TW: Sensitive Content TW: Death Open PAFP i am the daughter of cups ──✩°｡⋆⸜ patrol?

[juniperstar]

{$title} please be mindful that this thread mentions topics of pregnancy difficulties, maternal insecurities, infant death/still-born, and emotions related to these feelings including grief and guilt.

juniper

the promise of a fresh drink of water had encouraged them to venture just a bit further... pressing through the crumbling leaves and shouldering through ferns that wilt in the cold. it is a warmer day than it had been in recent weeks, blessed by the sun peaking through thin clouds. it's almost enough of a reminder of what the spring would feel like that Juniperstar finds herself hopeful again. with any luck the river would not be covered in a thin layer of ice, she could have her refreshing drink and go about their return towards ThunderClan's camp. they'd done well to find something to bring back to eat, though her own maw remains empty of the luck her companions seem to have. the best she can really offer presently is to scare prey right into their paws and even that takes some doing. her stomach clenches with a sort of cramped ache, one that goes ignored in favor of encouraging her companions with a thankful, "I appreciate you coming with me this far, you didn't have to- I could've found my way back on my own."

maybe it was the abruptness with which they'd lost both Fray and Thornstar that stirred up such caution as to escort her for her little sip.

the brush become denser as ferns sift into their ranks, signaling their approach to the shore-line- the silhouette of a set of tall, flat rocks sits with a beam of sunlight neatly cast down upon it. warm... inviting... begging to be sunbathed in. her tail curls, whipping like an eager, inquisitive snake- did they have enough time to sit around and laze about for a little bit? her paws ached, frankly... and surely their did too even if they weren't strutting around with a blimp-shaped abdomen. the chocolate tabby waddles quickly towards the bank, listening to the low gurgle of its winter hymn- the crisp droplets that crash against random stones is refreshing, cooling the warmth that huff through her nose after so much expended effort.

her gut twists again, more insistently this time; it must just be the kittens throwing another tantrum that she skipped breakfast. she gulps down a quick drink, lingering there with a few focused breaths as the discomfort lasts one moment... then two... the moment it lets up she stands again, turning towards the others with a forced smile. "Just what I needed- are you thirsty? We have time, take a-" a sharp inhale interrupts her offer, ears pointing back at another onslaught of pain. the ThunderClan leader crouches down to try to ease some of the ache, finding it hardly subdued enough to call it a relief- Now? But we're- I thought I had more time. fear nestles itself in the extra seafoam that rises where pupils narrow to nervous slits-

"Okay... alright... Uhm," her mouth runs dry and she sorely wishes that she had not missed Serpentberry's birth if only so she could understand what there was to expect. What to do about it in a place like this... Isolated, removed from the medicine cat who could help. What did Brownfur know about kitting? It feels like a cruel joke. "Whichever... whichever one of you... can run faster... I suggest you go- go find Serpent. Serpentberry." her teeth grit painfully against each other, slinking away from the shallows to make herself more comfortable under the cover of the canopy. where she might nestle herself into some of the brush for cover.

whoever it is that takes off, she hardly recognizes their absence, gaze fixating on the space between her forepaws as she lowers herself to lay against cold earth. in some way the chill is a comfort... numbing the way her body aches in what places the chill can reach. a deep breath, held between tight teeth to ride out another wave, relinquished only when it feels a little easier to breathe again. it was a mistake to have ignored the discomfort she'd felt waking up that morning, to insist upon treading out here to be useful. already voices of clan-mates who'd warned her to settle overlap and replay in lecturing cacophony in her head.

they'd be proven right to worry.

at some point the purpose of vision goes missing, lost to a much more carnal focus. what is the point in consuming her surroundings when there is so much happening within. an agonized whine crawls from the deepest parts of her chest, a grating, aching thing... but muffled, stifled in hopes of not drawing in undo attention. they are impatient... and there is hardly any time between when a messenger had been sent and the over-eager arrival of one... two... three... four kits. maybe it is instinct that drives exhausted body to move in machine-like movements to grab at them, to groom them over, to press them close where they wouldn't freeze... or maybe help had arrived in the haze she still couldn't see through. it was just fog... staring into dark furred pelts and recognizing none of what she perceived. only the ache... and the cold... and a distinct feeling of quiet underneath the loud mewls of those who had taken their first breaths.

at some point the exhaustion catches up, crawling and gripping at her, ripping her head back to lay on the leaf-littered floor with heavy eyelids. the labored rise and fall of a speckled flank. it was done right... it could be over? the thought doesn't even register, hungrily searching for the darkness of closed eyes, eager to sleep and recover. Everything's fine... I can just take a nap... For just a moment...

