{Apple} in Bloom

[Babylonranger]

((Ooc: Here it is! I know I said this would be when everyone's apps were started but after a week with four out of five started I don't plan on waiting much longer. Falcon first with Adderstep, then Otterpotter, Icestorm, and Asher once the kits are born - and once you finish your app, Asher.))

---

Golden eyes blinked open lazily, the ginger tabby she-cat roused from her slumber by the patter of rain falling outside the Nursery. Applestrike shifted in her soft nest, careful not to jostle her rounded torso. She was a little anxious, having her first litter without a medicine cat nearby just in case, but the other queens had all given her solid advice and Adderstep had been wonderfully attentive.

Stretching her white paws, the gravid she-cat felt a twinge. And then a gut-clenching cramp that stole her breath in a gasp. "Ah-Adderstep!" she called out shakily. Oh, Starclan, would he even be able to hear her over the rain? Another cramp - contractions, these were contractions - tore through Applestrike. She cried out for her mate again. "Adderstep!"

[Falcon]

The white tom was wet, he'd been out in the rain for ages, he hadn't been able to sleep well since he had heard he was going to be a father, he was worried, his mother had disappeared when he was barely an apprentice and he didn't talk with his father any longer, what if he would be like that? what if his kits didn't like him, what if his kits were afraid of him? his ear twitched when he heard his mate calling for him, he rushed inside "Applestrike?" he called out worried

[Babylonranger]

"Ah-Adderstep," Applestrike whimpered, relieved that the long-furred white tom had heard her. Flicking her ginger-striped tail in a silent request for her mate to come closer, the young tabby tried to speak only to be cut off by another ripple of pain. "They're - they're coming," she told him, struggling to keep her breathing steady around the contractions.

With a yowl, she pushed, part of her eager to see the kits she and Adderstep had made together. but mostly, Applestrike just wanted the pain to stop. One kit emerged and she pulled it close to begin cleaning it off between contractions. This pattern repeated four more times, until the ginger tabby she-cat had five kits suckling against her and the afterbirth had passed quietly. She looked her kits and smiled tiredly up at Adderstep. "They're perfect," she said.

[Falcon]

Adderstep had hurried in a quick grooming to dry himself before laying beside Applestrike, the LAST thing they needed right now was for her to get sick, or Starclan forbid one of the new kits, he looked over them relieved that none of them had been cursed with a twisted jaw like him "W-what do you think we should call them?" he whispered softly making sure that they were all suckling in peace

[Babylonranger]

Applestrike leaned into Adderstep and rested her head against the white tom while she watched their kits. She gently nudged the first, a male ginger tabby with a white jaw and three white paws. "What do you think of Squirrelkit for this one?" she asked before craning herself down to lick the head of the second kit, a female tortoiseshell with a white throat. "And Poppykit for her?" Applestrike smiled and turned to her mate. "Did you have any names in mind for these three?" she asked, curling her tail around the kits that had inherited their father's white fur.

[Falcon]

Adderstep looked at the remaining kits "How about Swiftkit for this one" he laid his tail on the third kit he appeared to have extra toes then moving his tail to the forth one "and what about Cloverkit for this one" he knew she was white but Cloverkit seemed like a good name for her, her fur was fluffy like clovers

OOC: did Asher name their kit?

[Otterpotter]

OOC: I'll just butt in now >

The newly named Poppykit let out a mew before scrambling blindly towards her mother's paws. The tortie continued to squeak untill she reach what felt like a furry hill. The tiny creature curled up beside the furry boulder and burst out with random mewls as she fell asleep.

[Babylonranger]

((Ooc: Yes, they did.))

Chuckling at Poppykit's squeaky mewls, Applestrike nuzzled her sleepy daughter before looking at the three white kits. "Swiftkit and Cloverkit," she said thoughtfully. "I like them." The young ginger tabby queen considered their last kit, a long-furred white male; an almost perfect copy of his father without his overbite. "Let's call him Whitekit."

Cloverkit nursed sleepily. Her world was dark, but the warmth of her mother and siblings, along with the milk she drank made her comfortable and content. Rubbing herself against Swiftkit and Whitekit, she let out a burbling mew and settled down into an easy slumber.

[Falcon]

"Whitekit....I like that" he purred nuzzling his mate looking at his kits with an anxious look on his face

Squirrelkit mewed disgruntledly when his siblings wrestled him around but he would not be taken down so easily! the little kit squirmed forward as fast as his little legs could carry him until he reached his mother and managed to start suckling, feeling quite proud of himself

[Otterpotter]

The kit's kit went shake of the ground as she let out a loud an angry new as Surelykit pushed past her. This didn't last long as the constant darkness made the kit fall asleep.

[Icestorm]

Swiftkit wiggled his way closer to the warm and sweet smell. He wasn't sure what the warmth was but something in his head told him it was a safe place to be, where he belonged. He felt the warmth of another, Cloverkit, but quickly ignored the warmth his focus of the sweet smell now. Whatever the smell was he had to have it. With a little mew the white kit found the source of the sweet smell as he began suckling.

OOC: Sorry for a late response. I lost this thread.