A SON'S PATH | preparing a nest

[WOLFPAW]

Any day now, Wolfkit and their siblings would be at the Highrock, touching noses with the cat that would determine the rest of their lives and training to become the strongest warriors ThunderClan had ever seen. The prospect was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating, the sepia long since believing themselves ready to escape Nursery despite not feeling ready for anything else that came with growing up. The time would come when they had to hunt, fight, perhaps even kill, words that seemed ugly when they'd heard adults use them. What if they didn't want to hurt something that was StarClan-bound? What would they do then? It was something they had mulled on for days, their tongue paralysed whenever they went to ask the question to their mother or father, believing that, against all evidence, it was a question that was primed for mockery.

Their hesitance to open up had not been a motivation for ripping fresh moss from their bedding, instead, it had been restlessness. They couldn't wait around any longer, they wanted to make a nest before the other kittens had the chance to steal a prime Apprentice den spot and Stars, they would do it. Towards the centre of the camp, Wolfkit had gathered all sorts of materials that they thought might make up a grown cat's nest, from the aforementioned moss, to branches they'd heard birds used, to little bits of prey fur left scattered across the camp by messy eaters, to little pebbles that would provide... something that they hadn't decided yet. It was an egregious pile, an attempt clearly there but an execution poor with paws that lacked the deftness of an older cat.

Still, despite feeling a twinge of warm to their ears, certain that it wasn't good, a part of them was still proud of the attempt. The only problem was that they could not carry it themselves to the apprentice den, not unless they wanted to tear at the very foundations of their nest. Luckily, ThunderClan had never been short of adults. Bouncing confidently up to the first one they saw, the orange-eyed kitten mewed, "Um, excuse me?" They smiled, trying their best to remain calm despite how their paws practically vibrated. A good apprentice (or, 'not quite apprentice', would be cool-headed in the face of a favour, at least, that was what they believed. "Could you help me move this to the apprentice's den please?"

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[MILKWHISKER]

Milkwhisker receives being approached extremely personally, takes it as a responsibility upon himself. Milkwhisker's whole being rises from where he's standing, his back straightening and blue eyes glittering. Helping, he was surely the best pick and this was why the kitten was asking for his help "Of course I'm always here to help." Long white whiskers wiggle with satisfaction, a thickly cheesy smile revealing itself. "Never think I can't."

Seeing the kittens on the cusp of an apprenticehood that he is still oddly nostalgic for. It's a move he himself has never had to make, already apprentice-aged during his introduction to the clan, it must be an amazing experience is what he ascertains from the younger's barely contained enthusiasm. "There's a whole lot of stuff out there beyond the camp." Only pausing to gesture vaguely with his tail, face melting into something amused. "Are you excited to see it all?" When he goes to scoop up the attempted nest with his jaws, he pull back to actually look at what he's seeing. Draws back and sticks his head out to truly peer at Wolfkit's creation. Well, Milkwhisker can't say they didn't try. "Hm.." Offers an ingenuine smile to Wolfkit.
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[THISTLEPAW]

Milkwhisker is kind. Thistlepaw is not.

Named for their respective natures, he supposes, the apprentice makes a sharp to the warrior's gentle demeanor. Bristle-pelted and heavy-browed, he looks upon the kitten and his tangled mess of home with clear, if minute, disdain. "You can't bring that into the apprentice den." Blunt words drop like a heavy pinecone right onto the head of the conversation, ringing thud as he tries to collect the words back into his mouth. They had not even been meant for the monstrosity of an attempted nest. Now that he thinks about it, though, that would crowd and prod and poke at all of the older cats who had already earned their "prime spots," and who actually were expected to behave nearly like warriors. Baleful unease enters amber eyes.

"You need to wait," he clarifies firmly, though he does not know if this is an official rule or something he'd just decided for himself over the moons of apprentices being named and moving in. "You should all move in together. You sleep near each other when you get named with other k– apprentices." (Maybe he was just lying. Maybe some warrior would come up behind him and cuff his ear and tell him off for saying no, and maybe Thistlepaw would have to bite his tongue and allow it, even if he really, really doesn't want to.)

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝗕𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 🙴 𝗕𝐎𝐍𝐄  ╱ 𝑾𝑨𝑺 𝑰𝑻 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑻𝑯 𝑰𝑻? ＜06.02＞ ⸙

• OOC. —
• 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐖. HE - HIM. YOUNG APPRENTICE OF THUNDERCLAN. ————— the son of an ex-kittypet has spent most of his life confined to the medicine den. bad circumstances and worse healing left him in a limbo between life and death which he only just escaped. he feels he must prove himself a great warrior so his clanmates will see him as anything more than a weak kittypet.  ╱ PENNED BY REVELATIONS
  
  
  
  a prickly-furred chocolate and slate cat with amber eyes. finally growing into his frame with moons of hard work and steady enough food, thistlepaw has taken a blocky, bulky shape with broad shoulders and densely muscled hindlimbs. his fur remains a tough-edged cloak, but now carries a well-groomed sheen despite how unruly it is.

• "speech"

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[WOLFPAW]

The smile upon their muzzle beamed ever brighter at Milkwhisker's conscription, hopping slightly on their paws as they resisted the urge to do zoomies around the warrior. "Thanks! You're the bestest ever." Not as good as their parents or grandparents, but that was ok! Not even Howlingstar was better than them. They let out a trill at the reminder of the outside world, all the stories of the oak forest seeming like fairytales for one who had seldom left the comfort of the Nursery. Milkwhisker asked if they'd be excited to see it and the kitten had to resist the urge to proclaim that it was a lifelong dream, that they wanted nothing more than to see the Great Sycamore and beyond. The concept of hunting and fighting were lost on the sepia, all the same, they wanted to learn. "Ab-so-lute-ly," they admitted, sounding out each syllable in an attempt to sound more sophisticated.

