camp crawling to your grave // kit gathering

[promisekit]

This is not Promisekit's idea - most often, kits who want to play leader suggest gathering games. And to be honest, he has no wants of leadership. His lineage has gripped leadership thrice over and died for it. It is not fear that goads him into avoiding the role, but peace in knowing that should it be in his path, it will come with time. He need not force outcomes when he is as blessed as he is.

That said, playing medicine cat is still fun. The blue furred tom thinks about his name - perhaps Promiseheart after his grandmother, or Promiseshade for the one lost to her? Maybe -jaw or -maw, for more lost family... His tail twitches as he struggles with a choice, but his position in the game is secure. He even sits himself next to Mirestar's young litter, deeming them "his patients," and promising their queen that he will include them in the game, and they will have fun, too.

"The gathering must commence-!" he calls after a moment, attempting to silence the bickering between the kittens. Who will be leader, who has to be a part of the stupid other Clans. He quiets them with another lash of his tail. "I, Promisebloom -" Eh, no... Not that, but its too late now. "- medicine cat of ShadowClan, can see the clouds beginning to cover the moon. If we do not start now, then the gathering will end instead." He inclines his head towards the kittens, daring any one of them to don the -star title and begin.
​

 

[SMOKYKIT]

The only thing better than a gathering made up of various twigs, leaves, stones, and other assorted objects that Smokykit can get her paws on is a gathering made up of living, breathing cats, and so when the word gets out that today they're going to play gathering, well, of course she's hot on the heels of her fellow kits. If you were to ask Smokykit about leadership, you'd get a childish answer, one half-molded from kitten dreams and tales of legacy running through her veins - of course she wants to be leader one day! What other answer could she give? Medicine cat, maybe, since that's also important, but the idea of gathering plants to...well, she's not really sure how it works, other than it makes cats feel better, but either way, that pales in comparison to the fantastic stories of daring warriors and deputies and leaders running circles in her head.

So engrossed in those tales of grandeur, Smokykit's not quite as quick to the draw as some of the others, who immediately begin delegating roles to one another. Never one to sit back and let the action unfold before her, she immediately leaps into the fray - "Wait, no, I wanna be the ShadowClan leader! No - I don't wanna-

Just as soon as the squabbling breaks out, Promisekit's voice rises above them all, declaring himself to be Promisebloom, the medicine cat of ShadowClan. It's certainly an interesting name, and perhaps not the one she would've picked for him had she been the one to bestow that honor, but it does have a nice ring to it. Bloom, like a pretty flower - or, at least, that's what she's pretty sure flowers are supposed to do, when it's not so cold out. Promisepath, Promisesong, Promiseflight, Promiseseeker, Promisewhisker...the possibilities are practically endless, and Smokykit finds herself wondering how leaders were able to come up with just one name for each cat!

As the gathering is officially called to a start, she sees her chance - striding forward, Smokykit attempts to muster all the authority passed down to her, holding her head high and trying to look imposing. "Thank you, Promisebloom, my loyal medicine cat! It is I, Smokystar, leader of ShadowClan!" If she introduces herself fast enough, it doesn't matter who wanted what role; it's set in the stars now, or at least up to Promisebloom. "Welcome to tonight's gathering, cats of all the Clans! ShadowClan is doing good, as always - the prey is, uh, very easy to catch! And our nests are very cozy at night!" That's the kind of thing you were supposed to announce at gatherings, right?

"Promisebloom is also treating a bunch of our cats, too, 'cause we have so many herbs we don't even know what to do with them all!" she declares, sweeping her tail in the direction of the nursery's newest denizens. "What about the other Clans? Anything new happening with you guys?" Was she supposed to announce an alliance with RiverClan? Probably not - Smokystar's pretty sure that's supposed to be a secret against ThunderClan, though she does offer a knowing smirk towards whoever has taken up the mantle of RiverClan leader for this gathering.​

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ THE RADIO PLAYS A FAMILIAR SONG 𖤓 AND YOU ARE LOVED, YOU ARE LOVED ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• OOC: -
  ​
• 
  
