Posts by staccato.

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  • i would rather be alive with a childlike soul | open, progression

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    " speaking "


    it was just supposed to be a normal day.


    the child was in a little bit of a better mood, their steps lighter, their movements a little bit easier on them. in fact, they were on a little bit of a quest today -- the thought in their mind was a selfless one as they picked their way along the territory. woodenkit wasn't a huge fan of leaving alone anymore, but so long as they didn't stray too far from camp they figured they'd be okay. and for a while, they were -- they were looking for plants for their brother and mom, and maybe something cool for their other mom if they managed to find anything. in fact, woodenkit was rather happy today. giggly even. they skipped along, motions still stiff (couldn't do anything about that) but light regardless.


    but then something went wrong. if asked about it, they couldn't pinpoint the exact moment that they knew something was wrong, but they just knew. their movements stopped and they tried to suck in a breath of air.


    nothing happened.


    another attempt was marginally more successful, but even then the breath was short and they couldn't feel their lungs expanding enough. a panicked realization that they were having troubles breathing was enough to send the child into a mild hysteria and therefore made the sensation even worse, stiff chest struggling to move at all. woodenkit wheezed, their lungs failing to do the basic job of getting in enough air, and in their panic they froze up, tears welling at the edges of their eyes as they tried to sputter out a call for help, trembling with the fear and stiffness in their chest.


    "pl-please, h-help ... i c-can't breathe."


    the child shook horribly, legs almost buckling and chest moving without doing much of a job of bringing air to her blood. though she struggled, it was true that something deeper was wrong, related to her stiffness and rigidity, and her lungs newfound reluctance to move.


    sometimes wooden things are not built for flexibility.
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • Y(o)u're not as brave as you were at the start [Panic Attack]

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    " speaking "


    woodenkit hesitated a moment, and then moved closer to astercrown, trying to gauge whether or not this was okay before just going for it and attempting to give the older windclanner a hug. hugs made them feel better, so they figured that the other wouldn't mind, and even if her body was stiff and wooden, it was the thought that counted, right?


    "it's okay to be scared. i get scared too sometimes. but other people can help get rid of the scary thoughts."


    it was a much more serious tone that the child took, but her wide brown eyes looked up at aster with the pure adoration possible from a child.
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • living in a womb of reefer || open

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    " speaking "


    the child would give a little 'harumph' before settling themselves atop their mama. the answer he gave aster made their heart hurt a little bit, and they leaned forwards to try and rest their head under ico's chin, closing their eyes as though they could simply listen and know that their mom would be okay. they didn't want ico to be hurt, or to be wrecking his 'lungs', because they sounded important. and lies were bad right? their mom wasn't bad, neither of them were. quietly, the child murmured out a few words, concern bubbling in their affectionate heart for their lovely white parent.


    "i see you mama. it's okay, i love you. i don't want you to get hurt."
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • hey chicago, whaddaya say? (open)

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    " speaking "


    oh man, that was... a lot of information. the tree child shook their head slowly, a tad bothered by the overabundance of numbers being shared. numbers made her head spin, but she was almost certain that 108 was bigger than five. possibly. and they hadn't even been alive for five years, so maybe 108 would be... after that? sometime? 'cause six came after five, and then seven, and then, eight -- oh! and then one hundred and eight probably.


    "that's a lotta numbers!"


    they announced, and shook their head, crinkling their nose as they realized another piece of information they were lacking.


    [color=#af6c48]"what's a sport?"
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • Sweet death has taken // open // this great man from us

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    " speaking "


    usually, woodenkit was more than happy to spend time with her clanmates. she liked jekyll, he was so nice to her and he was smart, even if she wasn't entirely sure that he was right. she wasn't sure if he was wrong either, but he reminded her, for some reason, of shae. not the mean lady, but shae. the shae inside the mean one. but those were deep thoughts for a child, and she avoided them with relative ease thanks to her innocence. the crackling of fire helped inspire her not to think either.


    whenever someone lit a fire in camp, she started to cry, although she did so silently now. the only one nearby seemed to be jekyll and cherviltea, so she opted to hide behind the latter, shaking in terror, fear gripping her heart and making her lungs seize momentarily. her voice was quiet as she mumbled out a hoarse supply, terrified by the fire. she was made out of wood, okay? bark was her skin, so it wasn't strange that she was so afraid of flame.


    "w-why did you make a fire?"


    god, she hated fire so much.
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • Sweet death has taken // open // this great man from us

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    " speaking "


    as soon as the fire was put out, woodenkit launched herself at henry, trying to wrap the other in a hug despite her small size. she had nothing but concern and adoration for the other, nothing but love for her clanmates, even the outwardly cruel ones. she was afraid of fire, of the way it popped and crackled on her skin. she had a few burns along her body from her capture, and that had only cemented her terror in regards to even the idea of flame. whether it was a fire or a candle, the smallest spark gave her untold anxiety. but it seemed she was simply trying to bury her face in henry, tears soaking the both of them.


