camp STEP BY STEP [ ✦ ] intro

[Springshine]

"Go on, just make sure you and Pumpkinkit play nice" Came Roseblaze's voice from the entrance of the nursery as she urged her two kits out into the daylight. "Okay ma we will!" came Springkit's response as she in turn urged Pumpkinkit with her fluffy tail to follow her out into the mid-morning sun where the other kits were already tumbling about, playing games that, until now she had been told she was too young to join. Too young to play with the older kits and too old to play with the younger ones. Springkit had cried for days about how unfair it was and every single morning when she had woken up she had asked. "Is today the day?" Until finally her mother had said it was. Now, if she was honest, she wasn't even certain if she wanted to go play with the others. She casts a hopeful glance in her siblings direction but, like always, it gives her nothing. No information can be goaded from their lips. It doesn't matter, anyways, this is how it has always been between them. She speaks and Pumpkinkit at least looks like they are listening. But then honeyed eyes blink and no response passes from still jaws. But they at least seem to understand the tail signals she has been using, the way she can point with her paw or indicate with her head and this is how she gets things across to them. Not in words but with gestures. She had asked her mother about it once, but she could tell the question had troubled her. "Pumpkinkit is just slow to learn is all" she had said and they had not spoken on the matter since.

It is a long moment that Springkit remains where she stands just outside the nursery that, days before, she had been so excited to leave. Apprehension almost makes her turn around and go right back into the den, to curl about against her sibling and her mother and wait for their father to return from patrols so that she may pester him about all the things he had seen. But no, she was big now. She had to be brave. "Um excuse me" she says to the nearest kit "What are you guys playing and can we join you?" If they said no she is not sure if she could take it....

//any kit is free to be the one she is speaking to! Adults and apprentices can also post in this thread <3
@PUMPKINKIT sibling tag!!

​

 

[PUMPKINPAW]

―|―――――――――――――――――|⤙‹ (( ☽ )) ›⤚|―――――――――――――――――|―

Despite the new and strange faces that sometimes made their way in and out of the cozy den they called home, Pumpkinkit and Springkit weren't allowed outside. Wobbly steps growing confident meant it was bound to wander, to test out its newfound ability, but... neither of them were allowed out to the place where the light shone in.

Pumpkinkit had tried a few times. They wanted to go, to explore it for themself, but their attempts were oft thwarted by the presence of a dark paw pushing itself in front of them. Often it was coupled with an unhappy expression from their mother when they turned to look, one that left their tail drooping and smile falling away.

The other kits were often allowed outside. The mismatched kit watched with a sense of longing, of curiosity. What made them different? They were bigger than Pumpkinkit and Springkit. Was that it? How did the two of them get bigger? It was already bigger than Springkit. What if she was never allowed? Could their mom do that?

Today, something was different. Ever restless, it was pouncing upon Springkit, upon its mother's tail, upon anything that dared to move. Springkit and Roseblaze were doing that thing again, opening their mouths at each other. It didn't make much sense. Pumpkinkit had done it once, but an expectant expression when they had met its eyes soon turned to something more odd. Sometimes they opened their mouths back, and that made it happy enough.

It was watching with wide eyes that flicked back and forth between them. Springkit was excited, and that made Pumpkinkit excited too. It always made it happy when she was happy. With a wide grin it looked to her and this time, she looked back. Her eyes are full of hope, of worry, and for a moment its smile falters. Then she's turning, gesturing, and it's on its paws in an instant, tail high and following close...

...Only for them to head straight for the place where they weren't allowed. Alarm spikes through Pumpkinkit then, halting in its tracks and wide eyes turning owlishly up to their mother. Springkit dared, with her watching so closely? Head whipping back to its sibling, she crept ever closer, with no signs of stopping. Another look up at Roseblaze. She remained unmoving, watching, mouth still. Was she... letting her? Them?

Turning once again to the sunlight shining through the way out into the bigger world, there was only a moment's further hesitation before a smile overtook them and they bounded forward with a shrill giggle, right past Springkit and out into the open, further than they had ever gone before. They blinked once, twice, as their eyes adjusted to the change in light.

Pumpkinkit hopped excitedly on its paws, wide stare turning back to its sibling and an excited squeal quivering in its throat and making its flanks tense with the effort. Further and further it ran, yet never too far from Springkit, running circles in the trodden grass and pine. Hopping, dancing, taking in the sights.

