camp I'M STILL HERE // MOVING TO THE NURSERY

[badgerstripe]

It is decided.

There was very little to think about after her chat with Flamestar. The leader kindly encouraged her move into the nursery, stating that it was around her progress in pregnancy that she, too, moved with her second litter. There was nothing to argue, nothing to contemplate; with the feelings of heavy sluggishness and a frequent sickness that had only just begun to wane, Badgerstripe knows in her heart and in her instincts that it is time.

Somehow, somewhere, it had gotten around that Badgerstripe was ready to begin her transition to nursery life. Maybe someone overheard her conversation with Flamestar, which admittedly wasn't very secretive to begin with. Maybe Scarletpaw mentioned it to her denmates. Maybe, it had become so obvious that cats just knew. Whatever the reason, the new queen finds herself accompanied by one of Flamestar's own children, a sweet girl tottering after her with her tail held high.

Badgerstripe had spent the morning discarding her warrior nest. It is time for a new chapter, after all - she is losing everything else in the process, so may as well, right? Then, with Bugpaw in tow, she had taken to a ready pile of fresh moss that she had gathered the night before, just for this moment. While she didn't necessarily need help - she still longs for the freedom to do things on her own without her physical limitations - she can't deny that it speeds up the process greatly with another set of paws, and Bugpaw is far opposite of unwelcome company. Together, with moss in both their jaws, the two make their way into the nursery, where she has another big decision to make:

" Where should I put my nest? "

Soon enough, she finds a pleasant area a few tail-lengths from the furthest wall of the den. The ground is flat and spacious, perfect for how often she tossed and turned these nights; and it's far enough from the walls to stay warm during the incoming warrior, yet far enough away from the center that she won't overheat by the body heat of her new denmates. Satisfied with this spot, Badgerstripe flicks her tail to beckon Bugpaw over, and begins to place and arrange her moss.

" So . . I heard through the grapevine that you have a knack for nest decorating, " the young mother mews kindly, giving Bugpaw a knowing glance and smile. " Perhaps we can spend some time making it look nice and cozy.. if you think Falconheart can spare you for another hour? " It is the best attempt she can make to stay upbeat, despite this dramatic shift in her life. That, and the little puns the girl's been cracking ever since they started..

BADGERSTRIPE ( she/her )​

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( ooc ) @Bugpaw ! but no need to wait!

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[tansyshine]

A new face in the nursery is a big deal, especially to the cinnamon she-cat that resides within. When two new cats push through the entrance, she blinks up from what she had been doing, satisfied with how her work looks. No more drafts for the nursery, hah! No more sudden chills at night... Once the sunlight from outside lightens on obscuring their figures, she rises quick to her paws.

"Badgerstripe!" she mews kindly, not very surprised but a little shocked regardless, head tilting ever so slightly as she watches the new queen place her moss, Bugpaw in tow. She finally moves from where she had been, making her way to her nest and yanking out a couple of fresh flowers from Lily Pad earlier.

They'd be better suited in the nest of Badgerstripe, after all, and even better as a welcoming gift. "If you want these... They'll make your nest softer, and the fragrance is a bonus." she chortles, dropping the flowers nearby. "Just be sure to keep an eye on the kits when they're born! They'll rip'em to shreds, trust me." and thats partly the reason that Tansy constantly asks her mate to grab more... An empty nest was easier to maintain than a full one, after all, but a fuller nest feels... Better.

She sighs, slightly wistful, before turning her full attention back to the new mother. "If you ever need help, i'm here." she offers, giving her a nod. She knows how hard pregnancy can be... Her first litter had nearly took her out from stress and the lack of... Sunflash (she inwardly gags at this thought) being around.

