Post by Brownie on Aug 12, 2024 20:00:59 GMT -5
!! QUICK CLAN QUICK CLAN !!
BrookClan is a little different from your average Clan. See, they aren't a Clan. Not yet. They're only a collection of loners living in close proximity. They fight and compete, but more often than not they've been... well not cooperating per se, but coexisting in a grudging sort of peace. Perhaps that's because three of their number (Ash, Whisper and Lizard) are over 100 moons old now and are slowing down, with Hazel (once a young and arrogant molly) not far behind them.
The past leaf-bare was mild, all things considered. No cat struggled to find prey and so tensions relaxed even further, with rumors that Lizard and Ash occasionally shared prey and even a den while ice covered the myriad of streams snaking across the land.
Then new-leaf came, bringing with it warmth, prey, a much-anticipated thaw, and a young molly named Storkbubble with five kittens in tow.
Now the fragile balance that had tentatively taken root between the four loners had no room for more, let alone five kittens that, like caterpillars, would gorge upon the land to fuel their growth. And they certainly didn't have any room for Storkbubble's naive ideals about Clans: cooperation and altruism are expensive, after all, and it would take some convincing before the other four would entertain Storkbubble's dream.
But new-leaf brings warmth, prey, and most importantly to Storkbubble, time. Time for her to gather Clanmates, time for the collection of kittens--orphans, all--to grow into warriors. Because Storkbubble is determined to make her dream a reality; it's up to the loners to decide if they'll follow her peacefully, or if they'll die for her cause.
Ash isn't the oldest cat by the Brook, but he has been here the longest. He's a quiet cat whose first instinct is to take charge and make choices for others--an urge he's learned to repress to keep the peace around here. Ash loves order, rules and structure, and so the social organization of a Clan actually intrigues him a lot. Along with Lizard, Ash is considering Storkbubble's proposal.
Hazel, on the other paw, does not trust Storkbubble in the slightest. She's the youngest of the loners but still plenty old enough to know cooperation between cats is always a lie. She's very nervous that some of the others seem to be friendly towards Storkbubble and has only doubled down on her isolation because of it. She also is quite an orderly cat, but she would rather have the structure she knows rather than face an unknown change.
Lizard loves the sound of her own voice and she's not scared to admit it. She is smart, but overestimates her intelligence often. She currently is paired with Ash--not in a romantic way, mind, but she enjoys his company and trusts him to some extent. Having tried out group hunting a few times, she can see the appeal of a Clan, though this flaky molly doesn't like being chained down and shies away from obligations, vows, or loyalties, all things expected of a Clan cat.
Whisper isn't really for or against the Clan, joking that she probably won't be around to care much longer anyways. She doesn't mind more cats moving into the area at all and actually enjoys having the kits around when Storkbubble lets her watch over them. She's made it perfectly clear that, Clan or no Clan, she's not going to be changing her own habits either way, so as long as they work around her, she could care less what happens.
Storkbubble is kind, but her kindness has limits and her determination forms a steely core that cannot be shaken. She'll try to do the best thing, though won't hesitate to hurt others to do what's right for the group as a whole. She was formally trained as a medicine cat from a Clan called NettleClan, but the Clan was recently destroyed by floods and scattered. Storkbubble used the nursery's hollow log as a raft and managed to save three kittens from the Clan: Cloverkit, Nettlekit and Oriolekit. She followed dreams of StarClan here, picking up Myrtlekit and Briarkit along the way. She's determined to rebuild a Clan and raise the three Clan kits as they deserve.
Cloverkit - 4 moons. A long-furred white bengal tom with yellow green eyes. Self-conscious, quick to help. He's had to grow up fast and often has to watch over the other kits with the help of Nettlekit.
Nettlekit - 3 moons. A grey speckled tabby molly with violet eyes. Self-conscious, splashes in puddles. She's mostly in charge of making sure the other kittens didn't drown in the floodwaters while they travelled, and now watches over the youngest two in a similar capacity.
Oriolekit - 3 moons. A white and russet tabby tom with cobalt eyes. Daydreamer, interested in Clan history. Despite being as old as the other two, Oriolekit is not given any responsibility. His head is often in the clouds and he's rather oblivious to danger. He has a near perfect memory and is determined to hold as much information as he's been told about the old NettleClan.
Myrtlekit - 1 moon. A grey tom with silver eyes. Attention-seeker, active imagination. A pawful, Myrtlekit was picked up when the group passed through a small town. Storkbubble left the three Clan kits to hunt, and when she returned, the young Myrtlekit was playing with the others. Cloverkit says a queen simply dropped him and left.
Briarkit - 1 moon. A chocolate rosetted tabby molly with emerald eyes. Shy, picky nest builder. Briarkit was found more recently, well within the areas the Brook cats typically hunted, but none of them could discern where she'd come from or who had left her there. It's a puzzle none of them can solve and is particularly haunting Whisper, who feels she should know the kitten's scent.
[[ Ah yes, the brownie classic: boot a Clan, spend ~1hr writing Lore and Backstory, and then get hungry/have no time to actually play the game. I'll be back after I refuel
Also while we're on the topic of meta: the reason I chose this backstory is so that I have to do more solo patrols and apprentice only patrols. the apprentices will go out with only each other unless one of the loners has a thought bubble interacting with them, and same with the loners with each other. ]]
Moon 0:
Hazel flushes a gopher from a burrow, gaining a lot of prey.
Lizard confidently stalks around the territory, comfortable in her own land.
