private quiet when i’m coming home // edmund

[butterflytuft]

The first rays of sunlight filter through the nursery walls, painting soft streaks of gold across Butterflytuft's fur as she stirs awake. A chorus of soft snores and the occasional sleepy murmur fills the den, but her moment of peace is fleeting. The kits begin to wake as well - first a sleepy yawn from Budkit, then a curious chirp from Lambkit. Before long, Ramkit's insistence and Lambkit's boundless energy stir the rest of the den into motion.

The queen sighs fondly, rising to her paws. Herding kits in the morning is a task all its own, but she doesn't mind. "Come on, little ones," She says gently, her voice warm with patience. "Time to stretch your legs." She nudges Budkit and the other older kits toward the den entrance one by one, reminding her daughter to smooth her fur. She plants herself squarely in the entrance to prevent her young foster kits from leaving - it's warm inside, so that's where they'll play. She spends a moment coaxing Lambkit away from tussling with a scrap of moss for the third time since yesterday morning before turning her attention back outside. By the time all of the older kittens are tumbling into the clearing, Butterflytuft is grateful for the crisp leaf-bare air. It clears the sleepiness from her mind, but it also reminds her of the emptiness in her belly. A faint pang of hunger makes her sigh - she'll have to eat soon, but only after the kits are settled again.

It's then that she notices him. Edmund stands a few fox-lengths away, his frame still as he watches the kits with quiet curiosity. His pawsteps are so light she hadn't even heard their approach, but she supposes it shouldn't be surprising given his smaller size. Her gaze drops to the sleek crow dangling from his jaws. Butterflytuft tilts her head slightly, blinking in surprise as he pads closer. "Good morning, Edmund," She greets softly with a delighted smile. Her tail curls loosely around her paws as she sits. "That's a fine catch. Did you hunt it yourself?" It would be wonderfully impressive if so, with him being so new and all! She hesitates, a small flicker of uncertainty crossing her features. Surely, the crow isn't meant for her?

// @EDMUND !!
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[EDMUNDSONG]

He was getting to grips with how all of this worked, he was pretty sure- the warrior stuff, anyways. Daily duties, walking out here with Wolf Eater or whatever she was today- it was nice to have that sort of routine. Was a little bit like the rituals his twoleg partook in before taking out those little picture, flames dancing upon their wicks. Yeah, his own little cycle ... instead of just wandering around, hoping a purpose would fall at his feet.

There was one job he didn't quite get, though. And they'd tried their best, but ... no-one had really explained, and it seemed a bit rude to ask anyone but the cat whom he was wondering about. Someone they would call a friend, among the few that they'd managed to make here. it felt... felt awkward just to walk up to her, though... didn't it? Blood spread across his tongue enough to wrinkle his face up a bit ... he was glad to be rid of the coppery taste as he placed it at Butterflytuft's paws. "Er, yeah. I'm alright at that... stealth business, turns out," and they gave her a grin, eyes crescenting.

His gaze wandered between their kits, the clamour of their games. Clambering over each other, and Butterflytuft looked over them all like they were her own, even though by now Edmund knew that they weren't. Only Budkit ... who, they had to admit, their eyes stayed firm upon a little longer than the rest. They couldn't believe how big she was, how real she looked, while he still clearly remembered the blood that clung to her pelt and the fear that had haloed from Butterflytuft's. "You're... good with kits. Er- better than good. Is, um, that why Orangestar... gets you to babysit her lot so often?" So often in fact that... at first glance they'd thought Butterflytuft had adopted them. He s'posed Orangestar was a busy lady, though, wasn't she?​

penned by pin ❤​

 

[butterflytuft]

Butterflytuft watches as Edmund sets the crow at her paws, her whiskers twitching with faint surprise. She dips her head gratefully then, her smile widening at his admission. "It's wonderful. SkyClan will make a fine warrior out of you yet," She teases gently before her tone becomes more genuine. "Thank you, Edmund." She nudges the crow closer with her paw, but for now, she leaves it untouched, focusing instead on the tom before her. "Would you…like to share?" She then asks with a slight tilt of her fluffy head. She doesn't want to be rude and eat in front of him, and who knows if he's been able to get a meal today in this harsh leaf-bare?

Her ears angle toward the kits as they tumble about behind her, but her attention remains mostly on Edmund. At his question, a soft chuckle escapes her. "I suppose you could say that," She answers thoughtfully. "I've always had a way with kits. I don't mind caring for them, whether they're my own or not. Orangestar knows I'll look after her little ones like they're my own, and…well, it lets her focus on what she needs to do for the clan." Her gaze briefly flicks toward the leader who stands in the center of camp, hearing back from a patrol leader.

