camp EVERY DAY IS SILENT AND GRAY | bringing prey back

[SLATESNARL]

Slatesnarl stills for a moment as he makes his way into camp, a freshly-caught crow dangling from his jaws. A gaze of ochre shifts toward the leader's den, contemplation calculating across his features. Briefly, the warrior considers bringing this catch directly to his mate; nobody deserves a full belly more than a molly as lovely and important as Orangestar, after all. A few high-pitched mewls grab his attention, though, and prompt his large noggin to swivel toward the nursery. Realization sets in soon after — his kits were in there, depending on Butterflytuft to nurse them and protect them from the cold. No matter his shaky faith in the she-cat, she was entrusted with taking care of the twins.

So, the large tom makes for the nursery, eyes searching for the tortoiseshell in particular. It's strange being in here; Slatesnarl seldom visits this space, save for the occasion that he drops off fresh-kill for the residents here.

His eyes briefly linger on the tiny forms of Lambkit and Ramkit before he places the deceased avian down at Butterflytuft's side. It's a remarkable size, a rather impressive catch especially considering his hunting skills were still a bit rusty. "For you." Slatesnarl grunts a laconic statement, rugged features absent of warmth despite the generous gesture.

𝟒𝟐𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝐉𝐈𝐌 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐑 ✹ . + ˚ · 𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐎𝐋-𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐆𝐔𝐍

• @butterflytuft but no need to wait c: + directly follows this thread

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• 

  — slatesnarl / 44 moons / he/him
  — skyclan warrior & former lead warrior
  — mate to orangestar / father to lambkit & ramkit
  — lh solid black maine coon w/ rusting, amber eyes. scars litter his form but are prominently present on his face.
  — click for tags

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[RAMKIT]

Ramkit sits in the nursery, head tilted back as she stares aimlessly at the ceiling of the nursery. It extends to blurriness, nothing but colors that blends and forms little more than a swath of protection. Cats of all kinds have been in and out, adjusting the branches of the holly bush to further ward away the cold. Ramkit has been hardly more than an obstacle for them, for she tottles in their direction on unsteady paws to peer at them closely, and then wander away again. Almost like... she's looking for something.

The scent of warm blood comes first. She doesn't divert her attention from the hardly changing holly branches above her. It's his heavy uneven pawsteps, his gruff voice - with them she snaps her kitten blues towards him, eyes widening as she does.

He is a blur, like the leaves around her. But she knows. She knows.

"Aaah -!" she squeaks, tilting to her paws and scrambling towards Slatesnarl. She trips just over Butterflytuft, her attempt to scramble over the other thwarted by her lack of coordination. Ramkit is undeterred, pushing back to clumsy paws and starting again. She passes the fresh kill, smashing her face into Slatesnarl's hardy foreleg and then weaving herself beneath him. "Ahhh-Da," she chitters, nothing more than a babbling mewl in truth. There's no purpose in the purring other than recognition that she can mumble and rumble at all. She clasps herself between his forepaws, looking up towards him. Sharper claws extend upwards, his chin too far for her to grasp.

I'm here, she cannot say, but a mewl trembles from her throat. You came back, I'm here.
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[butterflytuft]

Butterflytuft glances up from where she's curled around the kits, tenderly cradling them against the leaf-bare chill. She immediately spots the rugged presence of Slatesnarl and stiffens, as if caught improperly snuggling his progeny. It's silly, she knows, but the job of raising his and Orangestar's kits has come with a pressure she didn't foresee. What if he thinks she's not doing a good enough job? What if he doubts her abilities to care for his children despite her unrelenting commitment to them? "Oh, hi, Slatesnarl," She greets sweetly, doing her best to keep the wobble from her voice.

When he places the impressive crow at her side, she blinks, surprise flashing in her yellow eyes. "Thank you," She says softly, gratitude shining in her gaze. She lowers her head to examine the offering, noting how the catch is big enough to not only nourish her but all of the nursery's queens! It's a gesture she doesn't take lightly.

