camp OLEANDER ⁺˖⋆ KIT GAME

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ getting some apprentice to deliver prey for them all was certainly more orthodox, but nightbird had shooed them all away. there was opportunity for a lesson to be taught, for her kits to build skills well before their apprenticeship. so, after morning hunting patrols had returned with the days freshest kills, she stuck raccoonstripe with kit-sitting for a few moments and selected three pieces from the pile to hide throughout camp.

once finished setting up the training, the molly returned to the mouth of the nursery to beckon each idle kit out. once they granted her as much attention they were capable of, she explained their activity for the day, or however long it would take for them to tire. "listen, now," nightbird's tail twitches impatiently, she can already see too-big eyes wandering off to more interesting happenings in camp. "there is prey hidden in three spots around camp, it is up to you all to track and find." most was still warm, they should have no trouble finding where she had stowed it. as long as they paid attention, that was. "you will work with another kit, choose your partner wisely. you succeed and fail together." they would be winning and losing alongside these peers for the rest of their lives, and in situations much more dangerous than these. her intention was not to pit them against each other like dogs, but rather build the teamwork necessary for clan life.

"team up and get started. you all have until sunhigh to deliver your catch to me." she waved them off with a white paw before settling down to watch as they worked.
  • ooc ↛ each kit gets one roll per post, as soon as the 3 pieces are found the game will end. roll a d10, refer to the list for results:
    1-5 nothing
    6-8 caught scent, lost the trail
    9-10 found prey
  • BvsNLyD.png
  • NIGHTBIRD she/her, lead warrior of thunderclan, 34 ☾'s
    a small black smoke molly with a white paw and pale silver eyes. currently a queen residing in the nursery.
    mate to raccoonstripe / / currently mentoring none.
    peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking ↛ see battle info here
    penned by vayle@vayl3 on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
 
Ever since his attempted escape - turned - meltdown a quarter - moon or so earlier, nursery residents might have noticed a subtle sea change in alternately toned blue eyes, some unnameable shift in the little tom's taking on of the world. No longer did Coltkit while away every hour napping on sunwarmed rocks or skipping out on Clan - culture lessons—though he certainly still spent a few in the warm grasp of sleep. No, now a determined little blue - and - white face could be found amongst the drifting clumps of kits that play - fought and joined in on lectures and kitten - games, his pale muzzle set in an almost grim line.

Though Nightbird directs her imperative to listen at a couple of kits, Coltkit is ( for once ) not among them, his outsize ivory paws set firmly on the earth and almond eyes fixed on the smoky she - cat's face. Find the prey, was the day's directive, and a pink nose twitches . . . but camp was so big. Overlong milk - fangs pinned the soft pink of his lower lip against his teeth, white nose - bridge scrunching as he appraised the crowd of other kits.

" Twilightkit! " he mrrows loudly in sloping syllables, poking the tabby kit gently in the side with one mittenish paw. @TWILIGHTKIT ⋆ had been a fun partner for play - fighting, and if he was Nightbird's kit, maybe he was like . . . better . . . at sniffing 'n stuff. " Y'wanna be my . . . " What had Nightbird called it? " . . . trackin' partner? "

Whether he receives an affirmative from the other kit or not, Coltkit gets to work trying to . . . smell the prey, pressing his small nose close to the ground like a dog. Maybe it's his technique, but all he gets is a noseful of dust and sweet grass scent, a nice smell but nothing like the yummy warmth of the prey the apprentices liked to bring them. Straightening up, the kit chuffs out of his nose, shaking his head puppyish and mouth contorting into a miniature scowl. How's he 'sposed to be strong, like a real ThunderClan warrior, if he can't find the prey? He grumbles, " I can't smell 'ny prey. "

OOC : Rolled a 2!
 
〕A real game with actual prey was far more interesting than hunting for leaves and pebbles around camp, and Honeykit was already thinking of places where Nightbird would be more likely to hide stuff - the nursery seemed too obvious. . . but maybe that was a red herring? They continue to brainstorm the best locations ( according to themselves ) to tuck prey away for a game, so lost in thought they almost miss the next part of critically important ( and upsetting ) information: They had to work in pairs.

