Carbucketty pretended that he didn’t see right through Misto’s smile and tone, if he wanted to appear happy then he should just let him get on with it. Although the charade didn’t last. The young kit was pleasantly surprised that Mistoffelees was being honest with him, though that was overshadowed by worry.
“Hey now…” Carby took a small step back, deciding it was best not to invade his personal bubble. “I’m sure you’re just having a bad day! You’ll be back to your normal tricks in no time, I bet.” He said positively and there was no doubt in his mind.
“I’m sure it happens to everyone!” He continued without taking a breath. “You think Tugger can be cool all the time? No way! You think Mungo and Rumple can sneak things without ever getting caught? No! Even one time they got locked inside a house! Just you wait, you’ll get it.”
If he had been feeling more himself he might have appreciated his friend’s effort, however this was not the case at all. His tail resumed twitching again, further proving his attempted cheerfulness to be false.
“I should be able to…” he began, though he trailed off mere moments later as he shook his head in a most frustrated manner. The usual sparkle in his pelt, which came during of his use of magic, seemed muted.
He let out a sigh, not fully aware of the fact he was extending and retracting his claws, a subconscious attempt to vent at least some of him frustration. “I’m supposed to be better than I am.”
Carbucketty folded his arms. “Says who?” He challenged with a cheeky grin, poking his tongue out at the other cat. “No one else even knows how to do magic! You ain’t got anyone to compare yourself too.” This wasn’t strictly true, he, along with the rest of the tribe, strongly suspected Macavity had dark powers, it was the only explanation for how he managed to do what he did.
Carby was a lot more observant than people gave him credit for, he noticed every little moment Misto was making, and how nervous it made him feel. However cheerful was the mode he had chosen, and honestly his default, so he was going to stick by it.
He plonked himself down on the floor and batted at Misto’s swishing tail with his paw. “Come on, cheer up! You’re magical mister Mistoffelees, you’re awesome!” He beamed, pushing optimism and positivity for all it was worth.