Juniperstar lets out a shallow sigh, I'm not alone.

──✩°｡⋆⸜ ✮

• please wait for either @BROWNFUR 𓄋 or @Flutterstep to respond! after that anyone is free to jump in, even if not tagged! we're located all the way by sunningrocks, like idiots <3
  we have kittens early , aw shit...
  obligatory pings for @serpentberry @TBDKIT @BossTaurus [other tbdkit] @Magpiekit @ScremeEgg [littlekit]

• juniperstar leader of thunderclan nine lives remain

  ignore me

 

[BROWNFUR 𓄋]

The Colony had fallen quickly into disarray after Fray's death. The old tom had fallen, and with his death came the fall for the peace he conquered underneath those oaks. Brownfur- or Khaki, as he had been at the time- had flown through the tide of the fight and its rage in quiet displeasure and fear for Pixie's safety. It was a right nasty fight after all, right in the safety of their sleep. Targeted by cats he had once thought to be his friends, acquaintance's, or simply fellow of their kind.

It had been a night heavy with blood, and thankfully neither him or Pixie joined the ranks of StarClan. A soul-harboring Clan of sorts, from what he understood. Fancy names and titles, new dens and nests, new lives to look forward to and they weren't even given the rest of the night to settle in before Thornstar joined his father.

Ascending to a third leader within a single night... It certainly was enough to shake Brownfur's confidence that they were truly as grand as Coffeestar claimed they could be. With Juniperstar pregnant, hobbling about still on patrols and working herself thin, the dark tom had to wonder what kind of strength she possessed to keep going. They did well at least to distract some of the prey he and Flutterstep came across! A fragile mouse hung by the tail in his maw while they stepped along the chilly alongside the water, brows furrowed as he saw Juniperstar's pelt twitching uncomfortably.

The molly hardly began to speak before another twitch rippled down her sides, sending them to the ground. Brownfur looked to Flutterstep with a rushed exhale through his nose, dropping the mouse to his paws and quickly throwing forest debris to cover it's scent.

"Let's not attract something we can't handle." Brownfur mumbled, prompting for his daughter to do the same before urging her to follow Juniperstar's lead. "I will keep her safe." It is a promise he intended to keep, he wouldn't let any bird or fuzzy furred beast take advantage of this weakness.

Juniperstar was right to assume, he knew nothing of kitting other than the potential dangers. Anything preventative was out of his paws, and stars forbid anything go south with the kits themselves. It was sheer luck that nothing fatal had occurred while Brownfur paced and kept watch, keeping his fur flat and focusing on the sounds around them beyond the caterwauling and kitten mewls. He looked behind him at last as she drew quieter, inching closer to see. Brownfur opened his maw to alert the new mother, something she must have not seen in her exhaustion, but held his tongue.

She should rest for now with the joyful thought of each kitten thriving at her side, a gentle lie for just a little longer.

ooc general information

• ooc:
• 𓄋 thunderclan warrior
  𓄋 father to flutterstep
  𓄋 staunchly stoic

 

[serpentberry]

Serpentberry's attention lingered on Juniperstar when it mattered. As much as she believed the molly to be too-trusting and foolish, she also felt that it was only right to give her space. StarClan ultimately allowed her within their realm, to come out the other end with stars trestled into her fur. Surely they see something that so many of them can't, that oftentimes she can't even see within herself. The smoke tortoiseshell does not think twice when she sees Juniperstar escorted out of camp, round with enough kittens to drown them out of house and home - maybe she ought to be a little more annoying with her nagging worries.

Before long, thundering steps enter the ravine, and her name is on their tongue. She detangles herself from her nest of sleeping kits to prowl out of her den, eyes narrowed with obvious frustration. Is she allowed no rest anymore? (Thinks the she-cat who does little more than rest in the moment.) Her jaws click, teeth snapping with an immediate complaint - but then her friend's name drips off of their tongue and the alarm is understood, palpable, and felt.

Juni - oh, Juni, you downright idiot!

She kitted, but she had knowledge and friends. Palefern kitted alone, but she was in camp, accessible and soon taken care of by Serpentberry herself. Juniperstar - walked all the way to the star-forsaken river, and decided to hunker down there? It makes Serpentberry sick with rage and worry equally, and before she knows it, she's rumaging through her stores. Her claws do not care to be delicate and her tongue does not weather from its sharpness. @THUNDERFLASH must be experiencing the same bewilderment, but she pays little mind to whatever he has to say. Instead, she tasks him with the cobwebs, her only words to him being, "If you lose even a scrap of that, I'll use your fur as a replacement."

She's not losing Juni. She is not losing her.

Her paws catch only at the heels of the reporting warrior as they turn back out of camp and to the lung-breaking sprint to the river. She prays with every heaving breath that everything is fine and that Juniperstar has an easy kitting. Sure, it's cold, and less than comfortable with the lack of undergrowth for shelter - but maybe instincts will kick in. Maybe she will find a badger den and curl up with a few of their pups for warmth. Because if she's insane enough to go this far out for a drink of water, then she for certain has lost enough of her mind to cozy up with a predator's litter, too.

The scent of milk and blood distract her and instead of following the route, Serpentberry dodges aside. Through thorny undergrowth, she finds Brownfur standing sentry near Juniperstar - thorns wind into her pelt and she grimaces but presses forward still. "Brownfur - are you -" the herbs in her mouth and the heavy breathing make it difficult to berate him, admittedly. Nothing she wants to say can be said with a single heaving breath, and so she discards him with a sharp look, gritting her teeth as she stomps passed him and to her friend.

Perhaps it is her own motherhood that makes it obvious, or her lexicon of medicinal information, or even the most basic concept of living - but she can immediately tell something isn't right. Frustration does not melt away, not as fear compounds within it. Juniperstar is breathing - perhaps with the same impact she is, but at least she isn't fading. Three of the kits greedily paw at her, clean for the most part and stubbornly trying to dry despite the cold air. One - one kit...

"Come on," she says, quickly, finally, "I need paws, guys. I need warm paws and ready tongues, these kits - brush their fur the wrong way, now. They can wait for their meals, they need to be warm. Now," Her demands slink out gritted teeth as she circles Juniper, leaving openings for Brownfur (who earns a particularly sharp glare,) Flutterstep, Thunderflash - or anyone else eager enough to join them - to thieve a kit from Juniper's side and begin drying them. Her tail falls over her friend's side, her torso pressing close - and her gaze lingers on the final kit. She... she...

"Juni - Juni, right yourself for me. I know your tired but you can't be splayed like a bunny in the snow. You'll lose your warmth," Her tail curls around the last kitten, as if to hide it. Her throat hurts, her heart hurts. She presses her cheek to her friend, "Stay awake. Clean your kit, please."

She'll give Juniper the chance to learn on her own. Maybe that's the respect she deserves, or the strength StarClan depends on her to have.

Or maybe, Serpent is too weak to say it herself.

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

He's only in camp for short periods of time these days. Much like Ghoststrike his paws are overworked, and much like Serpentberry, ever-determined to get things done. He likes to pick those qualities out of his friends and label them to himself, though he wonders from time to time if he's ever living up to it. Lost to him is how his effort is affecting the cats in camp. Those too weak to hunt are fed, those cold are brought moss and thicket and feather and pelts to warm him with. It helps, he thinks, to see his efforts, and he's standing looking all kinds of proud at the piece of prey he deposited on the freshkill pile, splayed spread-eagle in it's death, when Flutterstep barges into camp.

Baby blue eyes are wide, sharp, teeth grit and ears shoved forward. Serpentberry is already here, and he's leaping into her den, unable to say anything, but maybe the way he looks is proof enough he's worried. He's downright terrified they're going to get there too late, with blood on the snow and the scent of kits on the air and- he swallows thickly, trying to steel himself. Trying to make him more rigid, like the way Ghoststrike or Scalejaw could be. More unbending. "Aye, I go' i'." He snaps back at Serpentberry, In his fervor he doesn't call for Ghost, to be on his six, to follow them both into the unknown, to help. Maybe he already knows. Thunderflash couldn't know himself, too busy keeping on Serpentberry's heels to worry about the brute.