𝖨 𝖫𝖮𝖮𝖪 𝖴𝖯 𝖠𝖳 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖦𝖠𝖯𝖲 𝖮𝖥 𝖲𝖴𝖭𝖫𝖨𝖦𝖧𝖳 ✿ 𝖨 𝖬𝖨𝖲𝖲 𝖸𝖮𝖴 𝖬𝖮𝖱𝖤 𝖳𝖧𝖠𝖭 𝖠𝖭𝖸𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖭𝖦

• 
  ❥ tansyshine ʚ♡ɞ tansy
  ❥ cis female ʚ♡ɞ she/her ʚ♡ɞ 47 months
  ❥ thunderclan permaqueen ʚ♡ɞ current care
  ❥ cinnamon she-cat with ice blue eyes ʚ♡ɞ fluffy & loving
  ❥ "speech, 89678b" ʚ♡ɞ thoughts
  ❥ mates with lily pad ʚ♡ɞ bisexual
  ❥ smells like freshly pressed flowers, moss & milk ʚ♡ɞ floral & loving
  ❥ penned by chuff

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[Scarletpaw]

Scarletpaw stands at the entrance to the nursery, her ears flattening slightly as she watches Badgerstripe place her new nest. The sight is harder to take in than she'd expected. No more training. No more shared moments of frustration or triumph. She'd be passed to someone else now - someone who wouldn't understand her like Badgerstripe did. Her claws dig into the earth as she fights back a wave of bitterness. Of course, she understands the reasons. Badgerstripe is starting a family, and she'd known this day was coming. But it doesn’t make the sting any less sharp for the young she-cat.

Clearing her throat to announce her presence (as if it was something Badgerstripe was hiding from her), Scarletpaw steps further into the den, her voice quiet as she mews, "So…this is it then?" She looks at her mentor, trying to keep her tone neutral like a true warrior, but childlike bitterness seeps through. "You're officially leaving me behind?" Her blue and copper eyes flick from the soft moss nest to Tansyshine's offer of flowers, feeling a pang of frustration. Is this just supposed to be okay? A nice little change everyone would celebrate while she is expected to carry on like normal? She’d already lost everything else, and now she has to lose this, too. It’s not fair.
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[BASILPAW!]

( 𖤓 ) he can't say he's the most up-to-date on who's with who, and which cats dwell in the nursery now, but he does know badgerstripe's story, and it is for this reason that he lingers. ferny green eyes follow the dappled blue woman as she moves to-and-fro, bugpaw on her tail. basilpaw's friend is eager to help, jaws full to bursting with fresh moss and feathers. a pang of fondness for the girl quirks the tom's lips, and he'll move closer, pondering the idea of helping.

scarletpaw hovers too, a less pleasant sight if only because of her former allegiances mere days ago. basilpaw can't say he likes the mottled she-cat, but he has sympathy for her. with both parents members of starclan now, and grandmother gone, the girl must feel like the only cat in the world. and now her mentor is moving too... although still, "it's not her fa-" his voice stalls as he gazes at the mourning she-cat. "ult." he finishes quietly, breaking eye contact. snow-dappled paws shuffle awkwardly as the younger boy moves slightly away. "uhm, let me know if you need any help." he murmurs instead to the nursery dwellers.

IF YOU LET IT ALONE 𖤓 IT WILL SURELY GROW

• // "#FAC966"
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• 
  BASILPAW 𖤓 HE / THEY, APPRENTICE OF THUNDERCLAN. MENTORED BY CAMPIONSONG. SIBLING TO MERLINPAW, WOLFPAW. 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, and he has ferny-green eyes that sparkle with mischief.
  

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[badgerstripe]

Tanyshine's welcoming voice rings through the empty air, to which Badgerstripe can't help but smile in return - even if it is small and uncertain. Flamestar promised her that Tansyshine would help her through these unfamiliar times.. and the molly couldn't wish for anyone better. " Tanyshine, " she greets in return with a polite dip of her head.

