RiverClan Nursery

[Blueberry Bat]

Muddykit flicked her tail in annoyance. Her one remaining, blind, eye was glancing forward. Muddykit let out a sigh “I wish I could go out into camp!”

[poppy]

[open ]

Asterkit sat in her makeshift nest, blinking rapidly every so often. Every movement she made was slow and uncertain, as if she wasn't sure she could move at all. The scrawny diluted tabico kitten was alone in the world, her nest was so big, for only one kit. She saw mothers curled up with their kits, and she suppressed a whimper.

Why did she have to fight tooth and nail for everything?

The sudden rustle of the den shifting with a breeze made her jump, and she looked up and around, as if scared something would happen.... like... a ThunderClan cat could pop up and hurt her.... or the den could fall over.

Her legs shook as she stood, surprising herself.

She hadn't told her body to move, why was it moving anyways? It always felt like she was on the outside, looking in. Every sound and movement she made felt like something else was making her move. It was strange.

A slow step forward was hard, and she almost gave up and flopped back down. The warmth of her nest felt magnetic as it tried to pull her down, and she almost listened, but the light seeping from the den entrance fueled her, and she began wobbling over to the entrance.

But she wanted to go back.... Turning, she wanted to crawl back into the nest. No one would notice, anyways.

[versailles]

open for rc kits //

➸ cliffcrash

marching into the nursery was a tall and dark tabby, blue eyes falling on all the kits in the nursery, newborns and almost apprentices alike. she hummed, eyes narrowing slightly before walking further into the nursery until she was right in the middle of the den, looming over any kits near her. she appeared to be in thought, tattered ear giving an absent-minded twitch as she continued to hum an unknown tune.

finally, she spoke up in a loud, raspy meow that would be heard by everyone in the den: "ahem, kits gather 'round!! great ol' cliffcrash here has a story for ye all! 'tis one ye won't want to miss, that's for sure." there was a short pause, "and one that'll make yer fur fly off!" cliffcrash added on simply for amusement.

with a growing grin on her maw and one fang poking out, the molly took one step back and waited for the kits to gather around her.

[spade]

Making his way into the nursery, Kestrelstar sucked in a quick breath before facing the queen he knew would claw his ears off, despite what he came baring. Setting the young Graykit down, the leader scanned the den until he spotted the queen he’d been looking for. Perhaps this would raise her spirits since the death of her other kit, Hawkkit. ”Daisybird. I think I have someone who wants to apologize to you for leaving camp,” he called, lifting his paw in an attempt to nudge Graykit forward.

// @Angelique @finnzel

[Maplebriar]

@spade; @finnzel;

(Angelique let me know)

Graykit didn't squirm or nothing. He stayed perfectly still, giving no problems. He just wanted to hurry up and get back to his mother. It was a scary world out there and he wasn't going to leave the den anytime soon. The kit felt himself get put down, plus pushed forward and he broke into a run. He slipped right down next to her and hid. There nice and warm. Graykit was never going to leave the den ever!

[starry]

Dustkit sat down, brushing his tongue along his fur. It seemed so good to be home in RiverClan again. The tom raised his head, casting a glance around. He saw a cat, who was apparently wanting to tell some stories to kits. "Can I listen?," the blue-gray furred kit asked curiously.

@finnzel

[Doom]

@finnzel

A story?!

Leafkit's head spun around like an owl at Cliffcrash's voice, eyes dilating on her with immense curiosity. With his tail held high, the large kitten trotted forward and jumped a few times beside the molly. "Oh, oh, oh! I wanna listen!" He gushed.

[Zero]

- @finnzel

Iriskit sulked in her nest, pondering her recent discoveries about clan life and what her brother had been up to. It was all so confusing - way too much information for her young mind to fully understand. All she knew was that it made her feel not good and she didn't like any bit of that. She wanted things to go back to the way they were before.

As if on cue, the distraction she needed came marching into the nursery. She didn't even need to be a sucker for stories to want to listen to this one. Iris was still a kit, after all: and an easily distracted one at that.

In an instant, she settled in front of Cliffcrash, practically tripping over herself to get there quickly before she started. Looking up at the she-cat, she couldn't help but grin back.