No, he's thinking about blood on the snow still, thinking about the water swallowing her whole, and his heart is beating out of his chest. They can't lose another leader. Not like this. He wills any kind of emotion down, despite the way it jostled it's way back to the surface with each drum of his paws. His side aches. His breathing hurts. It can't hurt as much as Juniperstar, or Palefern, or Serpentberry do. Ears flatten against his skull as the arrived, cobwebs carefully tucked beneath his jaw. Running with his head down like that only made everything ache more, but it's ignored in favor of the scene. Baby blue eyes flash towards Brownfur, then towards Juniperstar, and he bites his tongue.

He isn't blind. He sees what the other two see. He isn't given the luxury of gawking, following Serpentberry like a willing servant, the cobwebs passed to her as a kit was pushed in-between his paws. Teeth grit sharply together as he leans down, ignoring the scent of blood or anything else. No, he can't think about that right now, tongue moving to push fur the wrong direction and warm the tiny bundle back to life. "C'mon. C'mon, damnit." He growls out, his eyes stinging. Thunderflash tells himself it's the cold, tells himself it's not because they're in the middle of nowhere and the survival rate of newborn kits would have been higher if they were back in camp. If Juniperstar had just stayed put.

Glimmering eyes full of storms move from the kits to Serpentberry, who's nudging the last kit towards Juniperstar, and he stares at his friend. No, there was no easy way to tell her, but surely something had to be less cruel then that. He keeps his mouth shut, moving back to the kit as he wraps himself around the bundle, continuing to clean the kit. Until Juniperstar moves, until she picks herself up, there isn't anything that Thunderflash can do besides that.

___________________ YOU'VE GOT MY BODY ☆ FLESH AND BONE, YEAH ___________________

• "speech"
  // any of the kits can be yeeted at him!
  

• 

• THUNDERFLASH he/him, thunderclanner, twenty moons.
  ☆ a sh/lh chocolate tabby with low white and stunning baby blue eyes. stands of average height with a 'mohawk' and spiky-shaped mane.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Copperstorm]

COPPER OF THUNDERCLAN

Copperstorm's head snapped up as Flutterstep burst into camp, her cry ringing through the clearing like a clap of thunder. "Juniperstar's kitting!" The urgency in her voice sent a jolt through his veins, his fur bristling as he processed the words. His wide-eyed gaze met Dewshine's, sharing a moment of mutual alarm before he sprang to his paws.

" Juniperstar is outside of camp?! " he growled, his voice tight with worry. Of all places for this to happen! He gave Dewshine a quick, reassuring lick behind the ear, a silent promise to return soon, before swiveling to the closest cat. " Come with me. If more paws are needed, we'll need them fast. " Without waiting for a response, he was off, his legs pounding against the ground as he sprinted after Thunderflash, Serpentberry, and Flutterstep. His tail lashed as his mind raced, trying to calculate what they would need to do. Juniperstar needed to be brought back safely and the kits too. StarClan, how many kits were there? Would they all survive?

Copperstorm gritted his teeth, pushing himself faster as the group veered through the undergrowth. The chilly air bit at his nose, but he ignored it, focusing on the cats ahead. When they finally reached the scene, his breath caught in his throat. Juniperstar lay on the ground, her body heaving with exhaustion, and Brownfur stood nearby, his expression strained. But what struck Copperstorm most was the sight of Serpentberry, already moving with sharp precision.

" Mousedung. " he hissed under his breath as his gaze landed on their leader. Her eyes were drooping, her body trembling. She was slipping into unconsciousness... Here, of all places. This was far from safe, far from warm, far from anything a kitting queen should be dealing with.

Serpentberry's voice cut through the tension like a whip, telling their leader to stay awake. Copperstorm watched as the medicine cat moved to shield a lifeless kit with their tail, sparing no time to mourn as they focused on the living.

Copperstorm felt a pang of grief but forced it aside. There was no time. Three kits were still alive. That was what mattered now.

Without hesitation, he leaned down and gently picked up one of the tiny, trembling bundles. The kit's fur was slick and damp, its tiny body cold against his nose. Determined, Copperstorm began rasping his tongue over the kit's fur, moving against the fur to warm it up as quickly as he could. His tongue worked tirelessly, the repetitive motion grounding him even as his mind swirled with worry.

The kit gave a faint, pitiful squeak, and Copperstorm's heart clenched. " Come on, little one... " he murmured under his breath. " You've got to stay with us. StarClan knows Juniperstar needs you all to make it through this. "

He spared a glance at the others, noting Thunderflash doing the same with one of the remaining kits, while Serpentberry continued to check on Juniperstar. The scent of fear and urgency hung heavy in the air, but Copperstorm kept his focus sharp.

They had made it this far. He would not let them lose another life tonight.
[/color]

you walk along the edge of danger ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— AND IT WILL CHANGE YOU

 

[Flutterstep]

Today was shaping up to be a good day, Flutterstep thought, as she trotted alongside her father and Juniperstar. The warmer weather had brought the prey out to shuffle and scuffle around in their own search of food, and while the prey still wasn't plentiful by any means, it had been a decent hunt. Juniperstar's strategy of scaring the prey into their waiting claws had been effective- the mice she and Brownfur both carried were proof of that- though Flutterstep had been quietly worried for her health the whole while. Surely so much action couldn't be good for Juniperstar in her state? But Juniperstar had pressed on, and nothing had happened so far. Now, they just needed to get their catches and their leader home. Yes. It was a good day today.

And then, all too soon, the pleasant mood was shattered.

Flutterstep didnt know much about pregnancy or kitting, but...This was too early for the kits to be coming wasnt it? Anxiety curled in her stomach, and she kneaded the ground with worry. At her father's promise to stay with their leader, Flutterstup turned and took off back into the forest, fleeing to camp as fast as her paws would take her. The cold air burned in her lungs and branches and thorns were tearing at her fur, but she barely registered the pain. Didn't stop to catch her breath or slow her pace. The clan had already experienced so much loss- Were they about lose Juniperstar and her kits too? The thought caused her to nearly stumble- and startled her back away from the dread starting to build in the back of her mind. She had to believe things would turn out okay- she just had to make it to camp. Had to get help- then Juniperstar would be safe. This thought drove her forward as the trees became more familiar, and the camp finally, finally, came into view. Flutterstep practically crashed through the entrance, and barely managed to slow her momentum enough to not careen into any cats in her path.

"Juniperstar- Juniperstar is kitting!! Down by the- by the river!" Flutterstep's yowl was breathless and panicked, as she frantically gazed around camp for any sign of the cat that could help "We need Serpentberry, now!" Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long for her call to be answered. Both Serpentberry and Thunderflash quickly appeared, and soon Flutterstep was sprinting just as desperately as before, leading the cats willing to help way to the river. The smell of blood and fear that met them when they got close had the other cats pushing ahead of Flutterstep. She put on a final burst of speed to follow them, and the familiar pelts of Brownfur and Juniperstar came into view. Flutterstep finally took a moment to catch her breath- nearly collapsing to the ground in a winded heap- but Serpentberry's snapped command reminded her that there was still work to be done, lives to save. She resolutely pushed her exhaustion to the side and gentley gathered up the remaining kit, resting the weakly squirming little thing on her paws, and set to work following Serpentberry's instructions.

 

[juniperstar]

juniper

if she were any less fortunate, there might be no cause for celebration of this day at all... it wouldn't be something to relish in immediately, would feel like a barbed memory rather than a dream... the familiar sounds of paws shuffling about through the undergrowth is enough to stir her from stupor, just barely to sit up against her exhaustion with bleary eyes. Serpentberry... her tone was forceful despite her worry, insistent despite her fear. exhausting... it was an understatement... much less with the added discomfort of the frigid air.

StarClan could be thanked for the helpful tongues of many others, eager and willing to set themselves to work in an effort to distribute the load. Juniperstar doesn't notice the worried glances that the group exchanges, having come to a conclusion she hadn't pieced together through the ringing in her ears, the warm rush of blood through her veins. there are mewls after all... several of them, enough so that it doesn't immediately suggest a problem.

gingerly, the tortoiseshell medicine cat presses duty towards her and with a relieved murmur, the chocolate she-cat replies, "I didn't know you could run that fast..." it is a joke pressed between lips thinned with amusement, squinting up at their friend, unrecognizing of the glimmer in new-leaf colored eyes. a bunny splayed in the snow... at least they could bury themselves in their burrows for shelter.

here there is only whatever leaves cling to the trees... the browned needles of the brush... her legs tuck in, dragging herself into a tighter ball as she reaches to try to grab at what Serpentberry had obscured. a stilled form... one that had hardly gasped a breath at all before becoming alike the ice-covered stones on the shore. brows furrow in confusion, a panicked urgency rising her chest as she pulls the last kit to her chest, nestled carefully between her paws as her tongue drags up it's spine.

it... it doesn't seem right. she wasn't so young as to have never witnessed the birth of others- her own siblings, she'd been young but present for their arrival. this isn't- she pauses, fraught with dread as her pupils fixate on the unmoving flank of what is held close. the leader's jaw tenses, clenched tightly. A life for a life... and that was a far kinder [or crueler] way to regard it. a balance repaid.

her eyes water, unwilling to meet any of the prying eyes at linger around with their best efforts put on the line to preserve the rest. Juniperstar tucks her chin over the tiny kit, buried in the warmth of her furs as a last comfort, a name whispered against folded ears. "Littlekit... they'll take care of you..." a sorely needed reassurance, that they'd be dressed in starlight with all their departed friends to chase after them.

she swallows past the stone in her throat, unwilling to lift her head again as if it might make everyone else forget there was anything hidden there. like they could just pretend all was well. that maybe she hadn't been the cause for it. her vision trails the empty space on the forest floor in front of her, ears still sat at alert to make out the hiccupped cries of newborn with their flames still burning brightly. they'd need to move... even though her limbs felt like they were made of flimsy twigs...

neatly, almost methodically, Littlekit is slotted away to the back of her thoughts quickly. a careless mechanism to cope, to focus on what good remains. a sepia-toned tabby, like herself.. a tiny blackbird, dusted in snowy markings, and another umber bramble, speckled by pale furs like they were dotted in frost... tickled by starlight that hadn't claimed them. had it nearly?

"I already picked names," the queen says softly, casting her gaze away from the wriggling bodies with no real distinction to their order but the one assigned in her head. "Aster..." for those blooms that would soon return and grow alongside these kittens. "Magpie..." to give them the voice they'd need to navigate such a complicated world, a family split by such muddled history. "And Dream..." in hopes they'll pursue theirs with reckless abandon and find success.

her nose scrunches, only for a moment before she finds Serpentberry's paws, not once lifting her stare off the floor for fear of what reaction she might have to witness in the planes of her face- anger? an 'i told you so' withheld on her lips only barely? pity? another apology in a long list of miseries? or maybe just nothing... maybe no expression at all would make it worse. uncaring... expended of any emotion left to give Juniper who'd never once heeded her when it mattered. it would be justified... that sort of emotional abandonment... but she cannot bear to admit it her reality. "I'll... get up," she affirms, hesitation lingering in her tone as if she's uncertain it even possible. but she doesn't wait for approval.

any small discomfort or ache is surely earned... owed to the one that did not survive. she would feel all of it, just for them. since they couldn't. it does require untangling herself from them... it takes no small amount of effort to do. the ThunderClan leader stubbornly ignores what offers for help might be offered- they've all done enough to deal with her today- as she stumbles to her paws, "We can go..." hurriedly, they grab Littlekit's scruff without an acknowledgment made to their lack of breathing. what was the point in saying it out loud...?

they already knew. and the rest would not be made warmer for all their standing around. best they move on... best they forget.

──✩°｡⋆⸜ ✮

• juniperstar leader of thunderclan nine lives remain

  ignore me

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

WE SLEEP SAFELY AT NIGHT BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO VISIT VIOLENCE ON THOSE WHO WOULD HARM US

​

---

Ghost was there, but like his namesake, he kept quiet and out of sight. Not hiding from what was happening, but feeling no great enthusiasm to join, either. He was half convinced it was a lost cause already, that the kits wouldn't survive being born in the ice and snow. The other half of him was reluctant to touch or go near anything so delicate, and thus he didn't offer to handle the medical supplies. Didn't step up to lick the kittens. Didn't offer up his scarred body for warmth.

Instead, he set up a perimeter, barking orders to whichever cats were standing around flexing their claws while chaos ensued around them, extra hands that couldn't directly help with Juniperstar and her young, but who could still act as vigilant eyes against any predators that might catch smell of the blood and milkscent that would imply an easy meal.

OOC- short post. Ghost is present but not actively helping with the kits. He's got a small group of cats setting up a perimeter to keep an eye out for predators who might be attracted by the blood or cries.
​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​

 

[Magpiekit]

WE DON'T GET WHAT WE NEED

xxx

we're all wrapped up in G R E E D - THERE'S AN EGO TO FEED

Of the small, curled up forms mewling and crying on the cold ground only one did not have the warm, chocolate-colored pelt of their mother, the soft subtle stripes on pale and dark kitten fur that would one day crisscross in lattice-like patterns. No, one was stark black, a small soot-colored and frizzy form that turned to wail and bare a blindingly white throat; the father no more obvious than if StarClan itself painted the tom's name across the sky for all to see. He is oblivious to his appearance, a mimicry of a tom whose teeth were stained with the blood of the medicine cat's mate, the one who helped deliver him into this cold and unforgiving world. So too is he oblivious to the body next to him, colder still than the earth they lay on and rigid as stone, a brother he would never meet. The tiny black and white kit rattled out a wheezing, shrill cry like birdsong, plaintively demanding warmth as Juniperstar stood to carry the stone kit and leave him for another to pluck from the ground.

i don't know euphoria - i'd like to meet her someday - c'est la vie

• 

  MAGPIEKIT

  
  — kitten of shadowclan
  — He/They
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  — Solid black w/low white & blue-violet eyes.
  — Has 'wobbly cat' syndrome.
  #9272ee
  
  

 

[DREAMKIT]

(𓆩✧𓆪) dream is a shade of his mother, as if fur has been shorn from her soft flank and placed onto the body of another. wriggling, squeaking, he makes his presence known, bundled in thunderflash's large paws. a rough tongue licks his bramble hued fur back, drying the spiky kit-soft pelt into something more recognizable - soft umber tones, identical to the queen who now stands to move back to camp. "awaaaaa," dream burbles, and closes tiny white paws around the warrior's berry pink nose. he can sense disturbance, some electric force in the air telling the young tomkit that his mother is not okay, that his siblings may yet be in danger. squeaking out another rallying cry, dreamkit is scooped into the air, first escapade out of camp concluded as his tiny body curls in thunderflash's jaws.

he is to be carried home, then to seek out milk and warmth. his unknown duty will be to comfort his grieving mother, and he will reach tiny claws out to snag at her tangled fur as she passes by his escort, a troublemaker already.

SCATTERED ACROSS MY FAMILY LINE 𓆩✧𓆪 GOD, I HAVE MY FATHER`S EYES

• // being carried by @THUNDERFLASH " #e9af74"
• 
• DREAMKIT 𓆩✧𓆪 HE / HIM, KIT OF SHADOWCLAN. 01 MOONS OLD, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  a longhaired chocolate spotted tabby with low white and orange eyes. silky chocolate fur cascades in waves across his boxy frame, darker dapples giving him his tabby pelt. creamy white splashes his paws, belly, tail tip, and muzzle, freckling across his face. the hue of a crackling fire sparkles from narrow sockets.

 

[Littlekit]

(Cause I) don't want to live my life alone,

(Well I) was waiting for you all my life...

​

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LITTLEKIT, They/Them / 1 moon / Starclan - Kit
Black self / Cinnamon ticked tabby chimera with a pronounced right fang
Child of JUNIPERSTAR and SABLESTAR, Sibling to MAGPIEKIT, DREAMKIT and ASTERKIT
Calculating, Apprehensive, Fearful, Shy and lost little soul...
Tagging [@]

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One of the four kittens simply never moved, for no other reason than they simply could not. It wouldn't take much to notice what was wrong, this last kit was gone before they had even had a chance, where the others drew breath from the air, this one only drew sorrow from others present. Cats that the lost kitten would never know... Or so one might think.

For the briefest of moments, imperceptible to all but those with connection to the afterlife, the body of this kitten was aglow with speckles of stars and a soft light— it was their tiny spirit. In this blip of time, they could tangentially perceive a few things. Vague sounds, presences, voices, few that the kit could hope to try and understand yet knew were there. Others were more clear to the kitten's spirit, the ones tethered close to them— their three siblings who were just as small and their mother; Juniperstar, the one individual whose warmth and touch the kitten could have sworn they had felt, the one voice that they could almost hear clearly...

"Littlekit...

t̸h̸e̸y̴'̷l̴l̴ ̴t̷a̵k̸e̶ ̵c̸a̴r̵e̶ ̸o̵f̴ ̷y̸o̸u̴.̷.̷.̴

"

A name, a mark of love given to the lost child from their mother. All of this bestowed upon the soul in the blink of a tear stricken eye, washed away to realms beyond as the flow could not be stemmed, ripped away from the family they had not been given the chance to stay with. The shock of it all hit a primal part of the young soul, filling them with a grief they could not comprehend.

Thus, another little star would light the night sky...

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Oh, oh, oh, why...

Set me free...

​