    "fire's bad, it hurts people and i don't want you to get hurt!"


    she sniffled, apparently very, very concerned for henry and his former proximity to the flames.
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • High in the sky [o+joining]

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    " speaking "


    woodenkit loved all their clanmates, even the new ones... even the kinda creepy ones. except for fire and maybe axes, she didn't have all too many fears. her heart was rather open, and as the child heard someone announce their desire to join, the child skipped on over, a slight wheeze to their breath.


    "hiya! i'm woodenkit, welcome to windclan! where're you from? you gotta mask! why?"


    curiosity fueled her questions, her head tilted in curiosity.
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • BY CANDLELIGHT ;; o, joining

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    " speaking "


    /hallo!


    despite their wooden form, time has taken a toll on the child. not that anyone is aware, but the amount of time that a creature made from wood and bark is able to survive is a shorter time than what might seem fair to some. yet in this case, ignorance truly is bliss, and the tree child rushes over to the stranger and their two clanmates with wide brown eyes and a hesitant smile upon their face. they stop themselves next to ico, pressing gently against their 'mother' and looking up at the massive creature with some amount of trepidation hidden behind their intrigue.


    "what're you doing? who're you? what's that?"


    their last question was accented by a paw gesture towards the painting, as though they've enver seen such a thing before. truthfully, they haven't.
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • bumbling | private, day

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    " speaking "


    autumn was a fun time, and during this fun time it seemed that woodenkit was intent on watching the bugs go to bed. already they had found a little gathering of ladybugs, coiled up underneath a pile of rocks and some dirt. the bundle of ladybugs were going to sleep, so woodenkit was covering them up with dirt and leaves, making sure they'd be warm for the winter. they hadn't had a winter like this yet, only knew that it would be 'cold' (not that cold was something they really understood). still, she would help these bugs hopefully make it through their long nap.


    [color=#af6c48]"s'okay friends, it'll be cold soon but you'll sleep."
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

    tags; updated 01/11

  • i would rather be alive with a childlike soul | open, progression

    [fancypost bgcolor=;border:0;width:425px;text-align:justify;font-size:8pt;line-height:1.5]

    " speaking "


    they were shaking badly when day showed up, and the nervous presence of the other did very little to help. instead, they found tears in their eyes as the other paced, chest heaving uselessly. they wanted to apologize for making her worry, but the words weren't there.


    astercrown's presence was far more soothing, and when he offered to help, the kitten blinked back some of their tears. as he explained, they nodded stiffly, unable to reply while they lacked the air to do so. when they began, his paw helped a little bit as they managed to get enough air to speak, whispering.


    "i-it hurts... i'm scared."


    they wanted this to stop, the pain rippling through through their chest like the aftereffects of a rock thrown into a creek. it would be a few minutes before this was done, and in the meantime, daisy's words had the slightest soothing effect on the treechild.
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • Sweet death has taken // open // this great man from us

    [fancypost bgcolor=;border:0;width:425px;text-align:justify;font-size:8pt;line-height:1.5]

    " speaking "


    they were somewhat sated by the return of their embrace, satisfied at least that henry was taking this seriously. when they looked up though, they could see tears welling up in his eyes, and rather than trying to pry, they just clutched the other tightly, as though a loose grip would be the end of all. when he expressed his gratitude, the child would pout a little bit, pulling away enough to scrunch their nose at him.


    "fire's bad. and you're good. so don't worry."


    astercrown's words brought the child's brown gaze over, and they shook their head a little bit at his words. it wasn't just them they were worried about, it was everyone. still clinging to henry, the child nodded slowly and then asked,
    [Color=#af6c48]"why were you burning your food?"
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • WE DEM BOIS [&] O, SKYPE AU

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    " speaking "


    there is a squeal on the other end of the conversation, from what appears to be a small child sitting against a sterile bed and white wall, a few odd instruments visible behind them. but they wave at frisk and sign back, hi! hi! are you deaf too? they pipe up too, words a bit odd but still proficient enough to understand.
    "it's nice to meet you!"


    they laugh, adjusting one of their hearing aids (one is blue and one is pink, and they are very happy about it)
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • i would rather be alive with a childlike soul | open, progression

    [fancypost bgcolor=;border:0;width:425px;text-align:justify;font-size:8pt;line-height:1.5]

    " speaking "


    they managed a short shake of the head at aster's comment about the sky. they were usually asleep by the time the stars came up, generally passed out and entirely exhausted from the day's play and exploration. aslan's approach gave them a swelling heart, a warmth in her sore chest as their brother showed up, and they nodded, moving to try and press against aslan for emotional support. as he gave them the herbs, they'd down them, their throat not causing them issues but rather the lungs themselves


    a few minutes later, and the child was breathing more or less normally, the only sign of the attack? their sore, tired form and the way they leaned towards their brother just to stay standing.
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • ON THE HORIZON ♢ open, power disovery

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    " speaking "


    "day! day!"


    there was a delighted squeal as woodenkit moved to day's side, wide brown eyes stuck on the older windclanner and expression full of amazement. the wind listened to day! that was so cool! did that mean the wind could hear them talking? oh boy, what if it could hear thoughts, when it blew in out ear and out the other? super cool!


