Strong like a family, strong as I wanna be

[Estelle]

Upset. Weird. Sleepykit wasn't feeling how she wanted to feel. Sleepykit was feeling... Strange. She couldn't quite pin-point it. But those thirteen things... That strange that called himself her father... She wasn't even sleeping in her own nest anymore - she barely, if ever, saw mama in the nursery anymore. When was the last time she had spoken, a back and forth? The last time she had addressed her mama was when she asked about the scars on her face, that time with the strange kit. That time before those thirteen arrived. But mama never answered her, mama hadn't spoken to her. Well, mama had told her those thirteen were her little siblings... Nightshiver had told her too, that Darkfall (that was the stranger's name) and Larkfire's (that was mama's name) new litter were her little siblings. But Sleepykit didn't have any siblings! Just like she never had a dad! The little she-kit pouted as she swatted away a rock. What was all this supposed to mean...?

From the corner of her mind, she remembered the tender look mama would give her. The tender look she had given her when she took her in her arms, during that training event, and Sleepykit's eyes lowered. They had spoken together then, that time. Mama called her love. Her love. But... She looked over her shoulder into the nursery. There was no mama in the nursery. Only the thirteen. The thirteen who had stolen her nest, the thirteen who had stolen all her mama's free time - she wondered, did they matter more than her? Sometimes she saw that stranger take them to the medicine cat's den, sometimes she saw them leave that place. Not often, but sometimes. But Sleepy had never gone there, mama had never invited her inside and why? Did the new kits matter more? She huffed a little, eyes turning back to the clearing when she stopped Dawnstar - her Grandmama. She recalled the sight of that kit next to her on the rock; if those thirteen were her little siblings, Miss Grandmama must have met them. But what if they took Miss Grandmama from her too?

Before Sleepykit knew it, unlike she had ever done before, she left the nursery without prior permission be it from her mama or Nightshiver, three black paws and a white one hurrying towards the imposing leader. Bright blue eyes looked up at her grandmother, mouth opening and closing once before she called out.
"Miss Grandmama!"
She stopped, hoping her grandmother had noticed her.
"Miss Grandmama.. I have a question."
She began, catching her paws knead the ground mid-action, stopping herself to give a quick nod and brief pause, as if hoping the leader would allow her to speak in the meantime.
"Can I stay with you, in your den.. Please? I Won't be a bother - I promise."
She glanced down for a moment, all her previous thoughts whirling in her mind before she looked up to meet her grandmother's gaze.
"And.. Mama said I'll be an apprentice soon. So at least until then. May I?"
Unless her Grandmama allowed her to stay longer - she looked at the leader hopefully.
"You could - teach me more things then. And..."
She briefly trailed off.
"I'd be better with you."


[ @Undertaker - Ahah so this finally exists! The move-in-with-you question, it is,, a little late. But now present! ]

[Undertaker]

@Estelle [Sleepykit]
Dawnstar was grooming pine needles and moss out of her pelt in front of her den. She had recently just finished cleaning out her nest, removing all the old pelts that had served as her nest and disposing of them. She kept her favorite pelts in the back with the rest of her strange collection but had to go fetch new moss to make up her nest. It's been a little since anyone's bothers skinning anything for her, she might have to line her bedding once again with something new later.

She had gotten rather used to sleeping on furs. But moss would do since she didn't have enough old pelts to make up the nest. Sadly, by newleaf she always had to remove old pelts, much like one removed old bedding, she needed her den smelling of anything outside of her and ShadowClan. She noticed the hairball making her way over after she spat out another needle from her coat.

Dawnstar greeted Sleepykit with a sideways glance. She didn't say anything, but the fact that she was giving the kitten any of her attention that wasn't negative said a lot. It's been a little since Dawnstar's last seen this one, she normally hung around Lostspark like a stray burr. Yet, with the new kittens, she could see how troublesome it would be to remain as close to Lostspark as she had been. She had been an only child before.

She grunted lightly in response to the question comment and waited as Sleepykit gathered herself before asking. Her brilliant amber eyes widened a fraction at the question. Dawnstar was not expecting it. No one's ever asked to stay with her, besides Slytiger, but that weirdo could jump off a cliff. Her whiskers quivered as she stared long and hard at Sleepykit, weighing her pros and cons here.

"So long as you don't touch my things, I suppose you can stay as long as you'd like. I have room and you aren't annoying like my mate." The latter was grumbled more to herself than the kit. It was hard to see the downside of allowing the kit to remain with her. Sleepykit was looking for some attention that no one was giving to her, and it sounded likely she was lonely. Dawnstar could understand that to a certain extent, the leader would have to make sure that she didn't have the same problem as she had with Roanpaw. Getting attached to cats that either end up dying or leaving her never boded well for Dawnstar's stability.

A weak leader would lead to a weak clan. She couldn't have that. Dawnstar could care less how attached cats got to her, it wasn't like she'd be going anywhere for seasons to come. But the other way around made things difficult. Dawnstar would have to make sure she didn't get too close to this one, or any of her kin truly.

"I'll teach you what I can in my spare time. You'll have to make your own nest though." She meowed to her.

[Estelle]

She was quiet, and Sleepykit intently watched the imposing leader as she awaited a response with a beating heart. She was already grappling together her explanation, her justification for why she wanted this but – a blank expression was replaced by momentary surprise. A bit bewildered, even. The young kitten had really thought she would have to explain herself; to say “I don’t have siblings”, and “I don’t have a father” – that those who tried to force themselves into her life and those who were replacing, that she didn’t want to be around them and instead spend her time learning from Miss Grandmama. But she had already said yes, and after blinking away the momentary astonishment, her face returning to normal, Sleepykit gave a slow nod.
“I can make a nest.”
She replied, glancing down a brief second; she had seen Nightshiver make nests before for new queens or kits – help in doing so, at least – she didn’t imagine it was that difficult. All she needed was the necessary elements of nature, mainly the moss.
“Thank you. I’ll be good.”
She finally stated affirmativaly as she looked up to meet her grandmother’s eye, having fully processed the response. Somewhere she felt relief, being able to stay with Miss Grandmama, at least for now.


[ @Undertaker ]