April Catch-all

[firealone]

Who: Firepaw and all his various friends (including an open prompt!)
What: Quests, training, feelings jams, etc etc etc
Where: All over the place!
When: April
Warnings: References to cat injury/death in the Exhaustion prompt

(This is a fake cut, there's prompts below!)

Comments

[seacub]

It did not take long, after Polteageist extended the official invitation, for Emporio to introduce Anasui to the quest board. The idea of working up ranks might not really be on their minds, but the idea of doing something productive at least is.

Even if for likely different reasons.

Still, foraging is an easy one, and so Emporio beams and greets Firepaw as the other bunts along his side. "So, probably two steps for Anasui then," he can't help joke with a look to the espartha's legs. "That's probably for the best- if the forest is still causing any illness, we should keep an easy way out. Did your guild say much about the edible mushrooms here?"

[dripdrive]

It's not like Anasui wants to be here but at the same time he doesn't have anything better to do. And since he doesn't particularly dislike Firepaw, Anasui has no objections to foraging mushrooms. A mundane task, sure, but something simple is just what he needs, given his headache.

The Espathra grunts to acknowledge Firepaw's presence (which is actually one of his more pleasant greetings, funnily enough).

"Not my fault you're both tiny," Anasui mutters. He doesn't say much more than that, instead looking around. He squints in the gloom, trying to see if he can spot the patch of mushrooms from here.

[firealone]

"That's okay, I can keep up with you - although Emporio might have more trouble." Firepaw's whiskers twitch with amusement. "If we need to run away from something, you might need to pick him up."

He takes off toward the mushroom patch, trying to move slowly enough that the Cubone's stubby legs can keep pace. It is indeed visible to Anasui from their starting point - a fairly large patch of mushrooms, along with a few edible roots that are growing up through the ground. Some of the mushrooms are arranged in a fairy circle, although they've clearly spread a bit from there.

"I'm not actually sure how to pick these... I guess I can cut them with my claws? Or should I pull on them...?"

[seacub]

"H- hey....don't encourage that, he's already done that before..."

It was a nice ride, but still!! Still!!

Trotting after the litten though, he peers around for the mushrooms. "Mushrooms are...kinda weird? You need to pull on them," he explains, reaching for one in particular, "But you have to be careful when doing it. Mushrooms are normally kinda soft, so it's pretty easy to just pull away the top..."

Hmmm. He looks at the roots. "...You'd probably be able to make quick work of the roots here though."

[dripdrive]

Anasui snorts dismissively and shakes his head.

"Ugh. You better do something about your speed, Emporio. I'll throw you off and leave you behind if you make a habit of riding on my back."

So he'll probably do that if Emporio needs a lift.

When they get there, Anasui stares at the mushrooms with his glassy-blue eyes. There's a long pause as he takes in the scene. Then, without another word, he presses his toes together like a shovel and then begins clawing at the ground, like a chicken looking for grain, though he's careful not to touch the mushrooms.

[firealone]

"Oh, yeah... I don't know if I can pull on them at all without splitting off pieces. Alright, you grab the mushrooms while I get the... roots..."

What is Anasui doing.

Firepaw watches him work, for a little longer than is socially acceptable, before awkwardly shifting his focus to gathering roots. Cutting a few off with his claws, pulling on a few with his teeth, pretty much just testing the best way to get them out. And he learns quickly that while pulling on them is probably better, he hates the taste enough that he would rather cut them near the base.

[seacub]

"It's not my fault I have legs like this..!!!"

But thank god the mushrooms are all right here. He'll work away at gathering, eventually flipping his helmet over to start putting the results in there.

He does pause to see what Anasui is doing though. ...Oh.

"...Oh... ...We are close to the woods here huh..."

He. Probably should've thought of that before just going ham on the mushrooms shouldn't he.

Well! "Nice job with those roots Firepaw!"

[dripdrive]

Anasui ignores Firepaw's staring and works on his own task. Technically, the post didn't say they needed to eliminate the mushrooms but this would slow down the spread that they're worried about. Once he gets a feel of digging with his talons, he starts to slowly dig a trench around the mushrooms.

