Open Camp icantbelieveiletyougetaway // kitten caravan

[SABLESTAR]

Journeying back to the pocosin had left Sablestar feeling elated, lighter than the brittle blades of grass he walked on as he led the pair behind him. Not all was lost between them, they could make their family work and stay together in some way after all. Meeting one another more regularly would be nice, he thought, and do well to maintain equal footing if both of their Clans were to truly accept this.

The Thunderpath had been his biggest concern on the way home with Magpiekit not keeping up as Dreamkit could- he made sure both of them went together and stuck to the pace Magpiekit could handle- praising how well they traveled for not even being apprentices yet. They would surely be exhausted by the time they reached ShadowClan's camp, but it would also be nightfall, and they could snooze away with the other kittens.

Questions asked were excitedly answered, he wanted his kits to love the land just as he did. No mice here, but plenty of frogs and lizards and sparrows for them to try. No, the mud didn't really go away and, yes, the rain would stop eventually, but only for a for hours to a day at a time. They had an uncle here, too, Shadesight. He might be a little bit like Graybird... but he's just shy.

"Timberfrost will take care of you whenever I'm away. He's a Caretaker, and he can introduce you to all the kits in the nursery, too." He slowly guided them towards the nursery, poking his snout inside first to see where the tom was. "You mind coming out here for a bit? I'd like to introduce you to my kits." My kits, he practically beamed as the words came from his maw.

this heart beats cold like the devil his own

• interacting with @Magpiekit @DREAMKIT @Timberfrost but no need to wait!
  these kits should be no surprise to shadowclan, sablestar mentioned them here!
  "mew"
• 

  SABLESTAR— he/him ･fifty-four moons ･leader; shadowclan ･penned by gonkpilled

  a black and white tuxedo with dark amber eyes

 

[DREAMKIT]

(𓆩✧𓆪) a yawn stretches the jaws of the spotted tabby as he pads at his father's side. sablestar is quite tall - although most adults are tall for the kit - and broad shouldered, exactly as the boy has imagined him. his fur is the same as magpiekit's and his eyes glow with the similar hue of dreamkit's own. the little tomkit feels quite at home as he traipses at sablestar's side, little tail lashing behind him. his father answers every one of his many questions, something he appreciates. still, he has one more. "why couldn't asterkit come, papa?" he wants to know, gazing up at the older man with wide eyes. "i'm sure he wants to see the uh... shadowclan territory too!" nodding to himself, dreamkit sniffs. this boggish territory is a far cry from the dry forest trails of thunderclan. a small lump forms in the boy's throat as he thinks of the reaching oaks and tall maples of his home, of the familiar presence of juniperstar, serpentberry, of the kits he is leaving behind today. "d'you think heartkit can visit?" he asks, eyes brightening slightly at the thought of his friend coming to see his new kingdom. "i think she would like it here,"

"i guess i can tell her all about it when we go home again." with a decisive nod, dreamkit solves his own question. they near the shadowclan camp, where the stench of cats wafts stronger. the boy scents the air, wrinkling his nose as the smells of mud and pine mix with unfamiliar cat smell. coming to a halt next to magpiekit, he turns to whisper in his brother's ear - "d'you think we'll smell like that soon?" wrinkling his nose, he huffs a chuckle. upon entering camp, the two kits are immediately looked at, studied by unfamiliar eyes of all kinds. dreamkit keeps close to magpiekit, patient at his brother's unsteady footsteps. sablestar leads them towards what must be the nursery, speaking of a cat named timberfrost. dreamkit eyes the man as he approaches, still not quite sure of his place amongst this group. "hello," he opts to greet, dipping his small head in the way juniperstar taught him. "i'm dreamkit! we're visitin' papa from thunderclan."

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

• // " #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.

​

 

[F l e a p a w]

Fleapaw didn't expect Sablestar to march into camp with a pair of kits trailing in his steps. But it didn't take much thinking to figure out these were his.

Fleapaw's ears twitched, watching them back a beeline for the nursery. She joins the line absentmindedly, nose stooping low as she soaks in the new scents they bring with them—earthy, a little sweet. It was a scent she knew. One that refreshed her memory of that day by the thunderpath.

Fleapaw's eyes narrowed slightly, gears turning in her head. He did mention something of this before. She vaguely remembered hearing something, but it hadn't seemed all that important at the time.

These kits were ThunderClan? But… didn't they hate ThunderClan? Sure, seemed like it back there, and Fleapaw had been more than happy to agree, especially with how much trash those cats talked.
Still…These brats couldn't be much younger than Monster. She breaks from the ant trail to get a better look. Her amber eyes flicker over the little fluffballs, sizing them up. "I'm Fleapaw." She greets with a toothy grin.

