Puddle Party [open]

Mothkit peered out of the cozy nursery into the camp for the first time. After the recent rain, shallow puddles of water dotted the area. He blinked his large, green eyes in wonder as he tottered his fluffy body out into the open. A gentle breeze shook the willow tree overhanging the clearing, sending droplets of water showering down from its branches. Mothkit squeaked in alarm as the water spattered upon his head. He and shook himself vigorously, nearly knocking himself off his paws, before blinking more and venturing a couple steps further.

Mothkit froze. He looked down to where his right paw was submerged in a puddle. Cautiously, he lifted it from the water, shook it, and clumsily licked it mostly dry. With a huff and additional shake of his fluffy head, Mothkit put his paw back down on the ground to continue his exploration of camp. He blinked. Looked down again. Lifted his paw out of the puddle he'd just re-submerged it in. Shook it. Put it down. Raised it. Licked it dry. Put it down. Raised it. He stared at his paw. Then at the puddle.

He hopped back awkwardly on three paws and sat down. Directly in a different puddle. A look of profound confusion across his face as the water soaked into his fluffy coat.

You know, Leopardkit had a habit of thinking that everybody was idiots - at least compared to him. None of the other kits could stand up to his intelligence, it was a bit of a shame because it just made everybody...Annoying to interact with. But watching Mothkit venture from the nursery...He was pretty sure he just found the stupidest one of all. Watching the younger kit just dunk his paw into a puddle over and over like he hadn't even heard of water... He shook his head, not even sure what to say, how to react to that. He wasn't even sure it was worth his time but...

What else was there to do? He was getting all to close to when he would become an apprentice but it just wasn't there yet. He didn't want to do anything that would risk him getting held back even if it did mean getting stuck in the camp with the other stupid kits. There was a splash that caught his ear, glancing over to see that Mothkit had managed to stumble into a different puddle. ...But he suppose that maybe he could find some sort of entertainment here. A sly smile flickered across his muzzle as he pushed himself to his paws, stepping away from where he had been seeking shelter from the loose droplets to make his way to where Mothkit looked stumped in his new found puddle.

"Having trouble there?" he snickered, with no kindness to be found in his voice as he studied the fluff ball of a kit. His tail lashed, a gleam in his eyes at how much of an easy target Mothkit looked to be. Now, he wasn't like Fennelkit - he wasn't going to go around shoving people but...He couldn't deny there was a little fun in being a bit mean and insulting. "I would ask if this is your first time out of the nursery but...Ah, I think that is pretty obvious to see. Quite the turtle-head, aren't you?"

Jasperkit had been sleeping soundly for most of the morning, the gentle cadence of a rising and falling chest signifying the presence of the fluffy kit. The sea of silver and alabaster rippled like waves at her gentle breathing, only being hitched at the sound of a squeak echoing from outside. With the perfect circle now being disturbed as her head lifted up from her nest, the still blueish gaze peered around for the signs of the sounds origin. Finally, she decided she would have to rise herself, a huff residing from the sleepy molly as she saw two other frames.

With the fluffy pelt swishing rapidly at her tail in annoyance, Jasperkit blinked towards both of the other toms. "Turtle-head or not, some learn at their own paces." She huffed, licking her paw and swiping it over her fluffy ear. While she did find some amusement in the bewilderment of the kit at the water, the marbled fluff didn't allow it to show. "If it seems to be such a non-mystery to you, why don't you test out how deep one of the puddles are?" She challenged, her tail motioning to one of the puddles that seemed to be rather deep. Meanwhile, the she-kit herself stepped a bit farther out into the rainy clearing, only flicking an ear at the droplets that fell upon her own long and silvery coat.

Mothkit's ears twitched and he turned to stare at Leopardkit as he sauntered over. He blinked again in confusion, tipping his head to one side. "What's a turdle?" Either entirely ignoring everything else Leopardkit had said or just not really understanding it.

His attention immediately switched to Jasperkit as she spoke. "Am.... I a turdle?" He blinked a couple times before getting back to his paws. The normally fluffy, pale golden fur clung to his frame where he'd sat in the puddle, making his hindquarters and tail appear much smaller than usual without the bulky fluff to nearly double his actual size. Mothkit gave himself a bodily shake, sending drops of water flying from his soaked fur but it didn't actually do much to dry his fur.

Leopardkit jolted slightly at the sound of another voice, glancing over his shoulder at a frown as he realized that he wasn't alone - and Mothkit wasn't such an easy target anymore. "I think most cats - RiverClan cats at that - know what water is," he retorted as he turned to face Jasperkit with a sharp frown. "And sure, whatever. I'm not a drypaw, I'm don't mind any water," he added as he stepped forward to plant his paw deep into the puddle that Mothkit was sitting in.

