one, two, buckle my shoe | talking about kits

[Howlfire]

It felt that as of late there wasn't much to celebrate in Yellowcough was till running rampant, prey was scarce, and rogues had been spotted in the territory numerous times. Howlfire noted that the latter two were probably connected.

With so much going on, it was hard to feel excited at times about the impending arrival of her kits. Howlfire feared for the world they might be born in. What would happen if yellowcough persisted? What if the cats on the journey to the mountains did not return? What if the rogues continued to be a threat? It would not be an easy time but Howlfire would do everything she could to keep these kits safe and ensure their lives were as good as they could be.

That day Howlfire currently found herself seated near to some of her clanmates, enjoying a few rays of sunlight whilst she could. It would only be a matter of time before the nights drew in quicker, so Howlfire was determined to enjoy it still whilst she could.

She flicks an ear when a clanmates speaks to her, asking how she's feeling. "Good. A little tired but good all things considered," Howlfire responded with a soft voice. She let her answer sink in before considering something for a moment. There wasn't much to talk about currently and the conversation seemed to be lulling - it seemed no one really wanted think too hard about the trials facing the clan currently.

"Here's a little question for you all," Howlfire said, looking around at the cats gathered around her in turn. "How many kits do you think I will have?" Howlfire had been determined not to let Dawnglare or Fireflypaw tell her how many she would have, wanting it to be a surprise for herself and Coyotecrest. She had her own ideas for how many she might have, sometimes swayed by how tired and round she was feeling, but was generally hopeful for a smallish litter of maybe two or three kits. Howlfire had been the youngest of five and it was something of a marvel how Little Wolf and Blazestar had coped so well what with the little family frequently travelling between clans before the warrior code was established.​

 

[Johnnyflame]

HE SAID, "WELL MY NAME'S JOHNNY, AND IT MIGHT BE A SIN
BUT I'LL TAKE YOUR BET, AND YOU'RE GONNA REGRET, CUZ IM THE BEST THERE'S EVER BEEN."​

---

It wasn't too often that Johnnyflame took the time to just relax, especially as of late, when the need for food and constant protection was so high with the clan. Even now, laying in the sun among the other warriors and a few queens, he felt a tad bit guilty for just stopping to catch some rays. Blazestar was ill, rogues were crossing their borders on the daily, and yet for all his good intent, Johnny was still mortal, just one little spunky bobtail cat- and he needed a breather every now and then just like anyone else.

"I'll bet yer at least havin' four of the little buggers." Johnny chuckled fondly.

He would be a liar if he said he wasn't looking forward to having another litter of kits to romp around with once they were old enough, remembering well the many memories he'd made with Orangeblossoms litter and the many kits who'd entered the nursery after the shelter raid.

"Have you and Coyotecrest thought of any names yet?" he asked, sunny gaze shifting to land on the shecat with curiosity.

---

​

 

[Drizzlepelt]

Drizzlepelt has also been trying his best to keep an upbeat attitude, at least as well as he can. These really are trying times, but it’s nothing new for him. He didn’t exactly have the best survival skills before joining the clan, and he was used to having to live off of a minuscule amount of food. It’s not ideal to be sure, but he’s willing to sacrifice a meal to ensure that the others can eat.

Howlfire having kits while all this chaos happens around them is both a blessing and a curse. He can only hope that things get better, but he cannot predict the future. But StarClan sent the message that they did for a reason, so he can only pray that they will be safe, and that nothing bad will come to both the mother and her kits. They might come into a harsh world, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth living in.

But speaking of kits, said queen asks him as well as the other cats chilling around her how many that they think she’s carrying. It’s never easy to assume just how many will be in a litter, as the number can vary quite a bit. Even with how big she seems, Howlfire could still end up having only two, maybe even one. “My guess is four as well.” Drizzlepelt tries to keep his answer neutral, but he could see it going either way. He’s also not great at guessing…​

 

[Coyotecrest]

The threat of rogues toeing around the border and prey being hard to come by has the cream tom's nerves in a bunch. He wears his irritation like a thin veil as he comes back to camp empty handed. Food was his number one priority. With Howlfire growing rounder by the day he needed to catch every morsel he could get his claws on. "I'll slip out a little later and try again..." He thinks to himself as frosted green eyes catch a small group huddled around the newly made queen. Despite how frustrating the clans situation might have been, the sight of Howlfire was enough to pull a small smile upon his lips. With a blink of curiosity, his ears swivel upon picking up the gist of their conversation. A guessing game?

Leaning down to touch his nose to the molly's cheek, Coyotecrest's smile nearly doubles in size. "Six or seven I hope." He rumbles gleefully, the length of his tail coming to rest over his paws as he sits. He adored the thought of a large family. His own birth family had been so small that there were times he wished he had more siblings to play with. "What do you think, Howlfire?" He asked with a slight tilt of his head. ​

̶̶̶̶  «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ «̶ ̶̶̶   skyclan warrior / thirteen moons old / he/him  ̶ ̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ »̶ ̶̶̶  ​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

“Stars, you don’t know what you’re asking for!” Blazestar pads quietly to the small crowd gathering around his daughter. He gives his former apprentice an amused look through narrow blue eyes. “Every kit is a blessing, but when I tell you what a pawful my five were…” He looks in Howlfire’s direction lovingly. “They were always getting into trouble! Trouble with porcupines, hawks, their Clanmates…”

He trails off, noting the roundness of his daughter’s belly, the exhaustion pooling under her hazel eyes. His smile fades slightly, worry drawing his features down, but he does not want to spoil the mood. He sits beside Coyotecrest, Drizzlepelt, and Johnnyflame, tone kept light. “My guess, for your sake, is two.” His purr rumbles and catches in his throat. Two, like Duskpaw and Skypaw.

ooc ✧ 𝒷𝑒𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓌𝓃, 𝒾𝓉'𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷𝓇𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉

•  

• 

• 

  — blaise . blazestar
  — he/him ; leader of skyclan
  — pansexual ; divorced ; single
  — longhaired flame point Ragdoll with blue eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Mercibun

​

 

[Howlfire]

Howlfire listens intently as the cats gathered around her make their guesses. Johnnyflame and Drizzlepelt both seem to think four, which in all honesty is the number that Howlfire had in mind most days, despite her hope for something smaller. "Seven?" Howlfire gasps when Coyotecrest makes his suggestion. Six or seven would have been a lot. Howlfire had heard of some queens who had given birth to that many kits but she couldn't imagine having that many herself. Although, she can't help but feel a little nervous of that potential happening given that she was born in a litter of five.

She smiles fondly when her father looks at her as he warns Coyotecrest about how much of a handful that many kits would be. Howlfire knows he's speaking from experience with his own kits, and she smiles fondly. Regardless of how things had ended with her and her littermates, she still looks back on those youthful memories fondly. "I think two or three would be ideal for me," Howlfire says after a moment, agreeing with her father about how he hoped for her sake she would two. "Though sometimes I feel as though it will be something closer to seven with how big I'm getting!"​