She wonders what their Ma looked like. Kinda hard to guess, just looking at them. Though, the dark one with the odd eyes resembled Sablestar. "Just visiting?" She asked, looking up at the ShadowClan leader. "They aren't staying?"

This is kinda weird.

But then again, everything in Shadowclan was.

____________IF I COULD PAINT THE SKY 𓆏 WOULD ALL THE STARS THEN SHINE A BLOODY RED?

• ooc: —

• 

• FLEAPAW she/her | shadowclanner | 6 moons
  → FLEAKIT / FLEAPAW / FLEAFIRE
  → mentored by POSSUMGRIN and FROSTSTORM
  → former mill kit and kittypet
  → some physical powerplay permitted
  → speech thought/emphasis attacking

 

[Joseph]

((This is more of a late thread, post but since I'll be mostly busy the coming week, I'll toss it down now!))

Kittens. Sablestar was a father of three? Who was their mother? Did he hear her name before? Once he finally broke his shocked stare at the trio as they were led away to settle in, he skimmed the growing crowd for any molly who could fit the bill, but with little luck.
To say Joseph was absent from most clan activities was an understatement. He would chat and learn some new skills, but joining anything particularly important and demanding felt wrong. That it simply wasn't his place in his current position. That he would slow everything down when being on point mattered most. Sablestar personally overseeing his growth and potential gave Joseph a sense of both pride and crippling performance anxiety alike. That possibly expectations around him were too high…
…He'd have to get over it sooner than later.

But for now, Joseph made his way over to Sablestar slowly, not pushing ahead or interrupting any ongoing conversations. He just waited for the energy to die down before finally leaning in himself: "A father? I'm… surprised you find the time- good for you. Who is she?" Icy blue eyes scanned the crowd once more, determined. While he certainly wasn't a fighter and currently only an… okay hunter, Joseph was most confident simply socializing. Certainly a result of kittypet life, but he accepted it.

 

[Tickpaw]

TICK

So what if you can see the darkest side of me?

Tick watched from his spot near the medicine den, wide eyes tracking the movement of the unfamiliar kits. His head tilted slightly, ears twitching. He hadn't seen them before. He had already noticed something about the others, every single one of them had 'kit' at the end of their name, as if the adults might forget they were still... young. It was an odd thing to do, but then again, plenty of odd things happened in this place. Like the hauntings. And now the kits. Something about visiting? He couldn't catch the details from where he lay, not precisely.

With a quiet grunt of effort, he cautiously inched closer, his ears pinning back as sharp, narrowed eyes fixated on the little bundles of energy. His gaze flicked toward his sister for a brief moment before landing on Joseph, the former Twoleg pet, from what Tick had gathered. Stupid.

He didn't speak, didn't come too close, just let his eyes linger on the kits once more. Where was their mother? Why were they just visiting? Was she a kittypet too? Had they been handed off to their father, away from Twolegs? Good on them... The other one walked a bit funny, Tick's ear flicked as he noticed the uneven gait. He turned his attention toward the nursery, anticipating the moment a certain big lump of fur would come blundering out. A soft dad figure. Something he didn't quite understand. Family didn't go beyond siblings and Ma. His gaze drifted back to one of the kits.

" ...Dreamkit. "

The name rolled off his tongue as he mused, tilting his head slightly. Named after dreams?

═════════════⊹⊱ ⟡ ⊰⊹═════════════

 

[Magpiekit]

MAGPIEKIT

WE DON'T GET WHAT WE NEED

we're all wrapped up in GREED - THERE'S AN EGO TO FEED

To say he didn't truly understand what was going on was an understatement, Magpiekit was at least vaguely aware the plan had not been for them to come to ShadowClan because they had not been told as much; he would've said goodbye to his friends if he knew, he would've said bye to Gentleflame and Graybird and Dewdropshine and Burningdawn and- the list went on, but he wasn't given that chance. Juniperstar seemed surprised by it too, his mother would have prepared them for it a little better he was sure, because she was always asking him how he felt and telling him what was going on in the small simple way he could grasp. The walk to the marshland was long, his legs hurt, his eyes struggled to remain open and he plopped himself down to sit between Sablestar's forelegs the moment they arrived and finally stopped moving. The kit's purple eyes darted around the unfamiliar place, there was a strange smell of rot in the air that ThunderClan didn't have, the air here felt damp and left his fur prickling as his head drooped and lifted; bobbing in his idleness.

