Google dot com says the traditional gift for a four year anniversary is fruit & flowers?? How festive! In honor of our fourth year on the world wide web, we are requesting bouquets and fruit baskets or cash donations to the whip-a-rain-fund 😌 Oooooorrr we guess...alternatively...we can put on a big, month-long celebration featuring a warm-and-fuzzy event, scavenger hunt, a raffle drawing, and a freakin' prize wheel??! See the September Announcements for more information, and don't forget to check out the September Patrols too!
The Apostles is a warrior cats roleplay based in northern Wisconsin. On Lake Superior, the wild cats have made the Apostle Islands their home. It is on these islands - Rocky Island and South Twin Island - that the clan and tribe cats have lived in a peace and harmony that ebbs and flows with the tide.
But as the tides turn, so does the truce that binds them to one another; and as the water raises, a darkness follows, an evil that will end in bloodshed and violence.
Cinderfeather huffed slightly as she waddled out of her den, wincing as one of her kits gave a particularly rough kick to her side. She was getting close to giving birth. Or at least she hoped she was. It was getting hard to get around. Actually, it was getting hard to get comfortable, to move, to sleep…
The blue-gray she-cat was beyond ready to give birth. She had been warned that pregnancy was not fun. Her mother had been very upfront about how gross and messy pregnancy was, and even more how messy and painful giving birth was. However, she hadn’t really been prepared for just how annoying pregnancy was. Of course, she was happy to grin and bear it- she was bringing in the future of the clan. Plus, they were proof of how much Blazingstorm loved her.
However, with leafbare in full swing, Cinderfeather was getting a bit nervous. She knew about how kits in leafbare tended to be a bit more sickly. More likely to be stillborn. Which was probably why she was plodding her way towards the medicine cat den. While still young, Shadepool was a good cat, and Cinderfeather trusted him completely.
Paws crunched through the snow as she slowly made her way towards the medicine cat den, a soft smile forming on her face as she remembered how she and Blazingstorm had first met. She could remember the warmth of his pelt as she curled up next to him, sickness clouding her mind. She barely remembered anything from when she was sick, but the interactions with Blazingstorm were ones she could vividly remember.
A happy sigh escaped the she-cat as she continued her way towards the medicine cat den. “Hello, Shadep- eep!” Cinderfeather squeaked as her paw caught a root, causing her to tumble down into the medicine cat den, ending up with her face smacking into the ground harshly.
Post by fallenreaper on Jun 5, 2022 11:20:06 GMT -6
Shadepool ripped off another damp, soiled chunk of moss from the nest. He rolled it tightly into a ball before shoving it to the side. A large pile filled with moss balls began to rival his height. Usually, apprentices did this, but Shadepool had felt energetic today. In a therapeutic motion, he repeated this several times until nothing remained.
Having collected a sizeable amount, he began to nose them toward the entrance. When the young cats woke, they would finish the task.
Before he got farther than a tail length from his spot, sounds of paws crunching the snow caught his attention. His ear flicked as he peered around the tumbling moss balls.
Cinderfeather came into his view. Her roton form wobbled toward the medicine den. Briefly, Shadepool wondered if she had started to feel the pains of labor. Her belly indicated her kits were due any time, but they remained inside. Even a well-trained medicine cat couldn't tell them when to arrive.
The thought amused him as he stepped around the pile to greet her. A few pawsteps along when Cinderfeather's balance disappeared, her face slammed into the ground.
Shocked by the unexpected, Shadepool rushed toward her. His eyes widened in fear while he checked her for injuries. Gently his nose touched her muscles as she stirred, uttering an oww from her fall.
"Cinderfeather, are you okay? Does anything hurt?" He knew falling wrong might've resulted in twisted paws or legs. Shadepool stepped back a bit to give her room to rise.
notes Finally got to this!| tags Silverfire, | word count 200+
"Cinderfeather, are you okay? Does anything hurt?"
Cinderfeather groaned, carefully lifting her head up from the ground. Shaking dirt from her face, she looked up at Shadepool. “I’m good,” she mumbled. “My nose hurts, but that it,” she explained, adjusting herself so she was in a position to stand up.
With a grunt of effort, the heavily pregnant queen forced herself to her paws, belly swaying with every movement. Tail sticking out behind her to balance her, she managed to completely stand up. “I can’t wait until my kits come,” she muttered, slowly waddling forwards, further into the medicine cat den.
The scent of herbs wafted over her. Inhaling deeply, a faint smile formed on her face. She always enjoyed the smell of herbs. The pungent odor was always so relaxing.
Taking a few more steps, the pregnant molly sat down, a sigh of relief escaping her. Walking took so much out of her, it was insane. Her belly would sway with every single step, creating an almost waddling like motion for her. It was annoying. Still, she could muster up that many negative emotions. After all, this was all because of the kits in her belly- the ones she had wanted for moons and moons.
Looking over at Shadepool, she smiled. “I was wondering if you’d be able to check up on my kits? There hasn’t been anything weird, but… well. Leaf-bare litters aren’t always easy, and I was hoping you just alleviate my fears a bit,” she admitted, paws shuffling awkwardly. “It’s fine if you’re busy! I’m just… anxious.”
Post by fallenreaper on Nov 17, 2022 15:20:54 GMT -6
Shadepool’s chest burned with a suffocating heat. The whole time he watched the she-cat rise and find her balance. A soft, sharp intake of fresh air replaced the old breath with the new. Tingling danced along his raw throat before it faded away. Any tension within his form melted into a calm demeanor. He watched her past him and move deeper into the den. In a nervous gesture, his jaws widened letting his tongue lick across his jaws. The black tom swiftly rose onto his own feet to follow her. He followed her animated chitter as her excitement filled the quiet.
Quickly her reason for this unexpected visit came into the light. Shadepool circled to her front and nodded. Many first time mothers bore the same concerns during this time of season. Stillborns were more common in leaf-fall and bare-leaf, but even the warmer time weren’t immune. There was more than one time he had to bury a kit underneath Starclan’s grace.
He inhaled deeply. The air flowed down his throat and settled in his chest, chasing away the gloomy thoughts. His yellow eyes once more fixed on the fretting mother.
“Cinderfeather, do I need to remind you it doesn’t bother me? Leaf-fall litters have their challenges and I understand your worry. Let’s start with a basic check over.” Shadepool gestured to her paw, acknowledging she knew the drill. It shouldn't have been much of a surprise since he watched her tumble earlier.
“How did you feel when you woke up? Was there any pain, abnormal feelings, or something to note?”
New questions surged from his lips while waiting for the answers, digesting the information.
“Cinderfeather, do I need to remind you it doesn’t bother me? Leaf-fall litters have their challenges and I understand your worry. Let’s start with a basic check over.”
Cinderfeather rolled her eyes at the tom’s words, tail tip flicking. “I know, I know,” she said. “I just… you’re a medicine cat. You have a very important job to do- I don’t want to distract you from it,” she explained. “You’re our only medicine cat- I don’t want to distract you if someone needs you, you know?” She mewed.
“But… as you said, leaf-bare litters are… hard, and it’s my first litter. I-I know that they’ll probably be strong, since Blazingstorm is strong, but it still worries me,” she admitted, ears flattening slightly.
“How did you feel when you woke up? Was there any pain, abnormal feelings, or something to note?”
Taking a deep breath, the gray broken mackerel tabby molly nodded. “O-okay,” she said. “Uh. No, I felt perfectly fine,” she explained, tail tip twitching.
“I think I was awoken by them moving actually,” she said, giving her stomach a smile. Looking back up at Shadepool, she tilted her head. “How… how many do you think there are?” She asked. “Can you even tell?” She wondered aloud. She hoped there was more than one.
Maybe… maybe there’d be four! Or five! How many kits could a queen have? How many could she care for…. how many did Blazingstorm want? She hoped he’d be happy with a big family!
word count: 220 words | notes: She had four in both of her litters btw
Post by fallenreaper on Jan 16, 2023 10:33:41 GMT -6
Despite Cinderfeather’s dismissal, Shadepool’s concerns persisted. His thoughts reflected on the kit’s survival odds. They were the clan’s future and already the chances weighed against them with the harsher season. In addition, Lily and her kin still haunted their territory. Already one of the grudging she-cat’s family had snatched one kit from their clan. How many more might be taken?
This knowledge sadden the black tom as he brushed the anxiety away. Cinderfeather needed his full attention now.
At the mention of his vast, demanding duties, Shadepool’s expression softened again. It was a kind thought, but not as helpful as she thought. Starclan chose him to devote his whole life to caring for all cats, from kits to their leader. If cats put his welfare above theirs and family, it merely increased his workload. He couldn’t chase down every cat for their health.
Spotting Cinderfeather’s ears flatten, his tail flicked out to briefly brush her flank. It was a comforting gesture some mothers reacted well to. She finally moved onto answering his questions.
Seeing the spark of excitement trill through her brought a bigger smile to Shadepool’s muzzle.
“Well, I can’t give you an exact amount, but I have an idea how to guess. If you’ll lay down in that nest,” his tail swayed toward an empty nest nearby, “I can feel how many bumps you have and figure out the liter size. From my experience, I noticed many lively kits are strong, healthy ones.”
