camp SLIPPING THROUGH MY FINGERS ᨒ storytime

[GENTLESTORM]

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ "No... no, Bigkit don't bite on that!" Gentlestorm mumbles to the kitten only to notice all the other ones that seem to scramble atop him like a jungle gym and it brings a sense of joy or warmth to his heart, where Braveheart had left an empty space in his heart does he find it easy to fill it with the attention of his kittens as well as Doepath's and Sunshinespot's single kitten, Sneezekit. Even if it still hurts and feels like a fresh wound that's beginning to heal, he couldn't imagine himself turning away the lively offspring of his nephew and his mate, his tattered ears angle forward watching as Raggedkit tries to walk away from the havoc and Patiencekit seems to puff her fur in every direction of Sneezekit as the two of them try to size each other up "Settle down... let's all settle down... what if..." The silver giant rumbles as he pauses trying to think of how to soothe the unruly kittens from getting any more crazy, "What if I tell you a story? Yes, you'll need to remember it well especially if I ask you to tell it to me in return, alright? In the future, of course." His smile is warm and barely visible underneath that scruffy mustache of his only to allow his massive paws to shift so that his limbs are in a more comfortable position and parted enough so if some of the kittens wished to draw closer to him.

He can't help the rough chuckle that slips from his jaws seeing the way that their large owl-like eyes peer at him awaiting for the promised story and the healer begins to think quietly of what story he could tell them, his whiskers twitch remembering the last time that he had told one and his smile brightens despite how his eyes seemed a hint exhausted. "I know just the one to tell the lot of you," The grizzly tom mumbles only to use a snowy dipped paw to cause a small border between Patiencekit and Sneezekit as he caught on the soft growls that left their throats "This one... involves a group of cats helping one another. Although, it isn't just from Thunderclan but... the others as well. Shadowclan, Skyclan, Windclan, and Riverclan." With a claw, it streaks against the soil as he carves out the symbols for of the clans and pauses for a long moment to allow them to digest what he's said so far.

"Our first obstacle placed ahead of us by Starclan was the Thunderpath, a pitch black streak that divides our territory with Shadowclan and smells as putrid as a skunk... and the creatures that run along it, monsters, is what we needed to be careful of." Gentlestorm can still remember when Lightstrike back then as an apprentice had bolted across the asphalt river without much of a thought, how everyone had held their breath wondering if the apprentice had made it, and when they saw that he had succeeded it had been Nightbird that followed soon after to cuff his ears over. It causes another rumble to leave him as he speaks knowing that perhaps, the fresh warriors would like to hear about the young shenanigans that their father had gotten into "One of our apprentices had bolted forth, Lightpaw or rather Lightstrike, and nearly gave us all a heart attack. Nightbird had been quick to cuff his ears and soon, the rest of us had followed along making sure to be wary of the monsters that roared by."

He plucks one of the leaves from his pelt only to toss it up as far as he could and allowed it to flutter downwards "Along our trip, we ran into many things... A twoleg trap meant to catch cats and... a large tree. One that towers the very ones in our forest," Gentlestorm recalls the last time that he had been telling the story and how he had made the mistake of falling asleep, he can still remember Dovepaw tearing the fur off of his tail and it thumps against the ground lightly before continuing "We didn't like each other... the group of cats from every clan were constantly at one another's throats... Fish-breath! Mousebrain! Crowfood eater! Kittypet! Moor-rat!" His snout wrinkles into a pseudo snarl as he spits out the insults that he had heard throughout the trip, "It wasn't until... we reached the river that we began to realize that we needed one another."

/ mostly storytelling to the kittens but everyone's free to come and listen :]

ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ᨒ↟↟ᨒ

GENTLESTORMㅤBIOGRAPHYㅤ/ㅤTOYHOU.SE
✦ㅤagab male (he/it)ㅤ/ㅤbisexual demiromantic, widowed by little wolf
✦ㅤ63 moons oldㅤ/ㅤages realistically, every 27th of the month
✦ㅤmedicine cat of thunderclan for 12 moons
✦ㅤfalling snow x raging stormㅤ/ㅤuncle to hopepaw, coalpaw, cardinalpaw, & braveheart
✦ㅤmentoring hopepawㅤ/ㅤmentored by berryheart
✦ㅤpenned by BossTaurusㅤ/ㅤmessage bosstaurus on discord for plots!
✦ "speech", thoughts, & attacking ; uses brute strength, strategizes before every fight, will tear/maim an enemy, and will end fights
a large, longhaired, and scruffy blue sepia tom littered with several scars, tattered ears, blinded in an eye, and has a pair of earthy toned eyes w/low white

 

[HOWLKIT]

Howlpaw listens, or at least pretends to, its ears flicking at Gentlestorm's words as if brushing off a fly. A story about unity? A grand adventure where cats from all Clans learned to set aside their differences and work together? Predictable. Nostalgic, sure, but only in that honey-coated way older cats always seem to drape over the past, polishing it up so the cracks don't show. Howlpaw's tail lashes once against the ground before curling neatly over its paws. The kittens, of course, drink in every word with wide, eager eyes, their tiny mouths slightly open, fully convinced that the world works the way Gentlestorm claims. That cooperation wins. That a group of squabbling cats, spitting insults one moment, could suddenly decide they needed each other the next. Howlpaw snorts quietly at the thought. Maybe that's how the elders tell it, but reality? Reality isn't so neat.

"Let me guess," Howlpaw drawls, voice edged with something just shy of amusement but not quite reaching disbelief, "the river was too strong for any one cat to cross alone, so suddenly all the 'fish-breaths' and 'mousebrains' had to work together? StarClan had a grand plan all along, and in the end, they learned a valuable lesson about teamwork." It tilts its head, the corners of its mouth twitching downward. "Touching." It doesn't mean to sound outright hostile—though, honestly, who could blame it? These stories, the way they always turn out the same, with some grand realization that all Clans should just get along, feel so forced. Like the kind of thing warriors tell themselves when they want to believe they're better than the fights they get into, better than the grudges they hold. As if the moment some big, dramatic problem rolls in, every ounce of spite and bitterness will just wash away like dirt in the rain. Howlpaw knows better.

It shifts its weight, claws kneading idly into the ground. "So what happened after? They all went back to their Clans, tails high, heads full of wisdom? And then what? Did ShadowClan warriors suddenly stop sneaking across the border? Did WindClan stop turning their noses up at anyone who wasn't as fast as them?" It lets the question hang, its expression carefully neutral, but there's a challenge in its eyes. "Or did they just go back to how they were before, acting like none of it ever happened?" Because that's how it always goes. Howlpaw has seen it before—cats acting like they've changed, like they've learned something, only for their old instincts to drag them right back into the same patterns. Warriors who talk about unity when it's convenient but would claw another cat's ears off over a rabbit the very next sunrise.

It glances at the kits, at the way they huddle closer, staring up at Gentlestorm with admiration, hanging onto every word. Maybe they still believe it—maybe they should. They're soft enough to have that luxury. But Howlpaw? It isn't so easily convinced. If StarClan really wanted the Clans to work together, why pit them against each other in the first place? Why let them struggle and fight, only to dangle cooperation like some grand revelation? And if this story really was a lesson, then why did nothing ever change? Howlpaw exhales sharply and shrugs, as if the conversation no longer holds its interest. "Sounds nice and all," it murmurs, flicking an ear, "but I wouldn't bet on it happening again."​

 

[Honeypaw]

〔✦〕It is rare to see any of the older cats retelling stories. Gentlestorm picks one of the more well-known ones to share with Fallowb— Fallowheart's children, the journey. The golden maine-coon has some time to spare, so they decide to join and listen. . . as long as the kits kept away from them, there would be no problems.

They are quiet, tail curled around their body and resting atop their paws, when the grating mew of Howlpaw interrupts the medicine cat. Honeypaw rolls their eyes at everything said, even if they may share a few similar sentiments. "You're annoying." They bark out a snap, ears twitching in annoyance. "With cats like you around? Yeah. . . the Clans won't ever see peace." So save us the trouble and go back to the burrow you crawled out of. Howlpaw always seemed so indifferent towards Clan life, it was a miracle it hadn't vanished yet.

They turn to Gentlestorm, next, with a thoughtful whisk of their tail. "You had to swim?" They ask, grimacing. Sounds dreadful. . .

SAD HELLOS AND MAD HIGH LOWS ( now i know that nobody knows ) //

• ooc.
  
• HONEYPAW —— apprentice of thunderclan , mentored by nightbird . waspchaser x sorrelmist . littermate to none. ✦ penned by nocthymia
  ✦ they/them / 9 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.

​

 

[TWILIGHTPAW]

Twilightpaw believes himself above stories. Nightbird may share them every now and again, by means of lessons or fading memories of her past apprentices - but not exactly to entertain either of her apprentices. Perhaps once he had been enthralled by the adventure and intrigued by the danger, but now that he lives it... it's not too easy to find himself engrossed in any tall tale a warrior might conjure up. Even if the warrior is Gentlestorm, bruised and battered by life, and even if the story is of the great journey, where his mother ventured far and wide to save their Clans.

It's Honeypaw that draws him close. His friend (he supposes it's as good of a word as any) is interested, and given neither of them are naturally slackers, Twilightpaw gives in to the momentary reprieve of working to listen in. Yellow eyes narrow, dagger sharp at their edges, when Howlpaw approaches, its tongue lilting and lashing. Even he isn't harping on the validity of the story. The kits will grow and form their own opinions - he knows, his parents surely allowed him the space to do so - and so they don't need some brutish idiot telling them what's wrong about their... fun.