Ash, however, feels like he made a wrong turn somewhere. Had the rivers always twisted this way? He eventually finds his way home, glad to avoid speaking with any other cat.
Moon 1:
Storkbubble is expecting her own litter. She wants to keep this a secret from the other loners, because they still aren't very happy she's brought five young ones to take their prey. But it's Myrtlekit who shares the news with Hazel, of all cats. Despite Hazel's vehement attempts to avoid the Clan cats, Storkbubble somehow keeps finding her and... it seems like the molly is seeking her out?
Ash and Lizard spend a lot of time together. Lizard loves hanging out in Ash's den, even when he isn't around: he chose a good one! And he's wondering what she thinks about mates... Not that he has a crush on her or anything! Lizard warns Ash of a badger sighted nearby, a rumor she heard from a cat that isn't part of their core group, but lives nearby. He passes the knowledge to Storkbubble, who later can pass it to Whisper and Hazel.
Whisper fights a rogue and the old molly takes a rather harsh claw-wound. It's only because no cat has seen her in a while that Storkbubble tries to find her secluded den... and berates Whisper for not immediately coming for her! It's Oriolekit that convinces Whisper that Storkbubble only wants to help her, and Nettlekit who builds a nest for the molly to stay in while she heals in the Clan's "camp".
Unlike the others, who move dens often and hide their traces, Storkbubble's "camp" is out in the open: an idyllic meadow grove beside a slow-moving stream, with some clusters of rocks for shelter when they need a windbreak. Ash stops by, sees Whisper covered in herbs and cobwebs, and asks Storkbubble about healing. The young molly enthusiastically informs him of the medicine cat role and her training, citing it as another key benefit to having a Clan. "If there's enough warriors to feed and protect the Clan, it gives other cats time to learn harder skills, like healing, strategizing or mediating!"
Flood. Perhaps it wasn't for the best to settle in another water-heavy territory. It's only because of Ash's quick thinking that no cat was killed: the old tom rushed to give Storkbubble a warning when he saw the awful clouds brewing and helped the group evacuate to higher ground. The camp was washed away... perhaps their location wasn't perfect after all.
Hazel also suffers in the flood, getting many scrapes before she can pull herself from the floodwaters, shivering. She survives, though, even if fear makes her ears ring.
Moon 2:
Despite Storkbubble's aid, Whisper dies to her claw wound. If the stubborn old cat would have come to her immediately instead of leaving it untreated for nearly a quarter moon...! But there's nothing to be done now.
Cloverpaw is named an apprentice. Ash is a little confused about Clan naming, but is impressed by the Code when he learns of it. He offers to show Cloverpaw around, but surprisingly Storkbubble vetoes the idea; she doesn't quite trust Ash, not with the apprentice's well-being, and trusts Cloverpaw to only take risks he can handle. Storkbubble is also very pregnant now and feels somewhat insecure in their hastily-made new camp.
Lizard also makes an announcement, but only to Ash: she, too, is expecting kits. The two spend the day together and Lizard can't stop purring.
On his first outing, Cloverpaw manages to steal part of a rabbit from under a fox's nose! He was careful to wait until it was distracted before darting in, and only took a small bit so he wouldn't trip as he fled.
Ash encounters another cat while hunting. The black tom isn't friendly and stares at Ash in a challenge--though he says nothing, it's tense until Ash backs away and leaves.
Moon 3:
Storkbubble's three kits are born!
Burnetkit is a mostly white tom with some cinnamon bengal patches and sage eyes. He's the quiet one of the litter.
Mintkit is a chocolate rosetted tabby tom with pale green eyes. He's shy at first, but is outgoing once he warms up to a cat.
Mousekit is a cinnamon classic tabby molly with pale green eyes. She's a pawful, unruly and impossible to contain.
No cat sees Lizard around much this moon, but Ash assures Storkbubble that she's fine; he's close-lipped as to why, but his constant smiles and purrs clue Storkbubble into the good news. Surprisingly, Hazel stops in to check on Lizard personally, making sure she's okay. Ash finds her there, though, and chases Hazel off as he thinks she was there with bad intentions and he's overprotective of Lizard.
Also somewhat surprisingly, Cloverpaw and Oriolepaw manage to find Ash and Lizard's den. Ash isn't quite happy about this either, grumbling that it's not secure if every cat knows where he lives but the two apprentices confidently boast that their superior Clan tracking skills were the reason and that any other cat wouldn't be able to do as they did, obviously. Nettlepaw gets separated from the group and wanders the territory on her own.
Now that he's been named an apprentice, Oriolepaw is both focused and intent on following the Code to the letter. He believes that keeping the Code alive is his purpose in life and Stars will he live by it.
Nettlepaw and Cloverpaw are insecure and nervous respectively. The pressure of having to take care of kits while only kits themselves has really gotten to them. Nettlepaw heaps responsibilities onto herself, thinking she has to single-handedly provide for the growing Clan, and Cloverpaw is always second guessing himself and jumps at any possible threat.
Storkbubble wonders if Whisper made it to StarClan. She hasn't found a way to commune with her ancestors here yet. She's had one dream of the old NettleClan leader, Oatstar, so she's somewhat confident StarClan would be able to see her here if they chose to. She really hopes that Whisper will visit her dreams.
On the way back from Ash and Lizard's den, Oriolepaw and Cloverpaw run into a pair of twolegs. One of them crouches and makes odd sounds their direction and the two apprentices quickly flee.