Before she can say more, Ramkit's excited mewl fills the nursery, and the queen's attention shifts to watch the tiny she-kit scramble and trip in her desperate effort to reach her father. Heart warming at the sight, a gentle smile touches her face. Ramkit's delight is so palpable, so pure! Gosh, she sure is cute. Butterflytuft shifts to make space, careful not to impede Ramkit's path, but she isn't quick enough as the kit tumbles over her.

"She's been waiting for you," The tortoiseshell murmurs wistfully as she watches Ramkit nestle between Slatesnarl's large forepaws. There is something undeniably sweet about the reunion, seeing even the clan's most stoic warrior be reduced to nothing more than 'Da.' "They both have." Her gaze flickers to Lambkit, who is dozing peacefully, unaware of the visitor in the nursery. The queen's tail curls around the sleeping tom, protectively tucking him closer as she looks back up to the pair, smiling.
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[LAMBKIT]

Whether Lambkit was a heavy sleeper or if he was just good at ignoring the world around him. A flick of the ear here, a soft sigh as he readjusts, are the only signs that he is, at least, semi-conscious. Voices do not stir him, (it is the usual in this busy den) nor does the overwhelming scent of prey. It is only when his sister lets out an ear ringing squeal that he finally stirs.

Still, he takes his time about it. Blue eyes reluctantly crack open as he smacks his lips a couple of times for good measure before his gaze lazily makes its way to the figure at the entrance of the den that Ramkit attaches herself to like a burr. " Mrrrp?" his sleepy meow comes from the plumage of his milk-mothers tail as he slowly raises his head and pushes himself to his paws.

It is only when he finally recognizes their visitor that he reacts. His face alights with warmth and joy and quickly he is following in Ramkits footsteps, tripping over himself and going sprawling but quickly getting back up to throw himself in the general direction of their father, his small tail raised high in the air as he brushes his cheek against the warriors legs.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ- but I’d stand in the garden with you

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• 
  LAMBKIT SKYCLAN KITTEN ; HE / HIM
  SLATE X ORANGESTAR LITTERMATE TO TBNKIT ; HALF BROTHER TO CHERRYBLOSSOM, OWLHEART, GLIMMERSUN, TAWNYCLAW & EGGBOUNCE
  

  A fluffy cream coated tom with mismatched white socked toes, a white marking blazing a trail down his face, and striking blue eyes.

  ✿ easy in battle + no formal training
  ✿ difficult to befriend
  ✿ Peaceful + healing power-play allowed, anything else with permission only
  

 

[SLATESNARL]

Slatesnarl supposes that he should expect gentle sentiments from the nursing queen, a reassurance that his children haven't forgotten him, but sharing such a soft moment in the presence of a she-cat he had never paid much mind to was strange. His attention is captivated by the wobbly steps of his daughter, ochre gaze brightening with faint amusement as she headbutted his leg. "Da" she manages, and instantly Slatesnarl realizes that the kits are growing far more quickly than he could even keep up with. His stony heart surges, such a term foreign to his ugly ears. "Oh, uh," The burly tom hesitantly lifts a paw as Ramkit weaves around him, soon followed by her brother. The twins swarm him, seeming to recognize him.

Admittedly, there is a temptation to indulge his children's excitement. Slatesnarl could submit now and let them crawl over him, let them practice their ability to balance and climb as they'd one day be expected to master such skills. They are so small, their heads only the size of his paws.

His fixation on them is cut short as Slatesnarl feels Butterflytuft's gaze on him. The Maine Coon shifts, as he is hunched over in a space where he obviously does not belong. "Back to her, now. Go on." The warrior rumbles to the twins, gently nudging them toward the tortoiseshell molly. "There's work to be done." He says, more so for Butterflytuft as she is the only one who understands him. Slatesnarl couldn't stay here, not when leafbare was setting in and more bellies needed to be fed.

With a curt nod to the queen, Slatesnarl quickly turned to dip out of the den, not letting his gaze linger on Ramkit and Lambkit like the last time he left them.

