She felt a pair of eyes on her. Fluffy and unruly fur slowly rose, her paw half lifted to enter the comfortable and warm nest that is her own and her mother's. But this single act of being stared at, something foreign to the kitten save for the occasional glances from queens, was enough to stop her dead in her tracks. Without so much as a word, Sleepykit slowly turned her head around to find the culprit, contrastingly vibrant blue eyes quickly finding him. His name eluded her, and the one-moon-old stared back for a solid few seconds before she uttered a single word. "...What?"
And once again, she was alone. Sleepykit didn't blame her mother for leaving her day after day. After all, she always came back, and Sleepykit had long come to understand that the enforcer had work to attend to when the sun was high but could sleep and be with her when the moon took its place. So, Sleepykit often spent her days staring outside from the confinements of her nest, waiting until that darkening sky which meant that Larkfire would return. Sometimes she'd lay on her back, sometimes on her belly, or sometimes just sit. But rarely - or more accurately, never - did she speak to anyone else in the nursery. Except for Nightshiver when the white queen would check up on her.
Though this particular time, the nursery wasn't all that quiet. The white queen stood by the entrance speaking to some big cat, while a strange kitten - only a few nests further - began calling for a mother - like her mother - and a father, whatever that was. Piercing blue eyes turned the older and large kitten's way, her posture straight and rigid as she stared at him for a long second. "...You are looking.. For who?"
A soft voice finally spoke up, addressing the oddball kitten with a spiralled face. The black and white splotched kitten had never quite seen a pattern like that, or noticed this kit, though then again she didn't quite know anyone here.
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It had been a few days already, yes, perhaps even almost a moon - stars, time flied. But finally the queen had found a moment of rest. Carrying a small mouse she'd caught just for the occasion, Nightshiver silently sought out the familiar pelt of Cougarbite, approaching young new father with quiet and cautious steps. Arriving near his nest, she set down the mouse, nudging it towards him. "Con..gratu..lations."
She mew softly, a small smile spreading across her maw. "How.. have you... been?"
Sproutkit wasn’t expecting any sort of reply from the opposing kitten–just kind of assumed that they would end up having a staring contest that he would have most definitely ended up winning. His single white ear twitched, and he lowered his head, hiding his muzzle beneath his paws that were a bit too big for his body right now.
“Nothin’..” Came his response, muffled by his paws. His reaction bordered that of being timid, but he was anything but that. Just anxious to talk to others sometimes, that’s all. “Starin’ cause yer fur looks funny… Eyes, too.”
[ Sorry!! I thought I responded to this before, agh! Also apologies Sprout is a bit of an impolite fella ]
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Bump Policy: 72 hours! Often inactive on weekends!
Drizzlecloud Midnightpath Smolderpaw Seedkit
Once the vole was placed before Nightshiver, he had already begun to step away to leave her in peace but was cut off when she invited him for a bite. He paused with thought, blinking a moment as his gaze studied the she-cat. Her eyes seemed to glow with an emotion he wasn't super familiar with, concern? They were captivating nonetheless, a welcomed comfort.
Hawkbite cleared his throat, tearing his own gaze away to hide the embarrassment finding it's way into him. He must look rough. He felt rough. Since Vixensnarl's presumed death, he hadn't been the best at taking care of himself. It felt hauntingly familiar to how he'd found Nightshiver the first time they met. She hadn't been taking care of herself at the time, but now she'd found her spot in the clan it seemed and had be happier. Although, he could only assume based on how she'd evolved over the last few moons of knowing her.
Hawkbite eventually nodded, accepting the invite. It'd been rude to decline it in his mind. The Enforcer took a few steps back towards her, settling himself half a tail-length away. "I can stay for a bite," he assured, offering the queen a half smile as he settled himself into a crouch. His tail wrapped close to his side, hiding it from the kits around them, knowing all too well how intriguing a toy it can be.
She feared he would decline - after all, they weren't that close, at least not in her mind. She may... Begin to consider him a friend, but did he do the same? She was concerned over his health by all means - he looked less... Energised than before, so to speak. And yet a part of her was so relieved when he turned back and reassured her already growing worries; worries that she'd been too forward, too indelicate in offering to stay for a bite when he might've just been doing something nice. Nothing more, nothing less.
A smile spread across her maw as allowed herself to sit where she'd been standing, eyes briefly from him to the vole and then the ground as she felt a little rush of nerves tickle her stomach. It'd been some time since she'd shared a meal with anyone - stars, she could barely remember the last time. Or had that been with him, too? Her mind had been so preoccupied, that she was uncertain. Either way, she was glad he agreed to stay. You could call her selfish but truthfully, the simple act had her realise how much she'd missed this type of company... Or just company in general, one she knew she needn't be afraid of.
Don't get her wrong, she was concerned and first and foremost the forever queen wanted to be certain Hawkbite would be alright, just like he ensured her wellbeing all that time ago. And she adored working with kittens, even of she found herself overrun by them from time to time. But sometimes, just sometimes, it was a lonely existence. Tucked away inside the nursery, no family, no friends... At least no friends who stayed - not that she blamed them, she knew it was out of their control. But she had noticed Brackenfire disappear once again. And it stung.
