[Justice]

Greenleaf 28 VY 6
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She'd been super anxious recently, for no particular reason. Becoming Sunnyheart's mate was a dream come true, and she had an extended family within the clan anyway for being mostly 'claimed' by Wildcall for being his daughter. Though they weren't totally certain of that fact, the two looked too much the same, and Larkflower showed too many of the family traits for it to be anything else. The clan was hit and miss as to rather or not they believed it, but she was content to be welcomed. Now she'd have her own family forming, something she'd wanted for her entire life. She loved her brother, he'd kept her alive until she'd come to LightningClan and been adopted by Brightpool, but it was time for her to expand beyond him. She wanted to be able to say she had a family, to proudly present them to the clan and feel apart of them once and for all. She wasn't outcast, she just was a little insecure even after growing up inside the clan. Maybe she was missing her old cuddle buddy, in which case it was time to pick a new one. Firesky seemed a good option, as the former leader needed all the affection she could get, at least in Larkflower's opinion.

Everything was going well, so why was she so anxious to the point of being unable to sleep most nights? She couldn't sleep, her appetite was awful, and she often felt like something was about to jump out and get her. She was safe in the clan, she was safe with Sunnyheart, so where had this come from all of a sudden? Maybe it was just a phase, or maybe she'd eaten tainted prey without realizing it. Either way, she was going to go and see Kindleflare today to help get this sorted out. She didn't want to worry everyone over something as silly as eating something bad.

The young huntress went to the edge of the medicine cat's den and poked her head inside, careful not to step inside in case the she-cat and her apprentice were out somewhere gathering herbs or something. "Hello? Kindleflare are you here?"

BlooRey DVD
Hellion [for Brightpool, Sunnyheart, and Firesky mentions]

[BlooRey DVD]

Her den was quiet, with Tigereye having gone to collect some herbs for their stores. It was strange and exhilarating, now that he had earned his medicine cat name. She no longer quite had an apprentice, though she expected he would still default to her guidance for many moons to come. Perhaps even until she took her place among the stars, much like she had done to Rookfrost for many moons. It was a nice thought, to think that Tigereye may still need her. But she also adored seeing him thrive, seeing him find his paws in a role that she had guided him through. Ginger paws quietly rearranged various herbs, the tabby medicine cat humming contently to herself under her breath. So far, nothing had commanded her attention. It was a rare thing, being able to relax. And here she was, enjoying a quiet morning. Granted, she was still technically working, but... With an extra set of trained paws in the Clan, she certainly felt as though she had a little more time for herself. As a medicine cat, that was certainly a sought after luxury. Not that she would ever turn someone away who needed her help, of course. And as though conjured up by her thoughts alone, a soft voice near the entrance of her den drew her from her little world. Dark ginger ears pricked up, and her amber eyes flashed to the den entrance. She could make out a shape silhouetted against the light filtering in, and she rushed to clean up the herbs she’d been sorting while calling over her shoulder to her visitor. “C-Come in, c-come in! I-I’ll be r-right over!” She mewed cheerily, tucking her stores back into the safety of their compartments. With only a brief pause to flatten some of her ruffled chest fur, the LightningClan healer trotted forward to meet the she-cat who’s scent drifted toward her from amongst the mixture of herbs. Purring in greeting, Kindleflare swept her tail over one of the nests and invited the younger she-cat to sit. Folding her own haunches and laying her striped tail over her paws, the healer tilted her head slightly to one side as she urged gently. “L-Larkflower, h-hello! What c-can I do for y-you today?” She wondered, looking over the warrioress from afar to start off. Noting that nothing seemed glaringly wrong, she thought perhaps her sister’s adopted daughter of sort may not be feeling well. She was fairly certain she had anything she might need to cover a bellyache; she just needed to hear what was troubling the poor dear. With a soft and inviting expression, the gentle LightningClan healer waited for Larkflower to speak next. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to feel anything but at their absolute best.

Justice
Note: 70 moons old

[Justice]

When invited into the den Larkflower gave the other she-cat a beaming smile and trotted in to sit where she was told to. It took her far longer than she wanted to get situated, her anxiety and fussiness making it difficult, but eventually she managed. "I've been having some problems recently. I can't sleep, its hard to eat, and I keep having the feeling like something bad is about to happen. I'm anxious and out of sorts and I just don't know why. I wonder if I ate something bad."

Kindleflare knew everything right? She was Brightpool's sister, making her by default Larkflower's aunt sort of. Brightpool knew everything, so by extension her medicine cat sister should know everything too. Yes, that made absolute sense to her.

She fluffed her tail around her paws, using one to smooth out her fur meticulously as it was one of the few things that soothed her anxious mind.

BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

Even in the budding first moments of the conversation, Kindleflare picked up that something was amiss. Although Larkflower remained bright and friendly, as Kindleflare expected of the she-cat, the warrioress also acted as though she sat upon a nest of thorns. The ginger healer was fairly certain there were no thorns in nests here, for she and Tigereye checked them meticulously almost every day, in case of emergency. And yet the younger she-cat fidgeted anxiously almost nonstop, as though she expected the sky to fall upon her head at any given moment. Despite her concerns, the dark ginger healer waited patiently for Larkflower to feel a little more comfortable, listening politely as the explanation began. Just as Kindleflare expected, the warrioress revealed an overall anxious and almost overwhelming feeling. So much so, in fact, that it was interrupting her sleep. She was certainly capable of providing Larkflower with some herbs to help calm some of those nerves, but she first wanted to determine the root of that feeling. Nodding her head softly in understanding, Kindleflare remained seated where she was, her gentle voice urging more from the jittery she-cat. “Wh-What do you f-feel in you s-stomach? D-Do you f-feel bloated? A-Achey? O-Or as though y-your s-stomach may j-just leap into y-your throat?” She questioned gently, her tail tip twitching slightly. “I-If you c-can d-describe t-to me w-what you a-ate and h-how you a-are f-feeling ph-physically, b-beyond the a-anxiety, I c-can b-better understand h-how to h-help you.” She cooed, smiling warmly to the other she-cat. “D-Don’t you f-fret at a-all though. B-Before you l-leave h-here today, we’ll g-give you s-something t-to calm s-some of th-that anxious f-feeling. A-And we’ll make s-sure you get s-some sleep t-tonight. H-How does that s-sound?” She purred, ears pointed forward to show Larkflower that her full attention was directed upon the warrioress. Kindleflare already had a few ideas... And one was certainly more exciting than the rest. But she wanted to be absolutely certain before she made any sort of suggestion, to avoid any possible disappointment if further information told a different story. Oh, but she hoped she was right.

Justice
Note: 70 moons old

[Justice]

Larkflower concentrated on her body, trying to find words to describe how she was feeling. "My stomach is in a tight knot, made worse by the anxiety and inability to be sleep. When I think about eating I feel sick and only the littlest bits of prey actually stay in there. I've only been able to eat small bites of some of the littler birds so far without it returning, and before that I ate a hare. It didn't smell funny or anything, but maybe it ate a poisonous plant or something?"

The she-cat curled her tail around her paws then uncurled it, adjusted the way she sat, and curled it up again. "Achy, exhausted and restless, paranoid, and like my insides are trying to come outside the hard way." She shuddered. "I want to smoosh myself under my mate and hide there, the world has become very scary and it shouldn't be. I'm grown and I'm safe here. I know that." She sighed and looked helplessly at Kindleflare. "I would really like to sleep tonight, curled up with Sunnyheart and not forced to leave the nest because I can't be still and I don't want to wake him. So that would be wonderful."

She was also experiencing excessive gas, but was too embarrassed to voice that symptom to the medicine cat.

BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

A ginger tail curled as she listened to the she-cat recite her current ailments. Nodding her head to indicate she understood, the LightningClan healer rose from her position and padded to her stores. Carefully pawing through the bundles she'd sorted earlier in the week, it didn't take Kindleflare long to pull two separate stalks. Satisfied for the time being, she returned to Larkflower's side, bending to deposit the proposed treatments. Separating them with a gentleness reminiscent of a mother and her kit, dark amber eyes trained up to meet the young warrioress' gaze. Offering a reassuring smile, the ginger and white healer started her explanation. "W-Well, to s-start off, h-how about we t-try some chamomile-" She mewed, indicating the white flower-adorned herb on the ground. "T-To soothe some of th-that anxiety g-generated b-by your r-racing m-mind. It sh-should e-ease your t-tension, a-and hopefully help unt-tie the kn-knots in y-your stomach. The o-other is th-thyme. It's for frayed n-nerves, and s-should help you c-calm d-down and f-feel less r-restless." She indicated the other herb too, before placing her paw back down on the ground. "B-Both are to b-be ingested, just ch-chew it and s-swallow, and give it some time to k-kick in." With a thoughtful purr, she approached the next piece carefully, waiting until after Larkflower had finished chewing the herbs she'd offered. No need to spark something that would only lengthen the amount of time poor Larkflower spent with that anxiety. "I-If you come b-back to see me b-before you g-go to bed tonight, I-I'll give you s-something to help you s-sleep. G-Goatweed will not o-only help your nerves, b-but should improve your s-sleep quality t-too. N-Normally, I would p-prescribe p-poppy s-seeds... But, a-although I'd n-need to p-poke a-around a b-bit to p-properly t-test my th-theory... I d-don't like g-giving p-poppy s-seeds to qu-queens. A-And L-Larkflower, I th-think there i-is a possibility y-you're p-pregnant."

Justice
Note: 70 moons old

[Justice]

She sat there and listened to the other she-cat's instructions, chewing on the herbs obediently even though she thought they tasted bad. Anything to make her feel better and let her sleep. Larkflower was barely listening to the explanation of what herbs did what to her body since she was too tired to absorb the information. She'd probably come back another time and ask about it as she was curious. As she finished chewing and swallowing the herbs her ears swiveled as Kindleflare spoke to her about sleeping and what she could eat to help.

When she mentioned not giving her poppy seeds and her reasoning the she-cat shot to her paws and her jaw dropped. "WHAT?!" She immediately fell back onto her rump. "Sorry, sorry, I was just surprised. I mean are you sure? I'd be happy to have Sunnyheart's kits but I mean we haven't really been together long and doesn't it usually take a little longer and..." She rambled for a little while then fell to her belly and put her paws on her head. "Excuse me." She apparently word vomited when she was tired.

BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

Dark ginger ears shot forward as Larkflower seemed to explode into existence suddenly, startling the LightningClan healer into a small hiccuping squeak of alarm that was easily dwarfed by Larkflower's exclamation. Amber eyes stretched wide to match her alarm as the potential queen-to-be's mouth released a barrage of words that Kindleflare struggled to follow. She blinked several times, her jaw parted fractionally as though she had intended to say something, but nothing managed to escape her between the multitude of gasps Larkflower was taking after every few words; Kindleflare was far too gentle a she-cat to ever imagine interrupting anyone. Even if it was a nervous tirade. Eventually, the distressed she-cat flattened herself to the floor to cover her ears with her paws. Silently, the ginger and white healer moved closer to Larkflower, lowering herself next to her and pushing her nose warmly into her shoulder. S-So she th-thinks they m-might be S-Sunnyheart's. She thought silently to herself, having been a little curious as to who the father might be. Kindleflare was not always the most observant when it came to other Clan cats' lives; she was so easily wrapped up in her own world, she didn't always notice who spent time with who. "Y-You h-have n-nothing to ap-pologize for, L-Larkflower. I-In f-fact, I'm s-sorry if I s-startled y-you. It w-was n-not my intention." She stammered in a friendly manner, offering the other she-cat a warm smile. "I c-can't b-be c-certain j-just yet, it will t-take a f-few m-more checks, a-and quite possibly a l-little m-more time t-to be absolutely c-certain. B-But the symptoms y-you described c-certainly m-make me th-think s-so. I c-can't s-scent a-anything that s-screams a-any t-type of p-poison. A-And y-your fidgety b-behavior l-looks to m-me like a m-manifestation of n-nesting b-behavior. I-Is it p-possible, th-though, that you a-are pregnant w-with S-Sunnyheart's k-kits?" She asked gently. "A-Anything you t-tell m-me w-will be k-kept in c-confidence, L-Larkflower. I p-promise. I o-only want to h-help you in a-any way I c-can." She purred softly.

Justice
Note: 70 moons old

[Justice]

The young she-cat took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming her nerves and allowing her to speak without it all coming out in a jumble. She didn't need to shout at Kindleflare, the medicine cat was trying her best to help and to make things better. She needed to calm down. "Any she-cat would be surprised to hear they may be pregnant." She offered quietly. Larkflower was generally very upbeat and happy, but right now she was tired and trying to take it all in.

But mentioning her beloved Sunnyheart made her lift her head with a goofy grin on her face. "It would be a dream come true. We both value family so much, and I love him and want him to be happy. A family of my own, finally." She wrapped her tail around herself, slowly letting the news sink in.

"Um...until we're sure could you not get me put in the nursery? I don't want Sunnyheart to be disappointed if its something else altogether." Or if she was pregnant and lost it at the early critical stage. She knew it could happen, especially in a first time mother like her. StarClan, she hoped it didn't, she hoped she was pregnant and could go burrow herself under her mate and chatter at him all day telling him the good news. She didn't want to be away from him.

BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

KINDLEFLARE

May StarClan Guide Your paws

Seeing that near dream-like expression cross Larkflower's features brought with it an inexplicable warmth to the medicine cat. With a soft purr, she smiled to the younger cat, happily listening to what Larkflower had to share with her. Briefly, she wished she could feel what she read on the expectant queen's features. To feel so... Light, as though she were walking on air when she thought of someone... It was perhaps the one fleeting regret she held in her soul regarding becoming a medicine cat. Kindleflare had grown up seeing how happy her mother was with every litter of kits.

She'd grown up in an environment with such an incredibly strong sense of family, of unconditional love... Kindleflare had never been alone, because there was always someone nearby she felt she could talk to. Knowing that she would never contribute to that sense of family the way Firebird had... Knowing she would never have someone look at her the way Darkcloud had looked at Firebird, or the way she had once looked at her parents... She felt saddened by it. Despite such a gentle heart, she would never have kits of her own with which she could share that love.

She was forever destined to be the aunt. The mentor. The medicine cat. Somewhere, she recognized it hurt. But perhaps it was for the best. After all, with so many strong, brave, funny cats in LightningClan, had she ever really stood a chance, with her bizarre stammer and timid demeanor? Pushing aside the darker thoughts clouding her mind, Kindleflare shifted her tail to touch Larkflower's shoulder. "O-Of course n-not. I w-would not make you m-move to the nursery u-until closer to your k-kitting. As you s-said, it is b-best to be certain. H-However, you should s-start t-treating yourself like a q-queen, alright?"

Pausing briefly, she leaned forward to touch her nose to Larkflower's forehead. "M-Make s-sure not to d-do anything unnecessarily stressful. T-This isn't t-to say you c-cannot do your w-warrior d-duties. Y-You'll be o-okay to do those for a l-little while yet. B-but do make sure you e-eat, even if you don't quite f-feel like it. You n-need your strength. S-Sleep is vital a-as well. A-And no daredevil adventures! A-Am I c-clear?" She purred teasingly, butting her shoulder to the nervous she-cat's gently. Taking on a slightly more serious, but still gentle demeanor, she smiled. "I-If you're e-ever uncertain a-about anything, d-don't hesitate to c-come see m-me, alright? W-When you s-start g-getting closer, I'll s-start giving you s-some other h-herbs, to help you a-along. For now, are th-the herbs I g-gave you h-helping w-with the symptoms you m-mentioned?"

: Justice : -boops- :

ELL

[Justice]

While her mind was racing, she was starting to feel better. Kindleflare was a good she-cat, and she admired the other very much. "I'm starting to, yes." She took deep calming breaths, reminding herself that stress was bad for an expectant queen.

Queen. She was a queen, or she would be once she came far enough along to go to the nursery. Kits of her own, a family that she could cherish, finally a place that she belonged to entirely. A mate she loved, kits of their love, and a clan where they would all be safe forever.

Larkflower headbutted Kindleflare in the shoulder, purring softly. "You are the best Kindleflare." And she still needed to get out and tell Sunnyheart about this. She wanted to be sure, but it seemed this was going to happen. He deserved to know, and they could be happy together and she'd probably get doted on by him more than usual. She couldn't wait. She wanted to be round and full and happily pregnant, knowing that new life would come from the love she shared and continue the family she cherished.

"I'll take good care of myself, and nothing too dangerous. I want these kits very very much."

BlooRey DVD
Hellion [Sunnyheart mention]

[OOC : Complete?]