  
• SMOKYKIT —. She/her, kit of ShadowClan
  — .Flintwish x Ashenfall, littermate to Promisekit, Tinykit, & Mercykit
  — . 2 moons old, ages on the 1st
  — .An ill-proportioned, smoky molly with bright amber eyes and an exceedingly curly, tangled pelt.
  — .Enthusiastic and vibrant, easily distracted, prideful & caring - friendly within reason
  — .Peaceful & healing powerplay permitted - brushing up against her, shoulder bumps, etc.
  — .Penned by Hijinks - feel free to DM me on Discord to plot! ^^
  ​

 

[mercykit]

mercykit settles herself near mirestar and lilacfur's little ones, wispy bottlebrush tail draped across one of the kitten's backs as if to help them stay warm and safe. their mismatched gaze takes in the gathering of kits, the loud squabbles and pitching voices ebbing and flowing with claims and power grabs. the ghost doesn't try to make their voice heard yet. she is happy enough to sit to the side.

promisekit's voice rises above the din and the gathering begins. bodies shuffle about and mercykit scoots a bit closer to the 'patients' of her brother. he claims the role of medicine cat, calls himself promisebloom, and mercykit manages a small smile. smokykit claims the coveted role of leader – smokystar is a strong name after all. much stronger than mercystar in their opinion.

but a knowing smirk is cast their way and mercykit flounders at the bestowal of a leader role. the bicolored kitten inches away from mirestar's brood (for they do not want to be deemed a kit stealer in this game) and creeps towards their ambitious sibling. "i, uh, mercystar of r-riverclan…" they pause, worried about saying the wrong thing. "welcome everyone to the gathering. prey is running, er, swimming practically into our mouths," a lie, they think, trying to remember what they've overheard patrols discuss upon returning to camp, "we have herbs too. a-and the right amount of kits. that is all," mercykit concludes quickly, their pelt itching with embarrassment and discomfort as eyes are on them.

and oh… they forgot to say anything about the alliance with shadowclan.​

[ penned by kerms ]​

 

[chirpkit]

Chirpkit lies nestled in the moss of its nest, warmth seeping into its tiny body from the soft press of its siblings around it. The hum of nearby voices reaches its small, closed ears, muffled and rhythmic, like distant waves crashing. It doesn't know what they're saying or understand the excitement filling the nursery. The only world it knows is the gentle touch of its littermates and the comforting scent lingering from its parents. A soft twitch ripples through Chirpkit's body as a voice rises above the others, resonant even to its tiny, unopened ears. The sound pulls a faint flicker of awareness from it, though it cannot tell who is speaking or what game is being played. An instinct drives it to respond to the energy crackling around it. It stretches its thin, delicate legs outward, curling its paws into a tiny knead against the soft moss beneath it.

A low, kittenish chirp escapes its mouth—a small, warbling noise, faint but purposeful, like a fledgling's call to its nestmates. To the other kits, it might sound like a soft, distant echo, otherworldly in the way only a newborn's voice can be. The sound fills the lull between Smokystar's grand announcement and Mercystar's timid proclamation, and in the quiet that follows, Chirpkit's voice rings like a whisper from beyond. It doesn't know it, but that little sound catches the attention of the older kits nearby, who might take it as a sign—a message from StarClan, perhaps. Chirpkit lets out another quiet chirp, this one softer, a little weaker, as though the tiny body has already spent much of its energy in that one act of reaching out. The noise settles into silence, leaving Chirpkit breathing gently, entirely unaware of the reactions its soft cries have stirred.

