~Every Living Thing~ (Spiderstorm's kits) PG

[Cloud of Diamonds]

The long-furred black she-cat had grown weary of waiting in the nursery for so long. But at least Ottertail came to visit her. That made everything better. However, thoughts of what it would have been like to have Fox's kits instead tormented her. What if he had lived, and they had come to StreamClan together? And of course there was Redtail, too...though she loved Ottertail, she couldn't stop herself from looking at him a bit more than usual when they were hunting together or on patrol.

Did her heart really want to torment her so, to love three cats and give her agony connected to them all?

But of course, even with the agony, there was love. She remembered how around two moons ago, she'd learned she was with kits. And they were due any day now.

Grunting, she turned in her nest, then stopped sharp as a small sharp, ache began in her stomach and quickly spread throughout her body, and she smelled blood. It was time, she knew.

"B-b-badgernoooose!" The night-pelted queen yowled.

[|| allie]

Badgernose sat in her den, carefully sorting herbs into neat stacks to store for later. She was exhausted; it had been a long day out searching for herbs to replenish her store. Not to even mention the trips back and forth to bring them back to camp. But this job had to be done, and Badgernose was the one who had to do it, for her Clan. Oh, how she wished for an apprentice.

Just when Badgernose was placing the last few herbs, a shrill yowl from across camp pierced her ears. Startled, the she-cat jumped, lashing her tail and scattering the tidy stacks she'd taken so long to sort. She stared around warily, green eyes wide as full moons. "What in StarClan's name was- Oh fiddlesticks," she spat, eyeing the misplaced herbs like a rotten piece of prey.

But then it hit her.

"Spiderstorm's kits! They're coming!" Badgernose scrambled around her den, all tiredness quickly forgotten, hastily gathering supplies. Which might have been a little easier if they weren't all over the place. She snatched up the herbs she would need and whisked away across the camp clearing to the nursery. "Spiderstorm, I'm here now," she panted, setting her bundle down and unwrapping it. Its contents spilled out onto the nursery floor. Badgernose took a stalk of poppy and gingerly shook some seeds off the branch in front of the queen. "Chew a few of these for the pain, but please, only a few; you can't overdo it with poppy seeds," she instructed, keeping cool. This was her first time delivering kits, and yet, she managed to stay calm. Proud of herself, she carried on. "Okay, Spiderstorm, just breathe," she soothed. "You're doing great."

[Cloud of Diamonds]

OOC: Unfortunately, I've decided to not wait for Toasty because I haven't had word from her. So if she joins the thread, great, if not, oh well. So...let's get on with it.

BIC: "Oh...kay..." She croaked. Thank StarClan, she thought. Whether they exist or not. She wasn't sure right now...giving birth as she was. It was so painful...but such a miracle, in a way. A common thing, but so full of meaning. But if it was so good, then why did it have to hurt so much? Love was the same, she realized.

She thought warmly how pleased Ottertail would be when he came to visit her. "OW!" She yowled as a particularly unpleasant spasm shook her. She nearly blacked out but managed, unfortunately, to stay conscious. The black she-cat felt a kit come from her, and a few painful minutes later another one. In a haze of aches she wondered if there were any more.

"Huff...Badgernose?" She asked tiredly. "Is two all? She-cats or toms?"

Spiderstorm was too worn out to bother with full sentences. She opened her yellow eyes - which had been tightly closed from agony - and focused on the two small bundles now at her belly. One was a spotted brown tabby and the other black and brown.

OOC: And allie knows all about the kits, amirite?

[|| allie]

Badgernose breathed a huge sigh and sat back on her rump. It was all over. She could finally relax for a few seconds. Two tiny kits sat in front of her. One mewled pitifully, and Badgernose hopped back up. She began licking them clean, alternating every lick between each kit and making sure to lick the fur the wrong way; it dried them off better.

Once they were fully dry, Badgernose gently nudged them toward their mother so they could begin nursing. Then she sifted through the herbs she had brought with her, trying to locate one in particular. After a few seconds of searching, the she-cat found what she was looking for. With a purr of triumph, the medicine cat hooked a few dry leaves from the pile, tossed them in her mouth, and set to work chewing and mixing them into a poultice. She could have done this sooner, but the kits' birth was unexpected.

Badgernose spit the medicine onto a leaf, making a face like she just drank lemon juice. As much as she loved her job, she only wished the herbs tasted a bit more pleasant. Then, like she always did, she mixed in a drop of honey to sweeten the bitter taste. "Here, Spiderstorm, swallow this, please," she meowed, pushing the leaf towards the black queen. "It's borage; it will help your milk come." She paused for a moment. "And you have here one she-cat and one tom. They're absolutely lovely." The she-cat smiled, a genuine smile, as she watched the tiny kittens suckling. She had never seen newborn kits before; if she could have seen her brother when they were born, she would be too small to remember. Badgernose thought they were absolutely adorable, if only they weren't sound loud.

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ooc:
sorry it's so... yeah.
i was rushin. c:
hope you don't mind.

[Cloud of Diamonds]

OOC: I think it's a great post, allie.

BIC: Spiderstorm laid her head down for a moment before the black and white medicine cat prompted her with a funny-smelling leaf that would doubtless taste little better. She opened one yellow eye, and then the other, then shifted upwards, grunting. She nibbled at it, wincing slightly but realizing there was tasteless, warm honey to null the bitter taste. The long-furred queen ate it quickly, wanting it to help her children as quick as possible.

A she-cat and a tom...a daughter and a son. Though they were hardly more than helpless scraps of fur who were blind and deaf, she found herself loving them fiercely. They were hers, after all. Hers and Ottertail's. She wondered when her brown mate would visit her. Today? Tomorrow? Would every cat in the Clan come and visit her? No, she didn't want that. She liked some of them, of course, but it would be very tiring to be visited by every cat. Even if Redtail came...

Oh, Redtail. What would she do if Ottertail ever found out she liked the ginger tom? Not that she didn't love Ottertail, of course she did. But she couldn't help holding a fondness for the big, handsome tabby in her head.

She tried to put her conflicting emotions out of her mind and think about the two kittens nursing at her belly. What should she name them? She really wanted to name them right now...because although she wanted Ottertail here, she didn't know when he'd come back. The black StreamClanner looked at her kits again. The little black and brown one...he? She?

She realized she didn't know which was which, but she sniffed them and found out the black and brown one was the she-cat. Such a little, dark creature she was...with tiny ears barely even pointed yet, still floppy. They reminded her of animal she'd seen before. What was it....a bat! The small, dark brown flying things that looked so much like her daughter. Batkit, she thought and purred. My daughter will be named Batkit. And her tabby son...he looked much like his father, except for his spots. They reminded her of little bugs. Not beetles, though, or ants...another flying thing...a moth! Mothkit. "Batkit and Mothkit, daughter and son." She muttered, almost unaware of doing so.

[|| allie]

Badgernose looked around the nursery, slightly unsure what to do now. It was eerily quiet inside the nursery; only the sounds of the tiny kittens nursing could be heard. She supposed she should probably leave. Spiderstorm would be fine on her own at this point. The she-cat pulled herself onto her white paws and began packing up her supplies to leave. She gingerly nudged a stray herb into the stack she was making, instantly recognizing it as feverfew. "Why did I bring this? Feverfew is only used... to bring down a cat's temperature. It can also be used to fight stomach pains and colds," Badgernose murmured, and then curled her tail in delight, pleased with her own knowledge of the herb.

She heard a faint murmuring from a few tail-lengths away, and turned in time to hear Spiderstorm mutter something. She swiveled her ears around to hear better and could just barely pick up the names Batkit and Mothkit. Those must be the names she's decided on for the kits, she thought. Judging by the kittens' looks she could guess that the big-eared, black-and-brown one was Batkit (the resemblance to the real creature was striking), and the light spotted tabby was Mothkit; his fur looked just like a moth's wing. "Batkit and Mothkit? Those are simply the perfect names," she purred, setting a stalk of poppy on a leaf. She turned back to Spiderstorm and plopped herself on the nursery floor. She frowned. "It's just a shame that Ottertail was on the sunhigh patrol this morning," she mewed. "I do wish he could have been here to see the little darlings. I'll be sure a cat notifies him when he returns. Now, do you want me to invite cats inside to see the newest members of StreamClan? Because I would gladly do so. If not, I'll allow you your rest." She turned and prepared to lift the leaf bundle to leave, but first waited on Spiderstorm's answer.

ooc:
by the way, i hope you don't mind me bs'ing a reason for ottertail to be missing. xD

[Cloud of Diamonds]

OOC: No, that's actually a very good reason, allie. I wish I got to roleplay with you more, you're very good. <3

BIC: She vaguely heard the medicine cat mutter to herself about an herb, but most of her attention was focused on providing milk for her little ones. It was mostly the work of her instincts and body, but she urged herself on, trying to be strong even though she felt like she'd been on three patrols straight without a break.

Then the other StreamClanner's kind comment drifted into her tired black ears. "Thank you."She murmured, hoping Badgernose could hear her. Spiderstorm maintained enough strength to catch the rest of the herb-using cat's words. Indeed, her mate had left early in the day, he was so dutiful and strong...she felt a small rush of pride at the brown tom.

The young she-cat nodded sleepily in agreement. Though she doubted she would have had much energy to talk to him anyway, she would have wanted him here to see his son and daughter. No, their son and daughter. The infinitely tiny, precious cats they had made possible. Together. She had loved before, and she still loved more than one, but still this was theirs. An affirmation of their relationship, a symbol of hope that her emotions would one day be sorted out.

But then her brow wrinkled...other cats? Yes...she wouldn't mind visitors...but not right now. Not when all she wanted to do was sleep. Although, Ottertail should be notified. She wanted him here as soon as possible, and then she'd tease him about being gone. Her whiskers twitched slightly at the thought.

She summoned up a little energy, and answered Badgernose as clearly as possible,

"Tell them I forbid anyone but my mate, Cloudstar, and you right now, but they can come tomorrow, if they like. And yes, yes...tell Otter-" She yawned hugely then resumed speaking. "-tail to get his tail in here or I'll drag him myself, kits or no." It was very much a joke - she wouldn't be going anywhere for at least half a day. Spiderstorm chuckled quietly, then was struck by a thought.

Would Redtail visit her?