world search - felixs storage

[arcy]

The spring festival was that night.
It's Moonlight Vale's first spring festival, and Felicity wasn't there to watch it with them. She left. She left, like Videopaw didn't matter, and like Sheska didn't matter either, and Videopaw was alone, without a family in the -- well. Not the world, Felicity was still alive, but she left him.
"Videopaw," Arrowhead chides, and the young serval's head snaps up, eyes wide. His mentor is looking at him, disappointed, gaze flat even as his maw quirks up in a smirk. "You can't get distracted. We still have to collect enough wood for the fire," Videopaw yelps.
"Ah, um -- Sorry!" He squeaks, not without a touch of horror. It wasn't uncommon for Arrowhead to get mad at him for the smallest of mistakes -- sometimes going as far as giving him a complete cold shoulder until he'd made up for it. Videopaw understands. Good leaders can't make mistakes.
"Well, you did just lose your sister, I guess," Arrowhead sighs, beckoning him with a swing of the tail, and it hurts, remembering, and it's worded like she did die. Videopaw, after a moment of trepidation, follows him, ears pricked. Arrowhead barely acknowledges him, but it's not unkind. "Anyone can see that," ... But not kind, either. There's an edge to Arrowhead's voice, and Videopaw ducks his head, miserable. "I can forgive that you're struggling, but it's not for anyone else to see," Arrowhead lectures, the wood strapped to his sides swinging with each step. Their stronger clanmates were cutting down some of the trees for firewood, and the smaller ones, like Videopaw and Arrowhead were just, well, collecting them from the ground.
"I understand," Videopaw chirps, voice small as he takes a particularly large one to add to his stack. The weight is uncomfortable against his wings, but he wouldn't dare to complain. "Are you anyone?" He can't help but ask. He wouldn't mind talking to Arrowhead about these sorts of things, even if he'd have to cut it down into something .. tolerable to the feline.
"Yes," Arrowhead says, blunt. The feline turns to blink at him, expression hard. Videopaw squeaks. "Anyone can take advantage of your emotions, even those closest to you," And there's something strange to his gaze, something distant and shifting and Videopaw doesn't get it. "If you can't avoid that level of closeness, it's best not to give them the ammo,"
He says it as though it's something old, already gone over. And -- and maybe they had, when Videopaw was smaller and maybe a little more frightened. It ... it makes sense, though. What had he told Felicity, only for her to leave? She could do anything with that information. She could decide, one day, that she didn't care about him and she wanted him dead and hurt and she could tell anyone.
"I think I get it," Videopaw mumbles, chastised. Arrowhead regards him considerately, the quiet way Videopaw stares at the ground, carefully schooling his expression into something shakily neutral. And Arrowhead smiles.
"You haven't been training for long," He says, voice dropping to a reassuring rumble. "You've done remarkably well so far. Just remember my advice, okay? I just want what's best for the group," His face is kinder than it usually is, the way it is when he's interacting with their other clanmates.
But never with Videopaw.
The young serval beams in turn, ears lifting from their flattened positions. "Yes, sir!" He chimes gleefully, relief bubbling in his chest. He doesn't want Arrowhead to be mad at him, and he wants his mentor to be proud of him, even when Videopaw makes stupid mistakes and is too emotional. He's still learning, and he'll be king someday, he just has to do it properly.
"Now, c'mon. We've got to take these back." And with that, Arrowhead turns on his paws and begins trotting back. Hurriedly, Videopaw scampers after him.

---

Fire.
It burns hot, and being so close to it makes his skin burn, but he doesn't dare react. Next to him, apparently unbothered by the heat of the raging bonfire, sits Arrowhead. He's talking with their clanmates, and Videopaw is expected to sit back and watch.
Arrowhead had been explaining how to set up the festivals, and the plans for the next, but he doesn't care about Videopaw right now. He has to keep up good relations, or so he's said.
"Videopaw!" Sheska. The serval's ears prick, and he smiles as she approaches. There's a bounce to her step, her grin wide. She's carrying a flower crown, and without missing a beat, she drops it over Videopaw's head, laughing.
"It's a bit early, but I managed to grow them!" She says, and she sounds so proud of herself. She's been so tired lately, missing Felicity, and it makes Videopaw giddy. "And .. you've been a little stressed lately, so I thought I'd make something for you," And her grin fades into something soft and tender and Videopaw's chest aches.
He can't trust people, that's what Arrowhead said, but the idea of pushing Sheska out of his life hurts in an entirely visceral way. Felicity already left, though. What's to say Sheska won't, too?
"What about you?" He presses. Arrowhead is starting to look over, and Videopaw can't read his expression. He doesn't need to. It's with a sense of dread that Videopaw realizes that his time with Sheska is going to be cut short.
"Sheska," Arrowhead chides, voice curt and impatient, but still warm. "Videopaw has things to be doing,"
Sheska scoffs. "It didn't look like it," And Videopaw can't tell if she's disrespecting him or what. Arrowhead shakes his head.
"I was just distracted. Go on, now," And his voice is still so gentle and he smiles at her so kindly and -- why can't he be that kind for Videopaw?
Why does Videopaw have to be on the receiving end of his coolness and the times he snaps? He wants to curl into himself. He doesn't want Sheska to go, and he doesn't want to be sitting here and being the very last person Arrowhead will pay attention to.
But Arrowhead's busy. He already spends so much time with Videopaw, it'd be simple selfishness to ask for more. So what if Videopaw's just sitting there while everyone's enjoying themselves? So what if Videopaw's alone while Arrowhead laughs with their clanmates?
Videopaw doesn't need them. He's going to be king, and he -- he needs to be a pillar of strength, and if he has to stand alone, that's fine. He doesn't need anyone. He doesn't need anyone at all.
"Videopaw." Arrowhead's voice shocks him out of his silence. Videopaw jolts to attention, wide eyes promptly falling onto the smaller feline. Arrowhead smiles at him. "Good job, you snapped into focus pretty quick. Don't get distracted. Stay on alert," Arrowhead advises, and Videopaw nods heavily, determined.
Arrowhead seats himself next to the serval, and, suddenly, Videopaw is relieved. It'd been so lonely, and hot, and he was bored. His ear flicks. Better not to admit it, though.
"Sir? Um. Why am I still here? I don't mind, but, um," Videopaw tilts his head. Arrowhead grins, all teeth, and Videopaw's heart pounds. Oh no. Did he slip up? Did he slip up??? His tail curls around his paws.
"You're here to learn from me. What would you learn if you were to spend time with everyone else?" He says, and his voice is as confident as it's ever been. Like he knows so much, and Videopaw knows so little. But that's -- that's okay. Videopaw is learning. He's going to be king, and he's going to be a good one, and he just has to listen to whatever Arrowhead has to say. After all, everyone lives Arrowhead, so -- so if Videopaw was just like him .. they'd like him too, right?
"N, not a lot," Videopaw concedes, though he's sure that he could learn a fair bit. Arrowhead knows best. Videopaw is just .. just the student. He's still learning. Arrowhead knows best. "Um. Thank you, I guess," And he feels so empty and lonely because he can see Sheska somewhere else, talking with everyone else like it didn't matter. Like Videopaw didn't matter.
His breath comes out shaky, and he tries to lean into his much smaller mentor in comfort. Arrowhead sighs, and slips away without missing a beat, and he turns to scold Videopaw, and his expression is suddenly so cool, like it always is, and Videopaw just wants to know why.