...There was the slightest moment of fear when his paw didn't actually hit a solid surface when he thought it would, almost causing him to stumble forward but he quickly corrected himself and glared back at Jasperkit, sticking out his tongue. Then, Mothkit finally spoke...Asking what a 'turdle' was. He turned to stare at the younger kit with large eyes, mouth open in disbelief as he tried to wrap his head around it. He hadn't even heard what a turtle was? His mom had been certain to teach him all about the different animals that lived out in the territory - had nobody really bothered to tell Mothkit about it.

He shook his head, before he leaned forward with a little grin - one paw still planted deep into the puddle. "A turtle is a slow creature, a dumb creature. You might not be a turtle, but you might be related, I think..." He paused, sparing a glance toward Jasperkit, a little annoyed at her presence. He had just wanted to have some fun, Mothkit didn't seem the type to fight back and that a refreshing change of pace as the nursery had enough cats like Fennelkit - and it seemed Jasperkit - who liked to fight back against his insults. ...But as he spared a glance at Mothkit, he started to wonder how much fun he would have when it seemed clear that his insults wouldn't get past the kit's thick fur and thicker head.

Watching in amusement at Leopardkit's reaction, she had zero regrets. While it wasn't as funny as she had hoped, it still provided enough entertainment. The stumble was one that she couldn't help but chuckle at, sticking her tongue out right back at him. She had absolutely zero regrets doing this to him. After all, he probably deserved it. But, even with all the taunting going about, Jasperkit herself was getting rather bored. Her attention span was rather small since she was still so young. "Turtles are also rock-solid and have a nest wherever they go." She flicked more water off of her ears, then standing to shake out her coat and sitting back down.

"I'm going back inside where it's warm, don't get too wet that the mud clings to your fur." She commented, going back to the safety and the warmth of the nursery. She easily could've stayed outside if she wanted to, but in this case, Jasperkit just had little desire to battle with any of the toms.

Mothkit rapidly lost focus on both of the other kits and the conversation. He turned back to stare at where Leopardkit's paw disappeared into the puddle. Without warning, he clumsily 'pounced' on the water. Which, in actuality, looked much more like bodily throwing himself at the ground then any kind of real pouncing. Water splashed everywhere, soaking everyone within the immediate vicinity.
Mothkit squeaked continuously as he proceeded to drench his entire fluffy coat while he jumped and hopped around, sporadically slamming his paws down in the puddle.

Leopardkit huffed as Jasperkit finally turned and padded away, sticking his tongue out at her as she disappeared into the nursery. Ugh, finally. He hadn't been very keen on having her stick around, now he could just focused on Mothki- He suddenly screeched as suddenly water struck him, causing him to jump backwards as his fur puffed up - the best it could now that it was dripping wet. There was a heavy silence from Leopardkit as his eyes remained fixed on Mothkit who was now simply playing in the puddle, splashing water everywhere without a care in the world.

He drew back to avoid the splashes, bearing his teeth as he slammed his paw down, ears slicking back. "You complete minnow-brain!" he screeched, his voice crackling as his tail lashed back and forth. "Don't you think about anything before you do it or were you just born without a brain? He gave his pelt a shake, easily casting the water from where it clung as he had already started to develop the glossy pelt that all RiverClan cats had. But even with how easy it was to dispel the water, it was the simple fact that Mothkit hadn't put any thought in before he got distracted by the puddle. "Granted you actually become an apprentice, I hope I never get put on any patrols with you. I can't imagine getting any hunting done with you just bumbling through everything..."

Leopardkit's outburst caught Mothkit's attention. He froze in his tracks, large eyes locked on Leopardkit, tail sticking straight up in the air and sodden fur dripping. Mothkit blinked a couple of times before looking down at the puddle he stood in. He looked back up at Leopardkit, head tilted slightly, looking somewhat confused though possibly not fully understanding what he was confused about or why. His gaze dropped back to the puddle. Then slowly raised back to other kit yet again, eyes narrowed with the shallow level of thinking young kits have.
"You're a minnow!" He squealed in delight, as he reared up, deliberately sending a spray of water at Leopardkit. He spun in a circle before resuming hopping through the puddle, loudly chanting, "Minnow! Minnow! Minnow! Minnow!" With each hop he splashed even more.

Leopardkit wasn't sure what he had been expecting - it was clear that Mothkit barely had any thoughts going through his head so all of his insults wouldn't sting. It was...Annoying at how unaffected Mothkit was at it - it wasn't much funner with Fennelkit when she was more likely to just pin him down in retort but at least that was a true reaction. He watched the larger kit for a couple heartbeats...Before Mothkit reared up with a giggle, swiping water in the direction of the kit.

"I am not!" Leopardkit snapped back as he jumped away from the spraying water, raising his head in an exasperated manner. He wasn't sure how to interact with Mothkit, feeling lost on what to do. He wanted to snap at the idiotic kit but Mothkit wasn't processing anything he had to say. ...Slowly, his fur started to lie down as he sat down, watching Mothkit in silence. Although...On one paw, if he could get Mothkit on his side...There was maybe a way he could get Mothkit to be of some use to him. Maybe Fennelkit wouldn't be such a bother if he had a giant like Mothkit hanging around. "...Say, Mothkit," he finally said, a sly smiling crossing his face. "What do you think of being...Friends?"

It wasn't that he wanted to be friends with him, but it seemed like the easiest way to get Mothkit to be on his...Side. Everybody wanted friends, right? Maybe he could convince Mothkit to help him with things under the guise of friendship, the best way to tame the dumb beast. And plus, it was clear that Mothkit wasn't going to have any big reaction to his insults - somebody he could just tear into without any problems or backlash would be nice.

Friends? Mothkit came to a stop, stumbling over a pebble in the puddle. He blinked, gazing down at his rippling reflection as he processed what the other kit had said. After a few beat he spun towards Leopardkit and barreled toward him at top-kit speed shrieking at top volume, Yeah!!! We're friends!!! He attempted to plaster his soaking wet fur against Leopardkit's side with a purr. "I gotta friend!! Friend, friend, friend, friend!!!"

It was only when he was facing the sheer mass of Mothkit barreling toward him that Leopardkit realized that maybe, just maybe, he had made a mistake. "N-No! Wait!" he yelped, jumping back once again but he wasn't able to out speed the surprisingly fast kit. He winced as suddenly he was dealing with all of Mothkit's fluff in his face, pulling up a paw to swat it away so he could actually breathe as he glared over at the kit. "Friends...Yeah, sure. Whatever," he grumbled, edging slightly away from the tom. Well, that was at least easy. They were now 'friends' and hopefully, with Mothkit being as dumb as he is, Leopardkit could implant his own ideas of what a friendship entailed and make Mothkit just the tiniest bit useful.

...And while he would never admit it, having Mothkit working so hard to cuddle with him and being...so nice was...Well, nice. Not a lot of cats were willing to deal with him - which was fine because they were all idiots so if Mothkit just had some blind reverence for him... Yeah, maybe this would work out. It would be annoying, he was sure, but he would suffer through it for the praise. "And friends will do whatever the other one wants, right? If I tell you to do something, you ought to do it cause we are friends."

Mothkit purred louder as he clumsily bumped his head into Leopardkit's. His first friend!
He stepped away and vigorously shook his sodden coat, sending water flying. What the older kit said certainly seemed to make sense, and it's not like anyone had ever explained how friendship worked so clearly that must be true! "Yeah! Sure!" Mothkit chirped, tail twitching happily.

Leopardkit held back a groan as Mothkit bumped their heads together, having the tiniest bit of regrets for this whole situation but it quickly changed when Mothkit latched onto what he was saying - even ignoring the water that once again got shook everywhere. Somebody he could order around under the guise of friendship was going to be nice and as he eyed Mothkit, his first command came to his head. "...Let me climb onto your back," he suddenly said, trying to weigh how much bigger his fellow kit was and if it was just fluff. He couldn't deny that Mothkit looked pretty comfy and if he could get Mothkit to carry him around...Oh yes, this friendship might be going places. "We can, uh....Cuddle. Yes, cuddle," he added, trying to swing this in a way that Mothkit would easily latch onto.

Mothkit blinked, it seemed like a bit of a weird request but... "Uh, okay!" Mothkit flopped onto his belly for easy climb-ability. He wasn't really that tired yet but the water that had soaked through his coat was starting to make him a little cold. But maybe it'd be more comfortable to cuddle in the nursery? It would certainly be drier...

Yes! Leopardkit wasted no time in scrambling onto Mothkit's back the moment the kit was on the ground, doing his best to get a perch before he settled down into the fluff. He buried his muzzle into Mothkit's neck, before he quickly drew back with a soft gag. Wet fur did not smell good. He plopped his chin down onto the top of Mothkit's head, wrapping his paws loosely over his shoulders. Yeah...This was nice. He could get used to this - mostly once Mothkit actually got large enough to perhaps carry him around. He titled his head to rest his cheek, a grin on his face. "You know, Mothkit, I think we might even become the best of friends in due time," he purred, his tail flickering. Yeah... It would be a bit annoying keeping Mothkit happy and content - he would have to play along with this friend bit but having a 'friend' like Mothkit would be a blessing, he was certain.

