#Maybe Lawrence and Adam? I know they're shipped

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Residences: Fathomcry & Goldenrue

Fathomcry

Aliases / Nicknames: Flint, Fathompaw

Gender: male

Sexuality: demisexual

Family: Quiver (mother), Gravel (father), Goldenrue (mate)

Other Relations: Goldenrue (mentor [Clan]), Marshglare (mentor [rogue])

Clan: BayClan (Southern)

Rank: warrior

Characteristics: vengeful, obsessive

Murder Motive: vengeance

Number of Victims: 5+

Number of Murders: 4+

Murder Method: varies

Known Victims: Dunestream, Harebreeze, Stoat, Pikefin, Driftbite, Goldenrue

Victim Profile: Clan cats who hurt rogues

Cause of Death: old age

Cautionary Tale: ??

Story: 

Flint would never forget the sight of his father's dead body.

Nor would he forget the sight of his savior.

Goldenrue had rushed in, demanding what happened from Dunestream.

"He tried to kill me."

Flint had shaken his head from where he was crouched underneath the bush. Dunestream hadn't seen him. But Goldenrue had, and shushed him when Dunestream wasn't looking.

Flint heard the gossip a little later. Dunestream had been thrown out, on the testimony of Goldenrue. Flint would have just lived his life, if not for the stories.

Sawdust, an exiled cat who had created a small colony of cats who would test others. Rehabilitate them. Or kill them.

Sawdust had died a long time ago, but his legacy lived on. Flint wanted to be part of that. Marshglare, a cat who had been left to die by another apprentice of Sawdust, thought he was ready as well.

So he grew up, getting lessons from the other rogues around the city, or training himself.

When the time was right, he caught a rabbit shortly outside the city, and brought it to the leader. Driftstar had retired, so Ospreystar was the current leader of Southern BayClan. She let him join as an apprentice, and there he was. Goldenrue.

Everything was in position, and it was time for him to start his work.

Harebreeze, a cat who would always back up the falsities of the other warriors, was his first victim. A bear trap, an old favorite of Sawdust's apprentices. Though it made Marshglare tense to look at it.

Fathompaw and Goldenrue were sent to investigate it. Fathompaw fought hard to keep down his excitement. Goldenrue could see his work. He wasn't really upset, he just didn't understand yet.

And then, Marshglare showed off something incredible he had been born with.

Cavecrawl's spirit was summoned, and it spoke to the senior warriors gathered to investigate the murder of Harebreeze.

The mangled spirit spoke of a reformation, telling the warriors that they have fallen into darkness. Harebreeze failed, would they do the same?

Next up was Finchback. This one was personal for Fathompaw. Well, not really. Finchback had left Goldenrue alone, while the two were chasing down two stray dogs. Goldenrue gained a nasty scar that day. If he had died, Driftstar wouldn't have left Finchback alive. Fathompaw was glad he had. That meant he could have all the fun to himself.

This time, he recruited Stoat, a rogue with a pretty fast running speed, to lure the dogs to Finchback, who he had knocked out and dropped into a tangle of silver thorns. He promised that if Finchback got out, he would call the dogs off.

Finchback didn't get out, and Fathompaw hoped to everything and everyone that he didn't imagine the positive look in Goldenrue's eyes when looking at the gory scene.

And then, to allow himself to set up the tests more frequently, he faked his death. Skinning Stoat after the cat fell ill, the blood covered up the differing scents and the fur color was similar enough.

He went after Pikefin next. A cat who covered up the cruelties of BayClan. She drowned, and it was beautiful. To get rid of the ones who had hurt so many. To watch Goldenrue put the pieces together, and go and find his old friend.

Before the biggest test yet, Marshglare decided he was ready, and gave Fathompaw a warrior name. Fathomcry.

This one was a dual act. Slicing the back of Dunestream's legs, throwing him into a ditch in a cavern, and placing Goldenrue on a nearby ledge. Giving him a choice.

Dunestream died, and a flicker of movement had Goldenrue chasing down Marshglare in the tunnels connecting the cavern to the surface.

Fathomcry revealed himself, smiling as he told Goldenrue of his true identity.

And then....

Goldenrue

Aliases / Nicknames: My Savior, Angel, Love of my Life

Gender: male

Sexuality: bisexual

Family: Breezesting (mother), Driftbite/star (father), Fathomcry (mate)

Other Relations: Dunestream (mentor), Fathomcry (apprentice)

Clan: BayClan

Rank: warrior

Characteristics: exasperated, defensive, distrustful, heart of gold

Murder Motive: protect innocent cats

Number of Victims: 6+

Number of Murders: 6+

Murder Method: N/A

Known Victims: Various warriors

Victim Profile:  Clan cats who hurt rogues

Cause of Death: old age

Cautionary Tale: ??

Story: 

"It's time for your final test."

Goldenrue's fur bristled. Fathompaw--No, right, he was Fathomcry now, turned and gestured for him to follow. He did, trying to instill anger and resentment in every step. The resentment was deeper, though.

There really was nobody he could trust.

The tunnel opened up into a larger cavern, where Driftbite hung from an old Twoleg fishing hook. A spirit, the crushed limbs making the identity clear. Cavecrawl was holding into the chains of the hook, looking down at the confrontation with interest. Outside, Marshglare was leading several warriors of BayClan on a wild goose chase.

Fathomcry stood in front of Goldenrue.

