mr lonely [nursery, open]

The past couple moons had been mentally exhausting. True, there were some highlights to her life-- naming her niece a warrior still made her heart glow at the thought, and Doverain's kits were beautiful-- but the ever looming presence of danger constantly brought about anxieties that Rosestar let few in her clan see. Sparrowpelt and Onyxfeather knew how she felt, but the russet leader refused to let the rest of her clan see her as weak. She did not want them to panic, to worry. She had to be strong in their eyes.

She had been busying herself with patrol after patrol, but today instead of checking borders she had decided to hunt. It was refreshing, and she had caught a rather large water vole. New-leaf was being gracious to them, and soon green-leaf would be kind with its warm sun. It was best to check to see if the queens and kits had been fed, as she already could see from the corner of her eye the apprentices presenting their catches to the elders.

Rosestar gracefully strode into the nursery, the rays of the sun making her dark ginger pelt glow like the flowers from which she got her name. She gently set her catch down in front of the queens. "I hope the day is treating all of you well, I brought some fresh-kill." She said softly with an amused purr, noting how uncharacteristically quiet the nursery was, not wanting to disturb it. Doverain's kits were a pawful, and so was that Tigerkit, whom she found to be rather large for his age. She'd have to pick his mentor carefully in a few moons.

Patrols had been just sent out and the russet she-cat figured she could spend some time getting to know the newest generation of ShadowClan for a bit-- she needed the break after all. Little Silentkit seemed to be trying to liven up the quiet den, and Rosestar laid down on the ground patiently, like she was an apprentice or kit listening to the story of an elder.

"I'd like to hear a joke, Silentkit." She mewed, her green eyes glimmering with mischief at the kit with a pelt almost as red as her own.

silentkit noticed the clan leader enter the den, but he was busy. after a passing glance her way, speaking to the queens (and not him) he turned his hopeful gaze back to the younger cats. he tried to skim his eyes over the other kits, not to make them feel awkward or anything if he accidentally made eye contact with one for too long.

at his second call, one of the little grey kits lifted his head, maybe maybe maybe he was interested?! but silentkit didn't have to worry about hiding his excitement, as sleetkit quickly shifted his attention to bound over to rosestar entering the den.

he felt an icky, itching feeling bubble up inside him. mouse-brained rosestar. took his listeners. he could've made a friend if it wasn't for her! what was so cool about the older cats, anyways...

but the bigger russet she-cat seemed to have heard his question, and soon gave him her lasting attention. it was not another kit who spoke, but the leader who he had thought was only here in the nursery to greet the older cats.

"i'd like to hear a joke, silentkit,"

his hazel-green eyes widened in surprise that rosestar was speaking to him, but only for a second before he realized that duh rosestar is the clan leader and speaks to everyone and also probably has to know everyone. still, if he gained her friendship (or even her admiration for his jokes), he'd be bound to be seen as a cool kit.

there was only a pause for a beat before the russet tom-kit spoke again, "ok, the joke is,"

... oh! no! he'd forgot the joke he had thought up! in his jealousy! ah! aaaahh!!

rosestar was listening for him, patiently. he had to think of it again. or at least something. hmm.

"ok," he began, to drag on his cover, his busy brain evident in the tone. "what do you call a..." quickly, he looked over rosestar's red pelt, just like his mother's, almost like his. "no nevermind, how can you tell if a cat is from shadowclan? how do you idennify them? what's--" the kit was speaking a mile a minute. he paused for a beat, to think about what he was going to say, before quickly speaking again, solidly this time, "what are three things you can use to idennify a shadowclan cat?"

ok... now, while they were thinking, he had time to think of 2 other things, too.


"others' speech,"

"my speech,"