Without hesitation, a ball of grey fur came tumbling out of the nursery, her yellow-green eyes dead set on the pile of kits the sat by the small puddles in camp. Brightkit jumped forward, landing on top of Leopardkit with an oof, a short chuckle following suit. "I heard cuddles, saw you two, and just had to join!" She batted at Mothkit's ear playfully, her tail flicking up water on the other kits as it swung around.

---

"Brightkit, you mouse-brain! You can't just jump on cats!" Close behind with a sour expression was her much more serious twin. Stormkit was disappointed watching the fun-loving kits pile on each other. She crawled up to them, grabbing her sister's tail in her maw and tugging at it. Unfortunately for the heftier of the twins, in her mouth wasn't her sister's tail, but Leopardkit's.

Mothkit purred up a Leopardkit. Best friends would be even better than normal friends!! The warmth on his back certainly helped ease the discomfort of the settling chill from being so wet, though the weight was a bit much given his still small size.

He wheezed out an alarmed squeak at the sudden added weight of a second kit on top of him. Mothkit squirmed, trying to get out of the, now much too heavy, pile, but from his prone position, he lacked the leverage do anything but wiggle without making any progress. "Uh, hi," he managed to choke out glancing between Stormkit to what little he could make out of Brightkit on his back.

Leopardkit's ears perked at the sound of paws thumping against the ground, barely having time to turn to glance toward the nursery before there was suddenly a weight on him. He let out a gasp as he was pressed deeper into Mothkit's pelt. "Get...Off!" he wheezed as he lifted his butt, trying to get the leverage to pull himself free. His body wiggled as he struggled, his tail lashing before suddenly something grabbed his tail. He yelped, being tugged at. He increased his effort, finally managing to pull himself free from Brightkit's weight and spun, yanking his tail free from Stormkit's mouth. "Don't you dare touch my tail, you-" that was about as far as he got before he suddenly lost his balance from the odd angle he was at, paws flailing as he hit the ground in front of Stormkit with a groan. "...Minnow-brains, all of you," he grumbled from the ground, unwilling to find the energy to push himself to his paws just yet.

"Oops! Sorry," Brightkit giggled, not moving as Leopardkit wiggled beneath her weight. She really wasn't sorry, instead she found herself laughing as the silver tom sneaked out from their kitten pile, leaving her to lay on Mothkit's back comfortably. "Hi Mothkit! You're fur's really soft!" She continued to bat at his ear, ignoring the grumpy tom that mumbled at her sister's paws.

---

The tail slipped out from her grasp, throwing her off her guard. Well, not who she was expecting to complain, but nothing she couldn't take. The she-kit watched patiently as he struggled under Brightkit's weight, a smirk forming on her face. He might act high and mighty, but the tom was too clumsy for her to take him seriously.

Stormkit couldn't contain her laughter as Leopardkit fell unceremoniously to the ground in front of her. "Who are you calling minnow-brain, minnow-brain?" she huffed, leaning down to his level.

Mothkit huffed in relief when Leopardkit wriggled free from the pile, the weight of just the single Brightkit much more manageable than the two of them. He flicked his ear away from her paws. "It is very soft!" he chirped in agreement. With the reduced load on his back, Mothkit managed to shift to tuck his legs beneath him and began licking his front paw, trying to smooth the fur that was was spiking as it slowly dried.

He blinked over at Leopardkit, his best friend, flicking his tail against the grey tom's flank, "Minnow!"

At Stormkit throwing the remark back at him, Lepoardkit finally jumped to his paws with a soft growl. "I am not! Its not my fault your turtle of a sister threw herself on top of me and Mothkit without even a warning!" he retorted, ears slicking back but as Mothkit happily repeated the word 'Minnow' and he felt the tom's large tail brush against him, slowly the anger faded. "...I do not have the energy to deal with you all like this," he groaned, slipping into a sitting position as he curled his tail protectively around his paws as if Stormkit would go for it again. He glanced between the three cats, realizing he was out matched here.

Seemed like Brightkit had about the intelligence of Mothkit - that was to say about none - and he had his paws full just dealing with him. And then Stormkit was of course one to fight back - and he just didn't have the energy to try to match wits against her. But that only left one question - what to do? He couldn't leave and admit defeat so he supposed he was just stuck here, dealing with them until they got tired. Ugh, why did this have to be his life. "...So, is there anything we want to do or are we just going to stand around here and talk?" he questioned, tail thumping against the floor. "Because I'm already bored out of mind."