"I have an offer for you. Goldenrue, you took a stand against the cat who killed my father. What did that get you? There's nobody in BayClan you can trust. Nobody except for me."

Goldenrue was about to point out how incredibly stupid that was considering the situation he was in, but Fathomcry didn't give him a chance to talk.

"I mean, Finchback abandoning you. That fox-heart won't get to repeat that mistake. And Harebreeze, I wouldn't have started off with him, but he covered up for so many other atrocities. You, Goldenrue, you're different. Find me the best targets, and I'll do the rest. You wouldn't even get your paws dirty."

Goldenrue squinted at Fathomcry, who did really seem hopeful about this. "You....want me...to help you kill my Clanmates?"

"Just the bad ones. They aren't really your Clanmates, are they? None of them trusted you, none of them even liked you." Fathomcry replied.

"....Okay."

"Okay?"

"I'm in. But let Driftbite go."

Fathomcry's face fell. "Just a second." He turned around, looking at Cavecrawl. "You know what to do." He turned back to Goldenrue.

"I'm going to give you a choice. You go with me, you join me. Your father dies, like he deserves to. You could try and attack me, which results in the same fate for your father. Or you could free him. Kill me, we lose. Free your father, and I lose the battle but not the war. Join me, and this is the happiest day of my life."

Now, that was something Goldenrue was going to unpack later, but not now.

"Driftbite, when he was the leader, let certain things slide. Why did Dunestream feel free to kill my father? Because Driftbite let him. The Clan felt safer because the warriors were willing to kill innocents."

Goldenrue looked from his father to Fathomcry, back and forth, back and forth, until....

He lunged, taking the narrow path up to where Cavecrawl was languishing. The spirit gave a bored nod, and dragged the hook over to solid ground. Fathomcry sighed, and began to walk towards the tunnel out.

Things happened fast after that. Marshglare burst out of a tunnel that led straight to Driftbite and Goldenrue, followed by a few warriors too many then what they had thought. Goldenrue bolted down the path and to Fathomcry. One of the warriors went for Cavecrawl while Marshglare escaped, and went right through the spirit, slamming into Driftbite. The fall killed him.

Fathomcry escaped. Marshglare escaped.

Goldenrue was left to deal with the aftermath.

-------

"Hey."

".....Hey."

"You know what I said was true."

"I know. I just need some time to think."

"I understand."

-------

"Let's do this."

-------

Marshglare sighed in contentment as he rested his head on the shoulder of Cavecrawl. "It's nice. I think he's the only one of us who tried to follow Sawdust's teachings to die of old age, and to die happily."

Cavecrawl rolled his eyes. "What, you didn't die happy?"

Marshglare smiled. "I couldn't be happy until I was able to touch you again."

"Oh, and who's fault is that?" Cavecrawl responded.

Marshglare ducked his head. "....Mine."

Additional Information:

--Submission by @frightnightindustries

--Quiver is a distant relative of Rabbithollow.

--Warrior cats version of William Schenk from Spiral: From the Book of Saw. Took some liberties with the story. After Driftbite dies, it goes to fully original.

Also Warrior Cats version of Ezekiel Banks from Spiral: From the Book of Saw. Rue is also a synonym for regret

--BayClan has four sections. Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western. It's a massive clan in an abandoned city based off of Baltimore.

--Fathomcry was warrior aged when he became Goldenrue's apprentice. People who know about Saw, try and guess who Sawdust, Marshglare, and Cavecrawl are.

--Goldenrue is the one who matches Game of Life, Fathomcry is the one who matches Gasoline.

--Other notable residents of BayClan: literal poster child for cannibalism, falcon tamer with a brain disease, someone who fell into a brick, someone who killed his cheating mate, child who is done with this shit and part eldritch moor.

[sculkshrieking]

dude your hoffstrahmdon is changing my life! have you ever thought about including adam in the mix for the au? ship thing or not i'm just curious about if he gets to live :-)

teehee i'm glad you like them :D!! I had to think about this for a little bit. Adam generally stays dead in my head because i love the guilt and haunting and also because i don't think John with his barbed wire grip on all three apprentices would ever allow his freedom. HOWEVER we love to self indulge in this house and throwing Adam into the mix sounds so chaotic.

Maybe Hoffman plays a part in getting Adam out which is what makes Lawrence feel indebted enough to come and warn him not to go after Jill (which just makes me think of Lawrence and Adam in the makeshift jigsaw hospital room getting tended to by Hoffman while John and Amanda are off getting bloodboarded).

Lawrence and Adam are insanely codependent because I wouldn't have their post-bathroom relationship any other way. They will bite, kick and scream like frightened dogs if you try to separate them.

With Hoffman, Adam probably has some mixed feelings in a "You're horrible and I can't stand you, but you saved me" type way. Mostly the first part, really. Meanwhile, I think Hoffman just finds him annoying and grating as hell, he wants that twink obliterated and all that.

The Strahm and Adam roasting matches are insane. It's a constant PvP zone in there and absolutely no one is safe. There are parallels between them that they're both doing their best to ignore. Also they can smoke out on the balcony together as a treat <33

I don't know what kind of situation would force them all to have to spend a bunch of time together but i personally would love to see the resulting carnage. I also would love for them to kiss, i just have a hard time imagining all of them liking each other </3. Hate sex is absolutely still on the table however <33. Adam how come your mom lets you have THREE big hot middle aged men around you etc etc.

In conclusion: