give better advice... but if you want to, I think I can t-tell you how to be nice...! I hope I can," it felt somewhat odd; Orchidpaw didn't expect herself to be fraternizing with one of the kittens who had just stirred up a serious kind of trouble today. But Burnkit's eyes shone with hope, and she was no cat to say "no". If... if there was something she could do to help another cat feel better... she'd do it; what Orchidpaw wanted most was to be liked... to be needed. Attempting to be a helpful cat this way by offering the younger kitten guidance sounded like something Goldenlion would praise her for, so... "y-yea...! O-only if you're s-sure. I'm here." A shy smile traced her gray features.

BURNKIT

"What do you mean, not a very bright cat?" Her description of herself made him laugh a little. "You're a medicine cat! Only the smartest cats can be medicine cats. If I were a medicine cat, I'd probably poison everyone by accident!" Burnkit hoped his joke would lighten the mood a little, as he thought his gloominess probably made the atmosphere uncomfortable. 

Burnkit stared into her eyes as she mulled over his idea-- he saw consternation, which worried him. Did she not want to do it? Of course she wouldn't, what cat with half a brain would want to help him? 

He sat down, dejectedly, but sprang up again with wild excitement. 

"Really?! Do you mean it?!" He couldn't contain himself. "Oh, thank you Orchidpaw!" Thinking haphazardly, he sprung at her in an attempt to hug her, but ended up knocking them both down, putting him into a fit of giggles.

ORCHIDPAW

"W-well," I'm training as a Medicine Cat because I'm a rabbit-hearted cat who can't handle the idea of stabbing her claws through things that squeak, "I-I'm not a Medicine Cat y-yet. S-swan-swanpaw's bound to b-become the next Medicine Cat before me, I'm sure," her smile seemed to grow weaker. "A-and I j-just started... so I guess t-that y-you and me... our skills are pretty much the same level here." Burnkit's praise tickled her heart, and Orchidpaw wanted nothing but to wish that what he said was true. Or would become true. She longed for a day where she was enough. Where cats could depend on her.. where she was needed and liked. 

Her eyes widened for a split second as Burnkit leapt at her, but before she knew it, they were both on the ground. As soon as the other feline started giggling, Orchidpaw naturally joined in as well, although her tiny laughs were more on the quiet side. Surprisingly enough, it didn't feel awkward nor forced; similarly to her hangouts with Kestrelpaw, she found that Burnkit's happiness was somewhat infectious. She wasn't sure of what the kitten was trying to do, but she could be alright with this. Everyone made mistakes. She... she would be here to help Burnkit learn from them. That sounded like what a good cat would do. "O-of course."