The golden - furred kitten rolls their eyes at the prospect. They will only drag me down! They huffed in annoyance, sticking their nose up to see if they caught scent of anything before they were forced to work with someone. For their own growing irritation, Honeykit could smell nothing.

Whipping their body towards the only kit they could think of that could smell food from anywhere in camp ( or maybe even the whole forest ), the tabby bumped into @BAYINGKIT roughly, their tail whisking to and fro. "You," They snarl, wanting to work with anyone but this foul-smelling kit - even if she might as well be their key to victory. "Dog. Can you smell anything?" The nickname is rude at best, but maybe she would see it as a compliment. Bayingkit always seemed more canine than feline, might as well put that potential tracking ability to good use.

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  • ooc. Rolled a 4 :[
  • HONEYKIT —— kit of thunderclan , mentoring/mentored by name . parent x parent . littermate to character, character ✦ penned by nocthymia
    they/them / 2 moons & ages every 7ᵗʰ
    single / too young
    peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline & tag account when attacking
    —— combat details here / battle notes

    "speech", 'thoughts', all opinions are in character
    biography — msg on discord for plots — toyhouse
  • reference image here
    a longhaired red tabby with low white, vitiligo and dichroic eyes.
 
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· · ───────────── ·𖥸· ───────────── · ·
The prospect of teaming up seems like a waste of her skills... The only competent kits she can rely on are her siblings really, especially since they've spent many hours wrestling to try to improve their skills with apprenticeship rapidly approaching on the horizon. Turning towards @Scarletkit with a scrunching of her nose, the tortoiseshell draws towards the other she-cat with an inquisitive curl of her tail. "Be my partner? We'll win for sure if it's the two of us," she insists. Her eyes flick towards the other kits bumbling around like a bunch of doofuses and frowns slightly, not feeling the least bit threatened by their competitors.

"I'm gonna go look over here," she hums, drawing away with her maw left agape to draw in scents. She'd practice this by hunting her family members across camp like they were prey but it was not as successful all the time as she would've liked. Perhaps it is that dedication to trying and trying again despite failure that wins her some grace from StarClan.

It is a tantalizing smell, a familiar one that has graced the nursery many times over as its inhabitants are given first dibs for each meal. Padding after it with no sense of urgency, her ears swivel to eavesdrop on the failures of her den-mates with a rueful glee. It made sense Coltkit wasn't a real ThunderClanner... and as she tucks around a corner to where the scent grows heaviest, she is proven a pure-blood in talent alone.

Picking up the prey with a head lifted proudly, Howlingstar's kin makes her way back to Nightbird triumphantly to deposit the prey at her feet. "Easy!"

rolled a 10!
 

LIGHTNINGKIT . of . THUNDERCLAN
2 moons old (born 07.08.24) / lh silver tabby with green eyes / feminine pronouns
raccoonstripe xx nightbird / little sister to bayingkit, twilightkit, tigerkit, & stormkit
She had hoped that her mother would give them something fun to do, but Lightningkit is learning her mother is more serious than her father, and she makes a face as Nightbird explains the rules. She looks around at the other kits, debating who would be best for her partner. She can't choose one of her siblings— they won't really tolerate it if she makes them do all of the hard, tiring work of trotting around camp, and she can't exactly say that her mommy and daddy are more in charge, since they have the same parents. She doesn't want to pair up with Coltkit, and is relieved when he talks to Twilightkit instead, though the fur on her neck puffs up when she overhears Honeykit call her sister a dog.

As she passes the duo by, Lightningkit aims to knock her shoulder into @Honeykit's back leg, hard. "Oops! Sorry, I was just gonna squeeze by you but I guess you're a lot wider than I thought! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll grow out of it one day." She sweeps away, smiling sharply, and ends up next to @ivorykit.

Lightningkit can actually smell something, can't she? Ugh. She watches Mottledkit toddle back with prey, a sourness in her chest. "You can come with me," she says to Ivorykit, part permission and part command. "Follow me!" Lightningkit sets off without checking to see if Ivorykit is actually joining her, because maybe she'll find prey, too, and Nightbird will be so proud! Except as strong as the smell seemed before, it's suddenly...gone, and she stops in her tracks with a frustrated huff, tail twitching. "Do you smell anything?"