"StarClan made it all, didn't they? I want to be blessed by its beauty," they repeated words that definitely hadn't been learned on their own, perhaps mimicked from an all too enthusiastic elder or even a cat describing something else entirely. They watched as Milkwhisker took a look at their nest, their orange eyes blinking up at the warrior. "Do you like it?" An answer did not come before another intervened.

Thistlepaw's words hit them like a clubbing paw, the sepia so unused to such curtness that their eyes grew wide in surprise. Their ears flattened in disappointment, their stunned look shooting between the apprentice and Milkwhisker. "Oh, I'm sorry." They hadn't thought it would be a problem, making a nest early meant more time for training and seeing the world - that was at least, the vision of one little kitten, too desperate to shed their fledgling feathers and become a cat just as brave as their dad. They thought back to the hurt upon the faces of those they'd played too roughly with, the lessons imbued upon him about StarClan. Wolfkit did want to move in with their siblings, but they wanted to be an apprentice more and, so, stammered somewhat in pursuit of a compromise. "I still wanna see... can you show me the nicest spot to sleep in?"


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[leafhusk]

⚘ one of thunderclan’s most recurring problems (more gruesome ones aside) is the nursery’s constant overflow. she swears, kits tumble out of that den by the sunrise– figuratively and literally. she didn’t blame wolfkit for wanting a chance to breathe from the stuffy den before their ceremony. it’s… cute, she thinks, begrudgingly, even if the nest is not as cute.

leafhusk feels the same was as milkwhisker. a kit’s excitement makes her think of a feeling she never got to have. upon arrival, she was placed in the warrior’s den– occasionally, she wonders how it would’ve been if she was the colorpoint’s age back then. she idly watches milkwhisker play with wolfkit, only beginning to frown when thistlepaw slinks over. his sour attitude contrasts the playful banter the duo was having.

holding back a sigh, she whisks over. "there’s nothing against the rules with picking out a spot for a nest early," she won’t tell her co-lead's apprentice to act nicer, it's really not her place. all thistlepaw gets is a basic side glance, before turning her attention to wolfkit. "you’re going to be apprenticed with two other litters, that’s some warrior thinking, to get the best spot before anyone else can." is this how you talk to kids? stars.​

 

[Softsight]

Softpaw isn't sure how she really feels about kits - they're cute when they're quiet, and a pawful when they're not, and she can only say that she's glad she doesn't have to try and round them all up when it's time for bed. And now, with the coming days, there will be a flood of kits becoming apprentices and moving into the apprentices' den. Softpaw had been through this time and time again now, the cycle continuing as it always would, and she'd seen kittens get hasty when it came to the move.

"So long as you don't mess with anyone else's nest, you'll be just fine." She says to Wolfkit, glancing over at Thistlepaw, who was as bristling as ever. She'd come to grow used to his prickly persona over time, but it no doubt would stop a kit like Wolfkit in their tracks if they were confronted with it off-guard. "Though, it is nice to move into the den with your siblings." She's speaking from experience: having Vixenpaw at her side when they'd been named apprentices had made the move more palatable.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OOC ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ .ᐟ.ᐟ INFO ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• !
  

• 

• SOFTPAW ✩ apprentice of thunderclan, nine moons
  → peaceful and healing powerplay permitted.
  → penned by Archivist → .archivist on discord.
  

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[BASILPAW!]

( 𖤓 ) "wolfk-hi-ih-it!" the call rings across camp as a bushy-tailed boy skitters towards the scene, alarm in his bright lime eyes. it would seem to any passerby a great source of disruption, and truthfully, basilkit is feeling the same sense of alarm. "you're makin' your nest without me?" he questions as he skids to a stop, almost tumbling into milkwhisker's paws before he halts just in time. "oops, sorry!" the squeak comes out of habit, for he was raised to be polite, but the boy hardly glances at the pale warrior. "oohh, it looks super comfy," he tells his sibling, waggling his tail as he imagines curling up in the fur and feathered moss and taking a nice nap.

his neck cranes as he looks up at softpaw and thistlepaw, and then at leafhusk, who all chime in with their opinions. a sour glance is sent thistlepaw's way, for even daring to tell wolfkit what they could or couldn't do. "wolfie, how 'bout we, uhh," swallowing, he glances around. "we could put your new nest somwhere it can stay dry and then we could get a tour from softpaw an' thistlepaw! that way we could know what the best place will be for our nests on the meeting day!" triumph glows in his voice as he comes to a compromise he is unaware his sibling has already approached.

white splashed paws tap impatiently on the ground, little claws kneading into the dirt. "wha's your favorite part of the territory?" he questions the warriors as he waits for wolfkit's reply.

IF YOU LET IT ALONE 𖤓 IT WILL SURELY GROW

• // "#FAC966"
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  BASILKIT 𖤓 HE / THEY, KITTEN OF THUNDERCLAN. CAMPIONSONG x SWIFTDAWN, SIBLING TO MERLINKIT, WOLFKIT, SUNNYKIT. 6 MOONS OLD, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  a cream ticked tabby with high white, and green eyes. a tall boy sporting a chaotically ruffled coat of pale cream tabby. darker ticked stripes flow down his fur, and band around his legs and face. his chest, stomach, muzzle, and most of his tail are white, he has verdant green eyes that sparkle with mischief.
  

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