Cloudy Leopards V.3 <3 - Closed

[Potions-Master]

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[Sleepytally]

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[Saeli]

Hey all! The litter has been officially closed and the results were posted here.

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[[kat]]

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[cakepopcat]

Shelter Application
username: Melinoe
name of leopard: Plum
leopard gender: Female
what are they like as a parent?: maximum 400 words + extra 500

"There's... three?", the groggy leopard asked.

"Yes, there is," beamed her exhausted partner from behind her.

It was a cold, rainy night. Both of them were beyond relieved that everything went smoothly. They were about to drift to sleep as their three newborn kits already had, but something had started to poke, prick, and then stab in the back of Plum's mind.

(There's three of them. Three! We were... only expecting one. I thought I could handle only one. They are all so little. So little. Are they premature? Will they get sick? Is it warm enough here for them? I am really not the most abled leopard out there, I'm slow and I- I- Can I... really take care of them all? Can I really do this?)

The new mother began to tremble, then sob. This was all so much. It would definitely be a lot, to handle three kits. They would all likely have different personalities, different struggles in their lives. Could she handle that? What if they grow up to hate her?

Her partner was startled from their sleep by the thunder outside. They noticed Plum's quiet sobs.

"Plum, dear, it will be ok. I know you were worried about having one kit. But please remember that you are not alone in this. I will always be with you," Plum's partner assured, and kissed her cheek.

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"Kits! Good morning! It's time to get up!", Plum shouted into the den.

"Moooom, can't we sleep a bit longer," cried two of her three kits.

"No, my dears, today you will be learning to swim. I need you up and ready to go in twenty minutes," replied Plum as she put breakfast together.

"Oh mom, do you really think we can do this?", asked one of the kits as they trotted over to where she had set out their breakfast.

"Yes dear, I do. She kissed the top of their head. It may take some time, but I know you can do it," Plum answered.

Plum was the most worried about today. She worried that something would go wrong, or that she would not be able to see one of her kits who had slipped under in time. But she knew that this was something they had to learn. Her partner would be there to help her too.

She stood proud in the water as her kits took to swimming just fine. It had only been a couple months and two out of her three kits were already about half her height now. It felt like it had only been yesterday that they were born, and yet here they are, happily paddling up to her in the stream.

As they headed home for lunch. Plum's littlest kitten waddled over to her. They were a bit more scared of the water compared to their siblings, but they weren't too scared, they trusted their mother.

"Mom, did I do good today?", the kit asked.

"Yes dear! You did very well! You were especially great at diving!", Plum praised.

"Oh, thanks mom, I'm glad," the little kit smiled, having made their mother proud.

Her littlest kit worried Plum a lot. Yes, they excelled at the things that Plum taught them, but they didn't seem to understand others leopards very well. Plum however, understood this kit the most out of the three because of this.

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When Plum was a kit herself, she struggled to interact with other kits her age. Plum was aloof and reserved and... awkward. She hardly had the grace and the motor skills that those other kits had already developed, too. Plum would also get stuck in routines, she would get very upset if it were ever interrupted. Plum's own mother couldn't understand her or why she stood out from the other kits in the woods. She tried everything to help Plum. Even if Plum didn't like it. She made her step out of her routine, even to her great distress. She forced her to be around other kits, even as they made fun of her. She expected Plum to function like every other kit could, even if she couldn't.

Plum's mother really did have the best in mind for Plum, she wanted her to have friends and be able to climb and pounce like the other kits. But a lot of what she did hurt Plum more than it helped her. And that's exactly what Plum wanted to avoid for her littlest kit. Yes, they may not have many friends, and yes, maybe they couldn't be able to bring themself to eat certain foods. But Plum still loved them nonetheless, she really wanted to make sure she didn't hurt her kit like her mother had hurt her.

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Plum smiled softly, as she saw that her kits were finally asleep for the night. Her partner watched their kits as well, mentioning how proud they were of them.

Plum remembered the worries she had when her kits were first born. Could she take care of them? The answer to that, she realized, was yes. Her kits were growing strong and happy, and she couldn't be prouder. No, she may not understand everything about her kits and yes, she made her mistakes, but she knew to apologize and listen to her kits' needs, even though her mother didn't.

Plum got to watch her kits flourish. Plum saw the two eldest find their passions and hobbies in life. Plum even got to see her littlest kit make friends, good friends, who cared for them. In the great woods, there was no mother who was prouder than Plum.


I hope it's ok to still enter, since the competition hadn't closed yet. I had a bit of a better writing day today, I think ^-^

Edit: grammar

Congrats to Melinoe on Plum!! I really loved your story, and how in depth you went into about how not only how she is as a mother but also as a leopard herself, even how she was as a kit <3


I'd like to offer 500 stardust as a "runnerup" to bappledilk and littleminicooper because i also really loved your forms!