/FORGOT TO ADD but i rolled an 8!
 
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An older kitten, the prospect of hunting and tracking as a game would soon become a reality for the sepia, and a mixture of excitement and anxiety churned at their belly for it. They were ready for it, but they wanted to know what 'it' was, that alone had sent Wolfkit into a spiral of questions whenever a warrior would give them the time of day. Cream ears twitched at Nightbird's instructions, mirth marking their expression, their paws kneading the earth as they looked at the other kittens. All had picked their partners so quickly that the sepia was left alone, but before solitude could take its toll, a realisation that someone special had joined them made them perk up. They turned to @MERLINKIT, smiling at their sibling. The dream team, a fearless leader and their wise Deputy - when paired with the fact that they were playing with babies, he doubted they could lose! "Come on, we'll go together!"

They sprung into action, eyeing the fresh kill pile. "D'you think she'd notice if we... took some from there?" Would it be cheating the game? They went over the rules in their head, recounting each syllable as if it was being spoken in the present. 'There are no rules... and if prey is hidden... who is to say the one Nightbird hid isn't within the pile?' So distracted by their masterplan, as they inhaled through their nose to try and detect the true hiding spots, all that hit them was the alluring smell of fresh rodents atop Wolfkit's favourite place. Their stomach growled and they let out a frustrated huff, the idea of cheating suddenly seeming a lot more justified.

// rolled a 5!
 
Ivorykit, like Wolfkit, will be an apprentice in only a few sunrises. This is less of a game to her and more of a genuine challenge. She almost declines to participate — who would want her as a partner, anyway? — when one of Nightbird's little kits toddles up to her and bossily instructs her to join in the festivities. The white she-cat smiles fondly at Lightningkit and gives her a nod. "Lead the way, Lightningkit!" The silver tabby kit is sharp, her nose twisting, obviously having picked something up...

Ivorykit's nose scrunches. She parts her jaws, concentrating... I can taste it. There's something like fresh meat, overladen with woodscent, with forest musk, with... with... leaves... no, no, that's too obvious, isn't it? She blinks, frustrated with herself. Where had the trail gone? She finds herself ambling about in circles, no closer to finding the prize than her partner had been.

"I thought I did, but I lost it," Ivorykit explains to Lightningkit. Kittypet, a voice jeers in her head, and Ivorykit's flesh colors pink under her pale fur.

  • ooc: rolled a 6!
  • Adora . Ivorykit, she/her w/ feminine terms.
    — “speech”, thoughts, attack
    — 5 moons old, ages realistically on the 16th.
    — mentored by n/a ; mentoring n/a ; previously mentored n/a.
    — thunderclan kit. npc x npc, gen 1.
    — penned by Marquette.

    lh white she-cat with curled ears and brown eyes. compassionate, righteous, naive, idealistic, self-doubting, self-destructive.

[/i]
 
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she is never far from her mother. when night dark limbs move so does her mismatched gaze, pulling away from where she gnawed absently at a large rock ; teethmarks scour it’s pale surface by the time wide paws release it and sheathe thornlike claws, rolling onto her elbows to lope the few tail-lengths it took to approach the queen’s heel, blinking up at her with ears angled forward. a game. a hunting game, like dad had taught her. her tail gives a single, mighty lash, confidence sparking in the width of her chest before nightbird adds on a small detail — partners. her heart drops, triggering a slit - eyed aggravation that inclines tall ears.. she wasn't good at finding partners. she sits, and waits ( if she waits long enough, perhaps nightbird would take pity on her and do it herself.. )

her head is low, the black ruff of her neck jutting wildly in patches of dark striped fur that only heightens when something collides against the bulk of her shoulder. her broad stance is enough to keep her upright, though her head does swivel on its axis with a harsh snap of teeth honeykits way — she can tell it is honeykit by their scent, the flash of golden fur that turns her belly and lifts the curve of sharply - whiskered maw into a snarl that is nowhere near as fierce as it looked. their meadow green eyes pin her, and despite her low growl, she finds a pit in her chest where the potential for them to have to compliment her pulls above her want to batter their ears.