Nettlepaw, while she got separated from the other two, decided to go for a swim to relax. She does need it, and it does help her feel just a little bit better.
Moon 4:
Lizard bears her three kits.
Murk is a black ticked tabby tom with pale yellow eyes. Know-it-all. As soon as he can speak he's reciting facts about snails, none of which are true.
Sheep is a pale grey agouti tabby tom with pale yellow eyes. Unruly. Named at birth, when he was quiet and somewhat weak, Sheep quickly gained strength and is now entirely unlike his namesake.
Frog is a black mackerel tabby tom with hazel eyes. Self-conscious. He hops away from his littermates' play-fighting and hides under Lizard's fur. He's always a bit chilled and she jokes he's cold blooded, just like her.
The kits are not Ash's; he can tell, but he never asks and Lizard doesn't offer any answers. The fact that the two have grown close enough the last six months that she trusts him to be with her at all during this vulnerable time is enough for Ash.
Also, now that Storkbubble put the idea in his head that it's okay to like and trust the cats around him, Ash found that... he does like them. Lizard, of course, but he has a lot of respect for Hazel too, and all of Storkbubble's "apprentices". Now that the three knew where he and Lizard live, they pop in to check up on Lizard every few days and Ash found he looks forward to seeing them, even if Oriolepaw tries to argue about the Code every time the two talk.
Hazel, however, has NOT grown fond of any cat but Nettlepaw. The other two apprentices found her den as well, and she's still very upset that Cloverpaw didn't take the hint and sought out the den she moved to next too. She is jealous of Lizard and Ash's situationship--things had been stable between the four (three now, but four with Storkbubble?) and now everything was amiss.
Oriolepaw... has taken his adherence to the Code to an untenable level. He has substantial dislike for Hazel, Ash, Cloverpaw and Myrtlekit, holding infractions of the Code against them. He's quick to label a cat as bad simply for breaking the rules, morality notwithstanding. Most of the others ignore his stuck up comments, which only irritates him more as he thinks they aren't taking the code seriously.
Oh and Briarkit really dislikes Hazel. She thinks she's stinky.
It's surprisingly Hazel that brings an injured molly to Storkbubble. Perhaps it was because there was little risk: the molly was faint with blood loss and whatever had injured her was long gone. Perhaps it was because she felt guilty Whisper died of a similar injury not long ago. Or perhaps it was simply because the injured grey molly had unwittingly stumbled close to Hazel's current den, and she didn't want the smell of injury and death to attract predators to her nest. It didn't matter why, all that mattered is that Hazel helped the grey molly to Storkbubble's camp, handing her off to the healer before leaving without saying a word.
Mars is a grey ticked tabby molly with yellow-green eyes. 27 moons. Troublesome, great hunter, great mediator. Currently injured with a claw wound and blood loss.
Oriolepaw finds a young cat spluttering and panicking trying to cross a shallow creek. It's not dangerous, though with how much flailing they're doing they're liable to slip on the stony creekbed, hit their head and drown that way. Oriolepaw scoffs and watches, rather amused, from a nearby knoll. When the cat finally reaches the other side--a cat that couldn't be much older than Oriolepaw himself--the young tom sneers and berates them heavily for their poor performance. He then chases them out of BrookClan's "territory". It's a warrior's duty, even if they don't have borders yet, and the young cat doesn't put up a fight.
Nettlepaw catches a pair of fat mice! She hesitates only a whisker, but sighs and realizes the injured Mars and Storkbubble need the prey more than she does. She can catch some fish for herself later.
Cloverpaw is out hunting by himself when suddenly the ground collapses beneath him! He finds himself in a system of tunnels but--owch, yeah, his leg is definitely broken. He starts forward, taking branches that seem to head upwards, but it's hard to keep his bearings... how long has he been wandering? Should he have waited near the collapse in hopes some cat would have stumbled upon the turned earth on the surface when they were searching for him? He panics. But there's not much panicking he can do with a broken leg, and eventually the pain forces him to calm. He sees... light. Finally, he pulls himself to the surface and finds a tussock of long grass as a meager shelter, sleeping fitfully until a search patrol finds him the next morning and helps him back to camp. He's safe.
Ash, too, finds a cat wandering the woods. This isn't the type of cat the Brook cats typically see: with long, wispy fur, trimmed claws and a black leather collar, this flame point tomcat belongs to twolegs. His name is Dizzy, and Ash talks with him for a long while about his life with twolegs. Storkbubble really opened Ash's eyes to the different lifestyles a cat could have: he's been in the Brooks since... well as long as he can really remember, and he never wandered far. It was enlightening to hear about Dizzy's life, so different from his own. But soon the sun started to fall, and Dizzy left for home.
Dizzy is a ginger and white tom with cyan eyes and a black leather collar. Charismatic, keen eye. His twolegs are currently vacationing at something called an "air bee end bee". whatever that means. He's a chatty guy and wanted to come see the Brooks for himself.
Moon 5:
The nursery is crowded and more mouths means they need more food. Myrtlepaw and Briarpaw are named apprentices, maybe a quarter moon early, but with Cloverpaw down with a broken bone and more recently Oriolepaw resting with heat exhaustion, Storkbubble knows greenleaf will be the best time for the new apprentice to learn to hunt.
Lizard knows she's not supposed to pick favorites but... Sheep is her favorite. The once quiet tom is now impulsive and he reminds her of herself when she was young. Now that they're old enough to travel a little, she takes them to socialize and play with Storkbubble's litter--it's good for young cats to have playmates that aren't their littermates.
