pafp WHEN THE SUN LOVES THE MOON - birth

[Orangestar]

Orangeblossom pads quietly among hazy cherry trees, dappled sun warming her fur and the scent of lark-nests on the breeze. But she's not alone; nearby, darting in and out of the undergrowth, is Blazing Dawn. Her father's sister had always been an impressive hunter, but Orangeblossom finds herself at a loss for words over the grace with which she weaves through the low bushels; as if her paws weren't tied to the ground like her niece's. As if sensing Orangeblossom's attention the calico turns, fixing burning amber eyes on her niece, and blinks once, warmly.

It's time.

"Time for wha-"

Orangeblossom jolts awake with a hiss of pain that turns into a grunt, one which then tapers off into a whimper as either her pain tolerance kicks in or the weird cramp dissipates. Left panting and surprised her lower half hadn't just fallen off, the deputy notes that the den around her is light with the morning sun - had she'd slept in? weird - and she's mostly alone, which tracks with the time of day and the general emptiness of camp. What good timing this was! Now she wouldn't traumatise the kits. And, speaking of good timing, a familiar pointed pelt passes by the den entrance.

"Fireflypaw- Fi! In here-" she sucks in a breath as another one of those cramps hits - contractions, Orangeblossom, scold about three different queens in her mind - and she bows her head against the force of it like she would against the sleet of a blizzard. Like the one she and Ashenclaw had been caught in so long ago (she wants him here with her, but there's a part of her mind that hopes his patrol doesn't return until it's over), like the one she and Silversmoke had been forced to take shelter from. "I think the kits are coming."

— info

• // @Fireflypaw & open for posts after fi has posted! this takes place midmorning, so it's equally likely your character might be on patrol or just returning to camp!
  
• 
  orangeblossom. tags.
  — she/her, skyclan deputy.
  — mentor to eveningpaw.
  — attack in #e08550. uses trees as an integral part of her fighting style.
  — mean enough to note that her thoughts don't reflect my opinions as a writer haha.
  — penned by mercibun; @ me in any official tabbytales discord for plots. :]
  — art by merc!<3
  

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[Fireflyglow]

Fireflypaw hears the yell immediately, the panic in Orangeblossom's voice making him think that maybe something was wrong with the kits inside of her- but her next words causes him to freeze in place, blind blue eyes widened in shock. I think the kits are coming. "Oh, stars." He mutters to himself, kneading his paws against the ground in thought for a moment before he ducks inside the nursery. "Just- Just try to breathe, Ora. Keep 'yer breaths steady, count 'em for me. Um." His head swivels around then, nose sniffing around himself before his nose presses against a stick. He scoots it over to the Deputy, before he gently presses his nose to her forehead. Both to comfort her, and to check to make sure she wasn't warm. "I'm gonna need Dawnglare- I.. I've never helped someone give birth before, Ora-" He shudders, tears welling up in his eyes from his own lack of experience. "I'll be right back. Keep countin', Ora." Meows the apprentice, turning tail and dashing out of the nursery in favor of running full-force towards the medicine den. When he stumbles into his den, his eyes sightlessly yet wildly swing around as if trying to find a familiar scent.

"Dawn- Dawnglare. Ora's kitting. What do I- What do I do?" He wails, worriedly sniffing around a pile of moss to find a good piece to fill with water. That would help, right? Right? "T-Teach me, please." He begged his mentor, chewing at the inside of his cheek anxiously.

// sorry for the messy post! mentor tag @DAWNGLARE . You may post now!​

SKYCLAN MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE ✦ 10 MOONS ✦ CHUNKY, BIG-FOOTED SEAL POINT ✦ TAGS​

 

[CLOUDBERRYTHORN]

Morning patrols are the worst. Just another advantage of being a daylight warrior, they suppose; they’d rarely been in camp early enough to be assigned to morning patrols. But now there’s no loving owner to feed and care for them. There’s no shield of a human house to keep them from being told to check the territory’s borders before the sun has fully risen to the top of the sky.

The young warrior has just returned to camp, pelt messy from where pine needles have tugged and lodged themselves into the tufts. He stretches and yawns, ready to lie down and sleep for a few hours, when commotion from the nursery draws his attention. Fireflypaw runs from the entrance of the nursery to the healers’ den, and orange eyes narrow with concern. Is something wrong with Orangeblossom? His paws carry him quickly to the nursery and he ducks inside, jittery with anxiety, only to visibly panic even more when he sees his sister.