lightningkit appears from behind, all prim and postured and sniffing her nose high as she shoulders her partner aside — bayingkit glows a little inside, despite it being her sister that does it ( it won’t make her like her, it wont. ), ” in the way. as usual. she nags scathingly instead, with a pointed up - down glance to the kit’s paws back to stupid green eyes ( dumb, dumb, stupid honeykit ). despite lashing tail, the tabby turns with her head dipping towards the ground, ” follow. 'n dnn.. dont get stepped on. “ the loser that hangs onto the end of her sentence is left unsaid but there still in the huff she lets out, sending dirt scattering away from her sniffing muzzle.

she is so caught up in the what ifs of honeykit gasping when she finds the hidden prey, disbelief and inferiority glowing on their face, telling bayingkit they cant believe she found it, or whatever.. that she forgets camp is a big place. she sniffs and all she can scent are clanmates, and old droplets of blood from warriors carrying off their catches. she leads them in a snuffling circle, lifting her head to stare into the grass near ravine walls before popping back down to smell the earth. eventually, her ears begin to grow hot ; she isn't finding anything, and stupid honeykit's stupid green eyes bore into her harder with each heartbeat, each twitch of impatient whisker. eventually, she is no longer banking on the possibility of astonished praise.

annoyance boils, and boils, and boils until finally, the tabby molly whirls towards them with a snarled, ” why are you -- looking at me like that? youre mmmnn.. mmessing me up!

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  • i. rolled a 2. girlfail :c

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  • ” speech “
  • BAYINGKIT——————— SHE / HER, KITTEN OF THUNDERCLAN. NIGHTBIRD xx RACCOONSTRIPE, SISTER TO TWILIGHTKIT, TIGERKIT, STORMKIT & LIGHTNINGKIT. 3 MOONS OLD, SMELLS LIKE DISRUPTED SOIL & WET FUR. PENNED BY ANTLERS.
    a large, unsightly black tabby kitten.
    83627614_Q3xYXBfeLOcwHhP.png
    mongrelish, standing all thistlethorn fur and bared teeth, bayingkit would be thought roguesblood if not for the dogtooth crown she uncomfortably bears. a hereditary haunting lies in the shag of ornate black striping and long limbs that do not yet suit her wide, slouching shoulders ; her fathers daughter, laced in dredge and filth moreso than he’d ever been. a constant, incessant need to make herself small forms in hunched spine and weary, whale - eyed suspicion, communicating mostly in rumbling growls.. bayingkit tends to hold herself with a tuck tailed and trembling livewire of feral volatility.
    teething, easily frustrated with her lack of vocal skill and highly reactive. prone to biting, swatting and general moodiness it is highly encouraged to correct. powerplay is allowed for disciplinary swipes, scruffing and general redirection.


 
Like any obedient future lead warrior, Scarletkit rounds on her heels at the soonest call of Nightbird. Her excitement is palpable as she listens to the queen's instructions, but it is dampened quickly when she hears it. Partner. Her initial enthusiasm is no more, her focus now on the prospect of working with another, the pressure of finding the hidden prey with them. She hesitates for a moment, feeling a knot of nervousness in her stomach. Normally, she would run to Ivorykit for this mission, but...they're no longer friends. Miserably, she casts a side-glance to where she sees her white pelt, partnered with Lightningkit. But then, she remembers she's not supposed to like the other. She's a kittypet. She forcibly narrows her eyes and turns her back on her, glancing around rapidly for a different partner.

She pricks her ears as her sister approaches and confidently declares them partners. "Yeah. Yeah, okay," She agrees with a nod and tight smile. Mottledkit is good at this stuff. Surely they can win. She tries to shake off her doubts and focus on the task at hand, diligently following behind her sister with a deep breath. Dark brown nose twitches as she tries to catch any scents of the hidden prey, and as she does so she glances around at the other kits. They all seem to be struggling, some more than others. She starts to grow discouraged, worried they won't find any, either. But then, Mottledkit triumphantly returns with a piece of prey and Scarletkit's heart skips a beat! "Great job, Mottledkit!" She trills admiringly, bumping her shoulder against her. "Let's keep looking! I'm sure we can find more!" With a renewed sense of confidence, the brown and orange she-cat continues her search.

