camp anything at all ✧ first wink

[lichenstar]

⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ✧　 　 · 　 ✧ ⋆ ​

Frost-dipped lily pads had been a great source of hiding spots for the fish that dared skitter up to the warmer surface waters... part of her had wondered in distracted thinking if a kitten so frail and small as Shellkit might be able to sit atop one and float there... adrift at the mercy of the waves. In a wild arcing splash she'd found her first victim in the form of a small minnow... it is barely enough to be considered a snack and she is soured by its meager portion.

They needed more than just mouthfuls... and her focus had waned in the form of white sky-flurries. They were hard to acknowledge, a newfound association that made the winter something of a torture- it drew her back to camp hurriedly, to escape the memory they danced with at their frigid touch. Her appetite had been nothing but a passing thought, something hard to recognize even when protesting gurgles sung a reminding tune- a pathetic offering dropped atop a dwindling pile. Hopefully someone else would find more meaning in that morsel.

Brushing through the thin layer of snow that coated the sandy camp floor, the deputy retraced steps towards a sedge-lined den; lips drew back in a rehearsed smile, knowing two wild-hearted boys to be there, a bubble-breathed girl beside them... and three tiny blessings (they could not see her yet... but the intention mattered, right?). They didn't need to be reminded of the anguish of those that cared for them... she wouldn't steal that innocence from them in tired glances and unwelcoming frowns.

"Hello, my treasures," she greets in a soft hum, making quick strides to join Hazecloud at her nest with a quick brush of nose against tear-stained cheeks. She still isn't feeling well... Perhaps obliviously, these are not the usually suspected throes of a relentless sorrow-

"Is everyone being good today? No playing 'ice-jumper' today, right?" It was... a dangerous little dare to get involved in but one she was certain any fool-hardy apprentice would encourage. The ice was a bit denser around the shore where the water was shallow but one good, weighty hop and it would crack under their weight. Better to 'remind' them it was 'against the rules.' (This was the closest to a hard refusal she could muster the strength for.)

Peeking at pale piles of nest-messy fur, the lynx point practically chokes on her words- a tiny wink... and then another...

"H-hey! Did you see that," she asks in a breathless whisper, turning to Smokestar's tiny kin (or really anyone that would listen) with a wide stare, "Look... I think.. they're trying to open their eyes!"

[[ @HOWLKIT @EVENINGKIT @/fakerkit (hehe) , @hazecloud FOR VISIBILITY !! this is open to anyone, no need to wait ! please note that at this point none of the kittens are named :) ]]

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BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, AND I WOULD​

DO ANYTHING​

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[Aspenhaze]

When Aspenhaze was off duty for the day, they elected to search the fresh-kill pile for something to bring Hazecloud. They mostly kept to themself the day the kits were born, not wanting to cause a fuss with how quickly the mood shifted by the time they arrived. Even so, their little lives were precious, and they can’t wait to see them all continue to grow even if they missed the birth. They find a trout, and scoop it up, not knowing how hungry the queen will actually be. Good enough of a start, at least.

When they arrive at the nursery, the first thing they see is Lichentail. A small of their brain immediately scoffs at the sight, but the anger they were harboring has slowly died down, and they almost feel bad for how they acted. They might still think Petalnose deserves the spot more, but Lichentail is nothing to sneeze at. What’s done is done, and moving forward they want to have a good relationship with their friend’s mate. Especially with how often they plan on visiting, StarClan willing.

When the deputy mentions that their eyes have started to open, Aspenhaze drops the prey softly on the floor and goes to get a closer look. Sure enough, the three bundles of joy were attempting to view the world for the first time. “Already?” Aspenhaze says, just as much in awe. It feels like they just arrived… A genuine, beaming smile forms on their face. “I bet they couldn’t wait to see their mama,” they coo, turning to Lichentail and chucking lightheartedly.​

 

[shellpaw]

she is to be gentle around them ; these babies, too fragile and mewling for kit games. they are too small, almost skeletal, save for their round fat bellies and milk - scented cheeks. they smack at hazecloud’s belly but that is about all they do — they can’t even see her yet, paper thin lids stuck closed at the seams. shellkit thinks it’s weird, watching them writhe and mew blindly, limbs even thinner than her own reaching out with soft, splayed claws. the lilac - ribboned girl is watching them with little expression, loafed near hazecloud’s front paws because the babies are new and had to stay at the queen’s belly ; shellkit did not have this same problem, not anymore. she thinks her place is superior, and warm. she can hear the queen’s heart beat better than she could at her belly.

it was important for hazecloud to see her, because she didn’t seem too happy since the litter was born ; shellkit, and her litter, had not had this same problem either. she chocks it up to the kits being boring and not even being able to use their legs yet ( she scoffs inwardly ). the queen is always nudging them around, ruffling their fur, tucking them close because the babies are blind and even their ears are flat, folded slick to their little heads. they didn’t even act like cats, aside from all the noise when the three weren’t snoozing away and making shellkit be quiet or else she’ll wake the kits! she wasn’t all too loud to begin with, but it strangely only made her want to roughhouse in the moss harder. and louder. if the kits woke up, they would cry and squeak until they fell asleep again. so what was the problem?