Frog, Lizard's youngest, is sociable enough but... he isn't very smart and even the other kittens have caught onto it. Mintkit tries to explain a joke and Frog just... doesn't get it. Oriolepaw berates him for being stupid. Briarpaw pulls a prank on him that everyone but Frog saw coming. He wants Ash to play with him instead.
The three apprentices band together to hunt. Nettlepaw tries to instruct while also hunting herself, but Briarpaw and Myrtlepaw are barely more than kits and make everything into a game, scaring away any prey they might find.
Ash drops a few mice at the camp over the course of the moon. Not consistently, but a little here and there. Storkbubble appreciates the effort, as she knows he's also hunting for Lizard and her kits too. Hazel also drops by one day with a massive rabbit, partially eaten. She says it'll go bad quickly in the heat and she doesn't want to be wasteful. Oriolepaw is the one in camp to receive the gift, and he tells her that she doesn't have to be part of a Clan to feel the Code deep inside. She leaves quickly rather than respond.
Moon 6:
Nettlepaw was seen talking with Dizzy. The tomcat is leaving now that green-leaf is drawing to a close and wanted to say goodbye to Ash. Nettlepaw says she'll pass on the message.
Mars recovers from her blood loss, but her wound hasn't yet closed over. She ends up starting a fight between Sheep and Frog, playing pranks and blaming them on the others, and Ash heavily scolds her for daring speak with his kits. Cloverpaw distracts Frog and Burnetkit pulls Sheep back into a game and all is well, but Ash still glares at Mars and asks pointedly why their Clan is taking in outsiders they can't trust. Oriolepaw, despite often having opposite views as Ash, agrees with him on this and cites the Code: kits can be helped, but a Clan cat shouldn't fraternize with outsiders. Ash jokes he's an outsider too and is surprised to hear Oriolepaw mutter that he doesn't count.
Ash takes Myrtlepaw out to hunt. He asks him about the warrior Code, but Myrtlepaw can't tell him much because he doesn't have it memorized yet. That's alright, the two can share the sunlight and Myrtlepaw learns a lot by watching the older tom hunt, even if the apprentice fails to catch anything himself.
Nettlepaw and Briarpaw go out. They find an abandoned kitten, but it's already dead. Maybe a stillborn, as it looks very, very young. But why didn't its mother bury it? The two apprentices are ill at ease as they bury it themselves.
Oriolepaw has a successful solo hunt! He thinks he can disguise his scent with the flowering ragweed... but it doesn't really work, only makes his fur horrible to groom, even after a dip in the river. Oh well, at least he caught a few birds to bring home.
Storkbubble is very stressed. It's leaf-fall now, going into leaf-bare. She'd thought it was a good idea to have her kits in green-leaf but nursing them has taken her time away from collecting herbs and after the flood, her "stock" is only a few oak leaves and a single burdock root. As soon as she can, she leaves the kits with Oriolepaw, Cloverpaw and Myrtlepaw and goes out to collect herbs.
Myrtlepaw is a big hit with the kits, but Oriolepaw and Cloverpaw find something to argue about and the two practically ignore the kittens in favor of a mock spar that goes a little too far. The apprentices tacitly agree not to report the tensions and the scuffle to Storkbubble when she returns.
Moon 7:
Lizard, finally freed of having to nurse her kits most of the day, goes for a run! She loves the feeling of the wind in her fur, but she's a bit out of practice and trips over her own paws, tumbling down a small hill and crashing into a creek. It's more embarrassing than anything, but she thinks she sees Oriolepaw watching... yes, the young cat heads down to help her up. She should probably bring her kits to camp so Storkbubble can watch over her while she heals.
This goes well for about three days. The two sets of kittens, who get along fine on short playdates, are a terror living in the same space. Perhaps it's because Lizard warns the three excessively that they are only staying temporarily and are not Clan cats like Storkbubble's litter, but after the first day, the two litters refuse to mix. Frog hisses at Mintkit, accusing the Clan kits of getting better prey. Burnetkit fights with Sheep. Mousekit refuses to take sides, but is obviously stressed too, snapping at Ash, Oriolepaw, and Lizard, only allowing Mars to try and comfort her.
Storkbubble bumps into Hazel while collecting herbs. The brown molly was limping rather obviously until Storkbubble came into view, then tried to hide her injury. Storkbubble rolled her eyes and approached, refusing to leave until Hazel showed her what was wrong. Taking thorns from paws is easy and Storkbubble had her fixed up in a few heartbeats. "Was it really that hard?" she asked.
Myrtlepaw and Oriolepaw try to hunt. While carrying home the singular mouse they managed to collect, Myrtlepaw runs face first into a mink. She drops her prey in surprise and the wily creature steals the mouse from under her nose! Great, they lost the only prey they managed to find.
Briarpaw and Nettlepaw, on the other hand, find a kit-fox only slightly bigger than Nettlepaw. Two on one, they chase it away and find its cache, unburying two mice and part of a crow. Score!
While wandering, Ash smells something odd. Cat scent, certainly, but stronger than he's ever smelled before... He goes to warn the others and Storkbubble's eyes go wide when she hears about it, demanding that the old tom bring her to where he smelled it. It was a Clan border! She'd recognize that anywhere! The smell was even familiar to her: earthy, but airy. LavenderClan, one of the Clans that had bordered NettleClan. She'd thought they were all destroyed...