The tortoiseshell's ears twitch, a hint of shyness creeping into her posture as she tucks her paws neatly beneath her. She'd talked a lot, hadn't she? Her tail curls lightly around herself as she glances back to Edmund. "I…I hope you're settling in well," She mews softly. Whiskers twitching, she glances down uncertainly, wondering if she's being too intrusive. But she really does care if they're happy here. It was her idea to invite him, after all. And oh, she'd just feel so awful if it wasn't all they thought it would be! "I mean, with SkyClan. It isn't easy, joining a group like this." She would know. "How…how have you been finding it so far?" Her eyes dart back up to him, warm but cautious, bracing herself for the possibility that he might answer negatively. Her tail-tip flicks nervously against the ground, but she holds her gaze steady, genuinely curious about how he feels in the place she calls home.
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[EDMUNDSONG]

He wasn't used to grinning, really, but Edmund beamed the very most that he could with a closed mouth at her praise. Wow, wasn't it nice? Someone who had been in this forest all this time, while he'd been huddled up in the warmth with perfume threading through his nostrils, giving them a compliment. Asked them to share, even. Edmund took a hesitant breath before he spoke, unsure if he should take the offer simply because it was given. But, well- "Erm- no, thanks... all for you," he assured her. Felt rude, didn't it? He hurried to correct himself. "I, er, don't really like the taste, to be honest." A sheepish glance was given to their paws.

Edmund watched her carefully as she explained- that she felt such a connection to kits, that he had first found her huddled protectively over one, he did not find any resistance within himself toward. Butterflytuft was easy to trust, though. Kindness existed in everyone, of course, but he liked that it shone from Butterflytuft very plainly.

He nodded in understanding, feeling something admirable about SkyClan in that someone like Butterflytuft could pursue what she liked, what she was good at, and somehow help the leader out too in the process. "It all just works together here, doesn't it? Like a constellation."

Nervousness still flitted a little bit between them; reserved and quiet, the two of them. Edmund's tail flicked thoughtfully, a graceful, feathery swish... a short purr stuttered from his throat. It was nice, being asked. "I- I always wanted company, you know. Only just... got let out the house, so... I worried it'd all be a bit much." Mismatched eyes drifted from Butterflytuft's face a little as he told the story, looking into past moons of lonesomeness. "But it's not. Or at least, not... as much as I thought. I'm finding things out about myself I'd never have known, otherwise... like, I never knew I could catch owt. And everyone's so nice, in their own ways..." Oh, he'd gotten a bit carried away, maybe. "It's just... nice, to feel like I'm actually doing something." ​

penned by pin ❤​

 

[butterflytuft]

Butterflytuft's ears twitch with faint amusement at their sheepish admission, and her smile softens further. "All for me?" She echoes warmly, her voice light with gratitude. "Well, thank you. I'll make sure it doesn't go to waste." She dips her head, her tail curling slightly tighter around her paws. "Though...if you'd like something else, I'm sure the fresh-kill pile has a mouse or two left. It's not much, but it's better than going hungry." She doesn't quite understand what he means. The concept of only preferring twoleg kibble is a thought that doesn't cross her mind at all. It's been many seasons since she's eaten it herself, the taste long-gone from her tongue.

At his metaphor, she tilts her head and twitches her whiskers. What a strange word. Is it from twolegs? "What is a…constellation?" She asks softly, intrigue shining within sunflower eyes.

And oh, he is quite the gentle one, isn't he? The queen watches him carefully as their gaze drifts and their words slow. There's a vulnerability there that tugs daintily at her heart. She knows what it's like to feel uncertain, to step into something entirely new and hope desperately that you will be enough. Her expression softens further as they continue, a quiet purr rumbling in her throat at his reflection. "I think it's brave," She mews softly, her tone carrying no trace of insincerity. "To leave what you've known and try something new. And...I'm glad you did, Edmund. SkyClan is better with you here." She glances over her shoulder briefly, her eyes resting on Budkit as she tussles playfully with a denmate. Her voice lowers slightly, as if wanting to share this intimate moment with a newfound friend. "I know Budkit and I wouldn't have made it to camp safely without you, all those moons ago."

She hesitates, almost shy to have said so much. Ducking her head sheepishly, she peers back up at him through dark lashes with a small smile of her own. "If you ever feel like it's too much, though...you can always come find me. Sometimes...it helps, knowing there's someone who understands."
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