And yet this little reminder of her quiet life, it brought back memories of Hawkbite. Someone she'd so feared, only to see him be so gentle and kind with Mothkit, only to remember that up until now he'd done nothing to warrant her fear, to warrant distance. On the contrary, he'd been more present than... She didn't finish that thought, it was wrong. Even so, he had helped her when he had no obligation to - she could only presume, rare as it might be among ShadowClan, that it was from the kindness of he held within. And that made her smile.
Hawkbite had been present, Hawkbite had been nothing but helpful and kind. And friends help each other. If she should consider him a friend now and until the day he disappears - please let him stay - then the least she can do is dare to share this meal, dare to offer him a moment of quiet. Maybe it was selfish to want his company, but she at least needed to try and lighten his mood or accept whatever he was feeling, or let him rest should this still just have been a rough night.
Ah, but she was getting wrapped up in thought. So many things rummaging through her mind and yet no action was taken, she'd just been sitting in silence, offering that gentle smile as she wasn't certain where to look. Carefully reaching out, she nudged the vole closer to Hawkbite, offering the enforcer a first bite, searching for words. What did one say when someone might be having a difficult time? She wasn't all too sure, but maybe she could start with a thank you. "I... never.. thanked you... for.. hel..helping.. me. before. Ah... so... thank... you."
She lifted her eyes to try and meet his gaze, albeit a bit uncertainly, she did want him to know she was genuinely thankful, as long as it might've taken her to realise. That said, she didn't elaborate, only shuffling her paws together as her tail tightly wrapped around herself. She wasn't certain what to say next, digging herself deeper into the hole of not knowing what to do - so she spoke on, after a few moments of silence, gaze averting to the ground before sweeping over the nursery. "And. And.. for playing.. with... Moth..kit. W-woollyfeather, she..."
She trailed off, unable to speak to the sentence. Clearing her throat, "Mothkit... must've... appreciated it."
And then a smile, turning back to look at Hawkbite. She realised a little too late that the enforcer had likely been unaware of her watching them, even so, these sorts of interactions were so important for the young. Admitting to watching the pair may earn some embarrassment, but spending time with the little ones like that... It was beautiful, special. And so important when there may little else in a kits' life, which happened far too often. As such, a thank you was for that, too.
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Sleepysunrise is ShadowClan's current Medicine Cat.
She has a Semi-Closed den policy.
Shadowkit huffed. Did no one want to play with her? She looked around till she saw another kit that might want to play. "Hey you! Want to play clan?" She said excitedly
@IGotAShoomyForChristmas
@AlliWant4XmasIsDdeonghwa! - @coldwind - @KataroAndTheHeather - @bubblegum.
Cloversun padded cautiously into the nursery. She was pleased to find that few things had changed since her disappearance a moon ago. Oh look, was that even her nest over there?
The one-eyed queen nodded over her shoulder to her kits, telling them to come in. "This is the nursery," she mewed quietly. "You will be living here until you reach apprentice-hood."
Things would be different for them now, though she was glad that they were still young enough to be coincided as growing up in a clan. "You'll be able to meet cats and make new friends here," she said.
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Ain't much that I know what to put 'ere...
"And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies." - Haymitch
A light grey she-cat, with dark grey/white brindle, and green eyes.
VC: a Polish accent.
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Grasskit followed after Mama, not glancing back to see if her siblings were following or not. She shivered a tiny bit. So... this was a clan? It looked very... scary. Grasskit didn't like that she'd have to sleep, crowded in one space, under something that could fall on them any moment. Grasskit wanted to speak up about the den, but her Mama spoke first.
They... were sleeping here?!
"Ma..- Mama..." Grasskit tried to speak. She was still learning words, like "apprenticehood" and whatnot. She tried to make it known that she didn't want to sleep in the den. Grasskit just wanted to sleep under the sky, even though there's a chance it would rain. Would Mama get it? Grasskit just stopped trying, and sat herself down.
Waterkit glanced around. Where was she? It was so... Big. And... And so noisy. Her ears strained. She glanced up at her mother, still staying right by her. "Mama? What... 'apprentices?'" She copied her mother's words for apprentices. What were apprentices? Were they mean? Did she have to become mean? She didn't want to be mean!
@AlliWant4XmasIsDdeonghwa! - @coldwind - @KataroAndTheHeather - @bubblegum.
Cloversun padded cautiously into the nursery. She was pleased to find that few things had changed since her disappearance a moon ago. Oh look, was that even her nest over there?
The one-eyed queen nodded over her shoulder to her kits, telling them to come in. "This is the nursery," she mewed quietly. "You will be living here until you reach apprentice-hood."
Things would be different for them now, though she was glad that they were still young enough to be coincided as growing up in a clan. "You'll be able to meet cats and make new friends here," she said.
Mothcloud smiled softly at the little kits. "There so cute." she purred. Deadwish was Mothclouds now dead mate and father of her kits, the father of Cloversun's kits was Mintbranch which made them all related.
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Oceanstar is the leader of Beachclan!
"You did a great job today and I hope you smile a little by thinking about me at the end of the day" -Kim Hongjoong
Re: ShadowClan Nursery
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