her maw is just about to open, to breathe that question into life on a voice still tremulous and wheezing with the chill when the brambles part, fern leaves rustling to reveal the lynx - pointed form of a visiting lichentail. she purrs a soft greeting to them all, looks towards hazecloud first, who is sad as ever despite shellkit’s best efforts ( lying spread over her forepaws ), ” hiiiii. “ the kit releases a happy trill of her own, lifting her nose to touch the underside of the deputy’s jaw — the closest thing she could reach in time when she leaned down to press gently to to the new mothers pain - lined cheek. the girls tail lifts straight, age beginning to feather it’s fur like willow branches, bottlebrushing her excitement where her face remains a haunting neutral.

no playing ‘ice jumpers’ today? ” um, no! not.. ever. “ she offers while fidgeting her paws something bashful, spoken perhaps a whisker too quickly. it wasn’t a lie — they hadn't played today, the chill and a sudden influx of shellkit’s wheezing symptoms keeping them well inside. they had, however, played a small game the sunrise prior ; she doesn’t have the fortitude to connect the dots, and thus she simply does not. she lets tiny teeth form into a smile — demure and soft, holy and innocent. swanlike where ivory feathers from the apples of cherubic cheeks, a gentle, rhythmic sway to gaunt - bones shoulders that likely does less to help her inconspicuous look than she realizes. she does, however, step from the cage of hazecloud’s paws to follow where lichentail peeks around at the kits and —

they explode to life, whip around to gaze wide - eyed at her and shellkit gazes wide - eyed back for a moment before sugared amber eyes cut almost comically towards the bundles of fur. they still aren’t doing much, but the colorpoint is right. a slitted eye, batting a slow, sticky vivid blue. despite herself, the girl emits a shrill sound ; a crinkle of her nose, a high giggle with stomping, happy paws. ” baby’s awake, baby’s awake! they had already been awake and moving, more awake in her eyes now that they wink slow at her, uncomprehending. aspenhaze enters at some point and their words bring her trotting a step closer, then two, still tittering like a bird. she cranes her neck down far. it was all lopsided, but they definitely had eyes behind those watery lids, ” helloooo — can you seeeee me, little baby? “ she waves her tail, as if expecting the child to pounce her on this development alone. it, of course, does not. she pauses, tilts her head, as if considering something very important.

” hm.. looks funny. with their eyes all — “ she pivots her head suddenly towards the adult cats and demonstrates by squinting an eye, then the other, at wildly different masts. it is.. not a good impression.

𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𓇼 𝙎𝙊 𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙏 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙎𝙊 𝘾𝙊𝙇𝘿

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  SHELLKIT 𓆉 SHE / HER, KITTEN OF RIVERCLAN. KINDLING xx UNKNOWN, NIECE TO SMOKESTAR. TWO MOONS OLD, SMELLS LIKE SALT & RIVER BLOOMS. PENNED BY ANTLERS.
  delicate lilac - striped molly with sugarplum eyes.
  
  she is pallid ; platinum splotched with ribbons of shell - touched cream, wisped ends like memories of a distant shore. feather breath and elderdown fur conceals a body worn fragile by tumultuous youth, too thin in some places and round with baby fat in others. her face is short - muzzled, framed half mast by eyes coined warm, sugared amber ---------- ° ❀ ⋆
  

  currently exhibiting symptoms of whitecough. this includes a running nose, wheezing, sluggishness, and labored breathing. please keep contagion in mind.

  
  

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[FERNGILL]

Ferngill did not know what exactly had anchored him quite fondly to Lichentail and Hazecloud's litter- he knew simply that he cared for them both, and by extension cared very much for their kittens. It was to the same extent that he cared for all of RiverClan's youth, but since the news had travelled that Hazecloud had given birth he often found himself passing by the nursery just to make sure everything was alright. Seldom did he enter- usually he swept past the doorway like a heron, a fleeting check for any crying, any raised alarms...

Today, he did stop. Interest glimmered in a verdant eye- as Aspenhaze did, he looked in to get a closer look. They'd opened their eyes- that was incredible, wasn't it? Oh- if it were him, he was sure he'd tear up! And- well, maybe it was him a little bit, because he found himself a little dewy-eyed...

"Oh!" He couldn't help but vocalise, eye flaring wide when he saw little glimmers of blue on the kitten's faces. Glittering life, and oh- they looked so real!