Honeypaw bites back, and Twilightpaw leans his shoulder into his friend's, the depth of his gaze never truly leaving Howlpaw. "Don't bother," the silver tabby murmurs beneath his breath, though not truly hiding the disdain and disgust in his tone. "Hounds will drool over any scrap of meat you toss them. Play their game, and they'll try making crowfood of you next." Howlpaw just wants attention. Twilightpaw, after speaking, pointedly looks away - taking away that exact want.

Honeypaw inquries of the river. Twilightpaw stays leaned against them, comfortable in their shared space.
​

 

[Bigkit]

♡・✦ʚ♡ɞ✦・♡ At the loud sound of Big-Storm's reprimand, their small teeth snap against each other rather than their clanmate's furred flesh, and they look up at the trespasser through their bushy fur strands. The warrior was too close, and Bigkit's owlish eyes were staring up at pointedly, pleading with them to back away from their space. Please! As much as they wanted to say something, no sound would come from their mouth, so the piercing gaze persisted.

Fortunately, the tiny chocolate kit is forcibly pulled from their own head by other little, soft bodies before they start to spiral. Their chest starts to vibrate with a contented purr as Big-Storm's story draws them in. His story's almost sound like make believe, and perhaps the best part was knowing that it actually happened for real.

With eyes full of wonder, Bigkit watches Big-Storm talk while drifting closer and curling up tightly with their tail about them. This time StarClan gives them a big, black, stinky snake to deal with; Lightlight runs, and monsters roar. The quiet kit giggles at the sillyish mean names the cats were saying to each other. The hatred within them was lost on the young kit.

Little-howl slashes his way through their amazement with sharp questions. Bigkit tilts their head back, with a small frown and furrowed brows. All he needed to do was wait for the medicine cat to finish before asking him weird questions. Little-honey does not appear to enjoy the interruption either, and Bigkit flinches at her scolding. They lower their head to the ground and look up at Big-Storm, disheartened. "Mmm more story, please?" Hopefully, he'll remember that he's at the river part.

ooc Information

• ooc: —

• Bigkit — she/he/they ･ 2 moon old ･ Thunderclan kit ･

  ☀︎ A large chocolate rosette lynx sepia with white along their back, half their tail and scattered along their face.​

 

[patiencekit]

Normally a passive and polite child, Patiencekit feels constantly at its wit's end when Sneezekit is nearby. Sometimes it's fine and able to ignore the rather callous white-and-mottled molly, and sometimes... she thinks she would rather go take a nap alone than listen to her wheezy tone. Her fur ruffles as Bigkit is pulled away from her teeth's intent, her eyes flaring as a paw is inserted directly between them. Gentlestorm attempts to assuage the chaos with a story, and ever the obedient, rule abiding child, Patiencekit flattens the ruffle of her pelt and attempts to listen.

All the while burrowing deeper beneath Sneezekit's skin. Patiencekit notes which side of Gentlestorm's forearm she is on, and in one swift trot, the small pointed molly tucks herself in the ruff of the medicine cat's armpit, dwelling in the warmth he exhudes. Yellow eyes flash at Sneezekit again, a momentary greed, all before she shifts to make space and silently bids for the other she-kit to recline next to her.

The story continues with names whirring by. The other Clans are recognizable by their suffixes, though they seem to go in one ear out the other. Tales of the thunderpath and unruly apprentices (that will never be her, it decides.) Gentlestorm pauses for a breath and other cats interject, bicker, bite - and Bigkit requests more. Patiencekit nods subtly, "What's a river? What's... a swim?" Clearly to understand the tale, the kits need to know the dire details.​

 

[raggedkit]

It was loud outside the nursery. He's not here because he wants to be. He's not sure where he wants to be, but this short-lived time outside his comfortable space is upsetting. It sets the tips of his hairs on fire and leaves him in a sour mood and nerves string-thin and fraying the longer he has to stand around. So when he sees Bigkit curling up he settles for shuffling over to them and draping himself across like a blanket. "Don' move," muffled by Bigkit's fur as he burrows his muzzle into it like a rabbit.

He's very nearly drifted off by the time Gentlestorm's deep lulling chatter comes to an end and is picked up by something else starting to yap. Half asleep blurred eyes lift from being stuffed into Bigkit's fur, lazily scanning over the three apprentices. He hears them calling someone annoying and he finds himself agreeing. The three of them are annoying. They should leave. "'Noying," comes the grumbled parroting. The word feels obvious to him, seems to make the most sense and so he applies it. They should leave.