PAFP Camp SkC baby bird, don't be scared, you'll be fine ⋆｡°✩ a kitting

[Rain Rain]

R A I N
​ what a shame we all became ​

In retrospect, she should have realized. Rain knew the kits were due any day, but the obvious warning signs were lost on her - for instance, suddenly needing to tear apart her nest and remake it, while also trying to reinforce the walls of the nursery, while also offering to help the other caretakers remake their nests. There was some discomfort but nothing too out of the ordinary. She was used to all sorts of unpleasant sensations at that point. She kept trying to settle, but she felt... strange. Uncomfortable. She shifted in her nest incessantly, garnering some strange looks from the other caretakers, but she tried to ignore them. She felt so restless. Finally, she gave up and stood to pad out of the nursery. Maybe she'd find Quailstep, or go visit Chrysalisgaze. She thought about grabbing something to eat, but the thought of food made her stomach turn.

She'd just spotted Quailstep across camp and waved her tail in greeting when a sharp pain tore a gasp from her maw. She froze. Something was happening to her. Something-

"Kits,"

she breathed.

She didn't know how much time passed between the first contraction and the last. It was a whirl of pain and discomfort and emotion. She knew Quailstep had quickly ushered her back to the nursery. She knew the other caretakers were trying to keep their kits out of the way. She heard someone call for Swallowbreeze. She tried to focus on her breathing, on the faces of her friends, anything but what was currently happening. She thought about Jet, how he wouldn't be there to experience the birth of their children, how she hoped she'd never see his face again. She wished her mother was there.

As quickly as it began, it was suddenly just... over. The soft mewling of four tiny, perfect kits squirming against her belly brought her back down to earth. One grey, like her. Two brown, like their father. One pale, a perfect combination. She could hardly believe it. She touched her nose to each one in turn, their fur still wet, utterly in awe. She watched them clamber on unsteady paws, eyes and ears closed tight. Tears began to gather in her eyes. After all the heartbreak, the long days traveling, it was done. Her kits were there, they were safe - all of them. Her little family. She wrapped her tail around them and began to weep.

such fragile

✦

broken things

• OOC: wait for @Quailstep at least but then this is open!
• KEY:
  

  "speech"

  
  

  'thoughts'

  
  attempted action
  

  "other character's speech"

  
  
• 
  

  sleek grey she-cat with white paws, tailtip, face, and chin
  she/her
  loner
  15 moons
  pregnant!
  
  

 

[Quailstep Quailstep]

​

QUAILSTEP

Quailstep hadn't intended on being physically present for Rain's kitting - she still was nervous about being around such tiny things - how did queens manage to move around without fear of stepping on their kits? But when Rain had stumbled closer to her, clearly about to give birth, she let go of her nervousness and rushed the other cat back into the nursery, informing the other caregivers of the situation and staying by her friend's side as Swallowbreeze came in and the other caregivers scurried about. They curled up beside Rain, licking her fur to soothe her through the pains.

By the end of it all, four little kits were nestled against the young queen, tiny little things who only knew the warmth of their mother. It was hard to believe she too was once this small.

"They're adorable, Rain," she murmured, nuzzling her friend.

OOC

Quailstep? Stepdad? More like the dad that Quail-stepped up

SPEECH

THOUGHTS

 

[[SNOWVEIL] [SNOWVEIL]]

Where the north wind meets the sea
There's a mother full of memory
Come, my darling, homeward bound
When all is lost, then all is found

.

Snowveil listened to the commotion around her, her expression calm and unreadable. She heard everything, the shuffle of paws, the murmurs of concern, the soft, sharp breaths of the molly laboring nearby. Always she listened, alert for the slightest sound of distress, but Rain was steady. Strong. She would be a good mother. A faint smile touched Snowveil's muzzle as the first tiny wail split the air. " A fine job, Rain. " she murmured, voice low and sure. " You're doing a fine job. " she repeated softly. The poor thing was alone and young, but her body knew what to do.

She stretched out her tail to block the curious kits lingering nearby, her tone turning firm but not unkind. " Not now, little ones. Give her space. "

Turning her head back toward Rain, she softened again. " Trust your body. " Snowveil advised gently. " It knows what needs to be done, let it guide you. And we're right here if you need us. " Another sound, another life reached her ears, and warmth fluttered through her chest. A purr rippled in her throat before she could stop it. " There you go... " she whispered, listening as the second, then a third, and finally a fourth tiny voice joined the nursery's air.

Four. Four beautiful kits.

" You've done exceptionally well, Rain. " Snowveil said at last, pride lacing every word. " You can call yourself the proud mother of four strong, beautiful kits. " Her sightless eyes lifted slightly, as if to take in their presence all the same. " Now... Breathe. Rest. The hard part's done. "

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

98 MOONS

𖧧

SKYCLANNER

𖧧

SONG

𖧧

bio

 

[SWALLOWBREEZE]

swallowbreeze also didn't recognize the signs, to be fair. when one of the nursery residents poked their head in, she understood what it meant, and still scrambled around her den to gather the most basic herbs. sticks, moss— that's all she needed, right? raspberry leaves if there were complications, but rain bounced back from exhaustion quickly... the healer sends a quick pray towards starclan before she enters the nursery. maybe whiteflame, the queen who spoke at her medicine cat ceremony, was watching.

she nudged the stick in rain's direction if she needed it. the damp moss was pressed onto her forehead to keep her cool, focused; and then it was over. an easy birth for such a large bundle of kittens... stars, she really was about to pop. "great work, rain they're beautiful." swallowbreeze leans back to give the new mother room to breathe.

she believes that's all there is to do, but suddenly remembers, "you— you need to groom them. to keep them warm before they feed. i'll help," she gently offers, watching the newborns squirm and climb all over each other.

 

[brightnose!'s icon brightnose! brightnose!]

BRIGHTNOSE ──

skyclan | sun guard

​

Brightnose waits anxiously outside after Quailstep ushers Rain away - she doesn't want to crowd the nursery. She gives a short nod to Swallowbreeze as she passes by, disappearing through the den's entrance with herbs and moss. It's not long before things seems to quiet down a bit, and she pops her head inside to look.
"Is it, um... okay if I come in?" she asks, her voice quiet but her eyes sparkling with curiosity about the Clan's newest additions. Brightnose has been known to be a bit awkward around kittens, not really knowing what to do with herself around them, but when it comes to newborns she's a little more comfortable. She stays a comfortable distance away as she steps inside, still wary of taking up too much space, but she watches Rain's four little kittens with wonder. She knows all cats start out very small, but it's still such a surprise to see just how small. Something stirs within her chest as she sees them squirming about, and for a moment she imagines that it must have looked similar when she and her siblings were born so many moons ago, way back during the days of the gorge.

"Congratulations, Rain. They're so cute." She smiles warmly, her tail wrapping around herself as she crouches down to watch the little ones. "Do you have any ideas for what to name them, yet?"

now i will tell you what i've done for you

fifty thousand tears i've cried

• ooc:
• "speaking" | thinking | action

 

[SONGKIT SONGKIT]

Her son, gray and white, a snapshot of Rain herself, is pulled from the warmth of everything he's ever known and nothing he's ever been aware of, thrown into an open realm cold against his form. Little do those who observe him now know, but the chirping cry that marks his arrival into their home might just be the loudest noise he'll ever make, a shocked response to a world so new, so stark in contrast.

The familiarity of warmth isn't too far, the squirming newborn learns, as something rasps along his back and something gentle guides him back towards what was, mere moments ago, everything to him. Home, perhaps. His mother, his siblings.

Nestled between his littermates, his weeping song is quelled by sudden safety as he embraces the comfort of his mother's warmth, her very being.

 

[Rain Rain]

R A I N
​ what a shame we all became ​

Rain listened to Swallowbreeze's instruction with a mute nod. Quailstep's warmth beside her, Snowveil's encouragement, her kits at her belly... she tried to quell her tears as she realized she was amassing a bit of a crowd. She didn't even know why she was crying. Gratitude? Relief? New fears about taking care of four new lives? Wiping her face with a paw, she followed suit with Swallowbreeze and groomed the kit closest to her, lapping their fur dry. They squeak and squirm at her touch. She couldn't believe how tiny they were beneath her tongue.

"Thank you all,"

she finally managed, her voice a rattling purr. Her gaze fell on Swallowbreeze, then Snowveil, then Quailstep. Her heart was bursting with gratitude for her new friend, and she found herself gazing at them wordlessly, knowing a simple thank you would never be enough.

Her attention was drawn away by Brightnose padding into the nursery. She purred her thanks, peering down at the kits with fond blue eyes. She could feel tears gathering again and tried to blink them away. Then, Brightnose's question gave her pause. She'd been contemplating names since she first discovered she was pregnant. But now, looking at them, every idea she'd had seemed silly.

"Hm..."

She looked them over. The first one was the easiest.

"Flutter - their coloring reminds me of a butterfly,"

she purred in delight.

"And Moth,"

she lapped at the the top of Mothkit's head. Their coloring reminded her of the small moths she'd see fluttering around lights in Twolegplace.

She toyed with a few names for the third kit. With a start, she remembered Pear had been a name she'd liked from the beginning. It was short and cute, and looking down she thought their pelt reminded her of the bark on a pear tree.

"Pear,"

she decided with a small smile.

That left the last kit, the one who looked most like her, save for the faint tabby striping of Jet across their fur. There was a tightness in her chest at the sight. They were beautiful. She thought about the cry they'd made when they'd first arrived in the world. Though quiet now, she decided on a name with a nod.

"Song."

She looked up towards Brightnose, then around to the other assembled cats.

"Though, if I'm raising them to be Skyclan kits, then their names are Flutterkit, Mothkit, Pearkit, and Songkit."

She practically beamed at the way the names feel on her tongue. Her kits, proud future warriors of Skyclan.

such fragile

✦

broken things

• OOC:
• KEY:
  

  "speech"

  
  

  'thoughts'

  
  attempted action
  

  "other character's speech"

  
  
• 
  

  sleek grey she-cat with white paws, tailtip, face, and chin
  she/her
  loner
  15 moons
  
  

 

[Pearkit]

PEARKIT

ANY PRONOUNS

SKYCLAN

KITTEN

Pearkit's arrival into the world was silent, marked only by its form suddenly appearing in the world where a moment ago there was nothing. The silence would perhaps concern the mother or the healer, if it wasn't for Mothkit's arrival a moment later. As soon as Mothkit breathed it's first gulp of air, Pearkit suddenly went from nothing to existence, announcing its arrival with a quiet yelp.

Pearkit did not yet know why it waited for its sibling to breathe before it started to feel, but maybe in time, it would understand. For now it was comforted by the closeness of its siblings and the touch of someone far bigger than it grooming its wet fur. It breathed air in quietly, letting others guide it to where its meant to be, near warmth and softness.

As soon as it got close to its mother, instinct kicked in and it latched onto her, filling its belly with warm milk, not understanding how it could have survived without it until now. Soon the kitten would fall asleep, belly full and breathing steady.

ʚĭɞ OOC: