private THE LIGHTNING LET UP // FLAMESTAR

[badgerstripe]

In the couple days that have passed since the battle, Badgerstripe had been hard at work. Repairing, cleaning, burying - she had even managed a border patrol. But it is evident now more than ever that her condition is taking its' toll. It is visible for all to see; it does not take an experienced queen now to see the roundness in her features, the bulging of her belly. Thankfully, the questions have been few and far between, and the inquiries to their sire have been hushed. Be that out of pity following Sleekserpent's demise, or a general disinterest, Badgerstripe will not complain.

She rises late today, after the sun - she had been for a few mornings now. Weary eyes flick around camp as she leaves the den, and a wistful sigh leaves her maw. She had missed the morning patrol again - she hopes somebody took Scarletpaw out for her. The warrior flicks a glance towards the elder's den, where apprentices had already did their jobs - and then to Gentlestorm's den, where visitors come in and out. What is there left for her to do today? Can she even wish for work in her state? The thought of work makes her feel.. exhausted.

It's been a long time coming, but she knows she cannot delay the inevitable. Badgerstripe had already brought the idea up to Scarletpaw; that she will move into the nursery one day, and someone else may finish her training. She'd delayed it as long as she could, and wished it away so that she may continue to be a normal warrior.. but it's become increasingly obvious that she cannot jump, run or even stay on her paws as well and for as long as she used to.

Green eyes seek out the newly named leader, sitting and soaking in the sun while she watches her Clan, and Badgerstripe makes her way over with a shy duck of her head. She respected Flamestar more than ever now, ever since her motherly words graced her ears - even if Badgerstripe felt resentment towards them at first. Now, she seeks out advice once more from the former queen herself; this time, she will do her best not to hide away from the truth.

" Can we talk? " she murmurs once in reach, lowering her head in a sort of bow. If invited, she'll take a seat next to the fiery tabby, letting her tail flick over her blue paws. She looks out to the Clan, how busy they are, how detached she is from it all now. Is this how she will feel for the next six moons? A mere witness?

" When you were expecting.. when did you move into the nursery? " Badgerstripe looks towards Flamestar now, longing for the same gentle look the older warrior gave her when she excitedly confirmed her pregnancy. Above all the sorrow, she is filled with warmth knowing that she must not have this conversation with Skyclaw. Then, her gaze travels down to her belly, the fur of which tickles her forearms. " It's so hard to keep up these days. I think I'm ready. "
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BADGERSTRIPE ( she/her )​

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[Flamestar]

〔✦〕It was frustrating, being forced to stay put and heal. She wanted nothing more than to help fix the dens, to go patrol and hunt, but Gentlestorm had insisted she not do anything today. Their journey too and back from the Highstones had been long, and when she had retuned she had been beyond exhausted. When Badgerstripe caught her sitting in the sunlight, she had been replaying the ceremony over again in her mind. It had felt like a dream, but the pain that had gone along with it had been very real. Her entire body ached (though it had already beforehand), but she felt...different on the same hand.

"Hm?" she hummed, taking a moment to process the expecting warrior's question. "Of course." The tabby motioned with her paw for Badgerstripe to join her, wincing slightly as the movement tugged on her wounds. "When you were expecting.. when did you move into the nursery?" The leader blinks, thinking back to a much younger Flamewhisker. One that hadn't wanted to move to the nursery, a warrior who insisted on hunting instead of resting....a warrior that had been found by a fox, but unable to fight back. If it hadn't of been for Sparkwing, Sparkpaw at the time, she would not be here today...nor would any of her kits. "I was stubborn with my first litter...but because of that, with my second litter I moved in shortly after finding out." she paused, following Badgerstripe's gaze down to her belly. "About where you are now." A small smile formed on her maw as Badgerstripe confirmed that she was ready. It was a big decision to retire to the nursery, giving up the freedom of a warrior. "They will be here before you know it. Take your time, and don't worry about your duties. One day you will think back to this day, and wonder where all that time went.."

even on my weakest days ( I get a little bit stronger ) //

• ooc.
  
• FLAMEWHISKER —— deputy of thunderclan , mentoring merlinpaw . storm x lily . littermate to nala, smokey, and nemo ✦ penned by icey !
  ✦ afab / she/her / 37 moons & ages every 20ᵗʰ
  ✦ widowed / heterosexual / closed to romance
  ✦ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline & tag account when attacking
  —— difficult in battle
  
  ✦ “speech”, 'thoughts', all opinions are in character
  ✦ tags — msg on discord for plots — toyhouse
  
• 
  
  

  a longhaired red tabby with low white and green eyes. flamewhisker's fur is a vibrant hue of red, riddled with thick classic tabby markings. her fur is medium in length, and she has a large, feathery tail. her chest, belly, tail tip, and her paws are dipped white. flamewhisker's eyes are a dark, deep shade of green. her shoulder has a large scar on it from a fight with a dog. she also has a shredded ear from a disagreement with a loner during her time alone before joining thunderclan. on particularly cold days, or sometimes before a major weather change, she will walk with a slight limp from her shoulder injury.

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[badgerstripe]

After Flamestar answers, Badgerstripe takes in a deep breath.. then lets out a wistful sigh. She remembers the story the leader told her, when she first found out about her pregnancy - about the kits she had lost due to overexertion. The fear that strikes into the young queen's heart is unrecognizable; it is a new breed of worry. She does not want to give up her freedoms so soon - but similarly, she doesn't want to risk her kits. They make up most of what she has left.. they are her responsibility.

If her apprentice self were to see her now, she'd laugh in her face with disbelief. Responsibility - the young Badgerpaw always scoffed at that prospect. She had grown in such a short amount of time since then, and recognized that her carelessness had dire consequences. Once, with the wolves.. twice, with Scarletpaw, thrice with Sleekserpent.. she would not let her kittens suffer her fourth.

" I suppose it is time then, " Badgerstripe finally mews decidedly - albeit a little hesitantly, still. The protectiveness is undeniable, but the motherly aspects that Flamestar speaks of, she is yet skeptical of. Will she think back? When she does.. will she long for these times, or be simply be glad she survived it?

So, it is decided. But there is then the question of, what will become of her young apprentice? " Scarletpaw, she. . " Badgerstripe cuts off with a sigh, and frustratedly waves her paw in the air. " I've spoken to her already. She isn't happy. " Badgerstripe wouldn't have grasped it at such a young age, either. Swapping new mentors was rough, and she was never as close with Burnstorm as she was her previous mentor, who retired much like her. But.. Scarletpaw will need to learn to deal with it. There is no other way.

She looks up at Flamestar again now, fixing her with a veiled gaze. " I don't mean to tell you what to do, but I have a request. Scarletpaw, she needs someone unwavering. Someone who can pass on good lessons and loyalty. Someone she can trust. " Everything that Badgerstripe failed in. Her dismay towards the girl is still prevalent, but so too is concern. That is her apprentice, after all.. she is almost kin. " Can you make sure her next mentor takes good care of her? "

BADGERSTRIPE ( she/her )​

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