She... wasn't following. Springkit remained firmly outside the nursery, expression uncertain, nervous. Now less sure than before but still with hope swirling in its chest, Pumpkinkit crept back. She was mouthing at another kit (were they big enough now? Was that why they were allowed out?) and that kit was mouthing back.

With a noisy purr now rumbling in their chest, the bigger sibling toddled forward to paw at her. Didn't she want to play? Roseblaze hadn't stopped them. Surely they could go see everything?

​

―|――――――――――――――|⤙‹ (( ☽ )).....

☾⤙‹ (( ooc -☽- info )) ›⤚☽

• // OOC​

• 

• ― (( pumpkinkit )) of skyclan, sibling to springkit ; npc x npc
  ↳ its/they/any pronouns, doesn't care about gendered terms
  ↳ AGAB undefined ; intersex ; gender unlabeled, it does not yet understand the concept
  ― currently 2 moons old, ages every 1st
  ― completely deaf. unlikely to understand anything said with words alone.
  ↳ this is not currently known, most just believe it to be quiet or slower to develop speech
  ― likely to respond to situations based on the expressions of others.
  
  a scruffy, shorthair chimera kitten that is a distinct and striking combination of glossy black fur and bold red stripes. it has bright, mismatched yellow and copper eyes. for its age, pumpkinkit is of average height. it smells of dry leaves and springkit.​

 

[Drizzlepelt]

Drizzlepelt has not made much of an attempt to visit the nursery so far in his clan life, finding it to be awkward. He had abandoned girlhood moons ago after all, and he’s not sure if he would be a welcomed presence or not. But it’s getting harder to resist the cuteness that is kittens!

He hadn’t thought much about having lots of his own until recently, seeing more cats around his age deciding to be a parent. To be the kind of father that he never got…it’s a welcoming thought to be sure. They’d be safe here in SkyClan too. Not like where he was raised.

Not that it matters much anyways; he doesn’t have a mate to call his own, and it’s not like a kitten would randomly come wobbling into his life for him to adopt. So for now, he just watches the tiny paws stumble out of the nursery as they learn to walk with adoration. His time would come.

As Springkit and Pumpkinkit shyly make their way out of the den, Drizzlepelt waves his tail in greeting, a bright smile adorning his face. “Welcome to the outside!” He cheers, purring softly. “Have fun playing with the others,” he says, not wanting to take up all the attention. He’s not exactly the most entertaining cat.​

 

[wolfpaw!]

Wolfkit has had a very busy day of scrapping with their siblings when Springkit and Pumpkinkit approach them. Pumpkinkit is loud, but it's not saying anything, so Springkit is the one Wolfkit turns to when she makes her inquiry. What were they playing? "We're playing super awesome LionClan warrior battle," Wolfkit answers, plumed tail flicking. These are kits she's seen in the nursery, but it slowly dawns on her that this is the first time she's seen them outside of it. New playmates? Wolfkit sniffs at them as if to discern how much fun she'd have with them, but it's sort of hard to tell. They just smell like milk and ferns, like she does.

She glances to @BLAZINGKIT and @Hawkkit as if asking for permission to invite these strange kittens into their game. Super awesome LionClan warrior battle is not for the faint of heart, after all, and she and her littermates were quite experienced warriors now, so it might be hard for new kittens to join in. But eventually Wolfkit looks back to the both of them with a grin. "You guys can play, but we aren't gonna go easy on you," they chirp, tail swaying in a small wag. "Being in LionClan is really tough work."

𝐈 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄 ☾ 𝐈 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃

• 

• 
  
  — wolfkit
  — she / they / he ; kit of skyclan
  — longhaired lilac torbie with piercing yellow eyes
  — "speech" ; thoughts
  — chibi & reference by me; signature by dreamydoggo
  — penned by meghan

​

 

[Springshine]

Pumpkinkit is running around her, purring and confused. She wants to tell it that she's okay, that she just needs a moment to take it all in but she knows if she tries to talk to them they won't understand her anyways. Sometimes it was frustrating, not being able to talk to the one cat she is supposed to be closer with than anyone and sometimes she reveled in the idea of creating a secret language that only the two of them knew. Pumpkinkit seemed to understand gestures, a bow to signify that she wanted to play, her paw used to indicate other cats or things. It was primitive but it was better than nothing. A tom that she does not recognize tells them to have fun, says welcome to the outside and she only nods in his direction, sends him a grateful but nervous smile. Her mother had told her to always be polite, after all.