Her heart races with excitement as she picks up a familiar scent on the breeze. Mouse! Her nose leads her to a small, hidden spot near the camp's edge where she discovers a piece of fresh-kill tucked away under a bush. Blue and orange eyes widen in triumph as she carefully grasps the prize in her jaws, feeling a surge of pride. The tortoiseshell bounds back to the nursery where Nightbird waits, her steps light and her earlier doubts momentarily forgotten. "I found one, too!" She calls too-loudly, dropping the prey right in front of the lead warrior. Her find now placed next to Mottledkit's, she steps back with her tail flicking with satisfaction. Her eyes shine with pride at the chance to prove herself capable - she is clan-born, and she belongs here.

// rolled a 10!!!
 
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[ rolled a 3 : pensive : partnered w coltkit :3c ]

Twilightkit sits obediently before his mother. The prospect of a game is... interesting, to say the least. As a child, he will always be down for some sort of entertainment. But to be a child of his pedigree, he can see through his mother's short and curt words. Cooperation and expectation. He is among the youngest that've gathered, but that doesn't mean he is the weakest. Maybe he can grab Stormkit, who's nose is too-powerful...

A too-many-toed paw taps his side and citrine eyes glare incredulously at Coltkit for a moment before dimming. He could just say no, but the tom moves on before he has the chance to. The silver tabby looks first to his mother, then the other kits to see if he has any out from this pairing. Mottledkit and Scarletkit already find prey in the time that he's idle, which ticks him off. And, of course, his partner can't even catch a scent -

Twilightkit takes in a deep breath, trotting briskly to catch up with Coltkit and bear his shoulder to the other. If they're going to work together, then the monochrome kitten will have to deal with being used as a rest post every now and again. "Together, Coltkit," Twilightkit states again. There's one more prey piece out there, by simple math, so maybe they can be the pairing that gets it?

He lifts his nose to scent the air, but the sisters' catch confuse him. He frowns more deeply before pointing his muzzle in some odd direction. "Let's try over there," he says, waiting for Coltkit's approval.​
 

LIGHTNINGKIT . of . THUNDERCLAN
2 moons old (born 07.08.24) / lh silver tabby with green eyes / feminine pronouns
raccoonstripe xx nightbird / little sister to bayingkit, twilightkit, tigerkit, & stormkit
She's excited when her willing partner seems to pick up a scent. Maybe Lightningkit won't have to do the rest of the work, and she can bring back prey to see her mother smile without needing to tire herself out— except Ivorykit's pace falters. She starts going in circles, and Lightningkit huffs, pouting. What if everyone else finds the last pieces before they do? Will her mom be upset? She wouldn't have to worry about that at all if she hadn't decided to join in the game (never mind that participation hadn't seemed voluntary).

She drags in a deep breath to fuel her frustrated exhales when, suddenly, there it is again. Lightningkit's posture perks up, her ears pricked. "I smell it again!" She whispers urgently to Ivorykit, completely oblivious to her shame as she marches off on squat legs. This is it! This is when she finds the prey, before Bayingkit and Twilightkit! She can just imagine the looks on their faces when she wins first.

But she doesn't. The scent that seemed so obvious before is gone, and she sniffs uselessly before sighing. She kicks a small pebble. "You're older than me! Your nose is probably...bigger. Smellier. Don't you smell anything?" Lightningkit turns to her partner with expectant and big, big eyes.

/rolled a 7!
 
Scarletkit's voice rings throughout the clearing. "I found one, too!" The mottled she-cat cheers, and Ivorykit swings her face around, her eyes round with pain she cannot conceal. Her gaze hangs on her former friend for a moment before she manages to tear herself away. Lightningkit begins the hunt again, insisting she can scent something... and insisting that Ivorykit, because of her age, should be able to find that same scent. The white she-cat sighs and tastes the air again, her brow scrunching.