In the warmth of the nest, it relaxes again, settling into its siblings' comforting shapes. Its small heart beats steadily, oblivious to the game around it or the significance the others might place on its faint sounds.​

 

[mushroomkit]

( ༄ ) chirpkit's vocals are quiet and tender, birdsong like its name, noises that might be seen as a faint starclan sign within the game the older kittens play. contrarily, mushroomkit's squeaks and snuffles must be the equivalent of thunder rumbling, lightning flashing across the sky. as the multi-colored kitten squirms beside her siblings, responding to the argument between her older denmates, howls and mewls quite loud for a kitten her age pour from her maw. still-closed eyes screw tighter, the autumnal colored body thrashing and wriggling, waking her siblings as she meowls and squeals.

mushroomkit is hungry, she thinks. if not that, then she's tired. or maybe cranky. she doesn't know. what she does know is that the outside world is as loud as it had been when she'd first appeared in it, or perhaps louder, and the lovely tail sweeping across her back has vanished. she is cold and she is motherless for all she knows. no wonder she's screeching as if she's dying. chirpkit has stopped making noise, settling back against mushroomkit, and the girl almost takes this as a comfort, but the lack of her mother and the surrounding noise has spooked the kitten too much. "rowwwmrowwwwwwmowww!" the girl complains. "eeeek eeek ek! mrowww!"

HOW THE GENTLE WIND ༄ BECKONS THROUGH THE LEAVES

• // @lilacfur mommmm starclan is mad!! "#e28c18"
• 
• MUSHROOMKIT ⊱✿⊰ SHE / HER, SHADOWCLAN. LILACFUR x MIRESTAR. 00 MOONS, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  
  a longhaired chocolate torbie/red tabby chimera with low white and yellow eyes. long, silky fur dapples in colors reminiscent of the autumn, ginger leaves, golden wheat, dark earth combining to create a vision of a cat. they have short limbs and a thick, plush pelt, and their eyes are the piercing yellow of the moon on an autumnal night.

​

 

[lilacfur]

Kit games have become far more complex and organized than she remembered having, or maybe she just couldn't remember. The nursery wasn't quite this full either, it's inhabitants half of the headcount she had right now. Of course it made for a loud nights, mornings, and days. Just about every hour they were awake, really, boundless energy that kept her more alert than a day full of patrols could.

Promisekit's request to protect her kits as 'his patients' was tentatively agreed to. She would still give close attention to them from their nest of course. Only a few steps away to play rescue if the older kits play disturbed them too much.

Its smooth to start as a quarrel broke free with Promisekit's initial declaration. Smokykit rose beside him in great imitation of what she felt all Gathering's sounded like with Mercykit following close behind. Good hunting, good weather, healthy kits, plenty apprentices, new warriors. It all felt the same.

Chirpkit squeaked as it's namesake in what Lilacfur determined was harmless fussing. It was Mushroomkit, however, that broke the peace. The fuzzy torbie would quickly be met with a comforting rasp between her ears, and she leaned forward to address the other kits. "Ah, Chirpkit has spoken! StarClan needs to take this patient... away." Lilacfur tucked the moss in closer around Chirpkit and Heartkit's sides as she picked up the fussy child.

"Uhh, whoooosh! Mushroomkit has disappeared into the stars." Her voice warbled in a shaky, spooky tone to not break the immersion of their play, leaving the scene to get Mushroomkit a queen for nurse from.

---

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── ooc ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ info ──┐‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• 

• LILACFUR ✩ she/her, 22 moons, mother to marblepaw and sycamorepaw
  ⭃ lh lilac rosette with yellow eyes (carrying cinnamon, solid), a torn left ear, missing her left eye and most fur from a multitude of claw-marked scars
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by this loser ↛ @gonkpilled on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[Heartkit]

⟡ Mottled fur stays curled beside her littermates, Promisekit and Smokykit's words falling on essentially deaf ears, muffled. She does not know what their names even are, really. . . or what a gathering is, or why they're playing something like this. Heartkit is simply content to be nestled by Lilacfur's stomach, where the cold cannot bother her as much. Her tail flicks and wraps around her tiny body, seeking even more warmth.

It is not until Mushroomkit is squirming and throwing a tantrum that she too begins to shift uncomfortably, tiny mewls of protest as her littermate continues to wiggle and bother her comfort. "Mew!" Heartkit protests, kicking Mushroomkit until Lilacfur takes her away. Then - and only then - does she settle again, cuddled up to Chirpkit and feeling a low purr rumbling from her chest.

"speech"
​