Moon 8:
BrookClan is a little different from your average Clan. See, they aren't a Clan. Not yet. They're only a collection of loners living in close proximity. They fight and compete, but more often than not they've been... well not cooperating per se, but coexisting in a grudging sort of peace. Perhaps that's because three of their number (Ash, Whisper and Lizard) are over 100 moons old now and are slowing down, with Hazel (once a young and arrogant molly) not far behind them.
The past leaf-bare was mild, all things considered. No cat struggled to find prey and so tensions relaxed even further, with rumors that Lizard and Ash occasionally shared prey and even a den while ice covered the myriad of streams snaking across the land.
Then new-leaf came, bringing with it warmth, prey, a much-anticipated thaw, and a young molly named Storkbubble with five kittens in tow.
Now the fragile balance that had tentatively taken root between the four loners had no room for more, let alone five kittens that, like caterpillars, would gorge upon the land to fuel their growth. And they certainly didn't have any room for Storkbubble's naive ideals about Clans: cooperation and altruism are expensive, after all, and it would take some convincing before the other four would entertain Storkbubble's dream.
But new-leaf brings warmth, prey, and most importantly to Storkbubble, time. Time for her to gather Clanmates, time for the collection of kittens--orphans, all--to grow into warriors. Because Storkbubble is determined to make her dream a reality; it's up to the loners to decide if they'll follow her peacefully, or if they'll die for her cause.
Ash isn't the oldest cat by the Brook, but he has been here the longest. He's a quiet cat whose first instinct is to take charge and make choices for others--an urge he's learned to repress to keep the peace around here. Ash loves order, rules and structure, and so the social organization of a Clan actually intrigues him a lot. Along with Lizard, Ash is considering Storkbubble's proposal.
Hazel, on the other paw, does not trust Storkbubble in the slightest. She's the youngest of the loners but still plenty old enough to know cooperation between cats is always a lie. She's very nervous that some of the others seem to be friendly towards Storkbubble and has only doubled down on her isolation because of it. She also is quite an orderly cat, but she would rather have the structure she knows rather than face an unknown change.
Lizard loves the sound of her own voice and she's not scared to admit it. She is smart, but overestimates her intelligence often. She currently is paired with Ash--not in a romantic way, mind, but she enjoys his company and trusts him to some extent. Having tried out group hunting a few times, she can see the appeal of a Clan, though this flaky molly doesn't like being chained down and shies away from obligations, vows, or loyalties, all things expected of a Clan cat.
Whisper isn't really for or against the Clan, joking that she probably won't be around to care much longer anyways. She doesn't mind more cats moving into the area at all and actually enjoys having the kits around when Storkbubble lets her watch over them. She's made it perfectly clear that, Clan or no Clan, she's not going to be changing her own habits either way, so as long as they work around her, she could care less what happens.
Storkbubble is kind, but her kindness has limits and her determination forms a steely core that cannot be shaken. She'll try to do the best thing, though won't hesitate to hurt others to do what's right for the group as a whole. She was formally trained as a medicine cat from a Clan called NettleClan, but the Clan was recently destroyed by floods and scattered. Storkbubble used the nursery's hollow log as a raft and managed to save three kittens from the Clan: Cloverkit, Nettlekit and Oriolekit. She followed dreams of StarClan here, picking up Myrtlekit and Briarkit along the way. She's determined to rebuild a Clan and raise the three Clan kits as they deserve.
Cloverkit - 4 moons. A long-furred white bengal tom with yellow green eyes. Self-conscious, quick to help. He's had to grow up fast and often has to watch over the other kits with the help of Nettlekit.
Nettlekit - 3 moons. A grey speckled tabby molly with violet eyes. Self-conscious, splashes in puddles. She's mostly in charge of making sure the other kittens didn't drown in the floodwaters while they travelled, and now watches over the youngest two in a similar capacity.
Oriolekit - 3 moons. A white and russet tabby tom with cobalt eyes. Daydreamer, interested in Clan history. Despite being as old as the other two, Oriolekit is not given any responsibility. His head is often in the clouds and he's rather oblivious to danger. He has a near perfect memory and is determined to hold as much information as he's been told about the old NettleClan.
Myrtlekit - 1 moon. A grey tom with silver eyes. Attention-seeker, active imagination. A pawful, Myrtlekit was picked up when the group passed through a small town. Storkbubble left the three Clan kits to hunt, and when she returned, the young Myrtlekit was playing with the others. Cloverkit says a queen simply dropped him and left.
Briarkit - 1 moon. A chocolate rosetted tabby molly with emerald eyes. Shy, picky nest builder. Briarkit was found more recently, well within the areas the Brook cats typically hunted, but none of them could discern where she'd come from or who had left her there. It's a puzzle none of them can solve and is particularly haunting Whisper, who feels she should know the kitten's scent.
[[ Ah yes, the brownie classic: boot a Clan, spend ~1hr writing Lore and Backstory, and then get hungry/have no time to actually play the game. I'll be back after I refuel
Also while we're on the topic of meta: the reason I chose this backstory is so that I have to do more solo patrols and apprentice only patrols. the apprentices will go out with only each other unless one of the loners has a thought bubble interacting with them, and same with the loners with each other. ]]
Moon 0:
Hazel flushes a gopher from a burrow, gaining a lot of prey.
Lizard confidently stalks around the territory, comfortable in her own land.
Ash, however, feels like he made a wrong turn somewhere. Had the rivers always twisted this way? He eventually finds his way home, glad to avoid speaking with any other cat.
Moon 1:
Storkbubble is expecting her own litter. She wants to keep this a secret from the other loners, because they still aren't very happy she's brought five young ones to take their prey. But it's Myrtlekit who shares the news with Hazel, of all cats. Despite Hazel's vehement attempts to avoid the Clan cats, Storkbubble somehow keeps finding her and... it seems like the molly is seeking her out?
Ash and Lizard spend a lot of time together. Lizard loves hanging out in Ash's den, even when he isn't around: he chose a good one! And he's wondering what she thinks about mates... Not that he has a crush on her or anything! Lizard warns Ash of a badger sighted nearby, a rumor she heard from a cat that isn't part of their core group, but lives nearby. He passes the knowledge to Storkbubble, who later can pass it to Whisper and Hazel.
Whisper fights a rogue and the old molly takes a rather harsh claw-wound. It's only because no cat has seen her in a while that Storkbubble tries to find her secluded den... and berates Whisper for not immediately coming for her! It's Oriolekit that convinces Whisper that Storkbubble only wants to help her, and Nettlekit who builds a nest for the molly to stay in while she heals in the Clan's "camp".
Unlike the others, who move dens often and hide their traces, Storkbubble's "camp" is out in the open: an idyllic meadow grove beside a slow-moving stream, with some clusters of rocks for shelter when they need a windbreak. Ash stops by, sees Whisper covered in herbs and cobwebs, and asks Storkbubble about healing. The young molly enthusiastically informs him of the medicine cat role and her training, citing it as another key benefit to having a Clan. "If there's enough warriors to feed and protect the Clan, it gives other cats time to learn harder skills, like healing, strategizing or mediating!"
Flood. Perhaps it wasn't for the best to settle in another water-heavy territory. It's only because of Ash's quick thinking that no cat was killed: the old tom rushed to give Storkbubble a warning when he saw the awful clouds brewing and helped the group evacuate to higher ground. The camp was washed away... perhaps their location wasn't perfect after all.
Hazel also suffers in the flood, getting many scrapes before she can pull herself from the floodwaters, shivering. She survives, though, even if fear makes her ears ring.
Moon 2:
Despite Storkbubble's aid, Whisper dies to her claw wound. If the stubborn old cat would have come to her immediately instead of leaving it untreated for nearly a quarter moon...! But there's nothing to be done now.
Cloverpaw is named an apprentice. Ash is a little confused about Clan naming, but is impressed by the Code when he learns of it. He offers to show Cloverpaw around, but surprisingly Storkbubble vetoes the idea; she doesn't quite trust Ash, not with the apprentice's well-being, and trusts Cloverpaw to only take risks he can handle. Storkbubble is also very pregnant now and feels somewhat insecure in their hastily-made new camp.
Lizard also makes an announcement, but only to Ash: she, too, is expecting kits. The two spend the day together and Lizard can't stop purring.
On his first outing, Cloverpaw manages to steal part of a rabbit from under a fox's nose! He was careful to wait until it was distracted before darting in, and only took a small bit so he wouldn't trip as he fled.
Ash encounters another cat while hunting. The black tom isn't friendly and stares at Ash in a challenge--though he says nothing, it's tense until Ash backs away and leaves.
Moon 3:
Storkbubble's three kits are born!
Burnetkit is a mostly white tom with some cinnamon bengal patches and sage eyes. He's the quiet one of the litter.
Mintkit is a chocolate rosetted tabby tom with pale green eyes. He's shy at first, but is outgoing once he warms up to a cat.
Mousekit is a cinnamon classic tabby molly with pale green eyes. She's a pawful, unruly and impossible to contain.
No cat sees Lizard around much this moon, but Ash assures Storkbubble that she's fine; he's close-lipped as to why, but his constant smiles and purrs clue Storkbubble into the good news. Surprisingly, Hazel stops in to check on Lizard personally, making sure she's okay. Ash finds her there, though, and chases Hazel off as he thinks she was there with bad intentions and he's overprotective of Lizard.
Also somewhat surprisingly, Cloverpaw and Oriolepaw manage to find Ash and Lizard's den. Ash isn't quite happy about this either, grumbling that it's not secure if every cat knows where he lives but the two apprentices confidently boast that their superior Clan tracking skills were the reason and that any other cat wouldn't be able to do as they did, obviously. Nettlepaw gets separated from the group and wanders the territory on her own.
Now that he's been named an apprentice, Oriolepaw is both focused and intent on following the Code to the letter. He believes that keeping the Code alive is his purpose in life and Stars will he live by it.
Nettlepaw and Cloverpaw are insecure and nervous respectively. The pressure of having to take care of kits while only kits themselves has really gotten to them. Nettlepaw heaps responsibilities onto herself, thinking she has to single-handedly provide for the growing Clan, and Cloverpaw is always second guessing himself and jumps at any possible threat.
Storkbubble wonders if Whisper made it to StarClan. She hasn't found a way to commune with her ancestors here yet. She's had one dream of the old NettleClan leader, Oatstar, so she's somewhat confident StarClan would be able to see her here if they chose to. She really hopes that Whisper will visit her dreams.
On the way back from Ash and Lizard's den, Oriolepaw and Cloverpaw run into a pair of twolegs. One of them crouches and makes odd sounds their direction and the two apprentices quickly flee.
Nettlepaw, while she got separated from the other two, decided to go for a swim to relax. She does need it, and it does help her feel just a little bit better.
Moon 4:
Lizard bears her three kits.
Murk is a black ticked tabby tom with pale yellow eyes. Know-it-all. As soon as he can speak he's reciting facts about snails, none of which are true.
Sheep is a pale grey agouti tabby tom with pale yellow eyes. Unruly. Named at birth, when he was quiet and somewhat weak, Sheep quickly gained strength and is now entirely unlike his namesake.
Frog is a black mackerel tabby tom with hazel eyes. Self-conscious. He hops away from his littermates' play-fighting and hides under Lizard's fur. He's always a bit chilled and she jokes he's cold blooded, just like her.
The kits are not Ash's; he can tell, but he never asks and Lizard doesn't offer any answers. The fact that the two have grown close enough the last six months that she trusts him to be with her at all during this vulnerable time is enough for Ash.
Also, now that Storkbubble put the idea in his head that it's okay to like and trust the cats around him, Ash found that... he does like them. Lizard, of course, but he has a lot of respect for Hazel too, and all of Storkbubble's "apprentices". Now that the three knew where he and Lizard live, they pop in to check up on Lizard every few days and Ash found he looks forward to seeing them, even if Oriolepaw tries to argue about the Code every time the two talk.
Hazel, however, has NOT grown fond of any cat but Nettlepaw. The other two apprentices found her den as well, and she's still very upset that Cloverpaw didn't take the hint and sought out the den she moved to next too. She is jealous of Lizard and Ash's situationship--things had been stable between the four (three now, but four with Storkbubble?) and now everything was amiss.
Oriolepaw... has taken his adherence to the Code to an untenable level. He has substantial dislike for Hazel, Ash, Cloverpaw and Myrtlekit, holding infractions of the Code against them. He's quick to label a cat as bad simply for breaking the rules, morality notwithstanding. Most of the others ignore his stuck up comments, which only irritates him more as he thinks they aren't taking the code seriously.
Oh and Briarkit really dislikes Hazel. She thinks she's stinky.
It's surprisingly Hazel that brings an injured molly to Storkbubble. Perhaps it was because there was little risk: the molly was faint with blood loss and whatever had injured her was long gone. Perhaps it was because she felt guilty Whisper died of a similar injury not long ago. Or perhaps it was simply because the injured grey molly had unwittingly stumbled close to Hazel's current den, and she didn't want the smell of injury and death to attract predators to her nest. It didn't matter why, all that mattered is that Hazel helped the grey molly to Storkbubble's camp, handing her off to the healer before leaving without saying a word.
Mars is a grey ticked tabby molly with yellow-green eyes. 27 moons. Troublesome, great hunter, great mediator. Currently injured with a claw wound and blood loss.
Oriolepaw finds a young cat spluttering and panicking trying to cross a shallow creek. It's not dangerous, though with how much flailing they're doing they're liable to slip on the stony creekbed, hit their head and drown that way. Oriolepaw scoffs and watches, rather amused, from a nearby knoll. When the cat finally reaches the other side--a cat that couldn't be much older than Oriolepaw himself--the young tom sneers and berates them heavily for their poor performance. He then chases them out of BrookClan's "territory". It's a warrior's duty, even if they don't have borders yet, and the young cat doesn't put up a fight.
Nettlepaw catches a pair of fat mice! She hesitates only a whisker, but sighs and realizes the injured Mars and Storkbubble need the prey more than she does. She can catch some fish for herself later.
Cloverpaw is out hunting by himself when suddenly the ground collapses beneath him! He finds himself in a system of tunnels but--owch, yeah, his leg is definitely broken. He starts forward, taking branches that seem to head upwards, but it's hard to keep his bearings... how long has he been wandering? Should he have waited near the collapse in hopes some cat would have stumbled upon the turned earth on the surface when they were searching for him? He panics. But there's not much panicking he can do with a broken leg, and eventually the pain forces him to calm. He sees... light. Finally, he pulls himself to the surface and finds a tussock of long grass as a meager shelter, sleeping fitfully until a search patrol finds him the next morning and helps him back to camp. He's safe.
Ash, too, finds a cat wandering the woods. This isn't the type of cat the Brook cats typically see: with long, wispy fur, trimmed claws and a black leather collar, this flame point tomcat belongs to twolegs. His name is Dizzy, and Ash talks with him for a long while about his life with twolegs. Storkbubble really opened Ash's eyes to the different lifestyles a cat could have: he's been in the Brooks since... well as long as he can really remember, and he never wandered far. It was enlightening to hear about Dizzy's life, so different from his own. But soon the sun started to fall, and Dizzy left for home.
Dizzy is a ginger and white tom with cyan eyes and a black leather collar. Charismatic, keen eye. His twolegs are currently vacationing at something called an "air bee end bee". whatever that means. He's a chatty guy and wanted to come see the Brooks for himself.
Moon 5:
The nursery is crowded and more mouths means they need more food. Myrtlepaw and Briarpaw are named apprentices, maybe a quarter moon early, but with Cloverpaw down with a broken bone and more recently Oriolepaw resting with heat exhaustion, Storkbubble knows greenleaf will be the best time for the new apprentice to learn to hunt.
Lizard knows she's not supposed to pick favorites but... Sheep is her favorite. The once quiet tom is now impulsive and he reminds her of herself when she was young. Now that they're old enough to travel a little, she takes them to socialize and play with Storkbubble's litter--it's good for young cats to have playmates that aren't their littermates.