There's... there's nothing. Nothing but the overwhelming scents of her Clanmates, the musk of leaf litter strewn about their camp, the reek of blood that she fears she'll never grow used to, not even after moons of living in the wild...

"I'm sorry, Lightningkit. I can't find anything," she murmurs, and again, that word sears her brain. Kittypet! She scuffles her paws, shame beginning to burn under her fur.

  • ooc:
  • Adora . Ivorykit, she/her w/ feminine terms.
    — “speech”, thoughts, attack
    — 6 moons old, ages realistically on the 16th.
    — mentored by n/a ; mentoring n/a ; previously mentored n/a.
    — thunderclan kit. npc x npc, gen 1.
    — penned by Marquette.

    lh white she-cat with curled ears and brown eyes. compassionate, righteous, naive, idealistic, self-doubting, self-destructive.

 
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ she watches as they all scramble in the name of competition, quickly calling out partners before getting to work. and all with no quarrels, well.. minor quarrels. she sends a sideways glance to honeykit, eyes narrowed with the nicknamed bestowed upon her daughter. lightningkit's support brings a small prideful grin to her lips and she quells the tension along her jaw with a flick of an ear.

nightbird watches them all, but keeps her eyes more closely upon her children. bayingkit and twilightkit fall short in their attempts, surprisingly it is the dreamy eyed lightningkit who draws close to prey twice. the queen is so focused, she nearly misses the paws approaching. mottledkit appears at her side, quickly too. nightbird's ears prick as her gaze roves over the prey found, she gives a nod of approval. "good job, mott-" she is cut off by a shout, another of lightstrike's children with prey settled between her teeth.

contentment she feels for the success by the kittens of her first apprentice is overshadowed by a picture of the cocky grin she knew would be on his face if he were to see this moment. inwardly, she begs starclan for one of her own to find the last piece. "one piece is left," she announces to the others, loud enough they could hear from whichever crevice they had poked their noses into. she turns to the two kits nearby. "good work you two. feel free to search for the last piece, if you think you can find it." she hums with a wry grin, tilting her muzzle back out to camp.
  • ooc ↛
  • NIGHTBIRD she/her, lead warrior of thunderclan, 35 ☾'s
    a small black smoke molly with a white paw and pale silver eyes. currently a queen residing in the nursery.
    mate to raccoonstripe / / currently mentoring none.
    peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking ↛ see battle info here
    penned by vayle@vayl3 on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
 
〕Honeykit huffs irritatedly as Lightningkit so rudely bumbs into them. It must be on purpose ( they won't accept it as a mere accident ). Their eyes narrow, glaring daggers at Bayingkit's littermate. "An' I thought only Stormkit couldn't see. Maybe you should've your eyes checked." The golden-furred kitten mutters, loud enough for the she-kit to hear - but hopefully not so much Nightbird catches their words.

As the brown tabby begins sniffing around Honeykit lets her be, focusing on trying to find one of the three. . . Mottledkit's voice rings out that she'd found one. . . two pieces - Scarletkit has found one, too. The last piece of hidden prey. They're older, 'course they're gonna find it!!! They yell in their head, clearly annoyed at how the sisters had both found the prey back-to-back.

They turn back to Bayingkit, green eyes staring and hopeful that maybe she would be the one to find the last one. She doesn't ( a sigh escapes them ) and turns to snarl at Honeykit, like they were at fault for her own incompetence! "Don't blame me cause you can't find anythin'!!" They hiss back, fur bristling and tail lashing. Stupid Bayingkit!!! The tabby turns away angrily, sniffing around elsewhere only to find nothing.
u9a4dSL.png

  • ooc. Rolled a 1!!!!! fail
  • HONEYKIT —— kit of thunderclan , mentoring/mentored by name . parent x parent . littermate to character, character ✦ penned by nocthymia
    they/them / 3 moons & ages every 7ᵗʰ
    single / too young
    peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline & tag account when attacking
    —— combat details here / battle notes

    "speech", 'thoughts', all opinions are in character
    biography — msg on discord for plots — toyhouse
  • reference image here
    a longhaired red tabby with low white, vitiligo and dichroic eyes.