Obviously, Ora has been pregnant for a couple months. But the concept of his sister giving birth, and the actual action of it—they’re two entirely separate things. "You’re having the kits now?" He asks, voice flat even as his eyes practically bug right out of his skull. Snowcapped paws knead the ground below with an anxious sort of energy, and his mouth hangs open as he gapes at his sister. He doesn’t know what to do, needs to do something to help but isn’t sure where to start. "Should I find Ashenclaw?" Shouldn’t her mate be here for this? He’d barely been rescued from the shelter in time to witness it—it would be a shame for him to miss the birth of his kits.
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[ just a side character ]​

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[Auburnflame]

The commotion coming from the nursery draws the warrior to his paws immediately, having just finished off the last bit of finch he had left for his morning meal. Bits of feather still clung to his wintry muzzle as he watches Fireflypaw hastily run back to the medicine den, minty hues widening in shock. Was something wrong with Orangeblossom? He's wiping away the bits of bird from his lips, following in behind Cloudberrythorn and sliding into the nursery. "Ora! Oh Stars, are you—are you alright?" The young warrior next to him dead pans, asking if the kits were coming now. He looks to them for a moment, his heart beginning to thunder within his chest. He'd never seen an actual queen kitting before, and the fact that it was Orangeblossom makes him even more frantic.

He moves over beside her, sitting by her head and placing a gentle crimson paw on her shoulder. "Okay—uh, don't panic. That's the worst thing to do right now is to panic. Okay? Okay." His words file in faster than usual, the roaring of blood echoing in his ears. He was in fact, panicking. To Cloudberrythorn's question, he looks to them snd stares for a second with a blank expression upon his patched face. Ashenclaw? Wh—ooh, right. At once as he's registered just what they had asked, he nods eagerly. Almost too eagerly. "Y-yes, yes! Go grab Ashenclaw!" He stumbles again over his wording, rounded eyes looking back to Orangeblossom with worry. "Just breathe, Ora..uh, deep breaths y'know? In through the nose, out through the mouth yeah? I think." He didn't know, though he remembered when Leaf Shiver had told him the same thing one day after falling out of a tree. In through your nose, and out through your mouth.

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[ SETTING FIRE TO THE SKY ]​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Orangeblossom's kits are coming. Her kin have crowded near her in the nursery; he can see a bit of rust, a hint of gray, through the ferns. Blazestar exhales slowly, sending a silent but heartfelt prayer to StarClan. Let her be okay. Let her kits be healthy and strong.

He hears Fireflypaw's frantic cry to Dawnglare, and Blazestar's jaw tightens involuntarily. Ten moons ago, the medicine cat had appeared to deliver Little Wolf's kits on the border between SkyClan and ThunderClan -- six moons ago, his paws had run red with Blazestar's daughter's blood.

And only one moon ago, Dawnglare had chosen a WindClan tom over his leader.

He says nothing, though, to ruin this. This isn't about the feud between himself and his medicine cat. Stars forbid. He pads a few foxlengths closer to the nursery, his eyes shining with encouragement. "Ashenclaw is out on patrol," he murmurs. Cloudberrythorn mentions running to fetch him, and Blazestar gives him an affirmative nod. "He'll want to be here. He's missed too much already." Against his will, of course.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

 

[QUILLSTRIKE]

DARK BLUE, DARK BLUE, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ALONE IN A CROWDED ROOM?​

---

The sound of a commotion was quick to draw Quillstrikes gaze as the patrol he'd been on returned, funneling in through the entrance to camp only to hear Firefly calling for Danglare. The chimera tensed, instinctively assuming the worst, but it only took a few moments of observation for understanding to click and for the tension to slip from his shoulders.

"Go on." He said, nudging Banansplash off toward the nursery affectionately, while he went over to stand with Blazestar. The tom had no interest in seeing what was about to happen, but he'd stay close by in case he was needed for something.

@Bananasplash
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---

skyclan - male - 14 months (Feb 17th) - bisexual - homoromantic - single - a very tall, dark chimera tomcat with mismatched eyes and several scars. has bluejay feathers woven like spikes along his spine and neck.

 

[DAWNGLARE]

Blissful dreams are cut thin by the cry of the sun's eclipse, ugly faced and panicked amongst the reeds. The reeds of a thing that he could not care much less about. A weary eye is turned upon the little one (– and little one, he no longer quite is. His size reflects the shape his father has given him. A youthful face has filled out into something more difficult to push away. It's a resemblance that may bring him turmoil, if he dwells.) And dwell, he certainly does in a time where there's much he'd rather think about than the state of their ... deputy. Blue eyes snap open with a quickness, despite it all.

As he unfurls his spine from the comfort of his nest, he can see Fireflypaw rummage around the den. A sidelong glance gives him the vision of moss between teeth, and he regards it with a puff of breath through the nose. " You are doing fine. " Dawnglare tells him, voice sparing no joy nor anguish. He slips between the holly without further dally, eyes boredly trailing the ground for that wick of that thing – sampling of plague. " Our duty is to be attentive. " Most of the job is done by the mother, so long as there is nothing goes wrong. (And if something were to, well...)

Dawnglare makes a motion with his paw, flick of the wrist. " Trust in a body is all it is. " Whether that trust should be placed in someone like Fireflypaw... It remains to be seen.

Dawnglare approaches with a thick stick in his maw, gaze impassive as it brushes over the ivory orange queen. Were he someone with more care, he might've rumbled something about space. Liberating space. But that person was not him, and so his mind sews shut to such particularities. He noses his way through the crowd– pays no mind to the flame - crested form– and offers the stick to the deputy's jaw. " F'r when th' pain is unbear'ble. " he tells her. Drooping eyes would pass to his side, watching for his apprentice to return with water - soaked moss. A tilt of his head would signal Firefly to push his way to front. All well, all fine.​

 

[Fireflyglow]

His mentor quells his worries with supportive words- or were they dismissive, perhaps? He wouldn't linger on such things, his own insecurities could easily tie him down and restrict him without much effort if he let them. Fireflypaw's head swivels as it follows the direction of Dawnglare's scent, quickly distracting himself with soaking the moss he grasped with water in a clear puddle nearby. His paws press into the ground to comfort himself, Mother's whispers gracing his ears with every wisp of wind. You can do this, She whispers. Fireflypaw musters a brave face as he saunters over to the nursery, dipping his head to Quillstrike to excuse himself.

"Excuse me," Fireflypaw meows sheepishly, gently pushing past bodies to reach Orangeblossom's side with Dawnglare. He gives her what he assumes to be a stick to bite on, and Firefly memorizes the technique for later. I have to pay attention.. He thinks to himself, resolute. Fluffy paw lifts up, gently brushing back the fur on Orangeblossom's head before he sets the soaked moss down right outside of her nest- reachable, yet out of the way. "Water, if you need it." He adds onto Dawnglare's words, licking a stripe across the kitting queen's forehead to comfort her. Then, once settled, Fireflypaw waits for the first contractions to begin before he musters up encouragement. "Breathe, Ora. Push." He hiccups, though his own tears still threaten to fall. She was going to give birth to kits, she was going to create life from nothing- like magic. Mothers are magical.. He thinks to himself, smiling just a little.

His blind gaze turns to the warriors present, to his father. Worry takes over his expression, though it isn't over Orangeblossom herself. "Is Ashenclaw here yet? Oh, I sure hope he didn't trip or something running home.."​

SKYCLAN MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE ✦ 10 MOONS ✦ CHUNKY, BIG-FOOTED SEAL POINT ✦ TAGS​

 

[CLOUDBERRYTHORN]

The nursery rather quickly fills with cats, both family and friends, and the blue smoke feels a bit crowded. But Auburnflame nods near violently in response to their question, and Cloudberrythorn turns to shimmy their way out of the den, pushing past cats without any words of apology or excuse. They register Blazestar’s statement faintly—their sister’s mate is out on patrol. Great, so he’ll be near impossible to find. "I’ll find him," he says, a promise. Blazestar is right; his sister’s mate has missed too much already. He’d managed to escape the shelter just in time, and going through all that just for him to miss it anyway would be a damn shame.

As he strides through the camp, the young warrior asks each cat he passes: "Does anybody know which way Ashenclaw’s patrol went?" But nobody seems to know exactly where the tabby tom had gone. Cloudberrythorn heaves a massive sigh, rolls his eyes, and scales a tree, setting off in a random direction through the territory. "Ashenclaw! Ashenclaw!" He shouts the other tom’s name as he bounds from branch to branch, each of his pawsteps a bit more clumsy, a bit more hurried, than usual. He doesn’t mind if he disrupts anyone’s hunting—his family is more important than some squirrel. His sister, who’s gone through so much, cannot be without her mate while she gives birth.

// idk he’s lookin for @Ashenclaw
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[ just a side character ]​

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[Orangestar]

// cw for birth

Later, Orangeblossom would consider herself extremely lucky over the ease with which her kitting passes.

"I have to have them sometime, Cloud!" Orangeblossom hisses back at her brother over Fireflypaw's rambling, ears twitching towards her skull, though she's more exasperated than genuinely annoyed by the comment. Blazestar's voice doesn't get closer, but she hears him speak; something about Cloudberrythorn running out to find Ashenclaw. The apprentice leaves her side with a stick as some weird gift to bite down on, hoping to go find his maniacal mentor (Orangeblossom is immediately filled with dread), and is immediately replaced by Auburnflame at her side. Her cousin, her rock, a paw on her shoulder and encouragement at her ear; she might scent Bananasplash somewhere around the den but it's not before Dawnglare ambles in with a stick much thicker than the one his apprentice had provided and Orangeblossom bites down on it, hard - right as another contraction hits. Stupid sacred timing.

With it, however, comes a kitten. The queen is too focused on the next one to herald the arrival of her eldest daughter, dark tortoiseshell fur marked with flashes of white, but the multicoloured scrap of fur makes it into the world regardless. The next kitten to arrive is a little thing of lilac and cream and white, which Orangeblossom catches a glimpse of between straining. She feels vague now, a visitor in her own pelt; on the far side of the pines yet rooted firmly in place all the same.

"A tom!" Someone coos upon the arrival of her third, breaking up the apparent kaleidoscope of she-cats she'd been spawning thus far; Orangeblossom can't say for sure, honestly, she's been too busy.

It's about now, after three kits, when the horrible dance of kitting gives her a break to breathe, which the deputy misconstrues as the stupid thing being over. Just as she's about to comment on it, ask one of their medicine cats if she's clear, the other half of her litter decide to make themselves known. A crimson tom and another red-dappled she-cat arrive in quick succession, so close together that Orangeblossom genuinely thinks she's just delivered one particularly large kit.

Then, and only then, a pawful of kittens later, is it over. Orangeblossom slumps on her side, breaths heavy, dropping the stick without a care in the world on whether or not it hits a Clanmate. She groans weakly, pressing her face into her paw, and wiggles her toes to check she still has feeling in them. Anything, really, to distract from the way that everything, from the tips of her ears to the end of her tail, hurts. She glances down at her side, nosing at the five kittens duckling contentedly at- wait, five?

"I thought there were four..." She croaks, nosing suspiciously at the smallest two. One of them, a tomkit of deep crimson and white, fur desaturated in the twilight (had it really been that long since she started? she must have been spacing out longer than she thought), hiccups in response to her nudge and Orangeblossom jumps, ears pinning for a heartbeat. She jerks her head up. "He hiccuped at me. Is that normal?"

— info

• @Cherrykit @Glimmerkit @Eggbounce. @euphoria @HICCUPKIT !
  
  naming next post, babies are now free to post on the skyclan board :3
• 
  orangeblossom. tags.
  — she/her, skyclan deputy.
  — mentor to eveningpaw.
  — attack in #e08550. uses trees as an integral part of her fighting style.
  — mean enough to note that her thoughts don't reflect my opinions as a writer haha.
  — penned by mercibun; @ me in any official tabbytales discord for plots. :]
  — art by merc!<3
  

​

 

[Glimmersun]

The second of the litter to arrive, a lilac torbie with soft colors that could almost blend in with the surrounding trees. While she is a newborn and considerably small, she is still one of the largest of her siblings, maybe only matched by the hiccuping kitten that arrives last. It's even more evident how fluffy she is as she's cleaned and her fur puffs up.

She lets out tiny mewls as she's getting used to all the new sensations, before settling down as she snuggles next to her elder sister. The warmth from her and her mother soothes her, becoming more content as the other three join them. She snuggles in more, lapping at her mother's milk as she's lulled to sleep.​

 

[Cherryblossom]

She won't remember this moment. Still, it happens. Morning light filters in between the ears of her soon-to-be loved ones and holly boughs, dappling the backs of damp eyelids. The kitten squirms against the tongues reaching for her, who lap against the flow of mottled fur like ripples on the face of a pond. Nose, eyes, and ears still shut against a world originally water, she reaches for warmth as a flower turns towards the sun. Her motions are awkward, worm-wriggling, and soon joined by familiar bodies all air-stung and begging to be soothed against the worst sensation they've ever felt in their lives. The kitten settles, eventually. She, too, is lured to quiet to a background of milk scent and gentle voices.​

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[Eggbounce.]