Frog, Lizard's youngest, is sociable enough but... he isn't very smart and even the other kittens have caught onto it. Mintkit tries to explain a joke and Frog just... doesn't get it. Oriolepaw berates him for being stupid. Briarpaw pulls a prank on him that everyone but Frog saw coming. He wants Ash to play with him instead.
The three apprentices band together to hunt. Nettlepaw tries to instruct while also hunting herself, but Briarpaw and Myrtlepaw are barely more than kits and make everything into a game, scaring away any prey they might find.
Ash drops a few mice at the camp over the course of the moon. Not consistently, but a little here and there. Storkbubble appreciates the effort, as she knows he's also hunting for Lizard and her kits too. Hazel also drops by one day with a massive rabbit, partially eaten. She says it'll go bad quickly in the heat and she doesn't want to be wasteful. Oriolepaw is the one in camp to receive the gift, and he tells her that she doesn't have to be part of a Clan to feel the Code deep inside. She leaves quickly rather than respond.
Moon 6:
Nettlepaw was seen talking with Dizzy. The tomcat is leaving now that green-leaf is drawing to a close and wanted to say goodbye to Ash. Nettlepaw says she'll pass on the message.
Mars recovers from her blood loss, but her wound hasn't yet closed over. She ends up starting a fight between Sheep and Frog, playing pranks and blaming them on the others, and Ash heavily scolds her for daring speak with his kits. Cloverpaw distracts Frog and Burnetkit pulls Sheep back into a game and all is well, but Ash still glares at Mars and asks pointedly why their Clan is taking in outsiders they can't trust. Oriolepaw, despite often having opposite views as Ash, agrees with him on this and cites the Code: kits can be helped, but a Clan cat shouldn't fraternize with outsiders. Ash jokes he's an outsider too and is surprised to hear Oriolepaw mutter that he doesn't count.
Ash takes Myrtlepaw out to hunt. He asks him about the warrior Code, but Myrtlepaw can't tell him much because he doesn't have it memorized yet. That's alright, the two can share the sunlight and Myrtlepaw learns a lot by watching the older tom hunt, even if the apprentice fails to catch anything himself.
Nettlepaw and Briarpaw go out. They find an abandoned kitten, but it's already dead. Maybe a stillborn, as it looks very, very young. But why didn't its mother bury it? The two apprentices are ill at ease as they bury it themselves.
Oriolepaw has a successful solo hunt! He thinks he can disguise his scent with the flowering ragweed... but it doesn't really work, only makes his fur horrible to groom, even after a dip in the river. Oh well, at least he caught a few birds to bring home.
Storkbubble is very stressed. It's leaf-fall now, going into leaf-bare. She'd thought it was a good idea to have her kits in green-leaf but nursing them has taken her time away from collecting herbs and after the flood, her "stock" is only a few oak leaves and a single burdock root. As soon as she can, she leaves the kits with Oriolepaw, Cloverpaw and Myrtlepaw and goes out to collect herbs.
Myrtlepaw is a big hit with the kits, but Oriolepaw and Cloverpaw find something to argue about and the two practically ignore the kittens in favor of a mock spar that goes a little too far. The apprentices tacitly agree not to report the tensions and the scuffle to Storkbubble when she returns.
Moon 7:
Lizard, finally freed of having to nurse her kits most of the day, goes for a run! She loves the feeling of the wind in her fur, but she's a bit out of practice and trips over her own paws, tumbling down a small hill and crashing into a creek. It's more embarrassing than anything, but she thinks she sees Oriolepaw watching... yes, the young cat heads down to help her up. She should probably bring her kits to camp so Storkbubble can watch over her while she heals.
This goes well for about three days. The two sets of kittens, who get along fine on short playdates, are a terror living in the same space. Perhaps it's because Lizard warns the three excessively that they are only staying temporarily and are not Clan cats like Storkbubble's litter, but after the first day, the two litters refuse to mix. Frog hisses at Mintkit, accusing the Clan kits of getting better prey. Burnetkit fights with Sheep. Mousekit refuses to take sides, but is obviously stressed too, snapping at Ash, Oriolepaw, and Lizard, only allowing Mars to try and comfort her.
Storkbubble bumps into Hazel while collecting herbs. The brown molly was limping rather obviously until Storkbubble came into view, then tried to hide her injury. Storkbubble rolled her eyes and approached, refusing to leave until Hazel showed her what was wrong. Taking thorns from paws is easy and Storkbubble had her fixed up in a few heartbeats. "Was it really that hard?" she asked.
Myrtlepaw and Oriolepaw try to hunt. While carrying home the singular mouse they managed to collect, Myrtlepaw runs face first into a mink. She drops her prey in surprise and the wily creature steals the mouse from under her nose! Great, they lost the only prey they managed to find.
Briarpaw and Nettlepaw, on the other hand, find a kit-fox only slightly bigger than Nettlepaw. Two on one, they chase it away and find its cache, unburying two mice and part of a crow. Score!
While wandering, Ash smells something odd. Cat scent, certainly, but stronger than he's ever smelled before... He goes to warn the others and Storkbubble's eyes go wide when she hears about it, demanding that the old tom bring her to where he smelled it. It was a Clan border! She'd recognize that anywhere! The smell was even familiar to her: earthy, but airy. LavenderClan, one of the Clans that had bordered NettleClan. She'd thought they were all destroyed...
Moon 8:
