camp whiskers on kittens // brittle nest

[Silk-kit]

The chill of leaf-bare had certainly begun to settle over the moor, sending icy gusts sweeping through the camp and turning just about everything to frost. It's never something the kit has had to experience before in her short life, but the adults seem stressed. Silk-kit, however, seemed far more distressed about a different problem than she was about the cold. She sits in the nursery with her fluffy blue tail wrapped primly around her paws, glaring down at her nest she shared with Hickoryfur as though it had personally offended her. The usually soft and inviting bedding is now brittle and completely unacceptable.

"Oh, this is an utter disaster!" She wails dramatically, sapphire eyes glistening with dismay. With a dainty paw, she attempts to fluff up the stiff moss, but the brittle strands only crumble and poke uncomfortably at her delicate pads. "How am I supposed to get my beauty sleep in such atrocious conditions? I'll wake up with my fur all flattened and ruined!" Perhaps her words could be taken more seriously if they weren't in such a high-pitched, kittenish voice.

She lets out a sigh so heavy it could rival the wind blowing through the hollow, before delicately rubbing her blue nose with the back of her paw. "No, no, this simply will not do," She declares with a sniff, looking around the nursery to see if any of her denmates shared her distress, or perhaps had solutions to offer. They simply must do something about it! Perhaps a new arrangement of bedding, or even just the softest of feathers…

Her gaze flits hopefully to the entrance of the nursery then, waiting for someone to deliver materials like they always did to her so she could restore luxury to the sleeping quarters.
​

 

[SEDGEPOUNCE]

It happens as if on cue—Sedgepounce is trudging toward the nursery with twigs and moss and miscellany trapped between his jaws, just about to duck into the heather den when an agonized caterwaul warbles from its interior. Bemused, Sedgepounce shoots @bunnypaw a glance. We better hurry up.

Finally padding through the maw of the den, Sedgepounce is greeted by the wide, mildly creepy stare of the burdened Silk-kit. "Okaaaay." He sets down his collection of den materials, separating things into categories for the approaching kittens and parents. "We've got some moss, and uh. Not a lot of wool, but maybe some of the long grass could help insulate?" He glances between the queens (and Thriftfeather) for their thoughts. The haul is admittedly mediocre at best. Hardly the plush elegance that Silk-kit hopes for, but the early frost has made resource gathering a desperate bid.

Turning his eye to the den itself, he wonders: "Any thin spots in the walls or anything?"

// no pressure apprentice tag < 3
​

 

[Comfreykit]

The only thing that Comfreykit found himself concerned with as the days grew colder and shorter was the chill that seemed to permeate the air no matter where he went - the cold had even made its way into the nursery, if only a bit, and Comfreykit resented being away from the warmth of mother and his siblings. Sleeping alongside a menagerie of other bodies left little thought or care for the nest underneath it all, but Comfreykit had noticed what Silk-kit was complaining about - how the nests had curled up and become brittle, unlike they had been before. Apparently, they were quite unpleasant, at least according to the she-kit who liked to be pretty.

Sedgepounce enters the nursery with his apprentice before Comfreykit can dwell on the fact for too long, and he looks at mother when the topic is brought up again by the intruding warrior. What did mother think of the change in the nests? Were they necessary? He was sure to build his opinion off of what mother thought, and he awaited her judgment quietly, looking between those who had gathered in the nursery. In that silence, Comfreykit trotted forward, sticking out his nose to inspect the materials that Sedgepounce had brought with him. He seems to wordlessly consult the queens and papa, and Comfreykit decides to voice his own concerns.

"Cold!" He yips firmly, looking up at Sedgepounce. He'd met the warrior before, outside of the nursery. He had a weird name that was hard to pronounce, but Comfreykit figured he could give it another try. "Cold, Sed'pounce."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OOC ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ .ᐟ.ᐟ INFO ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• !

• 

• COMFREYKIT ✩ kit of windclan, zero moons
  → walks hunched over.
  → peaceful and healing powerplay permitted.
  → penned by Archivist → .archivist on discord.

​

 

[FEATHERSPINE]

With this new chill in the air, ensuring the nests of the queens were perfectly upkept assimilated into his warrior duties. Though Featherspine was not one to hang around the nursery the same way cats like Mossthorn did, she didn't hate it ... kits were not ill company, and she had less of a desire to whip them into shape as she used to. Lessons would come with the harshness of the world, though ... and Featherspine would not cover their eyes from it.

Setting to the ground a small bundle of moss, ever-narrowed eyes flitted between Sedgepounce and Comfreykit, but found settlement primarily upon Silk-kit. Yes, teaching had a time and place... but born so close to leafbare, and now within a quick-blooming frost, there was no better time. "You will have to learn to buh... to b-buh-bear the cold eventually." A scowling face was set stony, unimpressed. "Puh- puh... maybe it is time to p-p-puh-practice."​

✦ penned by pin​

 

[Mallowtail]

Mallowtail had been padding past the nursery when the disapproving voices of Silk-kit and Comfreykit caught her attention. " What's a disaster, Silk-kit? " she coos as she glances around the nursery in search of any spots where the cold draft is getting through. Sedgepounce settles some gathering materials and a light bulb flickers as she grins ear to ear, " Ooh! I have something perfect for you and Comfreykit. " The cream sepia remarks proudly as she turns on her heels to go gather her hard-earned clump of rabbit's fur that she found while they went material gathering. Her long tail gives a flick as she slides into the nursery with her 'gift' and places it down before the two and closes her eyes, faking a dramatic sigh.

" Oh... I wish someone loved my rabbit's fur as much as Sedgepounce's materials, " she murmurs dramatically as she attempts to hold her smile back. Hopefully, Princess Silk-kit, elegant and beautiful, would be pleased with her new materials. A chocolate gaze glances towards Featherspine whose face is a mimic of a rock (if it had a face painted on it) and she smiles softly. The chocolate warrior had a point, but it was also up to them to keep their nesting as warm as possible. " Mmn, Featherspine isn't wrong but... I'll work harder for y'all. "

With her statement, hopefully the residents of the nursery would find appeasement in her gift (and her answer).

​

 

[BLUEFROST]

Bluefrost is no stranger, at this point in her life, to the petulant wailing of kits. Silk-kit expresses her discomfort loudly; the weather's turning has made the material in their nests brittle and sharp, and the smoke-pelted queen can understand the child's frustrations. She has felt the season's turn just as the rest of the Clan has, though she is admittedly in better shape than her warrior companions. She exists in a tiny, insulated space, tucked into a nest she shares with the tom she loves and their five children. Her little family does not want for warmth, surely.

Sedgepounce and his apprentice stop by, jaws laden with odds and ends to spruce up the nursery. Bluefrost regards him quietly. He is a nursery guard; the dark tabby-and-white warrior comes to relieve Dimmingsun when the lead warrior has other duties to attend to. Still, he has never expressed outward cruelty or disapproval where she could hear it, so she allows herself to relax somewhat. "The long grass will help, yes." She twists, slender green eyes narrowing and pointing to a patch of worn-away bracken. "That spot there has been letting the wind in more. Perhaps you, Featherspine, and Mallowtail could help fix it."

Comfreykit's eyes on her fill her with a strange feeling; she wonders, sometimes, if he waits for her to speak so he can model himself after her. It's both flattering and a little terrifying, to be someone a kit would imitate, but she supposes it's not different than the way she'd followed Sootstar around as a child... Her son declares it to be cold!, and she leans forward to touch her nose to his ear for a heartbeat in response. Featherspine's words are harsh, but he isn't wrong. "When you are a warrior, you will sleep in the cold. You will hunt in snow, and you will fight battles even when it is freezing." She addresses him like he is six moons instead of two. "Still, I do not want them ill if I can avoid it." She'd had her fill of kitten sickness with Rimekit's yellowcough.

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

• ooc: —
• 
• Bluekit . Bluepaw . Bluefrost, she/her w/ feminine terms.
  — "speech", thoughts, attack
  — 23 moons old, ages realistically on the 14th.
  — mentored by Sootstar ; mentoring Brackenpaw ; previously mentored n/a.
  — windclan queen. sootstar x weaselclaw, gen 2.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh blue smoke she-cat with white and emerald eyes. aloof, dignified, poised, haughty, composed, distant.

​

 

[Silk-kit]

Silk-kit's ears perk up at the flurry of activity filling the nursery. Her blue eyes track Sedgepounce and his apprentice as they set down their supplies, and she rises to her paws with an exaggerated flourish. The indignation in her posture shifts subtly, more curious than angry now, especially as Mallowtail places the rabbit's fur in front of her.

"Oh!" Her high-pitched voice takes on a breathless tone, staring at the fluffy offering with wide, appreciative eyes. "This is what I needed," She declares, nudging the fur with her nose. "Look at how soft it is!" She turns her gaze up at Mallowtail, whiskers twitching with genuine excitement. "Thank you, Mallowtail!"

Comfreykit's simple complaint and the responses from the adults draw her attention next. She frowns thoughtfully, her tail flicking. Featherspine's and Bluefrost's words make her shiver slightly, the idea of facing snow and cold without the comfort of a warm den chilling her to the core. "But…" Silk-kit looks up at the queen with a pout, then to Featherspine. "I don't want to practice. I want to be warm for as long as possible!"

She turns to Comfreykit, noticing how the younger kit shivers in the chill, and she feels her heart break a bit. She looks down at her prize with a frown. She'd wanted to use it all for her and Mother's nest…but how could she sleep at night knowing her denmate was cold? An idea slips into her mind and she makes her decision. "Look, Comfreykit! We can make our nests cozy with this fur," She insists, carefully arranging the rabbit fur between them, equally shared. Determined, Silk-kit starts tugging bits of moss and fur together with tiny, precise movements, eager to get the new materials into her sleeping spot.
​

 

[Asterkit]

For the most part, much of Asterkit's needs are met by her parents. She wants for nothing and does not have any pressing concerns in her life. Despite not being too worried about the cooling weather, she is aware of it, finding herself shivering more and more in the daytime, and pressing up as close as possible to her mother and littermates during the night.