A brief moment of kitten indignation struck him at the question from the white and gray tom, his nose wrinkling as he held back a sniveling sob, "Her name is Juniperstar, she's a leader." He made sure to emphasize how important his mother was, not just in general but to him and her name should be known. That these cats didn't know it was absurd. The stars picked her, she was the best. His eyes squinted closed in his exhaustion, stifling a yawn before finally answering the cinnamon cat as best he could - were they staying? He didn't know that, he didn't know how long, but he did know how to introduce himself, "I'm Magpiekit."

❝ 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

 

[cicadabuzz]

CICADABUZZ, 27 moons / shc + med. cat
a SH cinnamon tabby/chocolate tortie chimera w/ black eyes
parent to deathberrykit, hemlockkit, mistletoekit
a reserved, pragmatic healer driven by duty rather than sentiment

Cicadabuzz watches the newcomers with their usual impassive gaze, their expression unreadable as they sit just outside their den. They make no move to approach, only observing from a distance, letting the shadows of the camp flicker over their fur. Sablestar's kits. Two small, unfamiliar figures, their ThunderClan scent thick in the air, stirring a ripple of murmurs among the gathered cats. Cicadabuzz does not care for gossip—only for what is useful. And right now, they are asking themself a simple question. Will either of these children be useful? Their thoughts drift briefly to Deathberrykit, whose frail form is already likely a promise of a short life, and to Mistletoekit, who turns their nose up at their teachings. Neither will be the successor Cicadabuzz needs, the one who will learn their craft properly, carry it forward when their own paws inevitably falter. So they must look elsewhere.

The first kit, Magpiekit, is the smaller of the two. His steps are unsteady, his frame light and thin. Weaker, perhaps. Not inherently a failing—small does not always mean incapable—but Cicadabuzz notes the way Sablestar slows his pace for him, how the kit must work harder to keep up. He is quiet compared to his sibling, his posture a little wary. Cicadabuzz has seen kits like him before. Soft-hearted. Likely shy. Maybe even fragile. Then there is Dreamkit. Bright-eyed, inquisitive, a tongue that never seems to still. The way he holds himself speaks of confidence, of a kit who already sees himself as something important. The dip of his head is practiced, as if he has already begun shaping himself into a leader, into something refined. Cicadabuzz doesn't miss the way he sticks close to Magpiekit, how he adjusts his pace to match his brother's, how he looks after him in a way that is almost instinctual. Loyal, then. That can be a strength, though it can also be a weakness.

Neither show an immediate inclination toward the work Cicadabuzz does. That much is clear. But that does not mean they are unsuited. Dreamkit, at least, is curious, and curiosity can be cultivated. Magpiekit… He will need to be watched longer to know what lies beneath that quietness. Cicadabuzz flicks an ear, turning their gaze toward the nursery, where Timberfrost will soon usher them in, where they will be tucked among ShadowClan's kits. Will they adjust, or will they shrink away from unfamiliar soil beneath their paws? Will the bogs mold them, or will they break them? They suppose they will find out soon enough.

 

[Stoatpaw]

——————————————— Together, we'll make our way home ✦

Stoatkit was about ready to settle for a midday nap, she knew it wouldn't be long until she'd be expected to do a lot about the camp for her training, so she revelled in a little nap while she still could. Though through half-lidded eyes, her head perked up as a face poked into the nursery- 'Oh, Sablestar!', he didn't often come to the nursery unless he wanted to ask her father something or on the rare occasion let her tail along for something fun to give her father a break. However, she blinked, confused for a moment. "I'd like to introduce you to my kits." Sablestar? Kits? His??? Immediately Stoatkit's interest was piqued.

Before her father could register Sablestar was addressing him, Stoatkit launched to her feet and skittered out of the nursery, eyes wide and curious. Though her sights settled on two unfamiliar faces, a chocolate tabby and a black and white fellow. She didn't even need to inquire if she'd seen correctly, the piercing purple eyes of the black and white kit was like looking into the eyes of a smaller Sablestar. Her eyes scanned the faces she knew that had come to investigate: curious, confused, whatever Cicadabuzz counted as. But in that moment Stoatkit decided that if these were kin of Sablestar she would treat them with the same kindness he had for her family.

With a smile she trotted up to the two kits, peering up at Sablestar for a moment before speaking. "Nice to meet you!" Stoatkit chirped, her tail flicking lightly as she smiled. "I'm Stoatkit. She breathed for a moment to ask their names, but as they chattered with the other cats, she picked up their names. Dreamkit and Magpiekit. She wasn't sure where they'd come from, but they were Sablestar's kin and she wanted to welcome them to her home. "My father's Timberfrost, so if he's gonna look after you means were in the nursery together!" She squeaked, excitement on her face, she wasn't exactly close with any of the kit so this was a great opportunity to make some new friends, hopefully.