Occasionally, he dumps any buried roots up for the others to collect. But besides the occasional grunt of exertion, Anasui works in silence.

[firealone]

Firepaw manages to get a good pile of roots going, although it's slow going and difficult to keep his claws extended for as long as he needs them. Emporio's praise does help, but after a while he just switches gears to gathering all the roots Anasui is digging up, and adding them to his pile.

"Is he always like this?" He's pretty much just speaking to Emporio, although he's not being quiet at all.

[seacub]

"Hahaha..." His laugh is potentially quieter than Firepaw's words- but, considering how often people were really loud about their thoughts on Anasui, he thinks they'll be fine. "Pretty much? If he knew much about these mushrooms, he'd probably have more to say, but Anasui's more interested in getting things done most of the time."

It's...surprisingly complimentary, not that Anasui will likely say anything about that.

But that aside. He lowers his voice. "...honestly, even though I miss everyone else... ...I'm kind of glad it's him, if I think about it? ...I... ...it makes it a little easier somehow. I knew him for a long time, before."

[dripdrive]

Anasui continues to work in silence. However, while he seems like he's ignoring them, he's listening on their conversation. Firepaw's question is almost non-existent (people have been asking about him like that since he was a child) but Emporio...

The Espathra doesn't slow down. There's only the briefest of pauses to signal that he heard Emporio (despite Emporio's best efforts) but he continues digging. His beak is clenched a little tighter though.

He's not sure what to make of the emotion or the thoughts that come to his head.

[firealone]

Cats often don't make much of a fuss about discussing each other within ear-shot, but Firepaw does lower his voice to match Emporio's. Even though he's fairly sure Anasui can hear them - he would definitely be able to hear it at this distance. And he's sitting down to take a break while they talk, since his paws are already aching.

"Well he's... digging a great hole. Better than I could do." He still fully doesn't understand what Anasui is doing. "I guess I don't know much about your friends back home. Are the rest of them... uh..."

He's struggling to word it more politely than are they weirder than him?

[seacub]

Emporio unfortunatly doesn't clue into the fact that Firepaw means 'weird', or anything like that. He assumes- because, really, it's hard to track who knows and who doesn't at this point, but he assumes...

"...yeah. ...they're all dead," he says quietly, soberly, pausing with a mushroom. "T..they..."

He plucks the fungus, moving for another. "...It. ...I think soon, it'll be as long as I knew Hermana. ...Being here, I mean. ....I don't know what to think about that."

[dripdrive]

Anasui stops mid-shovel as he realises just what Emporio said. A month? Emporio only knew her for a month? By extension, he had only known Jolyne for one month - that beautiful, wonderful, life-changing woman.

And then he realises that it's month of the kid of the kid alone. Without Weather. Without anyone he knew. A month of dealing with the murder of that bastard.

... It should be Jolyne here. Not him. If Anasui had to pick between the two of them, he'd pick her every time. Emporio should be allowed to be here with Jolyne. If not her, then Weather! Emporio's known Weather for longer and then Anasui wouldn't have to live without Jolyne! Emporio's wrong. He should be asking for any other one of their friends to be here.

But he doesn't say anything. Anasui remains silent but he starts tearing up mycellium roots faster and faster.

[firealone]

That wasn't what he meant but that works too. Firepaw hesitates, unsure of how to proceed for a good long while, and just busies himself by kneading his paws on the ground.

"If it helps, I've been here as long as I knew my best friends, too. I only got to know Graypaw and Ravenpaw for two moons... and we spent most of that training, anyway."

Although Graypaw and Ravenpaw could end up here, and he doesn't think Emporio's friends could.

"...You don't have to tell me about them if it would make it worse. But it might help."

[seacub]

More than a month, even.

And perhaps that's the worst part.