But this wasn't really for him, was it? It'd probably be quite selfish to linger for too long- joyful eyes flicked between Hazecloud and Lichentail. "Sorry," he whispered with a grin, taking a step away to give the family some space.​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[HORIZONPAW [transferred]]

A mewl empties from a tiny pink void, edged with fragile pearl teeth. Inside undulates a soft red serpent, never satiated, always coaxing more into its bottomless gullet. Sounds trickle past ears still pressed flat to tender skull, thankfully not as wetly as they once did. Most of it is comprised of a soft cooing, a myriad of tones and pitches, dripping with the warmth of milk. And—something shrill, a series of beats and rhythmic rustling, jagged undercurrent to the percussive notes of what he'd later know as a kitten's laugh.

He doesn't like it. It's obvious in the upturn of his delicate lip, the instinctive scrunch of his tiny nose, the celebrated sliver of blue folding beneath an angry wrinkle: the unnamed kitten begins to cry, again. The wailing goes on for several heartbeats, then he catches his breath. In the lull, another eye peeps into view, a slice of watery empyrean winking into existence like the passing of the crescent moon.

To him, the world is only a blur. Shades of brown and cream and gray fuzz into one another like television static. Still, the new sensation startles him into forgetting his crying. The eye swivels around with wonder, unable to focus on any particular blur but not caring. Another cry, more like a squeak this time. He recognizes something.​

 

[hazecloud]

The days following the arrival and loss of their brood had felt like a fog flowing between sunrise and sunset. Movements made with little thought, words murmured with halfhearted attention. It didn't feel real, the way these three buried themselves at her side, trilling when they were hungry or needing soothing attention from their queen. Though she could see them right below her nose, could rasp her tongue over thin kit-fluffed fur and scent the milk-haze from their maws it wasn't real. She hadn't yet caught up to this current moment in time.

With incredible luck she did not find herself horrible strung between the two different litters she intended to raise. Shellkit and her brothers had grown rather independent from needing her constant attention where a lone warrior could keep them entertained until she was ready to leave her own nest. Of course the hollow-boned molly still lingered, their connection running closer in each others company.

"We don't play mossball with babies this small." She taught them gently, showing how weak they were when so little.

"They won't do much until they're closer to your age. They only know how to sleep and eat." Frail little scraps at her belly. Ravensong had assured her the remaining kits looked in much better shape than Snowflakekit. Of course she believed it, she would make sure these three would not join the little tomkit yet. By any means necessary.

Hazecloud had been resting her chin over Shellkit's back in a quiet cuddle when trembling ferns announced her mates arrival. She leaned into the press of a stone-blue nose, unaware of when or how much she had been crying until cold wet fur pressed against her skin. She swiped a paw over her cheek and cleared her throat while Shellkit leaned forward to reach Lichentail, quick to join in any affection.

"They've been very good today." The molly agreed with a low hum. Truthfully, the disconnected feeling between her and the nursery had tumbled the days together enough that she wouldn't have known if it were true. Had they played ice-jumper today? Had they even left the nursery at all? The questions do not linger, quickly breaking away like any other thought before. Especially when her mate sings a hushed tune of excitement.

Their eyes have opened already?

Spring field sights turn down to join the others attention, finding it to be true. Dim shadowy blues, matching the river that fed them, aimlessly peering at the faces surrounding them. Aspenhaze arrived, the scent of trout hanging from their jaws and shortly after Ferngill's fiery pelt emerged.

"No, it's okay. Please stay." This was normal, right? They could be excited for this, they could be happy for her. I'm not fragile. I'm not so easily broken. "They're already awake, they won't be ready to sleep any time soon."

Shellkit pointed out how different their eyes were compared to hers and demonstrates something that poorly translates her words. A giggle, rare only recently, bubbled from her maw. "Their eye colors might change in a moon." Her muzzle brushed against Lichentails. "I wouldn't mind if they had such pretty blues, though."
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[TWINKLEPAW]

The silver being was content with a life of suckling, wiggling, and sleeping. It is all she knows and all she needs, in this simple life she finds joy and pleasure. Yet in the recent dawns something stirred within her, a yearning she did not know she had. Eyelids that had always been heavy, shields to the light began to shed their weight.

Cats gather around like a flock of birds on hatching day. One by one eyes flutter open, bright, brilliant, beaming blue. Young and filled with both curiosity and confusion. It is all foggy to the little kitten, with her muzzle resting on the pelts of her littermates the first blur of color she sees is of blue and white. Lifting a heavy head she sees more, colors she never had known to exist up until this very moment. Orange, cream, brown, green, purple, amber...

Her eyes close, both heavy and overwhelmed. Yet in-between short breaks they continue to flutter open, taking in more of the hazy world around her, oblivious that one day these blobs of color would take shape into parents, littermates, den-mates, and clan-mates.

𓆟 INFO BATTLE

• 
  » Unnamed Kit
  » RiverClan Kit
  » She/her . AFAB
  » A pretty blue lynx sepia with blue eyes
  » ”Speech”․ thoughts ․ attack
  
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  » A meager kitten, defeating her is no boastful feat.
  » Excels in hiding, running from danger.
  » Fights defensively to survive.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

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