[versailles]

@Stardust~ @Fae @Zero //

➸ cliffcrash ��

only three kits? huh, she had expected some more to show up, maybe even some apprentices. either way, that wasn't a problem! she could still tell her stories! "aye, aye. now, all of ye sit down!" cliffcrash said, stretching a paw to pat the empty space a few pawsteps in front of her. dustkit, iriskit, and leafkit - she wasn't sure how naive they were, but they were still kits, so probably more naive than most cats.

"alright, the story starts on a rainy, dark night out near the beach. I was out, doin' some late night huntin'..easier to catch crabs at night. as I was catchin' me last crab..i heard somethin' comin' from the ocean!" the warrior said, eyes widening as she grew silent to build up some anticipation. this was obviously a totally real story.

she shudders as she remembers the event. "i turn 'round to see what's makin, that noise..can one of ye guess what it was that i saw?" cliffcrash asked, raising a brow slightly. she was pretty sure they wouldn't be able to guess, but it'd still be amusing.

--

@spade @Maplebriar //

➸ daisybird

she was a grieving mother - no, an angry grieving mother. there had to be someone to blame for her kits death, and her other kits disappearance, and that was kestrelstar. (she had to blame someone that wasn't herself.) yes, she was for the condolences from the leader and his promise to find greykit - but maybe, just maybe, if he hadn't talked about thunderclans murders and the war and the deaths..then maybe hawkkit wouldn't be dead, and maybe greykit wouldn't be missing.

they had to leave for some reason, whether it was because hawkkit dragged greykit into her antics, or they were scared of the idea of thunderclan invading their camp and they thought it'd be best to leave.

maybe she should just blame herself instead of others.

daisybird weeped, squeezing her eyes shut. she almost ignored a familiar voice calling her name until she heard the last part, opening her eyes just to see her little star, greykit, running towards her. a choked sob rose in the back of her throat, tail wrapping around her son. "oh- oh, greykit!" she murmured with a sniff, giving the kit a lick on the top of his head. "don't scare me like that ever again, do you hear me?! if something ever happened to you, li- like.." she trailed off, lips pressing into a straight line. she shouldn't think about that, not now, when she had just gotten one of her kits back. at least she had flintkit and greykit..at least they were safe.

"just..just don't wander off again, please." she whispered before her gaze trailed up to kestrelstar. "kestrelstar," she said with a slight snap in her tone, eyes narrowing just a bit before they softened. "thank you..for finding greykit and bringing him back to me." she sighed with a small nod.

[spade]

Watching the young tom scamper off towards the comfort of his mother, Kestrelstar stiffened. The scene that played out before him, it brought with it tangled memories of times when he'd come running to the safety of Duskfall. Snuggling against his mother, breathing in her sweet smell of flowers and marshy reeds. Comfort and clarity after a long day of moss ball, or training, or just being away from her. Whatever Kestrelstar had needed at the moment, Duskfall had provided time and time again without fail.

It wasn't as though the leader wanted to leave the moment. But every fiber in his body screamed at him to run. To avoid the sharp stab of painful memories that always came when thinking of Duskfall. Her final days, the last breaths she had taken to tell her son she loved him.

Swallowing a rather big lump that had lodged it's way into his throat, the leader was readying himself to head out when a voice caught him. Turning, his yellow gaze found Daisybird's own once more - the wetness of tears already present in them - and he couldn't help the sigh of relief that followed her statement. No clawed ears. No snapping. Just a queen that was thanking him... it was a sight not seen often these days, Clanmates thanking him for really anything. He wasn't naïve enough to think it cleaned his slate with the queen - that was something only time could do.

But the grateful look in her eyes, the warmth that reminded him of another queen long since passed... it was enough to flicker a smile of his own.

"Of course." His voice was strained a bit, but he managed to get it out as he dipped his head, looking once at Graykit. "Make sure you listen to your mother from now on. Pretty soon you'll be an apprentice off to explore the territory. But for now, the safest place for you is right next to Daisybird." With another weak smile, the leader gave a flick of his ear before turning and heading out of the den.

// @finnzel @Maplebriar