——— While you were sleeping,

Everything changed at once. ———

• 
  Stoatkit
  ✦—Shadowclan kit | 5 Moons
  ✦—She/Her
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A slender white cat with faint lilac markings and blue eyes.
  #96d5f1
  
  ⤷ Written by Phoenix ​

 

[webpaw]

Sablestar had kits? Webpaw didn't get the memo. She doesn't hide her dumbstruck expression, gaping at Sablestar like he had popped them out himself in the middle of camp. "Wow!" she circles them like they're a display, delighted to realize she was tall enough to see the tops of their heads. "These are your lil guys?!" Forget that they were old enough to speak - Webpaw decides she has rights to this nickname. They were going to be under Timberfrost's care, after all.

"When did you get them?" Leaning forwards, she sniffs the top of Magpiekit's head audibly. He does smell like the border that Bluegale had shown her, and satisfied with this connection, she steps away. There are questions filling her head to the brim, but Webpaw can't pick one to ask next.

⊹ ࣪ ˖͙͘͡

she/her; afab / any gendered terms / 6 months
shadowclan kit / mentored by bluegale
seal sepia with vitiligo / orange eyes

peaceful powerplay allowed, no perms needed
ask before hostile powerplay unless preplanned
always open to interaction in battle unless stated otherwise
ask before injuring !

 

[SABLESTAR]

ShadowClan emerged from the crevices and cracks of camp to look upon his kin in curiosity. Those that knew of Juniper would see her honor which blazed across Dreamkit's coat like an apparition, only his eyes sparing of his father's claim while his littermate mirrored the shadowborn leader. Sablestar puffed out his chest in pride while they made their steps through camp on tired paws but strong spirits, even if the smaller of two was a touch more scornful. The tom leaned forward to rasp his tongue between his son's ears in a show of comfort, curling his tail around them.

"Asterkit will visit next time, when he's feeling better." He explained easily to Dreamkit. The kit had been hesitant to even approach his father, he imagined there would be far more resistance to join his littermates in this journey anyhow. Perhaps time apart and missing them would influence him not to fear Sablestar and ShadowClan, but to long for their adventures, too.

He eyed Fleapaw's approach carefully, and met her gaze with a slow nod. "They still have their mother to see, and their littermate is still with her as well." He would prefer whatever squabbling had with ThunderClan remained in the past, if not for him than for kits that were born of unfortunate opposing ends. He wouldn't want them to inherit a war that they predated, he wouldn't want it for any of the young that came to ShadowClan beyond the conflict.

His unofficial apprentice appeared, and Sablestar greeted Joseph with a warmer smile than Magpiekit had to offer, chuckling at his son's heated reply. "Yes, Juniperstar is my mate- she's on the other side of the Thunderpath past the Barrens. I've just met them at sunhigh today." And he was not interested in missing more time than he already had with them. They speak of kit-friends they must have in ThunderClan, but Stoatkit's bouncy approach reassured him they could find friends in ShadowClan, too. Webpaw, however, may have stepped too close, and he lifted a paw to gently pause her from staying so close to the more irritable of the two. "Today." He answered the apprentice simply. "They will be three moons very soon, though. Already eating solid prey too, mostly." Now would be a good time to see how Magpiekit and Dreamkit favored the swampland prey.

this heart beats cold like the devil his own

• "mew"
• 

  SABLESTAR— he/him ･fifty-four moons ･leader; shadowclan ･penned by gonkpilled

  a black and white tuxedo with dark amber eyes

 

[Tickpaw]

TICK

Stay your pretty eyes on course

Tickpaw watched the kit quietly, blinking as they boldly proclaimed that their mother had been a leader too. So both their mother and father had led Clans, different factions, obviously. Sablestar ruled ShadowClan, and Juniperstar… His fur puffed out slightly at the thought, a brief flicker of unease before he gave his head a small shake and settled down. His gaze lingered on Sablestar for a prolonged moment, just… watching. Studying. Meanwhile, Stoatkit was ever the welcoming face among the gathered cats, offering warmth to the new arrivals. And then there was Webpaw, practically buzzing with excitement as he stared at the younger kits, eagerly questioning Sablestar about when he got them.

A soft snort escaped Tickpaw, a sliver of amusement tugging at his lips. He glanced toward his sister. " …I think just now. When he left, there weren't any kits. " He muttered the words under his breath, casting another look at the leader. There was a third kit, but they weren't here. So… were they staying the night? Would they be here tomorrow? He didn't know, but he figured he'd find out soon enough.