I LOVE YOU SO, SO, SO, SO MUCH
eggkit | newborn | male | he/him | physically easy | mentally easy

---

When the boy comes into the world, it is in silence. Small and round, every feature seems to have only curves and no sharp angles, even pale fur still slicked down with dampness. He proceeds to curl up ever tighter, only giving a quiet mewl when touched, and it is only milk-scent that draws him from his protective coocoon. Like all newborns, he is blind and deaf to the world, feeling only the chill of the cold air and the warm touch of his siblings at his side as he drifts lazily off into slumber, belly full.
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[Honeysplash]

——————————————————⊰⋅ ✿ ⋅⊱——————————————————​

Settled beside her mate, the young warrior was content in just sitting there in the sunlight warming herself- but there was then commotion from the nursery. Suddenly Oras' voice rang out calling for Fireflypaw then Dawglare, and she perked up her ears with rounded eyes. Had something happen to her sister? Was she okay? Where the kits okay?

The panic that consumed her chest was intense and she was quick on her paws beside Quillstrike when her mate seemed to relax as they got closer. Did he know something she didn't?

Then she rememebered; the kits! Where they coming? Excitement replaced the panic in her chest and she brightened almost instantly, those green hues of her glittering as she looked around at the cats that gathered. She was going to be an aunt today!

Speech​

——————————————————⊰⋅ ✿ ⋅⊱——————————————————​

 

[Ashenclaw]

"You'll Never Be Unloved By Me"​

There was thundering of large paws against the ground that resided in Skyclan territory. The trees seemed to blurr by and there wasn't a second thought in each movement taken from the patrol along Riverclan all the way to the Skyclan camp. The path was engrained in the blood of those who served the clan, and there wasn't even a thought of whom might be behind him- he just knew he had to get there. Crushing leaves that dared get in the way, flowers shyed away in the breeze he brought, and green eyes where focused on that gorse tunnel like it was something he hadn't seen in years.

Bursting through the entrance came Ashenclaw, who had been alerted by Cloudberrythorn thankfully, and his massive white chest heaved with each breath. Sprinting all the way across the territory was a work out he never thought he would have to do, but here he was. Where lungs suppose to burn? But the thought was quickly dismissed as he became hyper focused on the nursery in mere minutes, and his heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest like a poor prank.

Nerves pricked at his skin- a father. He was going to be a father today.

The panic that thickened his throat made him swallow thickly and he glanced around for anyone for support then looked back to the nursery. He just got up to it when he heard the soft crying of little vbices- and his heart both sank and soared at the same time. They sounded healthy! But- he had missed the whole thing. Shame burned at his ear tips as he had already missed so much of Oras' pregnancy and now he couldn't have been bothered to have been there for her. Yet, the kittens mewls brought him forward almost instinctively to the den entrance.

Firstly there was Dawnglare, then at Oras' belly was Fireflypaw, and beyond that was five little bundles of squirming bodies. Five? Oh Starclan- there was five. Each one different patterned, each one as beautiful as the next and he felt his shoulders relax slightly as if some relief had washed over him. They all were okay, they were all moving, and he suppose an inkling of himself had been over paranoid with the 'what ifs'. Then deep green hues moved from the little furry beans to the white fur they nestled against, and this genuine grin grew across his gray muzzle.

Orangeblossom.

Slipping by Dawnglare as carefully as he could, the nursery was a bit of a squeeze for Ashenclaw, and he moved to curl behind Orangeblossom with a soft lap at her cheek, "I am so sorry," He whispered softly to her and leaned his forehead to hers, "They beautiful,"

Today he was a father.

Speech
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✦ ★ ✦​

 

[HICCUP-PAW !]

————— 𖦹 —————
I SAT ON THE ROCKS AND I THOUGHT FUNNY THOUGHTS

The youngest child — or perhaps second youngest? It's not quite clear, the boy being born so near to his sister. The two littlest children of Orangeblossom and Ashenclaw tucked together, surprise coming in double. Not four kits, but five. So comes into the world the litter's youngest tom, a red that should be vibrant washed out in the dim light, a white that remains bright despite it. Larger than the sister he lies beside, though not by much. He will grow into his size, but he does not know that yet. He does not know anything. He is still and quiet and he is completely unaware of his own existence.

That is, until a nose nudges him. He is shocked, in the way only a child who has never known anything can be. And so the little kit reacts in the only way a newborn can: with noise and movement. Not a mewl, though, no. Instead, the young tom jerks, makes an involuntary sound born of the startle of being alive.

A tiny hiccup.

AND I LAUGHED AND I LAUGHED AND I GASPED AND I CRIED !
————— 𖦹 —————

.°𖦹 info ; visual

• //
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• HICCUPKIT as the first sound he made was a hiccup.
  — he/him. newborn.
  — skyclan kit.
  — large, loud, and loving.
  
  semi-casual character, moderate activity. penned by saturnid.​
• "SPEECH"
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• 

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