unf(o)rtunate

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Pantherkit sat in the middle of camp, curiously gazing down at a puddle. The most interesting thing about it was that there was a cat inside the puddle. This was her reflection of course, but she didn't know that. The cat moved when she moved, and blinked when she blinked. 'Why are they copying me?' She wondered, curious expression turning into a worried one. What if this cat was trapped in the puddle, unable to escape? What if it was a clanmate?

"Somebody help!"

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Blinking slowly at her den-mate, Lilykit slowly made her way out of the nursery and paused behind Pantherkit's back. Poking her head around her den-mate's right shoulder, the dark gray she-cat blinked sleepily down at the puddle in front of her.

" Huh. " the she-cat 'hm'ed quietly. Leaning in closer, Lilykit's bright green eyes slowly blinked at the cat in the water. The cat repeated her motions, and as she swished her tail behind her body, the she-cat had a sneaking suspicion that those weren't clanmates.

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Pantherkit jumped back when another cat appeared in the puddle. It looked just like her den-mate. Taking her gaze away from it, she realized that Lilykit was standing right next to her. She looked back and forth between Lilykit and the puddle, shocked. 'They're identical!' She thought, slowly creeping up to the water again. "Lilykit." She whispered, pointing her paw at the other kit's reflection. "You have a twin who's stuck in there!" 'How will we get her out?' She looked at Lilykit in worry.

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Through half-lidded eyes, Lilykit studied her twin in the water with a disinterested expression. However, a faint glint in those bright green orbs suggested something a little of curiosity. Flicking her gaze upwards, she gave her black pelted den-mate an assessing stare. " So I do. " she stated dryly.

Cocking her head slightly, Lilykit leaned a little closer and gently prodded the wet liquid. As she did, the stagnant puddle released a watery scent and ripples erupted from where her paw had touched it. With growing suspicion, Lilykit watched their twins ripple for a little bit before settling back down.

" Pantherkit, " Lily hesitated slightly. " It is to my belief that these are.. " How did she put this? " Something akin to a mirror image of ourselves. Do you know the word to that? " Lilykit knew what word it was, but she wanted to hear this from her den-mate herself.

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Pantherkit let out a shrill squeak when Lilykit touched the water. "You killed them!" She cried, continuing to stare at the puddle as it settled down. The two cats had reappeared. She breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked at her friend as she began speaking. "Something akin to a mirror image of ourselves. Do you know the word to that?" Pantherkit's eyes were wide. Those were awfully big words. She scrunched up her face, trying to think hard. After a minute or two she finally gave up. "No, I don't." Her ears drooped in disappointment.

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Lilykit simply stared at her den-mate. She didn't know the word? Sighing inwardly, she outwardly shifted her weight and glanced at the puddle. " Reflection. " she bluntly stated. " It literally means 'mirror image.' " Stifling a yawn, Lilykit stared at the puddle with a thinly veiled look of disdain.

Risking another glance at Pantherkit, Lily casually ran a tongue down her left flank. Flicking her tail slightly, she narrowed her bright green eyes at the puddle. " That means they're not even real. " she stated bluntly, privately enjoying the slight terror she had caused her friend earlier. If they were going to be friends, why not tease her?

" We're going to be the best of friends. " she declared with a bright grin.

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'Reflection.' "Re-flec-shun." She tested out the word, making an "oh" sound when Lilykit explained. She looked back down at the puddle with that thought in mind. So if that cat was Lilykit, then the other one must be herself! 'Do I really look like that?' She looked down at her pelt. The fur color was the same. 'So my eyes are blue? Wow!' She purred in delight.

"We're going to be the best of friends." Pantherkit nodded in agreement, looking at her friend with a similar grin. "We're gonna do everything together!" She exclaimed, trying to give Lilykit a friendly nudge. "You wanna do something else?" She asked with a tip of her head, completely forgetting about the puddle.

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For a moment, the smaller female flailed when Pantherkit gave her a friendly nudge. " Uh-huh. Sure. " she murmured under her breath. Taking in the larger form of her den-mate, Lilykit gave the black she-cat another assessing gaze. " Erm.. why not? " she blinked doe-like bright green eyes at Pantherkit.