" They're strong kits. " he remarked simply, his voice quieter now. " You must be proud. "

With that, he drifted away from the cluster of gathered cats, moving to sit beside Flea. As he settled down, he leaned slightly toward her, letting the weight of the moment settle around them.

═════════════⊹⊱ ⟡ ⊰⊹═════════════

 

[Joseph]

Magpiekit yipped faster than Sablestar could open his maw and Joseph blinked back a hint of surprise before smiling back sheepishly at the kit, "Ah, sorry, sorry– Juniperstar sounds like a strong leader; you've convinced me." His tail wagged lightly behind him. "It's nice to meet you, Magpiekit." He really was a stunning imitation of his father. That they appeared to seamlessly adjust from one parent to the other was a blessing.
Joseph stepped to the side as Stoatkit snaked around tail and paw to meet the new faces, and his attention lifted back up to Sablestar as he followed up on Magpiekit's commentary. "Quite a day for them. Hopefully they sleep well tonight." He learned back as a paw was lifted to calm Webpaw. The excitement filled the camp in ways Joseph hadn't seen before and he didn't want to contribute to the overwhelming energy for too long. He offered Magpiekit a farewell smile and some closing words for the kitten's father, "Quite a day for you as well. Don't entertain the masses for too long." His shoulders shrugged slightly. Or do. The higher ran, the worse the crash, so far as he's experienced. Joseph retreated away from the group.

 

[Timberfrost]

—————————————————— 'Till I can't run no more ✦

He hadn't been paying much attention, really. The tom was busy tidying the various piles of moss found within the nursery, taking care to pick and preen them until something in his mind said they were sufficiently fluffed enough. At the moment, he had been fighting a particularly annoyingly flattened bit of moss, and Timberfrost was determined to not go back out today for a replacement. His frustration had to be put on pause, though, as a familiar voice called for him — and before he could even respond, Stoatkit rocketed right out of the nursery beside him. 'Fleapaw, I'd imagine.' He thought to himself as he turned, squinting at whoever had caused Stoat such excitement... and then dropped the bit of moss he was holding with a surprised look as Sablestar stared right back at him with those ever so striking eyes. "I- Oh yes, of course, just- just one moment—" Timber responded hurriedly, beating the moss back into its rightful spot with hurried and less-precise vigor, eventually stumbling himself out of the nursery with ... okay, well one wouldn't exactly call it grace.

Thankfully, he was only a little surprised to see two pairs of wide eyes blinking back at him. Timber had heard of Sable's kits, though he couldn't say that the idea of two leaders having a litter didn't confuse him. The tom was so, so very new to this sort of thing, but from what he could tell Shadowclan didn't exactly like Thunderclan... how in the world were these kits expected to travel between two worlds that were so, so different? Ah, oh well. It wasn't for him to worry about, he just had to make sure they felt comfortable enough being here.

Timber looked toward Dreamkit first—'Certainly a striking name', he thought to himself—and returned the kit's well-mannered head nod. "Well, it's lovely to meet you Dreamkit. I'm Timberfrost, and you'll be seeing a lot of me around—I promise I won't get too in the way, though. The nursery's crowded enough as it is without me hovering over every single kit." He joked with a soft smile, before turning his head to the next kit who drew his attention. Ah, Magpiekit, he could certainly see why the little tom had been given the name. His eyes were striking, and he couldn't say that he wasn't unnerved by the familiar sharpness that was so like his fathers. "I haven't had the chance to meet Juniperstar quite yet, but I'm sure she's a lovely leader. It's nice to meet you, Magpiekit." Finally, the tom looked around at the cats surrounding them — and his eyes locked onto Fleapaw's presence in particular, and he couldn't help but sigh gently. "I see you all have already met some of our clanmates, and I promise they... well, most of them don't bite."

Then, he looked up to Sablestar and frowned a bit at his words. "Oh goodness, I hope Asterkit is feeling okay. No cat should be separate from their brothers for long." The worried look in his eyes soon faded though at the talk of how old the kits were, and he found a weight lifted off his shoulders hearing they had already begun solid food. Fantastic, that meant far less worry for him about them getting enough in their bellies. "That's fantastic to hear, I'm sure they'll enjoy our..." The tom winced. "Colorful array of freshkill just as well as anything from Thunderclan."

It's true, I want to be with you tonight

But I'm a little too late

• 
  Timber
  ✦—Shadowclan Caregiver | 24 Moons
  ✦—He/Him
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A large chocolate tabby with pale gold eyes
  #9A775A