Green eyes trail down to the gift that is presented to her, a neat bundle of flowers. Nobody's ever given her flowers before, she realizes.. not even Sleekserpent, who found the practical gift of food most suitable for her instead. " Oh.. thank you. They're pretty, too. " And again, the mention of kits reminds her of the reality that she is here.. that this is real, and happening. Badgerstripe's mouth twitches subtly as her smile falters for only a moment. It is still so surreal, to imagine little blue (or cream) paws tearing at the softness of her nest. Surely, hers will be more behaved than that?

Badgerstripe opens her mouth to speak again, to continue a conversation with this motherly presence, but she is intercepted by a quiet, empty voice. A sound so distant that she wouldn't imagine the girl standing only a few tail-lengths away. A suddenly complex look is flicked towards the entrance of the nursery where Scarletpaw stands stiffly, blotting out the light - just as she casts a shadow upon the den, so too does she drape whatever semblance of a good mood the queen has into darkness.

An irritation that feels foreign to her, yet familiar as of late all the same, boils in Badgerstripe's chest, with a welling anger that could burst out in snappish words if she weren't careful. " We've talked about this already, " she mews stiffly, turning her gaze absently back to the freshly gifted flowers she now weaves into a nest. Oh, right - her nest. That is why Scarletpaw is upset, is it? Well, I assure you this is just as sudden and strange for me as well, she thinks forlornly.

Another apprentice, one she admittedly doesn't recall the name of, speaks up as well - on the queen's behalf. Perhaps she may as well speak it on Scarletpaw's defense, too. Are either truly at fault for the differences between them now? A heavy sigh leaves Badgerstripe, as if bestowed upon a task that she has no choice but to fulfill, and she reluctantly turns to face Scarletpaw again. It's hard to see the colorful feline as anything but one of Skyclaw's loyal little soldiers, much less Badgerstripe's own apprentice, much less just a normal girl in mourning. But in that bitter face, for just a moment, she sees a flicker of sadness so familiar that it aches her heart in a way she hadn't felt since the wolf invasion. Guilt; blame; abandoned.

Another deep exhale seems to change her demeaner from stiff and proper, back to exhausted. " I'm not.. leaving you behind, " she mumbles. It's not as if she's dying, after all. " I'll just be.. here. "

The tortoiseshell queen moves forward now, perhaps the first time she's willingly approached Scarletpaw since the battle in which their home was taken back - and this time, with much effort, it is not to reprimand, but calm and familial like she once regarded her apprentice with. " I would like you to come visit me sometimes, Scarletpaw. You can tell me about your training, and you can show me what you've learned. I may not be your official mentor anymore, but.. you're still my apprentice, in my heart, you know? That's not something that can be truly taken away. " My friend, if she could call her that. Kin in a way that most friends are not. A small smile tugs at Badgerstripe's muzzle, hopeful and encouraging, although the effort is.. exhausting.

BADGERSTRIPE ( she/her )​

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( ooc ) text

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[Scarletpaw]

Scarletpaw's claws dig into the earth, her mentor's words doing little to ease the tension roiling in her chest. The soft warmth in Badgerstripe's tone, the familiar way she speaks to her, only makes it worse, like salt in a wound that refuses to close. She's supposed to feel comforted, right? She's supposed to smile, nod, and understand. But how can she, when everything feels like it's slipping away?

Her tail flicks sharply as she meets her mentor's gaze, her split-colored eyes blazing with emotions she's struggling to contain. Basilpaw's words linger in her ears - it's not her fault - but the truth of it doesn't soothe the ache. "You say that like it's easy," She mutters, voice low and tight. She doesn't mean for the bitterness to sound so sharp, but there it is, slicing through the quiet den. She looks away, her gaze dropping to the freshly made nest and the soft flowers. Badgerstripe's new life, a life she's not part of.

Her claws retract slightly as she takes a shaky breath. "I'll come visit," She says at last, though the words feel hollow, more out of obligation than truth. She knows she'll have to get used to this, to being passed along like something broken, but that doesn't mean she has to like it. With a final glance at her mentor, she turns to leave, her tail trailing low at her heels.
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