Though rather blunt and sarcastic, Lilykit was rather emotionally stunted. So she just stared at Pantherkit with a blank face. She didn't have any idea what else to do. Neither was she curious for a kit, so she continued staring at Pantherkit with an unblinking green gaze.

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Pantherkit waited for Lilykit to give a suggestion, but so far the kit wasn't saying anything. She stared right back at her, wondering what was happening inside her friend's head. 'Maybe she's thinking of something.'

After a while Pantherkit realized that Lilykit wasn't going to say anything at all. 'But she's still staring.' Then her eyes lit up. 'Oh, a staring contest!' That was what she was doing! Forcing herself not to blink, the she-kit stared at her friend, a few giggles escaping her.

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Lilykit was not sure what was running through her new best friend's mind. Awkwardly flicking one ear backwards, she evenly met the dark blue gaze of Pantherkit and her tail tip twitched slightly. What's she thinking about? Lilykit thought absently, still staring at Pantherkit.

She jumped slightly, forced out of her thoughts when she heard a few faint giggles coming from Pantherkit. What- she was staring at Lilykit like some kind of owl. Slightly unnerved, Lilykit shifted her weight and continued to hold her unblinking staring contest with Pantherkit. Wait- staring contest? The she-cat let out a kind of hysterical giggle for a brief moment.

" Pan, you're so innocent. " she murmured quietly.

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Pantherkit could feel her eyes burning. 'I'm not gonna lose!' She squinted her eyes, finding that it helped a lot. Lilykit's jump surprised her, though, and that made her blink. Pantherkit huffed. 'I'll get her next time!'

The kitten paused. Had Lilykit seen her blink? She had to of. 'But what if...' With a tiny sliver of hope that Lilykit hadn't seen her, she once again stared into the green eyes of her clanmate. She twitched her whiskers at the statement. "Whaddya mean?"

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Unfortunately for her ignorant friend, Lilykit had seen the she-cat blink. Stifling a snicker herself, the dark gray she-cat cast an incurious gaze over her friend and blinked herself. Scrunching up her nose slightly, Lily stretched out her forelegs and got to her little feet. Shaking out her dark gray fur, Lily blinked a bright green gaze at Pan.

" You're innocent in that you don't take things for granted. " Lilykit admitted softly. " Even though we pretty much just met, don't ever change, Pan. " Somberly, she glanced at her new friend and shifted her weight. Whisking her fluffy tail on the ground behind her, Lilykit bounced on her toes lightly. " Er, what do you want to do? I'm not.. familiar with games. "

Lilykit looked rather uncomfortable at this admittance.

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Lilykit had blinked. She blinked! 'Did I win?' Pantherkit wondered, though knew that she had blinked earlier. Was that considered cheating? Pantherkit frowned, feeling a little guilty. She opened her mouth to apologize, but then Lilykit began answering her question.

A big smile took over her face. Forgetting about her feelings of guilt, Pantherkit leaned closer and tried to give Lilykit a friendly head-bop. 'I have the bestest friend in the world!' She thought happily, sitting back on her haunches. "Hmm... We could play moss-ball? Or, or, we could eat, if you're hungry."

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" Er.. " Lilykit blinked slightly as her stomach gave a ferocious growl. Her bright green eyes widened slightly, and her head turned to stare incredulously at her flank. Frowning slightly, she gave Pantherkit a dubious look. " Something to eat? " she inquired sheepishly. " Haven't eaten since yesterday morning. "

Swiping a paw over her face, Lily's face was slightly embarrassed. " Maybe we could play later? " Lilykit glanced at Pantherkit in askance.

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Pantherkit giggled at the sound of Lilykit's rumbling belly. She nodded, beginning to skip off toward the fresh-kill pile. She'd never tried prey, and had just assumed that Lilykit had. 'I wonder what she'll want to eat.' She skidded to a halt once she reached the pile, and stared up at all of the different prey pieces.

Pantherkit took a glance at Lilykit. "Um... Which one do you want?" She gestured to the prey heap with her tail, spotting all different kinds of creatures.