Something new, something unknown || Smolderingpaw, open

Nettlekit moved in his nest, playfully pushing a mossball with his tail. Nettlekit. My name is Nettlekit. It had an interesting ring to it. Stinging nettle always seemed interesting to him. Not bitter, not sour. It seemed like the opposite of the honeycomb he tried a while ago. It was as if crying out into the world, saying I'm here, but never really wanting anyone to come. If anyone stumbled upon it, it'd give a warning so they didn't do it the next time around. It had to have some use though, it was in the medicine den afterall. Nettlekit sat up and watched the moss ball roll. It was unusually quiet in the nursery. There were not many kits, and if they were, they were outside. Nettlekit didn't mind being outside, just like he didn't mind being inside. The world outside was full of scents and touches and reminders and feelings. It had views and it had quiet, simple sounds of the leafs rubbing against each other, of your steps as you walked on the hard, frozen floor. It was beautiful in its own way, always different, the clouds always moving, the weather changing, the sunset and sunrise.

But in the camp, there were cats. A lot of them, the entire group. The entire clan. Nettlekit didn't feel attached, he didn't feel comfortable. The place buzzed like a beehive, and although he always enjoyed the gentle sounds of bees flapping their wings, he couldn't say the same about his clanmates talking. And they kept talking. He didn't understand when other kits snuck over to the clan meeting, as if there was something interesting happening. Nothing but words, and words wouldn't do or change anything. He didn't feel like being a part of it. Back with mom and sibling, it was easy. It was all so easy. Nothing but gentle humming, a few words they exchanged, and then smiles and touches that didn't need sound to them for them to feel real. Words could be fake, who knew. Lies hurt, lies were terrifying.

The wound on his back was getting better. Not too deep, luckily not much infected. Not so it couldn't be fixed with a few herbs that had a delicate smell. Nettlepaw liked when the medicine cats worked in concentration, only talking short sentences, sometimes mumbling reassuring words. It felt like home with his mom unlike the nursery. But despite the nursery being bland, it was comfortable, and nice and quiet, and his thoughts could go farther he could ever go. Why would he go outside anyways? Maybe when he was older he would take strolls, listen to the woods and the mists speaking. Not yet though, not yet. Maybe once.

// Smolderingstride

Nettlekit lifted his head up upon the quiet call. Amber eyes shifted across the nursery, searching for who finally interrupted the silence. It would be stupid to ask who the apprentice was asking, there was no one present. Since everyone talked so much, it might've seemed unusual he didn't. But well, maybe the news would break out soon enough. He sat up in his nest and swished his tail from side to side as if hinting at something, moving around his ears. Smolderingpaw, that was the apprentice who found him along with the warrior. The kit cracked a single smile and let out a quiet purr that wouldn't be hearable if there was just one more cat in the nursery. He was in fact feeling a lot better, maybe a little bit lonely. He didn't strive for interaction, he didn't avoid it. But it was nice to see someone came to check on him.

Great, he understood. At least someone understood. He felt much better, knowing he was not completely cut off after the fight. He watched Smolderingpaw stand there and looked at the big amount of moss that was with him. Nettlekit's ears perked up at the question, and with another purr he stepped out of his nest and started pushing it towards Smolderingpaw. It wasn't heavy at all, mostly old moss and some straws stitched together.

At least a bit of work would keep him from thinking about... that cat. Maybe he was scared to leave nursery just yet. What if he couldn't face it off? His mother sure couldn't. When he was older, he would be with a patrol. With Smolderingpaw. That would make his feel safer. And no matter how loud some of the cats were, they were there to protect him. He felt safe in the camp, safer than ever.

He stopped and looked up at the apprentice, waiting for him to bring the fresh moss. He didn't know how he would shape it yet, but the thought of having it different than the other kits made his tail shiver in excitement.

Nettlekit waited patiently for the other tomcat to respond to him. After he tossed away his nest and gave him a piece of moss, he stood there in thought. He sniffed the green chunk and nudged it, before taking it into his muzzle and spreading it out. Instead of an answer, he obviously just looked up. But even if he did talk, he wouldn't know what to answer. Then the thought hit him. He started pushing it with his paws and nose into a neat diamond shape, making sure to make it of the same thickness on all places, and for the edges to be pretty and sharp. After a while of concentration, he had a small, diamond-shaped piece of moss in front of him. He flattened his ears. It meant a lot. And since there was no-one, no one but him to remember, it wouldn't mean anything to anyone anymore. He looked up at Smolderingpaw in question.

Smolderingpaw liked it then? Nettlekit smiled and looked at it again. He definitely hadn’t seen a nest like that anywhere before. It was special. If it was comfy? He tried for it to be thick, but it might’ve still been far too much spread out. The kit laid down on it for the first time, and it didn’t break. At least that was good. He curled up and tried to get a comfortable spot. It definitely could use some redoing of some parts, maybe making it a bit smaller and thicker. Nettlekit was an extremely small kit anyways, unlike his sister. He got down from it and started changing it, pushing and condensing at parts with his paws. Nettlekit looked up at the apprentice and hit the ground with his tail in a thank you, along with the obvious expression on his face.

Nettlekit was just about to take his new nest into the previous place of rest, when he noticed something walking up his tail. His ears flattened at the black and yellow body when he noticed it was a wasp. Those could be annoying or even dangerous! His sister got stung once and since then he refused to get close to that nasty insect. He thought they would die, or at least hide away, in leafbare. This one probably found its place in the warmth of the nursery, and for whatever reason picked Smolderingpaw as its prey. The small tom wasn't certainly brave by any means, but he would not let a wasp get his friend. He crouched down and watched as it slowly made its way up, hoping to surprise it and swat it away. The kitten lunged up onto Smolderingpaw from the back, unaware of the consequences.