private TEAR THROUGH IT \ nursery visit

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

Roeflame had been crowned ThunderClan's deputy, ThunderClan's heir, and Raccoonstripe had been silent. The tabby could be seen shouldering his way through the crowd and slipping without comment into the darkened forest beyond camp. He hadn't spared Nightbird a glance, his children a single thought — his mind had been a bramble thicket he needed to carefully untangle away from the chaos of his Clanmates and kin.

When he returns, the moon is high. It splashes silver into the dip following the gorse tunnel. Raccoonstripe carries an unsightly black bird between his teeth. His white muzzle and chest fur are splashed with scarlet; his pelt is mussed, threaded through with feathers and bits of foliage.

It hadn't been enough. The crow had died in an explosion of rage and rancor, but it hadn't satiated him. He wanted someone sentient to hurt like he hurts now. He wanted to cross a border and ram his shoulder into the first unlucky enemy warrior to stroll by him. He wanted to rake his claws through destiny's fur; he wanted to draw blood.

But all he'd found was this stupid bird, and his kits are hungry and impatient and wondering where he is, and Nightbird no doubt knows why he'd left, and he...

Anger, dulled by exhaustion and adrenaline, pulses hot below his pelt, but when he drops the catch for his children, his tone is cheery enough. "Hey. Late night snack, anyone?" A smile sneaks its way across his bloodied features. "If you were older, I'd take you out into the forest, but this'll have to do for now."

He does not want to be in the forest with his kits. He wants to sink his teeth into his enemy's spine. He wants the frustration to go away, but this has made his suffering seem worthless. Roeflame is deputy, and Raccoonstripe is not, and that's all anyone cares to know, but he can't let it go that easily. That simply.

He can't let it go at all.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: tagging @nightbird @bayingkit @TWILIGHTKIT ⋆ @TIGERKIT @STORMKIT @LIGHTNINGKIT
• 
• Raccoon . Raccoonstripe, he/him w/ masculine terms.
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — 46 moons old, ages realistically on the 5th.
  — mentored by n/a ; mentoring Scarletpaw ; previously mentored Wildheart, Moonwhisper
  — thunderclan lead warrior. gray wolf x howlingstar, gen 2.
  — currently mated to Nightbird.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh black tabby with white and dark brown eyes. charismatic, charming, calculating, ambitious, shallow, manipulative.

​

 

[TIGERPAW]

" Raccoonstripe! " Raccoonstripe's come to see them! it's been- it's been... Um, a long time, she knows. Or did it just feel like a long time? Cause now Raccoonstripe is wandering in like nothing had happened at all... Tigerkit trots over, her tail sticking up in the air. Hopefully she wasn't acting too excited right now. She wanted to be too-something. But not too much of anything bad. It needed to be something good, like too-good a hunter or too-good a fighter... Though, what if there was more than one of those already...?

Well, she would worry about it later. She's happy to see him. Maybe their cheering up had really, really worked. " I missed you, " she mews. They all missed him, probably... but she wanted to be super sure he knew she missed him. Maybe she even missed him the most. Was it a good too-much, or bad too-much? Two-toned eyes blink. She feels like the bird looks more red than it would usually be... Her head cranes, looking to see if perhaps, someone got to have a bite before her... She doesn't think so... " I, um... I get the first bite, right? " her small smile is hopeful. All six- maybe seven of them out in the forest together? Um... wouldn't that be kind of a lot...? Maybe they could all take turns...​

 

[nightbird]

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ just as she had settled each kit into their shared nest, a broad figure blocks the moonlight that filtered in. her head raises in anticipation. the children would undoubtedly stir in spite of her work, still a small grin finds its was onto her maw. when her mate crosses the threshold, he reeks of blood. the curl of her lip is slight, imperceptible in the dark. her eyes wash over him to find no injury. just a mangled crow between raccoonstripe's jaws, crimson splotches against white fur.

nightbird watches tigerkit. tattered ears twitch at her excitement, at the sweet longing of his name on her tongue. she cannot stop her gaze from trailing back to the bird. black feathers missing in unnecessary places, the ones left darkened by the blood that spilled carelessly over them. it shouldn't have taken a quarter of the effort for raccoonstripe of all cats to snap its hollowed bones in one swift bite. and she should keep her inquiries to herself with such an audience, but with a wave of near frustration nightbird lets her question slip. "did it fight back?" she asks dryly, removing herself from the nest to sit beside it, tail wrapped neatly over her paws.

he had left without a word after roeflame's appointment to the position he had only ever yearned for. she knew it had to sting. he had been out all day doing starclan knows what, only to come back with this... thing. the queens ears flick once again, this time to dissipate the tension building along her spine. her kits were happy, she'd much rather keep it that way after every event thunderclan had been forced to suffer. nightbird turns her attention to the ones who linger before tossing her muzzle towards raccoonstripe.

"eat, and then back to sleep before you wake everyone else." badgerstripe's new brood would surely wake at the commotion, along with any other kittens the nursery had picked up. this would have to be brief, her mate could argue it to the stars if he wished. if raccoonstripe wished to spend time with them, there were far better times to do so.

BURNING SWORD // ───‎ ⋆ GUIDE MY HAND‎ ‎‎ ‎‎☽

• ooc ↛

• 

• 
  NIGHTBIRD ✩ she/her, lead warrior of thunderclan, 37 ☾'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.

​

 

[STORMPAW.]

Stormkit didn't really care about the fact it was apparently so late ... though he knew when Nightbird's voice got all quiet like that, it meant they needed to start shutting up. Tigerkit's voice jostled him to his feet, though- his head swivelled toward the noise, whiskers twitching. He was racing over before he even thought about it, really- and he knew his dad's scent anywhere, really.

In his usual greeting, he brushed his whiskers against Raccoonstripe's leg. There was fresh prey here, too- announced, and Stormkit hadn't been hungry five minutes ago but he sure was now. I missed you, said Tigerkit, and Stormkit followed her up with a rushing thunderbolt of a cut in- slicing the atmosphere with, "I missed you more!"

Did it fight back? Whatever joke his mother was telling was lost on him, and Stormkit corrected her- "Probably, 'cause it was alive, wasn't it?" and he sniffed it to make sure. Well, it smelled like prey-blood, everything like that... and it was meant to. Nothing amiss, there.

Tigerkit's assumption incensed him, and Stormkit bristled with sudden anger. "Nuh-uh, I should!" It was his right, wasn't it? "I'm bliiiiind," he whined. It usually meant he got loads of people minding him, giving him more attention, fretting and staying close. Even if it didn't really bother him that much, usually... well, now it was the worst thing in the world! ​

penned by pin ༄​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

"Raccoonstripe!" Sweet little voice tugs at the ragged thing beating where his heart should be. Tigerkit's tail sticks up behind her, banded little puff, and her mismatched eyes are glowing with excitement. "I missed you," and something steals the breath from his lungs. He doesn't miss a beat. "Missed you too, kiddo," he says, casually enough. He reaches for Tigerkit with his white forepaw and ruffles the fur along her forehead.

Stormkit is next, clambering over his littermates without ceremony. His long limbs precede him, as do the filmy brown eyes that see nothing. His nose twitches as he answers Nightbird's pointed question: "Probably, 'cause it was alive, wasn't it?" In true Stormkit fashion, his son wails that he should get the first bite, being blind and all... Raccoonstripe's mouth twitches.

"Fight for it," he says, and pushes it blindly in their direction. His kits had missed him, and he had missed them, too, but it's like — it's like squeezing berry juice onto an open wound. It burns. He should be sorting out the morning patrols, not playing with kits. He should be —

And Nightbird. Her silver eyes pierce him like teeth. She had seen him leave camp, and she sees him now for what he is, whatever that is — the cat she'd pledged herself to, and for what? His ascent is over. Raccoonstripe aims a bloody smile her direction, as though he does not feel his life crumbling around him. "Aw, c'mon... it's a big day for ThunderClan, right? We should all get to celebrate in our own way." His smile is a touch brittle, yes, but he flaunts it regardless, and he aims to press his muzzle to the top of her silken skull.

It's brief, but he wants to linger there, wants to take cool comfort where he can. It would be like a poultice, but is that what he wants?

No. He wants the infection, the heat, the throbbing, the drive. He wants it to fester, and for that he cannot be held accountable for — nor can he explain it. Not to Nightbird, not to anyone else.

I wish Berryheart was here. Would even his brother understand the things that crawled under his skin tonight? Perhaps it's best to keep them from StarClan.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Raccoon . Raccoonstripe, he/him w/ masculine terms.
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — 46 moons old, ages realistically on the 5th.
  — mentored by n/a ; mentoring Thistlepaw ; previously mentored Wildheart, Moonwhisper
  — thunderclan lead warrior. gray wolf x howlingstar, gen 2.
  — currently mated to Nightbird.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh black tabby with white and dark brown eyes. charismatic, charming, calculating, ambitious, shallow, manipulative.

​

 

[LIGHTNINGKIT]

LIGHTNINGKIT . of . THUNDERCLAN

5 moons old (born 07.08.24) / lh silver tabby with green eyes / feminine pronouns
raccoonstripe xx nightbird / little sister to bayingkit, twilightkit, tigerkit, & stormkit

Their dad has come to see them again after all, bringing a gift of his own this time, though Lightningkit isn't as enthusiastic about the details as Stormkit. She's not as eager to tear into it, either, although part of her wants to argue with him anyway, because what's being blind have to do with being the most hungry. But she doesn't; she's too distracted by Raccoonstripe. He's smiling and affectionate to Nightbird, but something about it all still rubs Lightningkit's fur the wrong way. She flexes her toes, needle-like claws prodding the nest.