    [color=#af6c48]"how'd you do that? can you make it go again?"
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • Sweet death has taken // open // this great man from us

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    " speaking "


    well, to be quite honest, the image of the flames renewing into the image of a jaguar was too much for the small child to handle. despite their own nearly-elemental existence, the mere concept of living fire was as though the very concept of evil and death had decided to come to life. actually, that might've been more reassuring for the kitten, who was so panicked by the unnatural fire that they gasped (in a sense that made them sound fairly pained) and...


    ...passed out. whoops.


    honestly, they'd be fine, but the fright inspired them to crumple up like a tree without cell walls.
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • SHAKE IT OFF / OPEN, JOINING

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    " speaking "


    well.
    this wasn't language.


    the child pressed against their mom and whispered to ico as though he could make sense of all of this (and maybe he could!).
    "mom, wha's he sayin'?"


    the feline was really, really confused by this guy, and he seemed to be freaked out by being a cat. she wasn't a cat always either, but yet she was alright with it. it was much more fun than being a tree! trees were boring, and they couldn't do anything like run or talk or walk, so she was rather entertained by life as it was. so long as she could be with people who cared, she didn't mind.


    [color=#af6c48]"mister! i don't understand you!"
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • don't fuck with dad ; open + "visiting"

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    " speaking "


    "lirim! lirim!"


    the child did not associate this being with pain or terror, and whether it was the physical or the undiscovered sixth sense that let woodenkit recognize lirim, it didn't matter. lirim was a friend, they had been kind and explained things without talking down to them, so the birch bark child didn't really appreciate when they disappeared! but now they were back, and the child launched themselves at the returning member to try and hug lirim, smile cracking their face in half.


    [color=#af6c48]"you're back! where'd you go? are you okay? i was worried!"
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • bumbling | private, day

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    " speaking "


    the sound of an approaching clanmate made her gaze flick upwards, and the child smiled gently, flicking her tail as though waving. the brown eyed child liked day, and being near her brought a sensation of warmth and kindness to her heart. did she have a heart? huh, she wasn't really sure, but she let her attention switch to day rather than the leaf and ladybugs she was talking to. what was she doing?


    "the bugs are getting ready to sleep! i'm making sure they'll be warm."


    she had her moms and her brother to tuck her in, but who did the bugs have to tuck them in?
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • bumbling | private, day

    [fancypost bgcolor=;border:0;width:425px;text-align:justify;font-size:8pt;line-height:1.5]

    " speaking "


    they shrugged sheepishly at the mention of kindness, and the child found themselves looking at the ground as though that would somehow stop the awkwardness they felt permeating their entire being. it wasn't like the child to feel like this, but for some reason recently, any mention of their behaviour put them on edge, as though they were somehow being reprimanded for it, or judged. either way, she felt rather awkward about all of this, which was an unusual sensation for the birch bark child.


    then there was the question of whether or not they were going to get ready for the winter and the child shrugged again, scrunching their nose as they cast their gaze up to day.


    "i dunno. when i was a tree i didn't have to do anything for winter but now... i dunno. i've never felt cold?"


    but they were capable of getting sick. honestly, it was a little confusing.


    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11

  • WE DEM BOIS [&] O, SKYPE AU

    [fancypost bgcolor=;border:0;width:425px;text-align:justify;font-size:8pt;line-height:1.5]

    " speaking "


    "no one ever signs with me 'cept some o'the nurses!"


    it seemed the child was just as happy to practically shout into the tablet they had, and they kicked their feet up and down at the end of the bed. at the question about their name, they shrugged and decided to answer with the name they were working under for the time being.


    "i'm doe!"


    janie doe, to be specific. it was a name given to those without identities, and the child was one of those people, her smile contagious if misidentified. patient though they were, it didn't really bother them very much. then, the child would begin to rub their hands together, arthritic joints and knuckles making signing a bit hard here and there. they were getting better, but it hurt a little bit regardless. still, the child grinned at the screen and leaned forward as though that could make everything clearer.


    [color=#af6c48]"so why're all of you on the 'puter!"
    [hr]

    tags; updated 01/11