𝟒𝟐𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝐉𝐈𝐌 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐑 ✹ . + ˚ · 𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐎𝐋-𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐆𝐔𝐍

•  

• 

• 

  — slatesnarl / 44 moons / he/him
  — skyclan warrior & former lead warrior
  — mate to orangestar / father to lambkit & ramkit
  — lh solid black maine coon w/ rusting, amber eyes. scars litter his form but are prominently present on his face.
  — click for tags

​

​

 

[LAMBKIT]

The purr that rumbles in his chest is mighty enough to rival that of any LionClan warrior. His father was here! And maybe this time he would stay, maybe this time he could be enveloped in his and his first mother's scent again, with his sister by his side. Now all they needed was Orangestar, and they could all be together again.

It wasn't to be. As quickly as Slatesnarl had come, he makes to leave again. As the stone colored warrior turns to leave, Lambkit lets out an alarmed mew. His pitch rapidly crescendos to distress when he starts walking towards that wall of light, the one which he emerged from. Wait you just got here, where are you going? he moves to follow but quickly finds himself held back. " buh-buh " his lip quivers as he watches his father disappear without a goodbye and in the wake of his absence tears begin to fill his eyes "WAAAAAAA" he lets out a loud wail as he struggles against his captor, flailing and trying his hardest to get away.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ- but I’d stand in the garden with you

• 
  
  
• 
  LAMBKIT SKYCLAN KITTEN ; HE / HIM
  SLATE X ORANGESTAR LITTERMATE TO TBNKIT ; HALF BROTHER TO CHERRYBLOSSOM, OWLHEART, GLIMMERSUN, TAWNYCLAW & EGGBOUNCE
  

  A fluffy cream coated tom with mismatched white socked toes, a white marking blazing a trail down his face, and striking blue eyes.

  ✿ easy in battle + no formal training
  ✿ difficult to befriend
  ✿ Peaceful + healing power-play allowed, anything else with permission only
  

 

[butterflytuft]

Butterflytuft looks back down as the other kit at her side shifts. Lambkit is awake now, toddling on tiny paws to reunite with his sister and father. Smiling sweetly, she watches with obvious pride as he makes his way over to Slatesnarl. She expects him to offer them praise, to shower them in affections because that's what Dandelionwish had done when their little ones were this age. But instead, the warrior straightens and gruffly announces his departure. She pricks her ears, but she supposes she shouldn't be too surprised. This is the stoic Slatesnarl, after all. Much more of a provider than a nurturer. "Alright, visit again soon," She murmurs with a smile, nodding to him as he leaves only for her ears to pin at the sudden wail that splits the air. "Oh- oh, Lambkit, sweetheart!" She hurriedly gets to her paws and moves to cradle the baby in her tail, showering him with comforting lick. "There, there. There, there," She coos gently, hoping it'll calm him down. Poor little thing…he misses his father. ​

 

[MERCURYKIT✧]

Having been huddled in the nursery, Mercurykit is witness to Slate...snarl? (There's so many new faces, she still cannot quite place a face to every name and a name to every face.) Yes, Slatesnarl! Butterflytuft greets him, so Mercurykit knows she'd been correct. She watches lazily as the two littlest ones try and greet him, only to be shoved back towards Butterflytuft. It doesn't seem unkind, but Mercurykit does not know if she could imagine being treated like that from Ursabounce. No... her mother would not even dream of such a thing, not a mean bone in her body!

Well... maybe there's a mean bone in her if she made Mercury walk through the very cold forest to get here this morning. 'Frost' she'd called the thin white coating on the grass and the leaves as Mercurykit had watched it sparkle in the sunlight. She'd been tempted to eat it, but she didn't voice that thought at all in case Uranuskit tried to goad her into actually following through. The nursery is warmer than outside, at least. Not warm, exactly, but warmer, and that's all the chimera can really ask for right now.

Lambkit starts crying... Mercurykit doesn't blame him. She would cry too if she'd been shoved to someone else like that...

made of // precious metals

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  ooc - squeezing in a phase 1 post don't mind me lol
  
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  #a38b5d
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  (img) Mercurykit * she/her* 3 moons
  lh blue smoke/cinnamon tabby chimera
  Peaceful & healing powerplay allowed || underline for attack
  penned by Neptune. || Neptune on disc, dm me for plots

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