Maybe she's just imagining things. Maybe she's just remembering too much of when he was acting strangely and avoiding them.

"Are you and Mommy going to have some?" She asks, deciding not to make a move on the bird while Stormkit and Tigerkit have claimed first rights. She doesn't really feel like fighting them for it. "I don't want to celebrate," Lightningkit adds, frowning petulantly, her mood dimmed by uncertain turmoil squirming in her stomach. She misses the way things used to be, when she was smaller and Grandma was still here. "Why does Roeflame get to be deputy, anyway? I think it'd be a bigger day if you got it, Daddy."​

​

​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

Lightningkit, unlike her littermates, does not gun for the crow. Her green eyes settle on her father; Raccoonstripe feels them like the pinpricks of her claws. "Are you and Mommy going to have some?" He shakes his head. "Nah. This is for you guys. It's a... a gift." And that isn't entirely the truth, but it isn't a lie, either, is it? He'd used the bird to exhaust the well of rage burning under his fur, but it'd been a productive rampage, at least, and it had given him an excuse to visit his children.

But his youngest is not satisfied. She reads through to him, as if she can tell his teeth are still gnashing, as if she sees the fire searing his heart. "Why does Roeflame get to be deputy, anyway? I think it'd be a bigger day if you got it, Daddy."

The dark tabby freezes, and his smile diminishes — just a fraction. He flicks his too-bright eyes toward Nightbird, as though asking her if she can believe what their child has said.

"Well." For a moment, he does not know what to say. Now Lightningkit has dragged his demons from the shadows into the light, in front of all the other kits, in front of their mother, and he is forced to stare them in the face. "I wanted to be deputy. I won't lie to you about that." His whiskers feel stiff, too stiff. He continues: "But we have to respect Flamestar's choice. I'm sure..."

He trails off. The words are like ash on his tongue. "I'm sure Roeflame will do... fine."

Raccoonstripe licks his lips. The stange bravado has left him, now, left nothing but a shadowed gaze and a sullen expression. "It's late. You should all be in bed. I'll see you... later." He brushes his flank against Nightbird's on his way out, but he doesn't afford the children another glance — he's too ashamed.

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Raccoon . Raccoonstripe, he/him w/ masculine terms.
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — 46 moons old, ages realistically on the 5th.
  — mentored by n/a ; mentoring Scarletpaw ; previously mentored Wildheart, Moonwhisper
  — thunderclan lead warrior. gray wolf x howlingstar, gen 2.
  — currently mated to Nightbird.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh black tabby with white and dark brown eyes. charismatic, charming, calculating, ambitious, shallow, manipulative.

​

 

[TIGERPAW]

He missed her too. He missed her. It was nice. Or it would be real nice, and she'd be able to purr for more than a tiny second if Stormkit hadn't come. Tigerkit shoots a look at her brother. Probably not a glare... cause that was mean, and he wouldn't even see it anyways... but she's mad. She knows she shouldn't be, but she's actually really mad... " Nuh-uh! " sharply, she mews. Stormkit has no way of knowing how much she missed Raccoonstripe. And it's a a lot. A lot, a lot! A slight pout lingers on her maw even as Raccoonstripe ruffles the top of her head. Why'd Stormkit gotta be like that?

Nightbird tells them to eat. And she's gonna. She's definitely gonna, but Stormkit ruins it again. Why was he always talking louder than her? Now she's glaring for real. Hopefully Nightbird wouldn't be mad at her, but didn't she and Raccoonstripe see how much this didn't make any sense at all...? She wants to yell, who cares? and with her face scrunched with this injustice, she turns to her father. " But Raccoonstripe told me-! "

Fight for it, he says. Huh?

Confusion scrunches her face now. What happened? Did she make Raccoonstripe mad somehow? Or... oh. She got older, and now Raccoonstripe realized she's a boring kit. The most boring. She didn't have three legs or lots of toes... She wasn't blind and she wasn't growly. She couldn't just have the first bite anymore...

It makes her sad... but... but if Stormkit didn't get the first bite right away, there was still a chance for her, right?

Tigerkit leaps for Stormkit with all her kittenish might, hoping to knock him over. Maybe she'd surprise him so bad that he gets totally spooked, and had to let Tigerkit win... Sheathed paws push and shove at him, and... she should probably growl for good measure too. That's what, um, really tough warriors did... She really wants to win. She wishes Raccoonstripe would look at her... but he would when she won, right?

Except- Now Raccoonstripe's leaving and she doesn't know why. She didn't hear what they said. Tigerkit breaks away from Stormkit in a hurry. She watches the retreating form of her father with owlish eyes.

" What'd you say? " a little rudely, she looks to Lightningkit. " You made him leave... " A black tabby tail brushes the ground.​