Asterkit is disturbed from her nap by Silkkit's dramatic wailing. She frowns at first, displeased from having been awoken, but soon finds herself empathising with her fellow kit, even if she doesn't understand fully what she's saying. Her complaints draw over a few of the warriors, who mostly offer to help, but a few point having to learn to sleep and work in the cold eventually. Asterkit shivered inwardly. "Cold bad," She declared with a little nod. As Silkkit drew Comfreykit over to show him the rabbit fur Mallowtail had brought over, Asterkit watched as well, her green eyes staring with interest as Silkkit shared the rabbit fur between them and began to tug bits of the fur and moss together. Asterkit shuffles back and forth on her front paws a moment, before asking, "Help?" She proceeded to make a gesture to what the two were doing, offering herself to the task as well.​

 

[erminepaw]

Curiosity wills the blue sepia into poking his head into the nursery again. Or maybe it was the upset mew of Silkkit and the whole of WindClan rushing to her beck and call. Man, these guys really like her! She's super cool with decorations, though, if a bit.... particular about how she and her belongings look. Personally? Erminepaw couldn't care less about his looks and has been that way ever since he'd been brought to live with WindClan as a tiny kit. That was a loooooooooonnnngggggggg time ago, though, liikkee... six whole moons!! Long time!! Anyway- oh, look, Featherspine's here! And Sedgepounce! And.... and everyone else who sleeps in here is here too! Cool!!

"Hiya!" He chirps to the den and the inhabitants, grinning wide in spite of the cold. "Ooo, are we making comfy nests? Cool! D'ya need me to help?"

all you wanted // i could be

• 
  ooc - 100% was posted during phase 1 idk what ur talking about...
  
• 
  #9bcfad
• 
  (img) Erminepaw * he/him * 6 moons
  short furred blue sepia with low white and pale yellow eyes
  Mentored by Featherspine
  Peaceful & healing powerplay allowed || underline for attack
  penned by Neptune. || Neptune on disc, dm me for plots

​

​

 

[Sootkit]

.·:*¨༺ ♠ ༻¨*:·. So far, all the cold had done was make little Sootkit sleepy. So sleepy in fact, that she was nestled snugly against both the warm bodies of her mother and sister when Silk-kit's wails pierced the kittens lull. Groggy, mismatched hues drift open, and girl had hardly gotten out a yawn before Sedgepounce is poking his head in. For a moment, Sootkit is confused; lifting her head as Comfreykit trots forwards.

"Cold? What's cold?" The smokey kitten echoes with a frown, gaze drifting back to where Silk-kit pokes woefully at her nest. Sitting up, a yawn finally parts Sootkit's jaws, and she is once again familiarized with the waking world.

Featherspine insists that it might be time to start practicing to bear the cold- whatever that was, it didn't sound pleasant. At least Mallowtail seems a little nicer about it.

Sootkit's worried eyes find her mother, but what she says only makes the young kitten frown. "that sounds… bad." She concludes after a moment, her imagination taking her to the middle of a snowy landscape, covered up to her chin; it makes Sootkit shudder. Asterkit and Erminepaw want to help, but the she-kit thinks she has heard quite enough.

While Silk-kit excitedly paws at the soft rabbit fur, Sootkit nuzzles her nose against her mother, "sleepy."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── AND ILL ALWAYS FEEL YOU ⋅ ✰ ⋅ IN MY BLOOD ──┐‎

• 

• 
  SOOTKIT ♠ she/her, kit of windclan, 2 moons.
  ⭃ fluffy, blue smoked tortoiseshell she-kit with heterochromatic green & blue eyes.
  ⭃ daughter of Bluefrost xx Thriftfeather
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Noor ↛ @toyangel on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

​

 

[rimekit]

Rimekit lingers near Comfreykit, ever her protector and closest sibling of the quintuplets. Her brilliant blue gaze burns with intrigue as Silk-kit wails over her nest, as Sedgepounce and others deliver materials soon after, as mother instructs where to patch the nursery to keep the cold out.

She watches and she listens. She learns with each turn in the conversation what may be expected of her in the future. The cold is biting and uncomfortable… but she will endure it to be a warrior one day.

Rimekit's ears angle back as her nursery mate pouts and mourns the idea of practicing getting used to the cold. "You… will not be a warrior," the pale kitten states as a matter of factly to Silk-kit – for that was a logical conclusion, correct? If she did not want to practice then she would just have to stay in her nest in the nursery forever.

Determination warms her belly as she turns her attention to Featherspine and juts her chin towards the warrior. "I will practice. I will like the cold," Rimekit declares, searching the other for a flicker of surprise or pride in her claim.​

[ penned by kerms ]​