The other kit is one she recognizes as Wolfkit. One of Howlfires kits. She is bigger than her, a little bit older, but Springkit is not afraid. Or at least she tries to pretend she is not. "I can be tough!" she says and then attempts to puff some of her fur up in an attempt to look bigger, scarier. "My ma told me about LionClan once, she said I look like I have one of their manes" she was not big or golden like the cats in the stories, but perhaps her faint resemblance to their distant ancestors would be enough to sway Wolfkit to let her into their game. "How do we play?" She could only play simple games with Pumpkinkit, and faintly at the back of her mind she does worry that they wouldn't understand, that they wouldn't play properly. But her excitement for the new game overtakes her worry.

​

 

[PUMPKINPAW]

―|―――――――――――――――――|⤙‹ (( ☽ )) ›⤚|―――――――――――――――――|―

Springkit doesn't immediately leap into play as she so often does at its query, and Pumpkinkit dropped onto its rump with a frown, staring intently at her expression as she looked about. Something wasn't quite right, and the feelings that were beginning to swirl in its belly were getting difficult to discern from each other. It didn't like it.

"Mmh," the patchwork kitten whined uncertainly as it looked from kit to kit. Its smile had fallen away now, round eyes flickering over its sister. Her fur was puffing up. Why? Fur along its own spine began to rise, tail growing in size and tapping upon the earth.

...Wolfkit was smiling, though. Wolfkit seemed nice. Springkit didn't smell like fear. Were they playing? Pumpkinkit and Springkit were usually tussling when they got puffy with excitement. They were excited to have a new playmate, so if they were going to play...

Ears straightening and crinkled expression smoothing, the chimera kit rose from its seated position, mismatched eyes fixed upon Wolfkit. Mounting excitement made its heart flutter as it hopped once, twice, back arching and tail lashing before it leaped for the older kit with paws outstretched.

​

―|――――――――――――――|⤙‹ (( ☽ )).....

☾⤙‹ (( ooc -☽- info )) ›⤚☽

• // OOC​

• 

• ― (( pumpkinkit )) of skyclan, sibling to springkit ; npc x npc
  ↳ its/they/any pronouns, doesn't care about gendered terms
  ↳ AGAB undefined ; intersex ; gender unlabeled, it does not yet understand the concept
  ― currently 2 moons old, ages every 1st
  ― completely deaf. unlikely to understand anything said with words alone.
  ↳ this is not currently known, most just believe it to be quiet or slower to develop speech
  ― likely to respond to situations based on the expressions of others.
  
  a scruffy, shorthair chimera kitten that is a distinct and striking combination of glossy black fur and bold red stripes. it has bright, mismatched yellow and copper eyes. for its age, pumpkinkit is of average height. it smells of dry leaves and springkit.​

 

[HAWKSPINE]

"We're gonna go on patrol! You and Pumpkinkit are gonna need super awesome warrior names, though, like ..." She squints at her younger denmate for a moment, considering. Even if Pumpkinkit was super quiet and liked ignoring everything its denmates said, that would make it a good hunter! It could be quiet, unlike the boisterous Hawkkit. She sends her siblings a glance. Choosing warrior names was hard! Maybe they should get Blazestar to do it. A warrior with a mane like a LionClanner, and a patched cat who would no doubt bring them lots of prey ...

"Springclaw! And- and Pumpkinbite!" Hawkkit decides eventually. She's quite pleased with the names she's assigned the two kits, her own spiky fur fluffing out around her shoulders proudly.

"I'm Hawk- woah!" Midway through announcing her own warrior name as Hawkflame The Really Cool, her head lurches to the right as a patchwork shape crosses her vision. Pumpkinkit. Had it chosen to start already? That's getting a bit ahead of itself, isn't it? Its paws are outstretched towards Wolfkit, ready to tackle, and Hawkkit looses a shrill noise of panic.

"Pumpkinbite!" They call, though there's a breathless purr in her voice. "This isn't a battle patrol, mouse-brain! Stand down!"​