"...Training probably counts as being with them," Emporio says quietly as he grabs another mushroom. "...That's probably what matters. I guess...part of me thinks, should I feel less sad? More..? ...Polteageist knew I was having nightmares and offered some help about that, but even they said a lot was going to just be...time. ...but how much time is enough time? ...It was only four months. Er...'moons'," he says for Firepaw's benefit.

"...I only knew her for four months. ...but it's only hurt more. I..."

The cubone pauses, and quietly steals a glance toward Anasui- the pace of digging hasn't been missed. "...I don't know if it would make it worse or not," he says eventually, turning back to the mushrooms. Lowering his voice even further, to barely a whisper-

"....Anasui died trying to save everyone after all."

[dripdrive]

The bird is very aware of the fact that they're talking about him and Emporio is whispering so not to hurt his feelings. As if it would make him feel any worse.

The amount of time you spend with someone has nothing to do with the impact on your life they make.

Anasui continues his work, digging the trench. Deeper. Deeper than it really needs to be. At least he's thorough and the mushrooms will have a tough time of regrowing here of all places with how deep he goes..

[firealone]

Firepaw's ears perk up, and his attention turns back to Anasui. The gears are turning, although he's also just genuinely distracted by not understanding what the bird is doing.

"If he's dead, then maybe the rest of your friends can show up here. I mean.. he seems fine now. Mostly."

At least, he gets the sense that dying is not what made Anasui like this.

"And I don't... think it really matters how long you know someone. I mean, I only knew my littermates and my mother for four moons before I got adopted, and they're still important to me."

Not that that's a great point, because he hasn't thought about his littermates a single time in the last six months. He hasn't even mentioned having siblings.

[seacub]

"Mnn...."

He doesn't say 'I hope so'. It feels like that's going to be tempting fate, if he does. Fate, or...whatever the heck it is out there. He doesn't like the idea of it being fate, if he's being fully honest.

But he does pause, as Firepaw mutters his way around the timing of littermates and family, and a thought strikes him there. Firepaw is something akin to his age, after all. And...

"...Oh," he realizes with some surprise, sounding at least a fraction less dull and despairing as he does so. "...I guess...uh. You'd be an 'adult' soon, under normal circumstances..."

That's.

Well.

"...Do you feel any different?"

[dripdrive]

Anasui doesn't think the others will come. Rarely good things happen to them. It's already a miracle he's back.

Instead of vocalising this though, he stops digging. He starts taking out the roots from the trench he's made, quietly listening in to the two kids.

[firealone]

"Not really. I'm a few moons away from being four seasons old, but I still feel like a kit."

It felt like they were the same age when they first met. Now he's almost an adult, and Emporio is still a kitten, even though he's simultaneously much older than the ThunderClan elders. It makes his head swim a little bit.

After stewing on that for a moment, he shakes himself off and turns his attention to Anasui. "...Do you need help with your hole?"

[seacub]

"Hmmmm. Maybe you're growing up at the same rate the rest of us are now..?"

Ah- He turns, and blinks at.

The hole.

...Wow. "Oh wow. Uh...I guess you found edible roots?"

(Real smooth Emporio.)

[dripdrive]

"It's less of a hole and more of a trench," Anasui says simply to Firepaw without looking at him. "I'm done anyway."

Anasui gives a dismissive snort and shakes out his bob.

"There are roots. I'm not sure which roots are edible in this world yet. Do you know?"

[firealone]

"Oh. Right!" Firepaw tugs another root out of the ground with his teeth, and drops it so they can compare. "These are the right ones... or at least they smell right. I'm not really sure, I don't like eating things that aren't meat."

All the roots and mushrooms smell like Not Food, although nothing he's gathered tastes poisonous. To him, they're all sort of the same, but it seems like the kind of thing a medicine cat would be able to judge better.

[seacub]

"I think I could fit in there entirely, so that probably counts as a hole."

But that's as far as he'll go for arguing. Ah-

"Oh, right- your diet didn't really have to change much with this form huh... ...mmm. Looking at what they came from, these roots should definitely be edible. I guess the guild will ultimately decide on that though."